Deal Breaker. - Harlan Coben

Synopsis: When a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead makes a phone call to a young sportsman about to hit the big time, it seems that more than just his career is on the line.

Myron Bolitar investigates and is plunged into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret and a man's lies, Myron soon reveals that image and talent might make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.



Review

Earlier in the year I read Caught by Harlan Coben, and was impressed with how fast-paced and well-written the novel was, prompting me to pick up another of his. I settled with Deal Breaker. This time not a stand-alone novel, but the first in the Myron Bolitar series; something I admittedly didn't know when I picked it at random from the author's shelf of novels in the book-store.

I haven't been disappointed. The novel tells the story of a mysterious disappearance of a young woman who has gone missing, believed to be dead. Her family and her boyfriend are left hysterical, and just a year after tragedy strikes the family again: the father dies in an apparently unrelated mugging. For Jessica, coincidences are too good to be true, and she believes there is a connection between her sister's disappearance and her father's death.

Not everything is how it seems, and everyone has something to hide. Jessica enlists the help of Myron, agent of Christian Steele, upcoming NBA star and the boyfriend of Jessica's missing sister Kathy. With his best friend Win in tow, he's got his back covered, as he starts delving into a strange investigation that ground to a halt two years ago. Win is the character that makes this novel so engaging for me; a handsome, golf-playing nerd, Win holds all the contacts, all the finances and all the means at Myron's disposal. Oh, and he's quite handy at taekwondo also; his protection something that Myron will need.

In some senses, the plot is a typical one; girl goes missing presumed dead, multiple suspects, personal agendas, secrets kept; the reader knows not who to trust. That's what makes it so engaging, as the threads weaved between the characters' lives continue to be revealed one by one; each twist and turn presenting new revelations to shock and surprise the reader. In essence, a fact-paced, action-packed read that left me wanting the next in the series.

4/5.

The Shadow of the Wind. - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Synopsis: Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles. To this library, a man brings his ten-year-old son Daniel, one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to chose one book and from the dusty shelves pulls The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. But as Daniel grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julián Carax and to save those he left behind.

Review

First of all I must mention that I will remain forever thankful to a friend that plucked this out of hundreds of choices for me to read, otherwise it would have been left gathering dust on my shelves; a tragic waste for certain.

The novel piqued my interest immediately when I discovered it were to be a novel about novels, but it should be noted that it works on so many more different levels. From the moment Daniel stumbles upon one of Carax's books, he becomes caught up in a world more terrible than he could have ever imagined. His instant connection with the book draws him in, and from then on he is captured and entangled by the author's story, which won't let him go; he feels the need to discover the truth behind the mysterious Julián Carax.

On his journey he suffers unrequited love, pain and misery, as he begins to grow up and see the world in a different light. From the loss of his best friend, who begins to hate him; the love of Bea, of Clara, the discovery of passion and of lust, Daniel in a sense becomes out of his depths. He finds hope and inspiration in a beggar he finds on the streets; a beggar that becomes an acquaintance, a friend, and who has his own story to tell.

Yet it is not just he that searches endlessly for the truth surrounding Carax. A mysterious, dark figure stalks the shadows, questioning book-stores and collectors alike for information on Julián's novels. He seeks them not to read, but to destroy; he longs to burn and eradicate the stories of Carax forever, and it is unclear why. The past holds the answers to all, and for all the efforts of some, it struggles to remain buried.

Those that were once friends, now turned evil; death, destruction and murder litters the streets. Daniel is in more danger than he could possibly ever know; for every person that works with him, another more sinister conspires against. And yet it is a connection that can't be broken; Daniel must search onwards. Will he discover the truth behind the eerie Julián Carax?

In essence, this novel was fantastic; a wonderfully written plot integrated with brilliant characters that each stood out individually for me. The story is an ambiguous one; unanswered questions lead to sub-plots, which lead to further seemingly endless mysterious that have the readers guessing and wondering throughout. The way Zafón weaves the parallels into the different characters' journeys is clever, and often I found myself surprised at revelations that I was definitely not expecting.

The observant readers may guess some twists, but it seems that these turns will not stop right until the very last page, and the fast-paced action will carry you to that destination before you even realise the hours have past. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good fast-paced mystery novel that ultimately has you questioning everything, and everyone.

5/5.

Love In The Time Of Cholera. - Gabriel García Márquez

Synopsis: Florentino Ariza has never forgotten his first love. He has waited nearly a lifetime in silence since his beloved Fermina married another man. No woman can replace her in his heart. But now her husband is dead. Finally - after fifty-one years, nine months and four days - Florentino has another chance to declare his eternal passion and win her back. Will love that has survived half a century remain unrequited?

Review

Well, where do I start with what has been such a wonderfully charming read? I picked this once up on whim from the classics section of a bookstore a couple of months back now, and I certainly haven't been disappointed. It seemed like from the onset something special and poignant was in store, when I discovered that I was to start this novel in the shadows thrown up by candlelight, after my electric had cut out.

From the very first page I was gripped by the imagery thrown up; Márquez writes with such simple but beautiful elegance, and this style continues throughout. For some, the story of a love-stricken man waiting over half a century just to tell his teenage love that his feelings have never changed, could be considered desperate; for others like me, it is a heart-breaking story of love, and I found myself the most sympathetic towards the character of Florentino throughout.

As a young, apprentice telegrapher, immersed in novels and the poetry of love, Florentino Ariza falls hopelessly and irrevocably in love with the haughty teenager Fermina Daza. Although the two barely meet, they manage to continue a passionate correspondence via love-letters and telegrams, until one day, Fermina Daza, realising in a mere heart-stopping moment, that Florentino is more but a 'shadow than a substance,' tragically rejects him and eventually marries the wealthy Dr. Juvenal Urbino instead.

Florentino, who has sworn his undying love to Fermina, is, of course, stricken to the core, but Fermina's marriage is nothing that the young man can't handle. As one century closes and another begins, Florentino Ariza rises through the ranks of the River Company of the Caribbean and sets off on a series of erotic encounters, both 'long term liaisons and countless fleeting adventures', all of which he chronicles. Despite this, his real love is for Fermina Daza, and although many women come and go, he maintains the belief that his destiny is to be with his teenage sweetheart, no matter how long it takes.

Fifty-one years, nine months and four days after Fermina Daza's wedding, on Pentecoast Sunday, fate intervenes and Fermina becomes a free woman yet again. When he finally gets the opportunity to declare his love once more, the reader holds its breath in anticipation for what she will say. It is in vain, however, as although we have an initial answer, all is not revealed, as the story back-tracks and sends us on the spiralling journey the two have taken to reach the place of that very meeting; we are left waiting another couple of hundred pages before we get some actual finality in our answers. This is a story of monumental proportions: Florentino's love for Fermina is endless: she is the one he wishes to be with after all this time. Will he get the chance, when old age has crept upon them both, or will he be rebuffed once more and left to suffer with the fact his wait was for nothing?

In essence, this is a novel that tackles the issue of love in all its forms, and although reading it on the surface as a simple story between the two young lovers Florentino and Fermina can be rewarding, to look beyond the realms of surface meaning is where the reader can truly recognise Marquez's brilliance. Unrequited love, jealous love, angry love, and adulterous love: the author mediates a discussion on all the different forms love can take, in what is such a remarkable and fantastically written novel.

5/5.

Freedom

It's a strange word freedom, but one which has taken on a whole new meaning for me in the past few days; with my exams over with, school officially done forever, summer has more or less begun.

The past couple of months have been exhausting for me, both mentally and physically, but at last I can now allow myself to relax and take a break; something I haven't had much chance to do recently.

So I know I posted around a month ago on what would be coming to the blog, but I have changed my mind ever so slightly on that front. I said in the aforementioned post that I would be following the 1001 series' Albums To Listen To Before You Die, but I have changed my mind. I only really listen to one genre of music nowadays, and that is hip hop, so I have instead decided that my music posts will follow this. I may deviate once in a while, but most of my album reviews will be from there or new releases.

As for the bookish side of things, I am certainly eager to offer my recommendations and reviews on both classic and contemporary novels. The first review that will be coming after this weekend, perhaps tomorrow, is that of Gabriel García Márquez's fantastic novel Love In The Time Of Cholera. The first of many to come, I am sure.

Aside from this I have a whole host of different posts lined up; reviews of film, music, television and sport. Now I have this sense of freedom I do hope to bring something to the blog, and of course if anyone does read it and has any requests, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment anywhere on the blog.

Ben.

Freedom

Here's another, three guesses for what this is about.

Freedom

Finality is fast approaching now,
That prevailing sense of relief,
The tension ebbs, the stress released,
There shall be no more grief.

We struggled through and onwards,
Past all that would distract,
In the end remains one shock,
How is our sanity still intact?

Still even when you're finished,
You sit and ponder how you did,
Wondering, will it be quite enough?
These thoughts you should forbid.

Don't look over your shoulders,
Ignore the future yet to come,
Bask in the summer sunshine,
It's over now, you're done.

Leave it left forgotten,
Until there is but no other choice,
Go enjoy yourself, that's freedom,
Live life and just rejoice.

© Ben Johnson 2011.

Breaking Out

Writers-block will be the death of us all

Breaking Out

The light fades slowly, to the depths of darkness

As the sun wavers, it melts into the night sky

Daring dreams of hope plague my mind;

I sit here wondering, pondering why

My words describe my feelings so true,

Pouring my heart through this pen it bleeds,

And as the time arrives I become weary;

Rhymes scream out, can anyone hear me?

A stream of unified consciousness,

Prompting daggers, my splatters paper

Ideas of ambition break free, gone, so fleeting,

Eyes filled with sadness as thoughts turn to vapour

It was once so enjoyable, now conflict arises,

In every syllable I struggle to breath life too,

Confidence significant in absence, so dreadful;

The strain appears so obvious, so painful and undue

Recognition equates to merely infinite hope,

A dream yet a nightmare, I am still to wake from;

Tragic conflict ends in mere moments from now,

Letting go, my words I eradicate, they are gone

© Ben Johnson 2011.

CJ de Mooi

Okay, so I know I said I wouldn't be posting for while, but I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to interview CJ de Mooi; a fantastic quizzer, and soon to be famous actor I'm sure. In any case, the questions and answers are below, enjoy.

Q. I'll start with the basics; how did you realise your enthusiasm for knowledge and love for quizzing? Were you the typical academic type who loved to learn at school, and just carried that forward in later life?

I hated school and standardised methods of learning. An academic education doesn't provide an education, it merely provides basic tools to pass the exams and once a pupil has passed from that system, he or she is somebody else's problem (usually no-one's) I was lucky in that I had a very good memory so I was able to just remember anything I wanted but there was still the feeling with a couple of the teachers that they themselves were simply one lesson ahead of those they were supposed to be preparing for adult life.

Q. What advice would you give to those looking to build up a base of facts quickly and effectively: is there certain techniques that you find helpful when reading around a subject?

Although it's tedious, the one thing you can't escape from is the learning of lists. There are so many basics such as UK Monarchs, US Presidents, Capital Cities and Olympic Games years but I can't emphasise the importance of dates too. A problem for me when starting out at the top level of quizzing was that I could only see history as a collection of disparate facts but once I learnt the dates, the story came together as a linear strand and it was much easier to relate events when I understood quite simply how they followed or preceded each other.

Q. Being an avid viewer of Eggheads, I enjoy watching the quiz battles that you take part in. Is your time with your team-mates always spent quizzing, or do you get the opportunity to spend time with them outside of the studio? If so, do you all get on well? (I can imagine debates get quite serious in such an intellectual group)

I spend a little social time with Kevin outside of the studio as I've pretty much given up full time quizzing, this tends to be just social. When I went to the formal quiz events, I would see Pat and Barry there regularly, and occasionally Daphne and Chris.

Q. Anyone that pays any attention to either your tweets or your comments on the television will note that you do enjoy your tennis and snooker. Have you always enjoyed them sports or did you have different preferences when you were younger? (PS: I'm very jealous of the pictures you put up from the World Championships this year)

I've never been into sport at all, having virtually never watched it and certainly never playing. However, snooker and tennis have always held my fascination with the former being a lifelong love and the latter being something in which my interest has waxed and waned over the years (when I was younger I found men's tennis tedious and would generally only watch women's but that situation has now reversed)

Q. From your twitter account I have also gathered that you have an interest in performing and of course for the West End. Are you a big fan of going to theatre as well? If so what are some of your favourite things that you have seen over the years?

Being an actor is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do. Before Eggheads there was no such thing as a professional quizzer and although I've enjoyed my time on the show, when one has a burning desire to do something else, that has to be quenched. Musical theatre is where my passion and abilities lie so I'm trying everything at the moment to get into the West End and won't rest until I've succeeded. My favourite musical is Priscilla Queen of the Desert and that would indeed be my dream job but there are several others I would be utterly delighted to be considered for. Outside of the genre though, one of the nest nights out I ever had was going to see the stage version of Frost/Nixon (I actually went with Kevin) starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella before the film was made. An utterly superb production and much funnier and satirical than its later incarnation. However, this wouldn't be for me and my humble talents and musicals are my direction and where my career is heading.


CJ in the middle on the set of popular quiz show, Eggheads.

Q. Best of luck with the marathon(s) that I believe you have coming up soon. What times are you looking to rack up? Also, which charity will you be supporting? (I have a lot of admiration for people that put the hard-work and effort in before-hand with these races, like your good self)

The one 'sport' I actively take part in is running. Although I find the training extremely boring, I do have a talent for it and have several half and full marathons booked, and will be aiming for a sub 3 hour time when I run in London next April and well under 90 minutes for the halves. At the Great North Run I'm supporting Stonewall, The Cardiff Half is for Barnardos, The Brighton Half for The Sussex Beacon and the London Marathon is for my personally favourite charity The Albert Kennedy Trust.

Q. Lastly, I'd like to ask where you see yourself in ten years time? Do you feel that your performing breakthrough is just around the corner? (Lord knows, if anyone deserves the breakthrough for hard-work and persistence, you do)

I'm working very hard on my singing and especially my fitness and body appearance (both for vanity and West End expectations!) as performing is the only place I want to be and the only place I can see myself. I imagine Eggheads will be long finished by then (although who could have dreamed we'd already have lasted 8 years with another 2 at least and pass 1000 episodes with successful spin offs and merchandising?) There's always the option of retiring to a quiet island somewhere but I'm an applause junkie and think the draw would be too much!

I'd like to thank CJ for taking out the time to answer these questions and for giving me this chance to ask him a few questions.