January 2019 - Lean in,

Lean in
Sheryl Sandberg
5/5

I am not usually a fan of non-fiction books, I read how to win friends and influence people a few years ago and my argument against it was; as someone looking at the world from the bottom of the ladder I struggle to fine the usefulness of the advice. Lean in is written with an inclusiveness that I really appreciated, it's for all people to learn to updog eachother, not just how to get to the top. There was advice for all of the workforce and how to approach several tricky situations. I would definitely read it again with a pencil in my hand. 

150+ things I did in 2018

1. Saw the new year in with S,G,SO, Z, N,
2. C's Studio 54 Birthday Party
3. First date of 2018
4. Joined a gym
5. Hang out at Zs house with F, N and NS
6. Got a filling
7. Started Level 1 BSL
8. Work pub quiz
9. Caught a mouse
10. Visit from CJ
11. Graddaughters dinner K,K,M,N,P+P(honored guest)
12. Catch up with NL
13. Deaf pub meet up
14. Date with CE Tootoomoo
15. Catch up with KE On the Bab
16. Rumpus Dhal and Dali  S, MB, Z
17. 6 mile hike London Loop K, P, I, D
18. Brunch with CE!
19. Dinner with CE Bang Bang before dancing (Restaurant)
20. The Comedy about a Robbery with M, S, MB, Z
21. Catch up with DS
22. Amadeus lone theatre trip 
23. Accidentaly broke my chocolate streak. Twice. 
24. Z drinks
25. If you like southbank adventures, and getting caught in the rain ... F+E
26. Truth or Drink CE
27. First Camber rehearsal
28. Bun House and Members Bar with S
29. Baked Bread!
30. Did spring weeding in the garden
31. Caturday and Mario Cart hang out with A, C, J and the Kittehs
32. Tried to sort out my Pension
33. Dinner at Bala Baya with K and BFI Romy & Michelle's High
34. Neverland immersive theatre night with BW, N, Z, S, MB
35. BSL Unit 101 Assessment 
36. Walk to Alexandra Palace with Z, N, S, T, 
37. Zs leaving days made raspberry cheesecake 
38. Snow week
39. Break up with CE
40. Blackpool World Modern Jive Dance Competition 4th place advanced with RS. 2nd place in Advanced Jack and Jill. Handed over BOTS title to Z and S.
41. Last dance with Z, Z ring of fire, much much crying 
42. Family Dinner @ Yosma
43. Red Sun Dinner with work 
44. Camber Storm
45. Hang out on the Melnes with P, M and N
46. Deaf pub meet up 
47. Boat sitting adventure in the Snow plus visit from K & P 
48. Bun House and catch up with M 
49. MotherMash and catch up with K 
50. Lunch with cousins K, M, K  
51. Congratulations DA and SA, now man and wife
52. Long lazy hang out with A and C
53. Bonnie Gull Dinner out 
54. Flu
55. Bath adventure. Foxhill BnB Sully Lunns breakfast, Uni Lake walk, muddy adventure, Spa. Roman Baths, Jane Austen centre, Riding lesson. Weston Super Mare, hang out with M, F, E
56. Ikea trip with N & N. Got fruit bowl stuck on head. 
57. Rumpus Fools Ghools and Jewels with A&C, S&MB
58. First opera - Marriage of Figaro
59. Dog sitting Winter
60. WBY Girls night
61. Picnic for London Loop Litter Pick
62. Manon Ballet
63. London Ceroc Champs - 3rd place with RS in All Stars Mids,  9th place Top Cats!
64. Post Champs massage
65. Birthday BBQ 
66. Cleaning N's new house 
67. Visit Miami, held a snake, day drinking, memorial day, modern art museum, hot dog BBQ, caught in the rain, mousse maki fusion dinner, drunken cooking, birthday cake for breakfast, sun burnt, trolley bus, 
68. Rumpus: Rainbows and Rayguns S&MB, M
69. Helping P&K at Wedding
70. BSL Unit 2 exam. 
71. Date with E in Hyde Park. Spinning Poi more fun. 
72. Trampolining with Cousins and Brunch. 
73. Housewarming BBQ w/ GA and N
74. Marylebone Street Fayre Dancing!
75. Birthday hangout with K&P Biriyani and cake :D
76. IBZ trip with work
77. Northern Champs: 5th Lucky Dip with Jay, 4th Top cats amateur, 4th Fix Freestyle RS, 2nd ProAm MW
78. Massage at home on day off. 
79. Unit 3 BSL Final exam
80. N house for dinner and movie. YAY visitors! Midnight deer feeding run. Serious foxy fear.
81. First Park run 5K 37:54 mins :D 
82. Armed Forces Day Parade and Gardening at Ns House
83. WCS in Taunton with F
84. Gromit hunting with E & F splashing in the fountain. "In the middle" signing and learning to say Fffffffish!
85. Summer cold ugh
86. Granddaughters dinner with N&P, K&P
87. Swan Lake Great Masked Ball with N,S,MB
88. Dinner with KE at NY fold
89. Park run! 37:04 mins
90. WaterPoet pub for LL
91. Hyper Japan with DS
92. Revamping CV 2018
93. Chase the sun run 36:02
94. Incredibles II and catch up with HR
95. Volunteering at Highbury Fields park run
96. Cat and boat sitting for the week. Visit from MK 
97. Phone call in the park
98. Dinner and catch up with MK
99. SO's birthday indoor picnic
100. Finsbury Park Park run: 36:28
101. Boat invasion dilema
102. Park run 37:06
103. Take home task
104. Back injury! 
105. Cat Sitting again 
106. Z in UK
107. Bristol tea dance with Z, N
108. Cake gate
109. Picnic in the park
110. BSL catch up H &A
111. Zurich trip to visit ACB hair dye bedroom painting spa friendly dinners glacial waters sunbathing chocolate & pizza
112. Mugen dinner with DS, LN, S
113. CE and DL
114. Park run 36:46
115. Doctors and Dentist (filling)
116. Meeting Babbis 
117. Boxfit class 
118. Visit Ks new house Snackistan
119. Park run 37:14
120. Fried chicken date with KE
121. Birthday weekend in Bristol F, N, E, M 
122. Drinks with Trash. :D
123. Park run PB 33:52
124. Made shoe wings for Rumpus with N
125. Bristol Tea Dance with N, F, E, M
126. Street Jazz class
127. Welsh Champs Top 6 in Advanced, 1st in lucky dip, Top 6 in Pro Am
128. Work Appraisal
129. Off sick (depression)
130. Silc Workshop w/ RS
131. Mushroom hunt with K, I, P, D
132. Trip to visit Turkey Bonus trip to Cyprus. Job applications
133. Kiln for Dinner with KE
134. C&A Halloween Party - Wore Rumpus outfit (Mercury/Hermes)
135. Probono dance lesson for E&S
136. Interviews with L and SW
137. Date night M & Date night M
138. Dinner with DS
139. Midnight showing of Fantastic Beasts
140. Swing V experience 
141. Literary evening with N
142. Driving lesson with N
143. Birthday dinner with ME
144. Roast and hang our with C&A
145. House sitting at home in Turkey
146. Interview week. 
147. Passion Christmas Party
148. Got a new Job!
149. Fight with N
150. Dinner with KE (Chick n Sours)
151. Last night with DL. 
152. Matthew Bourne Swan Lake 
153. Dinner with MK
154. Visit with Babbis
155. Christmas
156. Athens trip! What a way to round out the year. :D

I think a pretty good year in terms of happiness and have definitely had less sadness and more adventures. 

Thank you for all my family and friends who have stuck by me and taken me on my journey this year. Here's to the next! 

2019 Resolutions

Happy New Year! Here are my resolutions for this year. Help me decide on the skill I develop! 

1. Read 30 books in 2019
2. Re-read 2 books 
3. Run a sub 30 park run 
4. Pass Level 2 BSL
5. Develop a skill (Options include knife skills, foraging, homemade pasta, driving)
6. Explore London (1 site/event per month)
7. Long weekend to Scotland.

July Reviews

A Strangeness in my Mind
Orhan Pamuk
2.5/5
Faber & Faber Paperback Jul 2016
Recommendation from Daddy

As you can tell from the rating, I am in two minds about this one. There are definitely pros and cons to it, let me go through a few of them now.
Pro: As with all Orhan Pamuk's books, it is a love letter to Istanbul. The characters wind their way through the streets of the old town and descriptions of the city really bring the reader into the setting.
Con: It can get a little draining hearing about the different districts that spring up and endless descriptions of the space.
Pro: Character development is lovely, this book spans over a decade, which means that there is ample time to get to know all the characters from several angles.
Con: It's set over a decade! I would say it's too long, but the premise is that it is s true documentation of someones life-time so to cut out a chunk of years doesn't really work.
Pro: The story is great, exciting in parts, as well as interesting and intriguing. I definitely enjoyed many things about this book. But I think it needs to be read at a time when you can really commit the time to reading the story in a few sittings (holiday in Istanbul perhaps?). I found it difficult to get into the story every time I picked it up on the tube and I did read it very slowly. Not one I'd read again, but a narrative that will stay with me.

June Reviews

The Red Clocks
Leni Zumas
1/5
The Borough Press Mar 2018 Kindle
Amazon

I think it was a shame that I read this book directly after The Cows because I ended up having a double dose of female voice. It is telling that I don't remember the story at all here. Everyone applauded the book because it had the feeling of the next Handmaid's tale about it just as the TV series was coming out. Meanwhile real world issues in Ireland and America surrounding women's rights around abortion. 
However, I didn't think much of the voice it jumped around to show off different writing styles and had that feeling of the author seeking to win prizes for their clever literary techniques. I wasn't a fan.

The Lemon Grove 
Helen Walsh 
1/5
Tinder Press June 2014 paperback
Birthday Gift

This was recommended to me by Stylist magazine in their book battle section. BUT the review did not point out that this is in fact quite smutty. *shocked face* The story follows a family holiday and the young daughter has brought home a fit boyfriend who treats her quite badly, mainly by going after the mother. It's a terrible story, it's full of quite awkward scenes. You can imagine the kind : "I shattered against him". 
The review I read made it seem like a travel writing book, a love letter to southern France, so you can imagine my surprise when I started reading it. Everything suddenly made sense for why the friend who gave it to me was blushing. 
Not one to read again or even one I'd gift, probably one to leave on a tube. I did read it on holiday in Miami where I was happy to read something easy like this so it does work as a holiday beach read.

Until September Petronella 
Jean Rhys
2/5
Penguin Modern 2018 Paperback 
Impulse purchase

These are short stories by some of the best writers of the modern age. I really enjoyed the three short stories in this one and have always liked Jean Rhys. But the trouble I had was that because it was such short bites I struggled to not just devour the whole thing in one sitting and differentiate each story. I am perhaps not used to reading short stories like this. 

Reading the Seasons

The seasons may not command our daily lives like they used to, but I still feel their influence in the books that I choose. I consciously pick up a Gothic novel or thriller for Halloween and I realise that there are a few other genres that I go for that seem to have a correlation with what the weather is doing. I was at an author Q&A last weekend and one of them mentioned how they always read Wind in the Willows for Spring, Darling Buds of May for Summer and A Christmas Carol for Winter.

I know that a ton of people have a particular book at Christmas time. What's yours?

I've put down my suggestions for the seasons. These are all books I would read again and enjoy over and over again. I've tried to put them in the part of the year that would suit the story best.

Summer
Her
Eat, Pray, Love
The Power

Spring
Wind in the Willows
Chocolat
Blackberry Wine

Autumn
The Historian
Dracula
American Psycho

Winter
Christmas Carol
Little Women
A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles
5/5
Sphere Paperback Feb 2006
Daddy's Bookclub

I rarely think about the "book of the year" award I give in May before I get there. But this book is definitely in the running. So much did my dad believe that I would love this book, he actually posted it to me to prevent any more delays or arguments.
I absolutely loved the story, a gentleman under house arrest in a large hotel in Moscow and how he copes. As a gentleman we see that he has no real world skills in terms of a career, but his ability to work with people is his triumph. Soon he has his hand in all sorts of areas in the hotel, and feels ownership of his life and situation. His resourcefulness is amazing! What would you do if you were trapped in a hotel for life?
The relationships between the characters is lovely to see develop. Despite the book spanning 3 decades the passage of time is clear and well handled, it doesn't drag or skip too many chunks. The writing is divine and fun to read. 
I've seen it in the window of Waterstones, so it is definitely a recommended read for Christmas, I may even re-read it my self. 

Staying up to date

I review every book that I read. 

This is something that I have stuck to since I started a blog. However, there have been times where I have fallen behind in my reviews. Like now. Four months behind, 8 or 9 books to write up and the end of the year is fast approaching. 

I tend to do reviews in monthly round ups. But occasionally I get a month with a dud book. Not achingly bad, but not a favourite either. Or it takes me ages to read because suddenly keeping up with my podcast schedule on the tube seems more important. In these months, I carry these undigested books around. They are literal weight in my bag and serve as a constant reminder of my failure to read them and, often, the fact that I haven't made a post here in a while. 

The domino of this is that in my lack of enthusiasm to read that month, my desire to share the news of this dumb weight of a tomb is dampened. In the case of a particularly bad book, for example one I cannot bring my self to finish (a rare thing!), I may be excited by the prospect of writing a scathing review, which is "fun to write and to read". But mostly it only makes me sad. 

Then the good pick me up book that I read next gets stuck behind the queue of boring OK books and the pile of reviews "to do" piles up to a scary number. By the time I go back to (JUNE!) I have half forgotten the book. Half forgotten the discussion I had about it at the time. Half forgotten what was going on in my life. All of this makes for some strained little paragraphs in my reviews. 

I have decided to change things. I will continue to read every book that I read. BUT. I am going to stop chronological order. I'm going to review when I feel like it for the good ones and try and catch up with writing the ones I'm less excited about. My joy vs my duty reviews. I hope that this will light a fire under me to keep my blog alive. I am so proud of it, I wouldn't want it to fail because I'd set myself rules for how I run it. It's not working so we have to change the process. 

I won't make any promises that this will work. I hope it does though and I hope it leads to more reading and more writing. 

Man Booker 2018 Short list

WOW here we are again with the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize. 

Milkman - Anna Burns

Washington Black - Esi Edugyan

Everything under - Daisy Johnson

The Mars Room - Rachel Kushner

The Overstory - Richard Powers

The Long Take - Robin Robertson

I am actually thrilled with this year's short list and 4/5 were ones I was interested in reading. The only one I am sorry didn't make the list is The Water Cure. The Long Take took it's place in the official list. 


Congratulations to all of the shortlisted authors and good luck in the next stage!

May Reviews

Mythos
Stephen Fry
4/5
Michael Joseph Hardback November 2017
Birthday present from Alan.

As always my Birthday present from Alan was a beautiful edition of Mythos, shiny, embossed hardback. It just doesn't get much better than that. Oh wait, it can because it's by Stephen Fry and there are Gods. Having grown up on the more popular stories of: Athena, Arachne, Echo, Narcissus and Diana, to name a few; it was great to get to grips with the foundations of the creation story.
The Greek myths do not really have a time line, which results in some confusing bits when you try to think of the gods as a family house. They jumble together and all happen at roughly the same time "eons ago".
Stephan Fry gives voice to all of the characters and conjures up depth from the two dimensional originals. and gives them the texture of real people. It's given a more narrative time line and the story unspools without the: x begat x begat y begat z which can sometimes come with pseudo historic texts. I really enjoyed this book and it was a delight to read. I wish it had existed in my teens, I'd have felt much more knowledgeable.

The Cows
Dawn O'Porter
3/5
Harper Collins Kindle / April 2017
Recommended on the Guilty Feminist

I really enjoyed reading the cows, I thought it was well written with a solid voice and style differentiation as the author moved between characters. I liked that each of the female characters had varying motives and levels of sanity and although things drifted into the extreme, it seemed to happen so gradually that the believably wasn't lost.
It was great to read a book about the varying roles of women in society and how that is changing or not as the case may be. However, although my experience of reading The Cows was very positive and I was engrossed and then immediately advised others to read it. I now cannot remember much of what happens. The actual plot has not stuck with me as I expect it to and I think that is the mark of a good book. I would still suggest people read it, but I think I might have to revisit with a more critical mind next time.

April Reviews

Lamentation
C.J. Sansom
3/5
Pan Macmillan Sept 2015 Paperback
Borrowed from work

I think it is the mark of a good author is the ability to write a series but each book is able to stand alone. C.J. Sansom has absolutely nailed this with the Shardlake series. I was lent Lamentation by someone at work and even though it is quite far along in the series at no point was I lost in the mire of a back story. It was clear that the characters had history, but this was addressed and referenced in a way that did not detract from the narrative.
If historical crime is your thing, these are a brilliant set of books to pick up. Also if you're interested in any aspect of lawyering, as that is the occupation of the main character.
I've always enjoyed this time period, the Tudors are a huge part of history and lends its self to stories. As well as political and courtly drama, it's a well documented time. This means that historians have a lot to work with, and C.J, Sansom is actually a historian, which means he has really done his research!
Although I really enjoyed the fast paced story line and the subject matter, as well as the historical period it was set in, I do not feel the need to read the whole series. Its great as a stand alone, but it isn't really the genre for me. Plus, they're all really long!

Things you might not know about me

Time for a fun one! I've been watching a lot of friends recently, and I decided to use the structure of the best friend test to share a few things about me.

Fears & Pet peeves
I am afraid of needles!

I hate when men's trousers are too small for them. Too short trousers that they bought before their last growth spurt and then they ride up to half-way up their calves when they sit down. It genuinely makes me a little ill.

Literature 
Since starting Stories in Books I have read 89 books in total.

I have no problem foxing the pages of my books.

It's all relative
My Grandmother's first name is also one of my middle names.

I have ten first cousins.

Ancient History 
My childhood doll was called Lucy. She only has one eye that works; the other one swings down all the way. She's pretty terrifying and currently lives at the bottom of a wardrobe. :(

My first serious boyfriend played the organ!

What's in my bag right now
Water bottle
Diary
2 pens
Book - A Gentleman in Moscow
Phone
iPod
Headphones
Eco-sack shopping bag & plastic bag I reuse for vegetables etc.
Sunglasses
Umbrella (because you never know)
Zendure Battery pack & cables


Lighting round 
My nick name is G&T
My favourite movie is About Time
I have never been stung by a bee or fallen off a horse
My favourite food is pasta
My childhood friend now lives in America and works for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
I am an Executive Assistant

March Reviews

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jean-Dominique Bauby
4/5
Editions Robert Laffont Mar 19917 Hardback
Borrowed from work

It is one of the joys of starting a new job, that is slowly gets around the office that I'm a reader. By my 6th month I had a stack of books on my desk donated from the rest of the office. One of which was this.
I consider this book to be one of those essential reading books it has been on my radar for many years and as communication becomes more and more interesting to me, I was thrilled to have it at my fingertips.
If you haven't heard of it, the story follows  Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers from locked-in syndrome after a stroke. Unable to speak or move he communicates only with movements of one eye and moans.
I really enjoyed the book it was poignant and not at all the disheartening slog it could have been. The authors voice is so readable and as a modern classic, I would definitely suggest it.

Exit West
Mohsin Hamid
3/5
Hamish Hamilton Mar 2017 Hard back
Christmas Present

It is always a delight to get Christmas presents from friends. I opened this well before Christmas because I was ill and dived into the hardback copy.
I can definitely see why it was on the shortlist of the booker prize 2017. I enjoyed the eye opening look at how refugees debate the leave and setting up a whole new life with nothing. It's a very interesting look at life and humanity in crisis and how countries interact.
The writing was very 'novelly' it definitely felt like a Booker book. Perfectly suited for a gift to any reader, however it did not give me the wow factor and is the kind of book I might forget about. A good read but not personally impactful to me.

My Journey with BSL

One of my most exciting projects in the last year or so has been starting to learn BSL (British Sign Language).

After realising that one of my favourite books has a signing character. It has made me think about when I started to be interested in the language and the culture. I was really surprised to find that I had been learning and reading about it for a long time.

The first time I remember actively learning about BSL was at University. I performed in a Student film as a deaf character. I had to learn a few signs for the role and found it really fun. In fact the whole crew and cast went to a mini BSL session together to get a feel for it.

From there I learnt the alphabet but very little else until I moved to London. One friend knew a lot of makaton from working with children, and many others were volunteers with St John Ambulance. Everyone knew a little bit of sign and used it in loud places or across a room, usually "where is so-and-so?", "Toilet". Both very useful phrases to learn early.

Next stage was going along to a free taster session where we learnt the alphabet, numbers, and a few bits of vocabulary for two hours. It was held with St John, which meant I learnt some interesting medical vocab like 1st aid, ambulance, doctor, hay fever and hurt.

From then I started to use signing more and tried to learn a few more bits and pieces from Youtube videos. During a project for a friend's birthday I recorded a sign video. I had to meet up with a friend who knew sign language, who helped me construct a story and taught me the signs. I loved this experience. It was so clear that I loved signing that my sister bought me a basic level BSL course for my birthday!

Suddenly I was in it. Classes were fun and challenging and we raced through the basics in 10 weeks. During the course, I started going to deaf meet ups in pubs and coffee shops, I went to a BSL play, and even a BSL Carol Service for Christmas. I loved meeting people and feeling like I could understand at least some of the conversations and learning new words all the time was fantastic.

I then went on to study BSL Level 1. At the time of writing I am about to do my final exam so we will see how that goes and hopefully I will walk away with the qualification to put on my CV and to go on to Level 2.

I still don't know how BSL will come into my life beyond making some new friends. The dream is to make it part of my career, but I'd have to have a very high level of BSL. Unfortunately, the time and money that I'd need to get to that level is too overwhelming at the moment. Let me know if you have found any deaf characters in books, or books about sign language?

February Reviews

The Charmed Life of Alex Moore
Molly Flat
1/5
Pan macmillan May 2018 paperback
Uncorrected Proof from work

Unfortunately, I agree with the three reviews on Goodreads - 1 star. The story is complete fantasy but not handled in a way that would make the reader believe it. It's like Inside Out but externalised and for adults. I think the closest description of the genre is magical realism, but to be honest, that's a bit insulting to magical realism as well.
There are too many moments where the characters don't know what is happening and neither does the reader. Those unknown "What the fuck" pages are not really enough to keep the attention of the readers. The confusion is all explained and theorised out in the end, but it is disappointing. The writing is good and readable, it's the story that I'm against.
The romantic story line is seemingly unimportant, until the end when apparently it is the only burning goal of the character. It doesn't make sense. I was not a fan.

January Reviews

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Hiro Arikawa
5/5
Doubleday Nov 2017 Paperback
WHSmiths

This book is exquisite and an absolute joy to read. Anyone who has ever seen a cat and its owner interact is likely to understand the inner monologue that Arikawa describes for our feline hero. There is something of 'The Cat that Walked By Himself' by Kipling in it. It is a very very catlike voice that we discover the story of his owner.
As well as the cat, as well as his owner and friend, this is also a road trip book. The travel across Japan is reflected in the slowly emerging plot. Its a really heart warming story and surprised me with its sophisticated ideas and the tale it follows.
I think its a really special book and is a great gift for the cat lovers in your life. Having read it just after Christmas I immediately gave it away to someone else. It's special enough you kind of need everyone to read it.

Book of the Year Award

As is tradition, every year in May I total up how many books I've read and more importantly how many I've read since the start of this blog page. It makes it a bit weird to count from May to May, but its a tiny piece of nostalgia that I like to do. 22 books since last May!

2017
May - The English Patient, Dirty Great Love Story
June - The Monk, Butter
July - The Handmaids Tale, The Muse
August - Station 11, Chocolat, The Power, Tipping the Velvet
September - The Girl on the Train, Blackberry Wine, The Red Tent
October - Hag-seed, The Woman in Black and other stories
November - New Boy
December - Northanger Abbey, Persuasion

2018

January - The Travelling Cat Chronicles

February - The Charmed Life of Alex Moore

March - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

April - Lamentation

Book of the Year May 2017- April 2018 is The Power 

The Power
Naomi Alderman
5/5
Penguin 2017 Kindle
Amazon Gift Voucher

I read this for a feminist book club at work. But it was also recommended to me by several people. The idea is that one day women discover a power with in them, similar to the electricity of an electric eel. And what they do with that power is explored.
What I found brilliant about this book is that EVERY element of society is explored and with the idea that women hold power rather than men. There is an interesting exploration of sexual power being used for rape or between consenting partners.politics and newly forming nations, rioting and the media. It's incredible.
For anyone who thinks it's too scifi for them, it doesn't feel like science fiction at all. It's a tiny concept. Women have a physical power that they did not have before and everything changes. The world is the same and there it nothing else to suspend your imagination over.
It was an incredible way to get the reader thinking about the structure of society and the arguments that people have regarding the hierarchy of the genders.

December Reviews

For someone who delayed picking up an actual Jane Austen novel until well after university, people have thought of me as liking that kind of thing. I grew up on VHS tapes of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. As there are only 6 precious novels to devour I am almost glad that I accidentally held off until now to slowly get through them.

I have been gifted many Jane Austen treats over the years. A themed colouring book, a little book of quotes, a quill and ink set, and others. However, last year for my birthday a friend happened to be in a second hand book shop and saw a double edition of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, the two I am reviewing today. It was a small old fashioned edition that made me feel I ought to be wearing gloves to read it. Not because the book was delicate but because it makes me imagine reading it on a long carriage ride from London to Bath. *dreamy look*

Only negative to reading this gorgeous book was that I crossed two off the list at once. Only Mansfield Park left to go.

Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen
3/5
1818 Hardback

It is clear from the first that Catherine Morland is going to be tumbled about on the tide of society, by people who are much better at navigating than she is. Perfectly innocent ready to be outraged and confused by the society world of Bath. And that is exactly what happens. I wonder if Austen wanted us to collectively roll our eyes for Catherine.
The story follows her and her adventure as a companion to Bath where she meets her first men. I think it is key to remember that the heroine is 15 at the time! I enjoyed the story it's definitely a tumble and seems to work itself out in the end, but feels a little less sophisticated than her later books. It's almost too complicated.
Overall though, I did enjoy reading this lovely book but it is definitely an early work and not one of my favorites.

Persuasion
Jane Austen
4/5
1818 Hardback

As I creep closer to the spinsterish age of 27 I am relating pretty hard to Anne, also 27 in the story. Known to have missed her chance at love at 19 she is resigned to being the best person she can be for her family and friends. She is generous and caring and a stark contrast to her elder sisters and father who are frivolous and stuck up. When that love interest returns to her world it is almost too awkward to bare.
I loved persuasion more than I thought I would. I think I saw a movie adaptation of it and I found Anne so restrained and difficult to watch. However, in the reading of it, I got much more of an insight into her inner turmoil. The book also handles the past and its events better than the films do. For much of the movie I wasn't sure what the problem was.
Austen's last work is clearly well put together and heartfelt. This one is coming in a solid 3rd place behind Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, with Emma in 4th and Northanger Abbey in 5th.

November Reviews

We are slowly getting there with the reviews. Luckily it was just a one book month for November 2017. Still a long way to go until I am caught up again!




New Boy
Tracy Chevalier
5/5
Hogarth Press May 2007 hardback
Competition

As I mentioned in my review for Hag-seed by Margaret Atwood, New Boy is the second book I've read in the Hogarth Shakespere project. New Boy is the retelling of Othello, which I read in January 2017. It was definitely useful having read the original before hand, which I had not done for the Tempest and I must admit at times, Hag-seed lost me on the allegory.
The story of the outsider is a familiar one and the petty playing out of rivalries and bullying tendencies work perfectly in a school setting for Tracy Chevalier. I loved each character and how despite their age they were easily able to take on the original characters. It just goes to show how early we all become who we are.
Chevalier is a fabulous writer and very easy to read, which makes her a great choice to re-write Shakespere, which some find difficult to follow. I look forward to reading a few more in the series, but will take pains to read the original first!

October Reviews

It's been a tricky time for me settling into a routine where I can and want to write. I am slowly plodding through books and I am slowly plodding through reviews. 

I used to love that I reviewed everything I read, and I might be wrong here, but occasionally I think people read what I write. But something has shifted. I am less driven to write the review and I feel I just want to read for me. 

Any tips for getting your blogging mojo back? While I figure that out, here are October 2017s reads 

Hag-seed
Margaret Atwood
4/5
Hogarth Press Oct 2016 paperback
Work Leaving Gift

Appropriately in a week where I've admitted that my new job hasn't afforded me much time to write or read, here is a book which was given to me as a leaving gift.
Part of the Hogarth Shakespere project, where 8 novelists rewrite some of the great works, Atwood does a fantastic job. Without spoiling my review of New Boy, Tracy Chevalier's retelling of Othello, Atwood does something a little different. Taking the play with in a play into a spiral of theatres. Putting another cast performing The Tempest, plus the characters are themselves the characters of the Tempest, plus a running analysis from the characters themselves about the characters they are unwittingly playing, there is no doubt Atwood has done something clever here.
However, where it fell down for me is that The Tempest has a layer of the mystical and I think that by setting it in a modern/realistic setting meant that it felt slightly discordant, which perhaps was the point.


The Woman in Black and other Ghost Stories
Susan Hill
4/5
Profile Books Sept 2015 hardback
Christmas Haul

Definitely one to read in October in time for Halloween and all things terrifying. Susan Hill is one of the go to writers of ghost stories and is always on blog posts for spooky reads.
The title story The Woman in Black is obviously one of her most well known stories and has been adapted for stage and screen. I was surprised how much further the film version took the story as the original seems to be the first act of the film, building general dred but little action. Not the spine chilling tale I had been led to expect. It seemed unfinished but maybe that's because of having seen the film.
The other stories were also hit and miss. The Printers Devil's Court and the Small Hand, were similarly quiet in terms of action. The man in the picture was creepy and more interesting to me personally as an idea and seemed to capture my imagination better than the rest. On the other hand, Dolly, still stays with me and ticks all the boxes for: making me gasp on the tube, needing to have a little break to remember to breathe, turning around stuffed toys to face the wall for a bit, feeling bad about mistreating them and turning them back. Yup, that one got to me.
Overall, not the most frightening of my Halloween reads and only 1/5 actually frightening.