Medway Book Club launches for students

Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire:

A new book club for students and staff is being launched on the Medway Campus.

The Medway Book Club at the Drill Hall Library will be open for all students and staff who have a passion for reading.

Aimed to “encourage reading for pleasure”, the group will hold informal discussions on favorite reads on the last Thursday of every month.

Titles planned to be read at the book club, which have been recommended by library staff, include Jennet Winterson’s ‘Why be happy when you could be normal?’ and John Grisham’s ‘A Time to Kill’.

The club is open to students from across the three universities at the Medway Campus. Members can come to every session, or to as many as they like.

Members are also encouraged to bring their lunch with them. The first meeting starts at 12:10pm on Thursday, November 29 in room DB034 at the Drill Hall Library.

For more details, email Louise Frith at ljf@kent.ac.uk

Club schedule:
Thursday, November 29 – Jennet Winterson ‘Why be happy when you could be normal?’
Thursday, December 13 – Levitt & Dubner ‘Freakonomics’
Thursday, January 31 – John Grisham ‘A Time to Kill’
Thursday, February 18 – Sarah Waters ‘Fingersmith’
Thursday, March 28 – Mitch Albom ‘The five people you meet in Heaven’
Thursday, May 9 – Margret Attwood ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Blog of the Week: Besotted with Books

So summer is nearly upon us, which means putting your feet up (if you're a student like me) for a few months and hopefully flying off to somewhere hot and exotic for a bit of sightseeing and travelling. Or if you'd rather, sun, sex and Sambuca if you're into that.

But if you're more cultured, like myself, then you'll waste no time checking out the local tourist spots and rich heritage on your holiday, as well as cramming any spare time with a good read.

Which is why this weeks Blog of the Week is fantastic. You see, I'm one of those people that just grabs any old book on offer from Waterstones (usually when they're on 3 for 2) which looks interesting. A quick read of the blurb, a scan of the front cover and I'm done. Well, so long as it fits nicely into the action/ adventure/ crime category.

Besotted by Books however has helped me expand my own personal library. Featuring a mix of reviews, news and opinion on all things books, the blog has a refreshing yet comprehensive line up of books.

Appealing to the Adult/ YA age groups, the blog is run by Natalie Frampton, a fond friend of mine and former colleague, who juggles her busy family life and work on top of running the blog.

Natalie is often my number one source for all things books, and I am forever bumping into her in Waterstones (I would put money on the fact that she is the Alton branch's number one customer!) Her knowledge in her field is evident, just ask some of her 240 odd followers on her blog!

What I like most about her blog is that she combines different online elements to form a really unique, professional blog. Her YouTube videos are fantastic, and she really interacts well with her followers. She is an avid user of Twitter too, so has all the bases covered.

A recent review of hers led me to buying 'A Night to Remember', the book based on the tales of passengers on the Titanic. Struggling to choose which Titanic novel to pick, I read the review and asked Natalie herself for her advise. Eventually, after three nights of little sleep, I had finished the book and was over-the-moon with a new addition to add to my book shelf. The book was fantastic, and no doubt I, like many others who follow her blog, owe Natalie a big thank you.

You can find her blog here: Besotted with Books
You can also follow Natalie on Twitter: @NatFrampton

Picture Courtesy of Besotted with Books

Previous 'Blog of the Week' posts:

- Midomi

- Tasha on TV

- This is Alton

- Mode de la Mode
- Catastrophic Findings

Book Review: A Perfect Spy by John Le Carre

For a title that connotates action, adventure and drama of an exquisite level you would anticipate blood, sex and danger. But what is actually brought to the reader is a tale so perplexing, and at times boring, that deeming it ‘perfect’ would seem false and obscure from the reality that is churned out from chapter to chapter.

Yes, there is a spy. And an interesting tangle of spy networks across the globe. Set in various European cities, thrown in with a British backdrop and the odd gun or mystery, it does have the elements for a proper crime tale. No doubt, the author has experience too, with over 70 years of writing to his name and the usual acclaims and accolades you would expect from a writer. Moreover, he is from Eton (Eton being the establishment of a younger James Bond - Carre knows his stuff!)
The main character, Magnus Pym, is a mysterious lone - ranger; caught up with many a heroine as his past unravels. His family and colleagues also provide substance and emotion; of love, of passion, of betrayal and death. Instead of car chases, suicide and gang culture beckoning from the print, we read into a book that is all about Pym’s childhood - letter’s to his son, before he commits suicide. Great, a ‘book within a book’. 701 pages of the past, with more secrets then the government expenses scandal! So what I imagined as a chase across the globe turns into a frightfully dull experience of ‘Who do you think you are?’ where the only action occurs at the end when Magnus decides enough is enough. Not a surprise to imagine I was thinking the same thing after this tiresome paperback!
So as I rushed through the chapters and repetitive back and forth into this spy’s story, all that revealed was a never ending flashback - a certain variation from the promising blurb at the back of the book, ‘revealing a life made up of secrets.’ The only secret I could make out was the fact I was getting two books for the price of one; the ‘This is your life’ family history added with a poor sense of crime and drama. Yes, there were parts of interest; the character of Jack Brotherhood carried most of the‘traditionalist’ spy virtues - many women, no sleep, a taking to Vodka. If the story were based on him, who at parts is seemingly easy to believe, it would have made the tale a pleasant and exciting journey from start to finish. But alas, this was not to be.
Perhaps John Le Carre tried to hard on focusing on a new type of spy - a more modern take on crime, although one would deem this hypocritical seeing as most of it was based on memoirs from the past! In future, I will stick to that certain familiar, if not stereotypical, portrayal of a ‘James Bond-esque’ spy drama that captivates the reader from cover to cover. A stereotype that for me, never fails to deliver. Thus bringing an essence of a truly‘perfect spy’ - which this book failed to deliver.

2/5 Stars

Picture Courtesy of Wikipedia

Other book review posts:

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

Review of the Week: 'Ordinary Thunderstorms' by William Boyd

So, I thought I would launch a new feature. Yes, another one! Review of the Week will be a small feature, changing each week, on various items which include; books, films, albums and places. The jourknow wishes to provide his opinion, and he will do so. Enjoy!

Ordinary Thunderstorms

‘A compelling fugitive chase through the dark side of modern-day London’ - Evening Standard

I could not say it better myself. To say I had a few sleepless nights due to the eagerness of turning the next page, completing the next chapter is short off the mark. From the first word, I was drawn into the setting and the narrative like flowers bursting into spring. It had everything I ever wished for: compelling characters, a strong storyline of action, adventure, crime and at some points, sexual fantasy all set in the quirky yet somehow familiar suburbs of London town.

Boyd, a familiar writer with accolades from the Costa Book Award, to Richard and Judy Bestseller for the prestigious‘Restless’ has done wonders for a story I was at first hesitant to read. A stubborn traditionalist when it comes to books, I normally‘judge by the cover’ or choose familiar titles and authors, so what chose me to pick this one? Ok, the cover did hold a certain mystery that appealed to me, and the James Bond familiarities (The main protagonist, Adam Kindred - being a modern day 007, perhaps?) made me feel comfortable as I purchased the read from Waterstones.

The plot, as it thickens, leads you too a wild goose chase at the best of times, between Adam Kindred - an American geologist/scientist/professor who is wanted for a murder he didn’t commit. Hmm - sounds a bit cliché and common to some book genres, however this uncovers a certain London that we take for granted. A realistic narrative (I know it is fiction - but how do we know it does not happen?) that leads to murder, prostitution, crime and more murder. The tone of the book is not menacing however, which is more to my liking. And what with the ever-changing events from one character to the next (The protagonist, A Police-woman, Chief Executive of a pharmaceutical company, his brother, a charming prostitute by the name of ‘MHouse’ and even a villainous assassin all share the limelight), this book makes for an engaging read from start to finish. It is realistic, it is identifiable with setting and time, and it is able to create a genre of reading that is familiar, but at the same time exciting to flick through!

Ok, there may be a few comparisons to your classic spy novels. Moreover, a slight undertone of a sexual nature does create an uncomfortable feeling for the reader (read it - and you will understand what I mean) - but this book has to be loved. With a twist at the end, it does take a while to get going due to the back and forth between assassin and escapee, yet what concludes is a cleverly written tale of a modern London in the depths of crime and corruption, each page becoming irresistible and you read on into the twilight hours.

4/5 Stars. Kieran Watkins
Warning: Lack of sleep may occur as a side effect of reading!

Picture Courtesy of Wikipedia