Tenderwire - Clare Kilroy

I first came across a reference to this book on the now defunct Irish radio arts show Rattlebag, where the author was interviewed and the book was reviewed favourably. I subsequently stumbled on the book shortly afterwards in a little book shop and thought why not? It sounded different.

The usual offerings by young Irish female writers in recent times haven't exactly filled me with excitement at the thought of the next release date, that is to say, and to put it bluntly I'm not really a Celia Ahern fan. The premise of tenderwire didn't seem to include love letters from dead people or lost loves so it seemed like a safe choice.

The story follows the adventures of Irish violinist Eva Tyne (isn't it a lovely lyrical name? It gets the thumbs up from me) as she stumbles upon what she thinks is a lost Stradivarius. The story follows Eva's struggle to take ownership of the instrument, her personal relationships and how they are affected by her urge and need to own this violin and the consequences of her action. It's part thriller, part love story, part something else. But what it turns into is an exciting story where you really want the heroine to succeed as she really has had enough crap to deal with and the fact that you care means the author has done a good job!

For a first book Clare Kilroy has done well, its an interesting page turner that hooks.

Cicero by Anthony Everett

For a biography on a man who has been dead for longer than I can properly imagine this book is truly gripping, engaging and fascinating. I tend to find biographies tedious and boring and as such avoid them as much as possible however this one has changed my mind.

Cicero is a figure that I was aware of in the historical context, and especially after watching the HBO series Rome I found myself increasingly curious about him and his role in history. Many books concerning this era are stuffy and academic and pretty boring and so it was hugely refreshing to find a book like this and to be able to recommend it to anyone who has a similar curiousity to mine!

Cicero's life spans a time of huge change and development in the Roman Empire. He had first hand knowledge and interaction with Julius Ceasar, Mark Anthony, and the cast of characters which led to the fall of the Republic. He was in fact a defender of the Republic and although unsuccessful in his attempt to preserve the old instiutions was an incomparably important figure in his day.