Ex Libris Miriam

'Tower Lord' Book Two of 'Raven's Shadow' by Anthony Ryan

2014-09-18T21:32:00.001+02:00

Blood Song satisfied me in every sense.

I follow good writers through their imaginary worlds gladly, if the individual books have beginning, middle and end. Blood Song satisfied me in every sense. The premise is a classical fantasy with magic and swords and mysterious prophesies but the telling is compelling and the characters have depth. Moreover, the book made me smile as I closed it. I was sated AND looking forward to the next book at the same time. I wondered when it would come out. A quick search and lo and behold 'Tower Lord' would come out in two weeks. So, of course, I bought it.

'Tower Lord' continues the adventures of Vaelin Al Sorna, a warrior by nature with unusual secrets and some of the usual secrets as well. I love it when an author takes what fantasy readers, such as myself, read as obvious and then turn it completely around. I'm a big fan, Anthony Ryan. You have to be careful what you decide to give your muscly hero with a big sword and what you take away. Vaelin Al Sorna is balanced and charismatic. In 'Tower Lord' he has matured. His companions, enemies and friends are equally believable and interesting. If you have read fantasy then you know that there will be battles, treachery, unexpected friends and magic. The writing itself is excellent, the story is tight and well thought out.

This is the kind of writing that Stephen King talks about. For the reader the process of immersing in the story is effortless. I'm sure I have made this argument before, but I will mention it again because I think it is worth mentioning to any would be writers. There is an understanding when an author takes an established format and uses it in a story... for instance a vampire. If the author decides that vampires can walk in daylight then the setting and circumstances of the book will help a reader suspend her disbelief. A vampire that no longer depletes mortals of their life force would not be a vampire. In one notorious case, the so called vampires were sparkly, like sprinkled Ken dolls... Well, you see what I mean. Anthony Ryan, on the other hand, knows and loves his topic, and is a talented writer as well.

Sorry, I need to rant on for a bit... I admit it, of late fantasy series (not Raven's Shadow) have been driving me crazy. Somewhere half way through reading a fantasy, I realise that the book is not a book but a conglomeration of chapters. There are those books that kill off almost anyone I get to know or so convolute the problems at hand that a lifetime of reading will not resolve the mess. Some books do both. All I keep wishing for is an editor with the guts to take scissors to the draft but these days editors and writers alike often only hear the sound of tills rather than sense. I have nothing against a good series or trilogy, I love big, fat books but they must read like a book not a story made up on the spot by a dragon crazy eight year old at the dinner table.

@writer_anthony

Anthony Ryan
ISBN: 9780356502441

'Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage' by Haruki Murakami translated by Philip Gabriel

2014-09-13T20:58:00.000+02:00

New books by Haruki Murakami get me excited.

I look forward to them like Christmas. I wait for months, curse the slow pace of the translators and wonder why they don't get on with it... Poor Philip Gabriel, I bet he doesn't deserve it. To make up for all those bad, impatient vibes, I am utterly grateful to the talented translator when I finally get my hands on the book. Without translators I would miss many sources of joy in my life, like Murakami's next book.

For those of you who have never read Murakami let me say that he is the master of what my teens call "random". Many things happen to children and teens that in their world have no explanations and no resolutions. From a comment uttered in the school hallway, to a song on the radio at just the correct moment for a cry, to a divorce. My teens will label great and small as random... As an adult I like to imagine that random does not happen to me. I know why things happen, I know that I happen to others (I am a happening woman) and I often know the consequences...yeah right. Murakami says yeah right too but with a lot more style.

Sometimes what I would describe as magic happens and suddenly the character is in an alternate world. Sometimes a character has an unexplained talent, like the ability to talk to cats (which in another format would qualify as a mutant but I am not going to get into my cross novel cross character fantasies). And sometimes all your friends in the world abandon you without explanation at the same time, as is what happens to Tsukuru Tazaki. Most of us have the fear of losing someone or something, even if it is only the fear of losing the cat. So Tsukuru is left in a cloud of fear, despair, confusion and deep sadness. He is certain that there must be something wrong with him. My sympathy for Tsukuru is sincere, I wonder as much as he does what happened; I admire what he makes of his life and of his emotional life. So the courage he shows to resolve his personal mystery and eventually to face so many uncertainties in his life like the uncertainty of love (one of the worst in my opinion) is exhilarating and absorbing.

In spite of being a big fan of fantasy and the convoluted solution to a complex problem, this time I am reminded of the fact that true courage is the courage to identify a problem and face it without magical swords. I would rather face a dragon than face what Tsukuru faced when he identified his problem. With a dragon, you are quite certain of your enemy. In Tsukuru's case the enemy could very well be himself.

For those of you who read '1Q84' and are worried, this book has a different tone, pace and environment. '1Q84' is challenging in its premise, characters and setting. Tsukuru Tazaki is more a straight forward problem and a terrifying solution. Read it and let me know what you think. My favourite is still 'Kafka on the Shore', but I think this one is number 2.

@harukimurakami_
Haruki Murakami
ISBN: 9781846558337

'London; The Concise Biography' by Peter Ackroyd

2014-05-11T19:20:00.004+02:00

Peter Ackroyd's 'London' opens up whole new wonders for the historically curious.

I enjoyed Peter Ackroyd's biography of Thomas Moore, so I was quite willing to try out a biography of London. I was only disappointed when I realised I had purchased the abridged 2012 version. Nevertheless, I read on and enjoyed it immensely. Ackroyd did not follow a chronological line in order to introduce me to London. He divided the history into topics. Some of the chapter titles include"London's Outcasts", "Voracious London", or "Women and Children" and "Victorian Megapolis". If a specific topic interests me, I can easily find it. And did I mention how well Peter Ackroyd writes? He is a pleasure to read.

I have to admit that I read this book because I had been reading several books that take place in London. Most of them are fiction and several of them are fantasy. Furthermore, Beloved Proof Reader spends a lot of time in London so I have been lucky enough to visit quite often the past six years or so. Little by little I have become acquainted with this amazing city. I thought it was time to take the relationship to the next level. In London I feel like I belong, even if it is only for a weekend. In such a city I am no longer a foreigner. Even locals are foreigners with strange accents if they wander out of their neighbourhoods. There is something exciting about a city that is equal parts deep and mysterious, shallow and frivolous... Moreover, I like the idea that I will never get to know such an immense, old city. I like to explore and discover.

There are so many magical, mysterious things in London that I confuse the different stories I have read with historical facts... for a given value of fact... or history for that matter. The sewers have been of special interest in the past year. They were mentioned in several books. It was an awkward delight to find out that these authors did not have to stretch their imaginations. In several cases they were only stating the facts but with an artistic flair. Then I read on the news that some poor men digging for a new train in London have found Black Death pits, where the numerous dead were quickly buried. Death is discussed in depth and often in 'London'. The city is but one large graveyard. The gruesome testimony to progress, war, pestilence and poverty can be uncovered on a daily basis.

I somehow feel that Londoners are so accustomed to this history that if the dead truly rose from their numerous graves, most would complain about property and let prices rising even faster. Certainly, Ackroyd gave me the impression that commerce has become the whole point of the crowded city. British people, who pride themselves on common sense, would openly admit that there is very little point in such a city if not to make money. Everyone wants to live in the country, after all, with lots of slobbering dogs and a place to put your wellies.

If you have never been to London, read this book. If you have only lived in London, read this book. You do not have to read it in one go. Pick a topic and read about it. It is comprehensive without being exhaustive. Peter Ackroyd's references open up whole new wonders for the historically curious. I open this book at random on rainy afternoons and get lost looking for Gracechurch street.

Peter Ackroyd
ISBN: 9780099570387

'Enon' by Paul Harding

2014-04-19T23:41:00.002+02:00

Paul Harding really is that good

Most good writers entertain me, sometimes they teach me and often they leave me eager for more. Most bad writers leave me indifferent and at worst annoyed at the waste of my time. Then there are great writers… You all have read a few of them. The kinds of writers that make you want to write; the kind of writers that make you despair of writing because you will never be as good; the kind of writer whose turn of phrase lingers in your mind; the kind of writer whose characters have depth and subtlety and grace regardless of their age or status… That kind of writer is Paul Harding. I did not think he could write like that again.

I cried at the beginning. I cried at the end. I cried in between. Sometimes I was sad, often I was grateful… Harding is that good. The whole story is told from the point of one man, Charlie Crosby. His triumphs but mostly his loss and failure are told in his beloved home town of Enon. The reader gets to know some of the towns people and the history of the town. I also got to know my own sense of judgement, tolerance and sympathy. In taking Charlie's mask off to see him, I had to take mine off and see myself. There are some hard lessons in this book if you are willing to look closely. If you only wish to enjoy a beautiful story, beautifully told, then this is also a book for you.

I read 'Tinkers', his Pulitzer Prize winning book and thought I was in story telling heaven... The elegant sort of heaven with beautiful libraries and gardens in which to read with just the right kind of tea and chocolate that matches the kind of book you wish to read that day. Ehem… Instead, he did it again. 'Enon' is a love story with a town and a child and life and choices and and and. It is not a romance. There are no happy endings if what you mean by happy endings are everyone living whole, vindicated and happily ever after. The best this book can offer is hope and a grown up sort of hope at that…exactly the sort of hope that dawn brings every day, no solutions only … opportunity, potential… for good or bad. That 'Enon' happens to be a distant continuation of 'Tinkers' gives it added depth and poignance. It is not necessary to read one before the other. 'Enon' is beautiful on its own.

Paul Harding
ISBN: 9780434021727

'World War Z' shortly followed by 'The Zombie Survival Guide' by Max Brooks

2014-04-13T18:06:00.000+02:00

While reading, I assessed my home for defense as well as available weapons

One of the best parts of reading many a horror book is closing it and saying "This is not real". It is often my favorite part of reading such books. Stephen King excels in terrifying me paragraph to paragraph. He suspends my disbelief with a deft touch and gives me stomach aches. Having said that, a demon possessed car is not a plausible concern in my world. So I can go to sleep, eventually, 99.99 % certain that my car will not be possessed in the morning. The same goes for other kinds of stories that often involve monsters. I thought zombies would be fun.

I wish I could say I had a good laugh while reading 'World War Z'. I wish I could say I did not go out and buy it's companion book 'The Zombie Survival Guide' a week or two after completing it. In fact, I wish I could say it did not linger. Who wants to dream of zombies? like I did… two nights in a row. 'An Oral History of the Zombie War', as it is also titled, feels real. The interviews, the individual survivors who are damaged or crazy or ashamed or relieved or all of the above were real. Unfortunately, the political reactions to a zombie pandemic were real in the worst sense. I am certain that in an alternate world the zombie apocalypse is real. WWZ channels that history into fiction in our own dimension.

My nightmares were on a personal level. A slow nameless terror in my garden (which I don't have in real life and now may never have thanks to this nightmare… easily defensible homes from now on) or running from zombies with my children down a tunnel... nightmare number two, made me realize how much I had internalized the stories. On a conscious level, my favorite parts of the book were the political and cultural decisions that affected people on a personal level. Max Brooks draws these connections with precision but is not heavy handed. My imagination made everything clear. In some cases, I wish my imagination had not made anything clear.

While reading, I assessed my home for defense as well as available weapons in different areas. I felt reassured by my dog and cat or as I like to think of them, "warning system". My life became for several days haunted by slow, moaning, merciless, soulless creatures who may or may not look like relatives…depending on the day dreams of the moment. By the way, it helps to put faces of loved ones on the zombies of your mind so that you are prepared to defend yourself. 'The Zombie Survival Guide' helped me fine tune many of my ruminations. I was disappointed to find that in these parts of Europe machetes are difficult to acquire. I have used machetes in South America so I feel confident in wielding one. I am not sure a hatchet would be as useful.

Go out and read these books… Contact me later so as to form survival committees in multiple continents… 'cause you never know.

Max Brooks
ISBN: 9780804137881

'The Gone-Away World' by Nick Harkaway

2014-02-08T12:01:00.001+01:00

I was scared from about ten pages in and stayed scared until a week after I had finished

What if mankind (or an idiot military scientist intent on a weapon that makes your enemies GoAway) invented a weapon that manifested our worst nightmares and our most innocent unicorn fantasies all mixed up. Such a weapon, fed by our own fears and imagination would soon be out of control. Our reality would also quickly disintegrate... several times a day if your luck is bad. 'The Gone-Away World' describes such a world. I can imagine being attacked by my own imagination. And I use the word imagine because it is a fantasy not a reality. Those that believe it is reality are often afflicted with a mental illness. But, what if? I was scared from about ten pages in and stayed scared until a week after I had finished the book.

Kids often do this king of wishful thinking, you know, the one about having wings or a perfect family. Adults do it too but with different props. See now you get me. It is true that there is nothing in this world as terrifying as the contents of our own heads. I grew up on a steady diet of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Anime, manga, comics and literary classics. Does this give you an idea of what is in my head on a daily basis? I should be grateful I avoided Horror. So then I try to put myself in Nick Harkaway's universe; I even inserted some of my childhood fantasies as a test. There is no getting away from such a nightmare; there are even mimes but no clowns (thank God… or author)

'The Gone-AwayWorld' was written before 'Angelmaker' and while I like the protagonists in that book better than here, I still enjoyed the complexity of the environment and the large group of characters that come in and out of the story. Sometimes the characters are a bit wooden, I think because there are so many. Nick does a better job of fleshing people out in his next book. Having said that, his narrator is interesting and reliable until, well… There is a twist, as is often the case but it is a good twist. Twists often signal a change, perhaps the resolution or a release. This twist is all of those things but I still find it frightening. It is the sort of twist that I would not like to meet from my own imagination.

I recommend this book. I enjoyed it. It challenged me. I had to pay attention as an active reader. Nick Harkaway did not spoon feed me anything. I can imagine him tightening the screws of some complex machine and laughing as he gives an extra twist to make sure I get full value for my effort.

@Harkaway
Nick Harkaway
ISBN: 9780434020942

'The Imperfectionists' by Tom Rachman

2014-01-30T17:12:00.000+01:00

Once again, I have read a book because I could no longer avoid it. It popped up everywhere, in three different countries and three different languages. Eventually, and I am sure Beloved Proof Reader agrees with this, I let it into my flat like a puppy that followed me home; never mind that we have no place to put him… Still, no regrets. 'The Imperfectionists' is as wonderful as the reviews and blurbs assert it is.

As I said, I picked it up because I could not help it. I had no real expectations. In brief, this book is about the birth, life and demise of a newspaper. No… wait… This book is about the blood that pumps through a newspaper. Wait, this book is about people who happen to work at a newspaper…errrr, no. This book is about all of the above and more. As a reader I learn about the process of writing for and then publishing a serious newspaper only to realize that my knowledge is as obsolete as the newspaper at the end of the book. The book is divided into the different tasks at a newspaper… editor, journalist, owner and others are individually explored both at work and in private. Some stories are heartbreaking. I am left with the desire to read an entire book devoted to some of these people. The newspaper itself brings them all together like a collection of short stories with Tom Rachman as the editor.

It is fitting that a book titled 'The Imperfectionists' should be situated in Rome, a city famous for its art and its imperfections. It has been argued that the grandeur of Rome is made possible by its glaring faults. Well, I would argue that the greatness of this international newspaper was made possible by the imperfect humans that worked for it. I feel sadness and disconnection as I finish it. I am aware that many excellent newspapers have quietly died. Our pool of professional journalists has narrowed. We now receive our news from more varied sources, true, but their reliability and their biases are not as transparent… maybe I am wrong. But 'The Imperfectionists' left me feeling a deep nostalgia, like looking at Rome and thinking of some perceived Golden Age…

Tom Rachman
ISBN: 9780385343671

'Are We Nearly There Yet?' by Ben Hatch

2013-12-03T11:10:00.001+01:00

I remembered trips I had forgotten, for very good reasons...

'Are We Nearly There Yet?' provides plenty of laughs. It was also a surprise that it provides plenty of tears. I do not know why I was surprised since in my vast experience as a passenger and driver in long, long (long) road trips (Dad is a big fan) I have laughed plenty and cried plenty. And there you have it, Ben Hatch may have been talking about this particular journey in his own country, his own family, his own marriage and bless them, his own children but what he was in fact doing was talking about all the road trips all families have taken since the invention of the car. I remembered trips I had forgotten, for very good reasons... Ben, we are going to talk about this some day. You cannot just dig up people's traumas like this and not expect consequences or even revenge.

I was in a spectacular car accident, because of the scenery, not the injuries. We spun one and a half times when we were struck and stopped just by the edge of a cliff in the Andes. I stepped out of the car as my mom kept repeating "nos chocaron, nos chocaron" which means "they hit us, they hit us". I had to edge around the car like a crab, sideways because to step forward was suicide and that would have been a waste of the excellent brakes on that Land Cruiser. By the time I was in safety my mom was out too. My father was doing what all men do in these circumstances, he was inspecting under the car...can't imagine why. Then, and here is the traumatic part, my mother told me to go ask the people in the other car if they were ok. WHY? I mean they hit us. They were coming down hill at speed through the winding mountain road and decided to cut a curve, as one does, if one is all alone on a mountain road. My father saw them and tried to avoid them. Thanks to his maneuver they hit our back left wheel which means we spun. I guess it is better than if that over filled Suzuki (OMG. I still remember the make of the other car) had hit a heavy Land Cruiser head on. Injuries would have ensued, their injuries, not ours. Ok, so no one was hurt but my mother's voice, the view down that mountain as I slowly got out of the car, and then the task I was set, have stuck. Should have cured me of road trips but nothing deters my father...

But then Ben Hatch did something worse. He reminded me of the heat only possible in a metal box attached to a hot engine. When we were not in the high Andes we might be driving through quite a bit of Mexico. This was long ago. My memories include a burning neck as the sun struck us through the window from behind. My sister and I would try to sit lower and lower, risking car sickness as we could not see out the windows (seat belts were not mandatory back then). Our legs would stick to the fake leather seats and we would beg for some cool air. This is standard in any Summer road trip from before "climate control". Stops were heaven especially if there was air conditioning. My father assured us that the next stop had great food. We were in a desert somewhere or other. On the side of the road was a large wooden structure with no windows downstairs. There were tables inside with long backless benches. We all ordered a Coca Cola, no glass or ice as my mother did not trust the water. My memory is of these rapidly warming bottles, with pathetic, limp straws as my father enjoys the house specialty, goat head...including the eyes (the trick is not to eat the brown part).

As you can see, the damage here was done years ago but it was fun to compare road trip horrors with someone else. The 'stepped on poo' story is not to be missed in this book or the marriage that seems to balance itself with humour and love. I know I have not spoken much about Ben Hatch's excellent book but my joy came from the release of my own memories of which I only shared two.

@BenHatch
Ben Hatch
ISBN: 9781849531559

'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold

2013-11-28T22:56:00.001+01:00

In this book the author Alice Sebold gave me a workout

I picked up this book and put it down at least twice a year for ten years in different shops, airports and countries. As a mother with a powerful imagination, I did not have enough courage to read this book. Recently, I received it as a gift from @IveReadThat. I watched the movie a year or so ago with my daughter so I felt prepared. I was not prepared... The movie is lovely, heaven is captured just right and the antagonist is also perfect but, as is often the case, the book is better. I am so glad I read this book though. Sometimes, if I read about something I fear, like the murder in this book, I do not stop fearing it but I gain depth and faith. Faith in my own strength is hard enough but, at least for me, faith in other people's strength is even harder.

Heaven, murder, grief and time are themes often explored in literature. Alice Sebold makes them all fresh. Heaven in particular is such a believable and comforting place. Comfort and love are surprising words to use about a book that starts out with such a horrible crime. This crime is my worst nightmare. While the narrator was a dead 14 year old girl, as a reader I felt both the suffering of the parents and of the child. Like I said, my imagination can be quite strong and even insert appropriate smells; in this book the author gave me a workout. My imagination was not stressed or stretched to the point of disbelief. Quite the contrary. I felt that I lived all these confused, unexpected emotions. Heaven itself was a comfort to my senses and not just to the narrator. My heaven includes youth, health, mountains, open spaces and my favorite flowers and scents. Pets are allowed, company when I want it and vast, wonderful, magical libraries. I bet I missed a few things but this feels right for now.

Life does go on, through grief, horror, violence or even those bullies in high school. I do not think forgiveness is necessary to move on. I think the effort to forgive focuses too much on the perpetrator of the offense. It is better to look to your own strength and towards those you love, who often love you too. Forgive if you want but always move on.

@AliceSebold
Alice Sebold
ISBN: 9781447202653

'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' by Neil Gaiman

2013-11-08T20:33:00.002+01:00

I was sad to put the book down. I even forgot my tea. Neil Gaiman is improving in his art.

Sometimes books have no beginning, middle or end. Well, obviously they do... after all most books are not infinite or worse, 'War and Peace'. But sometimes books, their authors and by that mysterious alchemy called imagination, readers tap into an on-going story. 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' is such a book. It catches a paragraph or two of a much greater story about humanity, belief, faith, love, temptation and nightmares. In fact, it captures a glimpse of the creation of humanity... we all suspect we are only half baked anyway; we are still in the process of becoming.

'Boneland' by Alan Garner is also such a book. In fact, I felt 'Boneland' is the male counterpart of 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane'. Neil Gaiman tapped into a feminine side of the great story that is us. The Hempstock women superficially represent the well known aspects of the feminine archetype, the hag (grandmother), the mother and the virgin (daughter). On a deeper level, they point the way to, and protect us from, different realities. They even protect us from ourselves.

I am a little afraid of the Hempstock ladies. I sense real power there and finite patience. I should mention that they feel familiar, which is probably why they frighten me a little. I am certain I met them before, maybe in books or maybe in person. I can even tell you what I think they smell like, so yes they feel real. I was sad to put the book down. I even forgot my tea. I had to say goodbye to them like the protagonist. And like the protagonist, my memory has faded... I know they are out there somewhere when a book like this reminds me of my own story. Reading this book is like going home. Neil Gaiman is improving in his art.

@neilhimself
Neil Gaiman
ISBN: 9781472200310

'The Best of All Possible Worlds' by Karen Lord

2013-10-16T22:37:00.002+02:00

Karen Lord struck the best of all possible balances between a planetary catastrophe and individuals who want to live worthwhile lives

I won this book on Twitter from Jo Fletcher Books, @JoFletcherBooks. I answered a question correctly. I was excited as I rarely win anything and books are way up there on cool things to win. I read this book in one day. In other words, I loved it. These days it is rare that I will turn off electronic devices to avoid distraction.

First let me tell you about my love of Science Fiction. And please do not stop reading because you do not like SciFi, bear with me... I started reading SciFi around the age of 12 or 13 when my father gave me 'I, Robot' by Isaac Asimov. One of those books I love to reread. I went on to read quite a bit of Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Carl Sagan amongst many others. There are some wonderful writers out there. Unfortunately, over the years I found that not all SciFi was as entertaining. I thought maybe I outgrew it. Ironically, I was still reading Fantasy... Now I realize I was reading the wrong kind of books for me. I have never been keen on the technology side of things. I do not need pages and pages of a ship design and launch. Ok, a bit is interesting but lets face it, I do not even know how my phone works. I do not need quantum theory based propulsion systems described once 20 Newtonian objections are quickly discussed and then dismissed by imaginary future scientists (sorry Sheldon). I want to know about the people who live with, and in this technology. I want to know their fears, loves, problems, solutions... I want to relate and not just sit and envy them because they have a propulsion system that gets them to other planets in safety and within a reasonable time span (can you tell space exploration was a childhood dream?).

'The Best of All Possible Worlds' was such a book. With the sudden destruction of a home planet, survivors have the multi sided problem of continuing to survive in the long term. I like the idea that other groups try to help them. Assimilation is not an ideal option because then an entire culture is lost. The solutions suggested in this book are interesting and grounded. I felt that technology is an aid or a curse but people are still people. In this setting technology cannot cure the cultural stresses and gender imbalances experienced by people. The solutions reached favoured groups but not always individuals. Karen Lord struck the best of all possible balances between a planetary catastrophe and individuals who want to live worthwhile lives in the aftermath. She also adds some satisfying poetic justice in there to the instigators of planetary destruction which made me smile... I know she has written another book, so it is on my Christmas list. Karen Lord can write.

@karen_lord
Karen Lord
ISBN: 9781780871660

'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling

2013-10-04T14:40:00.001+02:00

Cormoran Strike; funny, meticulous, thoughtful, awkward, strange, cautious, flawed, clever, insecure and interesting.

I could not finish 'The Casual Vacancy'. It dragged, I just did not care, so I dropped it. Which is completely the opposite from my Harry Potter experience... The point I want to make is that I was not in a hurry to read 'The Cuckoo's Calling'... Crime novels are not my favorite and well etc etc.... Right, awkward... as my teen sometimes says, because Beloved Proof Reader brought it home. He read it first and announced that I should read it too. Nah, don't feel like it, have a pile to do here... So I finally picked up this book. Ehem. I loved it. Now I have to tell you why.

I will start with the only problem I have with this book. The protagonist, Cormoran Strike (fantastic name) stumbles into pubs quite regularly and always orders a pint of Doom Bar. I am in Germany. I can find certain bottled ales but variety and quality are not great. My favorite ale happens to be Doom Bar. I love to walk into a pub and order two pints of Doom, one for me and one for BPR. My BPR is well aware of my preference and laughed quite loud when I complained that for the first time in years I want something different than tea to drink while reading. There is no cure for this thirst however until I next visit the UK.

The story, it grabbed me. It made me care. It made me smile. And very important, unlike several other crime books, it was not an obvious "who dunnit' by chapter 3, which is one of my pet peeves with these kinds of books. Now I have to go back to Cormoran Strike, who happens to be a gift. He is funny, meticulous, thoughtful, awkward, strange, cautious, flawed, clever, insecure and interesting. In other words, he is an engaging character that I want to know better. This book feels like the start of a series, I hope it is too...

The story line itself is basic, with a body, a grieving family, surprising twists and turns and at least one serious hangover. London was explored well. The weather, the pubs, the neighborhoods felt real and familiar. As I reflect on this book I realize that Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) did not make any of it feel like a cliche, which is a talent given the genre and the premise. Some of the side stories regarding Strike's life were perfect as side stories. In all a well balanced book that I would recommend to crime novel fans but especially to those who are not crime novel fans. Oh and do have something to drink while Strike is at a pub, you will enjoy the experience more...

@jk_rowling
J.K. Rowling
ISBN: 9781408703991

The Seven Sins of Reading

2013-09-09T17:41:00.000+02:00

Share your sins, you know you want to

As most of you know, I am on Twitter. I have some fantastic followers and I follow some fantastic people. Most of them happen to have blogs, a fact which both fascinates me and depresses me but that is beside the point. It turns out the magnificent Anne-Marie @ChildLedChaos writes a great blog (ChildLedChaos.me.uk) and she tweeted her Seven Sins of Reading. Immediately, she informs me (the reader) that she stole the idea... great precedent because I liked her answers so much I will steal the idea too, though not the answers... Please forgive all the links, as I am writing in essence with inspiration found on Twitter, of all places, I feel it is appropriate. One more thing, there are also links to my blog posts if I have written about that book...

GREED: What is your most inexpensive book? What is your most expensive book?
My cheapest book comes from someone who left it in a serviced flat in London. If you mean paid, I paid 1 euro at a charity book shop for 'Chocolat' by @Joannechocolat as the dog had eaten the original. My most expensive books hover around the 100 euro mark give or take 20... These books include architectural tomes bought directly from the publisher at their warehouse and a special edition 'Lord of the Rings' that I received from my BPR for Christmas some ten years ago. I have no problems in buying hardback editions of authors I love 'Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure' by @Joannechocolat bought from @Hatchards, for instance, but I will look for bargains when available.

WRATH: What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

At this moment I hate a book by Ian McEwan, though I have never met him... at least he can write and still make me angry. For true disgust it is the 'Twilight' series by Stephenie Meyer. She cannot write. There are a few others who make me anxious to read them but not because I hate them, rather I love them. Reading these writers often leave me drained so I have to be in the correct state of mind. Amongst them are China Mieville, Toni Morrison and Haruki Murakami but there are several others.

GLUTTONY: What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?
This is not a short list. There are several books I read annually and several books I read as the mood takes me. 'Pride and Prejudice' requires little explanation. Readers either adore it or are indifferent. 'The Blue Sword', a horsy romance set in some fantasy desert land with magic, swords, wars and the like. I read it around the age of 13 and still do because it takes me back and it is quite good fun. 'The Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy'. When the unexpected death of Douglas Adams came to light, I cried. He made me laugh and I expected him to make me laugh for many more years... I still miss him. Quite a bit of Terry Pratchett (@terryandrob), not strictly a book but when I am down I pick him up and I realise that I am right to be down. There are so many things wrong in the world, (like the movement for equal heights which is weird) but then he makes me smile and twists my points of view into solutions. He is a treasure. 'The Lord of the Rings', I am not sure why I read Tolkien so much. Perhaps, it is the depth of his books as well as the breadth, moreover he has an exquisite use of language. 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog', intelligent, charming, life affirming; read once and call me in the morning. 'Let the Right One In', reminds me of who the real monsters are sometimes. 'The Count of Monte Cristo', good grief, Dumas is just so much fun. 'Afrodita' by Isabel Allende (@isabelallende), usually I read her with caution but this book confirmed two things I suspected all along... 1. Never pass up a piece of cake, 2. Never pass up the chance to make love. And 'Harry Potter' well written, fun, loads of great words...

SLOTH: What book have you neglected to read due to laziness?

This one is easy, 'The Casual Vacancy', it did not grab me and then I just could not be bothered.

But I am sure there are a few others....

PRIDE: What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

Pride? me? Recently, at lunch or coffee I have mentioned 'Sex and the Citadel' by Shereen El Feki (@shereenelfeki) more than is necessary. Having said that, it mixes sex and intellect so it is a win/win without looking pretentious, right? I talk about books (or films) until someone physically stops me. I love to read and I love to talk about books, hence this blog. I am not a snob about what I read though. If I read it, I will talk about it.

LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

I do not have a favorite type of character. I have some favorite characters in literature, Ford Prefect, Death, Dumbledore, Eliza Bennett, etc. There are books that have ensemble groups that I love, 'Angelmaker' by Nick Harkaway (@Harkaway) comes to mind but a type I love? No. I have been thinking about it and I realise that it has to do with the type of story. I will say that I do not like books with a useless damsel in distress. But, an annoying, whining woman can be perfect, Mrs. Bennett from 'Pride and Prejudice' is an example. She is perfect where she is but put such a character in a James Bond novel and she would be terrible. Of course, that is an opinion, someone else might love the idea.

ENVY: What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

Most books will do, though recently I have discovered signed books, thank you @Hatchards and @Waterstones. If you must, get it signed please...

P.S. I started out just linking the lovely Anne-Marie and things got out of hand... If it is any consolation I added them after the post was written and not during because that would have driven me crazy... By the way, please leave your own answers in the comments box, I would love to know your naughty book sins.

'Revenge Wears Prada' by Lauren Weisberger

2013-08-30T22:34:00.001+02:00

This sequel to 'The Devil Wears Prada', which I loved, disappointed me for several reasons

I did not like this book. I read 'The Devil Wears Prada' ages ago and liked it. I also enjoyed the film. When I heard that after ten years a sequel would be published, I marked it in my calendar. I was disappointed for several reasons. I am almost embarrassed to write this blog post because I usually find Lauren Weisberger entertaining. But my mind was made up when a friend whom I had not seen in two months commented (without my asking) on how much she also did not like this book. Too bad. All authors have low points in their careers when a book is not as good as previous or expected. It is a pity that it has to be this one.

Ok, ok... I am getting around to saying it.

Andy was annoying. As a character, she was all over the place. Not only had she not grown in ten years, she may have grown backwards. I want to state that until she made that final decision about her marriage, I was certain that her backbone had been removed and put in a jar somewhere in an editor's basement. The ending redeemed the rest of the story until that syrupy reunion. It just all seemed forced. Her friends and persons of influence were somehow measured by Andy with supremely rose colored glasses; so rose colored, she may have been seeing them in a completely different spectrum.

Having said all that, the one area that I liked was Andy's pregnancy. From beginning to end it felt real and not glossed. The pregnancy was unexpected and many women can relate to that. Her reaction to the pressures of work versus her own changing body were true to life. Finally, once she had given birth and had to return to work, her emotions, her exhaustion and her collapsed body image were so familiar and honest that I thought maybe there was hope for Andy after all. Perhaps in ten years time when parenthood has taught her the importance of consistancy, and self trust as well as speaking her mind, she could be interesting once more. After all, when we last saw Andy ten years ago, she had learnt the value of standing up for herself, speaking her mind and acting on her principles. So what happened in the last ten years that she had to learn the lesson again?

Next is the horrid Devil herself, Miranda Priestley. She was her magnificent, superior self, I was relieved to see. What I did not see, were any signs of a premeditated, flawless revenge. The more I thought about the whole situation the more I realized that any failures in business or fractured and collapsed relationships happened due to the protagonists themselves. Sometimes it became obvious why Miranda had fired some of them. Miranda Priestley at the top of the food chain does not need to take interest in insects. Two small flies circling a rather small cake are not worthy of her notice. If anything, the paranoia and greed of those beneath her did all the destruction she could want, had she truly taken an interest. From the title of the book, I had expected Miranda Priestley to have a more central role like in the first book. She was ever present but often in people's memories, nightmares and shuddering flashbacks... She was rarely active and when physically present, flawlessly professional.

I am disappointed. It happens. Not the end of the world but I wanted to like this book. I cannot. It will not discourage me from reading Lauren Weisberger though. She has made me laugh and smile often enough to know she can do better.

@LWeisberger

Lauren Weisberger
ISBN: 9780007311019

'This House is Haunted' by John Boyne

2013-08-18T19:07:00.001+02:00

This book has the magic to expand its atmosphere into your life

This is a signed book I won on Twitter from @IveReadThat ... I had, of course, heard of 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' and both my children read it. I received 'This House is Haunted' with some concern as I do not like scary stories, but I have gained courage in my maturity. And from the first few paragraphs... I liked it.

I think that there is nothing as melancholic as a rainy evening in London. Having walked through several rainy evenings in London, I know what I am talking about. I was put into a cold, wet, creepy evening in Victorian times, Charles Dickens included. In the beginning the narrator blames her father's death on a walk to a book reading by Charles Dickens. Her father had been ill and the cold rain and chill made him sicker. See, immediately I could relate because I would absolutely leave a hospital to go hear some of my favorite authors.

John Boyne's book reads like a good old fashioned Victorian ghost story. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters. The protagonist had some quirks which made her real; she was grounded enough to be a believable witness. I had some moments of creepiness, though no absolute horror. It was the atmosphere and the sense of mystery that I enjoyed. The predictable evil ghost had an unpredictable enemy. I won't give it away but once it is revealed, it seems a logical solution to the problem of a murderous ghost. 'The crazy lady in the attic' literary device added a pleasant twist to the story.

Boyne used some of the classic expectations to his advantage. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I failed. What I am trying to say is that formulaic stories, to me, regardless of the evil of the monster, are still predictable and often end up being boring... but not this time. My glass of wine had to be refilled several times while reading, always a good sign.

What a brief post but I already feel I have given too much away. 'This House is Haunted' is perfect for a rainy evening in the Fall. I read it at the height of Summer in Southern France and still I could feel the chill in the air. The evening felt darker and muffled, as if by thick curtains. In short, this book has the magic to expand its atmosphere into your life.

@john_boyne
John Boyne
ISBN: 9780857520937

'I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman' by Nora Ephron

2013-08-14T23:11:00.001+02:00

It turns out I am eight hours a week from looking like a bag lady on the street.

I received this book as a 40th birthday gift from someone I usually consider sensitive, tasteful and intelligent. I had not read anything by this writer, but I had enjoyed her films so I was excited. Nora Ephron published it in 2006, six years before she died. She was not young and she certainly knew it. I laughed and laughed and then I was paranoid. I am not quite there in terms of age, that is my late 50's to mid 60's but I see them looming, like that massive tidal wave in the movie "2012". To my friend, the giver, I will say this... thank you, I have so much to look forward to... my consolation is that you are on the same path.

So back to the book. The book is about female urbanites I can relate to very much. Nora Ephron discusses vibrant topics like handbags, marriage, flats (apartments in cities), children and the topic that made me laugh, pause, consider, worry... "Maintenance". Yes it deserves the capital letter. It turns out I am 8 (eight) hours a week from looking like a bag lady on the street. Nora says so in this book and after doing some personal math, she is correct. Eight hours a week times 52 weeks in a year is 416 hours. Say I have been doing all this grooming consistently since the age of 15 (more or less depending on babies), that is 25 years times 416? That is 10,400 hours of my life doing some painful, occasionally humiliating things for the sake of vanity and social convention. So far I have spent more than a year plucking, dying, scrubbing, painting, washing, exfoliating, waxing, blow drying, polishing, smoothing, soothing and toning... I am sure this list is not exhaustive.

So back to the bag lady who does not get professional haircuts, dye her hair, moisturize her face or (heaven forbid) wax her legs. Have a good look because it could be any of you if you skipped it all for ONE week. "So?" you may ask, "Who cares?" My husband, Beloved Proof Reader, says he loves me. Yea right. That is the same husband who wholeheartedly approves of my sky high Louboutins... and try stepping out in those with hairy legs, dry feet and un-groomed toes. If I did not care about what others thought, I could step out with my Louboutins and my bathrobe. Usually, I only care about what BPR thinks and he makes approving noises when I make an effort (i.e. 8 hours he does not often see). Is it worth it? Yes because I feel good... I hope I look good... but that is another topic. But it has taken me a while to reach this decision. At first, I was shocked at the time and effort.

Some of my friends shrugged their shoulders when I mention my latest read and some of the fun numbers in it. In fact both my über-groomed European friends and the au naturel European friends said, "of course". Shocking to think about it because after 10,400 hours it is natural. Truth is that I had thought I was beyond those teenage obsessions and concerns. Teens can be quite cruel about your looks and personal grooming, I know from personal experience. But I outgrew those fears and insecurities. I am a confidant, beautiful woman. This funny book gave me some serious moments of deep self reflection about the most shallow of topics. There are some depressing things about growing old. There are some frustrating things about growing old. But those 8 hours loving myself (painful sometimes, but love hurts) are in fact a weekly conquest of my self love, love of metropolitan cities, love of my husband and love of my children (who are glad to have a youthful mother)... though I'm not sure this is the result Nora would have expected from other women reading this book.

Nora Ephron
ISBN: 9780552773812

'Seoul Survivors' by Naomi Foyle

2013-08-09T22:01:00.001+02:00

Naomi Foyle did surprise me with twists and turns and the way she captures the bustle of Seoul.

I enjoyed the first three quarters of this book. It was a prize Miriam won in a competition on twitter from @JoFletcherBooks; a specialist science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint of Quercus Publishing, publisher of 'Seoul Survivors'. This first novel by Naomi Foyle is a near-future Sci-fi story set in Korea - which sadly is still divided in North and South Korea - with high tech fashion, sex, underground clubs, robotics, bio-engineering and interesting yet strange and sometimes twisted characters.

Mostly with science fiction, I find myself either liking or hating the book. This was different. I enjoyed the way in which the main characters developed and how all their stories started to weave into one another as the book progressed. The Canadian model, the British fugitive, the American-Korean scientist, Mr. Sandman the psycho and the North Korean idealist are all in unfamiliar territory trying to survive in different ways. And with a huge meteor threatening to seriously impact life on earth ... what would you do?

I did not particularly like the ending though - for me it left some key questions unanswered and seemed to end rather suddenly. Then again the impact of a meteor is probably not much different. It is a shame because this is not a bad debut. Naomi Foyle did surprise me with other twists and turns. She captures the bustle of a futuristic Seoul and I can imagine how it would feel. What really bothered me about the last part of the book is that the synopsis on the back cover gives too much away. I wonder if authors write their own back-cover summaries. It should entice you and spark your interest, but when I was two thirds through the book, there were still specific parts of the story which were 'unknown' while they were already revealed on the back cover. It is very difficult to stay interested in the build-up and suspense of a story line if you know the outcome. Call me strange, but I like to be surprised. Part of the attraction of sci-fi is that anything can happen.

Maybe I am a special case. I don't even like to look at trailers of movies, because I like the surprise elements, the wow-factor. If I know I want to see a movie because it is a sequel to a film I've liked before or I have read a review and the story seems interesting or I like the cast, then I avoid watching the trailer and go watch the movie. It makes the experience so much more enjoyable. A while after I have seen a film I tend to forget how it ends, which means I get to be surprised again. Aging isn't that bad. I guess I have to rip the back cover off 'Seoul Survivors' and read it again once I can no longer remember how story ends.

If you are interested in reading this book avoid the back cover and read the abstract on the publisher's website instead.

Guest blog by BPR

@naomifoyle

Naomi Foyle
ISBN: 9781780875989

'How to Think Like a Neandertal' by Thomas Wynn and Frederick L. Coolidge

2013-08-03T11:58:00.000+02:00

The only "pure" humans around here come from Africa which really ought to teach some people a lesson

This book states that Europeans have 1-4% Neandertal genes, which would explain a lot... And the three children sitting behind me at this cafe may have more. In any case, this book is all about getting rid of these kind of prejudices. It tries to give us, non-scientific readers, an idea of what Neandertals were thinking while pursuing mammoths. This book keeps its promise and delivers a lot more.

The authors, together, study and write about something called paleoanthropology. Thomas Wynn is an archaeologist and Frederick L. Coolidge is a psychologist. Paleoanthropology sounds cool but vaguely reminds me of a certain crime + science tv show... In any case, I looked up paleoanthropology (I love this word). It is the study of the origins of current humans using fossils, tools etc... Then I read this book. I found it fascinating as it opened my eyes to how anthropologists and archeologists draw conclusions about civilizations and cultures in the distant past. I do not mean the obvious ways, you know, with a shovel, a brush, a whip and a cool hat. The most exciting aspect for this reader was how they tried to get rid of personal biases... and we all have biases about Neandertals. They found ways of comparing, contrasting and measuring ... thought... without tainting it with our own ideas of intelligence and thought.

As a contrast let me point out all those 19th century and early 20th century gentlemen who dug up most of Italy, Greece, Turkey, northern Africa and Arabia. They had ideas of what constituted intelligence and applied it accordingly. If they thought that Greek culture was advanced then they (or we) were the natural descendants and improvements on the originals... If a culture was deemed backward, (non Christian, too Eastern or too strange) then it was labeled savage, barbaric and belittled in writing and in history. Something similar happened to Neandertals in common culture.

Neandertals were not so different from us and the authors prove it. Moreover, I can follow the explanations, tests, evidence and logic. I am excited. I am excited because I feel a door has opened on a side of ourselves (yes I admit it, but not more than 1%, probably) that is often denied. To know how Neandertals thought brings us closer to understanding how we think. Philosophy, science and divinity come closer together. If you are the kind of person that gets excited when 6000 year old funeral mounds are discovered or new pyramids are found in distant deserts then this is also a book for you. Those poor souls out there breathing dust and acquiring wrinkles are not making it up as they go along. 'How to Think Like a Neandertal' shows you not just what the Neandertals were thinking, but ironically, what the scientists are thinking. By the way, Asians also have Neandertal genes. The only "pure" humans around here come from Africa which really ought to teach some people a lesson... if those were the kinds of people that read these books...

Thomas Wynn
Frederick L. Coolidge
ISBN: 9780199742820

'The Proof of the Honey' by Salwa Al Neimi translated by Carol Perkins

2013-07-24T19:52:00.000+02:00

A book that celebrates female sexuality, desire and self determination. The language used to describe the search for words that describe female desire and passion was like eating a box of my favorite chocolates

'The Proof of the Honey' seems to talk about sexual discovery but that is only at first. Then the book's focus changes to the language of sex (personal and public) as well as eroticism and how they are all linked to long neglected Arab erotic works. Funny enough, it was not the sex that caught my attention, it was the author's language. Carol Perkins is a sensitive woman, if this translation captures the feeling and rhythm of Salwa Al Neimi. The language used to describe sex and passion is elegant and straight forward. Even the language used to describe the search for words that describe female desire and passion was like eating a box of my favorite chocolates.

The author soon introduces us to a sexual partner she calls "The Thinker". At first he may be a real man and then I realize that he need not be a real man, but rather thoughts, intelligence and memory. Never the less, Salwa Al Neimi is gentle and explicit at the same time with herself and with her reader. She takes nothing for granted and questions everything about her own sexuality. In this way, I too questioned and probed my sex life. It is a feminine book. It is a book that celebrates female sexuality, desire and self determination. One of the first conversations I had with my husband as I read this book was about the adequacy of language today when it comes to women and sex. I felt it was lacking but my husband argued that what was lacking was the courage for women to use out loud what is available, even in western Europe. How delicious that such a slim book would take my knowledge of my marriage further by encouraging a new conversation with my husband of many years.

The book is a confession of an Arab woman's sexual discovery. She is led by beautiful literature and language, though she admits that modern language is not always adequate to describe or explain a woman's desire and experience. 'The Proof of the Honey' is courageous in that it takes back what has been taboo for the past 40 years from Arabs of both sexes, sexual freedom; this includes sex in the bedroom, on the streets, in language, literature, academia and in the mind (creativity, imagination). As she says in the end... "sex is not the scandal, the secret is the scandal". How true.

A friend of mine read the book around the same time I did. She told me she had a difficult time not thinking of the narrator as a whore. I had two replies to that. First, if the narrator were a man, no one would call him a whore (or the male equivalent... is there a word?) Second, then we are all whores. We all have an imagination and most adults have a sex life, satisfactory or not. We all have curiosity, desire and the wish to know and be known. Moreover, most of us would like to seek sexual satisfaction without shame. Literature explores with us some of these paths as Arab erotic literature and erotic works from other cultures can attest. Humans both male and female may then explore sex in their own lives without shame.

@SalwaAlNeimi
Salwa Al Neimi
ISBN: 9781933372686

'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' by Alexander Solzhenitsyn translated by Ralph Parker

2013-07-11T11:28:00.001+02:00

Solzhenitsyn opened my eyes to a writing style that is simple enough to let the story move, but a story that is vast enough to encompass the human condition

I read this book when I was 17 years old, which is a long time ago... I liked it very much and found it dynamic and touching. My memories of this book included the rhythm of Ivan laying bricks in order to build a wall and keep warm. I was curious to see how my perspective would have changed and if I would enjoy it as much as I did the first time. I plunged in and enjoyed. This book is straight forward, unadorned and unsentimental. By this description I would be tempted to call another book boring but not this book. Many people who write soon learn one of the best pieces of advice is to tell it (action) not describe it. Well this book is all action, every gesture and shiver is real and necessary, no extras...

On my first reading, 22 (more or less) years ago, all I could think of was the cold in Siberia and how Ivan treats the cold. All the work the prisoners in his camp do is to be able to keep warm through labor. This time around I notice all the blessings Ivan feels he has received in this day. He has dignity and gratitude. His pragmatic approach to life in the Gulag is in keeping with the diminished life he has in terms of love and goods. But, instead of bitterness or groveling he arranges his life so that he harms none and survives at the same time. On the other hand, Ivan is no hero. He will steal, cheat and avoid jobs if he can, after all, he must survive. I am proud to report that I went from noticing the physical deprivations to noticing the inner strengths.

The world was changing at the time I first read this book. The Cold War was ending, the first Gulf War was going on and young people around me felt extremes... some thought it was the end of the world and some thought it was the beginning of peace, a fresh start. Five years later I had an email address and was communicating with my family cheaply and quickly over long distances. We all learnt to type (more or less... ehem...) Perhaps the horrors of the Gulag and others like it were coming to an end. Now I look around and wars are still going on, crimes against humanity are still occurring and governments all over the planet are killing their own citizens. On the other hand, people are coming together worldwide in ways that I could not have imagined, this blog is an example. Then I look at Ivan Denisovich again. I realize that the human condition is a personal, private balance between hope and despair. Technology, guns, fences, mad dictators, ecologists, government agencies etc. are in fact herding cats. Cats are self contained, you can train them in vague ways but a cat is a cat. I use cats as an example because dogs have been bred over the millennia to favor certain traits and to look certain ways, but cats, well, in spite of considerable effort cats are the same animals the Egyptians were mummifying several millennia ago. You see my point? Human nature remains the same, technology or dictatorships change.

'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' shows all kinds of characters. There are leaders, cheaters, criminals, young, old, powerful, weak, sad, happy, confused, angry... Ok I'll stop now. My amazement is that one cold, hard day (in a mercifully brief book, I mean I did read 'The Cancer Ward' but it took forever) can illuminate humans at their worst and at their best. Solzhenitsyn opened my eyes to a writing style that is simple enough to let the story move, but a story that is vast enough to encompass the human condition. Camps like those in Stalinist Russia still exists. There are still multitudes suffering torture and humiliation; sometimes governments justify these detention centers, camps or reeducation centers with the protection and safety of the same citizens incarcerated. Weird. Humans do not fundamentally change. People will be cowards or rich or greedy or dishonest or (horror) disagree with current authority, but mass extermination and torture will not change humanity one bit. A book like 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' is one of the many signs that this is so.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn
ISBN: 9780141184746

'The Elephant Vanishes' by Haruki Murakami translated by Alfred Birnbaum and Jay Rubin

2013-06-24T14:40:00.001+02:00

Murakami's art is to make terrifying magic believable by making the feelings of the characters believable

Sometimes, when I latch on to an author, I read the books in chronological order. Even if I started in the middle, as is the case with Terry Pratchett, I go back to the beginning... rather like Inigo Montoya in 'The Princess Bride'. I like to see how an author develops and changes over time. In spite of the fact that Murakami has written for many years, I did not rearrange my books once I had started. I read his works as the mood takes me.

'The Elephant Vanishes' is the second short story collection of his that I have read. It is copyrighted in 1993. I mention it because he has written several books in the last 20 years and these short stories seem to be the seeds to some of those books, if not in themes then in feeling. While reading these old stories, I often caught glimpses of some of his books and my heart skipped a beat... imagine bumping on the street into a loved one you thought dead... talk about disconnected from society...

Short story collections by their nature are a mix of themes and characters. Sometimes something unifies them but most of the time the stories can stand on their own. This particular collection has many characters that disconnect from modern society, often in true Murakami style, like in the story, 'TV People', a magical element is combined with self doubt and confusion. It is a fascinating and frightening read. But I will not go into details, his art is to make terrifying magic believable by making the feelings of the characters believable.

Anyway, I liked some stories and I liked some stories less. But... then... suspicion, mistrust, as my weakness (one weakness amongst many) overwhelms me. You see, there are two (2) translators to these stories. Alfred Birnbaum and Jay Rubin. So, I wonder if my like/dislike has any correlation with the translators. I am going to go look.

.
.
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Well, that is interesting. There is no correlation between translators and the the stories I dislike, which is comforting. Out of the 17 stories in 'The Elephant Vanishes', I do not like 6. They are evenly split. 3/9 Alfred Birnbaum and 3/8 Jay Rubin. I know that J.R. has one less story but that does not mean that had there been an 18th story, I would dislike it. So my time was wasted. You see, I am a fan of translators. Without these women and men, I would miss out on Murakami, for instance. Do take a peak at another one of my posts, 'Is That a Fish in Your Ear?', a book about translation written by a translator...interesting and enlightening. Quality, of course, does differ amongst translators but my experience is that modern translators are reliable and often know their authors well. So I am disappointed in myself for doubting. I am sorry, I will never doubt again...probably. Forgive me Great Editor in the sky (NYC highrise) for I am weak.

@harukimurakami_

Haruki Murakami
ISBN: 9780099448754

'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Tracy Chevalier

2013-06-20T18:14:00.000+02:00

This book is about what people see or perceive through art, through love, through hate, through bigotry, through blindness and through hunger

Most of the time, I read a book long before I watch the movie. I can think of few exceptions. 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' is one of them. I thought the film was lovely. I did not even think about a novel as I did not realize there was a novel. In any case, that was several years ago. And now I have read this wonderful book.

I think, like most people, I take for granted that what I see and what I perceive are the same thing. Even the blind can see with their other senses. But do I understand, feel what I see? Not every day. This book is about what people see or perceive through art, through love, through hate, through bigotry, through blindness and through hunger. Habit and emotion filter what I see into what I perceive. Then I assume that this perception is truth.

An artist can see beyond the emotions and experiences (habits) to then invoke a new feeling. This alchemy lets me see the familiar anew. An old familiar street becomes a passage to adventure; a common, shy woman becomes beautiful and intelligent. Vermeer, of whom this books speaks, had this magic, which is why he is known as a master.

I saw Girl with a Pearl Earring, the painting, in Mauritshuis about two years ago along with several other of Vermeer's works. I was shocked by its size (small) but I was also shocked by the size of the earring. In real life the painting should be called 'Earring Wearing Girl'. That magnificent pearl ennobles the girl but it is also a heavy burden. The look in her eyes and the expression on her face seem fleeting, insecure compared with the solidity of this pearl by her slim neck.

This painting arouses the desire to explore further. The girl's slightly parted lips, the reflection on the pearl and her clothes tease the viewer with a story... a fantasy. And so Tracy Chevalier explores and paints her own picture. Art inspired by art. Vermeer himself used every day utensils and furniture as well as every day people. This tradition is continued by Chevalier as the object of her story and the painting becomes a maid in Vermeer's household... a pretty, pragmatic, intelligent maid...

@Tracy_Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier
ISBN: 9780007232161

'The Piano Teacher' by Janice Y.K. Lee

2013-06-14T21:46:00.000+02:00

Evocative. Janice Y.K. Lee has a vivid imagination which she shares with grace and elegance, like her heroines

There is so much sadness and regret in this book. Doomed love is cliche in many stories but this book makes it immediate and heartbreaking. What is the antonym to nostalgia? The two story lines are set more or less ten years apart. I like that because I can see the direct consequences of actions and betrayals. As the book speaks of war, greed, envy, racism and lust women become central to the story. No glorious fighting here; it is the women that are the greatest losers. The men make a show of power, regret, vengeance or even remorse but it is the women who die in humiliating ways and lose so much more than freedom. Nothing much has changed in war or in literature but that is another topic.

Books are often driven by dialogue, action or information. In this book the settings, that is, the houses, weather, perfumes, cocktails and food showed me more than some of the action. I am a fan of books that invoke so many senses. The atmosphere surrounded me almost immediately. The perfumes, smell (pleasant and unpleasant), heat and humidity were present for me. I think I even heard a mosquito buzz by as I read. The subsequent contrast between before the war, war and invasion and ten years after the war were striking. The invasion of Hong Kong by the Japanese stank of death and fear. Janice Y.K. Lee has a vivid imagination which she shares with grace and elegance, like her heroines. The story itself lingers in my mind but I am certain it lingers because it is tied to the smell of jasmine.

I caught myself breathing deeply as I read this book. I tried to catch the scent that she described sometimes. Books sometimes make me nervous or angry or happy, but they do not often give me a physical reaction. 'Chocolat' did for the same reason this book did. Scents release memories, suddenly this book I have somehow lived because I can smell it and remember it. I think women will not prefer this book because it is a story of doomed love but because women often have more sensitive noses. Go on walk with these heroines through the Hong Kong markets, go have a cocktail at an elegant party and enjoy strange new foods. Evocative, beautiful book.

Janice Y.K. Lee
ISBN: 9780007286379

'I Hunt Killers' by Barry Lyga

2013-06-11T17:32:00.000+02:00

My son picked up my book and said: "This looks sick!" which is a positive comment

I often have to beg people to read a book I have enjoyed. This time, though, my son picked up my book and said, "This looks sick!" which is a positive comment. My BPR is next in line to read it over the Summer break and at least three others have said something along the lines of "you can't go wrong with a good serial killer book." Or "Ooooo, I love a good crimi". I do hope all this enthusiasm turns into sales for the author. But still, I am mystified by this reaction... how weird is this? Is it cathartic or voyeurism? Maybe people like to imagine others behaving worse than they do? In any case, even our bedtime fairy tales used to have buckets of blood and witches nailed into barrels of boiling oil, so this phenomenon cannot be blamed on modern media violence...

I know people who claim never to read such frivolous, violent books because they are a waste of time, without art or value. I disagree. To make a story with a monster, once again, interesting and entertaining is art. A writer with skill is indeed required. Moreover, I sense hypocrisy when someone reads only classics or serious books (for a given definition of serious... I mean, a serial killer seems quite serious to me). It is all very well to read 'El Mio Cid' and imagine respect, loyalty, courage... then to quietly reflect on your own weaknesses and strengths of character, or the beauty of the Spanish language (if you read it in the original... beautiful). But, and this is maybe just me, thinking about something I read 20 or so years ago, I remember the battles, murders, betrayals, rapes and famous corpses. I also remember Sofia Loren looking amazing in a wedding dress, but that was the film, they don't make them like that anymore, do they?

It is quite a trick to get inside the head of a serial killer. To glimpse the seduction of power without conscience and at the same time not be put in a position where you sympathize with the murderer. Barry Lyga knows this nasty topic, well, too well, mmhhhh... On to the humor. The humor is teenage humor as the protagonist is 17 years old. It was an easy book to read, but not so easy that I breezed through it either or put it down. I wanted to follow Jazz and his friends and see what they were up to... Naturally, there is a twist at the end but it is a good twist. By a good twist, I mean something I found exciting and frightening. Too often these kinds of books have twists that seem to belong to a different book.

So 'I Hunt Killers' does not only have my attention but also the attention of a large number of relatives and acquaintances. If I think too deeply about this I might become not just worried but paranoid as well. By the way, if you read my blog you may notice that I do not usually announce "This is a YA book" of some such statement unless unbelievably important. If it is good story, I will enjoy it and I do not care who the 'intended target audience" is. This book has an interesting point of view and humor, I like it...

@barrylyga
Barry Lyga
ISBN: 9780316125833

'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' by Laini Taylor

2013-06-05T11:16:00.000+02:00

Laini Taylor's angels and monsters are new and refreshing

Now, I am an old hand at reading fantasy... I am no snob and love themes I know well retold, transformed and re-imagined. Laini Taylor takes angels and monsters and tells me something new about them. She took a risk with such familiar literary characters. Every reader, I imagine, has a litmus test for stories. As a reader I pick up a book and willingly suspend my disbelief; I hope it stays suspended. Let me explain how this works for me when I read fantasy...

Say an author tells me about angels amongst us. She uses the word angel to describe this character. I make some assumptions based on this word. She then adds something new to my personal angel lore. If I believe it and happily add it to my angel file then this fantasy is a success. If, on the other hand, I argue, snort in sarcasm and get annoyed then she should have used a different word to describe the character. This is a simplistic explanation but that is more or less how it works for me. There are authors that in my small reading universe add to my fantasy files, these authors include Jasper Fforde, John Ajvide Lindqvist, JK Rowling, Terry Pratchett, and Jim Butcher amongst others. You see, it is important to know lore and literature well when you chose to describe your character as a wizard, vampire, elf... Each conjures a picture, an incomplete picture. Talented writers fill in some spaces in harmony with the rest of the picture. Clumsy, uninspired writers graffiti annoying initials on the frame.

Fantasy is deceptive. Most writers do not just make it up. For example, one cannot get rid of certain features of the vampire without transforming it into something else. Moreover, one cannot add certain features to a vampire without diminishing it somehow. The success of this give and take depends on the art of the writer, the talent if you will, and how this vision of a vampire is then presented to me. Often old familiar fairy tales, legends, sagas, traditions or religions are the foundations of the fantasy genre.

I am cautious when I pick up a new author (new to me, by the way, I mean I can't know everybody). I am tired of finding out the object promoted to me is number 3 in a 5 part trilogy (yes, I used trilogy with irony). And like I have said (shouted) before, a good editor could have cleaned up these sagas into two decent books. It is my luck that Laini Taylor knows how to write. She has thought about her characters and her worlds. It is funny how her description of celestial armies and the angels' inherent sadness has been on the edge of my own musings for some time... She colored these musings in for me. Her instincts in this fantasy are excellent. Moreover her angels and monsters are deep and knowable at the same time. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy (no irony).

@lainitaylor
Laini Taylor
ISBN: 9781444722659