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.

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.