Book-review post!
Now to catch up on those books for grown-ups…
Leanne Waters – My Secret Life
I’d been meaning to read this memoir of bulimia for ages, and finally got around to it. Leanne Waters’s book is honest and reflective, even though there are times where the analysis gets a little much (English student brain, I think) and where I’d have loved more specifics on day-to-day experiences and the chronology of events. There are lines and sections that are just shockingly real and painful, particularly in relation to self image, and overall it’s a good addition to the wide range of books out there about eating disorders. Will particularly appeal to an Irish audience.
Mary Grehan – Love Is The Easy Bit
If I remember correctly, Eimear Ryan told me to read this because it was dark and depressing and had screwed-up women in it, even though the cover veers towards the softer side of things. Sylvia, the main character, is a depressed artist living out her ordinary life, struggling with being a wife and mother. A return home – minus the husband – forces her to confront some truths about her past and present, including a family history of suicide. I liked this a lot.
Liz Nugent – Unravelling Oliver
Very much enjoyed this multi-voice novel, trying to explain how the respectable middle-aged Oliver – a bestselling children’s book author, for goodness’ sake! – became the kind of monster that could beat his wife so viciously he’d leave her in a coma. There’s a lot, a LOT, of ‘telling’ here, but it works well – these characters have reasons to tell their stories and to reflect on Oliver, whose past is full of secrets and hauntings. And plenty of commentary on Irish society both then and now, while it’s at it. Do read.
Donal Ryan – The Spinning Heart
I probably don’t need to tell anyone to read this one – it’s been hyped up so much – but I did like it, though I thought the second-last story does some odd things to the overall flavour of this book. This is a not-quite novel, a collection of interrelated short stories about a small Irish town screwed over by the recession – very modern, very of the moment, and the voices are terrific. I did feel perhaps there were slightly too many characters’ voices given – some of them end up sounding quite similar – and a few less would have let this feel more like a novel and less disjointed – but I did enjoy reading it.
Jojo Moyes – The One Plus One
Love Jojo Moyes and her latest is excellent – the tale of two strangers thrust together on a car journey to take a gifted girl to the maths competition that could let her attend a better school and change her future forever. Jess is a tough single mother, while Ed is a privileged businessman who doesn’t entirely get what it’s like to be broke. There’s a lot of spot-on stuff here about class and money – it adds a lot to this book, which is as much about family and ambition as it is a love story. A smooth and satisfying read.
Helen Walsh – The Lemon Grove
Jenn’s stepdaughter Emma has brought her new boyfriend on holidays to Mallorca, creating even more a schism in a family filled with fractures. The focus in many reviews has been about the attraction and sex between Jenn and this boy – which is nicely handled, it must be said – but the real story of this book is the tension between Emma and Jenn. Emma’s just becoming a sexual being, and rejecting all of Jenn’s mothering instincts, and Greg, Emma’s father, is utterly clueless about the dynamics here. Gorgeous, clear writing makes this a most pleasing read.
