Category: Other

Five Discarded Oranges

The Orange longlist was recently announced and I’m making an effort to try every book in the hope I’ll discover a few gems. I’m aware that many of the books won’t be to my taste and so am abandoning any that fail to excite me.

These are the books that I’ve abandoned so far:

The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki

Five words from the blurb: man, charm, Pakistan, escapes, game

I haven’t had much success with books written by Roopa Farooki in the past and so I didn’t hold out much hope for this one. I tried the first 20 pages and discovered that her writing style is as light as usual. I’m sure this will be a reasonably entertaining read (as confirmed by cardigangirlverity), but I’m afraid I’m looking for books that really sparkle.

The Translation of the Bones by Francesca Kay

Five words from the blurb: motherhood, faith, love, emotional, London

I can’t fault this one – the writing was excellent and the characters sprung to life. But after 40 pages I realised that I wasn’t excited about picking it up and carrying on, so I didn’t. Tiny Library describes this as a: Quiet, understated read about faith and family.

Her review confirms that I made the right choice in abandoning this book – quiet and understated rarely work for me.

There but for the by Ali Smith

Five words from the blurb: dinner party, stranger, satirical, perspective, memory

I’ve been avoiding this book for a while. Lots of people love it, but I know that I don’t normally enjoy Ali Smith’s experimental style. In an effort to give her the benefit of the doubt I got a copy of the audio book from the library and took it with me on a long car journey. Unfortunately I discovered that I dislike her style on audio as much as I do in print. It felt pretentious and I just didn’t get it. I forced myself to listen to all of disc one, but Ali Smith will never be for me – I prefer more conventional narration. This book divides opinion. If you want to know why others love it I suggest you read Simon’s review.

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

Five words from the blurb: horses, racing, steal, fast, winners

I’m not a big fan of horse racing and so was nervous about starting this one. Luckily I was quickly bowled over by the impressive writing. Unfortunately my enthusiasm was short lived. Beautiful, profound statements were scattered throughout the text, but I failed to connect to any of the characters. Reading became a real chore and so I abandoned it after 60 pages. This is another book that divides opinion. The Mookse and the Gripes describes this as: a remarkably unique novel.

Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick

Five words from the blurb: teacher, New York, divorce, family, love

This book has a very strange beginning involving a series of letters in which one character abuses and rants at another. The story progresses to include an annoying woman travelling to Europe to look for her nephew. It’s safe to say that this story will never be for me, but as it is a satire of The Ambassadors by Henry James (a book I haven’t read) I suspect that fans (or enemies!) of that book would find a lot to enjoy. Unabridged Chick enjoyed the book, despite disliking the characters. Perhaps you will too?

Remaining Oranges

I’ve nearly finished my trial of this year’s Orange longlist. I’m currently half way through Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg, and hope to post a review in the next week. I then just have On the Floor by Aifric Campbell, The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard, and The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen left. I hope to finish in time to predict the shortlist, but I admit that I’m distracted by books (like Salvage the Bones and Running the Rift) that commenters on my Orange longlist prediction post were especially passionate about.

Did you love any of these books?

Was I wrong to abandon any of them?

Discussions Other

Is reading about an event as good as being there?

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 21, 2012
17 Comments on Is reading about an event as good as being there?

A few days ago I read a fascinating article about how reading affects the brain. Recent neurological research suggests that:

The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life.

At first I dismissed this as nonsense. I have read lots of books about the Holocaust, but I can’t imagine this comes close to the true horror of being there. I know that many people avoid books with a darker subject matter and I wonder if this is because the effect is stronger in them. I think I’d avoid dark books if my brain ended up thinking I’d been caught up in such horrific events. Surely I’d have a massive case of post-traumatic stress disorder if this research was true?

Just like the body, the brain needs to be kept agile. Just like a muscle, it needs to be used in order to develop and remain healthy. Specifically target your brain health by frequently presenting it with new cognitive challenges. Work a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Memorize a new poem, speech, or passage from a book. Play games that challenge your memory or require problem-solving skills. Research has shown that regular mental challenges produce a healthier brain, and this leads to a slower cognitive decline – even when dementia’s impact on the brain is factored out. Think of things that you do every day without really having to think about what you’re doing – and do them differently. Instead of moving automatically through your routine, work your brain in order to keep it really healthy and to help improve its ability to change to the constantly altering world. The brain we have depends to a large part on what we ask it to do. You can check out here for more detail about the brain health treatment.

We remain in the process of understanding exactly how the brain and nervous system function, and which aspects we can shape and control. It’s an exciting field of research that is giving us new ways to impact on everything from memory loss to mental health to IQ. As our understanding continues to progress, it is certain to offer us many new ways to improve the health of our brain – and our quality of life.

Empathy

The research also claims that reading helps people to understand the thoughts of others and can change the way we act. This I can believe.

Reading about the same event from multiple perspectives has definitely increased my tolerance for different behaviours. I am far more likely to have empathy with those on both sides of any given argument than my non-reading friends.

Cinnamon-other — Photo credit: Sam Mugraby, Photos8.com

Vivid

I have always favoured books containing vivid descriptions. The research suggests that is because they affect multiple areas of the brain.

Words like “lavender,” “cinnamon” and “soap,” for example, elicit a response not only from the language-processing areas of our brains, but also those devoted to dealing with smells.

This makes a lot of sense, but also makes me wonder why some people enjoy simpler books that don’t contain these trigger words. I like to be transported into the lives of other people and this is far harder if I can’t picture their surroundings.

Is it worth skim reading a section of any book your thinking of reading to check for words that affect multiple areas of the brain?

Remembering

The interesting thing happens when I try to remember books that I’ve read and compare them to real life experiences. With recent events the difference is massive, but if I think back five or ten years I realise the research might be true. Over time the details from both books and real life fade to leave very similar impressions. I can imagine exactly what life is like in India, despite never having been there, and I think I know what it would be like to live in Victorian London. Sometimes I’m sure I confuse some of the more realistic scenes from books with those from my own life.

So the big questions are:

Do you think reading about an event as good as being there?

Does the author have to be especially talented to manage this or will most writing achieve it?

BBC Shop Reviews Other

Earthflight by John Downer

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 17, 2012
No Comments on Earthflight by John Downer

Earthflight is a stunning picture book created to accompany the recent BBC series. Using groundbreaking technology the programme makers managed to follow birds into the air and see the world through their eyes.

The book covers a wide range of birds from around the globe, capturing each in action in their natural surroundings. The majority of the book is made up of whole page photographs, organised by continent, with small captions describing the bird pictured:

ARFICAN FISH EAGLE: Victoria Fall, Zambia – Zimbabwe
Some fish eagles migrate seasonally to avoid areas affected by particularly heavy rain, while those in drier areas stay put all year round. The Victoria Falls offers especially rich pickings.

The photographs are a combination of traditional close-ups, taken from ground-level, and images of birds in flight, taken from the air. These aerial shots offer a new view from the bird’s perspective, but many of them were of a lower quality; either because they were taken using smaller cameras attached to the bird or because the ground was blurred/less interesting.

I thought some of the photographs were impressive, but as I’m not an ornithologist I began to lose enthusiasm as I leafed through dozens of photographs that were essentially the same, but each with a different species of bird. For this reason I think it has less appeal than books like Frozen Planet, where almost every picture was outstanding.

The final chapter detailed the techniques used to capture the images, explaining how people with special relationships to individual birds encouraged them to take to the air using microlights and how model planes/gliders were adapted for photographic use. This section was the most interesting to me and I enjoyed reading about the problems faced by the team and how they overcame them.

This is a good accompaniment to the series, but I’d only recommend it to people who have a special interest in birds.

This book was given to me by the BBC shop in exchange for an honest review.

Orange Prize Other

The 2012 Orange Prize Longlist

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 8, 2012
No Comments on The 2012 Orange Prize Longlist

The Ones I’ve Already Read

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

Five words from the blurb: powerful, people, moving, love, adultery

My review: The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

One of the few authors able to engage me without the use of a plot. This character study is packed with emotion.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Five words from the blurb: circus, dark, dazzling, world, imaginative

My review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Unforgettable, vivid setting, but plot is a bit weak.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Five words from the blurb: Greece, Heroes, King, war, immortal

My review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Light, but enjoyable read that will suit anyone interested in Greek mythology.

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Five words from the blurb: Glasgow, encounter, tragedy, mystery, humour

My review: Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

An entertaining Victorian mystery.

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Five words from the blurb: cabaret, black, Berlin, betrayal, secrets

My review: Half Blood Blues – Esi Edugyan

Fantastic atmosphere, but too much jazz for me.

The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue

Five words from the blurb: Victorian, women’s movement, marriage, affair, divorce

My review: The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue

Some great descriptions of Victorian London, but court case was too slow for me.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Five words from the blurb: Brazilian, river, researcher, mystery, secrets

This book had some great sections, but they were interspersed by long dull bits. I abandoned it at the half way point.

Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding

Five words from the blurb: Romania, hospital, memories, society, war, victim

Beautiful poetic writing, but plot was too gentle for me. I abandoned it after 50 pages.

The Ones I Haven’t Read

Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg

Five words from the blurb: islands, family, love, madness, hardship

On the Floor by Aifric Campbell

Five words from the blurb: city, bank, success, trouble, risk

The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki

Five words from the blurb: man, charm, Pakistan, escapes, game

The Translation of the Bones by Francesca Kay

Five words from the blurb: motherhood, faith, love, emotional, London

The Blue Book by A.L. Kennedy

Five words from the blurb: voyage, deceived, super-rich, false, hearts

There but for the by Ali Smith

Five words from the blurb: dinner party, stranger, satirical, perspective, memory

The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard

Five words from the blurb: Los Angeles, funeral, mother, letters, photographs

Tides of War by Stella Tillyard

Five words from the blurb: Regency England, Spain, Peninsular War, freedom, women

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

Five words from the blurb: horses, racing, steal, fast, winners

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Five words from the blurb: family, secret, past, grief, tenderness

Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick

Five words from the blurb: teacher, New York, divorce, family, love

The Submission by Amy Waldman

Five words from the blurb: 9/11, memorial, grief, Muslim, conflicts

My Plans

This is an interesting list, containing several books that are new to me. So far I’ve tried 8 books and whilst several have been enjoyable, none have bowled me over with their brilliance. I would like to try all the books at some point, but make no promises about finishing them.

The Submission has been on my radar for a while so this gives me the perfect excuse to read it soon. I’ll read the others over the coming weeks, but try to spread the reviews out a little bit so that this blog doesn’t become overly Orange.

What do you make of the list?

Which book do you think I’ll enjoy the most?

Orange Prize Other

Early Peek at the 2012 Orange Prize Longlist

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 7, 2012
16 Comments on Early Peek at the 2012 Orange Prize Longlist

The Jewish Chronicle has leaked 5 titles from the Orange longlist. The paper reports that:

“Cynthia Ozick is one of five American Jewish writers on this year’s Orange Prize longlist”

Further investigation led to the discovery of all five titles written by Jewish writers:

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick

The Submission by Amy Waldman

I was on Twitter discussing prize list leaks from previous years and so decided to search google for the terms “orange prize longlist 2012”. I couldn’t believe it when I was rewarded with this sneak peek at the longlist.

The remaining 15 titles will be revealed at 12.30am GMT tomorrow…..unless there is another leak!

Orange Prize Other