Review: The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, (a character made increasingly more likeable by being portrayed by Tom Hanks), is back for another explosive historical adventure, this time at the heart of America - Washington D.C. His old mentor, Peter Solomon, asks a favour of him - to put on a last minute lecture at the Capitol - but when Robert arrives, circumstances change to chaos and confusion very quickly.

The involvement of the CIA; a quest through the most important historical buildings of the US capital; revelations that many prominent Americans were actually Masons; serve as the basis of the plot of the novel. The adversary, a man called Mal'akh, is on a quest for the ultimate knowledge that will, as he believes, give him ultimate power.

Langdon teams up with Peter's sister, Katherine, who has been conducting experiments based in Noetics, the idea that the mind is much more powerful than thought - that it's even able to transform physical matter. They race against time in a bid to save Peter, with both finding out much more than they bargained for along the way.

Overall, it's a good, fast-paced and enjoyable read. For me, there seemed to be a lot of exposition dumps and padding - I think the book could have been a hundred pages shorter and still been as enjoyable. But if you're a fan of Langdon, history (with some poetic license), and Masonic conspiracy theories, this book is definitely worth reading.

Review: Becoming, Michelle Obama

This memoir, released in the tail-end of 2018, was the much needed tonic, in my opinion, to the end of a particularly tumultuous year.

It's a memoir spanning the rich detail of Michelle's life, from her humble upbringing on the South Side of the Chicago, witnessing the slow decline, yet just blocks away were the sky-rises and high-flying city dwellers that made for a jarring juxtaposition.

Michelle's family was the quintessential, nuclear family - Dad at work, Mom at home raising the kids, the older brother and the younger sister. Michelle writes about her family with honesty of the good and bad times, and love pours from every paragraph. Even though she was witness to the racial prejudices in the African American community, her parents were determined that their children would not be held back by this.


Michelle's education, work ethic, and sheer drive saw her step into the hallowed halls of Princeton and Harvard Law School, into spaces that she, as a black woman, would traditionally be excluded from. She doesn't shy away from talking about this - in fact, she is very frank about her experiences of being the only woman, let alone the only black woman, in the room.


Part 2 - Becoming Us - sees Michelle in a high-flying job as a corporate lawyer in Chicago, on a clear track to make partner. That is, until a certain man comes along and throws a spanner in the works.


Her story of her relationship with Barack, particularly the early days, is a deep and dazzling romance, made all the better for it being real and not an unrealistic story playing out on the big screen.
Politics comes along early into their relationship and it takes a lot of work and compromise to stay strong. This is only made more difficult when their two girls come along. At no point does Michelle gloss over the lows of their marriage and family life - it's an emotional rollercoaster of a journey.


And then comes the long road to the White House. It's a fascinating and dizzying insight into the exhausting world of politics, not least the campaigning, and everything they have to content with as a black family - the phrase "you have to work twice as hard to get half as much done" comes up time and time again.


We, the world, got to see Michelle in so many different areas and arenas, but seeing her take on everything she went through and how hard she had to work to protect her marriage and family life ... it's not something to be envied. Not that I didn't believe her when she said she wasn't going to run for President, but if you're not convinced after reading this book, nothing will convince you of that.


My favourite moments, by far, were not those in America but in England. Her stories of meeting Queen Elizabeth, and developing a genuine friendship with her, were simply lovely - there are no other words for it. Politics and royalty are such dominant forces in our life yet rarely do we get a glimpse behind the red curtain.


The memoir does not end happily - that's definitely the wrong word for it, given everything that ends afterwards - but it does end with a call to resist, be resilient, and hope, above all. It's a powerful portrait of one of the most powerful and pioneering families in the world. Though we may miss them at the forefront of politics, this book is, above all, a promise that they won't disappear into the shadows. They'll continue to spread light, leadership, and love wherever they go.

Review: The Radleys, Matt Haig

Matt Haig is more currently well-known (and deservedly so), for Notes On A Nervous Planet, Reasons To Stay Alive, The Truth Pixie, and his excellent campaigning about mental health. But I’m reaching further back into his body of work.

Meet the Radleys. They are a completely ordinary suburban family. A husband, wife, and two kids, living on a quiet street in the quiet village of Bishopthorpe. 

They also happen to be abstaining vampires.

Oh, but the kids don’t know that. The abstaining or the vampire bit.

So, you can imagine how helpless and confused they must feel when they have to stick to the shade; when they feel ill all the time; when animals are too frightened to go near them.

But, inevitably, they do find out, and it’s the worst possible way.

And Peter, the father, recruits his notoriously thirsty practicing-vampire brother, Will, to come and help sort out the mess.

I’m sure you can imagine how well that goes.

                                                 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Excellent family drama, a good hit of the supernatural, the struggle with identity and morality. (Yes, the morality bit is a bit obvious considering they are *vampires* but there is also more nuance than that). For example, I found it rather sweet that Clara wants to be vegan because she thinks it will make the animals (currently deathly afraid of her) more open to her, but it just ends up making her more sick. Peter and Helen are a married couple who have their struggles like most – it’s simply that their struggles tend to run to the more…extreme. A flirtation with the neighbour involves more than a simple sexual fantasy. And Rowan – well, I think he’s the best character in terms of personality and depth.

If you want a book about vampires that doesn’t involve Cullens or werewolves, or if you just fancy a really good story, then I would wholeheartedly recommend.