tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28375920255097920182024-02-07T12:35:35.127+00:00Coombe Cottages and CoThe blog of a a coming and going family with grown up children, detailing a hodgepodge of: crafts, flowers, animals, musings, books, poetry and whatever else takes our fancy! Coombe Cottages is in the South West of England and our family base. Thank you for stopping by :)Coombecottagesandcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05785151681587552228noreply@blogger.comBlogger268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-86675174969219087352018-04-10T12:22:00.000+01:002018-04-10T12:22:51.819+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Never Want to Reread<h5 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "josefin sans"; font-size: 17px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 14px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Ten Books I Never Want to Reread</strong></h5>
<div>
So, this is my first time participating in TTT since it has moved over to <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=6266170795&blog=10397263&frame_type=none" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a> (and dusting off this neglected blog in the process). If you're reading this, hi there - I think your'e doing a great job! This was a really interesting one that got me thinking - there are lots of different reasons why you might not want to reread...</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe42O14yiULfOZ8B1jEpNx7HV0khPkuv474b0LwIfFwUbG00XKNi_FoXxoFHGuSAJo51rGpNYQfAwKnQpOPIQHxx2MQW4VSlhrpMAnBcjsoUmfdru3xA1oyzkJu7xfRGxy6_kBC0AuU26/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.10.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe42O14yiULfOZ8B1jEpNx7HV0khPkuv474b0LwIfFwUbG00XKNi_FoXxoFHGuSAJo51rGpNYQfAwKnQpOPIQHxx2MQW4VSlhrpMAnBcjsoUmfdru3xA1oyzkJu7xfRGxy6_kBC0AuU26/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.10.54.png" width="216" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) A Little Life - this book just about did me in. I would not recommend it to anyone who has a fragile state of mind in any way, or is easily triggered. I know in one sense I'm tempted to read it again, but it wouldn't be for positive reasons.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnXiPdcXpsf-MX-xxLNelEq0HOqNXmdKoI5kqCm_sffogvTk8iSKRUw2MsjjOvZdV0CFS9RkRrGwxLhSSTu5AlcrkyRmLRImeawGD-D5DOzU56DzNGzKUP_ahwAFCrb79PsswqTA5hWTK/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.12.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnXiPdcXpsf-MX-xxLNelEq0HOqNXmdKoI5kqCm_sffogvTk8iSKRUw2MsjjOvZdV0CFS9RkRrGwxLhSSTu5AlcrkyRmLRImeawGD-D5DOzU56DzNGzKUP_ahwAFCrb79PsswqTA5hWTK/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.12.14.png" width="211" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - this book was really popular and I requested an ARC, thinking it to be another YA book that would be a fairly easy read. It made me very angry. That Artsy Reader Girl shares my thoughts on this book; it is completely inappropriate and basically glorifies suicide at the same time as making people think that suicide is the 'fault' of individual actions. Read her review <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2015/05/thirteen-reasons-why-by-jay-asher-book-review/" target="_blank">here.</a> (I wasn't coherent enough to write one).<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB-RTXvSpk6MNpOqoPhmKFMIfqUQbpP6izd9EDtY1wipxj8g7ozfd7LauZfOgnz-1910E612OrF5uEcXZaTE-bkrXELkDUUWlfjP0ZKuOTrDicEZezLBkxfekmm9wrdRyhJmpuPujMw2Q/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.13.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB-RTXvSpk6MNpOqoPhmKFMIfqUQbpP6izd9EDtY1wipxj8g7ozfd7LauZfOgnz-1910E612OrF5uEcXZaTE-bkrXELkDUUWlfjP0ZKuOTrDicEZezLBkxfekmm9wrdRyhJmpuPujMw2Q/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.13.32.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - this is slightly different. I loved this book so, so much that I'm scared to read it in case it isn't as good the second time round. Do you find this with books? It was just a fantastic read in every way, and I don't want the possibility of ruining it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UTBJxPnuvkqgwtNIEffdvXNqXZO6cesinvDmkW2rCiRpwa_DyMqPBZPFhql-u_12Q4kWW0XqWFPkW2e-qz0iazaTTCFwUe13OuHC-qkYZSaS1jO8RuYeYd6PfuYuwaivoKRXWCW0e-X3/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.14.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UTBJxPnuvkqgwtNIEffdvXNqXZO6cesinvDmkW2rCiRpwa_DyMqPBZPFhql-u_12Q4kWW0XqWFPkW2e-qz0iazaTTCFwUe13OuHC-qkYZSaS1jO8RuYeYd6PfuYuwaivoKRXWCW0e-X3/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.14.22.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
4) Unless by Carol Shields - Same reasons as the Poisonwood Bible. I found it incredibly moving, but I know some people who read it for a book group, and for one of them it was a reread, and they said it felt so flat on rereading! Nooo! I'll just live with my memories of the first read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEwlGlz0elGrLtSLahlTTdsVXgNQSIgGVuuZ7lCLrGFhg0PZqOFMgV7KQ-6rgcsVHYmbOjyddRhTXXPUM3tpAp064lE9RFx50ICOxPwqCsxGMGbbbkO2mQlySWOKsA7Vokk0mWgebyL97/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.15.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="379" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEwlGlz0elGrLtSLahlTTdsVXgNQSIgGVuuZ7lCLrGFhg0PZqOFMgV7KQ-6rgcsVHYmbOjyddRhTXXPUM3tpAp064lE9RFx50ICOxPwqCsxGMGbbbkO2mQlySWOKsA7Vokk0mWgebyL97/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.15.17.png" width="210" /></a></div>
<br />
5) Game of Thrones (1) - I did enjoy this book but it was just SUCH hard work! I made extensive notes while I was writing it so that one day I can get round to reading the sequels without rereading... It's a great book, but it's not amazing enough that I want to put so much energy into it a second time round.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r8an-Z9vONtnWlMunmjbkg0KpODOXQEAGa0fMpb-MY-suZra1dTb3vJD511QRiqEc5VLymzVsiMB-EPrTa7o_4U2QGzSHhFDKvx7bLJ-9uLdoZsb_OHJhw9r_q-ojJIY_tejYjjOPSqq/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.16.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r8an-Z9vONtnWlMunmjbkg0KpODOXQEAGa0fMpb-MY-suZra1dTb3vJD511QRiqEc5VLymzVsiMB-EPrTa7o_4U2QGzSHhFDKvx7bLJ-9uLdoZsb_OHJhw9r_q-ojJIY_tejYjjOPSqq/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.16.03.png" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
7) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - I imagined rereading this and getting more from it second time round but, realistically, I don't think I want to. The mystery's gone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0RpRZZLFoe6_nQfNt53w6l0zh5y6uenIu-jLB7mGAXGqbufYb8RMIyTXYoEp6AwPzOlA30iMiriE75im0bv64-g-HDv7qk1eGaMRP2i02_OYDMga74uJ3U9xVgg1ZzVxc0fMGY7ncHCm/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.16.55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0RpRZZLFoe6_nQfNt53w6l0zh5y6uenIu-jLB7mGAXGqbufYb8RMIyTXYoEp6AwPzOlA30iMiriE75im0bv64-g-HDv7qk1eGaMRP2i02_OYDMga74uJ3U9xVgg1ZzVxc0fMGY7ncHCm/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.16.55.png" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
8) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins- this was billed as 'the UK's answer to Gone Girl' which is the kind of comment I hate because it sets it up to be something else. A book is it's own book. You can suggest 'if you liked this, try that' but making it so directly linked to Gone Girl made it just fall a bit flat. I didn't enjoy it as much directly because of the comparison and that isn't fair to the author because it was probably perfectly good, just not in comparison. I don't care enough about the characters to reread.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChn-UShJCeNHFyLkNJlKEeVARgFDu-00eSm7-KM0AqaMqT_FZyHreK6Ty5EYqKzn7hlchyphenhyphenBEZyzyqWzfCw3VFPzhHXas9DsRrBy04Lk2EJpnoy4pc0pz9ntlSO2wWVahBO1mdmEm5ZYXN/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.17.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChn-UShJCeNHFyLkNJlKEeVARgFDu-00eSm7-KM0AqaMqT_FZyHreK6Ty5EYqKzn7hlchyphenhyphenBEZyzyqWzfCw3VFPzhHXas9DsRrBy04Lk2EJpnoy4pc0pz9ntlSO2wWVahBO1mdmEm5ZYXN/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.17.58.png" /></a></div>
<br />
9) Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen - this was set for my book club to read and... well, I just didn't have the right sense of humour for it. It really divided our book group: half were literally unable to speak because they were laughing so much, and the rest of us were kind of shrugging. It wasn't that I didn't <i>get</i> the jokes: I could see where it was meant to be funny, but it just didn't do it for me. Disappointing, silly drivel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qRbzB-VOuraQbSUZ36z_q5CuWFqn3Fm4bxMwMiylZFPRFUslOnjprAiKQO5WlirK_J5i9gkrPSyZmHqSxkShYREGIsYf42I_tFZkhMqM5J10Lyq6VH-Q7XQJ3z-MNRpsBp_cGKHDENXV/s1600/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.18.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qRbzB-VOuraQbSUZ36z_q5CuWFqn3Fm4bxMwMiylZFPRFUslOnjprAiKQO5WlirK_J5i9gkrPSyZmHqSxkShYREGIsYf42I_tFZkhMqM5J10Lyq6VH-Q7XQJ3z-MNRpsBp_cGKHDENXV/s320/Screenshot+2018-04-10+12.18.47.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br />
10) The Martian by Andy Weir - I was so disappointed by this book! I was really hyped to be reading it and it just wasn't for me. There was so much science - I like science! But this felt like reading someone's workings out for answering physics/maths questions. The premise was great. The execution just made it boring. I haven't seen the film - anyone recommend it?<br />
<br />
<br />
What about you? What books would you not want to reread?</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-50792647951429097092018-02-23T17:44:00.002+00:002018-02-23T17:44:52.129+00:00Review: The Inheritors by William Golding<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBHZXAUOrDt-teyZo5YF0Nk9POmiWKflKDU0nMXW2gOAVDA29AmVimzbT4Fb48jFNoOChHbGwKxiGTrsWsFnlimJ_gnpWFo2IDzM2dnZtTWAyG-fCW-l38CpJSQbVs7nPCePKXI5pzqwz/s1600/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.38.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBHZXAUOrDt-teyZo5YF0Nk9POmiWKflKDU0nMXW2gOAVDA29AmVimzbT4Fb48jFNoOChHbGwKxiGTrsWsFnlimJ_gnpWFo2IDzM2dnZtTWAyG-fCW-l38CpJSQbVs7nPCePKXI5pzqwz/s320/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.38.58.png" width="219" /></a>So, everyone's heard of William Golding, right? <i>Lord of the Flies</i> man. I wasn't aware until recently that he was actually a fairly prolific writer apart from this book, yet I'd never read a single one - this had to be remedied. So, <i>The Inheritors</i> came into my reading list.<br />
<br />
Interestingly enough, it's got the similar haunting quality that <i>Lord of the Flies </i>has, despite, on the <br />
surface, having such a different subject matter. Penelope Lively said it was her favourite book, because she could always get something new out of reading it - and I can well believe that!<br />
<br />
Let's start with the premise. It's about a small group of neanderthals. When it was written, it was pretty revolutionary: writing from a point of view that is so different to our own; now, however, we are more used to books written by speakers with a different way of looking or understanding the world: for example, Emma Donoughue's <i>Room </i>or Mark Haddon's <i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Because neanderthals, as far as we know, didn't have 'thoughts' in the same way we do. Instead, they had 'pictures' which they attempted, with limited language to share with each other. The whole novel is a sort of puzzle, attempting to solve the language barrier that we have between the protagonists. I have to say, I found the book very slow at the beginning, and pretty tedious. The words themselves are very simple, but it is still hard to read quickly due to the nature of these 'pictures'; everything is a simile or a metaphor, and the simplicity and <i>lack </i>of language makes it a slow read. However, events progress and the pace picks up; also, I think I became used to the ponderous style, and the curious way of communicating. The ending is certainly fast-paced!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf47Tl5YwNz2cxUAxK6cOL6MurfqNYt20YI5s57D5dINtisHXznlD7PUw9muyNVeZN7C8jjZrEkQDAuP04mh39_GquvnBwXr6tKnjhUmuUC74Na7L9eCT7aLJeHqDkJvJjGkoqMsI2Zuy/s1600/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.39.50.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="553" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf47Tl5YwNz2cxUAxK6cOL6MurfqNYt20YI5s57D5dINtisHXznlD7PUw9muyNVeZN7C8jjZrEkQDAuP04mh39_GquvnBwXr6tKnjhUmuUC74Na7L9eCT7aLJeHqDkJvJjGkoqMsI2Zuy/s400/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.39.50.png" width="400" /></a>Despite being slightly irritated at the beginning, the characters are all pretty endearing (although I remember struggling to get all of their names lodged in my head!). They're charming in a sort of childlike way, which is hard as we know they won't meet a happy end (if we know anything about prehistorical times...)<br />
<br />
There is very acute, precise description of place, a concise geographical location, and I wonder if Golding had created a map depicting the places the group move between: the waterfall, the river, the cave. This group have come to their summer grounds, an annual move. It was interesting learning about neanderthal behaviour and how much Golding actually portrayed accurately, considering he wrote this fairly quickly in his lunch hours whilst being a teacher. When one character dies, they bury him surrounded with honey - and there has been evidence of neanderthal burial within the caves that they lived, saturated with pollen, speculating that there were a lot of flowers. Despite being, in comparison to Homo Sapiens, primitive, this species mourned in a surprisingly similar way.<br />
<br />
What was also interesting was how much we, as descendants of Homo Sapiens, have lost. They are hypersensitive to smell with a different concentration of nasal receptors, more like how we think of dogs nowadays. When Homo Sapiens arrive (only slight spoiler!), one character - Lok - doesn't understand why a man isn't using his nose to track them, he simply follows their footprints. Despite being the least intelligent of the group, Lok is graced in talents with we, as humans, don't have. There is an implied sort of 'telepathy' between the group, where they can see each others' 'pictures.' Of course this is speculation, but it does make one wonder what else we have lost in our evolutionary process.<br />
<br />
The neanderthals had no tools, and did not kill to eat: they were happy to eat already dead carcasses, but wouldn't shed blood. They were, overall, a very peaceful race - and I believe this is supported by historical evidence. Homo Sapiens advent brings about bloodshed and violence, and their innocence is shattered.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c6Y2qr0JObmslWrEIJeYzvZ3H9SiQ_1cr_IuEtyd9CeRDTah4AMWmxciGilxAJvFEozwjxEz1Hww0Y6Lj4vwHMSIZXVQtm0k1ySUKiBt61m5AfIXQLbvZ_MEG_SAIq4B-AmhF8fPVbDX/s1600/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.41.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c6Y2qr0JObmslWrEIJeYzvZ3H9SiQ_1cr_IuEtyd9CeRDTah4AMWmxciGilxAJvFEozwjxEz1Hww0Y6Lj4vwHMSIZXVQtm0k1ySUKiBt61m5AfIXQLbvZ_MEG_SAIq4B-AmhF8fPVbDX/s1600/Screenshot+2018-02-23+17.41.23.png" /></a><br />
It is in this way that <i>The Inheritors </i>seems similar to <i>Lord of the Flies. </i>Golding was very interested in original sin, and where it came from. In this book, it seems that innocence was possibly in the ignorance of not knowing danger, not knowing what the Homo Sapiens represented and what there 'sticks with feathers' flying through the air were. They assumed them to be some sort of gift; it makes for heart-breaking reading. The idea of killing simply had never entered their heads.<br />
<br />
Like, <i>Lord of the Flies</i>, innocence is marred and awful events occur. Homo Sapiens seem to be the bringer of sin. Also, perhaps, the waterfall is symbolic of sin: humans came from below the fall, killed the neanderthals, and then moved beyond the waterfall into evil. The Homo Sapiens' capacity for evil was quite staggering in its contrast; the final chapter shifted perspective, whilst one man calmly thinks of killing another for no particular reason. Golding's obsession with the creation of evil may have been influenced by his time in the army: he was staggered by man's capacity for evil, and this theme rings throughout the book.<br />
<br />
This theme - the innate cruelty of the human race - makes this book a hard read. That, and the style in which it is written. It's a slender volume, but one that time has to be taken over. And one I would definitely say is worth a reread.<br />
<br />
Overall, it would be hard to give it a numerical rating, but I think it is definitely a book worth reading.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzODCRtZ-7NWk5KtKwHxdDJ0KGima5xju-xb3rR4OUxM9XGsfWFos3te7uCQ4BqynaNw73HmXHicShPRnT2uS2OYv2HMtfdbeA-P0aFRygHYvuAdZT86g3bWRuLt_NI4sMCT_AABhv93co/s1600/FullSizeRender-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzODCRtZ-7NWk5KtKwHxdDJ0KGima5xju-xb3rR4OUxM9XGsfWFos3te7uCQ4BqynaNw73HmXHicShPRnT2uS2OYv2HMtfdbeA-P0aFRygHYvuAdZT86g3bWRuLt_NI4sMCT_AABhv93co/s320/FullSizeRender-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-35669655575616381512018-02-17T08:57:00.000+00:002018-02-17T08:57:08.513+00:00Cover Reveal! - Corridors of Time<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Cover Reveal ~</span></b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Corridors of Time by Vinay Krishnan</span></b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Exciting stuff - I </span></span>have a cover reveal for you here today! Check it out; I think the book sounds great! I really like Indian sagas, so this sounds like a good one. </span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86fjtLZ0f6WEx7A0liyQYLFge2uf9TOf-MJzkjSF6F27l-_rttkgMUMn_BLsTYWfncymM6EbIIwE_CbiXBtdFtb-pGySy8cBr92Wl9SUkiZy4GJSrVINo5AHx5i7kk8Xqmxo_FK5nD1oL/s1600/cot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="369" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86fjtLZ0f6WEx7A0liyQYLFge2uf9TOf-MJzkjSF6F27l-_rttkgMUMn_BLsTYWfncymM6EbIIwE_CbiXBtdFtb-pGySy8cBr92Wl9SUkiZy4GJSrVINo5AHx5i7kk8Xqmxo_FK5nD1oL/s400/cot2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Corridors of Time tracks the story of a sensitive young man who grows from carefree childhood to eventful manhood - one who stumbles before learning to stride through those dark and dense passages.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set in Bangalore - a city of paradoxes. of gardens and garbage heaps. of technology and traffic snarls. of friendly people and failing infrastructure. when bungalows had gardens and pavements were meant for pedestrians. this is a narrative of the human spirit.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rohan, an idealistic young sports lover, experiences rejection, dark dejection and isolation and hurtles down the path to self destruction.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shyla, attractive and successful is everything his heart yearns for and his body desires, except, she is married!</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chandrika, simple and devoted fails to understand the man she loves.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The shuklas long for justice denied by the system.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And khalid fears nothing and no one... anymore.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG_ATIvJiydhDUlVqn6jxajgs1MiYxmfe4haRkjxprTD8fcq06ipdhrsc38bug3rHoI0UA8hhfEVIOPhxXhyphenhyphenn3MvTlaSUbg4YLl-UaweEMbQLv6aHuNokY9fqXoxQhRD6v1hB4kIk3Vx7/s1600/cot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="852" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG_ATIvJiydhDUlVqn6jxajgs1MiYxmfe4haRkjxprTD8fcq06ipdhrsc38bug3rHoI0UA8hhfEVIOPhxXhyphenhyphenn3MvTlaSUbg4YLl-UaweEMbQLv6aHuNokY9fqXoxQhRD6v1hB4kIk3Vx7/s400/cot.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">About the Author:</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFPI-sGCQpXkoEEIlVuvOMxhtX0gZtmtNuAsGCU_7u95n4Ovo4nQJHOSlLPuJHcWQrGW7oxzthsbnyJ-2kHrBps9-5mYli0zR-3bUixwj5hdC7B8sFogodiv25sqOWxKS2bKyOMJ43LtZ/s1600/vk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFPI-sGCQpXkoEEIlVuvOMxhtX0gZtmtNuAsGCU_7u95n4Ovo4nQJHOSlLPuJHcWQrGW7oxzthsbnyJ-2kHrBps9-5mYli0zR-3bUixwj5hdC7B8sFogodiv25sqOWxKS2bKyOMJ43LtZ/s1600/vk.png" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vinay Krishnan describes himself as a ‘complete Bangalorean’. A student of Clarence High School, he graduated in Humanities from St Joseph’s College. Earning a diploma in Business Administration, he began his career at Usha International Ltd and rose to a position of Senior Sales manager. Vinay has now set up a construction firm of his own. He also writes and devotes his time to an NGO assisting people with disability. The city of his dreams, Bangalore, where he stays with his wife and daughter, continues to inspire and exasperate him. He can be reached at – vinaykrshnn@yahoo.com.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Praises for the Book:</span></b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The book is simple in style and content, for often it is this simplicity that bewilders and rouses i</i></span></span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">nterest.</i></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Shri S . Rajendra Babu, Former Chief Justice of India</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The book has excellent literary craftsmanship, passion humour and adventure. Highly recommended.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Mr. Namboodiri, former Asst. Editor, Deccan Herald</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This charming book about old Bangalore is written in a racy easy-to-read style.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Deccan Herald, Bangalore.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(224, 102, 102); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #e06666; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This Cover Reveal is brought to you by </b><a href="http://authorschannel.in/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); color: blue;"><b>Author's Channel</b></span></a><b> in association with </b><a href="http://www.ddsreviews.in/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); color: blue;"><b>b00k r3vi3ws</b></span></a></span></span></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-87546892659628442762018-01-14T20:29:00.000+00:002018-01-14T20:29:15.473+00:00Review: On The Bright Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/catalogue/pim/editions/72/9780718186647/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/catalogue/pim/editions/72/9780718186647/cover.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
'On the Bright Side' is the wonderful new 'secret diary of Hendrik Groen.' I received an ARC from NetGalley, although it was published a couple of days ago and you can grab a copy from Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bright-Side-Hendrik-Groen/dp/071818663X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515961584&sr=8-1&keywords=on+the+bright+side+hendrik+groen" target="_blank">here</a>, or (preferably) your local book shop. (For a list of more ethical places to buy books, try <a href="https://ethicalrevolution.co.uk/amazon-alternatives/" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
'On the Bright Side' is the sequel to Hendrik Groen's first diary, which I read in 2016, also courtesy of NetGalley (you can find my review <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1723652552" target="_blank">here</a> if you're interested!) For those new to Groen's story, I'll give a brief introduction: Hendrik is an octogenarian living in an old people's home in the Netherlands. In the first book, he set out to write in his diary daily to keep his mind active - and it certainly did! A group of friends set up the 'Old-But-Not-Dead-Club' who aim to have as much fun as they can, while they still can - which they certainly did! <i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stop spending so much time studying life’s instruction manual. Just do it!! Yes, you may fall down a few times, but so long as you get up again, you’ll be ahead of where you were!"</span></span></i></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first book isn't a complete barrel of laughs though, and it ends with the demise of two members of their club: one lost to dementia, one lost to the world. As I said in my first review, this book deals with the three big Ds: Dementia, Death and Disability. There's no shying away from it.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I remember thinking that the first book felt a very fitting place to end, and was slightly surprised to see a sequel but requested it all the same. It was a joy to be reunited with Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead-Club. This book has many of the same elements there are a lot of laughs, a great deal of interesting voyeuristic people-watching, and even some up-to-date social commentary. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They continue to get up to their amusing antics as in the first book, with some added extras: trying cuisine from a new culture every month, and even spending three nights away on holiday! As you can imagine, chaos ensues at regular intervals. Many of the residents spend their time going to various acquaintances' funerals - but not Hendrik and best friend Evert. They'll be at their own soon enough, won't they?</div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9lkK_OXfj1fynYAHX8zkC8Wn-_vVq_yeU2d4P5A1TmmySY4qn4SKvS8VHwHAgSorEVveTapzoTML7zQ48rTcVI3SBr04O92tGOqGuCm_TSWiuuqbc2Sm-q-aZQBMQjjbyO3zn_3toJBN/s1600/FullSizeRender-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9lkK_OXfj1fynYAHX8zkC8Wn-_vVq_yeU2d4P5A1TmmySY4qn4SKvS8VHwHAgSorEVveTapzoTML7zQ48rTcVI3SBr04O92tGOqGuCm_TSWiuuqbc2Sm-q-aZQBMQjjbyO3zn_3toJBN/s320/FullSizeRender-14.jpg" width="320" /></a>But this book is a shade darker than the first; perhaps this is unexpected. There's a lot about the possible closure of old people's homes in the Netherlands, and what to do with the growing age of our populations. This book is written/set in 2016, and covers the major world events that went on n that year, many of them grave. Groen has decided opinions on asylum seekers that most of his more conservative neighbours do not share. But it is a reminder that not all old people are racist (covertly rather than overtly), and sometimes it is okay to challenge people, not giving them a 'get out of gaol free card' because of age. I certainly know and have known elderly people who are accepting and inclusive. Groen is one of these, making him instantly likeable. It is also a great way of switching perspective: one minute global, the next minute the saga of fruit appearing in strange places around the home that is a major source of excitement for the residents...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The other darker shades to this book are what inevitably comes with ageing. Hendrik himself continues to ponder the advantages of euthanasia, and his best friend falls further into ill health as does he himself. It's a very real book, not shying away from any subject. Written in diary format makes it very intimate and the reader can feel very much inside Hendrik's head, whether he is pondering where to go on their next club outing, what his current feeling on wearing nappies is, or whether they should invite asylum seekers into the spare rooms at the home.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Although the optimism of the first book is diluted, this is still a very easy read with a good few laughs. And if it hadn't been a touch more melancholy, it wouldn't have felt true. It can also be read as a standalone without the first, although I would recommend both.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I would urge people to read this book; having worked with elderly people, I feel they are often misunderstood, and this book is very good at correcting misconceptions. Apart from that, it is a darn good read: funny, sometimes meandering, touching, and sad.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some words Hendrik says that I think we all, 85 years old or not, can muse on:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">'I should count my blessings even if it's only because I can still experience summer, autumn and winter by sight, sense and smell.'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read this </span>wonderful<span style="font-family: inherit;"> book. Four stars.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-21524504462712274652018-01-14T18:29:00.003+00:002018-01-14T20:30:50.187+00:00Bout of Books 21: Day 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, here we are at the end of the readathon! In terms of reading, this is probably my worst Bout of Books thus far 😒 So, I finished listening to an Audiobook ('Fahrenheit 451'), read 'On the Bright Side' by Hendrik Groen, and then... well, I couldn't really commit to a book after that. I read 'Here Lies Arthur' by Philip Reeve, started a number of other books along the way without getting very far. <br />
I went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition yesterday and bought the book that went with that, which I also read - if that counts! There's not much text, just some information about the photographers and then information about the species/place they are photographing, as well as information about the award, the charities it supports, and general information about endangered species. The exhibition was fantastic!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholHyHCSqH08Acl90kAvRvCAFlSuLPWUzDTxwmulw0CO9fQOhfEDUQj4M3dFUAsJsO_nI_VGriL-YYGqSmPmgyEh4Y34FcygtljL78zO2QctQ3Z6WhiOy7xncU6kNBwx-ijmTxsVxNAm2w/s1600/FullSizeRender-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholHyHCSqH08Acl90kAvRvCAFlSuLPWUzDTxwmulw0CO9fQOhfEDUQj4M3dFUAsJsO_nI_VGriL-YYGqSmPmgyEh4Y34FcygtljL78zO2QctQ3Z6WhiOy7xncU6kNBwx-ijmTxsVxNAm2w/s320/FullSizeRender-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I managed to commit to a book finally last night, and have read just under 120 pages of 'Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race' by Reni Eddo-Lodge, which is a good read so far, although I am looking forward to getting into reading some more fiction. Non fiction can be brilliant, but I'm a fiction gal at heart!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Despite having only read 2 1/2 books (plus the end of an audiobook, and a coffee-table book), it hasn't felt like a complete failure of the readathon. I know that most people tot up their page counts and lots of people were aiming for 1000 pages or so, but I'm trying to be sanguine about it. Because... I've managed to do some writing instead! So, as a reader I haven't done too well, but I've made movements forwards with writing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not sure whether to take part in Bout of Books next time round; it'll depend on when the week falls I suppose. Reading other people's page counts is quite intimidating, so I just need to remember that I read what I can. And what I want to read: I'm finding it hard to enjoy reading so much when my TBR pile is so big. I'm a non-book-buying ban, but I have been for ages and it doesn't seem to be helping! I'm drowning in books still! (#firstworldproblems)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But, I'm a writer too. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnDF-KtSja1ir-Kg31petsZ3M3m2A_B541SWRGd4-do4Mx8eeqq5rsmSNglzgANDKuKKGUzAfiA0BYEtkBtrnjkxgfZ654TAIdK9uZ2O-ACpsb3aqE6TighI8BAxhW_YhuntvE2cAbion/s1600/FullSizeRender-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnDF-KtSja1ir-Kg31petsZ3M3m2A_B541SWRGd4-do4Mx8eeqq5rsmSNglzgANDKuKKGUzAfiA0BYEtkBtrnjkxgfZ654TAIdK9uZ2O-ACpsb3aqE6TighI8BAxhW_YhuntvE2cAbion/s320/FullSizeRender-13.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Practising hand lettering!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't make new year's resolutions, but this one could pretty much sum it up. It's all about balance - but who <i>seriously </i>has that??</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hope everyone enjoyed Bout of Books - and happy reading!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/35/5c/cd/355ccd1561bcb8a96f42e8370ad5f94b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="800" height="318" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/35/5c/cd/355ccd1561bcb8a96f42e8370ad5f94b.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(credit:itsthehappypage)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
UPDATE: Review of 'On the Bright Side' is <a href="http://coombecottagesandco.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/review-on-bright-side.html" target="_blank">here</a>! Good reading :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-88420759796568287862018-01-13T09:32:00.001+00:002018-01-14T17:44:12.841+00:00Bout of Books 21: Day 6So, I missed signing up to the linky for yesterday - boo. I wrote the post and then forgot to link up. Here's my post for <a href="http://coombecottagesandco.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/bout-of-books-21-days-4-and-5.html" target="_blank">yesterday</a> - thanks to Liz for the great challenge, I loved the headlines!<br />
<br />
I thought I'd get in early today and update with my reading progress later in the day. I did the challenge for today yesterday and posted it on Instagram a day early (days get very muddled in my head!) so at least I'm ahead! Here is my Book Spine Poetry:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptktZZCtJCrl4V4DO8vazKklLLF_pvfvp0kPqDhV_siPxrLlBUwvoSFMr_F9Y3HWyT92hkjElM-q0OogEIVfGglIAH5lBk9SN4i5tMeZkeFRVbduLkozo4oW2AJQzhU5N5JSyOmExUZ2/s1600/FullSizeRender-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptktZZCtJCrl4V4DO8vazKklLLF_pvfvp0kPqDhV_siPxrLlBUwvoSFMr_F9Y3HWyT92hkjElM-q0OogEIVfGglIAH5lBk9SN4i5tMeZkeFRVbduLkozo4oW2AJQzhU5N5JSyOmExUZ2/s400/FullSizeRender-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March out of the ashes into the beautiful North, rebel girls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
Really enjoyed this challenge! Will update later with reading progress, but I'm out most of today, so I'm not sure how much reading I'll get done...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have a go at Book Spine Poetry - it's really fun! I thought it would be impossible, but I actually had more ideas than I realised when I started looking through my books. If you have a go, let me know in the comments, even if you don't take a photo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Happy reading!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://d1w7fb2mkkr3kw.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/large/9781/4071/9781407103587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://d1w7fb2mkkr3kw.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/large/9781/4071/9781407103587.jpg" width="297" /></a>UPDATE: so, finished 'Here Lies Arthur' by Philip Reeve (author of Mortal Instruments books) which was... I'm not really sure. I didn't enjoy it quite a lot of the way through it, but looking back it </div>
seemed quite good. Do you ever find that with a book? Have one feeling whilst reading it, and then another when looking back in hindsight? I will have to ponder it awhile...<br />
<br /></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-57142566017980772382018-01-12T22:58:00.001+00:002018-01-12T22:58:37.447+00:00Bout of Books 21: Days 4 and 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, another day ran away from me and here I am at the end of day 5! I've totally failed at the readathon aspect of this - I've got to be honest. I tend to read 2-4 books a week on a normal week, and this week (a week where the aim is to read MORE!) I've only finished one book! And an audio book. Really not doing well. I'm managing to be quite sanguine about it, instead of beating myself up as usual - so that's a bonus! And the other bonus is that I've got quite a lot of writing done, so I'm not <i>that</i> disappointed. Feel I've sort of let the challenge down, but there we go.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Challenge, the fourth: ALL THE FAVOURITES</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is fairly open to interpretation, but I'm assuming it's famous book-related things at least! Personally, I hate making favourite lists, but here goes (using their suggestions):</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Favourite audio book reader: </b>Stephen Fry. Why? Because he's read the only audio books that I actually can't count the number of times I've listened to them. HARRY POTTER!</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-Red-Tree-by-Shaun-Tan-Lesson-Plan-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="632" height="173" src="https://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-Red-Tree-by-Shaun-Tan-Lesson-Plan-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Favourite illustrator: </b>Shaun Tan who did the most wonderful book 'The Red Tree' among others.</div>
Exquisite illustration, really amazing and intricate. Other classic favourites include: Quentin Blake <br />
(Roald Dahl), Arthur Rackham (Goblin Market, among others), and Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Favourite series: </b>how is this a question?? I think I may have to refuse to answer. Series I <i>love</i> include: Harry Potter (obviously), Lord of the Rings, The Dark is Rising, Across the Nightingale Floor, Swallows and Amazons, The Moomintrolls... and that's just the classic ones! An impossible question, I'm afraid.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Favourite bookish blog: </b>I really like <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and Bookish</a> and The <a href="http://www.themidnightgarden.net/" target="_blank">Midnight Garden</a>, but there are so many good blogs out there that I don't want to miss out some awesome people. Those are just two - and The Broke and Bookish is <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2018/01/all-good-things-come-to-end.html" target="_blank">no more</a>! Very sad times. I also miss the Midnight Garden's Middle Grade readalong, which was lovely. But there are plenty more fab bloggers out there doing their stuff!(A lot better than I do...)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Favourite vlogger: </b>I don't watch vlogs, so not really one for me.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Favourite librarian: </b>my darling friend who is living far too far away in Canada. But she is an awesome librarian (and writer too!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And there was day four!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Challenge, the fifth: Newspaper Headline (create a headline for a favourite story/book)</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ooh, this could be fun!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>STONEHENGE SLAUGHTER ENDS COUNTRY GIRL'S METEORIC RISE</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Tess of the D'Urbervilles)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>MAN OBSESSED BY WHALE: MORE INFORMATION FORTHCOMING</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Moby Dick)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>DUSTINESS IN NEXT TO GODLINESS</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(His Dark Materials)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>PIG TAKEOVER AT LOCAL FARM</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Animal Farm)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>FOUR FOREIGN CHILDREN RECLAIM MONARCHY</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That was a great challenge - thanks to <a href="https://travelinretrospect.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Liz!</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Anyone think of any good book headlines? It's good fun!</div>
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-70880592462212896772018-01-10T20:47:00.001+00:002018-01-10T20:47:28.909+00:00Bout of Books 21: Day 3<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Challenge, the third: </b>Take a selection of your favourite book spines to make a rainbow. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This one, unbeknownst to me, was set by my Secret Santa Liz Whitehouse! I am an awful blogger and didn't do an unboxing post but she was <i>beyond </i>generous. Go and check out her <a href="https://travelinretrospect.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, here is my rainbow spine - and they're all brilliant books, which is the important thing. (Although the whole rainbow part is pretty darn cool too,)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeDPRHUe8GQTHZ-ewwrQEFYWBHwaqE5CSi_FbHtrK4t_ed1HtN41zUL4eyHEaW31xieoOTjTMXO45b7bIFUDBhoL4vMWquDb3gNy5YvOdixfoMJQZCNY07hUpLyMUZvziMMSEQ3zm4X0A/s1600/IMG_4401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeDPRHUe8GQTHZ-ewwrQEFYWBHwaqE5CSi_FbHtrK4t_ed1HtN41zUL4eyHEaW31xieoOTjTMXO45b7bIFUDBhoL4vMWquDb3gNy5YvOdixfoMJQZCNY07hUpLyMUZvziMMSEQ3zm4X0A/s400/IMG_4401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(PS My review for The Power by Naomi Alderman is up on the blog!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
As for reading, I haven't done so much today - because I've been writing! I know - how did that happen? I haven't been writing for ages, and now suddenly I've been writing this week. It means I won't reach any sort of 'target' for Bout of Books this time round but - to be honest - I don't care, I'm just happy that I've got some kind of writing mojo going on! I can read anytime!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, my review of 'On The Bright Side' hasn't quite got written yet either... Well, it's a great book - and is out tomorrow, and I'll definitely have a review up soon.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Started reading Philip Reeve's 'Here Lies Arthur' - I wanted something light and easy while I am on a (potential) writing kick.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Happy reading friends. What books are you reading right now?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-32268402652806700162018-01-09T20:05:00.002+00:002018-01-09T20:05:56.801+00:00Bout of Books 21: Days 1 and 2So, Monday flew away from me and I tried to post the first challenge (introduce yourself in six words) as a comment to Bout of Books, but it didn't work for some reason...<br />
<br />
So, here is <b>Monday's Challenge: </b>introduce yourself in six words.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQpaMNj_Pds8vGe_QLiSfo3jwbxTzHybV1z9Z_O2p5t21dFG7ZzpsZPOrkASVg3K7Zr-No1cbnQw2wvse31g4U_1NtRPi8IrOj8XekBWNT6bhxAKxY2NH4XWHifXodqvqRsV0E67rhGAV/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQpaMNj_Pds8vGe_QLiSfo3jwbxTzHybV1z9Z_O2p5t21dFG7ZzpsZPOrkASVg3K7Zr-No1cbnQw2wvse31g4U_1NtRPi8IrOj8XekBWNT6bhxAKxY2NH4XWHifXodqvqRsV0E67rhGAV/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Someday, I'll be on your bookshelves)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Tuesday's Challenge: </b>Share your 2018 Reading Goal (s).<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well... I don't really have specific goals. Sorry, I know that's boring but it's the truth. Or - more accurately - they're the same as every year. To read some more classics, to write some decent reviews, to stop starting series and not finishing them, to read the books that I actually own rather than getting new ones from NetGalley... Nothing exciting, I'm afraid.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finished one book so far this week, review to come! (Spoiler: it's great.) <b>On the Bright Side </b>comes out on January 11th, so I'll probably post the review before Sunday (Bout of Books day for review-writing).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHzC49Eckq2o8ggwtGUq6SZzY5PWJJ9yAobISvV_v_-cRLrA_7wtMhTFaJtpdTizg41n7cucxOIKGdpYfXMhJ0oKU0pmWvHYyHGb2XsYeG98tAD8eXlw4BAAJzdMG7-f_DGdLUUjsKhqg/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHzC49Eckq2o8ggwtGUq6SZzY5PWJJ9yAobISvV_v_-cRLrA_7wtMhTFaJtpdTizg41n7cucxOIKGdpYfXMhJ0oKU0pmWvHYyHGb2XsYeG98tAD8eXlw4BAAJzdMG7-f_DGdLUUjsKhqg/s320/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hope everyone else is having a good week so far!</div>
<div>
<br /><div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-26027718169789592352018-01-04T21:10:00.002+00:002018-01-04T21:10:49.277+00:00Bout of Books 21So, it's come to that time of year again (several times a year) when Bout of Books is a-happening, and I'm going to give it a go. I think this is only my second time doing it officially - for those who don't know about Bout of Books, go along here and <a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html" target="_blank">read</a> all about it!<br />
<br />
Basically, there's a challenge for each day of the week and a whole load of book bloggers join in! I'm not sure I'll manage all the prompts, but I will hold myself accountable with the number of books/pages I read - that's the other part.<br />
<br />
Here are the challenges for this time round:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/636862992504586240/7xWzrdUp.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Monday 8th January</b>: Introduce Yourself <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">#</span>insixwords<br />
<b>Tuesday 9th January</b>: Share Your 2018 Reading Goal (s)<br />
<b>Wednesday 10th January</b>: Book Spine Rainbow (yay! I like this one! Although I'm not sure <br />
whether I can do as good a one as I did last time without just using the same books... which wouldn't be the point. Hmm.)<br />
<b>Thursday 11th January</b>: ALL THE FAVOURITES (not sure what this means...)<br />
<b>Friday 12th January</b>: Newspaper Headlines (nor this one...)<br />
<b>Saturday 13th January</b>: Book Spine Poetry (I'm not too sure about this either - oh dear...)<br />
<b>Sunday 14th January</b>: Leave a Book Review (at least I can understand this!)<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'll see how I get on - wish me luck! (if anyone's reading this...)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-90241168530369916412017-12-31T21:03:00.001+00:002018-01-01T16:50:09.767+00:00Review: The Power<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33871762">The Power</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/118226">Naomi Alderman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2231737284">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last review of 2017! One that goes out with a bang! Or does it...?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcG5indQzr-yAfMs9LtfBH0rBO7LNJgjC82kxlodJyPxn0rwvrUWvUnVrMiDcyshtNdHrVUkubsEYiXNGky4qqDcyG1_AHsTD-L-bTh-NeUz5PFCV6dbVA51pCFh2mLYAUjKoa0s-_wWs1/s1600/The+Power.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcG5indQzr-yAfMs9LtfBH0rBO7LNJgjC82kxlodJyPxn0rwvrUWvUnVrMiDcyshtNdHrVUkubsEYiXNGky4qqDcyG1_AHsTD-L-bTh-NeUz5PFCV6dbVA51pCFh2mLYAUjKoa0s-_wWs1/s320/The+Power.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>The
Power</i>. Winner of Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction.
'Electrifying,' says Margaret Atwood. 'A stone-cold genius,' says
Sarah Perry. '… it's as thought-provoking as that Atwood great, The
Handmaid's Tale', says a reviewer from <i>The Pool.</i> This is one book that has a lot to live up to: to the reading world
in general, and to me personally because I've been meaning to read it
all year! I missed out on ARC copy a long while back, but finally had
it gifted to me by my incredibly generous Secret Santa, Liz - go check out her <a href="https://travelinretrospect.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> -</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> arranged
through <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and The Bookish</a>, that brings us wonderful Top Ten
Tuesdays.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">So.
The big question. Does it live up to the hype?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">I've
got very mixed feelings about <i>The Power</i> and it
bears looking at in more detail. The premise is, without a doubt,
fascinating. Basically, it's speculative/dystopic fiction about a
world where the physical power struggle between the sexes is
reversed: women are more physically powerful than men. This 'power'
comes as an electrical charge emitting from a woman's skein – an
organ found on top of the collarbone. Now, Alderman has made some
concerted effort to create a scientific basis for this, but falls
rather short. In the acknowledgements, she thanks a scientist who
helped her look at marine biology (electric eels) and the BBC science
unit; yet even me, someone with just A levels in science, can see
ways it could have been dealt with realistically. Realising this
won't be a problem for a lot of readers – it's fiction, damnit! –
I'll move on, and I did actually manage to put it behind me and get
swept up by the story.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">Alderman
has a shifting focus between four central characters, all in third
person; however, each voice is distinct. There's Roxy from England:
possibly the most powerful woman in the world, from a shady and
influential family. Then there's Allie, rechristened Eve, a mixed
race girl from the US who's been pushed from one unsuccessful foster
placement to another for all of her childhood. There's Tunde from
Lagos, a young man with an entrepreneurial mind, climbing his way
through life from lounging beside a pool to being one of the world's
most famous photojournalists. And Margot: a US politician with grand
aspirations and a disturbed teenage daughter. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Initially
unconnected, their lives become inextricably intertwined from 'The
Day of the Girls' onwards, when teenage girls worldwide acquire 'The
Power' this pseudo scientific, more supernatural, devastating
ability.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh9yN9boEwiEeo3O3jZTXCwdx7obQitdNPhGKPl7BrdouUV9vNGYNuFFdxowQklETV8MDeeLC7cGFTIEtWKSQztTHNr7cQ7PpzJJr9eUWcsvG3iUlTep8lrW-MglQ8Tjk7Qj1clGBnShV/s1600/The+Power+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh9yN9boEwiEeo3O3jZTXCwdx7obQitdNPhGKPl7BrdouUV9vNGYNuFFdxowQklETV8MDeeLC7cGFTIEtWKSQztTHNr7cQ7PpzJJr9eUWcsvG3iUlTep8lrW-MglQ8Tjk7Qj1clGBnShV/s320/The+Power+2.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">This
electricity within them can hurt people, can torment people, torture,
even kill. The world as we know it is turned on its head as women, as
opposed to men, become the symbol – more than that: the actual
embodiment – of strength. Patriarchy dissolves. Now men are afraid
to walk alone, always feel safer in pairs and would rather stay
inside during the hours of dark. </span></span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">So,
Alderman speculates what the world would be like if women, rather
than men had to fear for their physical safety. As I said – a very
exciting promise.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">But.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">It
just falls short of all the accolades it's been given. The four
perspectives are uneven; this is something that many fiction writers
struggle with, but it's particularly grating here. In, for example,
Lord of the Rings, you're willing to invest in watching Frodo and
Sam's painfully slow journey despite Isengard falling, or The Battle
of Helm's Deep being much more pacy. Here, it feels irksome and
almost lazy. All of the storylines <i>should</i> be as
interesting as each other, but they aren't.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another
issue I had was the concept of a women ruled state, called Bessapara,
in what is now mostly Saudi Arabia. I think this could have worked,
but not in this kind of timescale. Alderman seems to be projecting a
very Western viewpoint here; very quickly women who have been wearing
the veil and answering to men for centuries quickly turn to violence
against their former 'captors.' It just isn't plausible for me; some
women may feel captive in such patriarchal societies, but not
everyone. As a Westerner, it's easy to say: 'that's terrible', but </span>for<span style="font-size: small;"> some it is a way of life. Physical strength may be what made the
states as they are, but culture is deeply, deeply ingrained. There's
a fine line between empowerment of women and simply disregarding
others' cultures, and Alderman may be on the wrong side of the line
here. Women having power means lots of casual sex, raping men and the
creation of a matriarchal state that is, in fact, much more violent
than we currently see. This seems a dangerous line of speculation.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally,
the novel uses a book proposal as a framing device – a man called
Neil is writing to Naomi Alderman with the first draft of his work
attached (which is the novel itself). This is interesting, but I
don't feel it added anything particularly</span>.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://literature.britishcouncil.org/assets/Uploads/writers/_resampled/CroppedImage680680-Naomi-Alderman-credit-Justine-Stoddard-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://literature.britishcouncil.org/assets/Uploads/writers/_resampled/CroppedImage680680-Naomi-Alderman-credit-Justine-Stoddard-web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit:literature.britishcouncil.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Very
mixed feelings. It had such a brilliant premise – but it just
didn't go far enough. There were lots of other ideas and subplots
thrown in – <i>The Power</i> is not a one trick pony –
but when it boils down to it, there is a brilliant central arc that isn't done justice. More exploration of the main theme without
oversimplifying the power dynamic of the sexes would have been
better, as opposed to a slightly messy unfocused abundance of ideas.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: inherit;">I
wanted to like this book more than I did. Full marks for the original
idea – but the execution let it down; it's not a bad book, just
overhyped.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2231737284">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-73808728679674600722017-12-10T17:30:00.000+00:002017-12-10T17:30:00.105+00:00Review: Return of the Magi: A heartwarming Christmas story<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35678133" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Return of the Magi: A heartwarming Christmas story" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500074352m/35678133.jpg" width="209" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35678133">Return of the Magi: A heartwarming Christmas story</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25108">P.J. Tracy</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2204089601">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
Emil Rice is a good guy. Really. The fact that he's been arrested for felony twenty two times and was just caught rooting through the nativity scene outside the church... well, that's just a few bad choices, right? He can be a good guy.<br />
<br />
Emil certainly behaves as though he believes so: a silver-tongued spindoctor whose eloquence doesn't exactly land him up where he wants, but at least it's not jail. That's got to be better. Right? Right??<br />
<br />
To his parole officer's surprise, Emil Rice ends up being posted to do voluntary work at a mental institution. The people seem... sort of normal. Well, maybe not. They have the quirks. None more than Gloria and Edith, who are fascinated by Emil's black skin colour - and he's not really sure they're being racist. They're just plain weird. When he discovers they've been in this institution for the majority of their lives, waiting for a third wiseman to complete their trio, Emil's life takes a turn for the decidedly surreal.<br />
<br />
Look, it's not the most brilliant of books written, and not usually a genre I would go for (a little too <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/89/97/fc/8997fcb0e9af405e6c04f1d59fece08d--nativity-costumes-three-wise-men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/89/97/fc/8997fcb0e9af405e6c04f1d59fece08d--nativity-costumes-three-wise-men.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
'fluffy'), but actually this was a really enjoyable, pacy, non-taxing, festive read. Maybe a little saccharine - but we can let that go, can't we? It's Christmas, after all! The gradual development of Emil's character is fairly believable, surprising as the action takes place over a very short period, and the twist at the end - you knew there was going to be one, just couldn't work out what it was - was lovely.<br />
<br />
Not a literary great, but lots of feel-good factor for the Christmas period.<br />
<br />
I was given a copy of 'Return of the Magi' from NetGalley and the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2204089601">View all my reviews</a>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/catalogue/pim/contributors/87/23490/contributor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" src="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/catalogue/pim/contributors/87/23490/contributor.jpg" /></a></div>
P J Tracy tends to write in a very different style actually - I checked out her website and discovered that P J Tracy is actually two people (a mother and daughter team) who write collaboratively, which is always interesting. Apparently PJ passed away recently, and I'm unsure whether she was involved in writing this book or not. Most of the her author books are thrillers - go and check out her website if that is more of your thing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pjtracy.com/">http://pjtracy.com</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-19832594649085580882017-12-10T15:33:00.000+00:002017-12-10T15:33:00.904+00:00Review: Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32561237" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492981970m/32561237.jpg" width="211" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32561237">Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15956415">Heath Fogg Davis</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2209965668">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
Beyond Trans by Heath Fogg Davis, a transgender man, pushes the 'gender question' to its very limits. Who decides whether we get labelled with an 'M' or 'F' on our birth certificates. And why is this not mutable, like other aspects of our characters our. Why someone else gets to label us as male or female - and the very key difference between sex and gender. Calling us to reclaim our identities, Davis explores these topics in detail throughout the book, starting with the very essence of what sex and gender actually mean, as opposed to what people think they mean (many people believe them to be one and the same). <br />
<br />
There are four key case studies: sex-marked ID (birth certificates, passports, driving licenses); single-sex bathrooms; single-sex colleges; and sexually segregated sports. Through each, there are very personal case studies identifying trans people, gay people, and sometimes cis people who have fallen prey to the world's assumptions. Some are quite shocking to read; particularly the case of Charlene Arcila, an African American transgender woman living in Philadelphia. She was refused entry onto the bus because the bus driver simply did not believe that the sex marker on her identification matched what he was seeing. She purchased a female-marked pass and was similarly rejected: there was no way that she was going to be able to settle this without a battle in court. Davis deals with each case sensitively, not so that you feel sorry for the people, but that you feel righteous anger and indignation on their behalf. This, I think is much more valuable in moving times forwards.<br />
<br />
There was a similarly humiliating case in the chapter on sex-segregated rest-rooms where Khadijah Farmer, her girlfriend and a friend decided to go for a meal in New York City after spending the day at the city's LGBT Pride celebration. Farmer, an African-American out-Lesbian, went to use the restroom where she was told that she was in the wrong place. After assuring the other woman that she was in the right restroom, she went into the stall to do her business, only to have a male bouncer enter <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://heathfoggdavis.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/heath-7-of-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://heathfoggdavis.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/heath-7-of-7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
the room having heard there was 'a man in the woman's restroom.' Farmer showed the bouncer her ID but (exact quotation), his reply was: 'Your ID is neither here nor there.' She was forced to leave the premises. <br />
<br />
As well as these awful individual stories (also touching on the well-published female athlete Caster Semenya who became so used to being asked to 'prove' to her fellow racers that she was female, would willingly go into a restroom and show them; and the Williams sisters being described as 'apes' and 'man-like), Heath, offers clear thoughts on each of these problems. The chapters are structured to start with a case study, then some delving into history and legal things, as well as some philosophy, before offering a 'Conclusion' to each chapter, proffering some sort of solution. These solutions aren't perfect, as Davis recognises; in some ways they are more idealistic thinking that is unlikely to come to fruition. The idea of non sex-segragated sports, for example, I think will be incredibly contentious. And I'm not sure that Davis really offers a solution that will work for the majority of people. Although I recognise his points - woman with higher tester one levels can be banned from women's sports and occasionally allowed entry to men's sports, whereas men with low testosterone levels are not allowed to compete against women - this is something that I think people will fight about more than the others - even sex-segregated bathrooms. I don't know for certain, but it's a feeling I have.<br />
<br />
As a book to read, it was interesting, but quite hard going. The heavy referencing was quite cumbersome at times, and although I was interested in what Davis had to say, I have read better books on the subject.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://evolverinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lgbt-pride-month-2017-evolve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://evolverinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lgbt-pride-month-2017-evolve.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
'Beyond Trans' is a good book - it gets people asking questions, it gets people thinking - but, ultimately, it wasn't brilliantly written, and I found it very slow. If you are interested in reading about transgender rights or LGBTQ ideas for a more inclusive future, I think there are other books that are more accessible. Still, Davis has produced an extremely well-researched book, and I give him all credit for that.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2209965668">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-39146622472811446332017-12-01T18:07:00.000+00:002017-12-01T18:07:16.013+00:00Review: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33503495" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489159159m/33503495.jpg" width="211" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33503495">No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/874602">Ursula K. Le Guin</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2200944040">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
'No Time To Spare' is a compilation of blog posts written from Le Guin's blog between 2010 and 2016. I am not much of a non-fiction writer myself, but Le Guin is a particular favourite of mine, and I haven't read any non-fiction before so was eager to snap this up. I received a free copy from NetGalley; all thoughts and opinions are my own.<br />
<br />
Perhaps if I had known that these were originally published on Le Guin's blog, I would have been less enthusiastic about reading this; however, not knowing I immediately wanted to read her words, and I'm glad I did. Reading these in a book format (albeit a ebook format - I would much rather have a physical copy) is very different to a blog. Le Guin herself touches on this in one her short writings ('A Note at the Beginning') where she was inspired by Jose Saramango's blogs (which, of course, I will now have to find some time to read.) I like her idea of a blog, borrowed from Saramango, where she doesn't have to constantly have a conversation below the post with readers. She can write something and that been the entirety of it. As someone who writes myself, I can understand the frightening nature of blogs - and I've grown up with them! (Maybe it's not a good thing that I can relate more to an octogenarian than someone like me in their twenties...)<br />
<br />
Many of the extracts focus on ageing: what it feels like to be old, and the titular writing: 'In Your <i>'never had a job to retire from.'</i> Writing is a calling, a thing of love, to be nurtured. What is this spare time? All her time is spent in doing something - whether it be writing a blog post, playing with her cat Pard, replying to her fan-mail (there's an enjoyable piece of writing on that; my advice is - don't really bother unless you're a small child and you aren't using a spell checker. That's the kind of fan-mail she enjoys the most), or staring into space. All her time is full. This way of looking at life is very kind; that is one thing that springs from these pages - Le Guin is kind. Not just in a grandmotherly, let's-look-out-for-the-children or even a Democrat we-need-to-do-something-to-sort-out-this-planet-and-this-gargantuam-mess-we've-got-into way. No, a simple pure kindness. It's something that can only be felt; in these very personal writings, Le Guin bears a little of her soul for us to see, and I am eternally enchanted.<br />
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzExZTlmODgtZWRkNS00ODQwLWFjMGMtMDE2MDVmZmFjYmQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDUzOTQ5MjY@._V1_UY317_CR29,0,214,317_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="214" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzExZTlmODgtZWRkNS00ODQwLWFjMGMtMDE2MDVmZmFjYmQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDUzOTQ5MjY@._V1_UY317_CR29,0,214,317_AL_.jpg" /></a>Spare Time.' With wit, but with astonishing grace and humbleness, Le Guin explains that for her in her ninetieth years, there is no such thing as 'spare time.' And there never has been. She says she <br />
<br />
Her writing about ageing is very moving. That's a very simple word - moving - but I cannot find a more suitable one, and perhaps should stop trying. In a writing of 2013 called 'The Diminished Thing' she addresses the American bent towards positive thinking. 'What's wrong with positive thinking?' you may ask. Well, Le Guin puts it very succinctly, very aptly. <i>'Encouragement by denial, however well-meaning, backfires... To tell me my old age doesn't exist is to tell me I don't exist. Erase my age, you erase my life - me.' </i>What a way with words she has. She wishes to be respected as an 'elder' but she also encourages the respect of young people; both of which we appear to losing in modern day society. <br />
<br />
Although some of her topics are vast, the way Le Guin writes is deeply personal. I feel like I 'know' her through these writings. This is, of course, nonsense, as Le Guin herself says when talking about receiving fan-mail. But she offers up her writings in a generous, unassuming way for us to take and do with what we will. Of course, I don't know Le Guin. I know some more about her life as it is now, I know quite a lot more about her cat, Pard (there's a lovely section dedicated to him called 'The Annals of Pard' and a very true-feeling writing about choosing a cat), but I do not know her. She is not my friend. Yet, the way she has written it is to make one feel as though you would like to be. <br />
<br />
Other topics she covers include: the liberal use of two particular swear words that seem to have become a shortcut, but Le Guin unpicks them, their origins and their use - finding them to have more meaning than I think of when I read them in a novel. I will certainly think twice the next time I across either (which is most likely to be the next modern novel I read.) There's an interesting section 'debunking' narrative gift and its connection, or not, to literary quality, and its connection, or not, to good storytelling. I loved her piece about fantasy writing and the fear of unknown in 'It Doesn't Have to Be the Way It Is.' (<i>'There really is nothing to fear in fantasy unless you are afraid of the freedom of uncertainty.'</i>); her thoughts on utopia and dystopia ('Utopiyin, Utopiyang'); the way the President talks to the American people, about their worth and whether they were worthy of being asked difficult things ('Lying It All Away'), involving the first televised broadcast from the White House; the nature of growing up, muddled up with misquotations ('The Inner Child and the Nude Politician')... I could go on and on. I don't think there was a single writing here that didn't sing to me in some way. I want to go away and reread these short pieces and let them sit in my soul and speak to me. <br />
<br />
One interesting thing I noticed was how surprised I was by how American Le Guin is; of course I shouldn't have been, but when we read the fiction of a fantasy/sci-fi writer it can transcend boundaries. So, rather stupidly, I was caught off guard by how American her 'natural' writing style is. She writes of 'The Great American Novel' and an author's quest for it (not something she has time for), and it isn't something I was really aware of; however, during reading this, I heard a programme on Radio 4 ('Open Book') which spoke to an American about that very subject. Eerie stuff. Le Guin's opinion on 'TGAN and TGOW' has changed over the last year (this piece was written in 2011) - from Huckleberry Finn (for all its faults) to The Grapes of Wrath (for all its faults) (Although she still dismisses the general idea: <i>'Art is not a horse race. Literature is not the Olympics.'</i>) And I, an ignorant English girl, have read neither (although works by the same authors). There were many occasions where I stopped and scribbled down a book I would like to read by way of her roundabout recommendation.<br />
<br />
<br />
Most of all, I wanted to reread Le Guin's own books; the books where it all started, in my mind at <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRXtxstDitJjQhQ22TtqEGWtL3H7WfMNfaVUB_mEtGOSeLM5fCMcEItaLlru9SATRyCARr7vQcPw6ZQLKFndC2NKQxP6awtLzBNZRULBhA_AIL0U0UaVUBKJmcTDXo3Z8Tz7mc0spm-72/s1600/c609ce14084229.5627d32ac645c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRXtxstDitJjQhQ22TtqEGWtL3H7WfMNfaVUB_mEtGOSeLM5fCMcEItaLlru9SATRyCARr7vQcPw6ZQLKFndC2NKQxP6awtLzBNZRULBhA_AIL0U0UaVUBKJmcTDXo3Z8Tz7mc0spm-72/s400/c609ce14084229.5627d32ac645c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
least (I'm not sure of the publication dates). The Wizard of Earthsea. Tehanu. All my well-loved <br />
characters from childhood that deserve another visit. And they will get one. (Once I've finished the deluge of books I have to read to review...)<br />
<br />
Despite knowing that fan-mail from adults that has correct punctuation and none of the charm that children's misspellings and mistakes, I do feel drawn to write to Le Guin now - hand-written, pen on paper writing. She has, for me, opened up her soul, and I crave to receive a tiny acknowledgement back. But - as she rightly says - this is not the job of the author; the author writes and the reader takes whatever meaning they want from it. <i>'Tell me what it means... That's not my job, honey. That's your job.' </i>But I don't want to write and ask her what anything means. I want to write to her and feel that spark of human connection; the resonance that one feels with someone although I know it can never be reciprocal. (Although in my head, I can imagine discussing Hopkins' 'The Windhover' which she mentions in 'Readers' Questions', the sheer absurdity of proverbs mentioned in 'Having My Cake' (which also provided some information on Charles Darwin I didn't know), talking about Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey...)<br />
<br />
Still, 'No Time To Spare' has made me want to connect to Le Guin while - how do I say this delicately - while I still can. She has touched me in a way that non-fiction writers generally do not. I cannot rate this book more highly. For this small insight into such a great mind, we are truly blessed.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2200944040">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-73900413484540266142017-11-29T12:31:00.000+00:002017-11-29T12:31:28.419+00:00Review: The Boy With One Name<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<i>Jones is the boy with one name, snatched as an infant from his loving parents by a Badlander called Maitland, he only longs to be a normal boy and have his family back. One night, he and Maitland are on patrol and come across an ogre 'moon-bathing.' Things don't go quite to plan; enter: Ruby, a foster child on the run, who is desperate to be part of the Badlander's world, despite its dangers and terrors. Along with a talking gun, a miniature fire breathing black dog, an old camper van, and a hefty sprinkling of magic - you're sure to be taken on one hell of a ride!</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781471157929/the-boy-with-one-name-9781471157929_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781471157929/the-boy-with-one-name-9781471157929_hr.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
The Badlands are all around us. All the things that you've heard about in stories - witches, ghosts, ogres, giants, spells, curses - they're all real. It's just that most people don't see them. If you're a Badlander, however, it's all you see.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
Jones is tired of the Badlands. He's tired of hunting down enemies for his master, constantly checking out every place he goes to in case of dangerous creatures, tired of living without a family. But he was rescued as a baby by his master, Maitland, who picked him up as a bundle left behind on some steps. He wasn't wanted. All Maitland wants him to do is to commence - the act that will make him a true Badlander, and be able to perform magic and spells that we can only dream of. But Jones? Jones wants to be normal. He's seen snippets of real life on the televisions of shop windows as they pass by; he's seen families strolling with their children; children going to school to learn maths and English, not about the <i>Ordnung </i>(the Badlander law) and what specific types of metal kill or repel different monsters. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
Wallis starts with what should be the biggest night of an apprentice's life: the night where they commence, and can perform proper magic. Maitland thinks he's ready (although his talking gun isn't too sure...) And Jones just doesn't know what to do. They've discovered an ogre moon-bathing, and Jones must make his first kill. Only, Jones knows this person as a man during daylight hours: he runs the sweet shop, and is perfectly kind. And, besides, he doesn't want anything to do with all this. But with Maitland being all he has, what can he do?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
Enter Ruby, with a loud scream as she crashes her bike. This evening is really not going to plan. On the run from her foster parents, she's remarkably accepting of the situation when she gets past the '<i>thatsabloomingtrollogremonsterthingy!</i>' When Ruby gets the measure of what's going on, all she can see is excitement. Being a Badlander sounds like the most awesome thing in the world. So what if the stupid <i>Ordnung </i>says that only boys can do magic. Girls can do everything boys can do, even <i>better </i>than boys in fact. Her mind's made up: Ruby Jenkins is going to be a Badlander.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
The Badlands is a fantastic world that Wallis has created, hidden within our every day world. One could accuse it of being akin to Harry Potter (a magical world coexisting with the normal; some of the magical items are very similar e.g. 'Slap Dust' which has similar effects to 'Floo Powder' in Harry Potter), but they are in fact very different. This is pitched at a younger age group to Harry Potter and, as such, is a bit less serious and a lot of fun. Both the central characters, Ruby and Jones, are thoroughly likeable, and the other characters, even ones who play a minimal role, are well-rounded and thought out. There are no 'Mary Sues' here! </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/97708508/bookbag_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/97708508/bookbag_400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a>I enjoyed Wallis' 'The Boy with One Name.' I could see it becoming a series; there's definitely potential, although I'm not sure what the plans are. I certainly hope to read more about Jones and Ruby and their 'new circumstances!' (I won't give anything away - no spoilers!)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
A really good and fun urban fantasy novel for middle grade readers; I would definitely recommend it.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Further reading suggestions: </b>The Magesterium Series by Cassandra Claire and Holly Black; Coraline by Neil Gaiman</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">I received this free copy from The Book Bag in return for an honest review. All thoughts and </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">opinions</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> are my own.</span></span></i></span></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-90539849270594931182017-11-17T14:41:00.002+00:002017-11-17T14:41:50.520+00:00Review: Everything We Keep<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29639736" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Everything We Keep" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459205790m/29639736.jpg" width="213" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29639736">Everything We Keep</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14257762">Kerry Lonsdale</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2185531165">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
Aimee's life is falling apart at the seams. Her wedding day has turned into the day she buries her fiancee. Her parents are selling their pub that she has worked as a chef at for years, leaving without a job, money or a lover. And her friends think she should move on? What do they know? On top of everything, a man called Ian is desperately trying to make a move on her, and her brother in law is acting suspiciously.<br />
<br />
And then there's the note. A note from a psychic. That James - her fiancee - is still alive. Is Aimee clutching at straws, or is there some truth behind all this? As she gradually moves on with her life, can she really let this mystery remain unsolved?<br />
<br />
Although I didn't think this was a brilliant novel, as a debut this has a surprisingly compelling storyline. Without giving anything away, something occurs that seemed too far-fetched to be even used as poetic license, but I looked it up and found that Lonsdale had indeed kept within the realms of things that we recognise. (Hard to say much without using spoilers!) Despite this, I did find the plot frustrating in a number of ways. Grief affects everyone in different ways, but Aimee's depression following the death of her fiancee did not feel real. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but I was left with a clinical list of grieving behaviours as opposed to a character actually grieving. Furthermore, although the one thing I thought was impossible turned out to occur, the plot was still very far-fetched. Various characters didn't act in keeping with their personalities; others' personalities weren't solid enough to really know - they would do something, and I was left wondering if this was 'in' or 'out' of character, before realising that I didn't actually know the character.<br />
<br />
The writing style is fairly proficient, but can become a little confusing during scenes with much action in them; it's easy to lose track of what's happening. This doesn't happen very much though; to be fair, the majority of the book was very easy to read. Overall, the writing style isn't remarkable because this is a book based more on plot.<br />
<br />
Finally, the very last two chapters felt clumsy to me, particularly the last chapter. I realise now that is there to leave room for a sequel, but this works fine as a stand-alone novel. It wasn't needed, and detracted from the previous writing.<br />
<br />
It may seem that I hated this book; I didn't. It was fine, it just didn't thrill me, and had some key things that could be improved upon. It's billed as mystery and romance; the mystery was frustrating, but the romance was fine, if that is your kind of book. I'm not a great lover of romance (I often find myself internally rolling my eyes), but it was fairly typical of the genre.<br />
<br />
A fairly well executed debut novel. I would read more by Kerry Lonsdale, but I wouldn't read a sequel to this.<br />
<br />
Two and a half stars.<br />
<br />
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2185531165">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-20722014862274023192017-11-04T13:44:00.001+00:002017-11-04T13:44:27.241+00:00Review: Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36105772" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503428399m/36105772.jpg" width="211" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36105772">Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4776262">Preston Norton</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2165114230">2 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
Here's the premise: Cliff Hubbard is a bit of a social retard. (Okay, that's probably not PC, but it's what kids would say). He's over six foot and, at 250 pounds is, hugely obese. His brother, also his best friend, has recently committed suicide; he lives in a trailer park; his father is an alcoholic; and he is teased constantly.<br />
<br />
Basically, life's not very good. <br />
<br />
Then, something strange happens. Aaron Zimmerman, massively cool jock who is one of Cliff's key tormentors - perhaps even the originator of his nickname 'Neanderthal' - has a boating accident. Everyone assumes he's going to die. Cliff has sort of mixed feelings about this: it's great he's no longer around, but he had been really determined to kick his butt, and if Aaron dies this sort of mucks up that plan.<br />
<br />
But Aaron mucks up Cliff's plan further: he comes out of his coma, and <i>talks</i> to Cliff. An actual conversation, using his name, and being polite and everything. What is going on with the universe? Aaron claims he saw God and God gave him a list of things to do make Happy Valley High School suck less. Where does Cliff come in? God said that Aaron had to have Cliff as his side-kick. Cliff does get on board, suspiciously, but it seems like this magic list is doing more damage than good. Is Aaron just suffering from concussion? A logical conclusion, but, as the pair spend more time together, it's not something Cliff wants to believe. Surely, one person, just one, could like him for who he is without having sustained a massive brain injury.<br />
<br />
Things sure get complicated...<br />
<br />
I wanted to like this book; I really did. It sounded like fun - a quick read, a quick laugh, with the<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNUQu23kLIOBYefpaUvQRCWFfzn1GGMR80Qj8zBs258BiEGK9sUXkHyG_Rz8DHxPcOMXReFsytatWyeRe1Rii0nffizDtkwXWkEk-jiuoyki5O0v6H0OA2e2B7uNDunxXRlfmNDC8FWKd/s1600/Preston+Norton.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNUQu23kLIOBYefpaUvQRCWFfzn1GGMR80Qj8zBs258BiEGK9sUXkHyG_Rz8DHxPcOMXReFsytatWyeRe1Rii0nffizDtkwXWkEk-jiuoyki5O0v6H0OA2e2B7uNDunxXRlfmNDC8FWKd/s320/Preston+Norton.png" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preston Norton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
obligatory message that all YA books have these days. But... I just... didn't.<br />
<br />
It's sort of hard to pinpoint why. One problem is it has a very slow start and I was getting pretty bored. But that wasn't all of it, obviously. The plot just didn't work. And I think the main problem was the characterisation, specifically, of Cliff. He's six foot and weighs 250 pounds. That's kind of the limit to his character. Okay, so there was a <i>bit</i> more character development than that, but really - for being such a ginormous size - he was a pretty flat character. And there's a relationship with a girl that really <i>really</i> doesn't work. It's unbelievable, out of character, unlikely, cringeworthy... just wrong. <br />
<br />
I liked the references to '2001: A Space Odyssey.' That gets some points from me. But when the book tries to be all philosophical, I just got that squirmy feeling when someone's misjudged a situation and everyone feels all awkward. For example, Cliff's older brother said: "<i>Life isn't just existing... It's a door. Don't you want to know what's on the other side?</i> It just... well, it doesn't work. Not in this book.<br />
<br />
I suppose I should give Norton some credit for the 'nod' to the LGBTQ community, but that's all it was: a nod. It didn't feel real. It felt like it was inserted into the book because that's what's 'in' in modern YA fiction at the moment, not because it meant anything to the author.<br />
<br />
Like I said, I wanted to like it, and I persevered, but it was really disatisfying. By all means, go ahead and read it - I'd love to hear some positive reviews and maybe find out what I've missed, but - for me - this is a no. <br />
<br />
Sorry Norton. Maybe I'll like your next book? <br />
<br />
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney/Hyperion for the ARC copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are mine. This book will be released on May 22nd 2018.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/media2.slashfilm.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/2001spaceodyssey-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="800" height="160" src="https://i0.wp.com/media2.slashfilm.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/2001spaceodyssey-logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now this is definitely cooler. Crazy, but great. If you haven't watched it, you really should.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2165114230">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-41751553224200462902017-10-29T17:43:00.002+00:002017-11-04T13:07:01.221+00:00Review: 147 Things: My User's Guide to the Universe, from Black Holes to Bellybuttons<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35064128" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="147 Things: My User's Guide to the Universe, from Black Holes to Bellybuttons" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493929879m/35064128.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35064128">147 Things: My User's Guide to the Universe, from Black Holes to Bellybuttons</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3518473">Jim Chapman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2159120934">2 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
Back to dusting off this blog with a recent review. Here goes.<br />
<br />
'147 Things: My User's Guide to the Universe, from Black Holes to Bellybuttons.' Sounds pretty wacky and out there, right? Pick up some interesting facts in a very easy read style book, or at the very least get some random and interesting trivia. Right? Right??<br />
<br />
Well, I'm sorry, Jim, but your book just didn't do it for me. The balance of seriousness with sheer stupidity (the amount of times your penis was mentioned just wasn't funny, particularly when juxtaposed beside the story of how a major father figure in your life died) doesn't gel. And as for the amazing facts and stuff? Well... meh. There wasn't even anything that new there. I mean: there were a few things that I didn't know specifically, but nothing to make me get too excited about. Apart from that, they were facts that, well, <i>everyone</i> knows. Apparently not Chapman because he presents them as though he's the bringer of some amazing new piece of science that will really shock you. But it's mostly GCSE level type stuff, it's not ground-breaking.<br />
<br />
I only finished this book, to be honest, because I wanted to give it a fair review. And I have. Unfortunately, slogging through every single one of the 147 facts didn't change my mind. <br />
<br />
Two stars, purely for the fact that I did go and watch about half of one of Chapman's YouTube videos (I switched it off because it was boring), so I must have been a little more intrigued than I realised. Now, I'm even more confused. Why do people find him so interesting on YouTube? I could walk around with a camera all day too, y'know...<br />
<br />
Nothing personal about Jim Chapman; he seems like a really nice bloke. I imagine if you follow his YouTube channel, you'll enjoy this book because it appears to be along the same style. Not one for me, but (this sounds weird) I wouldn't mind meeting Jim Chapman. I think he'd be an interesting conversationalist. <br />
<br />
Just - unfortunately for us - not an author.<br />
<br />
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
<br />
<br />
(If anyone's interested - after my, er half-hearted, endorsement - below is the video I checked out. I didn't manage to watch the whole thing.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZpP9bl4gZy4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZpP9bl4gZy4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2159120934">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-38555213924766898682017-10-24T20:44:00.000+01:002017-10-26T20:44:56.846+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Unique Book Titles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrKAruJW5n5PwgOhEnGoVL9MowdZXS09etPG58XD-wdKLb_eTv1C8LX7Ch7lbxy7LS1RALyCVRdcW0fbzdsHB6-jtBijyiwd0z6fjCzNYHQgj1-S9w1XgNDX3D5p_TsNgyq7t5dyH85AR/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrKAruJW5n5PwgOhEnGoVL9MowdZXS09etPG58XD-wdKLb_eTv1C8LX7Ch7lbxy7LS1RALyCVRdcW0fbzdsHB6-jtBijyiwd0z6fjCzNYHQgj1-S9w1XgNDX3D5p_TsNgyq7t5dyH85AR/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Been rather neglecting this blog for a while and I decided to come back with a Top Ten Tuesday after reading some really funny titles over on <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2017/10/1024-top-ten-unique-book-titles.html" target="_blank">Broke and Bookish</a>, and then I saw a good one at a swap shelf... well, the universe was telling me something! So, here are my top ten unique book titles (although other people have come up with some of the same, and some much better!):<br />
<br />
1) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Almond-Parrot-gripping-decadent-historical-ebook/dp/B01DWZ1ESG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509044438&sr=8-1&keywords=an+almond+for+a+parrot" target="_blank">An Almond for a Parrot</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LeBwrQnSL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="227" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LeBwrQnSL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is the one I saw on a random swap shelf - and the first thing I wanted to know was: do parrots eat almonds? First port of call was the parents (being vets), but they didn't know, just said they ate cashews. useful lot. Good old internet it is then... Yes! - they do. So maybe not that an exciting title after all...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Dental-Practice-Genghis-Second/dp/1910227668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509044658&sr=8-1&keywords=managing+a+dental+practice+the+genghis+khan+way" target="_blank">Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356478240i/7862973._UY400_SS400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356478240i/7862973._UY400_SS400_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Just... weird. Brought out in 2016 and the paperback version is over £30?? What is so special about this book??</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/People-Long-Ears-Robin-Borwick/dp/B000SATGWU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509044872&sr=1-1&keywords=people+with+long+ears" target="_blank">People with Long Ears</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://pictures.abebooks.com/NAOWARAT/20623045042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="542" height="320" src="https://pictures.abebooks.com/NAOWARAT/20623045042.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Okay, so this book is actually an old book about donkeys, but it sounded weird before I knew that!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
4) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lust-Lizard-Melancholy-Cove/dp/0061770515/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509045066&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lust+lizard+of+melancholy+cove" target="_blank">The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.thehouseofoojah.com/media/ecom/prodlg/the-lust-lizard-of-melancholy-cove-9781433293139-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://www.thehouseofoojah.com/media/ecom/prodlg/the-lust-lizard-of-melancholy-cove-9781433293139-lg.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This isn't a children's book - apparently a very surreal, funny book about just about everything - intelligent dogs, zombies, hurricanes, leviathans, devils... And it's the first in a trilogy. I guess there's something for everything? Or perhaps there's everything for no one...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Pee-Leg-Tell-Raining/dp/0060927941/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509045312&sr=8-1&keywords=don%27t+pee+on+my+leg+and+tell+me+it%27s+raining" target="_blank">Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TW29-AYxL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="260" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TW29-AYxL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think this is actually a supposedly sensible book about 'the problem of America's fraying family fabric' and how juvenile delinquents are taking over and we need to stand up to them or something like that. Anyway. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
6) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Does-Ever-Speak-through-Cats/dp/0929422031/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509045548&sr=1-1&keywords=does+god+ever+speak+through+cats" target="_blank">Does God Ever Speak Through Cats?</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nBbRl%2BRfL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nBbRl%2BRfL.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have to say this is not something I have ever considered before. My cat is sitting on my lap as I type, and she has nothing to say on the topic. Apparently David Evans does though!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
7) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turtles-All-Down-John-Green/dp/0241335434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509045878&sr=1-1&keywords=turtles+all+the+way+down" target="_blank">Turtles All The Way Down</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780525555360" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780525555360" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously, this is one that I actually intend to read because John Green is awesome. But where does the title come from? Interestingly enough, it's actually <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">expression</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>is a well-known phrase (not to me). It's the equivalent of 'what came first: the chicken or the egg?' It refers to the 'defect of infinite regress in any philosophical argument, and widely accepted in Indian philosophy. There you go then. Might be a clue as to what the book's about. (I haven't read the blurb or any reviews yet because I want it to be a surprise.)</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teach-your-wife-be-widow/dp/B000BK2F9S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509046308&sr=1-1&keywords=teach+your+wife+to+be+a+widow" target="_blank">Teach Your </a></span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teach-your-wife-be-widow/dp/B000BK2F9S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509046308&sr=1-1&keywords=teach+your+wife+to+be+a+widow" target="_blank">Wife<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to be a Widow</span></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81rXl6p4EiL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="544" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81rXl6p4EiL.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm still not quite sure whether this is a joke or not. I think it must be. But then it was published in 1953 - it doesn't sound like a very 1950s joke (says she who was born in the 90s). Difficult to get hold of in the UK, and on amazon US there's a reviewer who says: 'only purchase if your wife is both capable of a capital crime and willing to accept the consequences.' That means it's a joke, right? Right?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
9) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/BIG-BOOK-LESBIAN-HORSE-STORIES/dp/0758202547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509046598&sr=1-1&keywords=the+big+book+of+lesbian+horse+stories" target="_blank">The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TJ7G4S4YL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TJ7G4S4YL.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Reviewers have found this book 'strangely sensual and alluring' and 'not as alluring as the title would have you believe.' And how alluring is that exactly...?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
10) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuclear-War-Whats-Methuen-paperback/dp/0413516407/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509046818&sr=8-1&keywords=nuclear+war+whats+in+it+for+you" target="_blank">Nuclear War: What's In It For You?</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511cRWV4sXL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="202" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511cRWV4sXL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
No Amazon reviews at all, so don't know if this is a joke or not. I'm assuming so...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, there we have it: my top ten unique book titles. Not as good as other people's: go check out the fun at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2017/10/1024-top-ten-unique-book-titles.html" target="_blank">The Broke and Bookish. </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Cheers! xx</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-74077340810477465862017-09-04T08:00:00.000+01:002017-09-04T08:00:52.808+01:00Review: Another's Child<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.iheartreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/51TBgk1XqBL._SX322_BO1204203200_.jpg?resize=195%2C300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="195" height="400" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.iheartreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/51TBgk1XqBL._SX322_BO1204203200_.jpg?resize=195%2C300" width="260" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rachel and Benny, and Yalei and Arik are friends. Best friends. They do everything together - go for food together, go on holiday together, and have children… together? But, unexpectedly, Rachel and Benny ask Yael to take their child, Noa, if they die. Yael is pretty skeptical about the idea. Why would they be better than someone actually related to the child? But, Arik convinces her that the chances of both Rachel and Benny dying at the same time are so small, that why should they offend their friends? Reluctantly, Yael agrees.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward nine years. Benny and Rachel stayed in Canada, whilst Yael and Arik have moved to Israel. Contact between them has been virtually nil. But a woman named Debbie turns up on Yael’s doorstep with nine-year-old Noa in tow, explaining that she is now Yael and Arik’s responsibility.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From that moment on, Yael’s world is turned upside down. How could she have prepared for this? Surely, they must have changed their will after they moved back to Israel; surely no one can expect her to look after this very Canadian nine year old, whilst she has two boys of her own, and a job to be getting on with? How can she raise a girl she doesn’t even know? There must be someone else to take Noa on. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cjnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Canada-Israel-Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="685" height="182" src="https://www.cjnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Canada-Israel-Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But there isn’t. Noa’s uncle is an Orthodox Jew, and therefore not someone the couple would have wanted Noa to grow up up with. Frustrated, Yael is certain there is some mistake: this was a plan hatched years ago - they must have other friends in Canada more suitable to this task than her?</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But they don’t. And, from that moment on, Yael starts to divide her life into ‘before’ and ‘after.’ Travelling back across the Atlantic to Canada with Noa, Yael tries to find a more suitable adoptive or foster family. But the plot thickens, and the past isn’t as far away as she thought.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This book had a slightly slow start, but I got into after the first quarter or so - don’t lose heart! There are some formatting issues in the Kindle edition, which is a shame, as it breaks up the flow of reading whilst you struggle to work out what time period you are in. The other main critique I would have is the punctuation of direct speech; without using a new paragraph for a new speaker, it can become very easy to lose the thread of a conversation. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/6177sok9Y2L._UY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/6177sok9Y2L._UY200_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Einat Danon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, if you can look past these things, the book was a pleasant surprise. It goes much deeper, hits much harder, than I had first expected. The point of view switches heighten interest, as we hear from Noa herself, and her intense dislike for Yael. It can be quite painful to read: this child desperate for her parents to still be alive, and a woman who, at the beginning, is just desperate to get this ‘problem’ out of the way. But the story delves far deeper than that; by the end, the reader really ‘knows’ Yael as a character. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is Einat Danon’s debut novel, and, setting aside the formatting and grammar issues, is very promising. I look forward to seeing her work grow in the future.</span></div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-28427759160605443602017-09-03T17:08:00.000+01:002017-09-03T17:08:00.318+01:00Review: Bad Ideas\Chemicals<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34082874" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Bad Ideas\Chemicals" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490877963m/34082874.jpg" width="211" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34082874">Bad Ideas\Chemicals</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7811249">Lloyd Markham</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2111636928">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
This book has been likened to some cross over of the following books: A Clockwork Orange, Brave New World, Naked Lunch, Stand By Me and some others (not all in the same review.)<br />
<br />
It’s not. Bad Ideas/Chemicals is a book totally defying categorisation.<br />
<br />
Goregree is a half-finished project, discarded by its maker. Or stopped midway because of the unearthing of another settlement there before. Or a conglomeration of houses that somehow managed to become a place. Does it matter? No. The truth is: living in Goregree sucks.<br />
<br />
It’s become a joke. The phrase ‘I’m not from round here,’ is passed around by all of its inhabitants. Because, even though some of them were actually born there, no one feels it belongs to them. No one <i>wants</i> it to belong to them. All it has going for it is a Star Trek themed bar, a constant supply of oddballs, and seemingly limitless supplies of GOTE.<br />
<br />
GOTE is a ‘Bad Idea/Chemical.’ Made from foetuses whose mother’s have ingested poison from the ‘roaches’ (that look nothing like cockroaches) this drug takes you on highs that no other drug does. It <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1097/7086/files/FullSizeRender-6_large.jpg?v=1497952074" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1097/7086/files/FullSizeRender-6_large.jpg?v=1497952074" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lloyd Markham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
affects your ‘temporoparetial junction’ (don’t worry - I had to look that one up too), and causes out of body experiences. Everyone’s hooked on it. Eventually, it kills you. Unless you kill yourself first.<br />
<br />
Fittingly, the ‘best’ job that you can find in Goregree is working for ‘Mercy:’ the NHS’ privatised company that deals with assisted dying and euthanasia. Particularly fitting for Louie, one of the central protagonists, whose father is dying of alcoholism, and feels like checking himself into ‘Mercy.’ He’s not the only one…<br />
<br />
The characters are all whacky, interesting and well drawn. Cassandra walks around in an orange spaceship; convinced she is an alien after seeing a film about ‘Alpha Centurai’ as a child. You’d think that would be weird. Not so much in Goregree. Here, anything goes.<br />
<br />
This book is, at times, sardonically funny, but the humour is very black. But don’t take it merely as humour. This book is actually a very well drawn comment on society today: the neglect of social and mental health care, the effects of parenting, and the casual substance misuse that is rife in small towns. Markham isn’t afraid to write about big issues.<br />
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2a/Parthian.tiff/lossy-page1-1200px-Parthian.tiff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="800" height="108" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2a/Parthian.tiff/lossy-page1-1200px-Parthian.tiff.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
All in all, ‘Bad Ideas/Chemicals’ is a unique, warped and very thought-provoking read. One to read in an hour, then ponder over for ten times longer.<br />
<br />
Thank you to Parthian Press for the chance to read this book; all thoughts and comments are my own.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2111636928">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-7028879183822467542017-08-21T13:37:00.000+01:002017-09-17T10:34:32.707+01:00Review: The Goblins of Bellwater<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33973968" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Goblins of Bellwater" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487692398m/33973968.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33973968">The Goblins of Bellwater</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2905269">Molly Ringle</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2094685225">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
If you have Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market,' then you may have an idea of what to expect from this book. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; but it is something to note. If you haven't read 'Goblin Market' (I advise that you do), it's about a pair of sisters, one enthralled and seduced by the goblin's beautiful fruits, but then withers without them. Her sister saves her. <br />
<br />
That, in a nutshell, is also the plot for 'The Goblins of Bellwater.'<br />
<br />
Personally, I didn't mind knowing what was going to happen; I predicted (correctly) that it would stick to the general story arc of Rossetti's poem, but that was okay with me: there was plenty of other little twists and add-ons that kept it interesting. But if you want a book to surprise you - this isn't for you. <br />
<br />
Skye and Livy live in Bellwater, a mostly unspoilt place, with little contact from their parents. Livy works as an 'eco-warrior,' which I really liked, as it resonated with me. Skye, meanwhile, works in a cafe whilst she tries to get her artwork noticed by an agent, someone, anyone! (Sound familiar to any other would-be authors or illustrators out there?) But, this is an updated, modern version of 'Goblin Market' - you've got to have your boys! Kit is what's called the 'goblin liaison;' a curse was placed on his family decades ago meaning he has to pay the goblins in gold each month. The goblin magic means he can steal from anyone, anywhere without the fear of being caught; it might sound fun, but <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b3/2b/b5/b32bb5fd2cf3cff425d88330045b2a16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b3/2b/b5/b32bb5fd2cf3cff425d88330045b2a16.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur Rackham's original illustration for<br />
Rossetti's 'Goblin Market'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kit has a conscience, and detests his work. Historically, all the goblin liaisons have died young (goblins don't always play fair) and the curse falls to the closest relative, making the curse ever-lasting. <br />
<br />
When Skye is seduced by the goblins, she's incapable of talking of anything that has happened to her, incapable, practically, of speaking, except in echoes. Livy, desperately worried about her, asks Kit's cousin Grady to come and spend some time with her, trying to get her open up, and providing her with good solid meals - Grady's spending time in Bellwater with Kit whilst he searches for a job as a chef. So, when the goblin magic compels Skye to choose a mate, she chooses Grady, and not a goblin.<br />
<br />
This is not what the goblins had in mind.<br />
<br />
But, boy, do they have some fun with it. Two humans ensnared by their curse? - it's just a bonus!<br />
<br />
Kit gradually works out what has happened to Skye and, subsequently, Grady, and the plot really starts to kick off. The goblins won't bargain with him, and he knows better than to be tricked into another curse that could haunt his future family for centuries. So, it's up to Livy to sort it out.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed 'The Goblins of Bellwater;' in fact, I enjoyed it a lot. Knowing the general story beforehand left me free to pick up on more of the nuances, and the ways in which Molly Ringle had tweaked and updated this Victorian story for our modern era. It's been a while since I've read some good modern fantasy (not quite 'urban' fantasy, as it's set in the wilds), and I thoroughly appreciated the ride. My favourite part was Livy's quest to save Skye. I won't go into details here - this is the part where Ringle veers from Rossetti the most - but it was great fun.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmNZfQ3ICgCRyiVhjxvLWuo61jbzssyvwNBOuG8QVyfkQZ7WXhQUkg_jTCHIoBKWXBLymCL3Ij31-1MeHUASHG1T7lMi-e2Zc2tmpSfFEb80x20ZS1iHNfN-VejL5GudJhcl_pzVPk1-T/s1600/molly-ringle-sm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmNZfQ3ICgCRyiVhjxvLWuo61jbzssyvwNBOuG8QVyfkQZ7WXhQUkg_jTCHIoBKWXBLymCL3Ij31-1MeHUASHG1T7lMi-e2Zc2tmpSfFEb80x20ZS1iHNfN-VejL5GudJhcl_pzVPk1-T/s1600/molly-ringle-sm1.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly Ringle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To be slightly picky, it all seemed a bit too neat, with all the loose ends wrapped up, but sometimes that can be okay. Sometimes I like a story that has a clear ending and we know where everyone stands. The descriptive passages were brilliant; Ringle has a real artists' eye when it comes to depicting the goblins and other fae. I was slightly unconvinced by Skye and Livy's relationship at times; I felt that Livy's character wasn't quite protective enough of her younger sister. But, these are minor points. It wasn't the most brilliant book I've read this year, but it was a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
I've noticed that a lot of reviews state DNF (Did Not Finish), which surprised me. I think this may stem from the predictability of the plot, and, perhaps, the character of Skye who was, at times, one-dimensional. However, the reason she was one-dimensional is very clear: she's under a goblin spell. She literally <i>cannot </i>behave differently. <br />
<br />
Start reading this with the knowledge that it's predictable and you'll be okay. If you want huge surprises, then this book isn't for you.<br />
<br />
For me, it was great, particularly because of my love for the original Rosetti poem. I really need to read some more fantasy...<br />
<br />
Thank you to Net Galley, Molly Ringle, and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me the chance to read this book. It will be released on the 1st of October.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>EDITED TO ADD!!</b> Here's a really interesting Q&A with Molly Ringle (thanks to the publishing team for allowing me access to this!) <b>AND read on to the end for something even more exciting!</b><br />
<br />
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">How closely did you follow Chris:na Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market” as a basis for the story?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">I call this a book “inspired by” Rossetti’s poem rather than saying it’s “based upon” it, because I did veer
from the poem a significant amount. I first read the poem a few years ago, and it intrigued me deeply.
It’s evocaAve and strange, and, like a fairy tale, has many symbols and events that could be interpreted
as having several different meanings. My assignment to myself was to use it as a jumping-off point for a
modern paranormal novel, which would then go its own way as the plot required. What I kept from the
poem was the basic surface framework: we have a pair of sisters, grown but on the young side, one of
whom becomes enchanted by eaAng goblin fruit in the forest and begins wasAng away as a result,
alarming the other sister into seeking a way to save her. Since Rossetti’s poem ends with a fast-forward
to the women being “wives” and telling their children about their adventures, and since I wanted to
write a paranormal romance anyway, I gave my modern sister characters a pair of men to get involved
with, in a double love story with eerie angles that I think match the eeriness of the original poem. Mind
you, another interpretaAon of the poem is that the two women aren’t really sisters but lovers, which
would be a different route to take and which I think would be lovely to see too!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">For those of us who haven’t been there, what is Puget Sound like and why did you choose it as a
se<ng for a retold fairy tale?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Puget Sound is a vast area of Pacific seawater, meandering into countless inlets and coves in skinny, deep
Lords left behind by glaciers. SeaNle and Tacoma and Olympia lie on its shores, on some of its largest
bays, but it also has many wilder and more rural shores, especially on the western side where it backs up
against a huge naAonal forest on the Olympic Peninsula. That’s the region where my grandparents
bought a vacation cabin decades ago, and where my family has been going for many vacations ever
since. I can safely say it’s one of my favorite places on Earth. In order to agree, you have to enjoy a cool,
rainy climate and all the thick moss and ferns and mushrooms and huge evergreens such a climate
produces, and I happen to love those things. Fairy tales, at least those from Northern Europe, almost all
involve a deep dark forest. That’s where the faeries, witches, werewolves, vampires, elves, and all the
other interesting beings live. Everyone knows that. I haven’t spent much time in the forests of Europe
(alas! I will someday), but I reckoned our Pacific Northwest deep dark forests were more than adequate
for housing supernatural creatures. My grandmother used to tell us that the mossy ruins of big tree
trunks in the Puget Sound forests were the homes of Teeny-Weenies, whom I always took to be faeries. So I
set the story there, at the edge of the Sound, where saltwater meets woods and where the Teeny-Weenies
live.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What is the significance of the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) in this story?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">The four elements are common fixtures in many ancient cultures, and have remained popular into the
modern day. One of my favorite TV shows is </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Avatar: the Last Airbender</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">, which uses the four-element
framework brilliantly in its world-building. In reading up on faery lore for this book, I found that scholars
oMen classify types of fae under the four elements, and since that appealed to me, I did the same. As
one of the characters in </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Goblins of Bellwater </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">muses, there’s something human and emotionally real
about looking at nature that way, even if we technically know, thanks to science, that nature contains far
more than four elements. And in my novel, the only way to break the goblin spells involves respecting
and trusting each of the four elements, even when they’re at their most daunting.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Why do you think fairy tale and other myth and legend retellings are so popular right now?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">I think they’ve always been popular! Maybe it’s a case of selection bias, because I personally have always
been into ghost stories, fairy tales, and other supernatural lore, but it seems to me that human culture
has never stopped telling such stories. As scholars of fairy tales will tell you, reading and writing about
fantasy and the paranormal may look like escapism from reality, and sometimes I tell myself that’s what
I’m doing, but in truth these stories end up giving us all the useful lessons about real life that any good
stories do: empathy, courage, love, respect for nature and community, and the importance of thinking
fancifully and creatively.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What are the goblins like in this book?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">In keeping with both the “Goblin Market” poem and the bulk of faery lore, they are mischievous and
villainous. They laugh a lot, but they are decidedly laughing at you, not with you. They steal, and in
particular they lust after gold. Like other fae, they enjoy making deals with humans, but humans would
be wise not to enter into such deals, as the obligation tends to be heavier than it sounds at the outset.
These goblins go further than merely these, too; they assault and sometimes steal away humans and turn
them into fellow goblins, and at other times enchant them into wandering unhappily in the woods until
they waste away and die. Although the goblins are sometimes amusing in their level of witty rudeness,
they are nearly all amoral and highly dangerous to get involved with. Only a scant few of them, who
were once humans, manage to retain any human empathy. However, not all of the fae in my book are
this cruel—the goblins are the worst of the lot! Others are willing to be quite helpful to humans as long
as they are respected in return.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What kind of magic system does this book involve?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">In this book, my main characters are ordinary humans who can’t do any magic, but they become
involved in the dealings of the fae realm, which is a bit like another dimension. It can be entered or
glimpsed by summoning the fae (which includes goblins), who might or might not answer you. But
you’re luckier on the whole if they don’t, because many of them are treacherous, and the realm itself is a
wilderness containing many uncanny dangers. From the point of view of the human characters, the
magical rules and the cultural norms of the fae are nonsensical, almost inexplicable, but since some of
these people have fallen under curses, they have to step in among those dangers and work with the
rules as best as they can anyway.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What do you find most challenging in writing a novel?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">At first, it’s usually getting to know the characters. I tend to start with a general idea of who they are, but
then when I begin writing, I realize there’s too much I still don’t know about these people and therefore
they aren’t coming across as real yet. It slows me down in the early stages while I take breaks to write
notes in which I interview them and figure them out. I also have a perennial problem with writing
antagonists. They have to do fairly awful things (being antagonists and all), but I still want them to feel
like real people (or other beings), and therefore I have to get into their heads and figure out why they
would feel justified in doing such a thing. It’s not a comfortable place for my mind to go. I suppose that’s
why I gravitate more toward romance and lightheartedness: I much prefer spending time with those who
love and laugh.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What are the easiest parts of wri:ng a novel for you?
</span><br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="page" title="Page 3">
<div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">No part of the process is exactly easy. But someAmes lines will occur to me seemingly out of nowhere
when I’m writing, and they’re perfect for the moment; or I’ll find my characters talking to each other in
my head when I’m not writing. And I love those moments, because for them to have come to life in my
imagination like that, it means I must have done sufficient groundwork in figuring out the world and the
characters. So although the groundwork is the hard part, it pays off and leads to easier parts later!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">How did the writing of this novel, a fairly short stand-alone paranormal, compare to the writing of the
Persephone trilogy?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">It was far simpler! The </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Persephone’s Orchard </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">trilogy had dual Amelines, for one thing: the ancient world
in Greece, and the reincarnations of those people in the modern day. For another thing, it had far more
characters, both in original and reincarnated versions. And for any series, you need to have plot arcs that
stretch over the whole series as well as smaller ones that get wrapped up within each volume; and you
have to keep the whole thing internally consistent in terms of mood and themes and character
personalities. It turned out exhausting enough that I didn’t want to write another series again anytime
soon. So I picked </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Goblins of Bellwater </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">as my follow-up project: small cast, straighaorward plot, and
simple timeline. Most of the action takes place within about six weeks, in this small town, which is
indeed a contrast to the millennia of world-spanning events covered in the trilogy!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Would you want to live in any of the fictional magical worlds you’ve created?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Strange though it might sound, I’d love to visit the Underworld as I wrote it in </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Persephone’s Orchard </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">and
its sequels. I made it much less scary, for the most part, than it is in traditional Greek mythology; and
besides that, I love caves and glowing things, and definitely would be interested in a ride on a ghost
horse as long as an immortal was keeping me safe during it. As for the fae realm we see in </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Goblins of
Bellwater</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">, I’d like to catch glimpses of it, and of the fae themselves, but I wouldn’t want to actually enter
the realm. Too perilous!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What are you writing next?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">One of the genres I love, and haven’t written enough of myself, is male/male love stories, so I’ve been
working on a couple of those. One is contemporary, no magic or supernatural stuff, and it’s undergoing
the feedback-and-revision stage right now. Another will involve a fae realm like that of </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Goblins of
Bellwater</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">, only in a new location in the world, a fictional setting I’m creating. I still have to figure out how
this place works and what its magic system is like, in addition to getting to know the characters, but I’m
excited about the idea and it has definitely taken root in my brain.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">What are the most magical places you’ve been to in real life?
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Puget Sound and its surrounding forests and mountains—which is why I chose the area for the
enchanted lands in </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Goblins of Bellwater</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Also some of the forests and meadows in the Willameite
Valley in Oregon, where I grew up. Oregon and Washington are both overflowing with natural beauty
and I’m spoiled to have spent most of my life here. In addition, some places in Great Britain have felt
quite magical to me, such as Tomnahurich (Hill of the Fairies) in Inverness, Scotland; or Old Town
Edinburgh with its many close alleys and dark medieval buildings and brick-paved streets; or
Westminster Abbey, not only because of its beauty and its many graves of astoundingly famous historical
figures, but because when I first visited it as a 19-year-old, I’d never been in any building anywhere near
that old before (having grown up in the Pacific Northwest), and it blew my mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11.000000pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wasn't that fun? I love that some of her inspiration comes from here in the UK, even though she's from across the pond; I'm also really excited to read some male/male romance - something I love but there isn't enough of (except in poorly written fan fiction...).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, wanna have the really exciting bit now? There's a GIVEAWAY going on! For each of the four elements, there's a prize connecting to them; for more information and to enter, just follow this link:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4e6fad2119/?<br />
<br />
Good Luck!<br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2094685225">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-18972756586511558602017-08-10T10:43:00.000+01:002017-08-10T10:43:00.060+01:00Review: History of Wolves<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32795900" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="History of Wolves" border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477600359m/32795900.jpg" width="261" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32795900">History of Wolves</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15254346">Emily Fridlund</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2078738376">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
'History of Wolves' is, as you probably guessed, not really a history of wolves. Just in case any there are any biologists getting excited out there!<br />
<br />
It is, in fact, a sombre, somewhat compelling, coming-of-age novel. The central protagonist, Linda (or 'freak' or Madeleine), has grown up socially isolated and emotionally undeveloped: living in the last vestiges of a failed commune with people who may, or may not, be her parents. The story enfolds over three time spans, each eleven years apart: Linda as a teenager, then in her twenties, then in her thirties. Reading it as Kindle edition it was sometimes confusing which time period we were falling in, and that was one of the problems of the novel.<br />
<br />
It starts very promisingly. Linda virtually lives in the middle of nowhere, so when a family move into the house across the lake from her, they are an immediate object of interest. When the father goes away for work, Linda 'accidentally' bumps into the mother and son: Patra and four-year-old Paul. Quickly, she becomes immersed in their life, acting as babysitter for Paul and companion for Patra. Here, again, Fridlund has set the age differences eleven years apart: a clever mirroring for the overarching plot. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bookweb.org/sites/default/files/gallery/EmilyFridlund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://bookweb.org/sites/default/files/gallery/EmilyFridlund.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily Fridlund</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the real action happens in Linda's teenage years. She's not a natural babysitter; she doesn't even really like children. Her own parents are distant from her; her mother doing this deliberately by <i>the kid just plops down into my lap. Boom. </i> And later: <i>He just schootched over automatically, let his body flow into mine, worked his way in - bit by bit - into my lap. He never stopped studying the puzzle.</i> Paul's family are a very demonstrative family, and Linda doesn't understand it at all. But I loved Fridlund's description of Paul - exactly how a child his age and how he had been raised would act. There are moments of prose like this which are really beautiful to read.<br />
calling her 'CEO' from quite a young age, and her father is brusque, although well meaning. Her vague memories of the commune before it split up are her only experiences with children and, as a child herself, she doesn't find Paul endearing or sweet, merely exasperating for the majority of the time. There are, however, some heart warming moments when she feels moved by him. I particularly liked Fridlund's use of body language: <br />
<br />
There is a theme running throughout of the difference between action and thought, which is mirrored in the story with her teacher and a classmate. I enjoyed teenage Linda's musings on the subject, and her later musings on what actions she could have done differently to stop the tragedy (don't worry, that's not a spoiler.) <i>"Maybe if I’d been someone else I’d see it differently. But isn’t that the crux of the problem? Wouldn’t we all act differently if we were someone else?"</i> Because, as you will find out if you read the book, there is also a big importance placed on <i>non</i>-action. I'll say no more - no spoilers!<br />
<br />
The book becomes more exciting in the middle section, as you will find out. We know from the very first page that Paul dies. This is, of course, a tried and tested way of creating intrigue: you really have to keep reading to find out what happens, even when you suspect (too early on for my liking). Patra's husband returns, and Linda feels shoved to one side. It turns out that Paul's parents are Scientologists, although Linda wouldn't really understand what that means. The tension builds and climaxes in this centre passage, leaving the remaining pages somewhat lacklustre. <br />
<br />
There were things I liked about 'History of Wolves', and things that I didn't. I found the plot line with her teacher and another student unsatisfying and unfinished, leaving me feeling as though I had missed something. The same too with Linda as she is as an older woman, both in her twenties and thirties: the barely fleshed out relationships with her boyfriend and roommate respectively. There were certain parallels with the teacher story (Mr Greirson) which were fantastic - but just weren't developed enough. It left me feeling very frustrated. <br />
<br />
I think all of the points I have made have probably been covered in other reviews, but this is my tuppence on the subject. As a debut author, Fridlund has a while to grow her plot developing skills, and I hope she does - because the language is beautiful. <br />
<br />
On the LongList for The Man Booker Prize (the first one I've read this year), but I don't think it will make it.<br />
<br />
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read this book. It is now on general release.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2078738376">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-3844227641238442082017-08-09T17:50:00.000+01:002017-08-09T17:50:00.183+01:00Review: All Things New<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34332260" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="All Things New" border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488293544m/34332260.jpg" width="249" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34332260">All Things New</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6553754">Lauren Miller</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2086297598">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
This is the first book I've read by Lauren Miller - and I don't think it will be my last. Her word-smithing is beautiful. (I think that's a word!) It's another teenage 'issue' fiction book, but it didn't bore me in the least, despite the plethora of books of that ilk being reeled out at the moment. This book has something different - difficult to pinpoint, but thrilling to read.<br />
<br />
Jessa suffers from panic attacks. She has done since about eighth grade when her parents divorced. When her dad moved away, her mum forced her into therapy. Jessa's confused, but there's one things she clears about: she does <i>not</i>want to talk about it. So, acting becomes Jessa's talent. Before, she got good grades and made her parents proud. Now, her grades are suffering, but as long as her mum can't <i>see</i>her panic, it's not a problem. Right? When she finds Wren, her boyfriend, things become easier. He likes her in a simple way. She's pretty, and she knows what to say when. Who cares if it's all an act?<br />
<br />
When Jessa overhears at a party that Wren has been cheating on her, her world splinters. That same night, she is in an awful accident. She can remember it - but not vividly. Because, after the accident, Jessa suffers from aphantasia. This is something I've never come across before, and it greatly interested me. She has memories, but no accompanying pictures to them. Inside her head, all there is is darkness. Outside, the world becomes a riot of colour - something apparently common for people suffering from this condition - but within her head there is nothing. But it gets worse. Jessa begins to realise that she's hallucinating. Hallucinating injuries onto people - scars, burns, bruises. When she <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1350135381p5/6553754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="177" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1350135381p5/6553754.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren Miller herself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
eventually confides in a doctor, it's suggested this is because she cannot cope with her own disfigurement; the accident has left her face badly scars and she refuses to confront mirrors. But is that all there is to it? Because the injuries change, and they're not similar to her own. Not everyone has scars, only people who are damaged on the inside. Is Jessa seeing their insides then, their souls? No, that's impossible. But the school counsellor, Dr I, is very open to any interpretation and it leaves Jessa wondering. Why can she see bruises on her new friend's Hannah's face, which keep getting worse, when no one else thinks anything is wrong? Why is Hannah's twin brother, an upbeat happy-go-lucky kinda guy, scarless - despite having a hole in his heart and a dangerous blood clot?<br />
<br />
Oh, there's so much more to this story - but I can't write anymore without giving away any spoilers. I'll just say this - each time you think you have the measure of it, Miller turns everything on its head. Each time you think that Jessa's wrong - maybe she's right. It's a rollercoaster ride of a book. I found myself explaining the entire plot line of this book to someone and was practically bouncing as I described it! It's absolutely fascinating, the whole of it: the aphantasia, the hallucinations, the relationships, the philosophy, even her English class studying '<u>A Picture of Dorian Gray.</u>' <br />
<br />
The ending is superb. Miller leaves you with the choice of what you want to believe. This wasn't the book I expected to read. <br />
<br />
And for the romance lovers out there - don't worry, there's something for you too!<br />
<br />
All in all, a huge thanks to NetGalley and to Three Saints Press for the opportunity to read this. Please, go out and buy a copy - what are you waiting for??
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2086297598">View all my reviews</a>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837592025509792018.post-82903465327326158852017-08-08T16:38:00.003+01:002017-08-08T16:38:57.859+01:00Review: The Scandal<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34748896" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Scandal" border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491064432m/34748896.jpg" width="247" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34748896">The Scandal</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6485178">Fredrik Backman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2040922928">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br />
<br />
<i>'Late one evening towards the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barrelled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead and pulled the trigger.'</i><br />
<br />
That (and the cover) was all I read before I clicked 'request' on NetGalley. I didn't read anything else about the book at all, which is very unusual for me; I'm generally quite circumspect in my reading decisions. But this had me hooked. I'm not sure why. There are so many enthralling one liners for books that don't turn out to be that good that I always make sure I read more than the 'tag-line.'<br />
<br />
Actually, in this case, I'm glad I didn't. Because I would have discovered that it centres around ice hockey. A sport. Sporting books are really not my thing: I don't play sports and watching them on TV or supporting a team is my ideal of hell. Luckily, no one else in my household watches sport, but if they did I'd retreat upstairs with a book instead. So, I wouldn't have requested it, and I would never have read this book.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad I didn't read further.<br />
<br />
Okay, it's 'about' ice hockey. But it's not, not really. It <i>centres</i> around ice hockey, but that's not what the book's about. Of course it's not. So, what is it about? How can you answer that? There's never one single thing a book is about (unless it's completely one-dimensional). This book covers an entire kaleidoscope of issues: from determination and perseverance, bullying and racism, powerful white men and powerful white women, friendship and rivalries, disappointment, hard upbringings, good upbringings, good choices, bad choices. Not really about sport.<br />
<br />
Did I mention I'm glad I didn't read any more of the blurb?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://crazychessgirl.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/2013-03-09-16-55-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://crazychessgirl.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/2013-03-09-16-55-17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of: https://crazychessgirl.files.wordpress.<br />com/2013/03/2013-03-09-16-55-17.jpg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Originally published under the name of 'Bear Town,' this Swedish writer takes us on a whirlwind ride. (And a shout out to the translator whose name I can't find anywhere. I've mentioned it before, and I'll keep mentioning it, but translators deserve more credit. I can't even find their name! I think that's not on.) Bear Town is rural, down-trodden, forgotten. It's a small town in a big forest: no one's interested in it. Financially, it's a terrible place to live, but people still do - from the richest in their big detached houses, to the poorer (mostly immigrant) population in flats. But Bear Town wants to make it big, free itself from isolation. And there may be a chance. <br />
<br />
Through the teenage hockey team.<br />
<br />
What a heavy weight to fall on the shoulders of these teenagers, each struggling in their own ways with all the problems that puberty brings, and more besides. The strain also falls onto the coaches and the managers, mixing with their problems and allegiances. But this year the team are amazing. There's small, fast Amat; Benji who has no fear of pain; Bobo, big and overpowering; Filip, new and unsure; Lars; William. And Kevin. Kevin: the superstar, their sure ticket to making Bear Town a 'real' place again, a mark on the map. <br />
<br />
There are other characters too, the women. Because hockey is a 'men's' sport, the women are left to organise, to cheer them on, to clean the rink, to make the coffee, to drive the cars. But these aren't any women. They're from Bear Town. And if there's one thing that can be said about people from Bear Town, it's this: they're strong.<br />
<br />
There are some stunningly portrayed relationships throughout this book: Kevin and Benji. Maya and and Ana. Sune and Peter. Benji and his sisters, particularly Gabby. Amat and his mother. Maggan and Filip's mum. Fatima and Kira. Benji and a nameless musician. <br />
<br />
Nothing could go wrong for this team, they have everything going for them. Except that something does happen. Something that turns the town upside down. And the old saying 'don't mix hockey with politics' just doesn't hold true anymore.<br />
<br />
I highlighted lots of lines from this book on my e-reader, which I don't usually do. There were a LOT of good one-liners. Great ones, in fact. But it made me wonder: can an author rely on those pithy statements? Do we need so many sentences to make us really think; is there a limit to the amount of soul-searching you can pack in one book? I think the answer is yes; some of the lines could have been left out, just to balance the book slightly; it feels overwritten. Still, here are a few: <br />
<br />
<i> What happens to a town that doesn't grow? It dies.<br /><br />People are good at feeling shame in this town. They start training early.<br /><br />How big is the world when you're twelve years old? Both infinite and infinitesimal. <br /><br />[His] mum always said that every child is like a heart transplant. [He] understands that now.<br /><br />Sometimes life doesn't let you choose your battles.<br /><br />The love a parent feels for a child is strange. There is a starting point to our love for everyone else, but not this person. This one we have always loved, we loved them even before they existed.<br /><br />'Do you want to hear my best advice about being a parent?' 'Yes.' '"I was wrong." Good words to know.'<br /><br />There are few words that are harder to describe than loyalty. It's always regarded as a positive characteristic... many of the best things people do for each other occur out of loyalty. The only problem is that many of the very worst things we do to each other occur because of the same thing.</i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://marthebijman.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/fredrik-backman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="188" src="https://marthebijman.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/fredrik-backman1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of: https://<br />marthebijman.files.word<br />press.com/2015/12<br />/fredrik-backman1.jpg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>
<br /><br />Every day can mark a whole lifetime or a single heartbeat, depending on who you spend it with. <br /><br />All their lives, girls are told that the only thing they need to do is their best. That that will be enough, as long as they give everything they've got... Children need the lie to be brave enough to sleep in their beds; parents need it to be able to get up the next morning.<br /><br />...he was immortal in the eyes of the other boy.<br /><br />David hates himself for not being better than his dad. That's the job of sons.<br /><br />Big secrets make small men of us.<br /><br />Loneliness is an invisible ailment.<br /><br />Bitterness can be corrosive; it can rewrite memories as if it were scrubbing a crime scene clean, until in the end you only remember what suits you of its causes.<br /><br />Hockey is just a silly little game. We devote year after year after year to it without ever really hoping to get anything in return. We burn and bleed and cry, fully aware that the most the sport can give us, in the best scenario, is uncomprehendingly meagre and worthless: just a few isolated moments of transcendence. That's all. But what the hell else is life made of? </i><br />
<br />
There's a taster. There's a lot more of that. So, yes, it is melodramatic - in the extremes at times. But it is also a complete page turner. As I was reading this on an e-reader, I didn't really get an idea how long it was, but it's actually quite a hefty book at over 400 pages. Don't let that put you off. These characters and moments will stick with me. I enjoyed it immensely. And this is classed as YA, but can definitely be enjoyed by adults. Probably half the characters are adults!<br />
<br />
Thank you Fredrik Backman. You gave me one hell of a ride. <br />
<br />
Hey, and don't judge a book because you don't like sport. A decent book is never about one thing.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2040922928">View all my reviews</a>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3gZPZ2z2I9ZvhjM4y9ook90DSCiS-JTaHuBHwSkgmm8qWDK50G6KMomLt_5Bpbaw1_3omSOGAbdxaOJoSCWq75u_pErwA-8nyvbdyu0w0JnsK3YEoShhdmvy9Cr2fc334fqiK7Ak3wcZ/s1600/Ellen+Tristram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3gZPZ2z2I9ZvhjM4y9ook90DSCiS-JTaHuBHwSkgmm8qWDK50G6KMomLt_5Bpbaw1_3omSOGAbdxaOJoSCWq75u_pErwA-8nyvbdyu0w0JnsK3YEoShhdmvy9Cr2fc334fqiK7Ak3wcZ/s400/Ellen+Tristram.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to @PenguinBooks for using my quote!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021991072887408905noreply@blogger.com0