Patrick Ness, More Than This

After been rather impressed (although not completely won over) by Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy It's been on my agenda to read more of his novels, so I ordered More Than This into my local library.

It's a YA (young adult, so about ages 13+) and falls into science-fiction/dystopian genre. If you are considering buying it for a child,  be aware it does have some sex in it, it's not really graphic but it is clear what's going on.

Trigger warning: homophobia, death, suicide, rape(implied), child abuse

The Plot: After drowning, Seth wakes up alone in a barren English suburb, he assumes to be hell. As he dreams about the most horrendous events of his past, and forges for food in abandoned supermarkets, he begins to wonder if there is more to the afterlife than first appeared.

Rating: 2.8/5
(ha- I know this is an unusual number to rate a book, but it is closer to a 3 than a 2, but when I compare it to other books that I've given a 3 to it doesn't quite make the grade)

Full review under the cut:-
*spoiler warning*

Claire King, The Night Rainbow

The Night Rainbow by Claire King is the sort of book your mum might read (though to be honest I tried to pass this on to mine, and she rejected it). It's all about mother/daughter and sibling relationships and childhood. Though there is family strife, and grief over the death of a beloved husband/father, it's a gentle kind of book, full of simple childish pleasures, and is devoid any explosive drama or abrupt occurrence.   

The Plot: Five-year-old Pea and her younger sister Margot play in the sweltering heat of rural France. Their mother spends her days in bed, worn down by pregnancy and paralysed by sadness over the death of her husband. When Pea meets Claude in the meadow, she wonders if he can cure her mother's unhappiness and become her new papa, but Claude has a secret sadness of his own.

Rating: 3.4/5
Full review (as always) under the cut:-

what I've read this month (July)

Here's what I've read this month (click to see full review)

1. Max Barry, Lexicon
2. Graham Joyce, Some Kind of Fairy Tale 
3. Octavia Butler, Mind of My Mind 
4. Octavia Butler, Clay's Ark
5. Elizabeth Haynes, Into the Darkest Corner  
6. Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Djinni
7. Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fear's Death 
8. Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride (re-read)
9. Janet Mock, Redefining Realness (non-fiction, autobiography)
10. Octavia Butler, Patternmaster
11. George R.R Martin, A Feast for Crows (re-read)

I'm pleased I've managed to review all of July's books with the exception of one. It has been a concerted effort though, as I realised earlier in the month I'd been a bit lax with doing reviews. 

The stand-out book for me was Elizabeth Haynes' Into the Darkest Corner it was completely gripping, even though it did make me feel anxious. It totally deserved to win Amazon's book of the year in 2011. Best read with all the lights on, or perhaps by the poolside, Into the Darkness Corner is a tense crime thriller. 

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor is another notable book for this month. I've written a ridiculously long review on this science-fiction novel, so all I'm going to say is if your a fan of the genre add this to your reading list. 

Redefining Realness has been the most educational book I've read this year. It is a truly brave and important autobiography that should be read not just by trans people but everyone.   

I did two re-reads this month, The Robber Bride and A Feast for Crows. Margaret Atwood is queen of my heart and I'm obsessed with George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series (#teamTyrion)  

For a full list and links for every book I've reviewed ever, see here 

Max Barry, Lexicon

As I mentioned in this post, after reading a sample of Lexicon on kindle I immediately reserved the book from the library. 

The Plot: 'sticks and stones break bones, words kill'. At an exclusive school students are taught to persuade and manipulate other people using words, the very best will graduate as poets and will have the power to control people's minds. Emily is hustling on the street when she is recruited, under the guidance of Bronte, Lowell and Eliot she becomes the school's most talented pupil. Meanwhile Wil is violently attached in a airport bathroom, he has no recollection of what he is supposed to have done, or who his attackers are.

ISBN: 9781444764680

Rating: «««¶¶ (3/5)

Full review under the cut *contains spoilers*:

......and a happy new year

Alex Haley, Roots

It took me over a month to read Roots, and consequently I have a rather mixed view about the book. It has some of the most evocative descriptions I have ever read concerning the slave trade and the middle passage, but also some incredibly dull parts about cockerel fighting that I had to skip over.  

The Plot:  Alex Haley traces seven generations of his family history, from the capture and enslavement of his ancestor Kunta Kinte in 1767, through to the difficult lives of Kinte's descendants and their eventual emancipation. Roots took 10 years to research and won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1977.

 The book is not without controversy, Alex Haley was accused of plagiarism, genealogists have disputed Haley's research and critiques have challenged the authenticity of Roots. (if you want to read more about the controversy see here) 

Disputes aside, the story of Kunta Kinte is an incredibly powerful narrative. He remains dignified and defiant throughout even the most difficult circumstances. The chapters concerning Kunta Kinte's childhood and upbringing are a pleasure to read, the inhabitants of Jufureh and village life are credibly retold. Kunta Kinte's fortitude is clearly a testimony to his upbringing.

Kunte Kinta's transportation to America makes for harrowing reading. I learnt about the slave trade in school, but history textbook don't manage to covey the horror as effectively as Roots. Alex Haley manages to invoke the sights, smells and sounds of the journey. Although I can never truly imagine the cruelty and abuse of the middle passageway, Haley's descriptions go a long way in exposing the inhumanity of the traders.

Though Roots is understandably a grim novel, there are plenty of moments of humour and tenderness. The interaction between family members and the sense of community between slaves is lovely and heart-warming. Like any family, there are some eccentrics in Kunta Kinte's descendants. Chicken George is roguish and bombastic, though I do think there are way to many stories about him training cockerels and attending bird fights.  

Postcards from Penguin

Postcards from Penguin is a collection of 100 iconic book covers throughout the history of the Publishers. Th

They are great to send to friends or to use as room decoration. It's fun to leaf through the designs and see what ones you've read or find titles that are particularly suited to your character. I think these three sum me up pretty accurately!

Once I find the perfect frame I'm going to make a collage to hang above my bed- I'll post the results when I'm done.

Geraldine Brooks- People of the Book

I was at a loose end and didn't have anything to read, so I picked up my mum's copy of People of the Book. Mum usually goes for gossipy, family saga novels, so my expectations were pretty low, but it turned out People of the Book is rather an enjoyable read.

Plot: Hanna, an expect of rare books, has been tasked to conserve the priceless and unique Sarajevo Haggadah*. The previous owners of the book have left tiny traces of themselves between the pages, an insect wing, salt crystals, a wine stain and a white hair. It is through these artefacts Hanna is able to uncover the history of the book and the stories of the Jewish people.

* a Haggadah is a Jewish texts that is read at Passover and instructs people on the order of Passover Seder.

This is a fictionalised history of the Sarajevo Haggadah, though from what I've read the true history is equally fascinating. The manuscript was saved from the Nazis by a librarian who risked his life to smuggle it out of the country. It was then kept safe by a Muslim cleric.  

My thoughts and a review of the book after the cut (may contain spoilers):-

Margaret Atwood- MaddAddam

As I mentioned here I'm a big Atwood fan. Her dry wit, clever word play and vivid imagination all appeal to me. Plus she's a feminist hero and an environmental activist.

MaddAddam is the third in Atwood's apocalyptic trilogy is is preceded by Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood. A man-made plague has wiped out most of humanity, but a small groups of survivors remain; the genetically manufactured Crackers, members of an eco-cult God's Gardeners, and vicious criminals known as Painballers. Genetically spliced animals roam the remnants of human civilisation, including Pigoons, pigs with implanted human stem cells.

In  Oryx and Crake, the story is told from the point of view of privileged compounds, which is controlled by the powerful and sinister CorpSeCorps (Corporation Security Corps). Set in the pleblands, a lawless area outside the jurisdiction of the CorpSeCorps, The Year of The Flood, introduces the God's Gardeners, a political religious cult with a growing following.  MaddAddam, ties the two previous novels together, expanding on why the plague, known as the 'waterless flood' occurred and the consequences of armageddon.      

If you like dystopian/ apocalyptic fiction such as Cormac McCarthy's The Road or films such as Children of Men, give this series a try.

I really recommend this trilogy, and I don't want to give a way any spoilers, so my opinions about MaddAddam are under the cut.

"Books are the windows through which the soul looks out"- Henry Ward Beecher

Carol Anshaw- Carry the One

Carol Anshaw's Carry the One was part of my library haul from the other week. 

The Plot: Returning from a wedding, a car filled with drunk and stoned guests accidentally run over and kill a child on a country road. The consequences of that night reverberate for the next twenty-five years, shaping the lives of all those involved. Siblings Carmen, Alice and Nick all react differently to the tragedy, and the novel follows their relationships and guilt.

If you enjoy novels about family dramas, this would be a good choice. The sibling relationship is beautifully observed, and anyone with brothers and sisters will recognise truths in Anshaw's novel. Carmen, the eldest, is an over-achiever, maternal and has strong convictions. Alice, is creative and talented, but has a disastrous love life. Nick is intellectual but self destructive.

Carry the One is good at balancing the small dramas of everything day life (marriage, parenthood, divorce etc.) with the far-reaching, life altering event of the car accident. Through a whole cast of well-developed characters, Anshew portrays a whole range of reactions to tragedy.

 

Margaret Atwood- Happy Publication day!

Margaret Atwood- what an absolute legend. She is one of my favourite authors, so I was  incredibly excited to find out that MaddAddam, the third book in her post-apocalyptic trilogy was out to day.

The Maddaddam Trilogy 

I pre-ordered my copy, and have just finished reading it. The review will be up in a couple of days, I just need to work out what I thought of it!

Some of my Atwood collection

I picked up The Blind Assassin second hand when I was backpacking around Cambodia. I spent the whole day sat in hammock, drinking cheap cocktails and reading this. Pure bliss.  

Handmaid Tale- probably the most famous of Margaret Atwood's books- they used to teach it at A Level, I'm not sure if they still do?  

I've read most of Atwood's novels. I particularly enjoy her dystopian fiction, her descriptions are so vivid, she can craft a very believable, scary world, it's like she's a prophet.
 

Tea Obreht- The Tiger's Wife

Hmmm I have mixed feelings about this one, some parts I really loved, other bits I found a bit dull. I'm glad I read it, but I'd have reservations about recommending it to other people. Still, it was the 2011 Orange Prize for fiction, so it isn't all bad.

The Plot: Set in Yugoslavia, soon after the Yugoslav Wars,  Natalia, a young doctor, attempts to vaccinate an orphanage. Whilst on her philanthropic mission she hears of the death of her beloved Grandfather. Grieving, Natalia reminisces about her Grandfather's stories; the legend of an escaped tiger who forms a bond with a deaf-mute girl and The Deathless Man, an enigmatic figure who can predict when other people will die, but who cannot die himself.

No surprises, given my love of fairy-tales, the aspects of The Tiger's Wife I enjoyed where the stories of The Deathless Man and  the tiger and the deaf-mute girl. The myths were carefully interwoven with the Grandfather's account of his childhood. Magical realism fits comfortably with the surrealism of the aftermath of war.

I also enjoyed reading about Yugoslavian superstitions, it's the Victorian in me coming out again, I found the morning rituals fascinating. Apparently when someone dies, their possessions and house should not be disturbed or cleaned for 40 days, so the soul is anchored to a familiar place and does not  wander aimlessly causing trouble. After the 40 days have passed, the soul is collected at the crossroads. I love things like this, the stories and rituals that are created to explain death, keep order and provide comfort are so imaginative and culturally significant.

My reservations about The Tiger's Wife, come from the fact that apart from the Granddad's stories and the folk tales, the book is rather forgettable. I read it just under a week ago, but I can't recall the ending.  Natalia didn't really resonate with me, her character wasn't half as interesting as her Granddad. I found myself racing through parts of the book, as I wanted to more know about the Deathless Man and was uninterested in Natalia's chat about becoming a doctor or listening to Bob Dylan.   

I'd recommend this book if you're a fan of The Life of Pi or A Hundred Years of Solitude.

Potted Potter

picture taken from here

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter,  new covers have been designed. Personally, I prefer the new covers, they look more dynamic, but  neither of the American covers can compete with the original British versions. Though the Harry Potter dust jackets aren't the most striking, (I remember when I was 10 resisting reading the first HP, as the cover made me think it was about train-spotting) I'm still nostalgically loyal to the originals.

If you want to have a look at Harry Potter cover art from around the world, have a look here.

Also, in other Harry Potter related news- I saw this advertised on the tube, Potted Potter, all 7 books condensed into 70 minutes, with only 2 actors. It's got some good reviews, so I might have to try and get tickets.

The worn out dancing shoes

Book: Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales
picture taken by me

Once upon a time there lived a girl who liked to write lists...

Following on from my previous post, I've got some suggestions of fairy-stories for adults, some are traditional and others are reworking of classics. So in no particular order:-

1. Brother's Grimm, Selected Tales

ISBAN: 9780140444018

Well no fairy-tale list would be complete with out the Brother's Grimm, so I thought I'd get it out the way first. There are several editions out there from child-friendly picture books to collector's editions to a free kindle version.  I have the penguin classic, which includes over 65 stories, notes and a through introduction.

2. Philip Pullman, Grimm Tales: For Young and Old

My second selection is obviously very connected to my first choice, as it Philip Pullman's retelling of the Grimm brothers classics. I haven't read this yet but I really really want to. I think Pullman is a fantastically talented author, his Dark Materials trilogy is amazingly inventive.

3. Moss Roberts, Chinese Fairy Tales & Fantasies 

ISBAN: 9780394739946

 A collection of Chinese fables, myths and fairy-tales. There are many similarities with European fairy tales, but are also uniquely influenced by Taoist and Confucian philosophy.

More pictures and recommendations are the cut:-

fairy-tales

I'm a massive fan of fairy-tales. I've liked them since I was little, but my appreciation has grown since I've gotten older. It's the history of them that appeals to me, the tradition of oral storytelling and the common themes that appear across cultures and countries are really fascinating. For example, human to animal transformation is common in folk-stories throughout the world.

Fairy-tales can revel a lot about a society, they are rich with symbolism and often give warnings or have a moral message. Written primarily for children, fairy-tales instructed children how to behave, to respect their elders and stay out of the woods.

As well as representing idealised moral behaviour, traditional  fairy-tales can also subvert social norms and challenge expectations, the prince doesn't always get the girl. The tales aren't always the happy-ever-after Disney version. Women are not just damsels in distress, but are also ruthless, cunning and more that capable of rescuing themselves.

Another aspect I love about fairy-tales is how the supernatural and uncanny effortlessly intertwine with the mundane and human. There is magic all around, a walk in the woods can lead to adventure, or a chance encounter with an elderly lady could result in all your wishes been fulfilled. I like how in fairy-tales the world is brimming with potential.

fairy-tale charm bracelet, from Accessorize (old)  

Library haul 2

 I wasn't getting on well with either Mr Chartwell or A Woman on the Edge of Time, they just weren't grabbing me,  so I took a quick jaunt up to my local library to replenish my stock.

Here's what I picked up :-

• Aravid Adiga- Between the Assassinations: I was a fan of The White Tiger so thought I'd give another of Adiga's books a try. According to the blurb its about the 'myriad and distinctive voices' of the inhabitants of a town on India's south coast. 
• Patrick Gale- Notes from an Exhibition: Again, I've read this author before. Apparently it is sensitive and funny, all about the legacy of a deceased artist. 
• Tea Obreht- The Tiger's Wife: I'll probably read this one first (after I've finished The Night Circus -review coming soon!). The reviews on the back cover interested me, as they mentioned fables and fairy-tales, which I'm a massive fan of.         

What do you think of my choices? Do you have any recommendations?

Lee Jackson- The Welfare of the Dead

I've started to make my way through the bumper haul of books I picked up at the library the other week. As I've said previously I  picked up The  Welfare of the Dead as I was inspired by my recent trip to Highgate Cemetery.

The plot:- Set in Victorian London, Inspector Webb is called upon to solve the murder of two women found dead in house of ill repute. His investigation leads him to believe that is a connection between the deceased prostitutes, the theft of a body form a nearby cemetery and Jasper Woodrow, purveyor of funeral attire and mourning paraphernalia.

I was a bit disappointed with Lee Jackson's novel, some of the ideas are good, but the execution is poor. It doesn't quite satisfy as a crime/detective novel, as the murder and plot twists are pretty obvious. Also the book fails to deliver on character development. I think with any crime novel, regardless of the era the book is set, the detective needs to be a strong character. Inspector Webb, was very bland, he didn't have any personality quirks or amazing powers of deduction.The other cast of characters were formulaic; 'spirited-but-vulnerable-heiress', 'neurotic wife', 'slimy-chubby-man-with-dubious-intentions' etc.    

Gillian Flynn- Gone Girl

No doubt Gone Girl will be in in a lot of people's suitcases this summer, so my older sister bought me a copy as she thought it would be a good one to review.

 I've read most of the big summer blockbusters in previous years (The Da Vinci Code, The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, Fifty Shade of Grey etc.) out of curiosity, but without any high expectation. On occasions I've been pleasantly surprised, but often I don't understand the hype. I remember when on a tacky post A-level holiday to Zante everyone around the pool was was reading The Da Vinci Code. There was also someone with a rather unfortunate Da Vinci related tattoo (bet he regrets that now).

Anyway, Gone Girl fell into the category of nicely surprised, I'd recommend you reserve some room in your hand luggage.  

 

quick thanks to my smallest sister- who I had to cajole into letting me nest a book in her hair for this pic

The Plot: When Nick's wife, Amy, goes missing on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary he becomes prime suspect for her disappearance. As the media circus intrudes and the police investigate, Nick and Amy's relationship is revealed not be as perfect as it first appears. Gone Girl is a fast paced thriller about relationships and deceit. Just how far can you trust the person you marry?

Please see after the cut for a full review