I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a break from blogging. I’ve recently discovered that I have a heart problem and it is leaving me too tired/confused to read. Hopefully I’ll return at some point in the near future, but until then…
HAPPY READING!!
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to London Zoo to learn about a special series of talks that are going to be held between now and October. ZSL conservation scientists and keepers have joined with writers and poets to produce a series of talks which aim to show how endangered species are reflected in literature. The input of the keepers will ensure that accurate details about the animal can be compared with their fictional counterparts. The talks will be held next to the animal in question, giving a special atmosphere to the occasion.
I was really impressed by my tour of the zoo. The snippets of information I learned from the keepers and authors indicate that these talks will be fascinating. If you’re in London over the next few months I recommend going to one of these talks as they promise to be a unique experience. You can visit Dmagazine website to learn more information about the benefits of using CBD products.
7th May: Louise Doughty on Okapi
11th June: Sara Wheeler on Penguins
23rd July: Susie Orbach on ‘Jungles of the Mind’
20th August: David Harsent on African Hunting Dogs
16th September: Tom Holland on Asian Lions
1st October: Randal Keynes on Darwin’s Apes
For more information and details of how to book tickets visit the ZSL website.
I apologise for the unplanned blogging break – I’ve been ill for the last few weeks. Yesterday I was finally able to read, but I haven’t been able to do so for two weeks. This means I haven’t got any books to review, so my posts may be sporadic until I’m back to full health.
Despite these problems I still managed to read a nice range of books. My favourite was A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson. It is an important book that warns of the crisis facing bumblebees in the world today. I urge everyone to read it and hope that it inspires people to look after these wonderful creatures.
A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson 
The Giraffe’s Neck by Judith Schalansky 
From the Fatherland, With Love by Ryu Murakami
When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head
Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill 
Feeding the Ghosts by Fred D’Aguiar
The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan 
The Tell-Tale Heart by Jill Dawson
I’m going to finish the last few books on the Desmond Elliott Longlist and then read a few books for Kim’s Australian and New Zealand Literature Month. There probably won’t be time for much else, but I may need to squeeze in a few lighter reads before I’m back up to the full health required to concentrate on anything too complex.
Five words from the blurb: immigrants, Tasmania, tragedy, drunken, father
I loved Gould’s Book of Fish (which I read pre-blogging), so was excited about trying another of Flanagan’s books. Unfortunately The Sound of One Hand Clapping didn’t have the same impact on me. I found the story fragmented and the wonderfully atmospheric descriptions weren’t enough to hold my attention. There were some good observations about migrants and difficult relationships, but I’m afraid I didn’t become emotionally invested in any of the characters.
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Five words from the blurb: love, girlfriend, toxic, cattle, relationships
This book contained some great one liners, but didn’t really work as a whole. The structure of the novel wasn’t quite right and most of the time I felt as though the plot had been forced to fit around the jokes. I think it might be appreciated more by men, especially those who enjoy lighter reads.
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Five words from the blurb: slave, ship, illness, survives, responsibility
Feeding the Ghosts is a short, but gripping book about life aboard a slave ship. It had some fantastic scenes, but contained nothing particularly new or memorable. The descriptions were wonderfully vivid (which could make them too disturbing for some) but I’m afraid the plot was too simple for me.
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Five words from the blurb: politics, American, community, corruption, success
I really wanted to finish this classic, but after 6 months I think I must finally admit defeat. I started to read the paperback, but found the dialogue confusing. I wondered if this would be improved by the audio version so I imported a copy from America (at great expense as I really did want to get the best from it) but, although this was an improvement, I still found the story painfully slow. Politicians and their power games irritate me and I’m afraid the period detail wasn’t enough to hold my attention. I listened to 9/18 of the CDs before finally giving up. It’s an important book, but it wasn’t for me.
DNF
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Five words from the blurb: letters, married, family, facts, changes
Dept of Speculation is a slim book in which the story of one woman’s breakdown is explained via a series of passages, most just one paragraph long. I don’t normally enjoy experimental books, but there was something about the writing that compelled me to read on. I loved the inclusion of random facts and sped through the entire book in a single sitting. Unfortunately it had no lasting impact and just two weeks on I’ve forgotten almost everything about this book. It’s an entertaining distraction, but I’m afraid it didn’t have the emotional power I like to see.
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Five words from the blurb: teenager, dies, heart, transplanted, stranger
The Tell-Tale Heart began really well, with an emotional scene in which a man wakes up after heart surgery. Unfortunately this emotional atmosphere failed to be carried through the rest of the book. It was all a bit predictable and ordinary. There were a few interesting observations about life, but overall it was all too simple and subtle for me.
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The 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist has just been announced.
The shortlisted books are:
I predicted three out of six correctly, but am quite shocked that Booker Prize winning The Luminaries didn’t make the cut. It is also disappointing that my two personal favourites, The Signature of All Things and Eleven Days, failed to make it through.
Overall it’s a strong list, but I expect A Girl is A Half-Formed Thing to take the winning spot.