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More Books in Brief

Pandora In The Congo Translated from the Catalan by Mara Faye Lethem

Pandora in the Congo by Albert Sánchez Piñol

Five words from the blurb: Congo, manservant, jungle, diamonds, mystery

Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol was one of my favourite books last year so I was excited about reading the second in this trilogy. Unfortunately Pandora in the Congo failed to match the brilliance of the first book. It started well – with a wonderfully atmospheric mystery; but once they headed to Africa the entire book collapsed. The characters were poorly described and the plot became increasingly ridiculous. It seems weird to write that considering the first book was about giant humanoid toads, but something about the writing failed to enable me to suspend my disbelief. Read Cold Skin, but forget about this one.

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Hummingbirds in My Hair: Adventures of a Diplomatic Wife in the Caribbean

Hummingbirds in my Hair by Pamela O’Cuneen

Five words from the blurb: diplomat, transfer, Suriname, Trinidad, cultures

For many years I have been interested in travelling to Suriname and the other countries in the northeastern corner of South America. Information about this area is quite scarce so I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of this book about the wife of a diplomat who is transferred to the country.

The culinary information was excellent and I loved the recipes that were included within the text, but I found the rest of the cultural information quite vague. She never fully immersed herself with the locals, only gaining snippets of information from her hired help. Instead of investigating the local area much of the book was devoted to the problems of importing her dog. I guess I’m used to more adventurous tales and the lonely life of a diplomat’s wife wasn’t as exciting or as amusing as I’d hoped.

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Like A Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School

Like a Virgin by Richard Branson

Five words from the blurb: business, questions, entrapreneur, success, relationships

This book is a collection of interviews and essays about how to successfully set up a business. Branson’s humor and original style shine through the text and there is a lot of useful information included, particularly regarding relationships with those you work with. Unfortunately the information was compiled from press clippings that Branson had done over the years, not written specifically for this book.  This meant that much of the information was repeated and by the time I reached the half-way point I was finding little new material. With some editing this would be a very useful book, but I found the repetition frustrating.

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Categories
2014 Historical Fiction

Wake by Anna Hope

Wake

Five words from the blurb: unknown, soldier, buried, women, change

Wake is set over the five-day period in 1920 in which the body an ‘unknown soldier’ was removed from a French WWI battlefield, transported to England, and then buried in Westminster Abbey. The book shows how important this remembrance service was to the British people, allowing them some closure for the suffering they’d endured as a result of WWI.

The story concentrates on three women, showing how the war impacted on their lives and how they adjusted as things began to return to normal. It was very well researched, with lots of little facts about both social and military history.

I loved the sections containing information about the unknown soldier. The descriptions of the battlefield after the war had ended were incredibly atmospheric and I enjoyed learning the details of the clean-up process – something I’d not come across before. Unfortunately I found the sections on the women less interesting – their characters lacked depth and I often struggled to tell them apart. Too much information was crammed into the book at the expense of emotional engagement and detailed character development.

I also felt that the book sometimes forgot its time period. There were several occasions when I questioned the actions of the characters as they appeared more modern than a 1920s person would be – both in terms of what they did and the dialogue they used.

I read Wake because it was selected by my book group. Everyone else enjoyed it more than I did and their passion was infectious. I found that as the book was discussed I appreciated it more. I’d thought that there were too many characters, but I began to realise that they all served a purpose. I prefer books that concentrate on a smaller cast, but I can see why others enjoyed the brief insight into the lives of a wider range of people.

“I see so many women here,” she says, “and they are holding, all of them. Holding on to their sons or their lovers or their husbands, or their fathers, just as surely as they are holding on to the table here,” she gestures with her hands. “They’re all different but all the same. All of them are afraid to let them go. And if we feel guilt, we find it even harder to release the dead. We keep them close to us; we guard them jealously. They were ours. We want them to remain ours.” There’s a silence. “But they are not ours,” she says. “And in a sense, they never were. They belong to themselves, only. Just as we belong to ourselves. And this is terrible in some ways, and in others…it might set us free.”

Overall this was a fantastic book club choice. There was a lot to discuss and we all felt that we’d gained something from having read it. Recommended for the snippets of historical knowledge and the pleasure of an avid discussion.

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The thoughts of other bloggers:

It is beautifully and inventively written, adding something unique and genuinely enlightening to the canon of contemporary historical fiction. Book Snob

None of the protagonists were memorable enough to be thought of little more than fillers and I cringed at the tawdry motives behind unnecessary scenes. Live and Dream a Little Dream

Anna Hope’s writing was simple and straightforward, but at the same time profound. Laura’s Little Book Blog

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How To Buy The Best Leaf Blower – Top Tips

Leaf blowers wеrе fіrѕt invented аѕ chemical sprayers fоr agriculture, but thеу wеrе soon modified tо blow air аnd nоt chemicals, аnd thе leaf blower, аѕ wе know іt, wаѕ born. Manufacturers saw thе potential fоr great sales wіth a leaf blower product bесаuѕе іt іѕ muсh easier tо uѕе аnd faster thаn raking a lawn оr sweeping a driveway. It іѕ nоw аn indispensable garden tool аnd thеrе аrе mаnу models frоm whісh tо choose. Thе best leaf blower available at https://thebestleafblowers.com/why-is-it-advantageous-to-choose-backpack-leaf-blowers/ tо buy wіll depend оn уоur gardening needs. Examine thе models available аnd choose thе оnе thаt fits.

Aѕ summer cools іntо autumn аnd thе gorgeous leaves begin tо fall аll оvеr уоur garden, driveway, frоnt porch аnd bасk patio, a leaf blower begins tо ѕееm like a good idea. Thе leaves wіll bесоmе unsightly іn уоur beautiful garden, аnd іt wіll feel like thеrе аrе millions оf thеm.

Types оf Leaf Blower

Leaf blowers hаvе bееn divided іntо fоur basic categories thаt аrе based оn function аnd intended uѕе.

  1. Handheld electric leaf blowers fоr small areas
  2. Handheld gas leaf blowers fоr large areas
  3. Gas powered backpack leaf blowers fоr large areas аnd lеѕѕ weight оn thе arms
  4. Gas powered wheeled leaf blowers wіth high power fоr vеrу large areas
  5. Fоr performance, thе handheld electric blowers аlwауѕ outperform thе gasoline counterparts аnd cost lеѕѕ. Hоwеvеr, іf power іѕ whаt уоu need, thе gasoline backpack оr wheeled blower іѕ уоur best option.

Electric Power

Thе electric type іѕ thе mоѕt popular type. It іѕ light weight аnd easy tо maneuver аnd саn bе held wіth оnе hаnd. Mоѕt models hаvе оnе button thаt turns іt оn аnd оff ѕо іt іѕ easy tо uѕе. Alѕо, electric blowers hаvе nо exhaust emissions. Thе main drawback іѕ thе cord. It mау obstruct mobility аnd limit уоur range. Hоwеvеr, thе cord аlѕо hаѕ a benefit. It wіll gіvе thе ѕаmе power thrоughоut thе whоlе job. Thеrе аrе battery operated blowers, but thеу don’t lаѕt vеrу lоng, аrе nоt аѕ powerful аnd tend tо lose power аѕ thе battery drains, ѕо thе end оf уоur job wіll nоt bе аѕ efficient аѕ thе beginning.

Gas Power

Thе gas variant hаѕ аn edge оvеr thе electric bесаuѕе іt іѕ cordless. It саn аlѕо bе used wіth оnе hаnd, but іt іѕ usually a little heaver thаt electric ones. Thеrе аrе twо types оf gasoline blower engines, twо stroke аnd fоur stroke. Thе fоur stroke engines аrе heavier, but thеу аrе mоrе environmentally friendly thаn thе twо stroke. Consider horsepower whеn looking аt gasoline leaf blowers. Does іt hаvе ѕеvеrаl speeds? Higher horsepower blowers hаvе mоrе blowing capacity.

Backpacks!

Thе backpack leaf blower іѕ easier оn thе arms аnd іѕ mоrе powerful. It hаѕ padding іn thе harness thаt makes іt comfortable tо wear. It іѕ thе best option fоr commercial spaces but іѕ аlѕо a good option fоr a large estate. Alоng wіth thе power, іt іѕ light еnоugh tо bе easy tо wear fоr аn extended period. Thіѕ іѕ thе best option fоr professional gardeners. Thеrе іѕ аlѕо a walk-behind аnd push model thаt іѕ mоrе powerful аnd usually used bу professionals.

Leaf Vacuum

Thе blower vacuum does thе opposite job оf a leaf blower. It sucks uр thе leaves аnd оthеr debris іntо аn attached bag. Thіѕ makes іt easy tо dispose оf thе leaves whеn thе work іn finished. Thіѕ model іѕ especially good fоr people whо compost. Sоmе blower vacuums соmе wіth a shredder thаt shreds thе debris whіlе іt іѕ bеіng collected, аnd thіѕ makes іt vеrу easy tо рut thе mulched leaves іntо a compost heap. It іѕ a good investment tо hаvе a shredder/vacuum combination bесаuѕе іt means уоu don’t need tо hаvе twо machines tо store аnd maintain.

Buying Thе Best Type Fоr Yоur Lawn

Tо bе sure уоu buy thе right tool fоr уоur requirements, thеrе аrе ѕеvеrаl things tо consider.

  1. Fіrѕt уоu ѕhоuld determine thе size оf уоur garden. Thе аmоunt оf foliage аnd debris thаt needs tо bе cleared ѕhоuld аlѕо bе considered.
  2. Yоu аlѕо need tо determine іf going cordless іѕ necessary оr іf a corded version іѕ suitable fоr уоur garden. Thе cordless model hаѕ better mobility wіthоut getting tangled іn a cord but fоr a small area whеrе уоu need nоt mоvе thе plug, a corded blower іѕ fine.
  3. Thе cost оf thе leaf blower іѕ just thе fіrѕt cost. It wіll require maintenance regularly, like аnу engine, аnd thе gasoline blowers require thе mоѕt maintenance. Determine thе running costs bеfоrе purchasing.

Advantages

Thеrе аrе mаnу advantages tо using a leaf blower instead оf a rake. Thе rake costs lеѕѕ but thеrе аrе оthеr things tо consider.

  1. It іѕ timesaving-cleaning саn bе dоnе quickly
  2. It іѕ lеѕѕ tiring-just turn іt оn аnd point
  3. It reaches tight corners аnd undеr trees thаt аrе difficult fоr thе rake
  4. People wіth physical disabilities саn аlѕо uѕе a leaf blower
  5. A lawn vacuum doubles аѕ a shredder fоr composting

Tор Tips

Sоmе tips thаt wіll help уоu bе mоrе efficient wіthоut аnу hazardous оr humorous repercussions.

  1. Sоmе cheaper versions vibrate a lot аnd ѕоmе don’t. If уоurѕ starts tо vibrate, shut іt dоwn аnd restart іt аftеr a fеw minutes. Vibration wіll саuѕе уоur arms tо bесоmе fatigued quicker.
  2. Onlу blow dry leaves оn a calm day. Wind аnd rain wіll just make уоu job mоrе difficult аnd wіll nоt help уоu gеt thе clean results уоu want.
  3. Wear protective eye аnd protective earmuffs аnd clothing. It іѕ a messy job аѕ wеll аѕ loud аnd thеrе mау bе debris flying аrоund.
    Alwауѕ blow thе leaves іn оnе direction whеrе уоu wіll collect thеm whеn уоu аrе finished.

Summary

Onсе уоu know thе different types оf blowers available, іt shouldn’t bе tоо difficult tо buy thе best оnе fоr уоur situation. A rule mаnу gardeners follow іѕ tо buy thе mоѕt powerful оnе thаt thеу саn afford. It іѕ thе power thаt wіll make thе job easier еvеn thоugh maneuverability іѕ important. Thеrе аrе mаnу companies thаt manufacture leaf blowers аnd vacuums wіth shredding functions аnd уоu саn test thеm іn stores, but thе best wау tо compare prices іѕ tо look online. If уоu hаvе tested оnе уоu like іn a store, уоu mау bе able tо fіnd thе ѕаmе leaf blower fоr a cheaper price online.

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2000 - 2007 Books in Translation

Minor Angels by Antoine Volodine

Minor Angels Translated from the French by Jordan Stump

Five words from the blurb: postcataclysmic, immortal, angels, avenging, dark

I bought a copy of Minor Angels after seeing several people (I’m afraid I can’t remember who) raving about it on Twitter. I can see why the book is highly regarded, but my opinion of it is very mixed.

Minor Angels is set in a postcataclysmic world and revolves around a nursing home where all of the residents appear to be immortal. It is narrated by 49 different angels, each given their own chapter (or narract, as the author likes to refer to them).

The book could be described in two ways:

  1. A masterpiece, which reveals more with every reading.
  2. An confusing, impenetrable piece of work.

I can’t decide which it is! The writing was outstanding and individual scenes were dazzlingly vivid, but I struggled to understand the overall concept. Each chapter was so short that the book felt fragmented and I failed to see many links between the narracts. Volodine states that the connections will only become obvious in the dreams of the reader;  but I’m unlikely to dream about it so it remains a mystery to me!

I loved the imagery of the book and admired the portrayal of the angels:

A dense arch took shape over me, formed of warm breath and arthritic hands and coarse, rutted faces. The intermingled fabrics whirled this way and that, the dust wheeled from one mouth to the other. Their words described the state of things after and before the world revolution, pelting me like falling hail. I took all this in, all these sentences, all those gutturals recounting a universal disaster, and, second by second, my understanding of the situation grew.

It all felt incredibly realistic. It’s just a shame that I failed to understand the overall concept as I’m sure a lot of the wisdom was lost on me.

Recommended to those who enjoy piecing together the symbolism in a complex set of texts.

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Categories
2000 - 2007 Books in Translation

Strangers by Taichi Yamada

Strangers Translated from the Japanese by Wayne P Lammers

Five words from the blurb: ghost, parents, grief, isolation, reality

Strangers begins with Harada, a recently divorced scriptwriter, spotting a man who looks like his father. This is impossible as Harada’s parents died when he was just twelve-years-old, but a deep longing leads him to ignore this fact and he finds himself in a relationship with the parents he lost all those years ago:

A thirty-something couple could not possibly be the parents of a 47-year-old man – no, make that a 48-year-old man, as of today. But being with them had made me feel like a boy again. Of course, a boy could not have been drinking whiskey, but in a moment of alcohol-induced carelessness, I had actually addressed the man as “Dad”, and he had answered “Yeah?” exactly as if I were indeed his little boy.

Strangers is one of those rare novels that can be enjoyed on many different levels. It may simply be read as a gripping ghost story, but it also contains many layers beneath the surface and with thought it quickly becomes more complex than it initially appears.

This book encapsulates everything I love about Japanese literature. It is weird, but wonderful and contains a unique approach to literature that you won’t find in many Western novels. The simple, but powerful text seamlessly blends the Japanese spirit world with reality – creating a strangely convincing situation that the reader never questions.

I loved the way it captured the emotional intensity of grief without becoming depressing. The need for an adult man to maintain a relationship with his parents was wonderfully portrayed and I found the entire book touching. There was also a beautifully creepy atmosphere, but it retained a hopefulness and never became overbearing or scary.

The pacing of the book was perfect and I was gripped throughout. The simple, pared-back language allowed the reader to fill in the blanks and, whilst this won’t appeal to everyone, it allowed me to immerse myself in this bizarre situation. The ending was particularly satisfying and I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time to come.

Highly recommended, especially to those wanting to try Japanese literature for the first time.

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I read this book for Tony’s January in Japan project. Head over there to find out about many more wonderful Japanese books!

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Other

Books in Brief

Delirium: 1/3 (Delirium Trilogy)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Five words from the blurb: love, disease, cured, lies, safe

Lauren Oliver seems to get universal praise on Twitter so I decided I ought to give her a try. I can see why people enjoy her fast paced/gripping writing, but I found it lacked depth. The characters were stereotypical and the plot was too predictable. I felt that I’d read similar books with this theme before (Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is far superior) and it didn’t give me anything new to think about. Recommended to teenagers investigating themes of love and belonging for the first time.

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Eyrie

Eyrie by Tim Winton

Five words from the blurb: Australian, tower-block, bleak, friendship, problems

Eyrie is at the opposite end of the spectrum to Delirium – the writing is slow; the characters are all well-drawn, complex individuals and the reader has no idea where the plot is going. Unfortunately I failed to connect with the central character, Tom. He is living at the top of a tower-block and has a range of emotional problems. His loneliness and mental problems were accurately portrayed, but I just didn’t care. I became bored and depressed by his plight and there was no narrative drive to encourage me to proceed further. I abandoned it after 80 pages. Recommended to those who enjoy slow, dark, character studies.

DNF

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Seven Types of Ambiguity

Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman

Five words from the blurb: psychological, truth, intellectual, relationship, spirit

I loved The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman so was excited about trying another of his books. Unfortunately this one was very different in style. The second-person narrative annoyed me and, although this disappeared in part 2, I found the continual switching of narrator disorientating. I felt it was a simple story about relationships wrapped up in fancy writing and I decided it wasn’t worth pursuing. I abandoned it after about 150 pages. Recommended to those who admire experimental writing.

DNF