Reading A Little ... July

Thought I'd share a few more good books with you. I was hoping to do a few reading posts last month but didn't quite get round to it. Will keep you posted if I find any new ones. For the moment, here are some really great books that I recommend to you. Happy Reading!

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly 

I can't remember whether someone recommended this to me or whether I just found it randomly at the bookshop but this is an absolutely FANTASTIC read. A boy mourns the death of his mother and becomes more and more drawn into his books. So much so that one day he manages to transport into another, part fictional world, where fairytales become horrible nightmares, where the Seven Dwarves are communist labourers and Snow White is far from her fairytale image. An adventure of bravery, courage, despair and hope, all overlooked by 'the Crooked Man'. This is a great read and I really recommend it to you.



Nevermore by William Hjortsburg

I'm not usually into murder mysteries, but this is an exception. The story is based around Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is set in the U.S during prohibition. Sir Arthur is doing a series of lectures about spiritism and his belief in the ability to contact spirits. Houdini on the other hand is a vocal disbeliever, going to lengths to prove that those who believe in seances are being duped by fraudsters. And then a series of murders start occuring, all with similarities to Edgar Allen Poe's mysteries. Conan Doyle meets Poe's ghost and embarks upon solving the mysteries, while Houdini gets mixed up with the mysterious Isis reincarnated. The narrator shifts in person; it is written in the third person but from different perspectives, including those of journalists and various detectives / police officers. By creating an atmosphere of curiosity Hjortsberg manages to weave a spell that will keep you reading: you're never quite sure what the next twist will be.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo


The book that inspired the West End production (which I now REALLY want to go and see). War Horse is the story of Joey, a half-thoroughbred bought on a whim as a young colt. He comes to love his owner's son Arthur but the First World War comes along and he is sold to the British Army. And so begins the tale of life as a war horse. Although this is written for young adults, and many of the children in my class have read and enjoyed it, this has a great appeal for adults too. It touches on a number of fundamental human themes (bravery, determination, friendship and loyalty to name a few) and gives a harrowing account of what life in the trenches would have been like, albeit watered down for the younger audience. An excellent read and despite seeing through a horse's eyes, the characters were very vivid and well-rounded. Another good recommendation.