CLOSED CIRCLE by ROBERT GODDARD

CLOSED CIRCLE

BY ROBERT GODDARD

THE BLURB:-

The year is 1931. The new and luxurious transatlantic liner Empress of Britain is on her eastward passage. Among the first-class passengers on board are two English confidence tricksters, making a discreet exit from a little awkwardness they have left behind them in the United States. A chance meeting on deck brings them a tempting new target in the shape of Miss Charnwood and her niece, the beautiful Diana, only child of the immensely wealthy Fabian Charnwood.

It's a trick they've pulled before with some success. Charm the daughter into an engagement to marry, then get the father to buy you off. So confident are they of success, in fact, that they make a pact: whichever of them wins Diana Charnwood's love will share his fortune with the other. Who would imagine that these smooth operators would let their hearts rule their heads? Or that violent death would find its way into their little scheme? Or that they would stumble into something much darker and deeper than either has suspected?

THE REALITY:-

This book was easy to read. But I also managed to read three different books after starting it so it was easy to put down and pick up again! Like your favourite soap opera after you've missed a few episodes, it was simple to pick up the thread.

This was a good, dishonest(!) crime thriller, filled with its fair share of baddies and double-crossers. Credit to the author that you didn't immediately know who was going to be which. The only big twist was the non-death of of one of the murdered characters but I'll let you read it and discover his or her identity for yourself.

With a good mix of well-described characters; from the glamorous and beautiful Diana to her upholstered aunt, from the wronged Duggan to the creepy ill-intentioned Faraday, this book was very interesting with a great ending and a nice result for Felix.

It was not the best I've read by this author but then again, it wasn't offensive and awful either.

THE ONE AND ONLY KIRSTY MacCOLL, THE BIOGRAPHY by KAREN O'BRIEN

THE ONE AND ONLY KIRSTY MacCOLL

THE BIOGRAPHY

BY KAREN O'BRIEN

THE BLURB:-

Everything about Kirsty MacColl defied the conventional 'pop' category yet she embraced and defended the genre, redeeming it with literate writing that had seldom been seen in British pop music. Regarded as one of music's most original songwriters, Kirsty MacColl's endearingly catchy songs were a rare mix of kitchen-sink realism, pathos and humour.

The One And Only is the highly praised first biography of Kirsty MacColl. Told with full access to her family, closest friends and music collaborators, it's a story of life lived to the full, of love and loss, of family and fame, and of the fight for justice that followed her death.

THE REALITY:-

I enjoyed reading this as it told you everything you wanted to know about Kirsty, from her well-connected (but not without hardship) childhood, her blossoming romance with Steve Lillywhite, their showbiz wedding and the births of their two sons to the frustrations and sheer bad timing and luck she suffered within the record industry, her marriage break up, depressions and shocking, untimely death.

Did I like her? Hell, yes. She had a rather flat singing voice and I preferred that deadpan delivery to over-emotional meanderings. Her songwriting was very catchy, funny and clever. I did hear her interviewed and have to say that she had a very strange accent- London entwined with the over-pronunciation of the letter t (I personally cannot stand people enunciating all of their consonants) but at times she sounded almost Aussie! I'm also no fan of the ditty-dirge song “Days” (I dislike The Kinks' version too).

But, generally speaking, this book sold me a woman I would probably have gotten on with. She was someone with a million faces, who looked different in every photograph.  She was also someone who looked like an old soul, with a sadness behind the eyes evident early on in her career. Did she know or sense something that we didn't? 

Like myself (both in the 1980s and now), she had a style that was kind of “glam punk.” With gorgeous big red tresses juxtaposed with panda kohl eyes and leathers, she had a harder edge to her femininity. She is also noted as being a tell-it-like-it-is, no bullshit kind of woman who didn't suffer fools gladly. This approach probably hampered her progress in the recording industry in the same way that my similar approach hindered my progress in the fashion industry (which is full of pretentious and none-too-bright idiots). I can also empathize with her fair share of bad timing and bad luck.  

Her death was truly horrific. I have read elsewhere (this book spares the reader the gore) that she was almost cut in half by the propeller of the Percalito, the boat which mowed her down and left her two sons swimming in her blood. At least an end as violent as that would have been quick for her, with the minimal amount of suffering. Small mercies, and all that. Was her mother right to pursue justice? Maybe, yes. I'm sure it was very therapeutic to her during her grief. I think the real driver of the boat was its rich owner, not the hired scapegoat who was left to take the blame. But she was also right to drop the costly campaign- she was really up against bureaucracy and the Mexican authorities and, at the end of the day, nothing was going to bring Kirsty back.

I've lived in London for over twenty years, have worked and partied in the West End and have walked past Soho Square but have never stepped foot inside it. Maybe, next time I'm in central London I will, and I'll find the bench dedicated to her memory and sit down awhile. After all, she gave me the song that I want played at my own funeral. A big shoe fetishist (as my friends will testify) “In These Shoes” is my favourite Kirsty track.

Buy this book if you liked Kirsty, even though the ending, as we know, is so, so sad. Rest in peace. XXXX

YOUR BEAUTY MARK by DITA VON TEESE

YOUR BEAUTY MARK- THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ECCENTRIC GLAMOUR

BY DITA VON TEESE with ROSE APODACA

THE BLURB:-

From burlesque show to fashion runway, magazine cover to Internet video, style icon and “burlesque super heroine” Dita Von Teese has undergone more strokes of red lipstick, bursts of hairspray, boxes of blue-black dye, and pats of powder in a month than a drag queen could dream of in a lifetime. Whether she's dazzling audiences while swirling in a towering Martini glass in Swarovski-crystal-covered pasties and stilettos or sparking camera flashes on the red carpet, one reality is constant for this self-styled star- beauty is an art.

Now, for the first time in her Technicolour career, Dita divulges the beauty wisdom that keeps her on best-dressed lists and high-profile fashion show rosters. This book takes you through every step of Dita's glamour arsenal, and includes her confidantes- masters in make-up, hair, medicine and exercise, as well as some of the world's most eccentric beauties- for authoritative advice. Packed with sound nutrition and exercise guidance, skin care and scent insight, as well as accessible techniques for creating bombshell hairstyles and make-up looks and more, this inspiring resource shares the skills, history and lessons you need to enhance your individual gifts and realize your own beauty mark.

THE REALITY:-

What a sheer wonderful delight for the well-being from from the Queen of Teese!

Dita is a lady after my own heart. Like her, I'm an advocate of old-fashioned glamour, which harks back to the stars of the silver screen and the days when women dressed like women; in full make-up, glamorous clothing and with perfectly styled hair. Think Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. Few stars nowadays seem to come close to that but The Teese is one of them.

Like Dita, I love the trifecta of pale skin, dark hair and red lipstick. (What is this obsession with sunbathing? And those horrible French manicures with squared-off tips? And nude lipstick? Uuuuuuuurgh!!!!) Add to that cat's eyes and a bit of alternative decoration and we are talking PERFECTION. Like Dita, I think it's okay to dress differently to the masses and that difference should be celebrated, not ridiculed. Like Dita, I deplore and have no time for “the natural look” as it is not for me. There have been many who have tried to change me- at the age of seventeen I had a boyfriend threaten to buy me blue jeans (like Dita, denim does not touch my body and hasn't done since I was twelve years old. After all, it's men's work wear and jeans do nothing for my short, curvy figure). I told him not to waste his money as I would have put them straight into the bin. At the age of eighteen I had another boyfriend threaten to buy me “black Reebok boots”- I have no idea what these sinister-sounding objects looked like but kind of got the jist and told him that if he did, they would also end up filed under B. The same man told me to “do your hair and make-up more naturally.” Both relationships didn't last long. I have also had friends offer to make me over, whilst sporting a malicious gleam in their silly eyes. I always decline, only to be told that “I'm spoiling their fun.” Well, I then tell them to make themselves or each other over as I know what they are up to, and that is trying to straighten my hair and sticking some kind of conformist and frumpy style (their idea of “beauty” and “sexy”) onto the rest of me. By the way, I hate straight hair too- it's B-O-R-I-N-G.

In reality, this book did not teach me much that I didn't know already, but it's nice to see that Dita is a bit of a DIY queen who always does her own make-up, dyes her hair at home and has a simple and cheap haircut whenever she needs one. Like her, I'm not one for hairdressers and beauty salons- I have neither the time or inclination. It's also good to see that she's not bitter. By all accounts, her marriage breakdown was pretty nasty, with another woman being involved, but she mentions Marilyn Manson and he features in one of the photographs. Good for her- life is too short to let the past eat you up.

With great beauty tips for those of you who are not clued up (read up about half-moon manicures- my mum taught me how to do these. I'm actually not over-keen but it is a dying art that looks very vintage and feminine) and some fantastic photographs of the lady herself (this book is also a treat for the men in our lives!  In fact, my partner bought it for me...hmmm...) this coffee table lovely comes highly recommended.

I tell you something, though (like Dita, I hate my hair being touched when it's "done"-  I don't do my hair for other people to play with) I bet even she hasn't used as much hairspray in her lifetime as I have in mine...

KALEIDOSCOPE by HAINAULT WRITERS' GROUP

HAINAULT CREATIVE WRITERS PRESENT A

KALEIDOSCOPE

OF STORIES AND POEMS IN MANY SHADES AND COLOURS

THE BLURB:-

Reading is a great pastime- enjoy our stories, verse and rhyme.

THE REALITY:-

This treat was passed on to me by my partner's mother- she has a retired, widowed relative (cousin, second cousin or in-law, I'm not sure of the exact relationship) who attends this Hainault Creative Writers' group regularly. They collectively read books for discussion and submit their own material, much the same as many writers' groups all over the country. It's a nice thing to do and a great outlet for those who are passionate about the written word.

I enjoyed a lot of the works and speed-read the less interesting. Like any collective work, some things grabbed my attention and some didn't. I'm aware that many of the members are seniors and I don't mind this- I'm always interested in old people's stories of a bygone age (before my time) and like their anecdotes about childhoods less privileged than my own, and also their lovely stories regarding the war.

One commended work was The Zoo, a poem by Barbara Cleere, about a day out and one lady's fear of being eaten by a lion! I'm not being biased- I liked this before realising that it was written by my partner's relative!

Of particular note is the story Valentine's Gift by Pat Ade Ayebola, with its sinister end twist. The story which really struck an emotional chord was Mummy's Girl by Janis King, this being my favourite work in the whole book.

I wish I hadn't been reading I Won't Do That Again by Susan Reid Jones whilst eating my chicken curry supper- urgh, too much information about dogs' shit!

My criticism of this book is that with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, wrong contextual use of words and malapropisms, is that it really needs an editor. I would be happy to offer my services FOC in return for a credit (and maybe a bottle of sparkling white wine!) A bit more continuity with the typing would have created a more professional finish, rather than a hotch-potch of fonts and sizes. Someone else can offer their services to do that as I'm not a secretary and it would take me forever!

THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE by MAGGIE O' FARRELL

THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE

BY MAGGIE O'FARRELL

THE BLURB:-

Fresh out of university and in disgrace, Lexie Sinclair is waiting for life to begin. When the sophisticated Innes Kent turns up on her doorstep in rural Devon, she realises she can wait no longer, and leaves for London. There, Lexie carves out a new life for herself at the heart of bohemian 1950s Soho, with Innes by her side.

In the present, Ted and Elina no longer recognise their lives after the arrival of their first child. Elina, an artist, wonders if she will ever paint again, while Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood- memories that don't tally with his parents' version of events.

As Ted's search for answers gathers momentum, so a portrait is revealed of two women separated by fifty years, but linked by their passionate refusal to settle for ordinary lives.

THE REALITY:-

What a wonderful book! This is the second Maggie O' Farrell novel that I've read and, as with the first, I read it through in a couple of days. An interesting and easy read.

I'm always slightly uncertain about writing in the present tense but the author seems to make it work. I liked the way she played with scenes- she described a love scene backwards (very fascinating) and dropped hints regarding Lexie, our 1950s heroine, and her early demise (although Innes' death came as a total and unprecedented shock.)  Her descriptions of motherhood are detailed and so real that you can almost reach through the page and touch them and her storytelling really brought Lexie's London to life.

I like the way the two tales intertwine via the location of buildings- the place where Innes kept his offices is now, fifty years on, the coffee shop that Ted pops into most days- and how the place seems to keep an imprint of its previous occupants. I found the memory loss and deja vu suffered by Ted very atmospheric and also loved the way the author almost violently described the near-death experience Elina had whilst bringing her son into the world, and the after affects of that traumatic labour. I liked this unusual, foreign character, with her artistic bent and her alternative style of dressing. Put a story together that involves art, bohemian fashion, writing, London and unconventional, daring women and it's hard to go wrong with me.

I buy most of my books from charity shops. I will get a Kindle but, for me, nothing quite beats opening a real, living, breathing book. I bought this one from a Saint Francis' Hospice charity shop. I like to support them as they looked after my friend as she died her untimely death from ovarian cancer a couple of years ago. I always manage to find some good reads in this shop, some of them very current, such as Gone Girl, The Dress Thief (which I was about to order from Amazon) and my previous Maggie O' Farrell novel, The Vanishing Act Of Esme Lennox. I will make it my business to seek out more titles by this riveting author and learnt some lessons regarding writing from reading her work, which is always satisfying to do.

GONE GIRL by GILLIAN FLYNN

GONE GIRL

BY GILLIAN FLYNN

THE BLURB:-

Who are you? What have we one to each other?

These are the questions that Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.

So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?

THE REALITY:-

Wow, what a masterpiece! I can understand why this book became a best seller and am now looking forward to seeing the film- this is one superb thriller and gets five stars from me.

The detailed descriptions of the characters' psyches are really explored via the writing and your sympathy ends up swinging from person to person. To start with, you feel sorry for Nick but then end up hating him and ditto for Amy. I wish I hadn't allowed this book to fall open at a future page, and hence- SPOILER ALERT!- finding out that Amy was actually alive, but luckily it was near the end of part one, and it's in part two that her story is detailed.

The setting was almost ghostly in its desolation, with the bankrupt town and disused shopping mall eerily described. As the tale progresses, you end up trying to differentiate between what is truth and what is fiction, especially with regard to Amy's diary. I loved all of the minor and not so minor characters and was saddened and touched when Amy got ripped off whilst on the run. I also had no sympathy for Desi, who also had extreme “issues.” The novel certainly makes you explore a whole caveat of personal emotions. I loved the use of quizzes to help you understand Amy and also her diary descriptions of being the “cool girl.” The writer left no stone unturned with the thoroughness of continuity and the tying up of any loose ends (rather like Amy!) Both of their crime research is second to none!

I ended up hating both characters- they are absolutely revoltingly horrid and deserve each other. I know Nick should have kept it in his pants but I do wish that he could have “manned up and grown a pair” and stuck up to this vindictive cow at the end of the novel- either that or simply killed her. Whilst I understand her motive for her wanting to stitch him up (a woman scorned, and all that) she is still an evil cow and deserves to die for what she did.

 

RIMMEL MASCARAS...

I have been using Rimmel make-up since I was a teenager and don't really see the point in upgrading to more (sometimes ridiculously) expensive products that do exactly the same job.  I've tried some of the premium make-up brands and, like anything else, some of the products are better than the cheaper versions, some are the worse and some no different. 

I like sticking to what I know- here's why!

As it's advertised everywhere, I thought I'd give their new Super Curler mascara a go.  I'm not generally swayed by advertising at all, but was in a particularly jovial mood and thought I'd take advantage of Superdrug's "3 for the price of 2" on all Rimmel cosmetics.  Kate Moss advertises this and, despite looking a bit dodgy nowadays, has very nice green eyes (green eyes are the best!!!!)  The same applies to the other Kate (no, not Middleton!) I'm talking Katie Price.  Despite ruining her once pretty looks through extensive plastic surgery, her eyes remain beautiful.

This was okay, but nothing to get your knickers in a twist about- it did the job, the curved brush was neither a help or a hindrance, but it did make my lashes look a bit twisted and spidery.  I'm gonna be sticking to Rimmel's Extreme Volume mascara in black, like I have been doing for AEONS.  With no fancy brush gimmicks, it does what it says on the tin.

Whenever I get to the till at Superdrug, they always try and plug Scandaleyes Mascara- they reckon it's their best seller and are always surprised when I tell them that I don't like this one.  The brush is way too fat and it's like trying to put your mascara on using a hairbrush!