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Blog Improvement Project Week #12: Mid-Year Review

We’re now halfway through the Blog Improvement Project! This is a great time to reflect on what we have achieved and decide which things need more attention in the coming months.

Since starting the BIP 6 months ago my blog has come a long way:

I now have 5x more comments on each post and 5x more unique visitors per day. 

Thank you to everyone who has read or commented on my blog!

Kim asked the following questions:

What BIP task have you liked most?

My favourite task was blog post bingo! The idea was write ten different types of blog post within a two week period. It was really hard work, but I realised that my blog really benefited from the diversity it created. One of the posts I wrote for that challenge is still one of my most popular posts today: How to put boxes around your text – an idiot’s guide!

What BIP task have you liked least (including ones you have skipped)?

My least favourite was Blog Improvement Project Week #10: Linking with Anchor Text. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but it didn’t require any of the fun challenge or community building aspects of the other tasks. 

What are the top three things you still would like to work on this year?

I need to improve on the technical aspects of my blog.

  • I’d like to work out how to have my reviews displayed A-Z by author, as well as title. It would also be good to display reviews by rating as well.
  • I need to find a new template for my blog, as this one doesn’t allow threaded comments.
  • I’m going to try to create a brand for my blog. If anyone knows where I can find a great little illustration of a farm lane – let me know!

Are there any blogging-related topics you feel like you know a lot about and would be willing to write a BIP guest task on?

I can’t think of any, but I’m happy to research a topic and write about it. If there is anything you’d like to know – just ask and I’ll do my best to find the answer!

Any other comments about the BIP?

The Blog Improvement Project has been really useful for me. I have learnt a lot, and it has really helped my blog to become what it is today. Thank you Kim!

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The Room of Lost Things – Stella Duffy

The Room of Lost Things is set in London, and shows a side to the city which isn’t often seen. The book is set in a dry-cleaning shop and follows its owner, Robert, as he decides to retire and pass his business on to the young, east Londoner, Akeel. The book gives brief glimpses into the lives of those who enter the dry-cleaning shop, or some who are simply are passing by. In doing so it paints a picture of the people who live near the railway arch of Loughborough Junction, south London.

Unfortunately I didn’t fall in love with this book. There were too many characters introduced too quickly. I didn’t count them, but I saw one review on Amazon which stated that 26 were introduced by the half way point. I know that this was to demonstrate the diversity of the local population, and that we are only supposed to capture glimpses of their lives as you would in a dry-cleaning shop, but my poor little brain can’t cope with this sort of thing, and I had nothing to pull me in to the book.

The book improved in the second half as we learned more about Robert, and I got a bit more used to the writing style. I found the ending quite poignant, but I’m afraid that a great last paragraph couldn’t compensate for the lack of real plot during the rest of the book.

The Room of Lost Things was recommended to me by Simon, and I have seen a few other good reviews around. So, please do not dismiss this book on my account. I am well known for having a poor capacity for coping with lots of different characters, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book much more than me. 

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Reviews so good….. I bought the book!

I have been looking through my stacks, trying to decide which books to read in June. I noticed that I have built up quite a large number of books recommended by fellow bloggers. In order to get through these, and gain an insight into the tastes of my favorite bloggers, I am going to make an effort to read as many of these books as I can in June and July (before the Booker long list is announced on 29th July).

Here are the books I was persuaded to get hold of:

Brothers by Yu Hua 

The moment I finished reading this review by Nonsuch Book I bought a copy online. It sounded so different to the other Chinese books I’d read that I had to have a copy.

Sugar Cage by Connie May Fowler

Sandy’s continual repetition of how good this author is finally wore me down, and I tracked down a copy of this book on Bookmooch. I’m looking forward to reading about the real Florida!


To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Beth voted this one of her favourite books of 2008. I hadn’t heard of it at the time, but have since seen lots of good reviews. Beth’s review persuaded me to part with my cash straight away!

Margery Sharp

Jane has mentioned Margery Sharp several times. I recently found three of her books, The Nutmeg Tree, Britannia Mews and Harlequin House. I’m going to read one of them – Jane – Which should I try first?

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The Master and Margarita

Matthew’s raving about The Master and Margarita persuaded me to buy a copy. It arrived in the post this morning, so will probably be the first one I read.


The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak

Nymeth’s review was so powerful, that I ordered a copy straight away. I have since seen some average reviews of it, so am hoping that Nymeth was right in persuading me to buy this one!


Firmin by Sam Savage

A couple of weeks after reading a great review of this book I saw it in a charity shop, so picked it up straight away. I was convinced I saw it on Diane’s blog, but can’t find it there. Have you reviewed this book recently? I’d love to correctly identify you here!

There are a few other books which I’m hoping to get my hands on in the next couple of months. Most notably De Niro’s Game by Rawi Hage recommended by Claire and The Room of Lost Things by Stella Duffy, recommended by Simon. Hopefully I’ll be able to get these books and read them too!

 

 

Some of your probably weren’t even aware that I bought the book on the strength of your recommendation alone. Are you surprised by the book I bought? Approximately how high in your list of favourite books is the one I have chosen? Number 1? Top 10?, Top 50?

If you could make me read one book – which would it be?

I hope to repeat this excerices frequently, so please nominate the book you’d most like me to read, and if your pitch is good enough I will get hold of a copy!

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Theory of War – Joan Brady

Winner of the Whitbread Prize 1993

The Theory of War is story of a white child sold into slavery in post-Civil War America. At just four-years-old Jonathan is sold to Alvah Stokes, who treats him terribly. Alvah’s son George taunts Jonathan, and it is hatred for him that lasts throughout his lifetime, and leads to Jonathan tracking him down to seek revenge.

The Theory of War is based on the true story of the author’s grandfather. I actually found the author’s note at the end of the book one of the most interesting sections. In it she explains how four of her grandfather’s seven children (including her father) committed suicide. She blames their deaths on the emotional scarring of slavery, and wrote the book in an attempt to understand what he went through. It is this emotional attachment to the text that makes this such a good book.

The book switches between Jonathan’s difficult live as a slave, and the story of his grandaughter learning about what he went through for the first time. At just over 200 pages this isn’t very long, but there are a lot of strong messages contained in it; not only about the importance of compassion for everyone, but also discussions on disability and war.

A war between two people is not all that different from a war between two countries.

I loved the ending – I didn’t see it coming at all, and thought it gave a fitting finish to this book.

I have to admit that the book lost some of it’s momentum in the middle section. Jonathan’s life as an adult didn’t have as much appeal to me, and I thought the book could have benefited from concentrating on his experiences as a slave. This is only a minor complaint though, and think this is a deserving winner of the Whitbread prize.

Recommended.

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NB. There is a lot of strong language in this book, which may offend some people.

I haven’t actively followed the Costa/Whitbread prize, although I have read and enjoyed a few, most notably The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.

Do you enjoy reading Costa/Whitbread books?

If so, which has been your favourite?

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The Seance – John Harwood

The Seance is a dark, Gothic tale, set in Victorian England.  The central character is Constance, who on becoming an orphan, begins to suspect that her family history is not as simple as she was led to believe. She inherits a crumbling,  country house called Wraxford Hall, which is central to the book’s plot; it’s eerie, dilapidated state adds to the mysterious atmosphere. Constance vows to discover the truth behind her ancestry, and unravel the mysterious events which have taken place in the house.

The book is full of things which cannot be explained. Why does anyone who see the ghost of a monk in the grounds of the house die within a month? Why have previous owners of the mansion disappeared in thunderstorms? and what role does the suit of armor play in it all?

I loved the historical detail in the book. The Victorians’ understanding of the spirit world was fascinating, and very well researched. I felt totally immersed in the world of clairvoyants and mysticism. Constance’s character behaved realistically, and I quickly grew to love her. 

I didn’t find it very scary, (perhaps that’s because I read Blindness recently!) but it was definitely a bit creepy. It was a real page turner, and there were times when I had to stop myself from racing ahead to find out what happens. There was the odd occasion when I lost myself a little bit by doing this, and had to re-read sections to understand exactly what was going on. This was only a minor flaw, and probably due to the fact that it is so tightly plotted. I didn’t spot many of the clever twists, although there were a few that I saw a mile away!

This is a well constructed, Gothic mystery which I recommend to anyone who likes reading about Victorian life, or who is just after a well written story, packed with secrets.

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I haven’t read John Harwood’s first novel, The Ghost Writer, but I’ve added it to my wish list already.

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Fun Home – Alison Bechdel

Fun Home is the first graphic novel I have ever read, and although it is a very different experience to reading a book, I enjoyed it very much. I read Fun Home as part of the Dewey challenge. You can see her review here.

Fun Home has been described as one of the first graphic memoirs. It is basically a coming of age story, following one girl into adulthood, as she realises that she is a lesbian.  The book is well observed, and full of light humor:
 

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There were lots of literary references. I think bibliophiles will really appreciate this book, and the way that quotes from Oscar Wilde and Homer were used to sum up many of the feelings the characters experienced.

The title refers to the family funeral business, and I loved the insights into life surrounded by death:
 

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The book reveals the thoughts and feelings of a teenager discovering her sexuality, and so is sexually explicit in places. It contains some full frontal nudity, so avoid it if you are offended by this.

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This book was touching, intelligent and full of surprises. I recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different.

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