Recommended Reads
- The Food of Love by Anthony Capella
- Desire, A Private Journal (a recommended buy)
- Captain’s Surrender by Alex Beecroft
- The Mirror of Love by Alan Moore & Jose Villarrubia
- Roses in December by Fiona Glass
- In The Blood by Rick R Reed
- A Dangerous Man by Anne Brooke
Just the right flavour!
Last modified on 2008-07-18 08:02:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I’ve just read a book that is a recipe for a great summer read. Sink your teeth, your gaze, caress it with your fingers, and let the flavour of this book roll around on your tongue. Quite seriously, this is a book to indulge the senses.
“The Food of Love” by Anthony Capella was one of Richard and Judy’s (UK TV presenters for those of you who don’t know them) recommended summer reads of 2005. I’m ashamed to say it’s been sitting in my t-b-r pile for probably just that long. This may be partly due to the fact that I’ve not had much luck with any of the books they’ve recommended. I’ve not consciously disliked them, and perhaps I’ve liked books they recommended that I don’t know they chose, but due to a run of books that they put their little round sticker on that were not to my taste, I hesitated to read this.
In Jamie Oliver’s quote on the front cover he tells you that you can almost taste the food. Not only is he spot-on with his review, isn’t it something when a chef quotes for a romance book? You may be wondering what on earth is going on, but this isn’t your average romance. I feel anyone could read this and take something from it. If you love romance and even if you don’t, this is an intriguing and altogether different book. If you love good food, if you have an appreciation for all things Italian, if the idea of food and sex, and love, and sex, and food brings a smile to your face, then this is the book for you. The sex is non-explicit and yet it’s as decadent as the desserts Bruno cooks for Laura. Tommaso is a waiter who spots a woman that he believes he’s instantly in love with. Laura is in Rome to study art history and has decided she’ll only date a man who can cook. Bruno is Tommaso’s best friend and a chef. Throw in a twist on the old Cyrano de Bergerac story and what you may expect is a hash of yesterday’s leftovers. This story is anything but an old recipe. It’s a new invention, as creative as Bruno is in the kitchen. If the idea of food and sex at the same time is not to your taste then start reading and when you get to this paragraph you may change your mind:
“A tartufo is a chocolate gelato shaped to look like a truffle, but it is an appropriate name for other reasons too. Made from egg yolk, sugar, a little milk and plenty of the finest Criollo chocolate, with a buried kick of chilli, Bruno’s tartufo was as richly sensual and overpowering as the funghi from which it took its name – and even more aphrodisiac.
The rest of the chapter is just hysterical as well as somewhat enlightening. This is a wonderful book that I give top marks to, and now I’m off to see what else this author has written. Probably the best book I’ve read so far this year. Go on…indulge.
Too Beautiful for Words
Last modified on 2008-05-30 08:32:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It’s very seldom I buy something too beautiful to use. I’m one of those who believes if you’re too frightened to use it then it’s a waste to buy. Don’t buy things you can’t use or aren’t beautiful. Things you buy you should need or they should enhance your life. I haven’t always adhered well to this philosophy but maybe it’s true that with age there comes a certain wisdom. I tend to think before I buy anything now and if I’m not likely to use it or I can’t take it out of the box, then I’ll take a pass.
“Desire, A Private Journal” is an exception. I don’t know why I bought this. I was looking for a different kind of notebook, saw this, and felt intrigued. It’s truly too beautiful to write in. The cover has a lock but it’s not just any cover. It’s padded and scripted, and feels like a rather luxurious box. The ‘book’ lies inside, fastened to its protective box. The pages are smooth, thick, and mottled. There are beautiful phrases, lovely pictures, and exquisite poems spaced throughout. This book deserves elegant script — a handwriting skill I do not possess — and precious thoughts or heartfelt poetry. This is why the book has sat on the shelf for a few weeks untouched and will remain so until I can figure out exactly what I should write in it. Anything penned for this book will need writing out beforehand so I know exactly what to say, and my hand will tremble as I try to keep the flow of my handwriting at its neatest. I feel as though I should learn calligraphy before I ‘qualify’ to get anywhere near these pristine pages.
This is a special little book that would make a lovely gift but don’t be annoyed if the person you give it to never has the heart or nerve to touch it.
Surrender to a great read!
Last modified on 2008-06-05 08:33:37 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
There are some books that as a writer you stumble across and just hate. This is one of those books. As a writer, you hate such a novel because it makes you feel inadequate, a charlatan. This is misdirection, of course. I know I can write. Reader response tells me that. That’s not to say I’m delusional in either my ability or my inability. I am simply aware that there are many writers out there better than I can ever hope to be. Equally, I’m very aware there are far worse. I also know that a writer never stops learning and can constantly improve.
Books such as “Captain’s Surrender” by Alex Beecroft is a read I love to hate. I hate that it exceeded my expectations and yet I love that I wish I had written this book. It inspires me; it makes me want to aspire and produce quality. The reader in me loves that this book became a part of my life, and will remain on my bookshelf, a keeper. I’m not parting with this one. Nope. Never.
Captain’s Surrender is the work of a talented writer, succeeding on multiple levels. As an avid reader, I plough through many books in all types of genres. I have works that are a light, entertaining read, to doorstop epics, and enjoy them all on many different levels. However, “Captain’s Surrender” is what the art of true storytelling is all about.
The story of Josh Andrews and Peter Kenyon takes place at a time in British history where the “crime” of homosexuality meant hanging. The infallible human heart would love to believe that love truly does conquer all, but when the threat of death literally hangs over your head in the form of a noose, what are two people in love to do? When two people love each other is there really such a thing as choice?
The book opens on a grotesque moment and from there your heart is in your mouth until and, possibly, long after you’ve turned the last page. That initial spark of love, of something beautiful between Josh and Peter amidst such horror is only one of the underlying themes of the book. As a writer, I’ve only touched on some of these themes and, strangely, in stories of a completely different nature and genre. I want to write a romance such as this, less explicit but just as emotionally gripping.
Whatever your sex or sexuality, this is a great read. My only criticisms, if you can call them that, is the cover doesn’t do the book justice and being that this is a British book by a British writer, with a British setting, I should like to have seen British spellings. However, the tone hits the period delightfully, and the dialogue is superbly composed.
This read is heart-warming, thought-provoking, and immensely enjoyable. Everyone should read this book once in their lives. Not only am I glad this made it to my to-be-read pile, I’m pleased to say it is on my list as a definite re-read. I wish Alex the best for a successful career as a writer, and I will seek out all future work by this author, no matter what the genre. I’ve yet to read Alex’s “The Witch’s Boy” but I will be in the not too distance future. Do yourself a favour and surrender to a great read.
The Mirror of Love
Last modified on 2008-04-28 09:59:52 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
Note: Alan Moore is best known for his work in Graphic Novels. I never expected to read something like this from the man who wrote The Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta. Also note that this review is just my opinion of the book. Poetry either speaks to you or it doesn’t. It’s a very individual thing. I also love the way this book is presented, including the historical references. I do, however, feel it’s a little pricey, but I’m still glad I tracked down a copy. It’s not always easy to locate.
The Mirror of Love is a poem.
It’s about same-sex love but ultimately about people just being in love.
They say you shouldn’t discuss sex, religion and politics, and for the most part, I always keep that in mind. However, I do tend to state simply that Love is Love, and that’s what The Mirror of Love does superbly. Many would suppose I need to be seen to support my writing, but I’ve come far from the naïve woman who thought she would just write a story for a gay friend, never imagining that many people would want to read it. Still, my feelings have nothing to do with my writing. I truly have to stand by something I believe in when I feel this strongly. I’m no gay crusader but everything I am tells me that love is love. I only have to imagine someone telling me I’m not “allowed” to love the person that I do in fact love, and everything in my being rebels. I would fight tooth and nail, wave every flag, march in every parade. This world needs all the love it can get, now more than ever. Place yourself in the position of someone telling you that your feelings are wrong and it’s heartbreaking.
The Mirror of Love is a poem.
The Mirror of Love is a reminder.
Same sex love seems so widely accepted now that it’s too easy to forget people still face intolerance and bigotry. It’s easy for me to forget that Margaret Thatcher came to power as I was heading out into the world. This book reminded me that she promoted “a return to Victorian values.” A direct quote from an appendix of the book reads: ‘under her government, in December 1986, the leader of the South Staffordshire Council, Councillor William Frank Brownhill, proposed on the record that ninety percent of gay men should be exterminated in gas chambers.’
Many young women I knew at the time wanted to vote Thatcher into power simply because they felt a female Prime Minister could “do no wrong.”
Some see same-sex relationships as a fad, a phase, a gay friend as a cool accessory. The Mirror of Love reminds us that same sex love is nothing new - it has always been with us and always will be. People have been ostracised, tortured, murdered simply for whom they love. The stand for gay rights isn’t to stand for the act of sex between two men or two women. It’s a stand for human rights, equal rights, liberation and freedom. It’s a stand for every one of us who could face persecution or terrorism because our views or feelings do not meet with someone’s approval.
The Mirror of Love is a poem.
It’s presented in a small hard-backed book, illustrated with photographs that compliment each turn of the page. You might pour slowly over the words; you might rush through the pages at a furious rate. It may be the work of a few moments to read, but if you believe in the right to love whom your heart tells you to love, whatever your sexuality this will stay with you forever.
It’s a depiction of history, a protest, a testament. There’s something inexplicable that happens to the reader as the words flourish and begin to sink into your psyche, your heart, your bones it seems. As beautiful, as it is harrowing don’t be surprised to shed a tear.
If this doesn’t speak to the heart that heart has never loved freely, joyously, without prejudice. Every home should have a copy of this book; one should be present in every hotel room. The Mirror of Love is a sweet gem of a book and a privilege to own.
Roses in December
Last modified on 2008-04-15 16:27:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Recuperating from the traumatic events of a bomb blast and therefore, his physical and emotional injuries, Nat Brooke is sent to stay at Partington Towers, which in the character’s own words looks more like a Victorian lunatic asylum than a place to rest and heal. This is supposed to be a quiet place in the country but here he stumbles across the mysterious figure of “Richie” in the garden. Soon, his ideas of love are about to slip the realms of belief and the question arises as to whether Nat can accept that reality may not be all that it seems. Will he be able to accept the magic of the garden and the fact that the course of love does not always run smooth?
If you’re looking for a highly erotic m/m romance then Roses in December most certainly isn’t it. I wouldn’t call it non-explicit but the love scenes are sensual rather than graphic. In some ways I’m aware that this read may not appeal to everyone so you may wonder why I’m mentioning it. The reason is simply that months after reading it, I remember the story. As always, reading is very much personal preference, but for me, where Fiona Glass excels here is in atmosphere: from the looming and sometimes ominous presence of Partington Towers, to the contrasting and ever changing mood of the garden.
Not as salacious as many romances on the market, this is not erotic romance but simply a love story with a somewhat harrowing twist, and yet the promise of love and unexpected happiness remains. I truly find it difficult to explain what it is about this tale that captures your interest and stays in your memory. What I do know is that something about the style of the writing makes you remember these characters as well as the garden long after you’ve reached the end.
Roses in December is available from Torquere Press until July 2008.
Why I loved “In the Blood” by Rick R.Reed
Last modified on 2008-03-10 10:29:37 GMT. 6 comments. Top.
Quite simply, I love this book. I’ve read Rick R.Reed’s I.M. and thought it was good, if you like or can stomach the horror/thriller genre, but truly “In the Blood” needs to be considered on its own merits. I only mention previous work for comparison. Ask Rick and he’ll tell you that he’s written other books since then and while, if you’ve a taste for a horror-thriller, and aren’t squeamish, then I.M. is still a good read, “In the Blood” stands head and shoulders over the older work in my opinion.
“In the Blood” is the story of Edward, Maria, and Terence, vampires all, and Elise, the human who initially catches Terence’s eye, and the attention of Maria. For Elise, working the streets, the idea of finding affection with a female makes perfect sense. Her story also mirrors the past reflections of Edward’s once human life and unfulfilling relationships, including the fact that Terence initially entices them both. In many ways, Elise and Edward have more than their love of art and their creativity in common.
If you’ve never read Rick Reed before, it may surprise you to find that, if he feels it suits the story, he does write chapters in alternating styles, including points of view and tenses, although I now think of it as very much something he handles well and I quickly grew used to it. In addition, the author has a good command of each method, proving that he knows what he is doing and has chosen to do it with a purpose. Even if you dislike the switch, the story is simply a must-read.
A personal reason why this book had such an impact on me is that all too often vampires have conformed to a romantic image, which is fine for a certain type of story. The trouble is that it’s all too easy to forget they originate from a darker idea. They were human once with everything that encompasses human qualities and flaws. Consider a Vampire is a creature with all this human capacity for greatness and weakness coupled with physical power, unrestrained emotions, and a thirst for blood.
Although I’m a sucker (pun intended) for a silly or sweet vampire love story as much as anyone is, I’ve always wanted to read something that depicted vampires as the creatures they should be: less than human, more than monsters. I’ve often longed to write (or read) a book capturing the essence of Dracula, but I never followed this idea through because I’ve always wondered even if I could create such a story where would it find an audience? The closest I’ve come to a similar theme was with a short story ‘Effigy in Garnet’ published in Aoife’s Kiss. Truly too vicious to be a love story and too much love to be horror, how could you capture that essence, and where would you market it?
This is precisely what Rick pulls off. Vampires endure in our mythos and our psyche because they are representations of our most basic needs and wishes. They encompass anger, desire, sex, power (even if only physical for self-defence), and yet they pull at our emotions because they also represent our fears: addiction, isolation, love lost or never found, and selfishness. The vampire’s only redeeming quality is the search for love, but can such a monster truly love or be loved? The mere idea of affirmation gives us hope.
“In The Blood” captures this. Is it a love story? Yes, absolutely, though you may be wondering how to the very last page. If, however, you’re expecting to be romanced, think again. Rick writes thrillers and is not afraid to include the gore and blood. The story is harrowing as much for the vampires as for their victims.
I sympathised for Elise but she is human. She has choices, although some are a question of choosing the lesser evil as can happen all too often in life. Some may be a question of swallowing pride, and I instinctively felt that Elise needed to sink to the depths of despair in order to find her way out. Still, a sense of hope lingers over her.
Terence you want to love. You long for him to be other then he is. You long for him to show Edward a degree of kindness. You don’t want to believe that someone so devastatingly handsome and so charismatic can be so dark. Yet he remains undeniably seductive; he makes you want to reach out and touch that darkness.
Maria I didn’t want to like. She seemed aloof, unknowable, untouchable. In some ways, she remains the greatest enigma of all.
Ultimately, my sympathies lie with Edward. He is the most tragic figure of the book, and not solely because you can’t help feeling frustrated with Terence’s obvious and evil delight in seducing him. Edward longs for acceptance and is denied at every turn. Denied love, denied the life he should have lived. You are left wondering if he’ll be denied what he has left of his humanity, which after being a Vampire for less than a century he still clings to.
Undoubtedly, though, you’ll connect with these characters on many different levels. They represent many different traits of humanity. This is a seductive and thought-provoking read. It not only asks what we would do for love but also explores the very condition of being in love. It begs the question what is love and what does it mean to you?
In this manner, the author puts the same sex theme to good use, either intentionally or inadvertently raising the bar on how we view love. This is very much a multi-layered story, where the reader needs to examine what lies beneath the action on the page. Nevertheless, sexual preference has no bearing on whether you will enjoy this book. It’s an exploration of love rather than sex.
Visit Rick’s website: www.rickrreed.com or myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/rickrreed
A Dangerous Man by Anne Brooke
Last modified on 2008-02-27 09:13:18 GMT. 9 comments. Top.
As incongruous as it is to compare this book with my “Snow Angel”, as they are in totally different genres, completely different stories and different characters, I couldn’t help thinking one thing — of how both Anne and I created a story based around a character’s very human flaws and how that makes for a very captivating read. My “Dean” is in many ways his own worse enemy, who has apparently had everything in life handed to him, but like many of us, sometimes that not always leads to as satisfying a life as one might imagine. Anne’s “Mikey” comes from the opposite track — he’s had a difficult life and, alas, this colours his future for all time.
Although I love the romance industry, which allows me such freedom of cross-genre writing, I write many different things in various genres, and remain equally interested in all forms of storytelling and here, Anne Brooke excels. There’s an underlying tension that permeates the book reminiscent of a thriller, even though the story, initially at least, largely seems to involve one man’s hopes, dreams and desires as the antagonistic force constantly pushing the story forwards. Even in the happiest moments, you have the sense it will all, shortly, be snatched from Mikey’s grasp and you want to shake sense into him. I felt equally irritated with Michael as I was in pain for him.
This book uses London as a character as much as the people, and acts as a lesson in class and class-divide. It’s disturbing, mysterious, and plays havoc with your emotions. In addition, Anne has written a perfect rendition of a romance that often is as delightful as it is harrowing, proving that you don’t always need overly graphic language and images to have an audience cheering. Just because this book involves a gay relationship, don’t let that confuse you. You’re not getting overly explicit sex scenes, and yet many of the intimate moments between Michael and Jack are so touching that they make the bad moments of the story hurt more.
As a reader, I know what I like when I see it. As a writer/reader a good reading scale to judge by is whether I wish I’d written a book and this falls into that category. Saying that, often, as a writer, I can spot an ending and, in many ways, I knew what was coming. Ultimately, I would have written this with a softer ending but maybe because Anne chooses the harsher route this makes for a more unforgettable book. I have to confess I felt essentially uneasy while reading this, but that’s no fault of the writer — it’s even what she intends, and the work deserves more recognition than many of the books that end up on some celebrity’s recommended list.
