Book Review - The House of Rumour - Jake Arnott

"In 1941, Larry Zargorski was a naive young writer of science fiction. Seven decades on, he looks back on that crucial year and traces his place in a mysterious web - one that connects the Second World War with the Space Age, stretches from London to Cuba and Southern California, and links Ian Fleming and Rudolf Hess in a conspiracy that reverberates in the present

Could this be the secret history of the 20th Century? In this thrilling tale of spies and propagandists, the conned and the heartbroken, dreamers and fanatics, the question is:

who will you believe?"

I really wanted to like this book but I really just couldn't get into it! It was a book that I really wanted to give up on at every moment I could but I persevered, hoping that it would grow on me and even as I finished the last page I was hoping that it was going to speak to me in some profound way. But, no, I finished the book and I still didn't get it. Don't get me wrong, the book is well written but I just didn't get the story that Arnott was trying to tell me. There were too many characters and their stories were so segmented that I couldn't really empathize with any of them. I didn't like any of the characters and to me that is an important part of any book. The plot also goes throughout time and space which I get is to do with the underlying motives and ideals of the whole book but it made it so hard to follow. I have read Slaughter House 5 which I really enjoyed and is a similar premise but I think in this case there are too many characters to make this idea work

Are there any books that you have read recently that you just don't get?

Book Review - The Good Father - Noah Hawley

"Dr Paul Allen is a happy, respected family man. All that's about to change.

When he opens the door to the news that his son has killed the next President of the USA

Did he do it? Why would he? And what now?

On Saturday I had a me day and decided to go the library and pick up some new books to read. I have always loved reading and will pretty much read anything (planning on doing a post of a few of my fave books soon, look out for it). I picked up 5 books and thought I would start with this one.

This tells the journey of Dr Paul Allen as he comes to terms with possibility that his son could be a cold blooded murderer and the role that he as a father might have played in this. It explores themes of love in a paternal/maternal sense, whether you really know those who you love and how far you would go to prove that love to your child, those around you and yourself. Of course I cried, I cry at most books, I get really involved, but this book made it very easy to get involved. Told from the point of view of the father for the most part with interjections from the past of his son's memories you follow the path to the truth from the father desperately trying to find his way backwards and the past of his son meandering forward. The two different paces of this story within the book is very well written and was one of my favourite aspects. I wouldn't describe this book as an action thriller or even a murder mystery although there are elements of violence and crime in the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I am thinking of actually buying the book to add to my collection 

Have you read this book? What did you think?