State of Wonder

State of Wonder is Ann Patchett's best book to date. It is an incredible novel taking the reader deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle. We follow Dr Marina Singh as she journeys there in search of answers about her co-worker who has mysteriously died of a fever in the jungle, while with a team of scientific researchers that nobody has been able to locate for years.

Patchett creates the world of the Amazon jungle and its inhabitants so completely that I felt as if I had journeyed there myself. It is an astonishing book, delving into the ethics of scientific research,  and the interplay between modern and primitive cultures.

Best of all. it is a great adventure story and a really good read. Highly recommended.

Comfort & Joy

Comfort & Joy by India Knight is a novel full of holiday cheer and laughs. It is a little like Bridget Jones and her extended group of family and friends during the holidays.

We follow Clara Dunphy through three Christmases with the ex-husbands, in-laws, kids, parents, friends, etc. It is a book best appreciated at Christmas time. It's full of laughs, as Knight's writing is quite funny and entertaining.

Nothing too heavy here, just some holiday cheer.

There But For The

There But For The by Ali Smith is the best book about absolutely nothing that I have read in a long time. There is a thin story here, about a man at a dinner party who locks himself into the guest bedroom and doesn't come out for months. We find out little else about his story as four people who barely know him narrate seperate sections of the book.

However, the book was still thoroughly enjoyable. Smith seems to be writing for the simple pleasure she finds in words, in language itself, in puns and witticisms. The shorts stories ( for that is really what they are) are each engaging and thought provoking, ending with a story narrated by a very bright and precocious 10 year old that is a lot of fun to read.

If you enjoy wordplay and language and the way its use shapes us and our stories, you will find this book interesting. If you are looking for a book that answers all the questions it presents in the first chapter, you will find this book frustrating.

Gold

Gold is the latest novel by Chris Cleave, author of Little Bee. This time Cleave takes on the world of Olympic biking, following two women who are contenders for Gold, Kate and Zoe.

They are now 32 and have been racing together since they were 19. Zoe has a fierce determination to win at any cost, while Kate has sacrificed her practice many times for her family.

I felt really drawn into the world of Olympic training and into the characters of Zoe and Kate and Kate's family. Cleave did a wonderful job bringing the fast paced world of track cycling to the page while keeping the human element in the story.

I enjoyed this novel much more than his earlier works.

The Elephant Keeper

The Elephant Keeper is a novel by Christopher Nicholson set in eighteenth century England, about a young boy who grows up to become the caretaker of an Elephant named Jenny.

It is still hard to believe how many people don't find animals intelligent, or worthy of care and respect; this was particularly true at the time in which this novel is set.

We follow young Tom Page as his life becomes inextricably linked to the Elephant in his care. He develops a relationship with Jenny that transcends their difference in species, and they find a way to communicate with each other.

I could not always relate to the character of Tom, especially in the second half of the novel. However, I found The Elephant Keeper to be a captivating book, at times sad, and at times beautiful.

Five Quarters of the Orange

Five Quarters of the Orange is a novel by Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat. It is set in a small village in France during the German occupation of WWII, and tells the story of a small girl and her siblings and mother who get involved with one young German soldier with tragic consequences.

This novel is similar to Chocolat in its delicious descriptions of food, but it is a darker, more troubled story. Harris is a wonderful writer who pulls you in to the story through poetic language, imagery, scent, taste, until you feel as if you are almost there. There is a mystery at the heart of the story, and you don't want to put the book down until you discover the answer.

I found this to be an engrossing novel, and a good read, but I still prefer Chocolat.

Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle

Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle by Rosalind Miles is the first of her Tristan and Isolde novels. I love stories based on the Arthurian legends, but was not familiar with Miles works until now. I found the subject matter interesting, but the writing lacking.

Since there are more books to come in this series, we leave our hero and heroine quite alive and well at the end of the novel, and you would have to read the rest of the series to find out how their story ends, if you aren't already familiar with it.

I loved Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and was hoping to be swept away in a similar fashion by this book, but unfortunately, I was not. A mildly enjoyable read for those who like this subject matter.