The Bellini Madonna- Elizabeth Lowry

                                                               

Sigh. The blurb was so promising- a libidinous art historian, the search for an uncatalogued painting, a woman with possible sinister motives.


But within just a few pages, so many things went wrong. The art historian is just a little bit gristly and difficult to like, the book ends and you really are un clear as to who has hood winked the other, and the narrative drags. I had to skip read and after mid- way through the book, i really stopped caring what happened and to whom.

Read- why would you want to?

© Maya

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie- Alan Bradley

                                                                       

This one is going to be tough to write about because the book consumed me. And now I have to make sense of it. So I am going to do this the old- fashioned way- talk about the story a little bit and tell you what works and all that.


11 -year- old Flavia is obnoxious, precocious and a nightmare as a sibling. Her passion is chemistry and her specialty poisons. She lives her enigmatic father and two annoying sisters. Then there is the colourful odd jobs man, Dogger.

A stranger dies in their cucumber patch and no points for guessing who finds the body. The police arrest her father but Flavia is sure her dad is innocent. So she does some sleuthing on her own and we have a brush with poisons, prestidigitators, and philately and past- murders. And of course pie.

Tight plot, quirky characters, quiet humour and taut narrative. Original, fresh voice and characters you will fall love with. And an absolutely delicious murder

Read it- the pie’s crust is flaky, the stuffing perfectly tart and there is definitely a sweetness at the bottom. As perfect a murder novel as one can get post Christie.

©Maya

The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment – Isabel Losada

Okay. The Big Thing- I am going to stop telling you why I picked up this or other books- the reasons are the same- recommendations, interesting title , captivating blurb. If there is a story behind the why, I promise to let you in on it.


This book- one of the books that may well have influenced my life, I admit. How? When I tell you about the book, you might get the answer.

The book is about, as the title tells you, the author’s search for enlightenment. She tries everything- Insight Seminars, Rolfing- yeah I wondered too what the heck that was and I am going to resist the temptation to tell, tantric sex- I can see that smirk and tai`-chi.

The account is funny, candid, honest, informative and sometimes even inspiring. What you notice is how she open-mindedly embraces every experience, is willing to give it a fair chance and fair-minded in talking about it while being truly humorous. She launches into each one with whole heartedness and her account of it reads like a dizzy ride. So ehilarating that after every workshop she describes, you have to catch yourself from rushing off to try it. Even the colonic irrigation. Didn't mention earlier, did I? oh there are more in that book.

Read it- even if you are not seized by inspiration you will be hugely entertained. and definitely be better informed.

© Maya