Saturday 8 April 2017

Book Review & Giveaway - The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern - Back Catalogue Books



Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 


I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

I received a copy of this in my secret santa and couldn't wait to start it (well 4 months later!). So thank you to whoever it was that sent me the book and the rest of the parcel! 


Amazon UK
Title: The Marble Collector
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Format reviewed: Paperback 
Source: Secret Santa
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 5th May 2016
Rating: 4 Stars


A box of possessions.
A father with no memory.
A daughter with just one day to piece together the past.

When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father’s belongings, her seemingly uneventful life suddenly alters and shifts.

In the single day she has to search for answers about the man she thought she knew, a man who can no longer remember his own story, Sabrina uncovers far bigger secrets than she could have imagined. And discovers that sometimes it’s the people closest to us that we know the least.

Until today I have to say I had never given marbles much thought. My sister had a marble run game and went through a phase of buying some pretty marbles for that, and despite me being a collector of many things I have never thought of marbles as a collectors item. In fact I've never thought of them as a competitive game with many variants, and tournaments either, so just from reading The Marble Collector I feel I have learnt a lot about a hobby I barely knew existed. 

And from discovering all about marbles, I learnt all about Fergus, his marble collection and his love of the game, from when he was five years old, until the present day where he is recovering from a stroke, and having problems with his memory. 

Sabrina is Fergus's daughter and the first time she even knows anything about Fergus' possible collection of marbles is when they turn up at the rehabilitation home.  After a few phone calls she starts to realise there is a lot more to her father's life than meets the eye, and given her husband and kids are camping overnight, she has a 24 hour window to herself, which she uses to try and find out more about her father to help him with his memories. 

The book is written from both perspectives, both in the first person. Fergus's chapters are always titled Playing with Marbles and then the name of  either a sort of marble, or the game that is mentioned in the chapter. Sabrina's chapters are titled Pool Rules, which relates to Sabrina's love of water and her job as a lifeguard. 

I was fascinated by Fergus' story, which starts with him being a sad and scared five year old boy receiving his first marbles, and we see it dip in and out of his life. Whereas Sabrina's story was also very interesting as she learns a bit about herself as she tries to work out the mystery of her father's marbles. 

I really loved The Marble Collector which has been written in a way that really gets under your skin. I was continually curious as to what was going to happen next, and frankly feel a bit unsettled at the ending, as I was sure there was more story that could have been told. 

Giveaway to win a hardback copy of The Marble Collector (UK Only)

Since it is my blogiversary today, and although I have a bunch of giveaways already on the blog, I am also going to give away a copy of The Marble Collector. 

Giveaway is open to UK only, all options, with the exception of follow on twitter,  are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 15/4/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a hardback copy of The Marble Collector (UK Only)

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