I´ve just moved to a new country! As exciting as this is, it means that there was a lot of work attached to the move; flat-hunting, furnishing flats, finding your way around a new town etc. None of these tasks was more daunting than the pre-trip decluttering, particularly so the decluttering of my books. I knew in my heart of hearts that there was absolutely no way it was viable to keep all my books, but given how enormously attached I am to all my children books, I kept putting it aside until five days before my actual flight. It was a hard selection process, but I am happy that at least all the books went to either some lovely people or will go to raise money for charity.
My babies ready to go to their new homes.
The move also meant that I momentarily abandoned this blog and fell waaaay behind in my reading! This is extra annoying as it´s so early in the year... Hopefully now I´m settled I´ll be able to carry on as planned!
So very many films nowadays are adapted from novels. I have to be very honest (and I can feel the arthritic pains coming on just from thinking this), I really don't remember it being like this when I was young. At 31, I'm not exactly ready for my free bus pass yet, but still I can see the change. The only book adaptation that stands out in my mind was The Neverending Story. I liked the film, but I distinctly remember being mighty pissed off at every detail they changed/neglected to include.
Please tell me I wasn't the only one left emotionally scarred by the horse scene...
The point is, as awesome as movies are, they will never come near to the full experience of the book. Take the Harry Potter series for example. I know there are millions of people out there who are fans of the film but have never read the book. While there is quite obviously noting inherently wrong with that, I can't help but feel these people missed out on so many lovely bits and bobs from the book. Details that made you feel like you were really part of that world. I, for one, will never forgive the script writers for the glaring omission of Peeves. I mean, really?!?!?!? Throughout all the films I felt like I was mentally adding details to complete what was missing, and I kept thinking, but how can you possibly get the whole picture here if you didn't read the book? I've always made it a priority to read a book before watching the film. It seems nowadays you have to be extra speedy, as any book that is vaguely successful seems to have the rights to it snatched up before the first copy has hardly left the printer. I feel very strongly about this, but I always assumed I was just being my usual anal bookish self. Imagine my delight then, when I realised Hank Green felt the same! YAYYYYY! A couple of years ago, he (with some help from Nerdfighteria!) created Read It 1st, a website were you can pledge to read the novel before watching the film. It was created because,
"five of the top 10 movies of 2010 were based on books. Most of the people who watched those movies had never read the book. In fact, most people in America read fewer than two books per year. While movies are great, and we love them, the stories from those movies were originally envisioned in a different way. A way that requires more interaction, more brain, more relaxation, more free time, and more commitment. We think those are all things that the world doesn't have enough of these days."
If you would like to join the pledge, go here, and in the words of Hank Green, "don't let the movie ruin the book"!!!
These books come courtesy of my brilliant mate Julie (Little Gosh)! She had the super idea of passing on some of the books she'd already read and enjoyed to her friends, and I got these two. They are perfect for me because I love Art and anything Art-related; she knows me well! Apart from the obvious excitement of a book gift (which always goes down well with me!), I absolutely love getting second hand books from my friends. I love feeling that I am reading something that they have as well. It makes me feel like I know them a little bit better! Another bonus point is that you avoid clutter and save money! How wicked is that? :)
There are books that I read and re-read to the point that some have got the duct tape treatment, so those stay with me, but otherwise I also love passing on books. One of the things I really like doing, is leaving a book I enjoyed in a public place with a little note in it so someone else can hopefully have the same fun I did reading. I guess from now on I should leave this blog address on my note and see where they end up!
Book Blurb:"When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family. A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man?"
Review: Some children get raised by a whole village (or so the saying goes), this one gets raised by a whole graveyard. Despite the fact that it starts off with a triple murder (which includes a child), this book is ultimately incredibly sweet and moving.
The characters are all very well developed, and I really felt for all of them. I also appreciated the fact that Bod (the main character) is far from perfect. He has flaws and he has moments when he messes up, yet these serve to show the strength of family ties. It also highlights the fact that family is not necessarily made up of those people bound to us by blood, but by those who have chosen to love us and support us unconditionally, and whom we have chosen to love and support in return.
This novel is as much about belonging, acceptance, forgiveness, fighting for what you believe in and protecting the things and the people you hold dear, as it is about loss and the unexpected things life can throw at you. And that is something everyone (whether alive or dead!!!) can relate to.
The 'ivy-covered marvel' that is Highgate Cemetery West, which partly inspired parts of the book.
One of the many books I'm looking forwards to reading this year is The Horologicon. I haven't wanted to get my hands on a book this badly since the last Harry Potter was due to be published!!! I found out about this book from Booksandquills, which is a great Youtube book review channel run by Sanne, a UK-based Dutch girl. Definitely worth checking out!
I am a HUGE language geek. I love etymology. One of my favourite books is Simon Winchester's The Meaning of Everything, which tells the story of how the Oxford English Dictionary came to be. I love finding out new words like other people love finding out new bands. In other words... I love words and everything language related, which is why I find the concept of this book so flipping brilliant.
The Horologicon is a book about 'lost' words of the English language. That in itself would bean interesting concept, but what makes this book super fun, is that the words are not presented in alphabetical order, but rather in the order that you would be most likely to use them during the day (hence the title, which means 'book of hours').
I mostly buy books through the Kindle these days, bit I sense this one might have to be a 'proper' book purchase! And speaking of being a language geek... Can I please point out the genius that is the person who made this?
I love this video! For me, a big part of reading is having an outlet to let your imagination run wild; to get lost in places and situations that you would otherwise never get to experience. I think this video really captures that spirit of reading. It was done by Sean Ohlenkamp (who also happens to be behind these adorablevideos for the Toronto Zoo).
The bookshop in the video is Type Books in Toronto, which has now obviously gone into the list of bookshops I need to visit!
The fact that Oscar Wilde was a patron, automatically makes it hallowed ground for me. Add to that the wonderful atmosphere it has, and it's a non-negotiable stop whenever I'm in London. Yes, I love Waterstones for sheer volume and variety, but you really cannot beat the rickety (in the best possible way!) stairs and seemingly endless little rooms that Hatchard's has.
All the people who work there really know their stuff; they are a veritable fountain of bookish information! In terms of their website, I always enjoy looking through their VIP (Very Important Publications!) section to see which recently published books they consider worth reading, as well as their general recommendations. Also, the little book bags they sell are also pretty sturdy!
Incidentally, Hatchard's is also next to another store that's part of the select group that holds a royal warrant: Fortnum & Mason! So you if you need a well-deserved break after an exhausting bit if book hunting, you can go there and have a tea or coffee. Look at the photo below. Do you see that little thing on the left of the coffee cup? That, my friends, is a teeny tiny ice-cream cone. Yes, that's right. A tiny ice-cream. With every coffee. Just go there already!
Book Blurb: "Aldous Huxley's tour de force, Brave New World is a darkly satiric vision of a "utopian" future—where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order. A powerful work of speculative fiction that has enthralled and terrified readers for generations, it remains remarkably relevant to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying entertainment."
Review: I've been putting off writing this review for ages. Although it's been two weeks since I finished this book, somehow I've lacked the inspiration to write its review. I think this has to do with how underwhelmed I was by this novel. This might well be partly my own fault, as I went in with such very, very high expectations. Brave New World will almost inevitably crop up in every list of books you must read/ best books ever written. Add to that the fact that I really enjoy my dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels, and I was really expecting to love this to bits... Not so in the end, I'm afraid.
It started of well, as I really enjoyed the first third of the book, when we are introduced to how the world now works. I was particularly intrigued by the whole concept of controlling the masses through forced happiness. Too much of a good thing, and all that. The descriptions of how humans now reproduce, and the reasons the government gives to justify it are enough to make anyone's skin crawl. Also, the things that shock the inhabitants of this world, really makes you (or at least, me!) think why it is that you are repulsed by the things that you are; do you really feel like that, or is it really all just conditioning?
However, after this frankly spectacular first third, things began to slow down. I found it hard to have any empathy for any of the characters, as they just seemed like empty shells. I guess that might have been the point, but I like to feel something for characters, even if that something happens to be hate. As it was (and this applies to all the characters in the novel), I just felt a bit...
Also, I found that things became quite predictable once the characters went to see the 'savages' in the reservation.
Although I think this novel had some amazing concepts (especially considering Huxley wrote it in 1931!) and some fantastic bits of writing, I feel these concepts could have been much more thoroughly developed. Unfortunately, the book lost me by the final third...
Favourite Quotes: "Primroses and landscapes, he pointed out, have one grave defect: they are gratuitous. A love of nature keeps no factories busy".
"You can't consume much if you sit still and read books". - Which is why you should read, people!!! "Happiness is a hard master–particularly other people's happiness." - Isn't it just? Embarrassingly true.
"Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. Mass production demanded the shift. Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can't."
I should really start off by saying explaining what a Giant Squid of Anger is. If you don't know, that also highly likely means you haven't heard of the Vlogbrothers, in which case... why?!?!?!?! Go check them out! John and Hank Green are in equal measures intelligent, informative, amusing, and downright silly (in the best possible way). They coined the term Giant Squid of Anger to describe that peculiar internet phenomenon, whereby thoughtful, considered and all-around good members of society seem to completely lose it in the comments section of sites like Youtube when someone disagrees with them and process to launch into an increasingly unintelligible tirade of expletives. It has now expanded to mean anything that causes a normally sane and balanced person to become irrationally anger, therefore rendering them unable to communicate clearly. So... now that we got that out of the way...
As I said before, I've read hundreds of books in my life. I pride myself on having finished all of them. Every. Single. One.
That is, I used to pride myself on the above... Until about two years ago. What happened then? I met my match. The one book I could not finish, try as I might. So which was it? War and Peace? In search of Lost Time? Finnegan's Wake? No dear reader, no. It was.... Twilight (from here on in referred to as The Sparkly Nemesis).
Pictured: the sparkliest of all nemeses...
Some of my pupils with older sisters had been mentioning it, but I didn't give it much thought. However, when on a dress-up day a student walked it and proudly informed me that her older sister had dressed her up as Bella Swan, I had to know what all the fuss was about. I've met some people that think reading children's fiction and YA novels is a co pout. I am not one of these people. I am a firm believer that a good book is a good book, regardless of what age it is being marketed to. Some of these books are brilliant, so that's not the reason I hate Twilight The Sparkly Nemesis. Criticism of this novel has been done countless times before, much better than I could do it, so I'll just summarise and say that:
the relationship is creepy, bordering on abuse, and it troubles me that young girls think this is romantic/desirable in any way.
Bella has barely any agency.
the writing itself is very poor indeed (and no, maybe I couldn't do it better, but then again I'm not the one being paid millions to write a book, am I?). I thing teens and young adults deserve better writing.
It was one of the first and few books to make me turn into a Giant Squid of Anger. I loathe it with a passion, but (and it's a big but) because I only got 3/4 of the way through it, I've never really felt entitled to all my righteous literary rage.
Freakishly accurate depiction of my literary rage.
Why do I mention this? Because on Goodreads I spotted a link to a trailer to something called The Host. Which is when I realised that Stephanie Mayer had written something other than The Sparkly Nemesis.
And so it is dear readers (um... is anyone actually reading this?) that I have set myself a challenge for 2013. Yes, I might need the whole year. Stephanie Mayer shall not defeat me again! This year I shall read The Host in it's entirety, so help me God! (And the blessed Virgin Mary. And the Holy Spirit. And all the Catholic Saint. Hey, I need all the help I can get!) If I enjoy it, I will be pleasantly surprised, but if I despise it, at least I shall do so with some authority! Why am I doing this? Pride. And because clearly Anastasia Steele is not the only one with a penchant for masochism...
Ok, so I know this blog is supposed to be about the reviews of the books I am reading, but as I love absolutely all aspects of books and reading, I'll branch out a bit once in a while. I think it's fair to say that most everyone who enjoys books and reading also loves bookshops. I know I do! Yes, I'm sure we all love the likes of Watertsone's and Barnes & Noble, but my favourite bookshops are the ones not everyone knows about. The less obvious ones that when you stumble upon, you feel like it popped out of nowhere just for you and that you then alternate between wanting to shout out to the world about them and not telling a soul so you can keep it as 'your own'.
To be fair, this bookshop I'm about to mention is really not that big a secret, at least not in South America. But I am always surprised that people further afield have not heard of it, just because it is so very unusual. I am talking about the Plaza Ateneo, in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Photo by Bob Krist for National Geographic Traveler
Once upon a time, somewhere in the 1920s, it was a grand and fancy movie theatre. A proper old fashioned and glamorous one with private balconies and huge, red velvet curtains. At some point, it was going to be demolished, but then some genius Argentinian person decided to turn it into a bookshop. Now, it would already have been nice just to know that you are shopping inside a previous 1920s theatre, but the owners went one step ahead, and left as much of the movie theatre untouched as they could. What that means in practice, is that there are still humongous, lush red velvet curtains hanging down in the middle of the shop, and that you can sit down to peruse a book in one of the balconies - that alone is worth a visit! I'm pretty sure that this idea has not been replicated anywhere in the world.
The Plaza Ateneo is so unique, that in 2008 the Guardian rightfully chose it as one of the top 10 bookshops in the world! It is oh so well worth going if you ever find yourself in Argentina. Plus after shopping, you can stop at one of Buenos Aires' many lovely cafes and have a media luna.
Book Blurb: "Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his
no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since
followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a
boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the
boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes:
five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to
realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green
Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for
something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and
darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption." Review: I found this book somewhat slow going at first, but I didn't really mind because (given the huge list of awards it's won) I knew some good stuff was coming my way
In all fairness though, I probably would have kept on reading regardless, purely because the entire hole-digging as character-building thing seemed way to simple. It's such a bizarre premise that you can't help but keep reading because, surely, that can't be it. As in fact it isn't. There's no way of going into much more detail without somehow spoiling the story, but suffice to say that the novel is really about two stories that happen 110 years apart, that seem completely disconnected to begin with, but which the author eventually intertwines in a very clever way. Once it gets going, the book has more twists than a pretzel and I found it very hard to put down! The characters are lovable but no Mary Sues. The all have their very obvious faults and shortcomings, but I think that is what makes them believable and keeps the reader cheering them on. As the blurb says, it is a story about crime, punishment, and redemption. But also very much so about friendship. It shows the importance of belonging, of being accepted, of standing up for what (and whom) you believe in without ever being preachy or shoving any kind of morals down your throat, which is particularly admirable in a children's/YA book.
My very favourite part though, was this: somewhere in the middle of the book, comes the telling of a love story as beautiful and touching (and tragic) as any of the best classic romances. Kissin' Kate Barlow and Sam will now be joining my mental list of Epic Fictional Couples. That Sachar can tell it in merely two short chapters, and still make it have the capacity to deeply touch the reader, is a testament to his talents as a writer.All in all, this was a fantastic read and is going straight on my 'Children's/YA Favourites' list. Highly recommended, even if you are and 'A' who's no longer quite that 'Y'. :) Favourite Quotes: "His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well." - Absolutely heartbreaking. Overall rating: 5/5
Given that we are still in January, I figured it was not too late for resolutions, and could just about squeeze mine in. So without further ado, here they are!
1. Start a book blog and update regularly. 2. Read 60 new books (i.e. re-reads don't count) and review them on this blog. 3. Read at least 15 Classics. 4. Read The Host. All of it. With an open mind. And no preconceived loathing in my heart. More on this on another post. 5. Stop being horrible, snobby, judgmental so-and-so about chick-lit. 6. Read one of Haruki Murakami's books - any recommendations? 7. Get through my current Goodreads TBR list before adding new books to it. 8. Have a massive book cull before someone finds me buried underneath a pile of books when my bookshelf decides to stop being subjected to holding twice its book capacity and takes revenge by collapsing on top of me. 9. Whenever possible, buy from independent bookshops. 10. Control my book-buying and bookmark-buying compulsion.
I'd heard of this book when it first got published, however I never got around to reading it, and as time went on (and I slipped increasingly farther away from the target audience), it kind of slipped of my radar completely. But now there's a film out, which I'd quite like to see.
Here's the trailer...
Since one of my personal rules is to always read the book before watching the film, I finally got round to reading it. It's a short book and an easy read which (as I am currently on holiday) I finished in a day.
Ever since, there's been a battle going on in my mind. I'm still trying to make a firm and final decision regarding how I feel about this book. Right after I finished it I thought it was absolutely fantastic, and found myself wishing I had read it as a teenager as opposed to as a 31-year-old. I felt sure I would have loved it and totally related, much more so than The Catcher in the Rye, whose hype and universal popularity I never quite got (but that's for another review). However, as time went on and I thought about the book, I realised there were certain things that were a bit off for me.
Our protagonist is Charlie, a 15-year-old who is the wallflower of the title. The story is told in epistolary form via letters to his Dear Friend, whose identity is never revealed or even hinted at. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is Charlie's narrative voice. The book covers a year of Charlies's life, namely his freshman year of High School, and his journey as he comes out of his shell and makes friends with Patrick and Sam, who are seniors but who nevertheless welcome him as a friend. He goes through all the rites of passage YA books usually depict; first love, parties, family issues etc.
First, let me share what I liked. I think Chbosky managed to beautifully capture the voice of an introverted, naive, but ultimately golden-hearted yet troubled teen. I found it easy to sympathise with Charlie as he seems so very understanding when circumstances and events around him are not particularly favourable. I also liked the portrayal of his teacher, Brian, who encourages his love of books and reading. We should all be so lucky to have a Brian in our lives as students! I was one of the lucky ones- thanks Mr. Hubbuck & Mr. Livingstone! :)
However, the tug-of-war in my brain was caused by the sheer amount of 'issues' in this novel. Charlie is painfully naive, even for a sheltered teenager. At a point I thought he might be autistic. At the very end of the book there's a revelation which might go some way towards explaining why Charlie is like he is. Yet after hearing about loneliness, not fitting in, depression and other mental health issues, suicide, closeted homosexuality, drug use, abortion, implied sexual harassment, domestic abuse, etc., it began to feel a bit like the author had compiled a check-list of issues that might be faced by a teenager and went checking them off one by one. Yes, obviously these things happen in real life and as such should be written about. I also acknowledge that many people are dealt the most awful possible cards in life and deal with all this and maybe even worse. My issue is that many of these things seemed to be mentioned in passing and never really addressed in enough depth.
On another completely separate issue, I then thought about the person receiving the letters. How fair is it to burden someone with such an intimate account of one's problems when they have not asked for it?
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this book. Although I probably won't be rereading it, I can see why it's so popular with young adults. It also provides an excellent starting platform to debate a variety of issues, which is always a plus.
Favourite quotes: "... things change. And friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody." - sad, yet so true. "I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll
never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose
where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there."
When I was a teenager, I used to make a regular habit of reading works of Literature. Not because I was made to, but because I genuinely enjoyed it. I read the whole of Les Miserables when I was 14. It took me about two months, but I remember the sense of achievement when I finished it. Lately, however, I've found that my ability to focus has been steadily dwindling. Maybe it's all the time I spend on the Internet, maybe it's the amount of brain cells which seem to be left fully awake after a full day's teaching little kids (i.e. precious few). And so it is, that in an attempt to regain my teenage powers of concentration, I am making it a point this year to read more works of Literature.
My first book this year was The Picture of Dorian Gray. It is one of those books that's been on my To Read list for years and years, but somehow kept getting neglected. Well, I finally read it, and I thoroughly loved it! It reminded me why I am such a big Oscar Wilde fan.
I think most people are at least vaguely aware of the storyline: man makes pact with Devil/destiny/whatever and retains his youth eternally while a picture of him gets old. I didn't really know too much beyond that.
The book is incredibly disturbing without ever being explicit or gory. I'd been thinking what exactly it was that made it so disturbing for me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It definitely wasn't just the whole Pact With the Devil thing. And then it dawned on me; it is that at the start of the story, Dorian Gray is the loveliest of people, not just externally, but inside as well. It is almost like his very soul radiates its kindness to make him beautiful.
In other words, Dorian Gray is , if we are honest, what we'd all like to think we are to a certain extent: kind, compassionate, modest, well-loved, sociable, witty. He's the guy we'd all love to have as a friend. And the question is, if such a paragon of virtue can be so easily (and rapidly) corrupted, what is stopping us from becoming the same?
Favourite quotes: She was a curious woman, whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage and put on in a tempest. - about Lady Henry. Such a vivid character description via her wardrobe!
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. - Preach, Oscar!!!
Some people live for music. Others live for food. Other live for fashion, sports, or one of the countless other benign little obsessions that make life more bearable. Me, I live for books.
The school library was my safehouse when I was in high school. Friendless in high school. In England (now 'friendful' - that should be a word, so I'll pretend it is!!!) Waterstones was my mecca, and small independent bookshops my quaint little churches.
I am that person that smells a new book as though it were freshly baked bread straight out of a butter TV add.
I've read hundreds (maybe a couple thousand?) books throughout my life. Some stuck with me, some made me turn into a Giant Squid of Anger, some I forgot. It's a shame about the latter. I don't want to have any more books neglected by my memory. This is my little list of the books I will read from this point on (and maybe some old favourites).
Some people smoke...
Some people take Prozac...
I read books. And I write.
