2012

So finally I can look over the past year and see what kinds of books I've read, re-read, loved and hated.

One thing I was particularly interested to find out was how many books I was reading for a second, third or even fourth time. These include: Perfume, Xenocide, The Stone Gods, Before I Go To Sleep, Children of the Mind, and finally Pigs Might Fly. Six out of 47 - not quite as much as I thought it would be. The reasons for rereading are generally just because the books are so good. The timescale between the original reading and rereading differs a bit as well, from over a decade with Pigs Might Fly to less than a year with The Stone Gods - it's never too late, or too early to revisit something brilliant.

Three non-fiction books, plus a couple of biographies (only the best - Caitlin Moran etc.). Exactly what I imagined here to be honest, fiction rules every time. The rate of reading is fairly interesting as well, most books read in November and December, due to holidays, and least in April, August and October.

Best book of 2012 is going to be pretty difficult, so I'm going to put together a shortlist first and then decide. To make things easier (i.e. take The Stone Gods out of the running) I'm going to only include books read for the first time this year.

Shortlist: Annabel, The Day of the Triffids, The Handmaid's Tale, Under the Skin, Eat Pray Love, IQ84, The Flood, The Snow Child.

Hmm. That was going quite well until the end of the year, when I seem to have read more brilliant books. I'm also cheating and including all three parts of IQ84 in one. Okay so Annabel was quite different, and good characters. Day of the Triffids was great, absolutely great, but by this point I had read most of Wyndham's other stuff, so it wasn't quite as brilliant as The Midwich Cuckoos, The Trouble with Lichen, or the one about disfigurement. The Handmaid's Tale I loved, but wanted far more explanation about how the new regime was set up. Some would argue that this could spoil the story, just as a magician never reveals the secrets behind his tricks. However, I found it exceedingly interesting and simply wanted to know more. An unsatisfying ending. Under the Skin - I'm just going to say it now, this is probably the winner, hands down. I shall return to it. Eat Pray Love I read at the perfect time in my life - I was travelling (read: on my first city break) on my own, I've been expanding my palate, particularly in pasta, this year, and I'd jsut started meditation and yoga, embarking on my very own mini-spiritual adventure. So it resonated pretty well and Elizabeth Gilbert really is a good writer, it made me laugh and smile and I enjoyed it so much I started rereading it as soon as I'd finished. IQ84 is one of the most fantastical, original, how-the-hell-did-he-think-of-that plots I've ever read. The Flood was a really good portrait of climate change devastation (because I haven't read enough scifi this year...) and The Snow Child is that magical combination of fairytale and just great fiction. It's the sort of book I will remember, and I knew I would love it before I'd ever even picked it up. Sometimes you do just know (I believe in love at first sight with books).

So after that summing up, I've picked the three best and will now bestow upon them my imaginary awards. In third place (drum roll please) comes IQ84 for sheer brilliance. Second is Eat Pray Love, probably not everyone's cup of tea but one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read and certainly inspired me. And in first place, it simply had to be Under the Skin. By Michael Faber, I was recommended this book and read it after a dearth of good fiction - I'd been starting books and not finishing them, or reading books which I disliked, or felt I should appreciate. It's such a good idea, I do love a story with morals and this remains with you long after the final page has been turned. And the writing is beautiful, it's dark and creepy and the reader cannot help but be intrigued. I recommend you all go out and read it immediately.

My reading resolutions for 2013 will include Life of Pi (preferably before seeing the film), AMoL (Final installment in Wheel of Time) and I would like to reread You Don't Know Me.

Pigs might fly

Guys. I'm really excited. I just found a book which I read as a kid in a tiny library in Zimbabwe, and absolutely adored. I tried to buy it last time I remembered it, but it had GONE OUT OF PRINT. Eugh. On a random whim I googled it again recently and there was one (just one!) copy left on amazon. I read Pigs Might Fly when I was about seven, and obsessed with both books and pigs. I remember very little about the actual story - it's something about pigs flying when the weather gets stormy and this girl is stuck in an alternate reality (just realised I've been a sci-fi geek since before I knew what that meant) and trying to get home. But apart from that, I just remember loving it. So I cannot wait till it arrives *please be before christmas* so I can discover it all over again.

It's less than a month till Christmas...

Don't worry, I'm not about to announce a list of festively themed books (do they even exist?), I'm just noticing how little of the year is left. I'm really excited to start categorising all the books I've read this year and seeing how many are re-read, or recommended or what. But I've noticed that I'm up to number 40 and there is a small but insistent voice inside that is calling for the final tally to be a round number...50 in fact. This would mean I would have to read more books per month than I have done in the previous 11. I will have the Christmas holidays, and being on holiday earlier this month has definitely given me time to read more, but still its a lot. So I'm not sure if its possible but I kind of want to try. I am reading four at the moment, and other things I want to read include a book called Blue Eyed Boy (blurb makes it sound much better than the title), the next in the Game of Thrones series, and the last two in Wheel of Time (I'm really running out of time with this one, and I need to be ready for the finale come 2013). I'm definitely not going to be able to manage two WoT books, but maybe one, which would leave me at seven. And it's practically a certainty that I will be given some form of bookish present for Christmas. If I was really cutting it fine I could probably just read chicklit or childrens books to round it up!

Flood - Stephen Baxter

Finished this late last night when I just couldn't put it down. Apocolyptic fiction at its finest, especially because the danger described in this book seems so much nearer, so much more real than most of the books in this genre.

Apart from a really good plot, I particularly like the way the character's personalities and flaws are exposed as time races by and panic increases. It's a really good look at how humanity would react (not well, by and large) to circumstances they simply never believed could happen. The strength of denial as a defence mechanism should not be underestimated.

It's also quite sad, not just for the demise of civilisation, but SPOILERS! for the way all the hostages strive to protect baby Grace, who grows up throughout the novel. They believe they are constantly acting in her best interests, but it becomes clear that they simply have no idea what those would be, having never taken the time to really get to know her and ask what she wants. A simplistic drive to keep her alive at all costs, in response to a promise made to her mother before she died, is arguably much more harmful than allowing her to go her own way and live in whichever way she chooses.

But, there's a sequel! I'm very excited.

IQ84

I had quite high expectations of this book, based purely on the blurb and cover of course. It just looked like something that would be really good, and fortunately it was. It's got all sorts of elements I am intrigued by, including Japan, magic and cults. It also demonstrated the perfect way to maintain tension and to keep your readers hooked (something I'm trying to deconstruct in the books I read now that I'm writing again). Each chapter is told from one of the two main characters' perspectives. Usually when writers employ this trick, the reader tends to prefer one character, or one plotline, and so can feel slightly irritated at the end of a chapter, when they realise they have to switch. In the case of IQ84 I did feel irritated at the end of each chapter, but for a different reason - both stories were so good, and they so often ended on a mini-cliffhanger that I would be annoyed I'd have to take a break from one character. But then I would remember I'd felt the exact same thing just a chapter before, when I couldn't wait to keep reading about the original character, so I was always happy to be reading more about both of them.

It also raises very interesting questions about reality and perception: in short, how can we tell that the world we are living in is a) real and b) hasn't changed into something else without us realising. My pragmatic response would always be that regardless of any higher truth about reality, we have to live as if this is the only reality we know and always have known. Anything else is futile really, as we have no way of knowing any differently. There's only one moon in our sky.

NaNoWriMo

I heard about NaNoWriMo five days too late, although I don't have anything planned to the stage where I could start immediately anyway. It's a shame because it seems like a great campaign, to help and support writers to write 50,000 words in thirty days - a novel in a month. It also fits in very nicely with the 30 days to a first draft excerpt I've been reading; a month to plan and a month to write. All sounds very structured and quick and easy, although I'm sure it's not. Anyway, I've been following people's progress on their own books and trying to soak up as much advice as possible. The main thing I seem to have found is: Write every day, don't worry about the quality of the work - that comes later - just write. Perhaps I will wait till next year to start, or maybe just December. I'm working on an idea, and hopefully soon I will be at a stage of preparation where I am ready to just write.

On a brief note from Sweden, all my holiday reads were great. Well, apart from Written on the Body which was a bit too love sick for me, and seems to have the potential to irritate people both in and out of relationships. But Eat Pray Love I really, really enjoyed and the Snow Child was just as perfect as I imagined it to be. Perks of Being a Wallflower was also very good, but the film adaptation I'd seen was very true to the book, so it was probably a bit too soon to truly appreciate it.

Holiday reads: winter edition

It's almost holiday time again, and once more I am almost as excited to be choosing books for my trip as for the trip itself. Since I'm only going for five days, I'm trying to hold back on taking too many. So far, I've bought a couple of books from charity shops, including Eat, pray, love - which everyone says is much like the film i.e. not that great, but I thought if there's ever a time to read a find-yourself novel, it's on your first trip abroad by yourself. I've also got Written on the Body, by Jeanette Winterson. I decided it's time to try another one of her books, even though I love The Stone Gods almost so much I can't believe anyone who wrote it could write anything else that compares. It seems a bit illogical, as most people I'm sure would take that to mean that anything the writer has done must also be phenomenal, and so set out to read all their work. I've also reserved The Perks of being a Wallflower, since I saw the film and was incredibly impressed. Perhaps because I wasn't expecting much, but it was so moving, and realistic - even though all sorts of crazy things happened to a small group of people. I've been trying to figure out whether that is a good reflection of real life. I think maybe more people have strange and crazy things happen to them than we often believe, but less than what you see in soap operas, which cannot survive without the drama.

Anyway, I'm also really looking forward to having some time in a different place, on my own, to try and write a lot. I still want to write a book - actually more so now than ever before - but first I feel like I've got so many observations and ideas that I want to get down on the page first. My friend sent me a really helpful guide from the Guardian (How to write a book in 30 days) which I've been mulling over. It offers a lot more structure, which is possibly the less glamorous, but no less vital part of writing.

One last note about my holiday books - because I'm going to a very cold place, and it will be November, I think I've been unconsciously looking for books that incorporate that. Examples include: The Snow Child and Steel and Snow (Game of Thrones book 3). Notice a theme??

We need to talk about Kevin

Although I recently finished a book which I quite enjoyed, it's not really worth writing home about, so I thought I'd write instead about We need to talk about Kevin, despite having read it ages ago.

Warning! Spoiler alert.

I really liked this book - I thought it was incredibly intelligent and posed an uncomfortable question to its many readers. But apart from the concept, I really liked the main character, Eva. She is a very interesting character, who is made more realistic by the fact that she is so nasty. She is a mother who is very far from perfect, but not a monster of abuse, which appear to be the only two models of motherhood we are offered in fiction. She is not loving towards her son, but it's not because there is anything inherently wrong with her. She is simply, humanly flawed, and I love the way you can see aspects of her personality coming through in Kevin. Out of the whole family, they are the most alike, though Eva would not like to believe it. To do so would be to accept she is capable of a similar mentality.

My absolutely favourite part of the book (or the film for that matter) is when Kevin is sick, and Eva finally finally feels like a real mother, able to offer him comfort and protection. At this point, he drops the act and shuns the father who cannot see beyond his innocent facade and reaches out to the one person who understands him, even if he knows she does not love him in the same way.

But then you could argue that true love is the kind that knows exactly who you are and continues to love, sometimes grudgingly, sometimes in fear, but in an underlying, fundamental sort of way.

It is more like the mother and son are equals rather than a traditional parent-child relationship.

And I think it is her husband's incapacity to see the truth which makes me like Eva so much more, even though she is so very unlikeable. Shriver writes so that we understand her perspective perfectly, and can appreciate why she acts in such an unpleasant manner. She feels driven to it.

I also really like the fact that it is this narration through the eyes of Eva which suggests we are not getting the whole picture. If Franklin sees things so differently, it cannot be as simple as she is right and he is wrong. The truth must lie somewhere between her biased view of events, and his, in which Kevin is just a boy.

The Stand

Just made it through my first Stephen King book, The Stand. On the whole, I really enjoyed it and the book definitely improved as you got further through.

Things I liked:
The setting up of a new society in a post-apocalyptic world (excellent)
Good character progression
Interesting theological threads
The journey across America

Things I didn't:
The beginning. Too many people to keep track of, and too many dying in disgusting ways
Any of the characters at the beginning. Didn't start caring about anyone till quite late on, which made it harder to read at the start
The way so many people almost saved themselves, but didn't. (I realise this is good writing, to make me wish they would do different things, and makes them much more human etc.etc. but its still annoying)

All in all, it wasn't as scary as I expected - the premise is horrifying in a very abstract way, and characters' fear and confusion is described very well, but the fear didn't translate to me. Except perhaps with the weasels.

Under the skin - Michel Faber

This is fabulous! From the very beginning, the book is a bundle of questions that you are dying to solve. Who, or what is Isserley? What are they doing at the farm and why? As the truth unravels, it paints a disturbing picture of our own humanity. It is incredible how clearly we can judge people who engage in the same practices as we do - the distance allows us to see the error of their (and our) ways. Our hypocrisy is revealed with every wave of revulsion we feel for these creatures. It has made me think a lot, about the food chain in particular, but more widely about how easily we can seperate ourselves into an us and a them in order to justify terrible things. The scary thing is we do this so well that it can become very difficult to even realise we are doing so, that there is any underlying reality, a cold hard truth we would rather not face. And if we remain unaware of this curtain that protects us from what we are unwilling to know, it becomes near impossible to do anything about it. You can't fix something you don't realise is broken.

But back to the book, it is probably the most realistic, out-of-this-world story I have ever read. The lead character is so relateable, and she faces so many everyday pressures, alongside the scarier aspects of her life that we try to grasp. Even then, her pain and emotions are so vividly described that we can empathise completely. I don't blame her, even though she plays a major part in what could be described as an evil plot.

I want to know more. This is pretty much standard at the end of any good book, but there are still so many unanswered questions, even leaving aside the main ones. I am so curious about where she comes from, the mysterious Estates and why they were so bad, why such a mad scheme was concocted and how all this applies to our own society.

I think there is something very important in this book and would recommend it to everyone. It serves as a timely reminder that we are not quite as indestructible as we like to believe, but in a much more subtle way than many over-the-top commentaries of life on earth.

Overloading on dystopias

I'm really enjoying reading Farenheit 451, but its raised a significant concern. If I keep reading the same genre of books - over and over again - am I slowly but surely dulling myself to the effectiveness of these books to entertain?

I love future sci-fi dystopias so much that I actively seek them out. And since there are definitely a myriad of different ways in which the human race could quite plausibly mess itself up, along with the planet, I felt like the possibilities were endless!

But maybe I've been too greedy, bingeing on books which have such overlapping themes, characters and even plots.

I feel like I would have enjoyed Farenheit 451 much more if I had read it ten years ago.

It's a bit of a depressing thought that maybe I will have to start reading different things instead (I do anyway, obviously, but still). And my other favourite genre isn't really officially categorised as such, its just what I think of as 'heartbreakingly-sad books', making it difficult to identify a winner before I start reading.

Tyrion & Danerys

Before anyone comments, yes I am aware that I have become just a little Game of Thrones obsessed. Let's just say I jumped on the bandwagon a little late and am now making the most of it!

Having just finished the second book (anyone got the third one? please!) and first series, I wanted to do a little recap of my favourite characters. There are obviously plenty to choose from, and they differ slightly from book to box, but the Imp and the Mother of Dragons remain two amazing personalities; here's why I love them.

Danerys goes through such a journey; she starts as a child living in fear of her brother and just transforms as the story unfolds. I really like how this childish innocence doesn't complete disappear as she grows wiser and stronger; she still makes mistakes, is still unsure of what to do. But she knows what she wants and has an incredible determination to achieve her goals, despite considerable heartache and danger.

Tyrion is also an incredible character. He's intelligent, funny, playful and doesn't take himself too seriously. He is honest and upfront about his treachery, and manages to run rings around his family in their plots and schemes. His affection for the underdog (Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Shae) demonstrates a kindness you would not expect from someone so ready to do whatever is necessary to manage the kingdom in the best way he can.

Although I have heard many mutterings of people dying, I'm really hoping these two stay alive for a good while yet; they are undoubtedly the best.

Going off On the road

I just finished On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, and it's been a struggle, I'll tell you. I was so excited to read this, apart from being something I think I should read, as the classic American novel etc etc, it was also on subject matter I can readily identify with. I want to travel to America - have done for a very long time. The idea of travelling coast to coast was therefore very appealing, at least initially.

But in this book, it's not just one epic roadtrip that has any form of deeper meaning. The crew ping-pong between east and west coasts in a frenzy; as soon as they reach the edge, they turn around and head home again. Additionally, there is no significance of any kind to be found. The 'beat' generation do nothing but drink and drive and abuse women. The two main characters are caught in some weird kind of brotherly love, despite behaving atrociously towards each other. There is nothing but chaos, and this is meant to represent some aspect of the times, their heady lifestyle. Instead, it is completely uninspiring and leaves me with little empathy towards the characters, only a mixture of pity and disgust.

Game of Thrones & Wheel of Time

How are these two series similar? Oh, let me count the ways...

1. Long, complicated fantasy series
2. Even the titles!
3. A multitude of characters to try and keep straight in your head
4. Set in a world with lots of different countries and cultures
5. Lots and lots of scheming
6. Magic (I know this isn't such a big part of GoT yet but I can tell it's going to be. Winter is coming!)
7. Women wanting to be knights
8. Innapropriate romances galore
9. Swordfighting as an art
10. Wolf-men

Obviously I really like both as well!

Kings and queens and feminism

I finished the first book of Game of Thrones eeh. It's been a while (well maybe a few months) since there's been a series that everyone around me is reading and I needed to hop on the bandwagon. I liked the first book, a bit complicated, but in that it-isnt-a-proper-fantasy-novel-without-at-least-ten-main-characters kind of way. Looking forward to the rest! And the TV show I can now watch in peace. One criticism with multi-character books which I have probably already mentioned, is that you always have favourites. You always have chapters you can't wait to read, and others you wish would just disappear for a while. Not everyone can have the best plotlines all the time and some characters you just connect with more than others, so its an unavoidable problem, but sadly one which only gets worse the longer the book is.

However, I did finish the book a little early, leaving a whole bookless train ride looming, and only Birdsong for company. Not very happy with that idea I decided to be spontaneous and actually buy a book! It's How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, I'd heard a few good things and various reviews with 'You must read this now' kind of thing. It was good. Interesting and brutally honest and laugh-out-loud-on-public-transport funny. She has some very strong opinions, and while I obviously don't agree with them all, it's very refreshing to read/see/hear of a woman with such public opinions on a range of important issues. It kind of made me want to take to the streets and join a protest, so I think it's achieved its aim as well. It also made me think that I could, and really should, write more. When I read some of the things she writes, it just reminds me that I have so many thoughts like this. I have all these eloquent sentences trapped in my head that I want to write down. It's an internal narration of my life.

Reading by chapter

Obviously a lot of people. Maybe the majority of people? Either way, I just don't understand how they can do it. I normally fail to even see the chapter pages that seperate the awesomeness of a book. When I was away I had to read the Handmaid's Tale in frustratingly short bursts and my mum wouldn't let me be antisocial enough to finish it, even though it was amazing and I NEEDED to know what was happening.

I liked the book, but thought it didn't describe enough about how the society evolved and why, and all the rules and hierarchies. I suppose it does make it more realistic (its meant to be a diary) that the author didn't see fit to put in all this extra information I wanted and only commented on part of the really interesting stuff.

In other exciting news, I finally have my hands on a Song of Fire and Ice! Now I can watch the programme and stop being out of the loop whenever anyone talks to me.

I also started reading a thriller about OCD, but had to give it back because it wasn't mine (or the person I borrowed it from). Anyway, I need to stop buying/ acquiring books because I'm moving soon and they seem to have multiplied over the past year.

Hay Festival 2012

I've just got back from my first trip to Hay Fest, and it was fantastic. Everything about it was perfect - apart from the rain of course! The town is beautiful and so green, with a ridiculous number of bookshops. Really nice indy bookshops as well, with great finds to be discovered. There was a shop that only sold penguins: I'm not sure I've ever seen a more beautiful sight. I didn't have tickets for any authors events, but of course the people I did see had written multiple great books.

Books I did buy (I hadn't gone intending to buy books, but how could I resist?) were the Arabian Nights (see Recommended) and The Day of the Triffids, one of the last few Wyndham books I haven't read. I really enjoy his writing and of course the theme of worlds ending is right up my street, especially the way the books follow normal people in such extraordinary circumstances and looking at the human aspect such catastrophes would trigger.

Other non-literary purchases included a basket to keep my wool together in, and this travel purse;

I have to admit I've never read it, or even know what its about, it just looks so pretty, and since I'm going away tomorrow, seemed apt.

Too many plots

After all the hype (created solely by me and my expectations) I finished Embassytown. While it was a good book, it was different from what I predicted. It was also quite difficult to understand; everything was so alien that I had to read it really slowly to try and comprehend what the author was trying to portray. Taking the strange to a whole new level.

Also, while the original reason I wanted to read this book was a central theme, there was so much else going on, it reduced the amazing and unique impact that idea could have had. It was as if, on top of this great storyline, Mieville decided to add more and more layers and plots (not even sub-plots), with so much else going on. I found it a case of overkill which worked to the detriment of what was such a good starting point. If you have that many ideas, write more books! Don't try and stuff it all into one novel, as the book will only become complicated, diluted and just damn strange.

On diminishing books

Just a note to acknowledge my dwindling list of books read this year; it hasn't escaped my attention, but I have been mainly doing other things. Okay just thing really, I've been knitting and that takes up my hands. But I've got as many train journeys as ever, so I'm heading to the library on Monday to sort it out. I think I might finally finally get back on Wheel of Time, because even though I must have been saying this for ages, it really can't be that long before the final one comes out. Oh I'm also stealing borrowing the first book of Game of Thrones, so that should be good.

Perfect timing

So I didn't manage to re-read Before I Go To Sleep at a reasonable pace. It is an unreasonably good book. Even when I knew what happened, I still had to read it as quickly as possible. In fact, I finished it with perfect timing, just as my train pulled into Piccadilly. Unfortunately, reading those kind of scenes under that kind of time pressure (I couldn't stop reading to get off the train and on with my life before finishing it! Unthinkable) meant I felt incredibly stressed when I was finished. The action is so real and the character's anxiety and confusion so relateable that I felt as if I had literally gone through the conclusion.

Losing memory is a pretty terrifying thing, because it would leave you so vulnerable. For most of the things in our lives we hold to be real, this can only be verified due to past experiences that we remember and check for truth. If that was gone, you couldn't trust yourself, let alone anyone else.

Having said that, even when our memories work they are nowhere near as accurate as we believe them to be. The brain can and does make many things up. Things we could swear had happened, or happened in a certain way. Our perceptions of our own perceptions are set in quicksand, not stone.


On a completely unrelated side note, I finally bought Embassytown! And its good, but its really confusing/difficult to understand. I realise the central premise is, that's what drew me to it, but the whole setting, so many little details which are almost incomrehensible. Very alien.

April showers and long train journeys

After many a long train journey, I finished the Magus! And was promptly disappointed. Despite my initial struggle getting into the book, I was actually enjoying the mystery and drama as the story got more and more complicated. Unfortunately, the ending did nothing to dispel this mystery and I was left with ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why anything that happened, happened. While this is acceptable, even inevitable with spy novels, I did not expect to be permanently left in the dark with respect to this book. So if that could be re-written, it would be worth the effort.

What else have I been reading? Apart from knitting patterns and magazines, not much. I've started Birdsong (sent to me by a friend and recommended by another who's opinion I trust), but again that's proving a bit difficult. I'd just got intrigued in the story and now its switched to some other characters who I will have to get to know all over again. Back at square one.

So to mitigate all this effort, I'm re-reading Before I go to Sleep, which I got for christmas and read so quickly I was almost sick. You know the kind I mean, where you literally can't do anything else but read and finish as quickly as possible? I really really enjoyed it; a thriller about a woman with amnesia, making it more difficult for her to know who to trust, and what her real life is. So I'm trying to read responsibly this time, and actually take the time to appreciate the amazing structure and writing style instead of simply bingeing. Debut novel as well! Well worth a read.

Spring reads

I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time, and thought it was great, although not exactly what I expected. The characters are amazing and I love the way the story is told from the perspective of a child. Very moving.

Also started my first ever Stephen King book, and quite disapointed. I wanted to be scared! Instead I was jsut disgusted. It was Dreamcatcher and I read half of it before I realised that it was just plain gross. The horror was meant to be a mystery as well, but there was a bad ratio of plot to gore, leaving very little incentive for me to keep reading. Since I had so many high recommendations before I started, there is the possiblity that I might try a different book, but doubt I will ever finish Dreamcatcher.

In other news, reading more of The Magus (I know its taking forever, it's my long-train-journeys-book) and it's getting quite good. Although reading such a crazy book when tired does mess with your ability to perceive reality accurately.

I also read Who's Afraid of Mr Wolfe, a chick-lit novel written by a friend of a friend of my mums. Haven't read something so fluffy in a while, so it was a nice change. Predictable as usual, but easy to read and read quickly. Pretty funny as well, made me chuckle out loud in a couple of places which is fairly rare for a book.

On psychopaths and the Pirahas

So I finally got around to reading the Psychopath Test, after all this time! I have to admit, it didn't quite meet my (admittedly high) expectations. Perhaps it was because it doesn't really document the test in detail. Perhaps because although the content is immeasurably interesting, the book doesn't really have an arc of any sort. Jon gains knowledge about psychopaths, one ambiguous criminal gets released, and that's about it. I think its mainly that my preference for pure fiction is overbearing. Even if the story has good characters and follows an intriguing plot, if it's real, I lose interest. There are of course exceptions to this rule, including several brilliant real life diaries. Maybe my penchant for sci-fi/fantasy is taking over my ability to enjoy 'real' books.

In contrast to everything I have just said, my next book is also non-fiction, but a story so incredible it may as well be. It's about a missionary's trip to a remote Amazonian tribe and how he becomes the one to be converted, to different theories on language and life. Aside from being about everything I would ever want in life, this book is important linguistically and antrhopologically. And guess what??

Dan Everett, author of the book and owner of the life I wish I could lead, is speaking at Manchester University in a couple of weeks. And I've got tickets!! There really isn't anything more exciting that could happen to me. To be perfectly honest, I don't even care what he talks about, such is my awe that I will be honoured to simply be in the same room as him. 

Study says revisiting classics makes us happy

Shamelessly stolen from this week's Stylist, and endorsed by yours truly.

Study says revisiting classics makes us happy

How many times have you read your favourite book? Once? Twice? Nine times? Well, new research has shown that re-reading books that we first experienced during a happy time in our lives can have a comforting effect and be good for our mental health.

Academics, who studied people in New Zealand and the US, found that the repeated experience led to heightened pleasure and increased knowledge and awareness.

The study, which also looked at re-watching films and re-visiting favourite haunts, showed that the second reading of a book is also more ‘emotional’ as readers delve deeper into the layers of the novel. Think twice before throwing away that battered Penguin Classic then…

Source: Stylist

How Persuasion won me over

I am, as I have probably said before, not a fan of old books. By this I don't mean wonderfully musty books you've had for ages, or those passed down in generations, I simply mean literature that is anything less than modern. I don't really like the language and although the idea of 'classics' is appealing, the few I've struggled through I've found are just too boring.

Anyway, I do dislike the thought of missing out on all these books so many people admire. So I tried Persuasion. The fact that a major reason in me choosing this book was that it was a character from a film I like's favourite book is neither here nor there.

It was better than I expected, which was a nice surprise. I still don't like the style of writing, with sentences that go on forever with a minimum of ten clauses. It's difficult and unecessary and puts people, me included, off.

But after a slow start of trying to get into it, I found the characters interesting and the whole system of norms and pleasantries and politeness of good society made for a good story. Would I read it again? Probably not. But I may be more inclined to read something else by Jane Austen if it ever comes across my path readily. Perhaps it is an acquired taste that takes more than one experience to cement.

A short history of tractors in Ukranian

I got this through a book exchange - one of the best inventions ever! Unfortunately I didn't have a book with me to swap, but I gave a donation instead and took this book, one I'd been meaning to read for a while. It took me so long because even though I trust my friend's recommendations, personal (albeit irrational) prejudices can be difficult to overcome. In this case, it was the title. I knew (or thought I did) that the book wasn't actually about tractors. But still, everytime I thought about finding the book, a  little voice inside would complain 'But I don't like tractors! It will be boring!' So this fortunate set of circumstances that led me to the book exchange meant I gave it a chance.

And I am glad I did! It was a great book, very easy to read and the quirky broken English actually made the book more enjoyable, despite structural changes like this usually resulting in off-putting, or distracting language. It was also very interesting to see the difference this made to the atmosphere of the book, and how while every sentence is easily intelligible, the sense it gives to the story is fascinating.

I also liked it because it has a lot of crazy characters in it, crazy in the best kind of way, that reflects human irrationality. The book also shows how extreme circumstances can change our values and beliefs far more easily than we would have predicted.

It is also a very funny look at one 'dysfunctional' family and how strong those bonds of love are, regardless of how little we like particular members, or their habits. Again this reflects the paradox of holding contrasting attitudes to the same object simultaneously.

Shadows in Flight and other nonsense

New Ender's (well Bean's really) book is coming out soon aaaahhh! Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card is out on February 13. If anybody truly loves me, that is my valentines present right there. I adore the way this series is more a continually expanding network of awesomeness, rather than a linear set of sequels. It provides so much more possiblity for MORE!

Courtesy of Macmillan publishing, here is a delightful audio clip to whet your appetites!

On a calmer note, I have several books to read before this date so need to get on it. Also my re-reading schedule is getting a bit out of control, what with film versions coming out and final installments, I need to catch up on quite a few of my favourite books.

And I must get my hands on the Handmaids Tale, which I thought was all about medieval handmaids (e.g. historical drama which does not interest me in the slightest) but is actually all about a dystopian future. Excellent.

Final note: if you haven't eaten in the Waterstones restaurant, you should! Gorgeous food, huge portions and beautiful setting.

January reading

So after almost one month of recording my reading habits, its already quite interesting to look back and see what kind of things I'm reading. I can't wait until I have some more months to compare this with, to see whether I'm preferring certain genres/authors, or reading a lot at different periods of my life. It's also a way for me to remember what I've read, and which books were great, and which are best avoided.

The Stone Gods was the last book I read, and it was really enjoyable, regardless of having read it before. It makes you think long after you put it down, and the different stories weave together in a beautiful way. It highlights the terrible sides of humanity but also makes you realise how full of hope we are to keep trying, to keep making those same mistakes, keep creating and destroying in an endless cycle.

As for the book club, I couldn't find the book in time for the meeting, which is a shame. More because I still want to read it. I might pop in and see what the next book is because I feel it's still something I should try.

Book to film news:
Hunger Games is out at the end of March. Oh my, that's barely two months away, I thought I would have to contain my excitement until the summer at least.
Warm bodies is coming out in August. I'm very excited and very sceptical all at the same time, which is pretty much my standard reaction to the news that adaptions of my favourite books are coming out, but especially this one because I'm not sure how it will translate to the screen. The best parts of the story take part inside the central character's head, which starts as a foggy mess of consciousness- will this just all be voiceover narration? I have my doubts.

Deja Vu

I started reading the Stone Gods, after reading the blurb and thinking it sounded really interesting. After reading a couple of chapters the story became more and more familiar, until I realised that this is the second time I've read this book.

Having said that, I don't remember the plot, or even the character's quirks ahead of re-reading them, it's only when I read it again that the words remind me. This is quite a nice way to read books, although it doesn't say much for my memory.

I remember that my intuition was right, and I enjoyed the book, but my ignorance of the details means I can enjoy it a second time. It's sort of like meeting an old friend after a long time, and its only after spending time with them that you remember how good a friendship it was and how much you enjoyed their company.

Sometimes I wonder whether my time would be better spent reading new books (there's not enough time in the world for me to read them all, unfortunately) rather than revisiting old ones.

But I do both, I don't just revist the books of my past, I also read new books. And sometimes, as in this case, I can return to books without even meaning to. You can't argue with your subconscious.

Book clubs

I am thinking of joining a book club in my local pub. I've never been to one before, and although at first the idea seems perfect for me, I'm not quite so sure.

Of course getting recommendations from fellow book lovers, and discussing how great books are would be brilliant. I would also welcome the motivation to read books that otherwise I might not have even picked up.

But the dissecting, the evaluation? That sounds a bit too much like English Literature too me, and I left that behind with my GSCEs. Of course we can examine each little part of a book and consider why the author made these choices, and to what effect, and I can even acknowledge that this could give a greater type of fulfilment from a book as only then do you truly understand how great the writing is.

Then again, I have always held the suspicion that critiquing any form of media is less enjoyable than simply experiencing the media, in this case books, without any other agenda on your mind, no need to hold back from immersing yourself in the created world that lies before you in order to compare and contrast it with other books of its time, for example.

I read because I simply love reading. Not because I am interested in how authors from different times, personalities and circumstances set about creating these works of art. But maybe I'm just being too stubborn. I'm going to go along and see whether I enjoy it. The first book is To Kill a Mocking Bird (I've never read it, so that's a good start).

Books of 2011

So I realise this is quite late, but thought I would do a recap of some of my best books from last year. I also forget which books I've read, so this year plan to write down every single book, so I can have hopefully have a great long list this time next year!

Saddest book: Without a doubt its got to be A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Made me weep, but not in a life-is-so-desolate-The-Road kind of way, in a very human and uplifting way.

Best thriller: Before I go to sleep by S. Watson. So enthralling I had to read it extra quick to find out what was going on and who she could trust.

Best fantasy: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan. Nearing the end of this series (this is book 13) they just seem to keep on getting better. So excited for the final installment.

Best horror: I seem to be lacking a bit in this area, but I promise I will return from my next trip to the library with armfuls of Steven King. In the meantime, for 2011, maybe Perfume? By Patrick Suskind. It's an amazing book, such a novel idea, just not sure if it qualifies as horror. Definitely weird.

Best romance: Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Very romantic and all about love defying all odds and how important it is, in every form, to our humanity.

Best sci-fi: Anything by John Wyndham! Probably The Trouble with Lichen. His books examine great and powerful ideas, beautifully woven into worlds where such strange things happen.

Best adventure: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, had to get it in there! Again, very fast-paced, exciting, with great characters and storyline. Bring on the film!

That's all the categories I can think of at the moment, so until next January, happy reading.