Every once in a while, a book or author comes along that blows everything or everyone else out of the water. Françoise Sagan is one of those authors.

I’ve just finished Bonjour Tristesse and A Certain Smile by this author, and I’m completely stunned by how staggeringly good these two books are. From the very first paragraph I was in awe of the writing; it was the best opening of any book I have ever written. I’m not exaggerating, I honestly feel the writing is just sublime.

Bonjour Tristesse is the story of a summer on the French Riviera for Cécile, a seventeen year old, who is living a carefree life with her widowed father and his latest girlfriend. When her father decides to remarry, it turns Cécile’s world upside down. The main theme of the book is morality and whether it is possible to be without moral sense or if it is something inherent within all of us.

A Certain Smile follows the love affair between law student Dominique and an older married man, Luc, the uncle of her boyfriend. It is an honest look at the emotional journey of a young woman embarking on an affair, and considers the truth of what love is.

The translations by Irene Ash are superb, and while I’ve already mentioned that Bonjour Tristesse has the best opening of a book I’ve ever read, the final paragraph of A Certain Smile, while deceptively simple, is profound yet real, and brought a complete sense of closure to the narrative. All of this seems all the more incredible when you realise that Sagan wrote Bonjour Tristesse, her first novel, when she was just eighteen, with A Certain Smile following just two years later.

These books have made such an impact on me, I won’t be picking up another book for a couple of days, as I want to ponder and savour them before starting something new.

This is a collection of short stories from Welsh author Simon Van Booy. The five stories are linked by the theme of love, but also by the theme of childhood. With these two themes in common, it’s probably not unsurprising that the book is emotional and affecting, beginning the heart-breaking dedication at the start of the book.

The collection opens with the longest story, Love Begins In Winter, a tale of grief, and love, and includes an incredible depiction of the recital given by the narrator, a cello soloist. Next is Tiger, Tiger which considers the effects of the relationships of parents on children, followed by The Missing Statues with a different view on a similar theme. The Coming and Going of Strangers is the fourth story, and my favourite in the collection, following Walter who is a wonderfully, romantic hero. Finally, The City of Windy Trees, is another uplifting tale, which shows how seemingly inconsequential meetings make an ordinary life extraordinary.

While some of the best novels are the stories of peoples lives, for me, the best short stories are the glimpses and snapshots of the incidents, emotions and relationships that define an individual, and although I haven’t read a huge amount of short stories, these are some of the best I’ve encountered. The writing is beautifully considered, lyrical and expressive. but in the sparse style which suits the short story format. Although it’s a short 226 page book, I took a good few days to read it, as it requires the time to savour the words on the page, but I can definitely recommend it.

For anyone who’s arrived at this site while searching for Strictly Come Dancing information, I’m pleased to announce that the dedicated ULTIMATE STRICTLY website is now up and running, in time for the start of the new series on BBC ONE in September 2009.

I’ve set up ULTIMATE STRICTLY as a dedicated resource with all the facts and figures of Strictly Come Dancing, with all the scores, dances and results from all series of the programme, and I also write my reviews of the programmes there, with review archives going back to the start of series 5, and including a daily roundup of the happenings on It Takes Two, BBC TWO sister show.

I would normally say a little bit about the book in the review, but I don’t want to give anything away, so here is the blurb on the back cover:

“This is the story of two women.

Two years later, they meet again – the story starts here…”

This book was sorrowful, funny, affecting, horrific, truthful, shocking and heartfelt. The author takes an important issue in society today, and by writing from the perspective of the two women affected, opens the readers eyes to the reality behind some of the stories and headlines we see in the media.

There are some heart-stopping shocks in the story but mingled with the triviality of everyday life, it gives the novel a very authentic feel. Despite the gravity of the subject matter, the book is never hard work, and keeps drawing you in to the lives of the two protagonists.

This will definitely be among my best books of the year.

Many people will know Stuart Maconie from radio or television. Some will know him as a writer, but there will be a certain contingent who will know him as NME writer. This memoir tells his journey from a three year old Beatles fan, through the fascination with rock, Northern soul, punk and pop which lead to a career as a music journalist.

My first encounter with Stuart Maconie the author, was his book Pies and Prejudice, after which, I was convinced I would love his musical memoir, not just because he has a distinctive style of writing that I loved, but as with most people, music had a huge influence me during my teenage years. So it was with mounting trepidation that I became worried during the first half of the book, because although I was still treated to the same humour and warmth for the subject, I wasn't enjoying it as much as I'd hoped. I'm about a decade younger than Maconie, and I think had I been the same age, I would have loved the book in its entirety, but I found I just couldn't relate to the opening chapters, as I had no memories I could attach with that time period. But then, suddenly, I was transported to the late 1970s with my first musical memories were reawakened, and I was slap bang in the middle of my childhood and teenage favourites. I suddenly found the book I'd been dreaming of from the beginning. By the end, I was laughing out loud, nodding knowingly and eventually putting the book down with a contented sigh.

This book is a collection of short stories, originally published in the New Yorker magazine during the second World War. The author was a prolific writer for the magazine throughout her career, submitting a wide range of work including poems, book reviews, London Letters, and Letters from England, as well as these short stories.

The twenty-one stories in this collection are vignettes of Middle England through the war, briefly chronicling the experiences and emotions of her subjects. The stories range from light-hearted, almost wickedly observed meetings of a Red Cross sewing party, to the melancholy tale of a lonely, isolated civil servant, to the sparkling joy of a young bride finally stepping out from the shadow of her sister. The characters are perceptively observed, and the wit and compassion of the writer jumps of the page all the while shrewdly documenting wartime England, and the state of the nation.

Persephone Books are fast becoming my fail safe method of ensuring I read entertaining, intelligent, beautifully written books, and this was no exception. I don’t read a lot of short stories, but these were an absolute joy, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.

This British feature-length documentary about the Junior Eurovision contest, is a heart warming and heart felt film. I’d never heard of Junior Eurovision before this, and it’s a shame that the UK don’t compete in it, as it looks like a great competition – better than the adult version!

The director follows entrants from four countries, showing how they were selected, their preparation for the event, and the week they spend at the actual competition leading up to the live show. The children show us around their homes and show us where they live and how they feel about representing their country.

I loved that there were no pushy parents, and although there are moments to both laugh and cry, you never feel as though the children are being exploited or there is any intrusion into their privacy. As a complete antithesis to all the media representation of most children and teenagers in this country, the children the director has chosen to follow, all seem genuinely nice, talented kids. In fact, their talent is not only their singing or performing, but as part of the rules of the competition, they have to write their own song (music and lyrics) in their own language.

A warm, funny, feel good film – I loved it.

Gwenni Morgan is growing up in a 1950s Welsh town, and she has a special gift – she can fly in her sleep. She flies over the town, occasionally over the sea, and watches the world from above – at least, that’s when her sister isn’t disturbing her sleep by invading Gwenni’s side of the bed. This gift makes Gwenni inquisitive, and when a neighbour disappears, she’s determined to help bring him back to his family. But what else will she uncover along the way?

On the inside cover, this is described as “a magical novel that will transport you to another time and place”, and I have to agree – it is a magical book and as you experience the story through Gwenni’s first person narrative, you will indeed feel transported to the small town Welsh community and into the Morgan’s family home. Gwenni’s naivety means that while she doesn’t initially comprehend the significance of her observations, as a reader I was one or two steps ahead of her and able to piece together the truth for myself; this does not, however, take away anything from the reading experience and enjoyment of the book.

I really loved the brevity of the writing. That’s not to say it’s a short book, or has a sparse style, but Strachan doesn’t describe any of the characters in much detail, and yet the brief glimpses of physical features make all the people feel very real and genuine, and I had a vivid picture of each of them in my head. The details of the period are also only ever hinted at, with occasional vague references or gently interlaced details of the time, but there is never a specific description of the setting, merely enough to give a feeling of the period.

I became completely engrossed in Gwenni’s life and her journey to understanding her own family as well as the world around her. There is no sentimentality or mawkishness about this tale, merely lovely, and at times, moving, storytelling. Very impressive for a debut novel.

In the bleak years following World War One, Christine is one of the lucky few with a job in an economically destroyed Austria; she’s a civil servant working in a provincial post office in a safe government job. At 28, she’s working full time, both at the post office and at home, where she’s caring for her sick mother, and has no prospects or expectations for the future. One day, Christine receives a telegram from an American aunt, inviting her to join her aunt and uncle in a resort in the Swiss Alps. A few days later, she arrives at the hotel and is immediately transported into a care-free world of wealth and luxury, and her transformation begins. Abruptly, rumours and jealousy cast a shadow over her, and the dream of a different life is cut short, sending her back to the post office, but with a new outlook on life.

The manuscript for this novel was found amongst the authors papers after he’d died in 1942, and was published posthumously. I’m not sure exactly when he wrote it, but I’m guessing in the 1930’s, and what I find incredible, is how modern the book feels. Although this is a modern translation, I can’t imagine any translator would attempt to alter the style or language of the original work, so I’m assuming this is a true representation of the authors manuscript, and as such it is a great piece of writing. I felt as though the story and characters could be transplanted into a modern day setting, and would still be just as relevant as the post-WWI Austria and Switzerland Zweig has represented.

Christine’s story reveals an emotional journey from resignation, to the awakening to hope and joy, through confusion and embarrassment, and finally the anger and despair of a young woman who has glimpsed the wonders that the world can hold, only to have it all snatched away. It is the transition of a young woman who has never had the opportunity to fulfil her potential, whose naivety and joy is a breath of fresh air amongst the wealth and riches of the hotel guests, but is her downfall as jealousy rears its ugly head, and she is plunged back into her old life with little hope of an escape back to the colourful, care-free world she knows is out there.

The way the author writes from Christine’s point of view feels very real, and the emotional rollercoaster we are taken on is the heart of this book, while it always has an eye on the sociological issues of the period as the backdrop to the story. Christine’s thought processes, drifting fluidly or flitting quickly, are written with clarity and feel very honest.

As the book was not submitted as a finished manuscript by the author himself, we can’t be sure if this was the completed book he’d planned. The denouement of the book concludes in a very abrupt manner, but I hope it was how the author intended it to end. It doesn’t try to end the story and leaves the reader to decide how they think the lives of the characters will continue, yet instead of leaving me wanting more, wanting to know what happened next, I thought the single world last sentence was the most satisfying ending to a book I’ve read in recent times.

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop is a memoir from reader, book seller, author, but most importantly book lover, Lewis Buzbee, who takes us through his introduction to the world of books and his love of book stores, and incorporates the history of the book and the development of the book trade.

For anyone who loves the the very tactile nature of books, this gem is a must. The author has worked in bookshops as well as a publisher’s sales representative from an early age, and has spent a lifetime enveloping himself in the world of books.

He describes how the first spark the stated his fascination with books, the bookshops that inspired his choice of career, and the current state of the book industry. But more than this, he tells the history of the book itself, as well as the education he received from others on the make up of the book, with facts about books and bindings casually mixed with tales of how he learned the information himself. There is more of an emphasis on the constantly changing face of book selling in the last thirty of so years, and the effect of the internet and technology in the current publishing industry, and a look to where the future may take books.

After learning an important lesson as a young man about judging people by they read, there is no prejudice or elitism about readers or books, or about independent bookshops, multi-national chain stores, or even internet sellers, just an account of one persons continued love of books.

For all book lovers, as well as book shop addicts, this book is a must, although it should come with a warning, as it will make you want to hunt out every bookshop in every place you ever go!