Living with book lover takes the 'write stuff'

This week I decided in my infinite wisdom, that it might make for interesting reading for you to have an insight into what it must be like to live with a true bibliophile and committed librarian. Not only does my "significant other" and children have to live among piles of books that I am sure OSH might deem a hazard, but they also have to endure the subtle placing of books on their bedside table, the constant pushing of books under their noses - with a bit too much enthusiasm, I am told.
Nevertheless, I persevere in true motherly / librarian / bibliophile style, and they all comply - bar the teenagers and, just quietly, they are shaping up to becoming mighty fine bibliophiles themselves. I do relish having a significant other who, firstly, loves to read but also enjoys different types of genres to me.
So, to keep it interesting I take a strategy I use within the library book clubs I run. I give him books "to extend his reading" and to branch out of his comfort zone, and of course they just happen to be books I have loved. This has had varying successes, but it always creates abundant dialogue and passionate critiques. Hugely entertaining if not sometimes, mildly frustrating!
So for your reading pleasure, here is our version of "he said / she said".
¦The Children Act by Ian McEwan
He says: I made the misstep of coming to this book with high expectations ... it didn't help that the Inked Librarian kept turning from the book she was reading, and asking: "What part are you up to now?" ... as if there was some great surprise just around the corner. So to say I was disappointed would be a bit harsh, but this book certainly wasn't a suspenseful page-turner like the legal thrillers I tend to enjoy. The insight offered into the world of a Family Court judge appeared authentic, if not a little mundane, and it was refreshing to read of her human shortcomings. I guess my only real complaint with this book is that it was too realistic, too melancholic in its treatment of the main character, leaving me hoping in the last pages for some vigour. I won't spoil the ending for you, as it was still a worthwhile read, evidenced by the fact I gulped it down in two evenings. If you are a John Grisham fan, this book will probably be a bit "ordinary" for you, but if you like real-life love and loss stories without Hollywood happy-ever after endings, it may just be your cup of tea.
Rating: 3/5
She says: Coming from a purely non-judicial background, unlike "he", I was riveted by the role of the central character, Fiona, a High Court Judge in Britain. Her rulings handed down, guided by the law, her experience and common sense, have life-altering ramifications for the people who have cases she resides over. While her career is flying high, her marriage is waning in the background, and this for me, humanises Fiona, made the story kinder, not so stuffy, relatable, and not just legally and morally fascinating. The complexities around the rights and welfare of individuals / families coupled with the law, its many interpretations and morality are not new themes within the literary world, for example, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. However, I felt that The Children's Act stands out. I felt it was cleverly written by a well-researched, emotionally in-check writer who captured on a multitude of levels a significant period of time in his characters' lives.
Rating: 4/5
Multiple copies are available at the Wanganui District Libraries.
¦Comments, feedback or queries call in at The Gonville Café Library, phone 344 5872 or email kelly@wanganuilibrary.com