Lloyd Jones, Mister Pip

This was the first book I read this month and I'm only just now reviewing it. Partly because I've been busy, partly because I'm lazy and partly because it wasn't a book that I read and then immediately felt the need to share with anyone. 

It is overall average and I can't say it's made a memorable impression on me, a couple of weeks after reading and I'm having to struggle to remember the details. 

The Plot: Matilda is a young girl living in Bougainville, during the island's struggle for independence. Civil war and the blockade have drastic consequences for Matilda and her classmates, their education is disrupted until Mr Watts becomes the self-appointed teacher of their tiny school. Mr Watts is the last remaining white man, he was previously mocked for his eccentric appearance and behaviour, but the students begin to appreciate his efforts as he teaches them the best he can using the only textbook they have - Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. 

Rating: 3/5 

Warren FitzGerald, The Go-Away Bird

Not going to lie, the reason I picked The Go-Away Bird up was because of its cover.

*Trigger Warning* murder, death, genocide, rape, mutilation, self-harm, violence, child-abuse

The Plot: Clementine's mum is Tutsi, her dad is Hutu, when the genocide begins in Rwanda, Clementine and her family are in perilous danger. Ashley had a troubled childhood, to cope with the memories he self-harms. When these two damaged people meet in a derelict London flat, their growing friendship and shared love of music, gives them both the opportunity to heal.  

Rating: 2.5/5

Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Another fantasy review for you today, The Name of the Wind. I promise this'll be the last one (for a little while) so if these isn't a genre that interests you don't worry, I've been reading a variety of other things as well.

The Plot: Kvothe is masquerading  as an unremarkable innkeeper, but his origins are a lot more eventful. When his parents are murdered Kvothe is left destitute, scrambling for survival on the streets of the city, but he still harbours ambitions to attend the prestigious university. Providing he can pass the entrance examination and scrape together the tuition fee, the university offers to teach him the magical disciplines of Sympathy, Alchemy, Artifice and Naming. This if the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicals, which recalls Kvothe's early life as he tell his story to a scribe. 

Rating: 3.8/ 5 (I liked it slightly more that The Blade Itself , but not quite as much as Assassin's Apprentice

Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself

I'm still on a fantasy kick at the moment (read my review of Robin Hobb The Assassin's Apprentice here) and ordered a whole bunch from my local library after reading some samples (see my mini-review of fantasy samples here).

The Plot: Logan Ninefinger, renown warrior of the north has become separated from his comrades, who believe him dead. He is found by a wizard's apprentice and taken to meet the great Bayaz himself. Together they form an alliance against the king of the North. Inquisitor Glokta, himself crippled in the dungeons of the Gurkul Emperor, now tortures and investigates treason in the Union. Captain Jezal, arrogant and wealthy seeks glory in the fencing circle. A war is brewing between the North, the Union and Gurkul. Conspiracies, treachery and death are coming to the three countries and Logan, Bayaz, Glokta and Jezal all have a part to play.

Rating: 3.5/5

Robert Harris, Pompeii

Robert Harris is best known for Fatherland, a novel about an alternative reality in which Hitler won the war, but he has also written loads of other historical fiction.

I'm sure most people have heard of Pompeii, the Roman city which was devastated and then preserved when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Harris' novel imagines the days leading up to the event with both fictitious and real historical figures.  Pompeii is the first in a trilogy.

The Plot: Marcus Attilius Primus arrives in the Bay of Naples to take charge of the aqueduct that supplies water to 9 towns in the area. A drought and a corrupt millionaire, Ampiliatus, makes Attilius' job all the harder. Will Attilius be able to read the warning signs in time and escape Pompeii before ash and lava engulf him and the town?

Rating: 2/5  
full review under the cut

Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice

As George R.R Martin is a notorious slow writer, I'm trying to find an alternative fantasy series to get into while I wait for the next A Song of Ice and Fire. Robin Hobb has been highly praised by George R.R. Martin, so I thought her Assassin series was worth a go.

The Plot:The Kingdom of the Six Duchies is heading towards civil war, and further problems arise when is comes to light that the King-in-waiting has fathered a bastard son, Fitz. He is raised in the castle keep, resented by the populace but cared for by the gruff stable master, Burrich. As Fitz approaches adulthood, by order of the King,  he begins his secret training to become an assassin including an eduction in the Skill, the ability to ability to infiltrate and influence people's minds. He also shows a taboo affinity with animals, known as Wit.  

Rating: 4/5

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:-

Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere

I've been expanding my reading horizons recently, first with a Western  now with fantasy. Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is all about an alternative London, LondonBelow a subterranean world full of monsters, personified tube stations and people who have fallen through the cracks.

Although this is the first of his book that I've read, Neil Gaiman is a publishing phenomenon who has won numerous awards. Neverwhere started life as a 90s tv show, but frustrated by the contrasts of this medium and the quality of the programme, Gaiman wrote the novel to expand the universe and retell the story.

 
The Plot: When Richard Mayhew comes to the aid of a young woman huddled and bleeding on a London street, he is thrust into a perilous situation. Through his charitable act of kindness Richard aligns his fate with Door, who is running for her own life as well as trying to avenge to deaths of her family. Together, Richard, Door, Hunter and the foppish Marquis de Carabas navigate through the fantastical LondonBelow. They seek help from an angel called Islington, by first they must evade the sinister Mr Coup and Mr Vandemar and the other threats of the underground cit
Rating: 3/5
full review under the cut:-

Patrick DeWitt, The Sisters Brothers

Oooh, we're only on the 5th and I've already got some good books to share with you.

First up is The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, a Western populated by ruthless hardmen, cheaters and ne'er-do-wells.

The Plot: The notorious brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters, have been hired by the commodore to track down and kill Hermann Warm.  As their journey takes them through gold-rush California they meet a an eccentric cast of characters and Eli begins to have doubts about the mission and his profession.

Rating:  3.5/5

Full review after the jump:-

Toni Morrison, Beloved

Beloved is a ghost story, as well as a story about slavery, which at first may sound a bit odd but actually works really well.

Toni Morrison is highly regarded as an author, though personally I've found her a bit hit and miss- loved Jazz, couldn't understand the fuss about Mercy.

The Plot: Inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner, Beloved is set in the US during the time of slavery and after its abolition. Sethe, a runaway slave, kills her daughter and attempts to kill her other three children when men arrive to return her to Sweet Home plantation. she would rather they be dead than live in slavery. The ghost of her dead daughter haunts the family, until one day a young woman calling herself Beloved arrives on her doorstep.

Rating: 4/5

Full review under the cut:-

Currently Reading

The blog has recently been about what I've being doing, rather than what I've been reading, so thought I should give a quick update.

To my shame I've only read two books this month, Big Brother and The Silkworm. I've just been really busy. I usually read about 8, see my 'year in books tag' for my monthly reading list.

I have started 3 books though:-

• Toni Morrison, Beloved 
• Sam, Selvon, The Lonely Londoners
• Haruki Murakami, Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage 

Beloved and The Lonely Londoners are both library books, I really need to get a crack on with them as they need to go back.

I had a right parlava with the Murakami, I pre-ordered it from Amazon months ago, but when I received it I had to send it straight back as the copy was damaged. I'm very careful with my books, so was disappointed that the book jacket was all creased. It took another 3 days to get a replacement, so this has delayed my reading.

What do you think of my choices? Have you ever had trouble with Amazon deliveries?

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 

Elizabeth Haynes, Into the Darkest Corner

When photographing this book I was quite tempted to find the darkest corner in my house, but then realised that was a daft idea.

Into The Darkest Corner won Amazon Best Book of the Year 2011, but I missed the buzz. I read about in on a blog (sorry can't remember who) recently and thought it sounded worth a try.

Trigger warning: rape, domestic violence, OCD, post-traumatic stress, death, torture, compulsions, crime

Into the Darkest Corner - photographed not in a corner
ISBN: 9780956251572

The Plot: Catherine is young, bold and up for a good time. Happy to be single, she is is smart enough to realise what a great catch Lee is when she meets him on a night out. Charismatic and good looking Lee has soon won Catherine over, but soon is becomes apparent that Lee is darker and more dangerous than he first seemed. Several years later Catherine is struggling with OCD but otherwise managing to cope, that is until she receives a phone call that puts her into a further tailspin.  

Rating: ««««¶ (4/5)

Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride

Yay more feminist literature! I  was shocked to see that so far this year my reading list has been many male, to rectify this, this month (with the exception of two books) every novel I've read has been written by a woman.

I first read The Robber Bride years ago, so though I could remember the gist, the ending was a nice surprise. I don't think I can say it enough, I adore Margaret Atwood, without fail her novels are full of wit and insight.

The Plot: As three woman share a companionable lunch, an old enemy comes back from the dead. Zenia, beautiful, capricious and utterly merciless was thought to have been killed in a bombing, she is however very much alive. Having once already destroyed the lives of Tony, Charis and Roz, Zenia proves she's lost none of her venom and capacity to harm.

Rating: ««««« (5/5)

Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death

Just realised that so far I've only reviewed two books this months, that's a pretty poor show for a book reviewing blog.

I tried a sample of Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death back in May, so I've had to wait a fair while to read the whole thing. I bought it has part of my recent splurge.

trigger warning: violence, rape, racism, death, genocide, incest, FGM, slavery

The Plot: Alone in the desert, a woman who has survived the genocide of her village and a horrific rape by an enemy general, gives birth to a girl with hair and skin the colour of sand. She names her child Onyesnwu, 'who fears death'.  Onyesonwu, already ostracised due to the nature of her conception, is further rejected by her community when she  starts to exhibit signs of powerful magic. Able to transform into any animal, travel through the spirit world and even resurrect the dead, Onyesonwu is powerful and dangerous. Her volatile spirit  and gender mean she has the capacity to cause great harm, as well as good.   However,  as the violence between the Nuru and the Okeke escalates a prophecy is made, foretelling of a saviour who will end the war. 

Rating: ««««¶ (4/5) 

Full review and quick glossary under the cut *spoiler warning*:-
(I've included a brief list of terminology, as the novel can get confusing)

book haul

I've broken my self imposed book buying ban in a big way, but in my defence 3 of the 5 are second-hand.

Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death
After reading the kindle sample of this I was immediately hooked. *Trigger warning rape and violence.
Recently I've been interested in reading afro-futurism (inspired by my new found love for Octavia Butler) so this novel fit the bill.    

Octavia E. Butler, Seed to Harvest
Speaking of Octavia E. Butler, this collection of the Patternist series also got put in my shopping trolley. Seed to Harvest contains four novels and fits into the afro-futurism/ science-fiction genre. For my review of another of Octavia Butler's books, Kindred see here.

Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride and Bluebeard's Egg
I've mentioned several times on this blog that I'm a massive Atwood fan, and as both these books were going cheap second-hand on Amazon I couldn't resist. The Robber Bride is a strong contender for my favourite Atwood, so I felt I had to remedy the fact that I didn't actually own it. Bluebeard's Egg is a collection of retold fairy-stories (similar to Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber) so I had to have it. It's like a triple thumbs up, Margaret Atwood, yep! Fairytales, yep yep!, feminist re-telling, yep yep yep!

Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry
I was very impressed with Winterson's retelling of the myth of Hercules in Weight, so thought I should work my way through some more of her back catalogue. Sexing the Cherry is similar to Bluebeard's Egg, more fairytales.

What do you think of my book haul? Have you got any suggestions of what I should add to my reading list?

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*:

Octavia E. Butler, Kindred

After reading Wild Seed in April I've been on the hunt for some more Octivia Butler. My local library is sadly lacking the patternister series, but they did have Kindred. 

The Plot: Dana has just moved to a new house with her husband, whilst unpacking boxes she begins to feel nauseous and dizzy, her home disappears and she finds herself by the edge of a river. She has been transported to nineteenth century Maryland, an extremely dangerous place for a black woman. Luckily, just as she is threatened with a gun, she returns to her apartment, but this sorjourn is the start of a terrifying pattern where she is thrown between the two time periods, and endangered in both.

ISBN: 9781472214812

Rating: ««««« (5/5)

Full review after the jump:

Wesley Chu, The Lives of Tao

On the hunt for new authors, Wesley Chu's The Lives of Tao was one of the book I downloaded as a kindle sample. (for a full list of samples and mini reviews see here). Not wanting to part with my hard earned cash, as I wasn't sure I'd like it, I borrowed The Lives of Tao from the library.

The Plot: A civil war is raging between the peace-loving Prophus and the ruthless Genjix, and as both rival factions use humans and animals as hosts, the war is threatening the survival of Earth and humanity.

Rating: «¶¶¶¶ (1.5/5)

Full review under the cut:-

Dave Eggers, The Circle

I'm not that fussed about Dave Eggers, I know some people absolutely love his books, but before The Circle I'd only read What is the What and I wasn't blown away. After reading The Circle my position hasn't really changed.

The Plot: Newly graduated and ambitious, Mae is determined to rise through the ranks when she joins mega-corporation The Circle. By linking users personal emails, social media and finances together, The Circle has heralded a new age of internet transparency, people can no longer hide anonymously behind a screen, troll or catfish without consequences. However this new accountability begins to threaten privacy and liberty.

Rating: «««¶¶ (3/5)

Full review under the cut *warning may contain spoilers*