Book review - Child 44

Child 44

by Tom Rob Smith

Published by Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)

ISBN 978-1-84739-159-9

This is a crime thriller story set in 1950s Stalinist USSR, thick with social and political paranoia.  Leo Demidov is a MGB Officer, tasked with arresting dissidents and "deviants" to charge with various offences against the State, whether they committed the offence or not.  In such a country, crime is not officially recognised as existing, however several children between Moscow and Rostov are being found in wooded areas close to train lines dead, with their stomachs cut out and tree bark stuffed in their mouths.  Officially, as crime does not exist, they are not classified as murders, nor are they deemed connected in any way. 

However, Leo slowly comes to realise that they are connected, and a serial killer is travelling the train lines, able to lure children away to their deaths.  (slowly, the reader comes to realise the murders are based on the Rostov Ripper, Andrei Chikatilo of the 1990s).  However, The State cannot allow the murders to be accepted as murders as that would reflect badly on The State, and worse on their investigative techniques.

Towards the end of the book, Leo is forced to face a past he has tried so hard to forget.....

This is a brilliant page turner of a book that highlights wonderfully the total fear and paranoia, social and political, of the time...... GO READ THIS!!!

Book review - Touching the Void

Touching the Void

By Joe Simpson

Published by Vintage

ISBN 0-09-977101-2

This tells a true story of Joe Simpson (author) and his friend Simon Yates who were mountaineering in Peruvian Andes in the mid 1980s.  They successfully reach the peak but on their descent, Joe has a nasty accident and breaks his right leg at the knee and ankle, leaving him dangling over a ridge.  Simon was unable to see and hear Joe and, as the ice/snow under him started slipping, was then in the position of being pulled off the ice wall thus risking both their lives or to cut the rope.
Luck seemed to be with both of them, however, as Joe Simpson not only survived the fall, but also managed to crawl, hobble and drag himself back to their base camp, (Simon assumed he had died in the fall) surviving three days without food and water, and arriving on the day that Simon planned to leave base camp to return home.
This is one hell of a survival story and is well worth reading.

Available through the Book Depository here Touching the Void book

Book Review - Anne Frank Remembered

Anne Frank Remembered: The story of the woman who helped to hide the Frank family

By Miep Gies with Alison Leslie Gold

Published by Simon & Schuster, a Touchstone book

ISBN number 067 1662341/9780671 662349

This is a wonderful book written by Miep Gies, the lady that worked for Otto Frank's jam factory in Amsterdam and helped hide the Franks for many years in what is now called The Annexe, where Anne wrote her diaries.  It starts with Miep Gies' own childhood - she herself was a refugee from Austria during World War One, and sent to Holland to escape the bombings.  Her story then carries on through her employment with Otto Frank, and the beginnings of the World War Two and the attempted destruction of European Jewry.  It tells of arranging the hiding of the Frank family (as well as the others that hid in the Annexe) and then the final discovery and removal of the family, and continues to the end of the War and Otto Franks arrival back in Amsterdam, and the recovery of Anne's diaries.

This is a remarkable story and provides an extra insight into the story of the Frank family and is well worth reading.

Book Review - The Girl in the Picture

The Girl in the Picture

by Denise Chong

published by Scribner

ISBN 0-7432-0703-3

This is the story of Kim Phuc - "The Girl In The Picture" taken on 8 June 1972 near a small village in Vietnam just after a napalm attack.  The most defining image of the time, directly affecting public opinion of the Vietnam war.
It starts with how the photo came to be taken and follows Kim on her physical recovery, her University education via Cuba and her manipulation by the Communist regime of the time.  It also tells of her ultimate defection to the West and her work for UNESCO.
This is an incredible book and provides a remarkable insight into a remarkable woman surviving the worst and succeeding in an amazing way.

Go get a copy.

Today.

Restaurant Review - Simplicity (London, UK)

 Simplicity is a tiny little restaurant in between Rotherhithe underground station and the Brunel Museum, at 1 Tunnel Road off Salter Road.  It seats maybe 30 people and, when full, is a little bit "elbows at dawn" but it's worth going to.  The menu is written on chalk boards which are hoiked over & propped onto chairs according to whichever table needs to view it (which I found a bit weird - I'm used to the paper menus left on the table with specials written on a big board above the bar, or something!!!)

HOWEVER, if you can get past that, you're onto a damn good dinner!!!

(the point being there's no airs and graces to this place - just turn up with spending money and apetite!!!)

Last time I stayed in the area was May 2015 - first time in three years, and the owner recognised me, which was nice!  The first evening I ate there, the meal I chose was bubble & squeak on spinach and veggies with a poached egg with hollandaise sauce on top, and was ridiculously delicious!!!!  They live up to the name of the restaurant - simple food but it done brilliantly well!!!

For pudding, I had their chocolate mousse with fruit compote and chantilly cream...... YUM!!!

The second evening I ate there, I had three chorizo sausages on the best mashed potato on the planet EVER, on top of veggies and the richest onion gravy I have ever tasted.....!!  (I was too full up for pudding!!)

For price guidance, an evening meal for one person consisting of glass of wine, starter and main course is around £25 including the tip.
Rumour has it they do an excellent Sunday brunch which, although I've not tried it, would not surprise me in the slightest!!

Their website is Simplicity

Restaurant Review - Tas (London UK)

 On a recent trip to London, after visiting the British Museum on Great Russell Street, we stopped for lunch at Tas Restaurant on the corner of Great Russell Street and Gower Street.  It does Turkish/Anatolian style cooking

 They have a very good set menu of two courses (starter and main) for £12.45 per person which we decided to have.

 They brought us some warm bread, a yoghurt dip and some olives for nibbles.....

 ....with the Taboulleh salad which is called Maydanoz Salatasi - I'd forgotten how good this is!!!

 For the main course, we had Lamb Shish with couscous, which was lovely!!!

And then when we got the bill (service is included in the price, so no need to tip) we also got some Turkish Delight to nibble on!!!

This is definitely a ten out of ten restaurant...... and a good price for the centre of London!!!  

There are other branches of this restaurant around London - for more information click here Tas restaurants

Book Review - In Montmartre: Picasso, Matisse and Modernism in Paris 1900 - 1910

In Montmartre.  Picasso, Matisse and Modernism in Paris 1900 - 1910

By Sue Roe

ISBN 978-1-905-49086-8

Some time ago, I went to see a big Matisse exhibition up at the Tate Modern in London, of his cut-outs.  Brilliant exhibition albeit ridiculously busy and popular!  In the gift shop, I found and bought this book, written by fellow Brightonian Sue Roe, which details the intertwining early careers of Matisse and Picasso in the first ten years of the 20th century.  This details the end of the Impressionist age to the early beginnings of the golden jazz age post war years and ultimate end of the Montmartre artistic commune, with the Matisse and Picasso "camps" being split between Gertrude and Leo Stein.
This is a wonderfully written and researched book that brings to life one of my favourite areas of Paris - almost a "join the dots" on a Paris street map!!  If you're familiar with Montmartre, impressionism, post impressionism or just plain interested in learning a little more, this is an excellent read to pick up....... and more than once, as well!

Book Review - Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventure

Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventure

by Hoshino Yukinobu

ISBN 978-0-7141-2465-0

I bought this book from the British Museum a few years ago, after seeing a very small and rather disappointing Manga exhibition there.  However, this graphic novel is really good!!!  It involves the Professor arriving in London to give a lecture, only to discover the Stone Henge monoliths have suddenly gone missing!!  He then is embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens many London landmarks and works of art and races to uncover and destroy the criminals!!!!!

Very much worth a read and written/drawn by one of Japan's leading Manga artists

Book Review - The Minutes of the Lazarus Club

The Minutes of the Lazarus Club

by Tony Pollard
published by Penguin

ISBN 978-0-718-15403-5

Paperback - The Secrets of the Lazarus Club
ISBN 978-0-141-03589-5

This is set in 1850s Victorian London, at the height of Isambard Brunel, Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale and graverobbing.  It starts with dead and disembowelled bodies being dragged from the River Thames, Dr George Phillips starts as a suspect in the killings but later starts to investigate the deaths under his own steam.  He is then inaugurated into the secret Lazarus Club and discovers a series of grim and creepy almost Frankensteinian events going on.  The story culminates on board the largest ship of the time, created by Brunel.

This is a wonderfully evocative book written by Dr Tony Pollard who has worked as a forensic archaeologist with Police Forces in Britain - his background is obvious in this book, which contains some rather gory scenes!!

This is an excellent read, but not for the faint-hearted!!!!!