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Saturday 31 December 2016

My New Year Reading Resolution

I would say that my New Year Reading Resolution is to stop buying books that I subsequently don't read (which happens a fair bit), but I don't think that's practical - you can never really guarantee that however much you like a book's premise or initial chapters, you'll like it enough to continue reading to the end. Therefore, my actual Reading Resolution is to reduce the number of books I fail to finish. This is my action plan for achieving my goal. 

1. When I failed to finish a book, I will put it into one of two categories: won't finish or try again. Books that I that actively dislike (eg. I don't like the plot or just find boring) will go into the first category while books I just can't seem to get into will go in the second category.

2. Every time I need something to read, rather than buying a new book as I usually do, I will look at all the books in the "try again" category to see if there's anything I fancy giving another go. I can only buy another book if nothing from that category grabs me. 

3. Visit the library more often! I must confess that I probably go to my local library once a year (if that). To be fair, because of work commitments, I can only really go on a Saturday - which does make returning books a bit of a faff. But, I would certainty save some money if I made more of an effort. After all, you can fail to finish all the library books you want and you still won't be out of pocket.

4. If I try a book for a second time and still fail to finish it, I will move it to the "won't finish" category. Sometimes you have to accept that no matter how well written a book is or how good the plot is, it's just not for you. While going against the goal of reducing the number of books I buy and don't finish, at least I will know that I gave it my best shot.

5. Review my "won't finish" pile every now and then to learn what it is I don't like. For example, having looked at books I've failed to finish this year, I've realised I only like history books about people - I am not interested in learning about events or places, no matter how important they are for how we developed as a society (which is why I gave up on Mary Beard's book about Rome). 

6. After step five, get rid of my "won't finish" books. If physical, take it to a charity shop. If an ebook, delete it completely from my Kindle library. I have only just figured out how to do this (before, I just deleted it from my Kindle but not my virtual library) and it's been really liberating. I know that an unfinished ebook doesn't take up any space - either physically or digitally - but I found seeing a list of books I'd bought over the years and would never finish oppressive. 

7. Accept that I buy a lot books. Some people are passionate about music, some about fashion, and others about model aeroplanes (seriously, I used to work for two magazines dedicated to the subject), but I love books; they are "my thing". Therefore, I am going to spend a substantial amount of my disposable income (I do recognise that I am extremely fortunate to have disposable income) on books and the law of averages means that some of those will end up on my "won't finish" pile.  

I am hoping that the above steps will help me to reduce the amount of books I buy and don't finish, but most of all I want to stop feeling guilty about it. Guilt only has a purpose if it inspires you to change - continuing to do something while feeling guilty about it is plain ridiculous. 





Thursday 29 December 2016

Our responsibilities as readers

The recent furore about fake news stories has made me think about my responsibility as a reader. Though not my duty to determine if a story is fake or not because, to be frank, it's not that hard to spot a fake story - is it from a source you recognise? Does it have quotes from people with actual names and an explanation of who they are? Are other sources reporting the same thing? If the answer is no to these questions, then that's a bit of a clue that the story is not legit. What the fake news thing has made me think about is how I consume, for want of a better word, information from sources that I do trust. 

I think my most fundamental (and most obvious) responsibility is to understand to that if we don't read it, they won't write it. The Daily Mail, deservedly, gets a lot of flak for its editorial stance towards to anyone who, well, isn't a white, middle-class, non-Muslim, heterosexual, centre right voting, man. But the fact is it wouldn't spout out any of the rubbish it comes out with if there wasn't a willing audience for it. This being a free country, I can't stop other people from reading it but I can show my abhorrence at its hate-filled stories by not buying it and (if not more importantly) not increasing its web traffic by going on its website (not blameless on this score to be honest)

However, of the media I do read, I have to recognise that there's an agenda behind all of it - even the most impartial. For example, I occasionally pick up The Guardian - which is unapologetically left wing. But, the paper that I regularly read, the I paper (which started life as the sister paper of The Independent), is less obvious about its political stance. Even if you ignore the strong argument you could make that it is left wing, the paper isn't really impartial whatever it purports to be. The editor, or team of editors, has made a choice about what news to report, what story (or in the I paper's case, headline) to put on the front cover, and what to ignore. Therefore, each edition is not a reflection of what is going in the world; it is a reflection of what a group of people think are the most relevant and most important things happening in the world. It would be impossible, of course, for them to include every event that happened and I think that they make the right selection (otherwise I wouldn't buy the paper), but I do have to acknowledge that the view that I am getting when I read the paper is only part of the picture; not the whole picture.

Another thing I have to recognise that is that a news story is usually a tertiary source (third hand in other words). It's a report of someone's else report of something that was said or that happened. It's a rarely a first-hand account. That doesn't mean the story is inaccurate; just that things can get lost in translation and things don't always happen as they have been reported. A good news reporter will take steps to validate what they've heard and try to get all sides of the story (ie, if someone claiming someone did something; get a response from that someone). Furthermore, they will make it clear that their report is not a first-hand account (and thus, they can't guarantee that they are reporting exactly what happened) by shoving in lots of "mays", "thinks", "claims", and "according tos", etc. But again when I am reading something, I have to recognise that - despite the best efforts of the reporter - I am not getting the complete picture.

The problem is of course is that it's pretty much impossible to get the complete picture - we rely on news sources for information because we are not able to get it ourselves. Even if we were able to, we would still have to acknowledge that we have our own agendas and will interpret things in certain ways. I, for example, am left wing so I am predisposed to be sceptical of any policy that the Tories bring out - no matter how good or bad it actually is. 

Therefore, what is our responsibilities as readers? Is it to mistrust everything we come read? No, of course not, that would be impractical as well as paranoid. More that we have to be critical and recognise what we read may not be the Gospel truth. Or at least, not the only truth. 

Thursday 15 December 2016

My top 10 books of 2016

Today, I completed my 2016 GoodReads Reading Challenge - which to the uninitiated, means I read the X amount of books - 45 to be exact - I said would at the beginning of the year. Well actually, originally said I would read 24 but kept increasing the number when I kept hitting the "target". Lest this sounds impressive, I should point out I've read several graphic novels this year, which are fairly quick to read, and quite a few books that weren't exactly taxing on the brain (eg, see my post on my love of Doctor Who novels). Anyway, I thought it would be a good opportunity to list my top 10 favourite books of the year (some of which were featured in my favourite book of the year so far post)

According to GoodReads, it's about "five misfits who exist on the fringes of Ireland's post-crash society". Not nearly as worthy or pretentious as that makes it sound. 


8: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Proof that Young Adult can be just as well written and well plotted as "grown-up" books.

7: Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
A sweet comic strip biography of Briggs' parents. There's an adaption on Channel 4 over Christmas (makes a change from The Snowman), and I will definitely be watching it.

6: The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
A modern retelling of The Winter's Tale. Reminded me that I should make more of an effort to read more of Winterson's works.

5: All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman
Bonkers but in a good way. The title says all you need to know about the plot!

4: A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
A must for fans of her Life after Life

3: Q's Legacy by Helen Hanff
A lovely little read about a woman, the author of 84 Charing Cross Road, living her life her way. Not that she does anything radical more that she's doesn't seem that bothered about conforming to society's expectations etc.

2: The House of The Spirits by Isabelle Allende
A sprawling family saga that grips from the first page. Don't watch the film version though; that's pants.

1: The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
A book I love so much I have to force myself to stop recommending it to people as it's started to border on the obsessive. 

Monday 28 November 2016

Buying books for Christmas

I refuse to believe Christmas is here given it's still flipping November. But it is, alas, probably time to start thinking about buying presents (unless you want to tear round the shops on Christmas Eve panic buying novelty socks that is). Although I think books can make great presents, they can be quite tricky to get right. Therefore, I  - being the benevolent person that I am (cough)  - thought I would share my tips for choosing the perfect book for a loved one. 

Check that they read
The first, and fairly obvious thing, is to establish whether your intended recipient actually likes reading. While they don't need to have their head in a book every time you see them, it's probably a good idea for them to show signs of not being adverse to reading. For example, they actually own a few or have been known to read the odd book on holiday. If they seem to prefer films/TV etc, take the hint and get them something else.

Check how they read
These days, there are multiple ways to read a book - such as hardback, paperback, or ebook. People will often have a preferred format for reading and may even actively dislike certain formats. I, for example, am not a fan of hardbacks. I do most of my reading while commuting to and from work, so don't really want to lug a heavy book with me on my travels. Someone else, on the other hand, may prefer hardbacks because they like to read a book as soon it's been published etc. It's worth figuring out how they like to read because this may affect whether or not you can actually buy them a book. Rather annoyingly, in the UK at least, you can't buy an ebook for someone (well, via Amazon anyway). Therefore if they only read ebooks, perhaps get them a ebook voucher. I know that's not the most personal gift you can give but, believe me, no avid reader will be upset about an opportunity to buy more books.

Check what they read
Here you have two options - A: Do a covert search of their bookshelves. B: Just ask them what book they want for Christmas. Personally, I think B is the safest bet. Even if you are able to discover who their favourite author is by stealth, buying them a book can still be hit and miss. If their favourite author has a new book out, they may already have pre-ordered it if they are that big of a fan. Also just because they like a particularly author, doesn't mean that they like everything by that author. A Poirot fan is not necessarily a Miss Marple fan and vice versa.
If you live with someone, then clearly knowing what they like to read - and what they have and haven't already got - is a lot easier. Still, just to be on the safe, check before buying. Them knowing what you're getting them for Crimbo is a lot better than them having to have to slog to the shops to take back the version they've bought themselves (or multiple copies if other relatives have also bought it them, so basically tell everyone what you plan to buy).
To keep the element of surprise, you could always get them a first edition or nicely bound copy of their favourite book (depending what it is and your budget). The Folio Society and Persephone Books (which focuses on books by 20th century female writers) are renown for their beautiful books.

Check what you have read
I love giving books I've enjoyed to friends and family - I think it's a nice way of showing you care; you want them to experience the same pleasure you have had. This, of course, depends on how similar they are to you; if you're polar opposites, then there's a good chance they won't like the book you so admired. Failing giving them a book you like, you could always give them a book that you think they might relate to or reminds you of them in someway. (Not a good plan if said book is a horror novel; probably won't go down too well if you tell them that they immediately sprang to mind when you read it).

Check your thoughts
It's naff and a cliche but ultimately, it's the thought that counts. It doesn't really matter if they don't like the book or don't end up reading it; what matters is that you've put thought into choosing the book. A good friend of mine bought me a book (one that I heavily hinted I wanted to be fair) for my birthday this year. By no means the best book I've read this year, I treasure it because of the effort she took to send it to me (sent it to the hotel where I was staying while working at a conference). Therefore as long as they know you spent time and effort choosing something they might like, I'm sure they'll appreciate it.






Tuesday 22 November 2016

I'm purposely not loyal to authors

No matter how much I love a book - contrary to what you might expect a "bookworm" to do - I rarely seek out further books that its author may have written. In fact, I actively avoid reading any books that they may have written (at least for a while). 


My innate pessimism is probably the key reason why I do this. I'm concerned that the author's other books won't be as good and may even negatively affect my feelings for the book (yes, I'm aware that this sounds a tad mad). One of my favourite - if not favourite - books I've read this year is Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry, Planet . I'm reluctant to read her follow-up novel A Closed and Common Orbit (not a sequel as such but it has some of the same characters) because I don't think I could cope (first-world problems, I know) if it was rubbish or just OK. It's Chambers' second book and they are renown for being "difficult". Even Zadie Smith - now seen as one of the UK's best authors - got a fair of bit flak for her second novel (The Autograph Man) after her astonishing debut (White Teeth).

I also suffer from "Fear of missing out" (Is FOMO still a thing in 2016 given so much stuff has happened that we'd rather have missed out on?). If I just stuck to the same authors, I might miss out on some wonderful books by authors unknown to me. It is a policy, to be fair, that works. Of the books I've read this year, most were by "new" authors. Admittedly some weren't great, but most were and several were "five-star" reads (see my previous post about how I rate books).

Then there's the law of diminishing returns. In the past, I've found that the more you read an author's work, the more you're able to spot their writing patterns. For a while, I went through a phase of trying to read a Dickens' novel every year. I was really enjoying doing this until, after reading about five of his books, I started to spot a pattern. I tried to read Nicholas Nickleby and it was all too obvious who the "baddie" was going to be - mind you, it's not like Dickens sets out to make it a surprise; it's just frustrating that the main character can't spot it. I can't remember if I read far enough to meet the love interest, but 10 to one she's was a demure, kind-hearted, creature whose greatest wish is to help her family - that was the character of the female love interest in most of the Dickens' novels I have read (well apart from Estella, but she had issues).

There are some authors whose work I do lap up. Kazuo Ishiguro is my all time favourite author. So much so that I'm prepared to forgive him the odd duff piece of work. In his short story collection, Nocturnes, which I read earlier this year, there are several stories that are - well - a bit ropey when it comes to plot. Ishiguro is obviously having a bit of a play about with story telling and it's not always successful. But this is the man who wrote The Remains of the Day and The Buried Giant (both beautiful in my view), so I am willing to overlook it. Hell, The Beatles came out with interesting songs now and again but that doesn't stop them from being one of the best bands that ever existed.

I am starting to re-think my whole policy of not reading books by the same author - seems somewhat hair-shirt wearing at times to deny myself the pleasure of a book just because I've already something by that author. For that reason, I actively going to read more of Jeanette Winterson's and Hilary Mantel's works because I really loved the stuff of theirs I've already read. I think the trick is not to read too many books by the same author in too short a timeframe (which I think is where I went wrong with Dickens).






Wednesday 16 November 2016

Book confession: I love Doctor Who novels

I have, over the past few years, developed a rather concerning habit - reading Doctor Who spin-off novels. That's right I, the world's worst book snob, like to immerse myself in stories about the eponymous Time Lord (in his various incarnations) and his ever-changing companions. 


The main reason I like them is that they are easy to read and have predictable plots (they are, after all, aimed at children). You know no matter how terrible the baddie is or how fiendishly clever their plot is, good will conquer evil - particularly comforting given recent events. Plus, because they are "cannon" (ie. officially part of the Whoniverse), nothing that can happen that could affect the events in the TV show - the idea is that the adventure is happening "off screen" during the timeline of that version of the Doctor and that particular companion. For example, I've just read a book featuring the 10th Doctor and the fourth series companion Donna Noble (The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham). They both face a fair bit of peril in the story but you know that they will survive it because they are alive and well throughout the fourth series (well apart the final episode, which I am still not really over). 

I also like the books because I get to spend more time with my preferred Doctor and companions. Matt Smith did a good job playing the 11th Doctor, but I think David Tennant had the edge as the 10th  - Smith's version of the Doctor seemed like a (charismatic) big kid whereas Tennant's had a bit more pathos and you felt less embarrassed that you were an adult watching a kids' show (though, given its popularity, I think you're "allowed" to like Doctor Who because of its cult status). By reading the novels, I can pretend Tennant never went off to do Broadchurch (forgivable if it wasn't for series 2), Rose never got stuck on a parallel world and Donna still remembers the Doctor (less bothered by Martha as she only really came into her own when she wasn't with the Doctor). 

Finally, the books may never be contenders for the Man Booker prize but they are all well written (mind you, I've only read five of the seemingly gazillions that are available so chances are some of them are a bit ropey). In fact, some of the authors are established authors in their own right. For example, Ben Aaronovitch, author of Remembrance of the Daleks (written to tie in with four episode he wrote of the same name), is the author of the popular Peter Grant series of novels (an apprentice wizard who is also a detective). "Chic lit" author Jenny Colgan has also penned a Doctor Who novel (as "Jenny T Colgan") as has Doctor Who affectionado and Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss (he's also written episodes of the TV show).

I am not sure why I am so embarrassed about my predilection for these novels. It's not like I have a rep to protect. As a colleague recently said  - in what I am deciding to see as affectionate tones - I am the "biggest nerd" she knows. Ultimately if you like something, presuming it doesn't hurt anyone else, you should just enjoy it. Life's not only too short to read bad books it's also too short to worry about reading the right type of books. On that note, I am going to dive into the new book I've just bought, the deeply unhip A Street Cat Named Bob (By James Bowen)


Friday 21 October 2016

A childhood favourite


The Best of Girl Annual 1952-59 (edited by Denis Gifford) - which, despite its name, was actually published in 1990 - was one of my favourite books when I was 10. So much so that I regularly re-read it well into my late teens (and possibly even early 20s). In a fit of nostalgic indulgence, I decided to re-read it (again!) to see if I would find it as enchanting as I first did 26 years ago (eek!).  


But as excited as I was to have the book back in my hands (my childhood copy being long gone, I had to order another one from AbeBooks), I was apprehensive - I remembered that some of the comic strips were "dated" in their views towards people of colour, so I was concerned that these strips would now strike me as so racist that I could no longer think of the book fondly.

Well, the book is - by today's standards - downright racist towards people of colour. Whenever someone not white is featured, they are usually a servant of some sort and, worst still, tend to have a limited vocabulary. In Sumuna's South Sea Isle, for example, both the titular character Sumuna and a character called Loki (black and depicted as just wearing shorts) speak in the third person and look up to the white male hero (fully dressed when not swimming). In fairness, Sumuna is shown to be brave and have initiative as is the character Lotus Flower (!) in the story Martine and The Mystery of Golden Buddha. Plus the plot of one story, Vicky has an adventure in Spain, centres on a gypsy man coming to the rescue of a boy whose father has treated the man with prejudice. Overall, the casual racism makes for uncomfortable reading but as mentioned in my previous post, you do have to judge a book by the standards of when it was written. Therefore, my enjoyment of the book isn't marred - I just wouldn't rush to read it to my nieces (or nephews)!

What I didn't expect when I re-read it was the fun of picking up on all the things I'd missed when I was a naive 10-year-old (and teenager for that matter). There are several instances when the heroines try to help someone who is in "a jam" (they are all, of course, resolutely middle class) but do the exact opposite of what most logically thinking people would do. In Flick and The Vanishing Girl, Flick sets out to rescue the actually kidnapped girl but at no point considers calling the police (if she's was in a horror film, she'd no doubt go down into the cellar rather than run out the door) and doesn't even explain to Jim the Milkman (wearing a flat cap just to stress the fact he's working class) why she needs him to give her a lift (other than "it's terribly urgent"). Obviously, as per the Famous Five, being have-a-go heroes works out for them and they always end up saving the day. 

Then there's the star profiles, which are masterclasses in glossing over the complex parts of celebrities' lives. They neglect to dwell on why Dirk Bogarde was the star who "shuns the bright lights" (er because he couldn't live openly as a gay man) and make no mention of the deeply unfair bad press that Gracie Fields received during the War because she had had the temerity to marry an Italian-born man (who had actually emigrated to USA in 1914). Mind you, there's a lot to be said about not mentioning everything about a celebrity's life. I know more stuff about Kim Kardashian than I actually ever wanted to because I am constantly bombarded by headlines every time she as much as sneezes. 

In summary, I do still have great affection for the book. Yes, it's dated but not all of the values belong in the 1950s, It shows girls being brave, clever, and kind - which is a good message for all children (whatever their gender identity) I think.

Monday 17 October 2016

How I rate books

A couple of BookTubers have posted videos (1,2) about what, for them, makes a five-star read - the highest rating on Goodreads. Their videos have not only got me thinking about I consider to be a "five-star" book but also about my general process for rating books. One thing I've realised is that my system for rating books doesn't match-up with Goodreads' rating system.


WARNING: Some spoilers below

One star
Goodreads = "Did not like it"
Me = "I absolutely hated it"

Somewhat perversely, I only give one stars to books that I think are well written. I tend to hate a book when I vehemently disagree with its themes or how the characters are portrayed. The author has to sufficiently portray both the characters and themes for me to understand them to disagree with them! After all you can only disagree with a set of policies if you know what they are. 

An example of this is Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It's an undeniably compelling book but it's also undeniably racist. You do have to judge a book by the moral standards of when it was written rather than the standards of today; therefore, given Mitchell wrote it in 1936 -  a good 28 years before US legally-enforced public segregation was abolished by the 1964 Civil Rights Act - it's not totally surprisingly that she's not exactly championing equal rights for black people. But I felt that in Gone With The Wind, she doesn't just reflect the racism of her day (which would have been bad enough), she reflects the racism of the South during the Civil War. The subtitle of the book might as well be "slavery: black people preferred it that way". Given the horrific race-related events (such as Scottsboro Boys case) that happened in the USA in the 1930s, I couldn't keep reading.

Two stars
Goodreads = "It was OK"
Me = "A total let down"

I give two stars to books that I am frustrated with or disappointed by in some way. I got totally hooked by SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep until the big twist was revealed. The whole way through as I was like "that can't be the twist; it's too flipping obvious" but oh no, the twist was that obvious. The twist may as well have been "it was all a bad dream" it was so unoriginal. If you're going to go for a predictable ending, don't con your readers into thinking your book is anything other than your average  airport thriller paperback. Actually, that's unfair. Airport thrillers don't have delusions of grandeur and just get on with being your bog-standard page-turner. 

Three stars
GoodReads = "I liked it"
Me = "It was OK"

Three stars tends to be the lowest rating I give a book on Goodreads as I tend not to finish those that I consider to be one- or two- star reads. Life's too short to be reading a book you hate I say. Therefore, I give three stars to books that I enjoyed but I felt had one or two flaws that keep me from being that enthusiastic about it. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, which is the last book I read, was a good read but I did find it lost its way towards the end. As I mention in my review, I would be interested to read other books by Pulley (this is her first one, so she's allowed to be less than brilliant) but I don't think I would rush to recommend this one. 

Four stars
GoodReads = "I really liked it"
Me = "Nothing to complain about here"

I give a book four stars when there's nothing I would criticise about it - I enjoyed it, the plot was good, and characters were well developed etc. The only reason I give it four stars rather than five stars is because I am not passionate about it. As much as I enjoyed it, the book is not one that will stay with me. I really enjoyed Andrew Miller's Pure and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it but, a few years after reading it, I'd struggle to say what happened or why it was I liked it.

Five stars
GoodReads = "Awesome"
Me  = "Wonderful"

A five-star book is not necessarily the most well written but one that I feel connected to in some way. And having looked at the books I've given five stars to, they all seem to share a common theme - lonely outsider finds their place in life. Jane Eyre, of course, is my favourite book of all time.. I am not quite sure what that says about me; probably that I still haven't, at 36, quite got over being the misfit at school. 

Mind you, I am also partial to books featuring redemption in some way. The House of the Spirits, by Isabelle Allende, is one of my favourite books that I've read this year. I loved that the "baddie" in the book isn't as all out horrible as he initially appears. Again, not sure what that says about me. I am going to pretend it's because I am a Quaker and thus duty bound to see the divine in everyone rather than because I've got psychological issues going on. 


Links

Friday 23 September 2016

Lessons from "banned books"

Sunday is the start of Banned Books Week (25 September - 1 October), an annual US-based initiative that celebrates "our freedom to read". To mark the event, I have decided to review the lessons I have learnt from reading banned books. To be honest, not all of the books below have been banned but they are all about societies in which freedom (and by extension, reading) was repressed in someway. And in keeping with the 2016 Banned Books Week' theme of diversity, I am focusing books that are about cultures and experiences different from my own.


Chairman Mao - in his own way - was just as bad as Hitler 
Prior to reading Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's biography Mao: The Unknown Story (banned in China) I didn't really know much about communist China under Mao. Having read Chang's family memoir Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (also banned in China), I knew the Cultural Revolution was a "bad thing", but I didn't quite understand quite how ruthless Mao was or how dire life could be for those who fell foul of him. After reading this book, I realised how appalling it is that some people seem to think a bag with Mao on it is a kooky or kitschy thing to have. No one (of sane political mind) would think walking round with Hitler on their bag would be an acceptable thing to do, would they?

Survival is a combination of luck and ingenuity
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman depicts, in the form of a graphic novel, Spiegelman's father's (Vladek) - a Polish Jew (or mouse in this book) - struggle to survive the Nazis during the 30s and the Second World War. What quickly becomes clear is how utterly powerless someone like Vladek is against the relentless might of a force like the Nazis. He does what he can to avoid being taken to the camps but it's only through being in the right place at the right time (or rather, not being in the wrong place at the wrong time) that he manages to avoid them for so long - ie, in other words, it's not necessarily the bravest or the brightest who survive; it's the luckiest.
Obviously, "luck" is very much a relative term as the book also shows the damaging lifelong effects of living through an experience like the Holocaust on not only the person who survived but also on those around them. Vladek is portrayed as a difficult character who has strained relationships with both Art and his second wife. You do wonder who he would have been were it not for the Holocaust.

Don't judge a nation on its Government
Iranians don't have a great reputation - judging by your average Hollywood blockbuster (and a fair bit of Western media), they're either fanatical terrorists (men) or submissive, uneducated simpletons (women). That stereotype, of course, is completely and utterly wrong. It's no more accurate than the idea that English people can only be posh toffs or "cor blimey guv'nor" cockneys (only much more offensive). Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, shows just how diverse and cultured a people the Iranians are. It also shows how, despite the repressive regime they live under, they have just the same everyday concerns as everyone else in the world. As a teenager, Satrapi had posters on her wall just like any other girl her age - even if her parents did have to go to extreme lengths to smuggle the said posters into the country (ingenious use of a coat when coming back from trip abroad).
Persepolis is banned in Iran funnily enough but somewhat bizarrely found itself on the 2014 American Library Association 10 most frequently challenged books list (well so Wikipedia says anyway). 

To ask myself  "And what are you doing about injustice?"
Given that I was only 10 when Nelson Mandela was released, I am going to let myself off for not wearing a Free Nelson Mandela T-shirt or making a fuss if my Mum bought Cape Granny Smith apples (my older sister made a fuss to be fair). But reading Mandela's autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom (not banned, obvs, as it was published when he was president) did make me question what I would do if I was faced with a terrible injustice? Would I, as Mandela did, risk everything to make a stand? Probably not; I am a complete coward. But being white and British, it's highly unlikely I will ever be faced with the type of repression that Mandela and other black people (or, in fact, pretty much anyone who wasn't white) had to deal with on a daily basis during Apartheid. Therefore, a more important and more relevant question is what I am doing to help those who are currently being repressed? The shameful answer is not much apart from a small monthly donation to Amnesty International* and the odd email to a head of state about a political prisoner. I am not sure what else I can do to be honest - sometimes there seems to be so much injustice in the world, knowing what campaigns to get involved in is difficult - but I do think I have a responsibility to help give a "voice to the voiceless".

One thing I can definitely do is read more books about repressed communities. For example, I do feel rather remiss about the fact I've never really read a book about the effect of the British empire on the nations it conquered. Therefore, I've added Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe to my "to read" list. Not sure if I will get round to reading it, but I definitely think I should read something about the damaging consequences of my country thinking it had the right to rule the waves. After all, I benefit from living in a prosperous country so I really ought to understand the negative consequences of what it did to become that prosperous.

* = I am aware that Amnesty, controversially didn't fight for Mandela's freedom because they did not consider him to be a prisoner of conscience, but that doesn't mean they don't do good work.







Friday 16 September 2016


A Little Book of UnknowingA Little Book of Unknowing by Jennifer Kavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this book, Jennifer explores what we really "know" (not much it turns out) and how we can come to terms with uncertainty in our lives. Her view is that we should embrace uncertainty as it can provide opportunities for growth and a deeper spiritual understanding.

As the title suggests, this book is short - it's only 73 pages - and you could probably read it in one sitting if you wanted. But actually, I think it's better to take your time reading it otherwise you might miss out on the points that Jennifer is making (one point being, ironically enough, you sometimes need to wait for the answer to come to you). I certainly think you will get more out of this book if you read it multiple times.

Jennifer writes very much with a faith perspective (specifically, a Quaker one), but that doesn't mean her book doesn't have value for people who don't believe in God/The Divine. As she points out science is a faith to some extent, so even the most confirmed atheist could benefit from reading this book (they could always skip passed the bits when Jennifer references the G word).

View all my reviews

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Stuff I am going to possibly read in September

In BookTube parlance,  your "TBR" or "To be read" list denotes books that you're planning read (thank God you've got me to explain this stuff to you hey). Personally, I find this type of thing intimidating because basically I am incredibly stubborn and don't like being told what do (even if it's me telling me what to do). So, I prefer to have "possible read" books - i.e. books that I might read but don't have to read (I do grant you that this probably makes very little sense to anyone other than myself). Anyroad (usually write "anyway", but wanted to mix things up a bit), these are the things that I am "possibly reading" this month.


Have started to read it but keep finding excuses to read something else. This is probably why you shouldn't buy a book purely so that can make some rubbish "when in Rome" gag about reading a book about Rome when you're visiting the place for work. It does seem interesting but in my heart of hearts, The Rotten Romans by Terry Deary is probably more my level.

A Little Book of Unknowing by Jennifer Kavanagh 

I bought this book after attending Jennifer's workshop "Walking into the dark with a smile", which was basically about coping with uncertainty - particularly when the future looks less than rosy. I  am going to save it for when my anxiety next plays up (so end of the week probably) as I am hoping it will help. Should point out that Jennifer is a member of the same Quaker meeting house as me, so my purchasing of the book was slightly biased but I'd like think I still would have got it even I didn't know her.

Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson

As I mentioned in my previous post, I really liked her take on The Winter's Tale (The Gap of Time). Therefore, I wanted to give this one a shot. Like the book above, I will probably leave it a while before reading because I don't like reading books by the same author in quick succession - too much of a good thing etc.

Dead Beat by Val McDermid

Downloaded this because it was only £3 and I was looking for a reliable, easy read. McDermid may never win the Man Booker but she certainly knows how to spin a good yarn. Plus as this book was written in 1992, it's going to be interesting to see how her private detective Kate Brannigan tracks people without the aid of the internet or a smartphone. So far Kate, as the narrator, has made several references to "working on the computer" and "databases" - which seems very old fashioned. Keep having to remind myself that she can't just Google it!


My August GoodReads reviews

August was quite a productive reading month for me - mainly because I took a week off to go to the Edinburgh book festival (and the general festival) and it would seem a tad churlish not to get some serious reading done while there. And because I am sure everyone is as fascinated by my opinion as I am, I've decided to collate (not sure that's the right word to use but it sounds posh) my GoodReads reviews (in chronological order) in this blog post:


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't say too much as I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone, but it was lovely to revisit the world of Harry Potter. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are older but otherwise not much changed and pretty much have the same roles that they did in the books - reluctant hero, super smart, and muddles along.

I wasn't a great fan of Albus, Harry's son, or Rose, Herminoe's daughter, purely because they seemed like reruns of their parents. Draco's son, Scorpius, on the other hand isn't Draco mark II and was actually one of my favourite characters.

As much as I would like to see the actual play, I am not prepared to sit by my computer waiting for the tickets to be released or whatever. I think I'll wait for the film because let's face it, they are going to make one a some point.



According to YesAccording to Yes by Dawn French
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am so irritated by this book!

First off, the book cover and book description makes you think it's going to be some light-hearted, chick-lit esque novel about a Mary Poppins/Maria Von Trapp character teaching an uptight family to be less, well, uptight.

It isn't; it has a lot more edge to it than that - which should come as no surprise to anyone who has read one of French's previous novels or watched any of her comedy (stuff she's done with Jennifer Saunders rather than Vicar of Dibley).

Why do publishers have this obsession with marketing a work by a female author that isn't literary fiction as chick lit? Why can't it just be marketed as a novel? Like books by male authors are?

Mind you, the second thing that really annoyed me about this novel is that French lacks the courage of her convictions to continue with the edgier stuff until the end. She raises a few issues but then conveniently overcomes them. I think it would be much more interesting if the pitfalls of the "saying yes to everything" philosophy of Rosie Kitto, the book's heroine, were highlighted to a greater extent. There are several events that occur as a direct result of this philosophy that in real life would not play out as smoothly as they do in the book.

One can only hope in later novels, French is tad a braver and lets her books end more messily than this one does.

The Tidal ZoneThe Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A very well written, poignant tale of coping with the aftermath of a shocking event (the narrator's daughter stops breathing for no apparent reason) and with the realisation we don't really have any control over the future.

The only reason I've given it three stars is because I felt it was about two or three chapters too long. I thought Moss laboured the end a bit and could have wrapped things up sooner than she did without detriment to the plot or to the characters' development.


Ethel and ErnestEthel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful biography of Riggs' parents - from their first meeting to their deaths. He shows their imperfection (Ethel can be a bit of a snob while Ernest is somewhat insensitive) but most of all, he shows their devotion to each other. Despite spending most of the book bickering, Ethel and Ernest have a deep, obvious love for each other.

As we have come to expect from the author of The Snowman (it's not Briggs' fault it is shown every sodding Christmas), Father Christmas, and When the Wind Blows, the artwork is beautifully understated.

SpectaclesSpectacles by Sue Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A heartfelt memoir about the ups and downs of life - from meeting kindred spirits to the pain of break ups. The Bake Off barely gets a mention (one chapter and a reference that to the fact Perkins can't go anywhere - even when coping with a dog with diarrhoea - without someone shouting "bake" at her). In fact, she spends more detailing the things that have gone wrong in her career than the things that have gone right. I much prefer celeb autobiographies to be this way rather than someone blathering on about how great their life has been or how embarrassed they are at how successful/bright they are (unlike some celeb autobiographies I could mention*). It's comforting to know that even household names are muddling along in life just like the rest of us!

* = Stephen Fry's The Fry Chronicles may as well have been called "I didn't choose to be this clever" for the amount of humblebragging that went on (Fry later redeemed himself with the much better More Fool Me).

View all my reviews The Gap of Time: The Winter’s Tale Retold (Hogarth Shakespeare)The Gap of Time: The Winter’s Tale Retold by Jeanette Winterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Your enjoyment of this book will probably depend on how much you know of The Winter's Tale. I knew the very basics, so the idiot's guide at the beginning did help. But then again, it almost spoiled the book for me - because I knew what was going to happen, I was looking for it and got a little bored on occasion waiting for it happen (when I should have just been enjoying Winterson's unique prose). Had I skipped the recap bit, I might have enjoyed it more because I could have read it as a "normal" story (ie. not know what was going to happen). On the flip side if you know The Winter's Take well, you might enjoy reading how Winterson had modernised the tale (particularly some of the original's more fantastical elements) and how she has interpreted the characters.

Mind you once I learnt to just to enjoy Winterson's writing, I really started to like the book. For me, she's definitely one of those authors whose books - not matter what the content - I tend to lap up. Actually, she seems to have a bit of a habit of writing books to a particular theme. She's also written The Daylight Gate for Hammer Horror (read & loved) & Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Hercules (on "to read" list) for the Cannongate Myth series. You get the impression she likes a project (no bad thing)!

View all my reviews

Sunday 21 August 2016

Library book haul


Feeling a reading slump (when you just can't "get into" any book) coming on - probably because I've read quite a lot recently thanks to being on holiday - I am bit reluctant to buy another book. Therefore, inspired by Elena Reads Books' video about books she has checked out from the library, I decided to visit my local library. These are the books I picked up (in alphabetical order).

Having read the first DI Vera Stanhope novel, I decided to give this - the fifth in the series - a go. Not sure if I will even attempt to read it to be honest but, hey, that's the great thing about library books; you haven't wasted any money if you don't end up reading them.

Promoting her book Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen (the first in her Six Tudors Queens series) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Weir gave a very interesting talk about Katherine and about her approach to writing historical fiction. So much so that I was inspired to read one of her books (which, after all, was the point of her talk); however, I realised I couldn't face reading yet another book about Henry VIII or his wives (I've already read Wolf Hall, Bringing up the Bodies, and The Other Boleyn Girl) - and didn't want to fork out for the hardcover book price (the Kindle version doesn't seem to be available yet) - so I thought I would try this one about Katherine Grey (sister of Jane, who literally lost her head) and Kate Plantagenet (result of Richard III playing away from home). 

I've been wanting to read this re-imagining of The Winter's Tale (part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series) for a while so was really pleased to see the paperback version in the library. The problem is that the only reason I haven't already bought it is because I thought it was too expensive (£10 last time I checked); now that I know it's only £4.99 on Kindle, I am very tempted to buy it. But no! I will read this library version in celebration of the wonderful resources that libraries are!*

Why be happy when you could be normal? Also by Jeanette Winterson
Having loved Oranges are not the only fruit, Winterson's autobiographical novel, this memoir (described as the novel's silent twin) is also on my "to read" list. Plus, as you may have guessed by the fact I have picked up two of her books, Winterson is one of my favourite authors (despite my total inability to remember her surname - I keep thinking it's Winerson for some reason). I suspect it might be a bit harrowing, which is why I grabbed this library book; I can take it back if it all gets too much!

If you're also in a reading slump, Book Riot has some good tips for getting out of it.


* = They are wonderful but I can pretty much guarantee you I'll have downloaded the book by the end of the week.







Saturday 20 August 2016

Books I read on my holibobs


SpectaclesSpectacles by Sue Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A heartfelt memoir about the ups and downs of life - from meeting kindred spirits to the pain of break ups. The Bake off barely gets a mention (one chapter and a reference that to the fact Perkins can't go anywhere - even when coping with a dog with diarrhoea - without someone shouting "bake" at her). In fact, she spends more detailing the things that have gone wrong in her career than the things that have gone right. I much prefer celeb autobiographies to be this way rather than someone blathering on about how great their life has been or how embarrassed they are at how successful/bright they are (unlike some celeb autobiographies I could mention*). It's comforting to know that even household names are muddling along in life just like the rest of us!

* = Stephen Fry's The Fry Chronicles may as well have been called "I didn't choose to be this clever" for the amount of humblebragging that went on (Fry later redeemed himself with the much better More Fool Me).

View all my reviews

Ethel and ErnestEthel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful biography of Riggs' parents - from their first meeting to their deaths. He shows their imperfection (Ethel can be a bit of a snob while Ernest is somewhat insensitive) but most of all, he shows their devotion to each other. Despite spending most of the book bickering, Ethel and Ernest have a deep, obvious love for each other.

As we have come to expect from the author of The Snowman (it's not Briggs' fault it is shown every sodding Christmas), Father Christmas, and When the Wind Blows, the artwork is beautifully understated.

View all my reviews

The Tidal ZoneThe Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A very well written, poignant tale of coping with the aftermath of a shocking event (the narrator's daughter stops breathing for no apparent reason) and with the realisation we don't really have any control over the future.

The only reason I've given it three stars is because I felt it was about two or three chapters too long. I felt Moss laboured the end a bit and could have wrapped things up sooner than she did without detriment to the plot or to the characters' development.

View all my reviews

Wednesday 10 August 2016

The pros and cons of owning a Kindle

To buy a Kindle or not buy a Kindle that's the question you probably not remotely asking yourself. But hell, I am bored and can find flip all to watch on Netflix  - so I though I'd list the pros and cons of owning a Kindle* for you (if anyone other than me actually reads this blog that is).


Pros

1. Taking your books on your travels
When packing my suitcase, I always try to keep one very important fact in mind - I am the numpty who has to lug the thing to the airport. Therefore the lighter it is, the better. Obviously, a Kindle (loaded with as many books as you want) takes up considerably less space - and more importantly, weight - than your average paperback.

2. Choice
With a Kindle, assuming you have a reasonable internet connection, you can buy pretty much whatever book your want whenever you want. On numerous occasions, a book I've bought on a whim has ended up being a favourite. Being a fan of instant gratification, there's no way I would have bought such a book had I had to wait for it to come into stock.

3. Samples.
You can download as many samples - excerpts of a book (usually the first chapter) - as you want free of charge. These days, to avoid adding yet another book to my already huge not finished pile, I always download a sample before buying. If I want keep to reading after I finish the sample, I buy the book; if I don't want to keep reading or don't finish the sample, I don't buy the book. OK, so most bookshops don't mind you browsing but they'd probably be less than impressed if you systematically read the first chapter of a book before deciding to buy it or not.

4. Organisation
For most people who actually have a life, this wouldn't remotely register as a bonus. But, I love the fact that I can organise my books several ways - ie. alphabetically, by author, and by genre. I don't as it happens; I just organise my books by the year I've read them. I just like the fact I could organise them in multiple ways should I want to.

5. Durability
A Kindle copes better with me being messy. Few print books remain pristine after I finished reading them - they end up with food splodges on them and, well, a bit tatty (I am anti dog ears though; I am not a total cavewoman). My Kindle, on the other hand, just needs a quick wipe with a slightly damp cloth and it's as good as new. Providing I don't take it for a swim or drop it from a height, it can also cope with my innate clumsiness.

Cons

1. Ethics
It really doesn't sit well with me that I can only buy my ebooks from Amazon because my Kindle won't recognise any other type of ebook - I'd much rather buy books from a company that doesn't have a reputation for not paying its taxes or, more importantly, treating its staff poorly. Obviously the solution would be to buy different e-reader that allows you to buy non-Amazon e-books, but my Kindle Paperweight is only 18 months old and cost me about £100 - so that's not really an option. My cop out, and it is a cop out, is to only buy ebooks from Amazon. I try, wherever possible, to buy print books from a shop or non-mega corporation websites such as Foyles.

2. You can't give books away
While you can remove a book from a Kindle, you can't remove it from your "cloud". So you have to forever own a book that you absolutely hated. You can apparently lend or borrow books but only for 14 days - which gives the recipient very little time to read the book. Plus, they are obligated to read it as soon as they receive it rather than when they have time/want to read it.

3. You can't borrow library books
I buy about two books a month, so I'd save myself a small fortune if I was able to borrow books from my local library. You can borrow books through the subscription service Amazon Prime - which I have yet to figure out how to use - but most of the books on there seem to be rubbish self-published tomes that I have no interest in reading. You can borrow library books using the OverDrive app on your phone/tablet but it seems a tad silly to fork out on a Kindle and then read ebooks using a different device.

4. Reading in a non-linear fashion doesn't work
Sometimes you'll reading be something and you'll come across a character that you're supposed to know - so you have to flip back to find the bit you missed where the character was introduced. With a print book, you literally just flip back the pages until you spot what you're looking for. With a Kindle, you have to bookmark the page you're on and then painstakingly turn back each individual page. Plus highlighting text is even less user friendly than it is in Word (ie. takes a lot of faffing about to highlight the section you actually want to highlight).

5. Less aesthetically and emotionally satisfying than a print book
Curling up with your Kindle doesn't quite provide the same emotional fix as curling up with a paperback (in the same way, for some music fans, that a song on Spotify doesn't sound quite the same way that it does on Vinyl). Plus these days, a lot of time and effort goes into designing artistic book covers - which is completely lost on the Kindle given that it's black and white.

* = Other e-book readers are obviously available but I've only ever had a Kindle, so can only read talk about that.

According to Yes by Dawn French


According to YesAccording to Yes by Dawn French
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am so irritated by this book!

First off, the book cover and book description makes you think it's going to be some light-hearted, chick-lit esque novel about a Mary Poppins/Maria Von Trapp character teaching an uptight family to be less, well, uptight.

It isn't; it has a lot more edge to it than that - which should come as no surprise to anyone who has read one of French's previous novels or watched any of her comedy (stuff she's done with Jennifer Saunders rather than Vicar of Dibley).

Why do publishers have this obsession with marketing a work by a female author that isn't literary fiction as chick lit? Why can't just be marketed as a novel? Like books by male authors are?

Mind you, the second thing that really annoyed me about this novel is that French lacks the courage of her convictions to continue with the edgier stuff until the end. She raises a few issues but then conveniently overcomes them. I think it would be much more interesting if the pitfalls of the "saying yes to everything" philosophy of Rosie Kitto, the book's heroine, were highlighted to a greater extent. There are several events that occur as a direct result of this philosophy that in real life would not play out as smoothly as they do in the book.

One can only hope in later novels, French is tad a braver and lets her books end more messily than this one does.

View all my reviews

Sunday 17 July 2016

Girls will be Girls...


Girls Will be Girls: Dressing Up, Playing Parts and Daring to Act DifferentlyGirls Will be Girls: Dressing Up, Playing Parts and Daring to Act Differently by Emer O'Toole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

O'Toole makes some very interesting, thought-provoking arguments about what it means to be a "girl" (basically, "feminine" - and "masculine" - traits are learnt behaviours that have nothing to do with actual biological sex). While I don't think I could bring myself to not conform to female gender norms by not shaving my armpits (as O'Toole has done), I am inspired to be more comfortable about not conforming to gender norms in other ways. For example, I've never been one for fashion or wearing lots of make-up - something that I've always felt a bit embarrassed about because I felt I was somehow failing to be a proper "girl". But according to O'Toole's argument, the traditional concept of a girl is just a social construct anyway and damaging for gender equality if it is rigidly adhered to. That's not to say she's against being a "girly girl" but more women need to be aware that it's a performance - and they can choose to perform in a different way should they wish to (O'Toole is much better explaining this than I am).

However, I did find her arguments a bit OTT at time and bordering on the preaching. She lost me completely when talking about sexual identity. I thought her argument that heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality etc. are social constructs (just as "male" and "female" are social constructs") wasn't that convincing; she seems to be suggesting we're all "queer"(which, as far as I understand it, means fancying people because of the person they are; independent of their anatomy) and it's society that makes us think otherwise. We probably all are on a spectrum but it's down to the individual to decide where they fall on the spectrum. If someone only wants to have same-sex relationships or only opposite-sex relationships,* that's up to them (just as it's perfectly OK to identify as queer). It's a tad patronising to suggest that they are being 100% straight (for want of a better word) or 100% gay because of the binary society that they are in (again, O'Toole is much better explaining her arguments than I am).


I discovered this book through the Reads and Daydreams BookTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1aN...

* = I mean a relationship with someone who has a different gender identity from you - not necessarily a "boy/girl" relationship.

View all my reviews

Thursday 14 July 2016

Why I give up on books

My worst reading habit is buying a book, reading the first few pages and then giving up on it. I've done this a lot over the years (there's at least 50 unread books on my Kindle), so I have by now managed to get some idea about what causes me to abandon a book. Not that it stops me from buying a book and subsequently adding it to the "failed to finish" pile, mind.

Anyway, these are (some of) the reasons I give up on a book.

1. Takes ages to get to the flipping point
I don't mind a slow burner, and actually avoid fast-paced thrillers, but I have no patience for a story that hasn't got any further (or even not as far) than the description on the dust jacket by a quarter of the way in. I mean you, Moby Dick. You're supposed to be an allegorical tale about hunting a whale but when I was at "25%", according to my Kindle, no-one had left dry land, Captain Ahab had just made the briefest of cameos, and the eponymous Moby was not even a blip on the horizon. 

2. Characters that don't act like normal human beings
I like weird and wonderful characters and have no problem with characters that have mental illnesses (so perhaps act in bizarre ways). What I hate is when a character doesn't act in a way that makes sense for them or their situation. I lost the will to live with To Rise Again At A Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris for several reasons but mainly because the main character, Paul, reacts in a really stupid way when he discovers that someone is faking his identity online (such as getting into petty arguments)  - ignoring the most obvious solutions to his dilemma (like contacting social media sites etc). OK it is as my mother used to say "just a story" but, urgh, THAT'S NOT HOW ANYONE - EVEN THE MOST CLUELESS PERSON ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA - WOULD BEHAVE!

3. The characters are people I would actively avoid in real life
I couldn't bear Michael Faber's The Crimson Petal and The White because one of its main protagonists, William, is this arrogant, self-obsessed, tool of a man. Admittedly, he's supposed to be this way as Faber is showing (very successfully it has to be said) how "captains of industry" could be complete prize doofuses. Thing is I read to escape life, to escape the prize doofuses I come across in real life (I am speaking generally not about anyone in particular in case anyone gets paranoid); therefore, why would I actively choose to spent time with an idiot? The Crimson Petal and The White is a pretty large tome, so reading whole the book would be like sitting next to, and having to make chit chat to, Michael Gove (So Mikey, how does it feel to have banjaxed your career by being backstabbing toad?"), on a long haul flight.

4. It's pretentious
As someone who comes out in an allergic rash should I spend too much time in hipsterville areas like Shoreditch, any suggestion that a book is going to be pretentious sets my teeth on edge. Recently, I attempted to read Tom McCarthy's Satin Island for my book group. The Guardian, in a less than glowing review, describes it as being "packed with daring cerebral insights" and calls it "avant-garde" - which would normally be enough for me to say "nope" and move on. But, given it was a book group book, I persevered... until page 23 and then said nope after confirming that it was indeed incredibly pretentious. Too clever by half is "too clever" for me.

5. All doom and gloom
I don't need a happy ending (or even happy beginning or middle), but I do need hope when I am reading a book. Life, particularly given what's being going on at the moment, can be pretty depressing. Therefore, I have never understood the desire to read fiction books that are completely negative. Surely if you want to read something bleak, you should buy a newspaper? For this reason, I've given up on many dystopian novels - including Margaret Atword's celebrated novel, The Handmaid's Tale. That said, Kazuo Ishiguro is my favourite author and his books aren't exactly renown for their optimism, but I think his books are a better reflection of real life - a mix of both negative and positive (and we all have to muddle along the best we can).






Saturday 9 July 2016

The Complete Maus


The Complete Maus (Maus, #1-2)The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't think there's much I can say about this poignant book about the holocaust that's not already been said (given that the first part was first published 30 years ago).

What I will say is that I am very tempted to post a copy to Ken Livingstone though. For those who don't know, the former London mayor said (during an interview about whether or not a fellow Labour member's remarks about Israel were antisemitic): "Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism – this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews."

Anyone who reads this book will realise there's a massive difference between Hitler's views on Jewish people (Maus quotes him as saying "The Jews are undoubtedly a race but they are not human") and a belief in a Jewish nation. I have grave concerns about the actions of the Israeli government towards Palestinians, but that doesn't mean I think Israel doesn't have a right to exist or - much more importantly - that we can allow antisemitism in any form (or Islamophobia for that matter). The Holocaust happened because we allowed fear and hate to rule; we are all obligated to ensure that never happens again. This is particularly important given the UK's current political climate. "Brexiters" and "Remainers" must come together to stamp out racism. We must show the hateful that their views have no place in a modern society.

View all my reviews

Sunday 3 July 2016

My favourite books of the year...so far

Apparently, Friday (1st July) was the halfway point for 2016  - and one can only hope that the second half of 2016 shapes up to be better than the first half. Mind you as the infamous article 50 has yet to be invoked and the US has yet to elect a new president (please God let them learn from the UK and resist the temptation to make a protest vote), there's no guarantee. Well, at least, let's hope the grim reaper is done with beloved celebrities for the time being - actually forget that as well given Caroline "So, what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" Aherne sadly died yesterday (2nd July).

Anyway, as I've been driving myself nuts (or rather, even more nuts) thinking about the consequences of flipping Brexit, I've decided to focus on something much more positive - books I've really loved this year. So, in chronological order (first to last) here are my six favourite books that I read in the first half of this year*. As I need to get my tea (dinner if not from the North/The Midlands) on, I am going to be lazy and just put a link to the relevant GoodReads review:

1. A Painful Gift: The Journal of a Soul with Autism by Chris Goodchild
Disclaimer: Chris is an elder at my Quaker meeting, so the review is probably biased because I was predisposed to like the book. But, that doesn't mean the book isn't worth reading. 

2.  A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
A "sequel" that's as good as the original

3. All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman
A totally random, bonkers book that I discovered through the 1book1review BookTube** channel.

4. The Long Way to a Small, Angry, Planet by Becky Chambers
You'd think a self-published Sci-Fi novel would be absolutely dire. It isn't. It really, really isn't. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

5. Sally Heathcote: Suffragette by Mary M Talbot et al
Proof that graphic novels can be so much more than "comic books"

6. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Was enjoying it so much that I delayed finishing it just so I could savour it. Actually, as I've only just finished it today, I am reluctant to start reading something else because I doubt I would love it as much!

Honourable mention:
1. Reader, I married him by Tracy Chevalier (editor)
Although I gave it three stars*** (that means see note below; it's not me demonstrating what three stars look like), this book will always retain a special place in my heart because it was given to me by a friend - who even took the trouble to send it to my hotel when I was working at a conference.


* = Of 20 I've actually read. I am not just listing the books I've read!
** = A BookTube channel is basically a YouTube channel that focuses on books
*** = Three stars, according to GoodReads, means you "liked it" as opposed to four stars ("really liked it") or five stars ("it was amazing"), However, as I tend not to finish books that I rate two stars ("it was OK") or one star ("I did not like it"), three stars is the lowest rating I give.

For more of my GoodRead reviews, click here

The House of The Spirits by Isabel Allende


The House of the SpiritsThe House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful, engrossing tale of a family through three generations - from grandmother to granddaughter. Each character is complex, with none being truly evil or truly saintly. Even the fierce-tempered patriarch, Esteban Trueban, gains your sympathy by the end of the book (I won't spoil the book by saying why he's an unlikely candidate for sympathy...).

While the family are always the centrepiece of the story, The House of the Spirits also explores the devastating effects of a violent revolution on a country. What makes these passages all the more poignant is that Allende was probably writing from her own experience; she had to flee Chile after the president, her cousin, was deposed in Pinochet's CIA-backed coup. (actually the book, in general, is seen as at least semi-autobiographical.)

I am rubbish explaining why I love a book, so I will just say this - I feel like this book has changed my perspective of the world; I am not sure how, or if my perspective will stay changed, but it has. I do know that if at this moment, I was asked to compile a list of my favourite books of all time - this would be on it.

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