Category: Everything Else

Three Slightly Disappointing Reads

Post author By Jackie
Post date December 12, 2011
24 Comments on Three Slightly Disappointing Reads

The Sandalwood Tree – Elle Newmark

Five words from the blurb: Indian, marriage, memories, letters, friendship

The Sandalwood Tree is set in 1947 and follows a British couple, Evie and Martin, who move to India with their five-year-old son so Martin can report on the Partition. Evie discovers some letters hidden in the brickwork of their new home and sets out to discover everything she can about their origin, a hundred years earlier.

I think this book was severely hindered by me reading it immediately after Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry – the descriptions of Indian life seemed basic and lifeless in comparison. The Sandalwood Tree was fast paced and easy to read, but I failed to form any real connection to the characters and so didn’t really care what happened to them. The ending was satisfying, but I’m afraid it was too little, too late for me. If you loved East of the Sun by Julia Gregson (I didn’t) then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one, but it was a bit too basic for me.

The Sealed Letter – Emma Donoghue

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

I loved Room and have been wanting to try one of Emma Donoghue’s other books for a while. The Sealed Letter was published in Canada in 2008, but has just been released for the first time in the UK.

The book is set in Victorian London and is based upon a scandalous divorce case. I initially loved the detailed descriptions of life in 1864 (especially the first encounter with the London underground!) but as the book progressed I began to tire of the way every object was described in minute detail – it felt over researched.

Court cases do nothing for me a at the best of times and this one was particularly slow and painful to read.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction and would like to know what life was like for women during this time period then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book, but I think it would have worked better as a piece of non-fiction.

The End of Everything – Megan Abbott

Five words from the blurb: thirteen, friend, missing, confused, unflinching

The End of Everything was one of Richard and Judy’s Autumn Reads and it seems to divide opinion. Unfortunately I was one of those people who wasn’t very impressed by it.

The book follows Lizzie, a thirteen-year-old girl whose best friend goes missing. Lizzie sets out to discover what happened to her friend, but she also knows more than she is letting on.

The missing child premise has been done so many times before that the writing needs to be really special for something new to be added and unfortunately it didn’t have that magic spark for me.

The main problem I had with this book was that the teenage voices didn’t feel realistic and the writing failed to engage me. I also found the pace to be too slow for the plot.

Recommended to those who still get excited by “missing child” stories.

2012 Other

The Best Books of 2012? Part 1: Debut Authors

Post author By Jackie
Post date December 9, 2011
36 Comments on The Best Books of 2012? Part 1: Debut Authors

I’ve been flicking through publisher catalogues and asking booksellers and publicists about the most exciting books to be published in the UK in 2012. The following are those that grabbed my attention or were mentioned on multiple occasions.

Note: UK release month shown in brackets, date may be different in other countries.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach (January, 4th Estate)

This book has been a massive success in America, but isn’t published in the UK until January. I’m not convinced that a novel about baseball will work in this country, but a lot of people are getting excited about it so I’ll give it a try.

A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse (January, Europa Editions)

A small bookshop in Paris uses a top-secret committee to select its books. The shop is very popular, but then the committee members begin to recieve death threats. This book promises to be a real treat for literary fans.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (February, Headline)

I’m lucky enough to have received an advanced reading copy of this and can assure you that this book about a mysterious child in the Alaskan wilderness is truly magical. I’m sure it will be one of the most talked about books in 2012, melting the hearts of everyone who reads it.

Q by Evan Mandery (February, 4th Estate)

A writer has fallen in love and is planning a beautiful wedding when a man claiming to be a time-travelling version of his future self warns him to abandon the wedding. This book is being marketed to fans of The Time Traveller’s Wife. I hope it lives up to these high expectations.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan (March, Virago)

An ocean-liner sinks leaving an eclectic mixture of passengers battling for a position in the lifeboat. The successful ones may have survived the initial hurdle but they face a grueling three weeks fighting for survival; testing the limits of their morality as well as their physical endurance.

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen (March, Chatto & Windus)

The story of a little girl who, having been bullied at school, decides to build her own world filled with people made from pipe cleaners. One day she uses shaving foam and cotton wool to fill her model world with snow and is amazed by the effect this has on the real world. I can’t wait to read it!

Wonder by R J Palacio (March, Bodley Head)

A ten-year-old boy with a facial disfigurement is going to school for the first time. This book was initially written for children, but this tender story of inner beauty has won the hearts of an adult audience and I look forward to sampling it.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (March, Doubleday)

One day Harold Fry nips out of his house to post a letter, but for some reason he ends up walking from one end of the country to the other. This book is described as tender and comic and I’ve heard it is even better than it sounds.

The Playdate by Louise Miller (April, Pan)

A chilling story about what can go wrong when you leave your child in the care of someone you don’t know very well. Sophie Hannah describes it as “a must-read that will tap into every mother’s primal fears”.

Other books to look out for:

Snake Ropes by Jess Richards (March, Sceptre)

Set on a strange island where children are locked up and then start disappearing, this book is said to be reminiscent of Angela Carter. Sceptre paid a six figure sum for two novels from this debut author so her writing must stand out from the crowd.

A Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman (April, Doubleday)

An Australian lighthouse keeper finds a dinghy containing a baby lying next to the body of a dead man. This book is supposed to be packed with raw emotion and moral dilemmas – exactly as I like them!

The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber (May, Hodder Stoughton)

This novel is written in verse and questions the identity of Shakespeare. I haven’t tried a novel written in verse yet – it could go either way, but I’m up for the experiment!

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (June, Pan)

A beautiful story of a secret friendship between a young girl and her uncle’s bereaved partner. Dealing with the difficult subject of AIDS this book is bound to be an emotional roller-coaster.

Do you like the sound of these books?

Are you excited about any debut novels that will be published in 2012?

Come back next week to see Part 2:

The Best Books of 2012: Authors We Know and Love

Other

I’ve finally entered the digital age!

Post author By Jackie
Post date December 7, 2011
51 Comments on I’ve finally entered the digital age!

After years of resisting the temptation I finally have an ereader!

I don’t do much travelling and am surrounded by books so never felt the need to buy one. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on a device when I have hundreds of unread books around me. But then the price comparison website, Idealo, offered to buy an e-book reader for me in exchange for a link in this post and I decided that would be the perfect opportunity to join the digital age.

Has owning an ereader changed my life?

No. I have now had a couple of weeks to investigate my new kindle and although it does have some benefits I still prefer to read a paper book.

The Plus Points

I love the fact that it is really light – a definite plus point when you are reading a long, heavy book.

You can carry lots of books around with you without breaking your back.

It seems to be holding its charge well. I was worried that I’d have to plug it in as much as my mobile phone, but I haven’t had to recharge it at all and after two weeks the battery is still showing more than 50% of its charge.

I find the smaller screen size enables my to read more quickly. I’m not sure why this happens, but I have noticed this weird effect occurring.

The Negatives

I’d heard a lot about the benefits of being able to read one-handed, but that certainly isn’t the case with the kindle. The button to turn the page is located awkwardly so you need to use your other hand every time you turn the page – which is more frequent than with a traditional book as the screen size is smaller. I guess I’ll have to wait a while longer before being able to read whilst drinking a cup of coffee.

There is an annoying flicker every time you turn the page. Other ereader users have assured me that you get used to it, but I haven’t yet.

The risk of damage/theft means I am less comfortable taking it to certain places where I enjoy reading (eg. the beach).

Would I recommend buying one?

If you took my kindle away tomorrow I wouldn’t buy another one. My home-based lifestyle means that the benefits aren’t worth the outlay. If you do a lot of travelling and are the sort of person who carries several books around with you then I highly recommend it – my suitcase will definitely be lighter next time I go away.

Other

November Summary and Plans for December

Post author By Jackie
Post date December 1, 2011
18 Comments on November Summary and Plans for December

Books of the Month

Books Reviewed in November

You Deserve Nothing – Alexander Maksik

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece – Annabel Pitcher (Audio Book)

The Sinner – Petra Hammesfahr

Half Brother – Kenneth Oppel

The Death of the Adversary – Hans Keilson

Moby Dick – Herman Melville

The Human Bobby – Gabe Rotter

22 Britannia Road – Amanda Hodgkinson

House Rules – Jodi Picoult

Seven Houses in France – Bernardo Atxaga

The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born – Ayi Armah

The Piano Teacher – Elfriede Jelinek DNF

The Tin Drum – Günter Grass DNF

Plans for December

In the next month I plan to read all the books that keep cropping up on the “Best of 2011” lists.

I have the following books ready to read in the final few weeks of 2011:

Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

The Hand of Fatima by Ildefonso Falcones

The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Have I missed any other gems from 2011?

I also plan to spend a lot of time with my family, so blog posting may be sporadic over the festive period.

Have a wonderful December!

Tags Monthly Summary, Summary

2011 Discussions Other

Were any modern classics published in 2011?

Post author By Jackie
Post date November 30, 2011
51 Comments on Were any modern classics published in 2011?

I have read lots of enjoyable books this year, but none stand out as modern day classics. I haven’t awarded my highest five star rating to any book published in 2011 and wonder if I’ve been reading the wrong books – or has it just been a slow year for fiction?

Will any books stand the test of time?

In ten years people will probably still read The Marriage Plot, but only because they loved Middlesex, and I think that Julian Barnes’ vast body of work will ensure that Sense of an Ending will still be read by a few people, but I can’t think of any book that will be remembered on its own merit.

Many years after publication I still push copies of books like Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger into the hands of anyone who hasn’t read them, but in ten years time I can’t see myself being excited by anything published this year.

The entire Booker longlist will slowly drift into obscurity and enthusiasm for the Orange prize winning, The Tiger’s Wife, doesn’t even seem to have made it to the end of the first year. Perhaps we’ll just have to wait for paperback publication next year so that the real gems of 2011 can bubble to the surface through word-of-mouth recommendation?

Do you think any modern classics were published in 2011?

Do you think 2011 produced a lower standard of fiction than usual?

Other

The Best Books of 2011 All Contain Metafiction?

Post author By Jackie
Post date November 16, 2011
33 Comments on The Best Books of 2011 All Contain Metafiction?

My favourite books of 2011 all contain some degree of metafiction. It seems as though metafiction has come of age this year, with authors embracing the unconventional to produce wonderfully original books.

What is Metafiction?
Metafiction is a term used to describe books that self-consciously step outside the typical narrative style of fiction; they may address the reader directly or play with the reader’s perception of the book’s reality.

In recent years I have noticed a big increase in the number of metafictional novels. I think social media has enabled writers to feel more comfortable with directly addressing their audience. The way these authors push the boundaries of the typical novel impresses me and I think the continual rise of new technology will only encourage authors to create a greater range of these books.

My Favourite Books of 2011

The Afterparty by Leo Benedictus is the cleverest example I’ve come across. The book begins with an email to a literary agent enclosing the first chapter of a yet to be published novel. Through a series of email conversations the reader gets an insight into the publishing industry, the thrill of reading an exposé of celebrity culture and an incredibly intelligent subplot revolving around who the author really is. This is metafiction at its best and I’m sad it failed to be highlighted by any of the major awards this year.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst defies genre classification. On the surface it is a murder mystery, but the book also contains extracts from novels written by the narrator. These novels are then re-written over the course of the book, giving an insight into how our perspective of events changes as we age. The book also directly addresses the reader at many points:

If this was a murder mystery, this is the part where I would talk to the doorman and discover the clue.

I was impressed by the ambitiousness of this novel. It was thought-provoking as well as entertaining and I hope many more people decide to read it.

How I Became A Famous Novelist by Steve Hely is the funniest book I’ve read this year. It is a parody of the publishing industry and takes an entertaining look at what it means to be a best-selling author. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the publishing industry.