Wondrous Words

A collection of 8 stories all telling a different narrative and involving a different central character.  An interesting collection focusing on the Vietnamese refugees who have gone to a diverse range countries as a result of conflict in their homeland. What made me pick this up?  Simply - it was different. A collection of short stories which meant i could read a different one when i had a spare bit of time.  I'm glad i saw this at the local charity shop because i probably wouldn't have looked at it otherwise. It was a good buy in the sense that the stories were very different to what i would normally read, with characters i probably wouldn't get into the mindset of. I'd recommend if you want to broaden your bookshelf but i wouldn't say these are 'light' reads as they all have a serious undertone to them. Not the best description i know but have a read and see what you think.  Have a look here

Somewhere along the cobbled streets of Paris, an apartment lies thick with dust and secrets: full of priceless artworks hidden away for decades. High-flying fine art agent Flora from London, more comfortable with the tension of a million-pound auction than a cosy candlelit dinner for two, is called in to assess these suddenly discovered treasures. As an expert in her field, she must trace the history of each painting and discover who has concealed them for so long. Thrown in amongst the glamorous Vermeil family as they move between Paris and Antibes, Flora begins to discover that things aren't all that they seem, while back at home her own family is recoiling from a seismic shock. The terse and brooding Xavier Vermeil seems intent on forcing Flora out of his family's affairs - but just what is he hiding? I’d wanted to read this for a while actually but just didn’t get round to it until i read The Rome affair and then i was back in my Karen swan phase of the year (i’...

When people ask me what I do – taxi drivers, dental hygienists – I tell them I work in an office. In almost nine years, no one’s ever asked what kind of office, or what sort of job I do there. I can’t decide whether that’s because I fit perfectly with their idea of what an office worker looks like, or whether people hear the phrase work in an office and automatically fill in the blanks themselves – lady doing photocopying, man tapping at keyboard. Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live She leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - ...