Hellfire - Mia Gallagher

Hellfire is long. That's the first thing you'd think. 670 pages are not easy to pass unnoticed. But this is the main reason why I decided to pick it up, after 2 years. I wanted to get it out of the way, the biggest book in the pile.
I've kept this proof copy since 2006, one of the first free books I took when I started working in the bookshop. It caught my attention because it was advertised as a mix between Roddy Doyle and Angela Carter. As it happens, it's nothing like them. It reminds me more of Christiane F. . Although you need to shift the setting from Berlin to Dublin and the language from German to a heavy north-side accent. And although this is fiction and as a story it works a lot better.
At first I loved recognising all the streets and places mentioned, but it didn't take much for me to be swept away by the story itself.
Lucy Dolan has just been released from prison, and as she walks along the streets of Dublin, she starts telling the story of her family, starting from her great-grandfather, who was a foundling. And her grandmother, who had the gift of Sight and of storytelling.
I had no clue where the story was going, but it didn't matter. I love stories of families. And Lucy's voice is so captivating she kept me glued to the pages anytime I opened them.
It's been a fascinating and extreme journey. I grew fond of Lucy, despite her mistakes and her anger at the world. I just kept thinking she needed to be loved, that's all. By her mother, her friends, her brothers.
The world in which she grows up is tough. Bleak flats, bleak schools, bleak streets. It's the '80s and the Celtic Tiger hasn't started to roar yet. The inner city is dominated by gang lords, who are always at war and always looking for young rascals to recruit for their errands. At 12, Micko, Lucy's older brother, and his best friend Nayler, are the two best new acquisitions. They rob, they sell, they do everything they're told. Until something goes wrong and they are packed off to reform school.
Lucy is left alone with her precious baby sister Sam, her irresponsible and uncaring mother, and her sick granny.
Her only friend her nerdy cousin Charlie. Until her first day of secondary school where she meets Amanda.
The whole story is told to Nayler, Micko's friend. To know why you need to keep reading. His relationship with Lucy is strange and complicated. Deep and tormented, it's made of unspoken worlds, of misunderstandings, of secrets and of Ifs. You might fall in love with Nayler, with his casual attitude and easy charm, or you might hate him for all he's done. But you'll never know the truth till the end.
As for me, I just cared about Lucy, and about her dreamy sister Sam.
I knew a tragedy was only waiting to happen, the only question was when. But I never imagined how it happened, till it does.
And even then, even through the hardest parts, I was always, completely, enthralled with the story. There's violence, and blood, and cruelty. But there's also magic, and little moments of tenderness.
I loved how sometimes short paragraphs were simple images of memories. A glance, an awkward silence, or a vision. Because the story is full of visions. Lucy has a glimpse of the gift. Unlike her granny, who can dive deep into the sea of visions and possibilities, Lucy is only a seagull, who can go underwater, catch a bit of truth, and then has to swim back up, gasping for air. She never knows if what she sees is the future, the past, the present,or just madness. But it doesn't matter, because nothing she sees can change what's coming.
I must be a sucker for tragic, sad and dramatic stories, even though I wouldn't have thought so. Maybe I like them because they show raw emotions. Yes, that's a right word for this book. It's raw, in all its meanings: harsh, angry, crude, unfair, painful. But also deep and intense and heart-shattering.
One of my favourite reads of the year.

other reviews:
Crime always pay

I'm off home!

Just a quick note to say I'm going home for Christmas and I'll be back on the 28th! I didn't bring my laptop with me so I won't be checking blogs much:(
Hope everybody has a great Christmas!

Secret Santa and Christmas Blog Carnival!

Finally I get to thank Joanna from Lost in a good Story for her pressies! She sent a wonderful packet with 2 books - The Kite Runner and The Ice Queen, plus Christmas candles, a cute tree decoration (is it hand-made? it looks like), AND Belgian chocolate, lavender and ginger flavour. I have to say those are gone already but luckily I took a picture of everything, here it is:


I looove this secret santa idea, thanks again Joanna, it was lovely! And thanks Nymeth for having the idea:) I'm already looking forward to next year's one!:P

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maw is hosting The Book Review Carnival, and I'm in it:) Go have a look.
If you comment to at least three blogs, and one of them it's new to you, you have the chance to win a $10 voucher for Amazon!

OK, now I'm off commenting and THEN, back to reading Hellfire, I'm enjoying it so much.

Picture Book Monday Special : Christmas (Part II)

As promised, here's the second part of my special picture book post.

The first I'm going to recommend is called The Princess' Blankets, by Carol Ann Duffy and Catherine Hyde.
This is one of those jewel books that immediately stand out for me. You can tell from the beginning that it's going to be something different. Something special.
The story is like a traditional fairytale, but it reinterprets the genre in such a beautiful and poetic and daring and sensual way, that it's hard to call it any other way than a work of art. Carol Ann Duffy is a poetess as well a writer. You can tell. It's one of the few times that I love the text as much as the illustrations. But I can't talk of illustrations here, really. They are actually paintings. Mostly abstract representations of feelings and atmospheres. As the artist explains "I wanted the mood to change like the seasons as the story progressed, so the paintings run from hot and bright to moody and harsh and finally to warm and sensual."

One could say this is not for children, but why deprive them of such a beautiful thing? I know I would have loved it as a child. It's so mysterious and fascinating.
It's the story of a princess who is always cold, and nothing ever seems to warm her up. One day a magician arrives at the castle claiming to be able to cure her. If he is successful he will claim the princess as his wife. But his eyes are hard as polished stones and the princess doesn't want to go with him. The stranger tries to warm her up with blankets made out of the ocean, then out of the forest, of the mountain and of the earth. But the princess is not cured, and the land is left with no ocean or forests or mountains...Until a musician with a kind and good heart arrived in the kingdom...

"The musician heard the Princess sigh in his ear and thought he would die with love, but he took her face in his hands and kissed her eyelids. Two warm tears trickled down the Princess' face, and the forests' blanket slipped from the bed. The musician and the Princess looked into each other's eyes and they saw their souls there, and when the musician kissed her on the lips the Princess's heart warmed her whole body with love"

One of the best children's books I have seen so far.
You can see plenty of Catherine Hyde's artworks here and here.

Next is something on a completely different note. This is undoubtley for children. Especially those who can't stop asking questions about everything and anything around them.
Why is the sky blue? by Geraldine Taylor and Amy Schimler answers a lot of questions about nature in a fun and interactive way,which I find irrestistible.
What I love most about it is the texture. It's thick paper which looks like is drenched with colour. The pastels are vivid and eye-catching, while the interactive side of it allows the children to pull tabs, lift flaps, turn wheels and open fold outs to discover the answers to the questions. It's a lot of fun!
It hasn't had the publicity it deserves, maybe because it's published within the Ladybird series, but this is definitely something you want to keep in mind for your curious children!

more sneak peeks at the book (clink to enlarge):





The illustrator has a very colourful blog, check it out:)



And now I want to talk to you about Niamh Sharkey and more specifically about her new book, Cinderella, retold by Max Eilenberg.
I've wanted to feature Niamh Sharkey for a long time but it never actually happened so there we are. The first time I noticed her was thanks to her "Gigantic Turnip". Her illustrations reminded me of some books I had as a child, no idea what, but I instantly loved them. Then I saw her "Jack and the beanstalk" and the love grew. I actually think that's her best work. I must get a copy soon.
So this year Niamh Sharkey has illustrated another classic fairytale, this time a very girly one. The epitome of girliness. Not my favourite story because it's all about a passive heroine who does nothing expect show up at a ball and fit into a shoe. And how come the prince didn't recognize her before if he was so in love with her. But anyhow, let's not go there. Once again is the illustrator I want to praise. She's done a wonderful job creating a supercute Cinderella, with supercute mice and funny looking step-sisters. Although my favourite parts are the odd-looking girls in line to try the shoe. So funny!
The colours are wonderful, as well as all the different dresses that Cinderella wears at the balls. Yes, because in this version, Cinderella goes to three different balls, in three nights, which kind of makes the love for the prince a bit more realistic.
So if you're looking for a classic fairytale, with delightful illustrations and a little bit of reinvention, go for it!

To look at Niamh's artwork go to the Barefoot's website here or visit her blog.
I've had the pleasure to meet Niamh while she was signing her books in our shop and also at P.J. Lynch's exhibition, and she was so lovely to me! She even knew about my blog :D I think she has earned an eternal fan:)



And the last for this year is Her Mother's Face by Roddy Doyle and Freya Blackwood.
This is Roddy Doyle's first picture book. It's a nice story about a girl, Siobhan, who can't remember her mother's face because she died when she was only 3. Then one day she meets a beautiful woman in the park who tells her to look in the mirror and she will know. Although the basic storyline is simple, the story is enriched with details about Siobhan's life and memories about her mother. She can remember her voice, her hands, and some words like
"Cat and spuds for dinner, Siobhan, how does that sound?"
"Yeuk."
"Yeuk, cat? or yeuk, spuds?"
"Yeuk cat."
"Okay. We'll have chicken instead".

And I haven't even started telling you about the illustrations. They feel like comfort food. Warm and welcoming, and calming. Reassuring, even. I am a watercolour lover, so it's not by chance that I'm attracted to this book! I've tried to look for images on the internet by this artist but I only found this..


That's it!!! I hope you enjoyed my choices. I've loved reviewing picture books, and I'm looking forward to discover more gems in the new Year! Merry Christmas to all of you :=)

The Pub 2009 Challenge

I've noticed this year how I don't tend to read many new books, because I always have so many old books at home that need to be read first, so although I add them to my wishlist, I usually manage to get around them when they're not new anymore. But then at the end of the year, I look at the "Best of the year" lists and I feel awful because I haven't read *any* of those. Hence the need to have an excuse to read new books. I have some ARC aside so I don't even have to add more books to the tbr list. The rest I can borrow from the shop:P
The rules are to read 9 books published in 2009. No children/YA (which is good, so I read something different and more suitable to my age) and at least 5 fiction (which shouldn't be a problem either)
Here is the official blog for the challenge.

Picture Book Monday Special : Christmas (Part I)

I have a bunch of picture books that I have been meaning to review for a while but never got around to do it, so I gathered them all up and decided to post a special post for Christmas, although it's not monday yet! They are not just Christmassy stories, but books that would make perfect gifts for Christmas or anytime!

First is a really special edition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It's called We are all born free

Twenty-eight famous illustrators have offered their personal interpretations of the thirty articles of the Declaration, transforming it into a thing of beauty and creativity. I wish I could show them all to you, but you watch a preview on the Amnesty website, as well as read the article on the book.
Reading the articles is a somewhat painful experience, because it makes me think of how easily these basics rights are denied every day somewhere in the world, so I prefer to concentrate on the wonderful illustrations. There are few from some of my favourite artists: Polly Dunbar, Alan Lee, Chris Riddell, Jane Ray... Then there some stunning ones of artists I had never heard of like Hong Sung Dam or Jackie Morris. Definitely a book to behold, to discuss, and to treasure.
All proceeds will go to Amnesty International.

Next in line is The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and illustrated by P.J. Lynch (remember?).

This classic short story has been recently interpreted by P.J Lynch and the result is gorgeous! The story is heart-breaking and deeply romantic, although very old-fashioned (especially when referring to the wife as the possession of her husband...). But again I'm drawn to it mainly by its gentle watercolours, and the feeling of instant classic that the paintings inspire. You can watch a slideshow here.
P.J. also has a channel on youtube with some very interesting videos showing the process of making an illustrated book. Here's one:







My next choice is Leon and the Place Between by Angela McAllister and Grahame Baker-Smith


A completely different thing from P.J. Lynch, this book is all about magic and whimsical illustrations created with mixed techniques.
Follow this link to look at some of Grahame Baker-Smith's art. Fascinating, isn't it? He uses a lot of gold and purple and stars and mad details and decorations to create something which can only be described as stunning.
The story adds a lot to it as well. One day Leon and his brothers go to the magic show. But only Leon truly believes in it. When the show starts everybody is spellbound, until Leon is invited to enter the magic box. A whole world shows itself to him. The Place Between, the place where magic takes you. Ever wonder where things go when they disappear? In the Place Between of course! But not everybody can see this place. Only those who believe...
For true dreamers!

And lastly, I'd like to introduce you to Miki by Stephen Mackey.

"On midwinter eve when an icy wind blew,
the moon weaved her magic and wished came true."

This is a real feal-good christmassy book.
In a land far far away, there lived Miki and her friends. All around them was cold and dark so Miki wished she could find a little tree, and at once a little tree sprang up in front of her. So starts her story.
Everything she wished that night came true. She wished to decorate the tree and a string of fairy lights appeared. She wished a twinkle machine appeared and it did! But then the penguin grew tired of cycling to make it twinkle. So then Miki wished she could catch a star, because it would shine forever. And that's when she was pulled into the icy sea by a huge white whale and her adventure began...
This is an enchanting story told through rhymes and soft paintings. Set in a magic arctic-like land, it's full of fuzzy polar bears, cute penguins, and then sea creatures like octopuses and jellyfishes and crabs. I love its colours, all tones of blue and green and cream, and the textures of the brushes which looks smooth and velvety. Stephen Mackey is an author to watch.
To have a look at the sketches for this book click on the video below:)

The Bloodstone Bird - Inbali Iserles

The Bloodstone Bird is the story of Sash, a boy who is bullied at his new school for his "girlie" name and his loner attitude, and of Verity, a popular and rich kid who decides to join Sash in his adventure, despite Sash's efforts to be left alone. It all begins when Sash enters his dad's studio, a room that's always been forbidden to him. His father is a taxidermists, and their house is packed with all sorts of stuffed animals, especially birds. But aside from his every day job, Sash's father often goes on expeditions to exotic places, allegedly to find rare species of animals to study. He's a loving father but he's too wrapped up in his researches to notice Sash's socialising problems in school. One day, after one of their arguments, Sash decides to brake the rules and opens the door to his father's studio.
In there he finds an old trunk, a map and a riddle. All the ingredients to begin all good adventures, aren't they?

On London's north-south river, long forgotten
When earth and suns align, with moon betwixt
Until again the moon's dark intervention:
Hidden from the world a doorway opens
here you'll find the bird of flames descending from the sun
it heals all hurts and friendship binds with song

What river? which suns? what world? and more importantly, what bird of flames?
Sash starts researching immediately, and in the process he somehow finds himself working with his school enemy Verity, who is determined to find the bird, no matter what.
Sash is skeptical but Verity seems to believe in the riddle with all her heart. Is the bird of flames just a legend or is there really an animal capable of bringing harmony to whoever finds it?

This was an engaging read that kept me interested all the way through. Inbali Iserles is the author of The Tygrine Cat, and like in her first novel, which I reviewed and raved about last year, her writing is smooth and it flows so easily that it makes her books really fast and gripping reads. She uses a traditional literary topos for fantastic fiction, the portal into a parallel world, but it still feels exciting and new. The idea of an underground river still running beneath London (which it is, by the way) is fascinating per se, but adding a magic portal to another world is beyond cool.
I liked the parallel world. A tropical paradise with a past of peace and harmony and a present of oppression and terror. Sash and Verity, in their search for the bird, become entangled in this world's destiny, and in doing so, they will also have to deal with their own personal problems.
I have to say I never came to like Verity, while I sympathised with Sash more. But instead of identifying with one character, I just enjoyed the adventure in its own, the solving of the mystery, the action, the dangers in the magic world.
I'm really looking forward to anything Inbali Iserles is going to write.