June/July Reads

My Idea of Fun by Will Self - I didn't enjoy this book, it was just plain weird. The distinctive, lugubrious voice of its author haunted the narrative throughout. Admittedly it is well and intelligently written but after the 'First Book', it seemed to degenerate into the ramblings of a madman, from which it didn't recover. Just a very weird and unpleasant reading experience.
Certainly not my idea of fun.

Bill Bryson's African Diary - Bryson's short account of his visit to Kenya following a invitation by the charity Care International.

Titanic Survivor - The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, stewardess - Edited and annotated by John Maxtone-Graham
Excellent life story of this amazing lady.
Her experience on Titanic is about halfway through the book and for only a few chapters, but the rest of the book is just as interesting.

On the Flip Side by Nicholas Fisk - A large print, children's book about Lettice who can communicate with her pets. She discovers why dogs stare at, and bark at nothing and cats have 'mad moments'.
A bit of a cop-out ending though.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger - I did enjoy this 'chicklit with style'. Andrea wants to be a writer but gets a job at Runway Magazine as a junior assistant (slave!) to the demanding editor, Miranda. She hopes that in a year, she will go on to greater things (as promised) but can she stick out the whole 12 months?
To be released as a film in the UK in October '06.

More to Life Than This by Carole Matthews - It's tale of how couples can take each other for granted and how they might be tempted away.
An enjoyable little read.

The Apologist by Jay Rayner - Marc Basset, overweight and unlucky in love is a venomous restaurant critic. Following the suicide of a recipient of one of his vitriolic reviews, he meets the grieving widow. This sparks a mission to apologise to all the people in his life that he has offended with varying results. It also leads him into a new career as Chief Apologist for the U.N. and that's when the trouble really starts.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer - A children's book of wonderful escapism. Fast moving and witty, when Artemis kidnaps a fairy he thinks he can get-rich-quick, but these fairies are armed and dangerous!