Subtle Melodrama Book Reviews

For Review: Flatscreen ~ Adam Wilson

2012-02-16T23:15:00.000Z

Eli Schwartz is, pretty much, just a loser. He's twenty years old with no ambition; a rich kid who gets stoned all day and watches born. Probably, that's the profile of a lot of men out there. But who am I to criticise? Eli seems happy with his life with all that he thinks that he wants whenever he wants it (apart from actual sex, but that's what happens when you're a loser and girls just think you're 'funny').

Flatscreen begins like so many of these slightly later year coming-of-age stories. And he's a bit of a loser, like a lot of these guys. But he's part of a super rich upper class American lifestyle and that's always something that is really alien to me. Like Bret Easton Ellis' world, only the main man is far less attractive and charismatic. Eli has his days, and then he has total non-moments. He sees the world through various drugs, which is a story that is beginning to get quite old in contemporary lit. But what saves Eli, and what saves the book, is his murky way of feeling and dealing with his parent's divorce and a brother that is so much better than him. Eli seeks meaningful relationships from his friends, from women, and from a paraplegic ex-star of tv films. Eli's referencing of life through films is one of the most curiously amusing aspects of the book. That's how people engage with the world these days, and it's fun to watch Eli make the (sometimes rather comic) connections.

Eli's way of making sense of the world is interesting, and Adam Wilson tells the story from his flawed, but Hollywood-style optimism. In itself, the writing is clever and engaging, with scenes and monologues that can shock and amuse: it's funny cause it's true. Eli stays stuck with some old ways and he learns and grows with others, though not to an extent that made me wholly satisfied. There was some kind of deeper something that Flatscreen was scratching the surface of but never really got to. Vague, I know, but at the outset of the book I felt I was being promised a reconciliation that never fully came around. Still, despite the almost parallel universe nature of Eli's world, the ugly honesty of his narrative redeems himself, and the whole book with it.

Wilson offers a refreshing read, most especially in terms of voice and narrative. He does his own thing, but it's accessible, and very readable. Flatscreen was good fun, and it comes out in a few days so get on it.

0 out of 10.

2012-02-12T10:02:00.000Z

More and more, the literary blog hop makes me think back to my undergraduate module in the philosophy of art, aesthetics. Technically, that means I'm actually qualified to talk about these things in great length. But here are ramblings instead, that I do hope make some sense.

In the epilogue for Fargo Rock City, Chuck Klosterman writes:

"It's always been my theory that criticism is really just veiled autobiography; whenever someone writes about a piece of art, they're really just writing about themselves."

Do you agree?

There's a huge difference in saying that you think something is good, and that you like something. Some philosophers wouldn't agree with me, but that's too bad for them. An example:

Radiohead are, in musical, technical senses, good.
I do not like Radiohead.

Is this saying something about me? Well, it says that Tom Yorke's voice annoys me, because personally I don't like it. But I'm not going to say that Radiohead are crap, because they actually just aren't.

I'm trying to think of a literary example... but in that sense so often if something isn't actually well-written and good, then I probably won't like it, just because that is part of my criteria for enjoying a book.

So that's that part.

When I'm criticising a novel, what am I really doing?
I'd like to believe that my reviews that bit better than people who say: I didn't like it. 0 of 10. That isn't a review, that's giving an opinion. That's a different ball game. Of course, when I review a book I bring with me all my baggage and expectations - there are my likes and dislikes, and I'm sure I've got some secret prejudices going on somewhere inside me. That all exists before I even open the book. Probably, that will make a difference.

But I try to let it not make a difference. When I criticise, I do just that. Criticising is about really taking a piece of fiction (or art, whatever) apart and examining it for what it is, regardless of any personal issues I might have. Then, I might also choose to give a personal judgement, which is different from criticism. That's me saying, Hey, I Hated That Character Because I Hate Clowns But That's My Opinion. Cause it is. I have a fear of clowns, so I automatically hate the clown character, but I recognise that for what it is and admit it.

So my answer is no. Not if criticism really means critique, and not just an eww or yay answer.

For Review: The Death of Lomond Friel ~ Sue Peebles

2012-02-09T12:47:00.001Z

Lomond Friel has a stroke and it sends his family into all sorts of upset and turmoil. His daughter Rosie struggles to cope as the accident begins to unearths some uncomfortable truths about herself and her family. Lomond's daughter, twin sons, sister, and cleaner all try to make sense of the situation and do their best to make decisions on his behalf. All the while Lomond is dealing with his post-stroke body and mind, quantifying his quality of life and contemplating suicide.

It's important to mention all of these characters. The Death of Lomond Friel features all these people, and their spouses, their partners, and even the local fishmonger. The characters themselves are interesting individuals each with their own worries and hopes, be it Jacob's annoyance at Rosie's alcoholic tendencies, or April's concerns of how to run her lingerie shop. The book is a patchwork of humans trying to cope and understand their lives. It's genuine, but the patchwork was really..patchy.

Sue Peebles writes the point of view of nearly all of the characters mentioned, and as much as I'm a fan of one or two voices, I found so many to be quite problematic. It was difficult really getting to grips with some of the characters. Not that she didn't manage to do the different voices well, there were just too many. More disruptive was the spacing. The book is in chapters, but each chapter contains little bits sometimes separated by a space, sometimes by a star. Neither seemed to indicate anything in particular, and sometimes the spacing just wasn't necessary. It all became quite bitty, and became a personal annoyance. Personal, because perhaps it's just a stylistic preference, but it really disrupted the flow of the narrative. Kind of like a soap, where they'll show how Mrs A is doing, then cut randomly to Mr B, and back to Mrs A, then you're with Mr C two days later, then back to Mr B with Mrs Z. Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy a little bit more consistency.

Peebles' examinations of what really goes on in various relationships is quite interesting. Wilson, Rosie's boyfriend, was probably the character I was most sympathetic too - she does treat him quite horribly. And the fishmonger Cameron was far more engaging than a bunch of the others. Most satisfying was Rosie's developed understanding of her mother. Ethel died when Rosie was born and all she knows is a photograph of the beautiful woman. As the book progresses, Rosie's image of the most perfect mother begins to break with stories she hears from others. Of everything, I think this thread of the story was the most compelling.

The Death of Lomond Friel is thoughtful and carefully nuanced, but the patchwork approach of canvassing the whole family got in the way of an otherwise engaging narrative.

There's a great podcast discussion of the book over at the Scottish Book Talk website. You can listen to it if you click here.

P.S This is my 300th post!

Teaser Tuesday: 07 Feb

2012-02-07T21:26:00.000Z

It's so easy to let things slide through. Lives are left outside, like a pile of muddy boots, and every so often a visitor comes, dragging in the dirt. (55)

- The Death of Lomond Friel by Sue Peebles

For Review: Fup ~ Jim Dodge

2012-02-01T16:51:00.001Z

Fup is a duck. Fup duck. She lives in the middle of nowhere with a 99 year old gambler with a strong whisky habit and his twenty something orphaned grandson who loves to build fences. Did I say something in my last review about loving books with quirky little plot ideas?

Fup is a teeny little read of 122 pages of not the smallest font, and that in itself is something to warm to. Still, in that short space of time, Jim Dodge creates characters that are instantly familiar, and that I'm instantly fond of. They're odd, quirky human beings with their ways of doing things, but they have big hearts and it shows. Their lives become more interesting with the arrival of the duck, and the book is just so rustic and warm.

If you have a spare afternoon to spend getting cosy, then Fup is the book to do it with.

And when you're done you can go on the pretty website and teach Fup how to fly!

Scottish Summer Reading Challenge

2012-01-31T14:43:00.000Z

There's a new tab on my blog - hurray! - for the Scottish Summer Reading Challenge. The page says it all, but it's essentially a few months of reading books by Scottish writers. There are some great authors running around in this country, and they probably don't get quite the recognition and the love that they deserve, and so the Scottish Summer Reading Challenge was born!

I'm really excited about this challenge and, Scottish reader and writer that I am, even I have some catching up to do! I have Alasdair Gray's Lanark to read, I haven't read any James Kelman, and I really need to get to grips with some Christopher Brookmyre. That's my plan of action, so I'll be going to the Tam O Shanter option of 7+ books (so called because it's the longest!).

Gallus, brilliant, magic. Cannae wait!

For Review: The Call ~ Yannick Murphy

2012-01-30T13:20:00.000Z

Sometimes a person will tell you the vague idea of a book and it either a) sounds so ridiculous that you can't believe it's even a story, or b) sounds a bit bizarre, but intriguing, and you hope that it'll be good so that it doesn't ruin expectations. The Call was b), and The Call was good.

There is a vet who lives in the middle of nowhere in a small town. He's a large animal doctor, and he lives in a pretty house with his wife, three kids, their two dogs, and a rabbit that wears nappies (or diapers, if that's your persuasion). So far, so kitsch. But his son is shot into a coma in a hunting accident, and the vet's life is on standby while he obsesses over who did it, and while he tries to figure out if the spaceship knows anything. Yes, the spaceship, and the spaceman inside it.

The book follows a What I Did:/What Happened After: script-like format that at first glance I worried would be quite stilted, but it actually read pretty quickly. David's telling of the story in this way gets rid of extra fluff, all those extra words that add word count but don't really do anything. What people do and say is there, and immediate, which probably accounts for reading the book so fast. As a person who loves adverbs and adjectives so much, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this almost no nonsense approach.

Still, in all that direct access to David's thoughts, there are some beautiful examples of family relationships. Murphy makes each of his three children so real, each with their own little personality. And David's relationship with his wife is just so normal - good days, bad days, arguments, sex. The scenes at home with David and the family were perfectly real little slices of family life. It's so nice to read a book about families with all their imperfections, and to smile fondly because you recognise that that's what your family life is like, and that's how it should be like. All of this, and some descriptions of New England that make me really want to go.

I've never read anything by Murphy before (in fact, I'd never heard of her until Harper Perennial offered the book) but the lady has such a keen sense of the details in the way humans work and communicate that I'd be silly not to look into reading more.

For Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ~ Anne Bronte

2012-01-26T12:30:00.005Z

Well, that was one talented family. Emily and Charlotte were read around ten years ago for the first time, and this was my first instance of Anne. Where does she fit? Chances are, I enjoyed her the best.

The mysterious Helen Graham shows up at Wildfell Hall with her young son Arthur. Assumed a widow, the quiet lady is victim to a lot of slander from the village gossips. Why is such a beautiful young lady spending so much time alone in a huge house? And why does Mr Lawrence keep visiting her? But there's Gilbert Markham too, bless him, who falls in love with Helen but she insists and insists that he can't have her. Why not? Because she's got a husband who is an absolute...(trying really hard not to swear here, fill in the blank yourself).

The first part is told by Markham, the second is a series of diary entries written by Helen describing her past, and her horrible present. The story here is of a horrible marriage, and of even more horrible people. Anne Bronte really knows how to paint her characters - there's enough dark and enough light in everyone to allow the reader to make their own judgements and to invest their emotions where they see fit. But it wasn't an easy ride - as the characters revealed more about themselves, the more I changed my opinion. I suppose that's how real relationships work, and Anne did it so well that I was left quite crazy with the various betrayals going on. It's quite nasty for a writer to play with a reader's expectations and emotions so much, but she is so brilliant in doing it, and so cleverly too. The exception would be in Annabella.

Don't even get me started on Annabella. Never, ever have I wanted to slap a fictional character so hard in my life. Such a horrible, slimy, malicious little bitch I have never met. And thank God. Urgh. I couldn't handle such a prissy little bitch. I hate women that know that they're beautiful, and they know that because they're beautiful they can get away with anything. No way would I let that slapper in my house. Argh. Yes, this rant was necessary. Because I was so invested in Helen, despite her rather closed-mindness to anything that wasn't very pious, that I felt for her so deeply in all that she went through. Cheating is a horrible crime, and you'd better believe that they did it way back when. But the point here is that Anne Bronte has such an excellent command of her characters and what they say and do, and she knows fine well what kind of reaction that will produce. Never underestimate a woman who can get so close to the nitty gritty of human relationships.

I'm no feminist (let's not get into that nonsense here) but I do think that every woman ever should read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - take a look at the various female characters; which would you rather be? If you're a hetero male, it's a good indication into what kind of woman you should be after. Equally, if you're a gay man, there's some decisions to make into who is the better man. Basically, if you are of any sex and any sexuality, this book has a lot to suggest on how to behave as a human being if you ever want to have any kind of decent friendships or relationships in your life.

Wow, Burns, Yer An Auld Yin Now

2012-01-25T13:54:00.000Z

And other lovely Scottish poetry posters here. The Scottish Poetry Library has one of the most beautiful websites. It's a bit guid.

Re: Submission (or, The Disappointments of Rejection)

2012-01-21T11:22:00.001Z

When I was twelve, I knew that one day I would write a novel (as it turned out, I finished writing my 'first novel' when I was fifteen), and that I would send it to a Publisher. The Publisher would love it, they'd have to have it printed because the world couldn't continue without such a fascinating read. People who loved reading books would love it, people who hated reading book would love it. I'd be given a huge advance because it was just so great, and then I'd tour the world and spread the love of reading and writing. I'd be a star.

That didn't happen, in case you were wondering. You'd know about me if it did. You'd know about me, and I wouldn't have to suffer some pretty boring rejection emails.

This story isn't about rejection. Any writer that isn't prepared to take rejection on the chin and ignore it probably isn't really a writer. They had 'a book in them' perhaps, but it takes a certain mindset to really be a writer and that includes accepting defeat. Stoic at heart, I'm all for that what-doesn't-kill-you philosophy. However, unlike all my other negative experiences in life, I've been able to learn and to grow and understand.

But not with the rejection emails I've had. They're pretty awful. I know that a million and one people submit their unsolicited manuscripts to publishers every day, but receiving a bunch of blanket nothings is pretty disheartening. Some publishers have sent nicely wordly emails that amounted to saying: We Can't Be Bothered. Okay, so that's fine. Others send out their rejections that start with We're Sorry To Say/We're Afraid That/Unfortunately. Cushioning is all well and good, but they're not actually delivering any sort of blow. I'm just being told 'no' and I'm not given any reason. Or, as in the case of one publisher, I'm directed towards a rejection website page. It's a kind of You've Not Been Chosen and This Is Why. But the list is huge. I might have been refused because I'm not marketable, or I might have been refused because I'm just absolutely shite. Excuse my English, but I'd far rather it was the former. I'd rather be told 'Hey, You Can Write, But No One Will Want To Read This.' Instead, I'm left to choose a reason or two from a long list myself.

This isn't useful.

The rejection process has been incredibly boring. There's only a tiny bit of excitement in seeing that Re: Submission email in my inbox: I use Gmail, so I can see the starting line of the email before I even click it. I'm a set of disappointment kind of person, so the refusal emails are just underwhelming. I wanted to have angry emails telling me that my novel is ridiculous, or why the hell would anyone bother, or to be told to stick to my day job. I wanted my rejections to be colourful and fill me with agony and a determination to show the publishing world who's boss. Instead, I'm met with an oh-well deflation, like a balloon bursting, only the balloon was wrinkled and tiny to begin with.

Person Interested in My So-Called Writing Career: 'Oh, did you hear back from Such and Such Publishing?'
Me: 'Yeah, I did. Just a rejection.'
'Aww. How come?'
'I don't know. It was just a no.'
'Oh.'

The Joy of Books!

2012-01-09T20:23:00.000Z

Start of the new year, and we all need to dust the cobwebs from our book shelves, rearrange things. Or maybe, just maybe, your books will rearrange themselves...

Reading Outside the Box (or Book)

2012-01-08T17:41:00.001Z

Happy New Year! Did I say that yet? I think I might have done.

And we're onto a new year of questions on the literary blog hop. The question this weekend:

Do you like to supplement your reading with outside sources, like Sparknotes, academic articles, or other bloggers' reviews? Why or why not?
Nah. I don't think so. At least, I can't think of any examples of going out reading bits and pieces deliberately. Not that it'll never happen, but it just hasn't. Unless quickly Googling 'facts' in fiction to see if they're actually true or not counts.

Usually, my reading just works the other way around. I might be reading something about Schopenhauer, and an author might be mentioned. Or I'll be reading an interview with an author and think, 'Actually, I like that person; maybe I'll like their writing.' Etc, etc, etc. That's how my reading wish list grows - it's all suggestions mentioned or picked up from other places. But I wouldn't necessarily call that secondary reading.

Or maybe I do. I've been assuming that this question is about specifics, but maybe it doesn't have to be. I do pick up literary theory books - ie, how publishing worked in the Victorian times, how philosophy can inspire fiction and vice versa.

Okay, so that was an awkward answer. I think that's because I'm not sure. 'Secondary' reading doesn't happen deliberately and consciously or entirely academically. If I chase up books with other books, it's just because of extra curiosity.

So the answer is sometimes.

But eww, not Sparknotes.

For Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad ~ Jennifer Egan

2012-01-05T18:04:00.002Z

A Visit from the Goon Squad was last year's Pulitzer prize winner. Somehow, I didn't know this when I picked it up to read it; it was only when I was several chapters in that I realised my copy said this on the front. But, at that early stage of the novel, I was already satisfied that this book had won - well-deserved, I think.

The story follows several characters, and each character's chaper is written in a different point ove view - first person, third, through the eyes of uncle or a child, or even told by a series of powerpoint slides. It's not an easy gig to pull off, but Egan manages it so carefully that it's never jarring. What Egan does, though is make every chapter unique and distinct: it works because each voice is firmly individual.

And yet, it's definitely always the same novel and not only because of the reoccurring characters. There's a poignant intelligence to Goon Squad, and a way of seeing people and the world that is both fascinating and fascinated. The best writers conjure up images and sensations in a way that should be impossible to articulate - but Egan does it, and she does it well.

In one chapter, a man down on his luck meets with his mega-successful childhood friend.

'I came for this reason: I want to know what happened between A and B.'
Bennie seemed to be waiting for more.
'A is when we were both in the band, chasing the same girl. B is now.'
...
'I've busted my balls,' Bennie said. 'That's what happened.'
'Ditto.' (106-107)

Goon Squad is all As and Bs, but offers only glimpses at the getting there. My own life six years ago is hugely different to my life now. What happens are choices, and every choice has a consequence, and this novel explores where this can go. But from bad circumstances better choices can be made and there's a redemptive quality to the lives of these characters that is warmly affirming.

A Visit from the Goon Squad was a valuable and thoroughly enjoyable read: deliciously real, and tantilisingly human.

This was read as Scottish Book Talk's book of the month - here's hoping that my reading year is as fruitful as this!

Off The Shelf 2012 Challenge

2012-01-01T23:11:00.001Z

The bookshelves in my living room a bit of a vocal focal point. People like to see what's there, what I've read etc etc. After several glasses of wine (happy new year, by the way), discussion turned to books - because seemingly some people need to be a bit tipsy before they're vaguely interested. Anyway, I was asked about some of the books on the shelves and had to say that I hadn't read them yet. Yes, they're there, but I haven't quite got round to them: aka, the TBR.

Bookish Ardour is hosting a challenge to read books from that to-be-read list, and I'm definitely taking part! I've opted for the Making a Dint level, which is to read 30 books. I'm not going to set out a definitive list here, but they will definitely be plucked from that To Be Read list on this here blog.

How necessary! How exciting! I love the start of a new year.

For Review: Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia ~ Blake Butler

2011-12-30T23:52:00.001Z

Nothing is officially the last book I will read this year. Tomorrow I'm working my delightful checkout job all day, and then it's an evening of wine until 2012 begins. Nothing was, actually, a great send off for the year. That sounds weird, and that is weird, but it makes sense.

Nothing is, as the subtitle somewhat hints at, about insomnia. Butler examines lack of sleep through so many layers - he gives a history of sleep deprivation, statistics on how the condition is considered now, how it is dealt with, and he does so from an interested but speculative point of view. More especially fascinating, I found, was the history of his own insomnia. Butler describes how he coped without sleep as a child, how that affected his waking days, and how these patterns morphed and changed as he grew up but how, essentially, the not sleeping was always there. This book was terrible to read before bed. I found myself tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep but remembering sentences and images from Nothing that all too well described what it was like not being able to get to sleep. It's a book for reading when awake. Seriously.

Reading when awake also makes the reader more likely to appreciate the sentences too. Butler's sentences...my goodness. Each line, each clause, delivered with such a tight precision. Some times, it was almost sexy how good those sentences were. Even those 12 page long sentences (yes, they happen), are executed perfectly. Through the layers of different threads of insomnia, Butler explains scientific research neutrally, he explores his childhood with a rational nostalgia, and he falls into streams of consciousness that run all sorts of tangents. Somehow, it's always great. There were points were it felt too relentless, too endless, and though that might have been part of the point, it also made for a tiring read. But that's when sitting down to sections for hours at a time. Digesting it in smaller pieces might be easier in places.

Still, Nothing has everything. I'm pretty sure most people in the world have experience small periods of insomnia in their life or, at least, everyone knows what it's like not to be able to get to sleep, to want sleep, and so much of what Butler says makes so much sense and is so true to a whole colleciton of human beings. But in some ways, it's not what he says, it's how he says it, and that man is one eloquent insomniac.

For Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories ~ HitRECord & Joseph Gordon-Levitt

2011-12-30T12:19:00.001Z

So that blog I just posted with that video about The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories that I was really excited about?

It was worth the excitement.

To recap, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is full of just that - tiny stories that accompany some of the sweetest illustrations you'll have seen all year. Each little story tells a small, succinct, but very cute tale. Some are amusing, some are sad, and some make you smile, but there's a special charm and wit to each of them.

See what I mean? Each couple of pages is something lovely like this, and the whole tiny collection was just a bittersweet joy to read.

This was volume 1. 2 & 3 are coming, and I bet they'll be just as delicious.

2011. A Blog In Review In First Lines.

2011-12-28T11:34:00.000Z

Found this little bit of fun over at Reading With Tea who found it over here.
The idea is to take the first line of the first post of each month and to see what it says about my blog.

January - Victorian Literature Challenge
I'm overwhelmed by the response to my Victorian literature challenge. Nearly 100 people have signed up to get reading some 19th century deliciousness this year. Wow!

February - For Review: Glamorama ~ Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis. Yup, we're back to him again. Let's not pretend that I'm not in love.

March - For Review: The Girl on the Landing ~ Paul Torday
My first novel was written on the theme of relationships and mental illness.

April - White Rabbit
01 April: Rabbits and April Fools

May - My Life in Book Titles

Just a little meme I found floating around the web. Complete the statements with the titles of books you've read this year! {Or if you haven't read enough to match all the answers, just chuck in some of your favourites!}

June - For Review: Tiny Deaths ~ Robert Shearman
Pretty much turned on just by the title and the cover. Not judging the book from its cover, but it's a pretty exciting place to start!

July - For Review: Seeds ~ Richard Horan
Seeds: One Man's Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees That Inspired Famous American Writers: it does what it says on the tin, and that keeps me happy.

August - For Review: Everyone Loves You When You're Dead ~ Neil Strauss
Everyone is interested in celebrity.

September - For Review: The Incomplete Tim Key ~ Tim Key
Not everyone likes poetry. I know, right?

October - Scotland is for Book Lovers
Scotland is pretty great, and there are some lovely bookish types in this country. I like talking about books. So do lots of other people. So do the Scottish Book Trust. So what have they come up with? Book Talk!

November - National Short Story Week - What to Read
7 - 13th November is National Short Story Week. The celebration? Short stories! Short stories are fantastic - bitesize bits of literary greatness.

December - For Review: Jamrach's Menagerie ~ Carol Birch
My trade paperback copy of Jamrach's Menagerie is so beautiful, and the cover and title combined make this a book that is begging to be read.

So... from that we can gather that I love Bret Easton Ellis, that I read a bunch of books, and that I reviewed a bunch of books. Huh. Is it boring that my book blog is so bookish?

Teaser Tuesday: 27 Dec

2011-12-27T19:36:00.000Z

There's nothing here. That's the frustrating thing with proof copies - no quoting.

Suffice to say, I could take any line or sentence from Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia and it would be perfect.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:47:00.000Z

Wishing you a merry Christmas, and a very happy 2012 when it comes.

Bethany xox

Tiny Stories! It is Cute!

2011-12-23T12:10:00.000Z

I don't think I've ever had a video on this blog before. But this is way too exciting.

Whoa, 2011 - Your Books Were Crazy!

2011-12-21T13:51:00.001Z

I'm not nosy, I'm just curious, and I love lists like these at the end of the year. There's nothing better than perving on what everyone else has been reading all year. So feel free.

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers. This book was everything in the whole world of literary that a book should be. It does everything, including what it says on the cover.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

The English German Girl, by Jake Wallis Simons. It was supposed to be amazing, it was supposed to do so much. It did nothing, least not for me. Oh, and Lord of the Flies.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

The Gospel of Anarchy, by Justin Taylor. It just popped through my postbox, so it was in itself a surprise. And it was good.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

Other than the usual Jude the Obscure? Definitely Robert Shearman's Tiny Deaths. Amazing short stories - read them!

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Only The Chronicles of Narnia! Took me long enough, eh?

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

Blake Butler. What a guy. Currently half way through Nothing, and it's beyond incredible. There Is No Year was an interesting one too. I'm sold. I'm keen to read more Dan Rhodes too.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Eh... That would be Angel, by Katie Price. It was out of my comfort zone because it was so awful. Probably people like reading that crap. In fact, they do, because it hits the bestsellers lists. But it's probably read by illiterate people. I did it for research for a novel I was working on. Never again.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

Doug Johnstone's Smokeheads had that aww-naw-what's-gonnae-happen-now factor. And I devoured Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in one bite.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

Chuck Palahniuk's Damned, which in turn was only semi-pretty-good. And Alan Bissett's Packmen, which in turn was really good.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

The wee old guy in Little Hands Clapping, and Don Lennie from And The Land Lay Still.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

Dave Eggers, Blake Butler, Roberto Bolano are the winners.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

Generally, these are the books that make it into those 'best' categories that have been mentioned above. I'm in danger of repeating myself a lot here. So whatever I've said was good before, and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?

Those Narnia ones. Oops. Why didn't I read them when I was eight like I was supposed to?

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

Too many. My books are marked with sticky notes at favourite passages of mine. But this one, this one comes to mind so often in my life:

'What's wrong with you? You sound so depressed.'
'Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just Scottish.' (And The Lay Still)

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

Probably none, because my life is like that. But if I had to reread something? Probably Tiny Deaths again. Or Room.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

This happens frequently during every reading of Jude the Obscure, naturally. There was the exhaustive emotion at the end of And The Land Lay Still. But there were several eh? moments in many of the books I read this year. It was the kind of year for books, I suppose. But what a year it was.

I wonder if my reading in 2012 will be any less obscure/absurd. Somehow, I'm doubting this already. Hurray!

Cheers to the Perpetual Page Turner for hosting this survey - looking forward to next year's already.

For Review: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman ~ Haruki Murakami

2011-12-17T11:58:00.000Z

Once I'd finished this short story collection I was faced with concerns about how to review it and get it right. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is just intensely Murakami, but not everyone reading this review will know what that means.

This collection features odd bouts of sickness, frustrated writers, and thieving monkeys. I've said it before in previous reviews, and here it is the same; what makes Murakami's fiction so tantalising is the natural presence of the surreal in ordinary lives. The unexpected can take the form of unlikely consequences, which are perfectly possible if improbable, or it can manifest itself in the form of an aunt permanently attached to your back. The outright absurd is readily accepted by many of the characters, which in turn creates some curious protagonists, bizarre stories, and a thoroughly entertaining read. Murakami exploits and manipulates these elements to even better use in his short fiction. His short stories are, in essence, condensed and concentrated versions of his novels, and his ability to weave and tell such yarns is masterful.

These short stories were a comfort to read, and yet Murakami isn't afraid to introduce the completely unexpected. The man's mind must be a veritable Wonderland. Reading Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman was like drinking a cup of tea on a rollercoaster with a parrot on my shoulder.

For Review: The Marbled Swarm - Dennis Cooper

2011-12-15T22:06:00.000Z

This is literary fiction. This is a novel about words, how they work, what they mean, what they do. It is, quite deliberately, a pretentious piece of work, but there's a sliver of plot in there too - violent sex, underaged boys, murder, and cannibalism.

Dennis Cooper's protagonist tells a story of complication relationships based on peculiar ideas of trust and open sexuality. Really, there's nothing more about the plot that needs to be said, other than pointing out some very curious familial relationships. Transgressive is a word, and it's probably not everyone's cup of tea.

The Marbled Swarm itself is the narrator's ridiculously highfalutin and convoluted way of speaking. Initially, it brought to mind a similar experience of getting to grips with Nadsat for the first time. My eyes rolled in their sockets more than once over the first few pages, but it became something to be used to.

You'll have noticed I tell stories in a high-strung, flighty, tonally unstable rant, no sooner flashing you a secret entrance than pretending no such route exists, twittering when there's bad news, and polishing my outbursts. Flawed and mutually shortchanging as the method may be, this is the only way I know how to engage what I've done with due respect and keep you somewhat agog simultaneously. (47)

The result meant a novel whose language clouded and flirted with events and themes that were really quite harsh and dark. The Marbled Swarm, for this reader, was very seductive indeed. Oh, but that it was set in France was a bit of a turn on too.

Do not read this book with a hangover. Do read this book with a strong cup of Earl Grey.

[Many thanks to Harper Perennial for sending this book to review]

Victorian Literature Challenge - Epilogue

2011-12-13T14:19:00.000Z

2011 is drawing to a close. It was quite a long year. Technically, no longer than a usual year, but it felt long. I was going through my list of books that I've read this year and found myself vaguely remembering stories and characters that I thought I'd read centuries ago.

So it seems that the Victorian Literature Challenge has been going on for a good long time, but in fact it hasn't reached the end of the year. But we're nearly there. It was my first time ever hosting a challenge, and I was more than pleased at the response. I had some issues with the linky but the response was overwhelming. Initially, I set up the challenge to basically force everyone ever to read Victorian literature. It's a passion of mine, and I felt that so many readers were missing out on some great reads.

Did it work? I think so! I've had comments from bloggers telling me that they've enjoyed the challenge, that they were glad that they started reading Dickens, or that they were able to realise that a big fuss is made of the man over nothing. Whether the books were loved or hated, at least readers are now able to have these genuine opinions. Overall, though, I think the response has been pretty positive. I've thoroughly enjoyed it myself, and I hope all participants have too.

The idea of my book blog was to share my thoughts and ideas about literature, reading, and writing. But what I really enjoy here is the interactive element and getting folks buzzing about books. So, the Victorian literature challenge was great fun for me. Sad that it's ending, but I'm planning on hosting a new challenge next summer.

To all those who took part - many thanks! Hope a good time was had, and that you found something really special.

Cheers!

For Review: And The Land Lay Still ~James Robertson

2011-12-07T13:17:00.001Z

It's not uncommon that I'll cry at the end of a book. Not that I cry easily, but I'm a tragedy fan and a lover of beautiful words. But on turning the last page of And The Land Lay Still, I was swiping away tears and feeling not a little bit stunned. The last couple of pages were just beautiful, and there was the fact that I had at last reached the last page.

And The Land Lay Still is epic: the novel spans half a century of Scottish history and politics. My family were shipbuilders and soliders and though I know their stories, I knew very little about what was really going on around them at those times. With such an immense novel, James Robertson has helped me out a lot with this. In the way that it functions, And The Land is almost a contemporary, Scottish Anna Karenina. Tolstoy would love it.

The novel weaves together the stories of several very different Scottish people who are linked across place and generations. Mike is a photographer struggling to make something both of his creativity and his sexuality in a country that doesn't really have space for either. Ellen has to make a place for herself in a society that isn't yet sure what to make of its women. And then there's Don Lennie, an absolute hero. Don battled wars in his youth, made a living by hard labour, and yet has a son who will be the first in the family to go to university, who will be active with the CND, and whose ideas of life are so different from his own. Don has another son who takes the rough way out and thrives in Scottish gang culture. Don is, essentially, the changing face of Scotland, living through decades of change that he struggles to get used to. And he's a good, good man. Not perfect, of course, because each of Robertson's characters are too real for that.

'What's wrong with you? You sound so depressed.'
'Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just Scottish.' (618)

So there's a lot going on in And The Land. There were pages of condensed politics that hurt my brain, a lot of history that, in all honesty, I never even thought about. Fortunately for my mind, the novel is split into parts so I could read it slowly. Call me stupid, but each part needed to be properly digested before going onto the other. Reading it this way, personally, was a really good idea; the influx of facts and fiction would have been quite overwhelming otherwise. I'm just an ignorant girl who grew up in the 90s and, like Kirsty in the novel, politics never really concerned me and I never thought that they did. But if I'd known exactly what was going on while my mum, my grandparents, and great grandparents were growing up - it's a different country. And The Land has actually given me a better understanding of where my country's at and of what is going on here - politics has a way of repeating itself, it seems.

And The Land Lay Still is, like I said, just epic. It was a stunning novel to read, and the stories of each of the characters were nothing short of fascinating. Every Scottish person really ought to read it, and any person who can appreciate a really, really good book should also read it. I'm more than glad that I did: it was a very important read.