True entertainment: The Good Father

I’ll admit that in the past I’ve steered clear of most genre lit. I’ve been a bit sceptical, about the obvious focus on ‘entertainment’ and the general popularity of writers like Picoult etc. They seemed to me a little bit mainstream, to be a little too matter-of-fact, even a little tele-movie for my liking… but I’ll be honest, I hadn’t read any and as such I’m not sure what I was basing these assumptions on.

As you know, this past year and a half I’ve challenged myself to read differently… more widely, and this has in turn help me to lighten up a bit and embrace a lot of different types of writing and writers, popular or otherwise.

As a result, I’ve recently enjoyed my first Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf, I was drawn in by Carol Marinelli’s Putting Alice Back Together and most recently, I was completely sucked in to Diane Chamberlain’s The Good Father (Harlequin).

Described as; ‘Essential reading for Jodi Picoult fans’ Chamberlain’s newest novel is about a young father, Travis, and the difficult decisions he is forced to make:

“Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made the choice to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe. But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble…”

The choice of main protagonist, and his subsequent dilemma is gripping. Travis is very likeable, honourable and a father with the best of intentions. This set-up is really interesting and a nice change from so many stories where fathers are cast as cads, as disengaged or at the very least ineffectual in their children’s lives. Travis, on the other hand, shows a love for his daughter Bella that will see him do anything. And of course, that’s where his trouble begins.

In addition to Travis and Bella, Erin’s role in this accidental adventure is also an important one. Her guilt and overwhelming grief at the loss of her daughter is palpable, and provides Chamberlain a vehicle to explore the deep horror of loosing a child; the very thing that Travis is trying so hard not to do.

The story itself is pretty complex, but the storytelling is clear and tidy. It’s not wordy or overly sentimental, a very interesting study of the complexity of peoples lives as they accept their responsibilities, question loyalties and make difficult, life-altering decisions.

All of these things put together saw me read this novel quickly, hardly putting it down. It made me sad, worried, happy and reflective. I think too, I’ll be going back to take a look at some of Diane Chamberlain’s other titles, particularly when I’m after some bookish entertainment.

Has anyone else read any Chamberlain? What did you think? Do you have a favourite?

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Tomorrow, an invite extended to you all… stay tuned!

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Reading through the night

Recently, I’ve had a few people ask for some reading ideas, so I thought it might be good time to do another …on the reading pile post. I’ve got a couple of books on the go at the moment, and number of tempting titles waiting for their turn next.

I’m almost through Jennifer Paynter’s Mary Bennet (Penguin Books) which I mentioned in March, and I’ve also recently finished this month’s TBYL Book Club book, The Help, ready to discuss at the end of May.

I’ve also made a start on a paranormal young adult novel by Julie Kagawa called The Immortal Rules (Harlequin Teen). It’s such a wonderfully easy read, and I’m looking forward to reviewing it in full next week. The first in a coming series, it’s a tale of vampires, fringe dwellers and the struggle between survival and extinction. Allison Sekemoto, the main protagonist is tough and likeable, and I can’t wait to see what happens to her in her fight against a myriad of threats, human, vampire and otherwise.

Once I’ve finished Julie’s book, I’ll be moving on to a love story, a novel by Ayshe Talay-Ongan, Turquoise (Find out more). It’s described as being…

“…set against transcendent love, unrelenting hatred and loyalties to friends and family, Turquoise is the story of an enduring and passionate love affair between Yasmin and Renan, which spans two decades, two marriages and three continents.”

I don’t read many romances, so this will be something a bit different for me. I’m looking forward to it.

Throughout June, I’ll be sure to read our next TBYL Book Club book as well, S.J. Watson’s Before I Go To Sleep (Penguin Books). I’ve not read this previously, and I’ve heard impressive things about it. It’s described as a psychological thriller of the highest order;

“Each day, Christine wakes knowing nothing of her life. Each night, her mind erases the day. But before she goes to sleep, she will recover fragments from her past, flashbacks to the accident that damaged her, and then—mercifully—she will forget.”

I’m excited, and little bit scared about reading this one and I hope you’ll join us to discuss this book in June.

Next up will be Diane Chamberlain’s The Good Father (Mira) which has been recommended as being ‘essential reading for Jodi Picoult fans.’ It’s the touching story of Travis, a young single father who makes the somewhat unexpected decision to choose fatherhood over the usual fun and partying of young adulthood. The novel follow’s Travis as he’s backed into a corner, making potentially disastrous choices.

“With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake. Even if it means he might lose her.”

 Sounds very interesting, and a quite unique storyline and characters.

Lastly is a book that’s been on the pile for a little while, and that I’ve been very tempted by on and off, simply because it’s got such an appealing cover. It’s Andrew Nicoll’s If You’re Reading This I’m Already Dead (Pan Macmillan).

“Sitting in his caravan, drinking what is left of his coffee (dust), Otto has narrowly escaped death at the hands of allied bombs. Convinced his luck has run out and he will not see morning, he decides to record the story of his life for the poor soul who finds his body.”

This novel looks like it’ll be an absolutely crazy ride! It’s war-time setting takes a back seat to a bizarre reminiscence of circus acts, royalty, striking and convenient resemblances and of course, Otto. Again, I can’t wait to get into this one.

I’ve a couple of other books that are sneaking up behind these ones, but I’ll chat about them soon. For now, I think that’s more than enough for me to get my head around. I think there’ll be a few late nights reading in June…

What are you reading at the moment? Have you read any of these titles? What did you think of them?

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