The Bookstore-Deborah Meyler

I am always drawn to books about books.  Fiction, non-fiction, whatever-I just love to read about them.  So when I saw that Deborah Meyler's The Bookstore was set in an independent book shop in New York, I was convinced that it would be right up my street. 

The Bookstore charts Esme Garland's year as a PhD student at Columbia University.  Her plans go askew when she fall in love with wealthy Mitchell van Leuven, a strong, sexually charged American.  Esme quickly finds herself pregnant and her life in New York looks set to change. 

Determined to make her own money, Esme begins to work at The Owl.  A bookstore with an idealist outlook, The Owl welcomes everyone-from collectors to browsers, academics to the homeless.  As she seeks solace within the confines of the shop Esme learns about herself, the books that surround her and what it truly means to love.  Emotive and enticing, I found The Bookstore a real page-turner.

There were times where I found Esme to be frustrating as a character, and I wanted to tell her to grow up and develop a back bone.  However, I did also feel empathy towards her, particularly as the story developed.  My favourite characters were the staff and homeless people who frequented The Owl.  Captivatingly eccentric, they were delightful outsiders to the high-fashion, high-tempo New York lifestyle, perfectly juxtaposed kooky characters against the city backdrop.  The Owl is almost a character within itself.  A warm, safe oasis of pre-loved books offering shelter and companionship, The Owl is presented as a reliable best friend, a haven for those in need.

My main gripe with The Bookstore is that it sometimes veered towards pretentious and indulgent, although I can forgive it that.  Any negatives were outweighed by Meyler's ability to capture the importance of a book to a booklover, the promise offered between the covers, the endless scope for escape.  This book encapsulates the emotions I feel for reading; the passion it evokes deep in my soul.

The Bookstore is out now, published by Bloomsbury Reader.

8.5/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Fortunately, the Milk...-Neil Gaiman

Fortunately, the Milk... is the latest offering from multi-award winning author Neil Gaiman.  Best known for Coraline, which has also been popularised on the big screen, Gaiman's latest offering is a romp of a tale involving pirates, a time travelling dinosaur and the magnificently named Wumpires.

 

This madcap adventure suggests that even something as mundane as fetching the breakfast milk has the potential to be fantastically unpredictable.  Dad tells the children that fetching the milk took so long because he was time travelling with dinosaurs and aliens, but they are sceptical of his elaborate explanation.   I know who I believe... 

Neil Gaiman's wild and witty tale is perfectly executed and complimented by Chris Riddell's wonderfully expressive illustrations.  Creative, original and never, ever predictable, this crazy tall tale will amuse and engage children and adults alike.

I really enjoyed reading Fortunately, the Milk... and was especially tickled by the 'say what you see' names for things.  I'm not generally a fan of the fantasy genre, and although this fits into that category it is also escapist fun and highly imaginative, reminiscent of the humorous classics of the late, great Roald Dahl.

I would highly recommend this book to boys and girls 7 years +.

Fortunately, the Milk... is published on 17th September by Bloomsbury Children's.

9/10

With many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters-Daniel Gray

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters is quite different to books I have previously reviewed for Books with Bunny. An examination of the quirks of British behaviour and the changing face of the national game, Daniel Gray's book reads as a love story-love of Britain, love of football and love of the diversity of our nation.

Before starting a family, I had a season ticket at Sheffield United.  From 1998 until 2007 I could be found at the Lane every other week, and attended around a third/half the away games most seasons. I also went to youth team games (watching players including the now England regular Phil Jagielka), reserve games, open days, 'meet the manager' events, watched training sessions at the old training ground at Abbeydale and generally lived and breathed Sheffield United.  I met my now husband via a Sheffield United online forum and chose to come to university in Sheffield so that I could watch more games.  I have hundreds of photos of myself gurning alongside former players from waiting at the players entrance.  I suppose what I am trying to say is that I know how it feels to have a bond to a team, to feel part of that community that football creates, to have an identity that is formed largely around the team you support.  Just to prove to you that I am writing this review as 'someone who understands'.

Gray visited towns and cities across England in the 2011-2012 season, examining their relationships with the local football teams.  From Burnley to Carlisle, Crewe to Leyton, Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters explores the diversity of England and the relationship between a local team and the town they are part of.  More than purely a book about football, this is a history lesson, a social commentary, a declaration of love for the beautiful game.  Gray's acute observations will resonate with football fans such as the summing up of the anticipation of visiting a new ground with the phrase 'may nothing stop the feeling a first visit to a new ground gives'.  Portrayals of towns and the characters who reside there alongside both footballing and local anecdotes will amuse and inform in equal measure.

It is perhaps obvious to compare Gray to Hornby given the subject matter, yet the comparisons stretch beyond a passion for football.  Wry observations of the quirky behaviour of football fanatics and a dry underlying humour appear to be Gray's fortes, making Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters a highly readable and entertaining piece.  Beautifully written, nostalgic and reflective, this will also appeal to fans of Simon Armitage, Stuart Maconie and Tim Moore.

And as this is my blog and it's the first day of the new football season, I'm going to finish this entry my way-Up the Blades!

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters is out now, published by Bloomsbury.

9/10
*With thanks to Bloomsbury for providing me with a review copy of Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters*
*You can find out more about Daniel Gray at his website *