Tag Archive | book review

Kalahari Passage by Candi Miller

Oct9

Powerful

Kalahari Passage by Candi Miller is a powerful historical novel. It is the second book in the Koba & Mannie series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The story is set in South Africa during the 1960’s It was a dreadful period with Apartheid. There was so much violence, inequality and prejudice. Persecution and corruption were rife as the white South Africans continually put down the black South Africans. Nowhere was safe from corruption. Candi Miller has captured the horrors of the time.

Kalahari Passage was not an easy read but a necessary one. We must never return to that time, and learn the lessons of history.

Love between the races was prohibited. We follow what can only be described as a Romeo & Juliet romance. Their love is forbidden but the pair fight to be together. There is both a determination and a hope for the future.

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The Silver Tide by J H Mann

Oct6

Exciting & Entertaining

The Silver Tide by J H Mann is a historical adventure. It is part of A Wild Cornwall series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The story is set in a Cornish fishing village in 1863. Facts are blended with fiction to create this marvellous tale.

We see that life is precarious. The sea is a dreadful master. It is rich in pilchards but the unpredictability of the sea means that it takes lives where it will.

1863 saw the beginnings of life boats. Following a terrible tragedy, a Cornish village campaigns for a life boat.

We see the role of religion as a vicar walks amongst his flock, quoting Bible verses. He also practices the gift of hospitality.

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Oct5

Interconnecting Lives

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a powerful contemporary novel that I read in just two sittings. It was a read that totally consumed me.

This is a very unique novel as one of the leading characters is an octopus, whom we ‘hear speaking’ every once in a while, as a chapter is in his voice. Shelby Van Pelt has cleverly incorporated him into the novel as we believe in him, and also form an emotional attachment. The ending was incredibly powerful and moving.

The human characters are an eclectic mix, all searching for something or running from something. Life has dealt various blows over which they had no control. However, we can all choose our responses to events.

We witness how lives inter-connect with each other. There are some very kind-hearted souls.

Various characters deal with life in varying ways. A seventy-year-old is grieving the disappearance many years ago, of her eighteen-year-old son. To distract herself, she keeps busy and is forever cleaning. Her closest bond is with an octopus in captivity.

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F1 Insider: Notes From The Pit Lane by Ted Kravitz

Oct2

A Stroll Through The Decades

F1 Insider: Notes From The Pit Lane by Ted Kravitz is a perfect book for the F1 fan. It will both entertain and also awaken memories as you take a stroll down the decades.

Ted Kravitz has worked in F1 for nearly thirty years, and this book is a look back over those years. It is a delight for the seasoned fan and the new-to-the-sport (as I am) alike.

We delve behind the scenes as well as in front of the cameras as we learn how to report on events from the pit lane.

Ted Kravitz writes as he speaks on Ted’s Notebook, making F1 Insider a very easy and personable read. It is also highly entertaining.

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