August Reviews

Bumper crop of reviews this month, I've really got the itch back for reading in bed, that plus a long weekend!

Station Eleven
Emily St.John Mandel
5/5
Knopf 2014 Kindle
Amazon Gift Voucher

I have never been a fan of post-apocalyptic stories in books or in films, and have a serious fear of Zombies. When I heard that this book was based on a theoretical pandemic that resets the world to ground zero, I was sceptical. First off, this is a fairly short book and an easy read. Although Mandel jumps around in time a fair amount it is delicately handled and not confusing at all.
the story follows a handful of characters that are all connected to an actor who died of a heart attack on the night that the pandemic broke. How they all fit together is not immediately obvious and the hints and teasing story lines kept me reading into the night. The dangers of developing a new society with new laws and systems without infrastructure or government is very well thought out and the dangers of a new world are certainly very real. It is exciting and thought provoking and interesting and definitely something that I will be recommending to everyone.

Chocolat
Joanne Harris
4/5
Penguin 1999 Paperback
Charity Shop

I would rank Joanne Harris among one of my favourite authors. However, I have only read one other book by her: Blackberry Wine. But once again I was enchanted by the writing and the story of Chocolat. There is something comforting and fecund about her writing. food and nature play a huge role in her descriptions which wraps the reader in a cloak of feel-good-ness.
It's literary and beautiful and just a touch on the flowery side it's lovely. It is by no means a 'serious' book, there's no awful story line of tragedy, rape or paedophilia which everything seems to have now. But the story is captivating with interesting and complex characters with solid character arcs and gentle plot twists.
I had the benefit of having seen the film and it is interesting how much MORE I enjoyed the book while able to read it in the narrators soft french lilt. I enjoyed reading this and ripped through it. It's beautiful.

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

Tied winner this month. 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.

Tipping the Velvet
Sarah Waters
3/5
Riverheadbooks 2000 Kindle
Amazon Gift Voucher

Recommended by several people and a book that turns up on LGBTQ recommended reading lists. I've read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters before and loved it, so I don't know what I expected but it was definitely more lewd than I was expecting and a step on from Fingersmith. Although I enjoyed reading it, I would have reservations about recommending this to other people. I think it's the prude in me. On the other hand maybe everyone should be confronting their feelings about sexual relationships and sexuality.
But it started beautifully, the writing is glorious throughout, describing Nancy's home life in Kent and her simple cares. Falling in love and heading to London for a host of adventures was exciting to read about and definitely a page turner. I was very interested in the attitudes of society and people of the time, as portrayed in the book. There was an odd mix of terror of being discovered and quiet acceptance from other people of your choices. It's a interesting story and does not go the way that you think it will at all, which is typical Sarah Waters.

March 2017 Reviews

The Essex Serpent
Sarah Perry
4/5
Serpent's Tail 27/5/16 Hardback
Gift

The Christmas book of the year I think, this gem was in all of the bookshop windows and I was lucky enough to be given a copy. It is a beautiful gift edition with gold embossing everywhere. But as beautiful as the book was the writing inside it. Historical fiction, which perfectly captured the climate of medical and anthropological history at the time. Women's emancipation is also in sight, in the age of  Mary Anning and George Elliot and Cora Seagrave, the fictional widow in the story. On a hunt for the mythical Essex serpent she makes friends with the people of Aldwinter.

I was swept away in the tide of descriptive language particularly descriptions of the illness of consumption. This is her second novel, the first being After Me Comes The Flood, an infinitely more difficult read, I found that her writing had come on leaps and bounds but the same skill of weaving an intricate story full of mysterious and eccentric characters remains. But beyond the characters and their lives, there is the wider narrative of the serpent itself. I found my self googling the myths and legends that must have inspired Perry. Her research is evident in the pages and I find myself talking about various little facts I've picked up, only to discover that I read it in The Essex Serpent. A great gift and a good second novel. It can be slightly rambling, as her first book was, and I expect that the writing will be even tighter for her next. I look forward to reading it!


The Vegetarian
Han Kang
4/5
Portobello Books 1/1/15 Kindle
Amazon

Winner of the Man Booker International Prize, and on a personal recommendation, I had to pick this one up. There were so many things I liked about this book. The perceived lack of mental health for the protagonist, guided by culture, and then the very real deterioration. The translation is immaculate and one of the best I've seen in terms of readability. Its hard to describe the book because the plot is an unusual blend of realism and fantasy, but more like talking through someone's imagination.

My absolute favourite section was the middle where the formation of an art work is talked out in the writing. It was sensual and beautiful and so evocative. In fact the whole book is very visual and I had the experience of being able to see everything I was reading. The only reason it's not a five star review is because it devolved into madness. Which I think was the right call for the plot, but it put a distance between me and the protagonist that I was less keen on.


Anil's Ghost
Michael Ondaatje
3/5
Vintage 24/4/01 Paperback
Borrowed

Much harder to read then the previous two books, where beauty of language becomes unfollowable. I felt like I was reading a number of disjointed sentences that were beautiful but meant nothing. Eventually things came together in the last 10 pages or so, but I felt no empathy with the characters, and very little interest in the political point that I think was trying to be made.

Perhaps nothing appealed to my interests and that's why I couldn't connect. But the main character was so unlikeable and had so few redeeming qualities. Often in these books you're not meant to like the protagonist. But I think I was meant to. Not a fan of this book at all. But it did not stop me from reading The English Patient. Put it this way, no one has made a film about Anil.

February 2017 Reviews

Half of a Yellow Sun
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3/5
Forth Estate 9/03/2017 Paperback
Amazon


In the spirit of reading more broadly and outside of my comfort zone, as well as having read Americhana last year, I picked up Half of a Yellow Sun. I found both of Adichie's books difficult to read, although this one was definitely more difficult to follow. Part of my reasons for reading is because I feel I ought to self educate my self on other cultures. But unlike Americhana, where I felt I was learning and changing my opinions on how things work in Nigeria and the US and London, as well as finding the answers to those ignorant questions I might have asked, I felt completely out of touch with the characters in Half of a Yellow Sun. 

It was a difficult read to pick up, I loved the storyline set in a time of revolution, but I somehow really struggled to connect with its protagonists. Half way through I voiced my scepticism to my Grandmother, who has both read the book, and remembered the forming and dissolving of Biafra. For her it was a touching memory, and captured the atrocities and the feeling of the time. She told me of how Biafran children were promoted for adoptions, and the starvation. Suddenly I had new eyes and finished the book quickly with new appreciation for these people living their lives amongst it all. 

I've called it a 3 out of 5 because of that; "well maybe you had to be there" feeling that I had in the first instance. It is the only book I read in February and it slowed me down. A difficult, but overall a good read. 

August Reviews

The Man in the High Castle
Philip K. Dick
1/5
Penguin 01/01/1962 Kindle
Bookclub

To quote the rest of the bookclub: "The Man In The High Castle can take a flying leap". Worst book ever was also bandied about. It was a total disaster of a book. I am amazed that Philip K Dick is described as an unsung genius of his time in the introduction. Nope. Let's actually get into the reasons I would not recommend this book.
It's an alternative history, what if Hitler had won the war? Great idea, and very interesting, interesting enough to be adopted by the TV series. The book is short, which earns it it's single star, but it was difficult to read and difficult to follow in terms of writing style and story arch. Even Dick himself admitted to the unsatisfying ending that he wrote and spent the rest of his life trying to write a closing chapter that would explain. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful. This is the Edwin Drood of SciFi except that he actually handed in this unfinished piece of fiction to publishers who, schmucks that they are bowed and went on to publish it.
In cases like these I can only imagine that the editor couldn't get through it themselves. I spent much of the book feeling lost and not knowing whose side I was meant to be on. I know it's all shades of gray, but things needed to be clearer I was lost. I don't know what the significance was of any of the characters. Apparently everyone was connected, but I was so confused the whole time.

Eat Pray Love
Elizabeth Gilbert
5/5
Bloomsbury 16/11/2009 Kindle
Selfhelp

I am sorry to say that all of the negatives that people feel about this book, the trope of a sad woman going off to find herself, the exploitation of secular spiritualism, the cookie cutter love story. I have to say, they're all wrong.
My personal approach to this story was probably like most of the depressed women who reach out for a tiny piece of inspiration. I am incredibly sad, and I still am, the book didn't save me, it didn't save my life, but much of the thought processes appealed to me. Liz Gilbert is not saccharine, she's incredibly down to earth and empathetic. I was worried that that namaste approach was going to make me hate it but I didn't, and that's because she struggles with her life as much as I do. She get's distracted and is incredibly human.
The story is set out very beautifully and the love story is beautiful, real and touching. I say real because it's not perfect, just like every love story there's some potholes. The only struggle is that I inevitably was reading with a Julia Roberts voice over, which isn't the worst thing in the world... but it is a bit distracting.
I will admit that I think I read this at a very appropriate time for me. But nevertheless it is a well written and interesting exploration of food, language, relationships, freedom, travel and so much more. It's great. I'd even read it again. Maybe I'll read it when I'm happy again and get a new perspective.


Leaving Atocha Station
Ben Lerner
3/5
Granta 02/02/2012 Kindle
Holiday Read

If you were anywhere near me when I started reading this you know the noise I made when thinking about, talking about and reading this little gem. 100 pages took me a shameful 15 days. I should be able to read that it in an afternoon. That's just an indication of why I struggled.
It wasn't until someone pointed out that it is meant to be funny. You're meant to recognise the absurd nature of the character's thought processes that I managed to get through it. I was so close to giving up, but I felt like I needed to finish it because failing to read such a tiny slip of a book would be a new level of being a terrible reader.
I'm frustrated that I needed to be told that it was okay to hate the character, but I just had no sense of humour for the pretentiousness of the thinking even at a ridiculous level. It was also very dense to read because of the subject matter. Talking about art and writing in a deliberately pretentious way is pretty difficult to get through and even though it's meant to be ridiculous, that level of density was too much. I will say that eventually I did find myself chuckling at it, which earns it a 3 star rating.

March reviews

Shantaram
Gregory David Roberts
2/5
Abacus 28/06/2012 Paperback
Christmas Haul

I don't know what to make of this. 900 pages of this amazing life that had me page turning for at least the first 600. It's the true story of Gregory David Roberts after he arrives in Bombay on the run from an Australian Prison. It's described as a literary masterpiece, which means it's difficult to pay attention to and not to be read in fifteen minute increments.
A problem that I often run into with stories about real life is that no matter how amazing the experiences, its just one thing after another. And then the mafia got involved, and then I got in a fight and then I made a friend, and then I remembered that I ought to mention that I was in love with a woman, because readers like that.
Which brings me to my next point. The romance, the love story, in fact any of the relationships in this book were absolutely the most unromantic, unrealistic parts of the book. He seems to mention the lady he fancies when ever he remembers, oh yes, and that's because of a thing X said to me once, ah she's so great.
He treats her like she is the BIG love of his life, they slept together once or twice in the whole book and mostly were not even in contact. It's the delusional ramblings of a middle aged guy remembering some girl he was infatuated with. It reads like a teenage fantasy.
The philosophical and spiritual discussions are DRY. I didnt come here for physics and string theory! I did love the descriptions of India, both in Bombay and in a rural village. the experience of walking through the streets seems to be well set out but as soon as GDR starts talking to anyone I wanted to skip forward.
He makes a lot of mistakes that makes me think that many of the events were over dramatic. He spends most of the books as a criminal hard man wrestling his way through street fights and coming up on top. Then towards the end of the book he says: "I was no fighter." YOU JUST CAME BACK FROM A WAR. The clash between what happens and how GDR reacts/comments on it is disappointing throughout the book.
Long, dry, thrilling, literary. Its a book of contradictions and I'm not sure I like it. I think I'm doubly resentful because I stuck with it and finished it and it sucked up the whole of March.

November Novels

Double post today! Remember to check out my Advent Calendar as well.

The Bone Clocks
David Mitchel
Sceptre 2/9/2014 paperback
4/5
Amazon

I saw so many people reading The Bone Clocks on the tube that I had to buy it for myself as a little pre-Christmas treat. This story has that strange quality where even half way through I wasn't entirely sure where the story was going. But the writing was exquisite and pulled me in through each section of the book. It's such a slow build up, but I felt that the climax was a bit rushed.

Spoilers ahead.

I always have an aversion to anyone describing force fields etc with colour. Oh the red shield pushed the blue shield which they threw out with their mind. I just find it a bit lazy because it's like describing a movie version to titillate VIEWERS. I'm a reader, let me imagine it without attributing colours.

All in all, I think anything that was happening in the real world with slightly odd happenings, like meeting strange old ladies or experiencing a spirit talking through someone was brilliant, realistic and well handled, the mad force field throwing psychic battle was pretty poor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire did it better, unfortunately.

The story tied together very nicely and I would love to read more of Mitchel's books. But less of the mystical Illuminati story next time. I've heard good things about Cloud Atlas.

100 best books in English

In the Guardian last month was an article that brought together the 100 best books in the English language (according to Robert McCrum associate editor of the Observer). The list is full of what you would expect, the classics, the canon. You can't really go wrong with them so essentially they could have retitled it as, "Here are 100 classics" and no one would be that surprised. But that doesn't make for good click bait.

Out of 100 I have read 15 of these greatest books which is quite a disappointing number for a literature student. But there are plenty on the list that I do one day intend to read but I can only comment on what I know. I thought I would give some mini- reviews of each book that I have managed to read.


Clarissa Samuel Richardson
I'll be honest I have not read every word of this mammoth book. But I have studied the story which I think counts? I do still want to revisit the kilo weight monster on my shelf just to say that I've done it. Maybe without the time pressure and without my student brain switched on I will be able to enjoy it a little more. Fingers crossed, review to follow... Maybe.


Frankenstien Mary Shelly
One of my favourites. A few years ago I started a tradition for the month of October of reading gothic/horror/thriller novels as Halloween approached and if possible would be finishing the book on Halloween night. I light candles and read by candle light, with one in the window to let the dead know that someone is alive in here, which is an old tradition I heard about and really liked as it feels protective while I read my scary story. ANYWAY. I loved the book, I never knew the full original story before I did and I urge everyone to read it, the ending may surprise you.


Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
I, like many of us, studied this at University. I think I also read it before Uni and had seen an old adaptation of it, which I found very scary. When I read the book it was perfect timing to read it as a nearly adult person and was more able to handle the scary images from the film. Suddenly everything clicked into place and I found the story to be very easy to read. It's not one of my favourites on the list, but it's certainly worth a read.


Alices Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Caroll
A child hood favourite in terms of story and a teenage favourite in terms of writing and then an adult/student favourite for the context and background of the story. This year it celebrates 150 years and its influence reaches across so many spheres. For example I recently visited the Cutty Sark, which mentioned the increasing popularity of tea drinking being an influence on stories like Wonderland with scenes from the Tea Party. Who knew I'd see the familiar illustration of Alice in the hold of the Cutty Sark.

The Moon Stone Wilkie Collins
Another dissertation book for me, the use of opium as a plot device and Collins' own opium use was very intriguing for me. I loved the story it was reviewed as the longest and first detective novel ever. It absorbed me completely and did not take me as long to get through as I expected because the story was so engrossing. For a number of reasons I'd consider it to be an important book in my life and it is so much more interesting than its marketing would give it credit for.

Three Men in a Boat
My step dad read out a passage or two from this book which made me giggle, so I picked up the book for some light-hearted entertainment. unfortunately I think it would be better as a set of amusing quotes rather than the whole story which I found to be completely tedious. I might try again in a few years, but I wasn't particularly entertained by a smattering of clever paragraphs in a story which had no interesting points at all.

The Picture of Dorian Grey Oscar Wilde
Another university love. I studied the opium in this section of the book and the way that it had become the demon element of the story and part of the degeneration of society. I am still fascinated by the subject and would definitely like to read not only this but all of my dissertation bibliography again.

Jude The Obscure Thomas Hardy
One of the most depressing books in the english language. I much prefer the mayor of casterbridge or tess of the durvervilles but I have actually read this one all the way through. With one awful event after another, you've got to have quite a strong constitution to keep going with it.

Dracula Bram Stoker
Another of my Halloween projects and easily my favourite by far. I was completely fixated with this story which was so frightening that I couldn't put the book down. I loved the structure of the story through letters and diaries which is often seen to be quite archaic if it is not done well. It's even good enough for me to read again.

The Call of the Wild Jack London
This is one of my dad's favorite books and quickly became mine. I love the interaction between man and dogs for survival in the snow. It's an incredible story and short so well worth an afternoon's attention. I love dogs so much and its a very well written story, in fact all of his books are.

The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerrald
Usually I would beg people to read the book before the movie but I did that backwards. I thought the book was brilliant, a quick easy read. Because I didn't study the story at school I'm sure there are elements of the writing which were lost on me, the colours etc.

Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell
Certainly one of the most important books. I love the big brother society and I love the distopia. Actually I've rather forgotten what happens! The imagination behind it is very interesting and its such a well thought out story that I really respect the book just in terms of crafted story line.

Lord of The Flies William Golding
I read this at school and would certainly like to think its something I'd pick up again. I often think that the subtleties of what I was told about the story went over my head at school and it is only now that I realise the significance of a story like this one and what it says about humanity. Definitely one for a revisit.

To Kill A Mocking Bird Harper Lee
Fantastic book. Another school favourite I've studied this book backwards and my original copy is completely unreadable because of all the notes. But I have recently re-read it and loved it again. I'm intrigued by Go Set A Watchman, one for the Christmas list?

A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
Another very disturbing but socially questioning book. I absolutely love the story, though it is extremely harrowing. You'll excuse my nadsat, droogies if I say the book is horrorshow bezoomy, get your glazzies on it.

See the full list on the guardian website below.


http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/the-100-best-novels-written-in-english-the-full-list

The ACTUAL Man Booker Shortlist 2015

On Tuesday morning my refreshing thumb was on fire on Twitter waiting for the Man Booker announcement for the shortlist 2015 and at 11am I was rewarded with the list. Here it is.


I am disappointed that just one of my favourites from the long list has made it to the shortlist. I'm currently half way though The Chimes and am surprised that it has not been selected. There was a lot of comments in the media about how the odds were against Anna Smaill's first novel which is a shame because I am enjoying it very much.


A Little Life has, as predicted, made it to the shortlist. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes romantic and utterly gripping are a few of the ways it has been described. Personally I am not a fan of massively harrowing stories and will be avoiding it even if it wins. It is also the largest book in the list which always makes me suspicious...You didn't read it; admit it, it was long and wordy and you want to burn the damn thing. I'm sure that isn't true but I am always suspicious of longer books on prize lists.


Satin Island by Tom McCarthy looks to be some kind of American psycho style story set against a corporate background and punctuated by the media that affects the main protagonist U. It sounds a little heavy to get through, and could be quite hard to follow and reviews confirm that it is "confusing". Not really something I'd consider a criteria for 'literary fiction'.



A Brief History Of Seven Killings
Following the story of an attempted assassination of Bob Marley, Jamaican writer Marlon James's third novel is reportedly written in a considerable amount of patois which some readers find difficult. The taste of the judges this year appears to be very conflicting with my own as so far we're half way through the list and I'm not excited about any of the subject matters so far.


The Fishermen
Okay here we go, some real fiction, some real originality makes it onto the list. The story follows four brothers who discover a prophesy which drives a wedge between each of them. The guardian has called it a promising debut novel and I am pleased to see a first novel on the list because I think that's important for the Man Booker Prize to be promoting new authors.

The Year of the Runaways
This one sounds a lot like The Island or What Was Promised about migrants in Sheffield. It's definitely got the topical element on its side but its not particularly grabbing for me. The guardian calls it a beautiful and brilliant novel and most reviewers give it 5 stars. A more promising second half of the list.


A Spool of Blue Thread
It so nearly made it onto my predicted shortlist! with a ton of prize nominations and best seller aclaim, Anne Tyler has got some serious character writing behind her which people LOVE to read. A Spool of Blue Thread tops my wishlist at the moment.

Overall I'm not loving the list but it's 50/50 love/hate so fingers crossed for them all. I hope I wasnt too critical, I am really looking forward to the winner being announced.

August Reviews

The Moor's Account
Laila Lalami
Periscope (Garnet) 30/7/2015 Paperback
4/5
Bought in Bookshop


The first on the list for the Man Booker Long list. I knew I wanted to get started with some of the chosen long list and when I wandered into the local bookshop near my work The Moors Account was both on my own personal shortlist AND was only £9.99. The story follows an expedition of Spanish soldiers and settlers out looking for gold in the new world of La Florida (sound familiar?). The twist is that the story is told through the eyes of a slave from Azemmour in Portugal.


The book is a fictionalised retelling of a genuine expedition which ended with just four survivors. Laila Lalami's novel is based on a single line in one of the survivor's records: "The forth survivor is Estevancio, an Arab Negro from Azamor."


The story looks into the developing relationship between master and slave when in survival situations. The gradual shift in the relationship back and forth is interesting to follow throughout each adventure in the 8 years that the expedition wanders, lost, through the wilderness. The skills of each man become more important as the situation worsens and improves and the hierarchy of the group continuously changes.


I loved this story, it has one of my style pet peeves which is that there are no speech marks which has been creeping into books more and more these days which I do not see the point of. It doesn't make the story hard to follow, however principally I find it difficult to find my place again if I ended on a chunk of speech and have to scan for the precise word rather than the rough approximation of where I was in the conversation.


Other than the small punctuation issue, I thought the book was descriptive, immersive and gripping. I was pleased with the ending and the story engaged me throughout although it was quite a long story and because there is no real beginning middle and end there is a slightly strange feeling to finishing it as if there is more to tell even though the adventure is over.

July reviews

Chickenhawk
Robert Mason
Corgi 24/08/1984
4/5
Borrowed from S



I'll start by saying that I am proud to have stuck with this book to the end. It did pass my initial 50 page test, which generally means that I ought to persevere. It has taken a full month to get through which should suggest that it isn't one that directly pulls me in to read it. What I mean is, if I love a book and it is really up my street, I make reading my number one recreational activity. Everything takes a back seat to curling up with that brilliant book. With Chickenhawk, I had to force my self to pick it up.


That is not to say that once I was reading I didn't enjoy it. The story follows Bob Mason in Vietnam from his initial training to fly a helicopter, a sweaty, and frustrating couple of opening chapters which surprisingly held my attention despite all of the details about helicopter controls. It speaks for the writing that something so alien can become dramatic and interesting to anyone.


My worry about this review has been that this is my dad's favourite book. Its my boyfriend's ONLY book and it has to be considered a 'boys book'. It's about war, it's non-fiction, its machines and guns and helicopters and death. Sadly there is no female that I would be okay with suggesting this book to. Even if I praised the excellent writing, the easy reading, the amazing and captivating story, I just know that it's unlikely that any of my female friends would take the time to read this book. So I'm in this strange place, I wouldn't recommend it to girls, because I don't think they would enjoy it, BUT I did enjoy it and I surprised myself by enjoying it so maybe I should be recommending to men AND women.


I feel like I am being sexist by suggesting that this isn't a book for girls and it is only the fact that I desperately needed a book one night and got sucked in that I read it. I struggled to pick it up with the lure of other books winking at me and the only reason for that is because the subject matter just isn't what I would usually go for, I just don't find it that fun to read. Its a huge bundle of contradictions. It's a great book, I'm glad I've read it, but I don't immediately need to read it again.


Chickenhawk is an incredible true story that makes the Vietnam war more interesting than ever before. Its strength comes from the authentic memories of the author and the detailed and nuanced writing that makes each combat flight a cumulative build up of one mans experiences. There are some really hair raising moments and they're brilliant to read. It takes a talented author to introduce characters in such a way that immediately invests the reader and through each character we see the brutal and harrowing nature of war.


Of course war and killings and an under equipped army and politics and gorilla warfare is disturbing, you cant walk away from some of the images that Mason relays in his book. But the story is also an incredible experience, the men are so incredibly funny and their relationships have a depth beyond the wise cracking veneer.


I'm sorry it took me so long to read it, revealing my general struggle to read out of my comfort zone. I assume most girls wont want to read this book, but I think that women, and men SHOULD.

Fabulous February Reviews

An Echo In The Bone
Diana Gabaldon
Orion 30/9/10 Paperback
4/5
Christmas Present

Another book in the brilliant series. This time I had the added enthusiasm that a new TV series has started following the story from the beginning. I love these books. As a hooked reader, anything that Diana writes will be eagerly lapped up. AND she appeared in the TV series with a little cameo role, which tickled me into a fan-girlish frenzy.
The book is another fantastic epic with as many twists and turns as I always expect. I had less patience for the history in this book than earlier ones. I was drawn to the mystical hills of Scotland and although we got a little it was twenty first century following Bree, Roger and their children.
I struggled with the age of the characters as well. It is just as well the Bree and Roger are involved in this story, plus Will and his story line because Claire and Jamie are becoming distinctly aged.
They are my romantic powerhouse, and they are increasingly closer to death which just depresses me. However the descriptions and the writing are powerful enough to make me believe the development of the characters I love so much. Either way. Fascinating, Brilliant and I look forward to the next one.

Maggot Moon
Sally Gardner
Hot Key Books 3/8/12 Hardback
2/5
Book Haul

Well. I never finished it, I got pretty close, but eventually the lure of other, better books made me put it down. It's redeeming qualities came from the almost clockwork orange style of writing, and the premise of a different world.
I don't have much else to say on this one. I didn't love it, I wouldn't pick it up again. But I would recommend it to children, 12+.


The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Scholastic 21/11/13 Paperback
4/5
Book Haul

I have seen the film, and listened to the audio tape of this book many times. I am so pleased to read it with those Yorkshire voices in my head. I might not have enjoyed reading the dialectic style so much with out it.
The story is incredible, obviously. And the earliest book that I've read that is aimed at children, there is such a joyfully simple story and writing style that I cannot help but enjoy it. I could read this allowed to children and feel just as disappointed when it was time to stop at the next chapter and go to sleep.
I know it is wrong to compare books, but this is a fantastic children's book. Maggot Moon is nothing on this one. Yes it's a children's book, but I FEEL too adult. Where as The Secret Garden has swept me up in it's magic. A brilliant book and a great end to Feb.

January Reviews

The Miniaturist
Jessie Burton
Picador 3/7/14 Hardback
9/10
Christmas Present!

I actually snatched this book from my dad, who was given this book for Christmas. I was so excited I immediately started reading it and finished it in a week.
Broken neatly into 3 parts, each more exciting and intriguing than the next this beautiful book follows Nella Brant in her new Amsterdam home. Full of gold, Guilds and gossip 17th Century Europe comes alive. With the fantastical twist of a watchmaker's daughter whose watchful presence disturbs the peaceful waterways with ripples. Is she casually observing, predicting the future or orchestrating it?
The characters absolutely made this book for me. They were each so vivid that I remember now a month later. I'd highly recommend this book. Nice one Picador, my 17th century hat is off to you.

How To Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Vermillion 6/4/06 Paperback
7/10
Christmas Present!

I was told when handed this book that it would change my life. And as I read it people would come up to me and start conversations about how it had changed theirs. Twitter notifications poured in to pay attention. Perhaps I'm still too young.
When I finished this, I felt like I should just flip back to the beginning and read it all over again. It was so well written and interesting, and obviously has some great advice that should be drilled into you. but I wanted to give my self a break first. I think I'll pick it up again in a few months and see if I feel any differently about it.
My biggest problem with this book was that it was all advice given from a position of power, how to get your minions to work effectively. Unfortunately I'm one of the minions, so there is never a moment where I can influence anyone really. I just do as I'm told. It didn't really help the little man, just big managers. Which is why I think I'm too young/in the wrong stage of life. My outlook isn't the most possitive, neither am I ever really asking anything of anyone. Plus I recognise that I probably am just being a 23 year old and assuming that I know everything.
It had some brilliant advice which I should try to use more often. Definitely one to pick up again.

Review Round Up

These are all the books I forgot to write reviews for this year and I hate to leave anything behind. 2014 has been my best year for reading, on my commutes and while I'm tucked up in bed I have read more than ever and I am so proud of it!  Granted Serial Podcasts and Netflicks have been gloriously distracting, and I haven't managed to read as much as I would have liked, I've still read more than last year. Not only have I read more, but I have really got to read for pleasure and that little treat is worth celebrating.

These are the books I still haven't reviewed from 2014. Here's to the books I will read in 2015!

Her 
Harriet Lane
Orion 12/06/14 Hardback
9/10
Bought with my own money!

I absolutely loved 'Her'. Another triumph from Harriet Lane after her brilliant debut with Alys, Always. I read her first book at uni which was my first taste of the psychological thriller. My new favourite genre. I've been seeking out books like that one for a year or so, listlessly picking up Gone Girl in the hopes that it might come close.
Finally my prayers were answered with Her. I have been recommending it to all starry eyed friends who mention children or motherhood. The two mothers in this book just can't cut a break! At one end is a teenager who is drifting swiftly away from her mother; tragedy. The other is a new mother totally worn out beyond recognition with a toddler and new born. Who would put them selves in the unfortunate position of motherhood? I loved this mature and dark insight into family life.
The two women are connected. Or were connected. This book pulls on the threads of a friendship bracelet long forgotten. The ending was stark and surprising and nothing less than a Harriet Lane classic. Unable to contain my love of this book I have given it away to a good home, which is why I stalled when starting to review it.



Three Men in A Boat
Jerome K. Jerome
J.W. Arrowsmith 1989 Kindle Edition
7/10
Kindle Download

"It's a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one until you have read an old one in between."  C.S Lewis. This is my new philosophy, if I can. A New Years Resolution to read more classics. I've got new books coming out of my ears and I still love the old ones. I can't wait to read more.
This is my first one which I picked up as part of my classics regime. An old favourite of my step-dad's this hilarious romp through a series of mishaps while friends go on a trip is the quintessential English holiday in 223 pages. I was handed this book for it's opening chapter when the characters are each introduced through their hypochondriac tendencies. I love a good injury, I've convinced my self that my foot is broken over the christmas holidays, my lungs are under developed and my skin is a disaster. (I'm perfectly healthy). I love the classic and real characters in this book, they are genuinely, old time funny.


There Will Be Lies
Nick Lake 
Bloomsbury 1/1/14 Hardback
6/10
(Movellas)

This little beauty is out this week and I was lucky enough to grab a pre-publication gander at it. Nick Lake's new thriller has a touch of the magical about it, well more than a touch. This story is incredible without all the fantasy running along side, so the result it an extravaganza. A piece of teenage escapism that really stands out on the shelf thanks to the glorious cover designers at Bloomsbury.
It is very definitely a YA novel, and I felt that constantly as I read it. I thought, gosh if I was 5 years younger this might really affect me. As it is I thought it lacked the finess of great writing, it felt almost slapdash, and oh well, because it's only an imaginative teenage romp through the coming of age process. I thought it lacked sophistication.

Bloomsbury

My Bloomsbury Review

I worked for Bloomsbury for 12 months. In 3 chunks.

2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks.

The time I spent there built up every time and I met more and more of the staff and explored  their enormous building. Every week more of the senior staff started to recognize me and gave me a smile in the corridors.

One of the things I loved about Bloomsbury, which is also one of the most important things about where you choose to work, is that they produced great books. I was always able to be enthusiastic about the books that we were working on. It is always easier to love your job if you believe in the product.

The Facts
Bloomsbury run a loose internship scheme from 2-4 weeks in any given department, usually Editorial, Marketing and PR have interns. However if you have a particular interest or talent in another department make that clear in your application. Sometimes they can squeeze you in. (I had an eye opening two days in the Production department)

The work experience that Bloomsbury provide is unpaid, however they do pay travel expenses.  They do not pay for your lunch.

Bloomsbury offices are on Bedford Square in London near Tottenham Court Road on the Central and Northern Line.

Why I loved it
Bloomsbury feels like a publishing house the moment you step inside. The reception has floor to ceiling bookshelves crammed with books, there is a heavy dark carpet and big chairs with leather seats. Some publishing houses or literary agencies can seem almost sterile and they hide their books. (I won't name names)

The two teams that I worked on were awesome. I worked in Marketing and in Children's Editorial, both of which were incredibly useful in getting my current job which incorporates skills from both. Everyone is down to earth and great to work with, there is a definite team feel to everything that they do.

I would love to work for Bloomsbury again one day, my internships there have sparked an interest in them that I don't think I will ever shake. Until that day though I will just have to continue reading their books.

September Reads

Once again, not a very impressive list this month. Just the one to report. I'm not sure why my reading has fallen recently. Maybe I am just not very enthusiastic about some of the books on my TBR list. I haven't been excited about reading something in a while. Sometimes it helps to know that I will review it later, but mostly I am just apathetic to a lot of the books on my shelf.

I have not been reading so much on my commute. I have been very happy to listen to podcasts and try to grab some more sleep than to strain my eyes reading so early in the morning.

But enough with the excuses, there is only one book to review so here it is.

After Me Comes The Flood
Sarah Perry
Serpents Tail 26/6/14 Paperback
7/10
Book Haul (Profile)

After a long drought John decides to close up shop in London and visit his brother in Norfolk. The heat in this book is brilliant, the minds of the characters are literally crackling in it. After some car trouble, he ends up stumbling on a strange house full of an odd collection of people.

He remains in the house as a guest, a somewhat intruder into their lives. They are isolated in the house and while the world waits for the storm to break John spends the summer unraveling the histories of his strange companions.

This is a story of torturous heat in more ways than one. The tension must break. In the weather and in all of their lives, John is not a catalyst but as he becomes further and further tangled in their story, he records it all down. This story telling technique is very old fashioned, but Perry has used it to incredible strength in her debut novel.

The book struggled to get off the ground at first and frustratingly the feeling of impending events does not abate until well into the second half. I think for many readers they would not get very far, but I hope most people will persist past the 50 page rule because Sarah Perry makes big promises of action in this novel - and she delivers.

June Reads

I read 5 books in June, which is a lot for me. I'm very proud of my self for this excellent reading record.  I've given a theme to this month's reviews where I'm going to talk about the protagonists of each book and review them, hopefully that will shorten the reviews up.

The Leading Men and Women of June

Popular: A Memoir

Maya Van Wagenen

Penguin 15/04/14 Paperback

7/10

Bookhaul (Movellas)

Maya, the author of the memoir struck me as a very interesting girl; both in the book and on BBC Radio Four Women's Hour. She documented the effect on her life by following a 50s guide to popularity in the modern day. She got new 50s inspired clothes from thrift stores and every month, studied a new chapter. The most interesting of all was sitting at a different lunch table every day. Here, she made friends with all of the people in her high school, expanding her friendship group. She asked each new group what they thought being popular meant, and whether they thought of themselves as popular. No body did. It was a very unique social experiment and was an easy summer afternoon read.

The Land Where Lemons Grow
Helena Attlee
Particular books (Penguin) 03/04/14 Hardback
6/10
Stanfords Bookshop (Covent Garden)
This heady mix of travel writing, history, biology and social anthropology was a joy to read. The Citruses of Italy are the main characters of this book, but also the people who look after them. The elderly man who maintained a limonaria or lemon house in the northern mountains every winter by carefully regulating the temperature with fires to drive away the frost. The stubborn and yet still fragile characters of Italian lemons have a tumultuous history in the early days of the mafia.  The importance, the rise and decline, and the reflection of the Italian people through their interaction with the fruit is all wrapped up in this sensuous book. A summer/holiday read preferably somewhere where the possibility of procuring a lemon sorbet is at your fingertips.

Throne of Glass
Sarah J Maas
Bloomsbury 02/08/2012 Paperback
7/10
Bookhaul (Bloomsbury)
The role of the female assassin is beautifully captured in Celena Sardothien. I liked that this whole novel was complex. She has a dark history and back story, her relationships, romantic and otherwise, are not clear cut or simple and the mysterious forces that run through the sub plot are complicated. I love that the other characters are constantly trying to figure her out, while the reader can see that Celena is just like every teenage girl in the world, trying to figure herself out as well. A YA read with a fantasy/action hybrid that keeps the pages turning. Bring on book Two. 

Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Paperback
8/10
Borrowed
I really enjoyed re-reading Macbeth.  There are a number of books on my TBR which I ought to have read or have done, but cannot remember them. I studied Macbeth in school when I was in year 7 or 8 and I don't think I really understood it. I feel like I have absorbed more from the general Macbeth zeitgeist of being a literature student and talking about Shakespeare. But now I can genuinely say that I have read it all. I was very pleased that I still understood Shakespeare, I think a lot of people see it almost as a different language. I watched the movie, I've read it twice, and I've seen three school productions. Next stop: The Globe.

Don't Tell The Boss
Anna Bell
Quercus 19/06/14 paperback
7/10
Competition win (Quercus)

My review of Penny in Don't Tell The Boss can be read here.

Don't Tell The Boss - Review

Don't Tell The Boss
Anna Bell
Quercus 19/06/14 paperback
7/10
Competition win (Quercus)

I was very excited to win @thebookbar's twitter competition from Quercus to win a copy of Don't Tell the Boss by Anna Bell. They asked for what we definitely would not tell our boss. On that particular day, everyone in my office was out in meetings, so I worked from home. I mentioned (at 2pm on a Thursday) that I was working from home and still in my pajamas. My slovenliness was rewarded with a jiffy bag in the post. Thanks Quercus!

Don't Tell the Boss is the third in the series of 'Don't Tell' books, her first was
Don't Tell Penny, a tale of engagements. Her second is: Don't Tell the Groom in which Penny is getting married, and while muddled up in the mania of wedding planning, dreams of a Vera Wang wedding dress. The ensuing adventures mean planning a wedding in secret and on a shoestring budget. Book four's title has already been revealed as Don't Tell the Brides. Similar to Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic novels I'm hoping for book five to be, Don't Tell the Baby Sitter.

Now, I have not actually read Don't Tell the Groom but the third book neatly retells the story so that the reader doesn't feel left out. The telling of the first and second book is triggered at believable moments as if the characters are genuinely remembering what happened last year.  But Don't Tell the Boss can stand very well on it's own as a single piece, and I wouldn't say that you needed to read the 1st two in order to enjoy the third. This has been my first introduction to chick lit and I think that it was a good first book. While an easy read, the story is realistic, a reflection on the real life juggling act that we all have to put up with everyday.

As an aspiring Editorial Assistant, I was a little disappointed to see that there were some type setting errors which had slipped through the net. I noticed some clumsy grammar, and some very clunky sentences (mainly due to the exotic misuse of commas). There were also some contractions and missed spaces eg: 'Instead,they' rather than 'instead, they' which lead to a comma at the start of the line. There were also some fairly ugly instances of stacking, where words at the start or end of each line end up all being the same on top of each other. Hopefully though, most people won't notice those tiny details. That is just what my eye is trained for.

I love Penny, as a blogger, she is immediately close to my heart.  I'd recommend it for anyone planning a wedding, who has plenty of time. It is a good holiday read, perfect for the beach, maybe a pre-wedding get away.  I can probably guess that anxious girlfriends should NOT read Don't Tell Penny, as I can imagine the obsessive behavior sparking. Don't Tell the Boss seems to be very grounded though, perhaps because of the distinctly grown-up and career focused narrative. Every chapter (or most of them anyway) is headed with one of the character's blog posts about budget wedding ideas, short and sweet and and inspiration for my own.

Buy a copy of Don't Tell The Boss from Quercus here.

May Reads

What did I read in May? I thought that every month I'd do a sum up of that month's reading list and a short review of each book. I'm a bit late with May because I have had so many exciting blog posts to write!

American Psycho. 

Bret Easton Ellis

Picador 03/12/10 Paper Back

8/10

When Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock  found out that I had read very little American fiction he threatened to fire me if I didn't read American Psycho as soon as possible. As you can imagine I quickly downloaded the audiobook, borrowed the text from a friend, and watched the movie. 

I absolutely loved this spine tingling book. The audiobook kept me engrossed but my download was an abridged version so I was glad to read the full text. I would actually recommend this to read as an audiobook because some of the chapters are very dense, I found that particularly the chapters on music were hard going for me. I understand the intention behind it, but just in terms of reading pleasure those chapters went way down. The audiobook and movie made these sections a lot more bearable. 

It was pointed out to me that maybe all that dense material was just in an effort to build up the shock factor of horror. I agree, I think it definitely helps.  The main thing to take away from American Psycho is the social commentary on 80’s yuppie New York.  This book disagrees with the idea that people might be able to normalise a serial killer.  On the one hand he has some very strong feelings about Social activism and anti-Semitism; there is outwardly, “something sweet” about him. And on the other, we are introduced to the horrific and dead pan descriptions of his psychopathic blood lusts.

I'm still talking about it and am very glad to have been baptized with fire in American Fiction. Next, Great Gatsby, before my best friend finds out I haven't read it. 

The Bone Season. 

Samantha Shannon

Bloomsbury 20/08/2014 Hard Back

7/10

I love my copy of The Bone Season, just as a book it is a work of art. The Bloomsbury production team made some lovely choices, deep rich blues, and embossing, blazing reds of the end papers and gorgeous cover design as well. I've always loved the feel of big hardback books like this one.

I struggled with the story at first, it felt a little clumsy at times, tiny things which made me think that it had been rushed to press. I would have hoped that for a book that has had so much hype built around the whole series that it would be more delicately crafted. That rushed feeling was repeated to me by a few other readers.

It only took a few chapters to hook me into the story though.  I haven’t read an original Fantasy novel like this one for a long time.  I loved the setting, the reimagined cities of Oxford and London was almost like reading utopian steampunk.  While it is largely set in Oxford it is firmly grounded at Seven Dials in London, which is about 100 yards from my office. It still gives me a little thrill when I wander around to imagine clairvoyants picking at my aura.

I am really looking forward to reading the second book in the series, the cliff hanger-ish ending is maddening, driving me into the arms of The Mime Order Book two. I am hoping that the structural and line edits will have a little more attention paid to them in this second book, without the pressure to get the first book out. If not I don’t think I could stick around for all SEVEN of the planned titles. BUT there is a fantastic storyline, maybe I’ll forget the clumsy edits . . .

Gone Girl. 

Gillian Flynn

Phoenix 3/01/2013 Paper Back

I liked Gone Girl, I thought it was a galloping read and I enjoyed the writing style. It is unfortunate that I read Before We Met first so had already read something similar.

My comparison review of Gone Girl and Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse is available here. 

The Fault in Our Stars - No Spoilers

Last week I had the privilege to see a preview screening of The Fault in Our Stars.  It is the number one movie in the US as I write and is coming out in the UK today (19th June)!!! I don't think it is possible to live through the summer of 2014 without seeing this film.

It is based on the Y/A novel by John Green and tells the story of Hazel and Augustus who meet at their cancer support group. I read the book last year and cried aggressively on a train when I read it.

 The story is excellent.  The writing is superb (I've read all of his other novels as well). And the experience of physically reading it is memorable to me. So I packed my tissues and headed out after work.

It was the teen writing website Movellas who got me the last minute ticket to see the film. They are the official TFIOS fan fiction partner, and I have to say that the quality of the John Green fan fiction on their site is some of the best fan fiction writing I've read. The screening was at 20th Century Fox on Soho Square which have the most comfortable cinema seats I have ever experienced in my life. In the reception were drinks and food but I noticed that hardly anyone was taking advantage of them. Everyone was too excited, we found seats and settled down. There were no pre-rolls and no one eating pop corn. Basically the dream cinema trip.

What did I think of the film? 9/10 'I was saving my 10'

Inevitably with a book adaptation there are moments where your memory of the text and what is shown on screen spar with each other in your brain. For example, there is a restaurant scene which takes place outside under the trees in the book but is indoors in the film.  The decor of the bedrooms wasn't quite what I expected. Hazel's voice wasn't what I had imagined.Tiny, silly, details. There are some cuts, but again, everything was done very well and they were tiny in the scheme of things.

The casting was really REALLY good, particularly Hazel's parents. I thought Laura Dern was everything I
imagined Hazel's mother to be and she really made that role her own. Willem Dafoe was a surprise cast as Peter Van Hounten, and of course he is a highly talented actor, he did perfectly. The character of Isaac, played by Nat Wolff had potential to be a very hammed character, but I thought he brought the character some serious depth.

There were a couple things that let it down though. Now don't get me wrong. Shailene Woodley did a really good job as Hazel, she looked the part and she suited the role. But when it came to acting as if she was living with lung cancer, it felt like she was just reciting the lines, almost as if the words would be powerful enough to pull her through. It is hard to convincingly portray illnesses or disabilities of any kind anyway but I thought there could have been more effort from her. She seemed to swing between being a totally healthy teenager who was rocking some eccentric oxygen tubing, where standing and having animated conversations, even running is no problem, to being unable to stand or breathe.  It was a tall order and she was just a little too short. Maybe it was because Ansel Elgort was next to her and I believed fully that he had a prosthetic leg.

The other was the soundtrack, which is star studded and had huge media coverage all on its own.  I genuinely didn't even notice the sound track. It was totally silent most of the time. There was one moment when a song played, ended, and then dialogue started. There wasn't much of an overall score for the movie or a cohesive sound or theme.

As we left the building, the security guard had a box of tissues on the counter. Just as well, I cried at the half way point and then pretty much every five minutes until the end. Just like the book. My tiny issues with it are not enough to stop me seeing it again tomorrow!

This film is the next 'The Notebook' so all you boyfriends out there, get used to it, we LOVE The Fault in Our Stars and you MUST watch it with us and bring us doughnuts. Okay? Okay.

THANK YOU Movellas!
http://www.movellas.com/

Review: Before We Met and Gone Girl

Having recently read both, I believe that Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse are both fantastic and essential reads. They are both galloping suspense thrillers, created by two brilliant minds and they both have that quality that makes you beg other people to read it so that you can talk about it with them.  I'm going to try and explain which I like best and why. It's Before We Met. (Sorry, the suspense was killing me).

Gone Girl was published in 2012 by Crown Publishing (part of RH), it tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne and their five year marriage that has been steadily going south for nearly two years. When Amy disappears on the afternoon of their fifth anniversary, Nick calls the police. As the case unfolds Nick is the only suspect. It is always the husband, right? The story is co narrated by both Nick and Amy, giving the reader some insight into the developing case from both sides.

Before We Met was published in 2014 by Bloomsbury.  Set in London, with a single narrative voice, this psychological suspense thriller had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Hannah and Mark are the perfect couple, in a perfect house, in a perfect and newly formed marriage. And then one day Mark doesn't show up at the airport from New York.  Hannah's parents divorced after her Mother's persistent paranoia of infidelity unhinged the marriage, determined not to follow that example, Hannah struggles to remain calm.

One reason I prefer Before We Met could be that I read it first. Which in the case of these two books is probably going to be rare. Gone Girl was a success in 2012 and is still being read and discussed two years later.  Before We Met's paperback only came out this month so most people will have read Gone Girl first. Before We Met was marketed with a quote from Glamour Magazine that if you loved Gone Girl you will love Before We Met. The two are linked forever.

They both look deeply into what it means to be married, and what can happen if you end up being married to someone mentally unstable, and someone very very dangerous. Both Nick (Gone Girl) and Hannah (Before We Met) are damaged in obvious, gender stereotyped ways. Hannah is paranoid, despite her best efforts, that her husband might be having an affair, she hates this suspicion as she sees herself reenacting her mother's (and every archetype woman's) actions.  While Nick's flaw is his very young, very pretty mistress (because he's a weak and male).

But what Before We Met did that Gone Girl didn't do, is that it started from a happy marriage.  Hannah's struggle with her paranoia in the face of normality made my heart thump harder than the scenarios in Gone Girl. While reading Gone Girl, at no point did I think: "Gosh, I hope my boyfriend never frames me for his murder like this."  It is undeniable that Gone Girl's Amazing Amy has a criminal and highly functioning mind. It is an unusual situation to find one's self in. But Before We Met, if you cant get through to your significant other one lunch time or what ever, I instantly thought: "My God. It is happening, it is happening to me.*checks bank balance*"  Before We Met's story is rooted in such placid normality that it made it more real and more effective.

I would definitely recommend both books. But if you want a real thriller that will mess with your mind in a deliciously talented way, it has to be Before We Met.