A Far Country | Daniel Mason

I've been eagerly awaiting another book by Daniel Mason since reading The Piano Tuner a few years ago. Mason is a young man with a lot of talent as a great storyteller.

A Far Country is set in an undisclosed country but I would pick Mexico or Brasil or some other Latin American country. It is a raw portrayal of life in a poor rural community where people depend on the arid soil for their livelihood and on rain for their survival. As both fail, the young people have to go to the coastal cities to find jobs and a future. The cities are always the land of milk and honey but the reality far from it.
We meet a family who has lost a son to the city, and his sister who goes off to find him in the firm belief he has made it as a musician.
An arduous journey on the back of a truck, stranger danger and illness is endured just to find the city and her brother. Once she arrives at her cousin's home in a slum the realities of city life sink in. Everyone is struggling just like at home, the rich have the benefits and lifestyle, the poor do all the manual work.
As much as it sounds like a dour story line Mason has an amazing ability to speak in the voice of a young girl with her hopes and dreams in a very believable style. I really enjoyed reading it, there is poignancy and yearning that are universal and it's easy to empathize with the characters and their communities.
Mason is well worth reading, both books are very enjoyable. I hope he publishes again soon.

The Invisible Ones | Steph Penney

I've been waiting for this book for a long time, ever since reading The Tenderness of Wolves. Penney overcomes huge personal phobias to get her books researched and written, so I take my hat off to her for the effort. Both these books are well wroth reading.
In The Invisible Ones, the protagonists are Travelers (Gypsies) in England. I had a small inkling into the life of Travelers after enduring about half an episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding....It was good background! Penney tells the story of a family plagues by ostracism, prejudiced and a mysterious familial illness. The characters are intriguing and I got to know and care for them in the space of the story. The life and history of Traveler families in the UK is incredibly interesting.
In this novel Ray Lovell, a private investigator of Gypsy origin, is contracted by a Gypsy family to find Rose Janko who disappeared soon after marrying into the Janko family. As Ray probes into the life of the Jankos, he comes up against more and more opposition to his investigations and eventually is poisoned for his efforts. His insights and probings into Gypsy life become our own discoveries and surprises into the life of these often overlooked and mistreated group of people.
I found it a great read, and I hope Penney has almost finished her next book because I am an avid fan of her writing.

To Kindle or not to Kindle

As my profile states, I have read and read since a very young age. There is no doubt about the fact that I love books and bookshops. There are bookcases in every room of the house, and books can be like old friends. When I travel my usual souvenir is a book by a local author. It's great to rummage through second hand shops in foreign ports.
Having said all that last year I was given a Kindle by my husband and I totally love using it. I no longer have 4-5 Kg worth of books in my luggage when I travel, I no longer run out of books to read and I find myself using it more and more at home.
 The non-reflective screen is the biggest plus, as it doesn't cause eye fatigue as can an ipad or tablet. The prices of books are very low and there are thousands of free books to download.
 Kindle is also really well priced for what it is and it's more than just an e-reader. Totally sold on the concept. Try one out if you haven't already, it's well worth it.

The Snowman | Jo Nesbo

Once in a while I like to take a break from the usual stories I read and immerse myself in a crime thriller. I've read a fair few authors, most of whom have three or four good books in them, gain fame and then rewrite their books once a year just to get published. Boredom ensures.

So this year I was hunting out another author and a friend recommended Jo Nesbo. Norwegian and compared to Stieg Larssen, I was a bit suspicious BUT I started reading him.
I read Redbreast first and was really impressed with the quality of writing and the story itself was captivating and it took a few chapters to work out what was going on.

Then I read The Snowman and was hooked on Nesbo's books. This one was quite creepy, in a good way! Harry Hole is the main policeman, the usual misfit protagonist of these kinds of novels. But he's likeable and carries the stories very well.
In this story there are crimes, there are women disappearing, there are snowmen left behind...What links them all? Read on!
I have just downloaded The Leopard on my Kindle and will start it today. Nesbo writes well, far better than Larssen. The books are very well translated and worth while reading if you enjoy the crime genre.

Running the Rift | Naomi Benaron

I read this last week and I'm still mulling over the story. I haven't read many books on the Rwandan genocide, as it's such a brutal chapter in African history. This story comes from the perspective of a young man who loves to run, is talented and Tutsi.

As he grows up he is given the opportunity to represent his country and he has his sights on the Atlanta Olympics competing in the 800m. But in the background the nation is boiling over with political tensions and the massacres begin in earnest. He escapes with his life, but not much else.
The story is well told, with enough emotional understanding of the conflict between Tutsi and Hutu for us to gain some insight and share some empathy with the main characters who come from both racial groups.
As I read I often recalled scenes from Hotel Rwanda, which helped to reinforce the scenes played out in the book.
I recommend this book but be prepared for the hard hitting realities of a nation who tears itself apart in acts of genocide.