‘I grew up thinking that spy stories were terribly passé –derivative, obvious and crucially, lacking artistic merit. And what a terrible snob I was –only reading ‘real literature’ to the detriment of anything else.
I cringe at the arrogance of my youth in dismissing the popular to pursue the avant garde, because as I approach middling years I am much more open minded in what I consume –and that has given me many new things to love.
Adam reads whilst rocking the London Retro 'Kings'
Shop Adam’s London Retro frames, here.
Top of that list is the work of John Le Carre. I would like to introduce you to ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’
To indulge a little book reviewing cliché it is a tense page-turner.
This book was written at the height of the cold war –the communist and nuclear threat was very real, and this insight, written by an active intelligence officer (Le Carre served in MI6) was as gritty and realistic as it got –in comparison to Fleming’s misogynist vodka martini drinker.
The story hinges on Alex Leamas –an aging intelligence officer, working to infiltrate East German intelligence. I want to say more –but sharing anything else would be to betray the story and ruin your fun.
The joy is in the writing –Le Carre is spare in his use of language, but conveys a huge amount in what little is said, and also importantly what is not said. The characterisation is stunning, and real –the characters operate in grey areas and we are never truly sure of allegiance, action or thought.
An examination of faith in humanity, political conviction and loyalty, the book draws you in further and further –with intelligent twists, and a dramatic dénouement. A rereading throws up even more questions, and as you grow to care for Leamas you can see the bigger machinations and what he is walking into.
It is a truly stunning piece of writing, taut and well paced, rewarding at all the right points
I am excited when I meet someone that has not read it, as I know what enjoyment they have ahead of them. That, and an expensive Le Carre habit as the George Smiley stories are not far away…’
Thanks Adam!
Each monthly GD Bookworm winner will receive a prize as well as a pair of glasses and this April, the winner will receive one of our goody bags from this month’s press event. Like what you see below? It could be yours. All you need to do is email us your review, along with a picture of yourself with the book your reviewing. Simples.
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
Posted on: April 25th, 2012 by Sarah
Ok, so we could be completely wrong here (and we’re not too proud to admit it when we are wrong) but we’re pretty sure that Tim Burgess, he of Brit Pop stature and heart throb status is sporting a pair of Sherlock frames from London Retro.
IS HE???
What do you think?
Snapped below sporting skinny jeans and dip dyed hair, the Brit Pop original has spoken candidly about his mad times with Dannii Minogue and The Smurfs, ditching drugs and booze – and penning some particularly ‘graphic and descriptive’ passages for his memoir ‘Telling Stories’.
Sherlock on a Charlaton?
Any excuse to turn up the cool Britannia tunes, we’ll be reading his memoirs whilst digging out our army jackets and adidas gazelles, and of course reporting back on our GD bookworm page, so keep your eyes peeled. Let us know what you think if you read it yourself too!
Shop the London Retro Collection here.
Posted on: April 23rd, 2012 by Sarah
Last Night in Twisted River, the twelfth book by John Irving is a novel spanning 20 years and featuresa story within a story. The novel focuses on the development of a novelist and the writing process,which is an interesting concept and makes for an entertaining story.
Last Night in Twisted River
From the man who wrote some of my favourite novels such as The Hotel New Hampshire, The World According To Garp, and perhaps most famously The Cedar House Rules; while I did enjoy Last Night in Twisted River, I did not love it as I had hoped I would. At times I even felt as if Irving’s writing was a bit flat and maybe a bit rushed; passing over events in the character’s lives with only a few words, events that I felt deserved more attention. Maybe this was a technique Irving was employing or a style he was using to emulate the speed with which real life events transpire, or maybe trying to cover 20 years in one book forces this pace, but in a way it left me feeling cheated of the moments that I think should have been expanded on further.
This novel closely follows Irving’s own career making this book the most autobiographical of hisworks. By creating a semi-autobiographical novel, Last Night in Twisted River allows you to not onlyget lost in the story, but also allows you as a reader to really consider the person behind the story, really think about the author; something no other novel has brought me to consider previously. As along time fan of John Irving, this appealed to me, and made the book a worthwhile read. If you are aIrving fan, do read it, but if you’re not, read one of his better books instead!
Rating: 6.87/10
Each monthly GD Bookworm winner will receive a prize as well as a pair of glasses from either London Retro or Element, and this April, the winner will receive one of our goody bags from this month’s press event. Like what you see below? It could be yours. All you need to do is email us your review, along with a picture of yourself with the book your reviewing. Simples.
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
Happy Monday! GDx
Posted on: April 23rd, 2012 by Sarah
‘I first read The Great Gatsby in senior school (over a decade ago) and have always remembered LOVING it. So, the recent revival of interest in it caused by the upcoming film adaption with Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire to name but a few, inspired me to pick up a copy again.
Carly gets down to some reading in the Mai Tai frame.
(Shop the Mai Tai frame collection at Glasses Direct, here)
It’s easy NOT to fall in love with the book – primarily because it’s so hard to fall in love, or even like, most of the characters. However it’s well worth persevering with, because Fitzgerald’s writing style IS totally lovable – especially when you realise it’s Fitzgerald’s intention that you can’t stand any of the characters!
When you read The Great Gatsby you have to look beyond setting, plot, characters and events. Fitzgerald allegedly reworked the novel over and over and over until he was satisfied with every single word, which you can actually believe when you think about what each word adds to the story. He doesn’t just tell us about events happening if they don’t develop characters or show or tell us anything new. Underneath the pretty standard love triangle romance on the surface, The Great Gatsby is a commentary on how the socioeconomic status you are born into in America is basically a prison sentence you are never released from, completely at odds with the ‘American Dream’. The settings, descriptions and characters all symbolises stereotypes and restrictions of the class structure in 1920′s New York.
Although we aren’t living in 1920s New York and may not be able to like or relate to the depressed and detestable characters living within in it in the novel, Fitzgerald’s suggestion that we are all subject to our history but that it is only natural to strive to achieve dreams above and beyond our past, is surely interesting for us all. So, although Fitzgerald’s conclusion that no matter what we do we are victims of our past seem bleak I urge you, Glasses Direct bookworms, to pick up his masterpiece and discover it for yourself! Do it quick, before the next blockbusting book-to-film-adaptation takes over the silver screen and no doubt alters the original material to make it more commercial – forcing it into familiar pigeonholes in hopes of reaching a broader and less discerning audience than I know you all are’.
Thanks Carly- we love a good classic ourselves.
If you’d like to become a GD Bookworm, read below, get involved and WIN a KINDLE TOUCH!
Each monthly GD Bookworm winner will receive a prize as well as a pair of glasses and this April, the winner will receive one of our goody bags from this month’s press event. Like what you see below? It could be yours. All you need to do is email us your review, along with a picture of yourself with the book your reviewing. Simples.
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
Posted on: April 20th, 2012 by Sarah
“He watches. He waits. He kills”
Chis Carter’s third ‘Hunter’ instalment is a peach! Detective Robert Hunter is pulled
off of another case to concentrate on the latest murder for Los Angeles Robbery
Homicide Division. The cause of death is not apparent until the autopsy takes place,
which unleashes the full horror of the killer.
It’s not long before a second body is discovered and Hunter realises that there is a
very dangerous serial killer at large. Thing is, there are barely any clues to the killer’s
identity. He leaves his victims whilst they’re still alive, but they all die horrific deaths.
How many more will he kill before Hunter can catch him?
The Night Stalker has been my introduction to Chris Carter’s writing and, although
there are two other books in the ‘Hunter’ series, this can be read as a stand-alone
book.
It’s been a while since I’ve been gripped from the very first page, but The Night
Stalker certainly catches your attention from page one. It’s extremely fast paced, with
short, punchy chapters (115 of them to be precise) and a seemingly unending supply
of gruesome horrors. Although the deaths are quite disturbing, Chris Carter doesn’t go
overboard with his descriptions – he appears to stop short of making you hurl. Think
Martina Cole’s The Ladykiller, and just a splash of Silence of the Lambs, and you’ll
not be far off.
Hunter’s background in psychology – which is referenced, leading you to want to
read the other two books – is perfect for this case. The intrigue into how disturbed
minds work is cleverly explained from his point of view. The few clues that are left
come from the mind behind the deaths, not in DNA or material items. (Carter also has
a background in psychology, having studied the subject. He specialised in criminal
behaviour and worked as a criminal psychologist.)
The characters are believable, although Carter refrains from giving too much detail
away. I suspect the groundwork for them has already been laid in the first two books.
However, you get sense enough of them for you to sympathise. The killer’s character
is just stunning. His back story, which comes towards the end, is brilliantly written
and quite credible in context.
How Carter intensifies the read is beyond me. You think you’re at the pinnacle, but
then the unthinkable happens and the intrigue and anticipation build once again. I
wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in crime fiction. It’s
going down as one of my favourite reads in the past 10 years. Move over Michael
Connelly, there’s a new kid on the block.
The Night Stalker was a Sunday Times Bestseller, published in 2011. The first two
books, The Crucifix Killer and The Executioner, were published in 2009 and 2010
respectively.
Posted on: April 19th, 2012 by Sarah
I took this book on holiday to the beautiful island of Lanzarote three weeks ago. For the first time ever I had prescription sunglasses purchased from your good selves, so was able to sit and read in the sunshine without squinting! They were fantastic !
The Hunger Games- Accessorise with shades and a holiday in the sun!
Now onto the book………. This is an easy read aimed at the teenage market. If you liked the Twilight series you will love this book. Set in a futuristic land where every day for most ordinary people is a fight to survive as food is rationed by the government in the rich Capitol. It follows the story of Katiness Everdeen as she represents her district in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a true fight to the death as only one person out of 24 can win, the only way to win is to kill all of your opponents . A bit gory in places, this book keeps you riveted and wanting to know what happens next. As I mentioned I took this book on holiday and finished it in four days, I could not put it down. After I had read it my 11yr old daughter read it followed by my hubby. I can highly recommend this book , I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I paid 2 Euros just to get on the net to order the next two books so that they were there when I got back to Blighty! My daughter and hubby also enjoyed it and now want to see the film.
A big fat 10/10 from us
Like this review? Then give Mel a cheery comment below to increase her chances of winning a Kindle Touch.
Wanna WIN yourself? We bet you do!
Here’s how the competition works:
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
Posted on: April 19th, 2012 by Sarah
GD BOOK WORM Simone Herbert puts Kinsella through her paces.
Not only did the characters feel recycled, but so did the love story b-plot.
Without giving TOO much away, I could tell that this was going to be another tale about mis-matched partners, chance meetings, and a will-they-won’t-they love story set amongst a catalogue of humorous and sometimes embarrassing scenarios.
I was right.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an awful story, I mean, I kept reading til the end, but I can’t help feeling that without Becky Brandon (neé Bloomwood), that Ms. Kinsella is a bit lost.
Whilst the tried and tested formula worked well for the Shopaholic series (we all adore Becky Bloomwood’s ditzyness and the fact that true love prevailed even though she and Luke clearly have nothing in common), I had hoped that Kinsella would break away from her formulaic characterisation with her newest character, Poppy Wyatt.
Poppy is all set to marry Magnus, a man whose family she feels inferior to, when the loss of her engagement ring (a family heirloom) sets off a chain of events bringing her ever closer to the handsome and successful owner of the mobile phone she finds in a bin after losing her own; can you see where this is going?
As I said, it’s not an awful read, it’s essentially has an ok storyline and there are some laugh out loud moments and some interesting twists, but on the whole I wouldn’t recommend breaking your neck to get a copy, because you can’t help feeling like you already know what’s going to happen (with the charcter’s at least), and Poppy is a poor imitation of Becky.
If you’ve never read any of the Shopaholic books, or you are after an easy read, then you’ll probably enjoy it.
If you’re a diehard Kinsella/Bloomwood fan, or you are after some intellectual stimulation, then read it at your own peril.
If you’d like to join the GD BOOKWORM TEAM and be in with the chance of winning designer sunglasses AND a Kindle Touch, then share your thoughts on any recent books that you’ve written with a review:
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
It’s doesn’t have to be very long or particularly gushy either. If you think the books a bit pants, then just say it like you read it!
Posted on: April 18th, 2012 by Sarah
I was recommended this book by a friend and I have to say, it’s probably one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read for some time. It’s based on the law of attraction and claims that positive thinking can create life-changing results such as increased wealth, health, and happiness. I agree with parts of it and believe thinking positively is a start and can help to create life-changing results but on it’s own, it’s not enough.
The Power by Rhonda Byrne
One section mentions that if you want the perfect partner, you must imagine that the person is truly with you right now; instead of sleeping in the middle of your bed, sleep on one side because your partner is on the other side. I think that’s a bit over the top. Visualisation is important but it’s nothing without hard work and learning from your experiences.
Thanks Bhavik. If you’d like to enter and be in with a chance of winning a Kindle Touch then submit your book reviews to gdwin@glassesdirect.com. Once it’s been posted, make sure oyu share with your friends on facebook and twitter and get them to comment and give your review on our blog the thumbs up! The most popular review, WINS!
Posted on: April 17th, 2012 by Sarah
You know what that means? Nope, we’re not joining Greenpeace and don’t expect you to either (you can if you want- send us a postcard or something). BUT, we are going to think long and hard about what we can do to look after our Earth that little bit more this year and continue with the do-gooding. You see, we learnt a lot from designing our own eco-conscious range, Element earlier on this year and it felt great knowing that our range of glasses were helping sustain the world’s resources.
Everyday can be a day that’s a do-good day (try saying that after a shandy!) From taking re-useable bags or old plastic bags to the shops instead of using their plastic bags, to turning off the lights when we leave the room. It’s the little things that count towards keeping the Earth ticking over. We’d like to hear about what it is you’ll be doing more or less of to help conserve our planet.
Tell us and spread the love. Now go hug a tree….
Turn those lights off!
(80s manicure optional)
Re-use your plastic bags… for anything you fancy.
Opt for recycled frames…..
Element Eyewear- The Caprio
…and responsibly made threads, ladies (any excuse to shop,eh?)
H&M's New SS12 Ad Campaign
What are you going to do? We want to hear ALLLLL about it!
Posted on: April 17th, 2012 by Sarah
You could win all this!! (ok, JUST the Kindle, not the palm tree or girl...soz).
OK. So a slight update on our GD Book Worm Competition…But its good. Trust me!
We’re still planning on giving away one of our goody bags to the best book reviewer of April, BUT wait, there’s more!! We’re ALSO giving the winner a Kindle Touch too!! So get reading, reviewing and sharing with your friends people!!
Here’s how the competition works:
Email your entries to: gdwin@glassesdirect.com
And don’t forget to include a picture of yourself with the book!
(If you’re camera shy, just the book will do but we’d rather see your lovely faces!)
Each month, we’ll ask you guys to submit your reviews on a book you’ve read, which will then be posted onto our blog. Whichever review gets the most happy comments WINS!! Now we’re not daft. We know you guys are busy enough as it is, so we wouldn’t expect you to give up your time and carefully crafted words without a little give-back from us. So each monthly winner will receive a prize as well as a pair of glasses and this April, the winner will receive one of our goody bags from last week’s press event. Like what you see below? It could be yours. All you need to do is email us your review, along with a picture of yourself with the book your reviewing. Simples.
Good Luck!
Posted on: April 16th, 2012 by Sarah
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