The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise

The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise
(From Librarythings Early Review program. Is currently out)

Julia Stuart

The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise follows a slew of characters as they make their lives in and around the Tower of London. There is Balthazar Jones, a Beefeater with the worlds oldest tortoise, his wife Hebe, one of two employs of the Tube's lost properties department, The Tower bar maid who was born while the resident doctor played monopoly and The Tower Chaplin, who builds elaborate machines and writes erotic fiction in his spare time.

Though I found the first few pages a bit slow, The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise was a really beautiful, and moving read.  I thought that all of the characters, and believe me there are many, were well rounded and interesting. For the first time in a long time I thought that everyone in this ensemble acted like a real person, they thought like real people do and responded accordingly.

The overall story was really original. Seeing the lives of modern Beefeaters was really interesting, as well as Hebe's job in lost properties. My only with this novel was how long it took to get information out. Things that are set up at the beginning of the novel take till the last pages to become completely understandable. This wouldn't a issue if it was a mystery novel, but as it's just straight up fiction and the information becomes more irritating and less interesting with the massive buildups than any moving moment.

One of the best books I've read in months.Perfect for reading on a rainy day, on a long train ride or by the side of a pool.

The Constant Princess

The Constant Princess

Philippa Gregory

Catalina is daughter of two of the greatest monarch's Europe has seen. She has known since she was three that in addition to being an Infanta of Spain she is the Princess of Wales and will one day be Queen of England. Nothing will stop her from claiming these titles that she see's as her birth right. Not the death of her first husband Arthur, her parents refusal to pay the rest of her dowry or her inability to secure a betrothal to Arthur's younger brother, Harry.

I'm a Gregory fan, for the most part. There are always things about her novels that make them slightly irritating, but that rarely effects the breakneck pace I read them at. The Constant Princess was no different. I really enjoyed Catalina/Katherine's thoughts and life as she journeyed from Spain to England. Her life is usually thought of as the First wife of Henry VIII, the woman set aside for Anne Boleyn, and the mother of 'Bloody" Mary I.  It was nice to see her young and in love, even if her first, love filled marriage is short.

Her time waiting to become princess again is a bit long. Catalina's italicized thoughts take up pages and pages where before they book up a page at the very most. Her waiting and scheming would be very irritating if you didn't know she would be successful. All the odds are against her and her attitude, as well as Henry VII and his mother Margaret Beaufort are irritating.

Her actual reign as Henry's queen is  more interesting and gives a lot of insigt into a time I didn't know much about. She was a much stronger woman that I would have previously given her credit for. I'd been putting off reading The Constant Princess because Katherine didn't interest me as much as Henry's other wives/other historical women, but I'm glad I did pick it up. A very enjoyable read.

One Day

One Day

David Nicholls

Emma and Dexter meet on July 15th, 1988, the day the graduate from University, and the rest is history. We follow Emma and Dexter on every subsequent July 15th for the next 20 years. We see bad jobs and great vacations, one night stands and sad serious relationships, but mostly we see two great friends trying to live life as best they can.

I had been hearing great things about One Day for a while now and it seemed like the perfect summer read. It definitely lived up to it's reputation. By the end I felt like I had been on a long and emotional journey with a girl not unlike myself and a guy a little to attractive for his own good. Only seeing people one day a year was interesting. It was obvious that things had happened, sometimes big things sometimes not, but regardless we got all the important information without all the little details. It was a great representation of the times it travels through.

My only issues with One Day aren't really plot or structure related. Dexter is pretty self centered and obnoxious and at times it is hard to care for him, but that is kind of his purpose. Never the less it is still a little trying to get through his "I'm only twenty (blank)" phase.

If you've got the time I'd definitely recommend One Day. I feel like I was taught a huge lesson about life after finishing it, though i'm still not sure what that lesson is. This one will stay with you for a while!

My Rating:

4/5