The lifeboat - Charlotte Rogan

I was very excited when I came across The lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan. It sounded harrowing, exciting and wonderfully dark. However, I found this book only mildly entertaining and for the most part dull. How could this have happened? This book sounded like it was made for me. Well, it was due to a number of factors.

Most of the story is told on the lifeboat. It is 1914 and the ship has gone down. Grace, our narrator, is separated from her new husband and finds herself in the company of a diverse number of individuals. As the days slowly move by and their supplies dwindle the darker side of human nature starts to emerge in a number of ways. I found some of the sequences somewhat unbelievable but then again I have never been in that situation and cannot imagine what kind of madness would descend over one's mind.

I would not relate to Grace in any way and found her rather unlikeable. She could be strange and uncaring and I must say I disaproved of the way she 'caught' her husband.

The book was very slow for the most part and dry. I found myself skimming bits and praying for them to be rescued just so it would be over. Overall this book was okay, read it if you must but its not the kind of book you would move heaven and earth to get.

Rating: 2.5

Blue Asylum - Kathy Hepinstall

Who knew that such a small book could pack such an emotional punch? Not a word is wasted in Kathy Hepinstall's new novel following a plantation wife named Iris Dunleavy and her imprisonment in an asylum on a small isolated island. As the American Civil War rages on without them, the islands occupants spend their days almost idyllically. 

But Iris is not insane. She is being punished for going against her husband's wishes. She is as much as a slave as those imprisoned on the plantation in her mind. But who will believe her? The British psychiatrist who sees her as a threat to everything he has built on this island? Or the handsome soldier who has violent outbursts and can only be calmed by the colour blue? Iris's arrival causes much upheaval but could she find love in this most unexpected of places?

The novel is told from the view points of many different characters. There is Iris herself who is not insane and is haunted by the guilt of the events that lead to her coming to the asylum. Ambrose the soldier who is traumatised by the events of the war but is drawn to Iris. There is also Dr. Cowell who truly believes that he is helping the inmates but is caught off guard by Iris who challenges him and bewitches him. His son Wendell was by far my favourite character, he is mourning the loss of Penelope, a former inmate who died. He is allowed to run around the island freely and befriends Iris. Each character was unique and effortlessly brought to life. 

Hepinstall's writing was to die for! I greedily raced through this novel. I will certainly be looking into her previous novels. 

Rating: 4.5

The Uninvited guests - Sadie Jones

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year. I had read her previous novel Small Wars but unfortunately could not love it (not really my thing) but I was more than willingly to try her new novel! This is my kind of book in every single way and I am pleased to report that it did not disappoint!

The story is set in the 1910s in a rundown English mansion and everyone is preparing for Emerald's twentieth birthday. Her father has just died and her mother remarried, much to the horror of Clovis who had considered himself to be man of the house. Smudge the youngest daughter is left to her own devices and as the nights proceedings take a rather bizarre turn she decides that tonight is the perfect night for her Great Undertaking.

As her childhood friend arrives they discover that there has been a train crash and that they must take the injured into their care until the railway company collects them. They are a rather sullen looking bunch and the aristocratic occupants of the house want nothing to do with these third-class passengers. However, the appearance of a sole first-class passenger upsets her mother and turns the night on its head.

I absolutely adored this book! I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. It was strange, unique and darkly funny. There were even a few spooky scenes that sent a chill down my spine. The writing was lyrical and a pleasure to read. Many other reviewers have not enjoyed this story and I'm in the minority that did. However if you have a love for anything Gothic then I think you will enjoy this.

Rating: 4.5

The dressmaker - Kate Alcott

The dressmaker was published just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking. I think that this book stayed true to the spirit of the Titanic and the souls that were lost on it but certain aspects of the book let it down.

Tess is an aspiring seamstress who is sick and tired of being in service. After hearing that jobs were available on the Titanic she quickly quits her job and heads to the docks to try her luck. Soon enough she recognises Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, a famous designer and manages to talk herself into a job as a personal maid. It is not the position that she wanted but the opportunity to be near her idol is hard to pass up. While on board she meets Jack a rich older man and Jim a kind sailor. She is attracted to both men but that all changes when the Titanic sinks.

This book covers what happens after the sinking and the inquiries and scandals that followed. Only around 40 pages or so is set on the Titanic  so don't expect that to be the focus of the book. Tess is soon living her dream but the sinking of the Titanic still haunts and has huge implications on its survivors.

I thought that this was an entertaining read. I read it in one sitting. However I thought that the characters were rather flat and unlikable. I never really became attached to anyone in this story. Pinkey the reporter by far outshines the other characters. I thought that Tess was stiff and one-dimensional and I did not care for her love interests. The most interesting sequences were the ones set in the Titanic hearings. I was really interested and enjoyed learning about the aftermath of the sinking. Overall this was a fair novel. Others will enjoy this more than me.

Rating: 3

Also seen on: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/273600510

Jack Holmes & his friend - Edmund White

This is my first Edmund White book and I was thoroughly impressed.This delicious novel is set in 1960s New York. Jack Holmes is ashamed of his sexuality and tries to rid himself of unwanted yearnings through women and therapists. All that changes when Will Wright enters his life and Jack falls head over heels in love with his new straight friend. So begins a lifelong friendship between a straight man and his gay friend.

This book was extremely sexual and did not shy away from the realities of gay life/sex. I must admit it could be quite repulsive at times. Nothing was sugar coated.

I absolutely loved Jack. He was such a wonderful character. There were many different facets to his personality. He was not perfect. He was oversexed, bitter at times and really mistreated the men he was with. There was one scene where he went over the physical shortcomings of his lovers and then was surprised that a young man he had slept with was humorous and easy to talk to. Lets just say that he was not in the business of getting to know his lovers. His desperate unrequited love for Will meant that he had trouble opening up to other men. I really don't know why he fell for Will as I found him utterly unlikable at times and it wasn't as though he was an Adonis.

Will's and Jack's relationship was flawed and strange. They were like two puzzle pieces that just didn't fit. However, these flaws were what made the story so engaging and interesting.

White's writing was impeccable and I felt that I took something away from this novel. Perhaps a new appreciation or understanding about men? I can't really say. However, this is an absolute must read. I think that I will have to read this previous novels. This review was hard to write, I didn't really know what to say or even how to express my love for this book. I hope that I have explained myself well enough.


Rating: 5

When nights were cold - Susanna Jones

Grace Farringdon has always been mesmerized and fascinated with the great explorers and often daydreams that she could one day accompany Shackleton on a voyage to Antarctica. Grace decides that she will attend university against the wishes of her family and the expectations of society. There she meets like-minded women and forms an Antarctica Exploration Society. Soon play acting is not enough and they begin to embark on a life changing journey. The tragic events of their first real climb haunt Grace and its members - Locke and Parr for the rest of their lives. 

Grace is a unreliable narrator. Her loved ones are of the opinion that she is not sound of mind but who are we to trust? because through her eyes they are the ones that are not sane. There are vague references to medication and hallucinations that once afflicted her father but there is great mystery surrounding her state of mind.

Mountaineering did not have as large a part as I thought that it would and that disappointed me slightly but this novel was in no way boring or uneventful.

This was a dark atmospheric novel that sought to mislead and deceive the reader. Grace and women in general seem to suffocate under the restrictions and expectations of their sex. The entire novel had a very claustrophobic feel to it, both socially, mentally and physically.

A great novel, very much in the vein of Sarah Waters.

Rating: 4

review also seen on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/275159362

The whores' asylum - Kate Darby

"Remember, my dear, for a whore there is no asylum"

This was nothing like I had first imagined. Whether that is good or bad I'm not so sure but I really enjoyed this book. At the center of the book we have Edwards Fraser, a theology student and his roommate Stephen Chapman who is a brilliant doctor. They are unlikely friends but quickly become close. When Chapman begins his work at a shelter designed to help whores get back on their feet Fraser strongly objects and this signals the inevitable crumble of their relationship. It is not long before Chapman becomes enamored with Mrs Diana Pelham who runs the shelter. One night at a ball Fraser and Diana come face to face and instantly recognised one another because Fraser knew her long ago.


Is Diana truly wicked? Does everything she touch turn to ash? Fraser fears so.

The cover of this book is gorgeous! LOVED IT. I also loved the Victorian layout of the story. It had beautiful illustrations that just helped to bring the story to life. I just raced through this book. The story was fast-paced and full of pure Gothic goodness. I highly recommend this to any one who enjoys a good Victorian tragedy.

Rating: 4/5