Review: Inferno by Dan Brown [Jan]

Robert Langdon wakes up in a hospital bed in Italy, shot and no memory of how or why it happened.  All he can remember is a beautiful woman sitting in a painting depicting Dante’s Gates of Hell, urging him to seek and find something.  A spiky haired woman tries to assassinate him and he flees for his life with the assistance of an attractive young doctor.

Sienna Brooks is a doctor, used to saving lives and being in control.  She saved a patient’s life and is now being pursued through the streets of Rome by the police, military, mercenaries, and an assassin.  The former child actor has a genius IQ and uncertain immigration status that means she does not want to be noticed.

Fast-paced and with plenty of action, the plot is tightly written with intriguing clues dropped throughout that reveal a clever but horrific plan.  As pieces began slotting together small pieces of the puzzle began to emerge but certain events remained a mystery and I couldn’t understand them, like the head of the WHO and the man she met.  Was she working with him or thwarting him?   There were a few shocks as people’s secrets were revealed and all the pieces came together right at the very end to display.  I did not guess what was coming before it unfolded and I wondered how I missed it.

Set in the exotic streets of Florence, medieval Italian literature and artworks are explored, as Dante’s Inferno is key to the plan.  History and art buffs will either enjoy this story or pick holes in the authenticity of the story.  Fans of a cleverly written thriller will be delighted with this book.  I thought the plan was grotesque and so wrong, but worryingly I can see the sensible side of it.

Read this latest masterpiece from Dan Brown.  It’s a gripping read.

Title: Inferno
Author: Dan Brown
Published: Bantam Press, 2013
Reviewer: Jan

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas...

As some of you may know I have a love hate relationship with Christmas.

I love the idea but hate the reality.  The heat, the shopping, the crowds.  The whole general un-Christmasy feel of it all.

I want snow damn it.

Thick, white, glorious snow that you can make snowmen out of or lay down on, making Christmas angels.  And I want a roaring fire that I can curl up in front of with a pile of books and a cozy blanket.  And I want Christmas markets where I can buy egg-nog and mulled wine and Christmas cookies and gingerbread men and beautiful hand made Christmas ornaments. 

Basically I want the Christmas of my dreams.  Until then I just have to settle for the huge range of Christmas books that we have got at Auckland Libraries to fulfil my Christmas wishes.

Calling Mrs Christmas / Carole Matthews

"Cassie Smith has been out of work for a while but she has an idea. Drawing on her love of Christmas, she begins charging for small things: wrapping presents; writing cards; tree-decorating. She's soon in huge demand and Cassie's business, Calling Mrs Christmas, is born."

 Wish upon a star / Trisha Ashley.

"Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love...

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' sweetshop / Jenny Colgan

"Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what's best for the sweetshop also what's best for Rosie?"

 
Take me home for Christmas / Brenda Novak

"Christmas is a time for remembering….  Too bad all memories aren't pleasant. Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.   But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions and is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted."

Just for Christmas / by Scarlett Bailey

"When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone.  Moving to a Cornish cottage Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.  Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiance, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again."

 
The cowboy's Christmas courtship / Brenda Minton

"With her mortgaged farm and two jobs, Layla Silver is struggling to keep afloat for the holidays. But does she need Gage Cooper riding to her rescue? Back in high school, Gage was nobody's hero. Now he's an injured bull rider home for Christmas to make amends for his checkered past. And something about the stubborn, beautiful Layla has him wanting more than forgiveness. Can a wandering cowboy turn a Christmas courtship into an everlasting love?"

I listened to One Direction.... and I liked it?

I kind of hope some of my colleagues don't read this blog post. Not because I am in anyway embarrassed in what I'm listening to but just because they're going to give me so much crap for listening to One D and sometimes it's just easier to skip that conversation. But none the less, I listened to One Direction.... and I liked it.

I 'decided' to listen to One Direction because a good friend of mine never shuts up about them and the nagging wore me down (she's not 12 years old by the way) so I went out and I bought (yes, bought) their new album Midnight Memories.

The album opens with their smash hit Best Song Ever. Which is by no means the best song ever but oh my God it's so fricken catchy. This song has been stuck in my head for weeks and is one of the stand out songs from the album. Best Song Ever is not only a pretty solid pop song but it's also the kind of song we all expect to hear from One D. Next up is the band's current single Story of My Life which is arguably one of the better songs on the album. SOML is a good example of what the rest of the album has to offer. The boys have decided to go the poppy, folky-Mumford and Sons route instead of the Dance/pop David Guetta route which personally I applaud. Story of My Life is also one of the best vocal performances on the record.

Best Song Ever

The rest of the album follows the same line as the first two songs. You either have infections boy-band pop (Diana, Little White Lies) or folky guitar based Mumford tributes (Don't Forget Where You Belong, Through The Dark). Of you like either of the first two singles. Then there is a good chance you will like the rest of the album too.

Being new to the One Direction experience I couldn't tell you how this album stacks up against their last 2 releases. Do I think that it's amazing? No. The boys haven't quite nailed putting emotion into their voices as they sing and the album was a little expected content-wise. but I can say that I enjoyed this album. It's fun to listen to and if you want something easy and light then it's pretty good.

Story of My Life

Review: The Day She Cradled Me by Sacha De Bazin [Jan]

Minnie Dean was the only woman hanged in New Zealand, in the mid1890s.  A baby farmer who bought babies given up by their families before placing them with adoptive parents for a fee, she was accused of murdering children in her care and disposing of their bodies.

This book is based on facts gathered from trial transcripts, records, newspaper reports, etc, but tells the from Minnie’s point of view. In her version the babies and children accidently died and she panicked and buried the bodies in the garden.  This is plausible as the infant mortality rate was high in the 1890s and she was viewed with enough suspicion by the authorities that she would be in serious trouble.  Society in 1890 was male focused and anyone different was frowned upon.  By today’s standards there was reasonable doubt but things were different then.

This book is thought-provoking and very well written, showing another side to the story.  I knew of the crime growing up and always thought Minnie Dean was an evil monster who went around smothering babies and got what she deserved.  Now I think this is another David Bain case and you’ll never be sure of her guilt.  This is a good read though the historical facts are a bit dry and slow going.  I’m not sure how interesting the case will be to international readers but it does show how life was back then for pioneers.

Title: The Day She Cradled Me
Author: Sacha De Bazin
Published: Black Swan, 2012
Reviewer: Jan

Digital Eats

I have been browsing through our digital library recently. There is SO MUCH in there. It's a bit like Alice's rabbit hole. My most recent discovery has been on the digital media site Overdrive Media.

On a whim, I began searching for some of the books that I have on hold and have been waiting for for some time.

AND THEY WERE THERE! In e-Book format, which normally I wouldn't use because I don't have an e-Reader (yet..Christmas is coming up...*hint hint*). But! The most wonderful thing is that I can read them on my computer (in my browser or in an e-Reader programme), or even on my phone!

This really works out wonderfully for me because the books I was looking at are vegan, gluten-free, and other allergen friendly recipe books! So I can set up my computer or phone in the kitchen with these books on them and start cooking and baking up a storm!

I am a huge fan of cooking and baking, especially experimenting with vegan and gluten-free recipes. I am so excited to have these readily available for me, rather than having to wait for months! Some of them I did have to put a hold on, but with the digital copy I was 1 out of 1 holds instead of 18 out of 25 or something! It's a pretty great deal.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Bread

Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays

Vegan Pizza

Gluten-Free and Vegan Pie