STOP THE PRESS

On the 11th July, I wrote that The Magicians by Lev Grossman wasn’t long enough. And that I hoped for a sequel. Well. Silly me. I hadn’t thought to look on amazon, had I? He has now written a trilogy. So, a review of:
The Magicians King will happen soon, followed by The Magicians Land when it has been released.

My apologies to Lev Grossman.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

The movie scared me, so I decided to read the book. It didn’t help. The first thing to say is that it is worth a read. Krakauer does a good job of piecing together fragments of Chris’s journey but makes it clear that he can’t do put all of it together thanks to a lack of documentation. I still feel a bit divided about Chris’s story. He is not a likeable young man; a job Emile Hirsh did an excellent job of portraying. If you are especially close to your parents, you will have a difficult time understanding Chris’s actions. And even if you aren’t close to them, you probably will view Chris as a stuck up rich kid who was on a rebellious streak. To describe Chris’s death as a tragedy is loaded with meaning and I think (although one should not speak ill of the dead) tragedy might be a bit too much. A tsunami is a tragedy; the recent Malaysian air crash (not to mention the one that is still missing) was a tragedy. Chris’s actions that lead to his untimely death were preventable. However, the book works because Krakauer has a personal story sort of confirming his claims that him and Chris were alike in some ways. That Krakauer is able to understand Chris’s initial actions because he took the same risks. 

WARNING: This isn’t a book for the faint hearted. 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 

Whatever you are doing, stop and read this book. I was going to leave this review as that one line but I’d better elaborate. Especially for those of you who have not heard of Donna Tart. The reason I picked up one of her three novels was because she is associated with Bret Easton Ellis. Her first novel The Secret History has become a cult classic. Unforgivably I have not read it! The Goldfinch is everything and the only thing people should be reading right now. Like right this second. It focuses on Theo Decker’s life after an event (not to give away any spoilers) kills his mother. (you find this out on the back cover) The plot is so rich and alive that at points I didn’t even realise I was still in my sitting room. I was running in Vegas with him and the unforgettable Boris. I was watching as Theo returned back to his flat in New York, thirteen years old and clutching the painting. I was in a horrible mood at work because I couldn’t get back (for four hours) to read this book. It has helped that the weather here has been unbearable. One “too hot to sleep” night meant I ploughed through half of this novel. But even if the temperature had been just right, that still would have happened. It is a testament to Tartt’s writing that you are immediately pulled into the scene. Nothing could be going on, but you are there. I’ve read her second novel, My Little Friend and although I didn’t enjoy that as much, I still remember the Mississippi heat radiating off the page. I am planning on tracking down The Secret History sooner rather than later. There is a reason that Tartt’s third novel won the Pulitzer Prize this year. I hope she is writing her fourth novel as I’m writing this review. 

Makeover!

Books over Bros is having a make over! I woke up this morning and realised I wasn’t that keen on the name. I mean, I’m not making any conscious choice at the moment with books over guys as I don’t tend to meet people of the opposite sex. So I just have books! After a terrible nights sleep I rolled over and saw my bedside table. Ever since I could remember I have had (or made sure I had) a bedside table. It holds my alarm clock, a clock with American time and a lamp. But most importantly there are books. So, the book choices will now revolve around what I have on my bedside table. Enjoy! 

Five things that can only improve a weekend!

Thought I’d do a little snapshot between the book reviews to make this blog more personal! I usually have my weekends on Sunday and Monday’s due to working Saturdays. This was no different and Saturday was not the best shift in the world. And last week was a bit tough. But then I have had a lovely two days off! And you can’t let one day ruin the next.

1.     Homemade iced lattes. Due to a lack of espresso powder or a barista I make them with normal, brewed coffee. I’m lucky enough to have a French press in my cupboard and some nice coffee. I just pop some ice cubes in glass, pour over some coffee after it has cooled slightly then pop the milk in. Stir it all together with a stripy straw and hey presto! Delicious, cold and caffeinated drink for these muggy afternoons!

2.     Chloe Howl. I completely adore her voice; she is so different from all the generic rubbish you hear off the radio. Everyone should be listening to “no strings” and “rumour.” 

3.     A big red jumper. I went shopping this weekend, determined to stock up on summer tops. But, habit will out as I made my way into the Joules shop in Worcester and found a magnificent red cable knit jumper on sale, reduced to £20! Finger’s crossed for snow in August.

4.     Mikhail Bulgakov. I love the Country Doctor’s Notebook! And a friend had said that The Master and Margarita is just as good, perhaps even better. As fate would have it, I found a copy in Rise, the independent record shop. Can’t go wrong with two for five-pound offer on books!

5.      Skype. More specifically, good friends on the other end of the line. 

Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann

Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann

Not to be confused with the Zelda Fitzgerald novel, Invitation to Waltz! (Once I’ve read that one, I will do ‘waltz’ special review) I finished this novel on a train to and from London. It centers on Olivia Curtis’s first dance and introduction into society. So much happens yet the whole novel takes place in about twenty-four hours. I don’t think I’ve done a review on Dusty Answer, my friend is devouring my copy but when I eventually prize it out of her grasp I’ll do a review. Although it will effectively say “read all of her novels.” “Gush, gush, gush.” (etc.)

I was on my way to an interview, which I thought was appropriate reading about another girl who was on her way to stepping out from the comfort of her family and into womanhood. You can almost feel the sweat of the dance; able to see her leaning against a dusty wall. It is as if you are standing beside her. The terror when she gets her dress the wrong way round and is convinced that she looks awful, then her awkward encounters with drunken folk is all too familiar to those of us who do not enjoy long nights out. The expectation on the girls is reminiscent of any song centered around partying, with the adverts for alcohol portraying beautiful people having beautiful, none sweaty fun in clubs. But Lehmann rips the façade away and shows the sweat, tears and humiliation thanks to unattainable social expectations placed on the sisters. And she does it in a way that made me want to step in and join them for hot cocoa at the end of the dance. 

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

To say I wasn’t sure what to make of this book would be an understatement. Did it blow me away? I’m not sure. I think it could have been about three hundred pages longer and that would have been fine! It would have been even better. It would have cleared a lot of things up. For example, I found it unrealistic to think that Quentin developed so quickly over the years at Brakebills. He went from being an almost recluse to a sex having, drug taking badass with the Physical Kids. I feel like there is going to be a second novel. I hope so anyway, we’re still not sure what magical power Quentin is supposed to be specializing in. And what is the deal with Elliot? We’re never sure. Half way through, I think I was rooting for him and Quentin but then he is removed from the school. And Alice? Gets. On. My. Nerves. Not sure why.

The descriptions of everything was amazing, the magical school fantastic and the layers of the real world to Fillory’s to the other world left your head spinning. However, it fell short because ultimately, it was too short to deal with the subject matter. By page fourteen, Quentin was being put through examinations for the school. At the moment there seems to be a vogue for longer books so it is a shame that the author didn’t jump on board that train! Finger’s crossed there will be a second one that explains more. And if this was every a movie, than get comfortable! And bring a lot of popcorn. But before anyone starts filming/buying rights or putting out a trailer, I think I need to reread this novel. I wouldn’t say no to having my own copy! 

Small stack!

I love Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks, especially this one. You can’t go wrong with a basic recipe for chocolate biscuits that includes 250g of butter. 

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

I wasn’t convinced. This book was recommended over and over on my lists on pinterest and amazon but it fell a bit flat. It felt like Winspear couldn’t quite make up her mind what to focus on. There would have been three options.

1.     The story of Maisie during the war.

2.     Maisie’s talents, the spiritual side

3.     The case itself.

Don’t get me wrong it was a clever book. The reference when the case was cracked to the approaching war (WW2) was subtle. But the case itself fell flat of being interesting. I followed it through to the end because I wanted to find out what happened but only for that reason. According to my mother (who has read them all to the most recent) it gets better and sadder. Finger’s crossed! 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I am becoming a fan of Fitzgerald, currently reading the Beautiful and Damned. But Gatsby, as with everyone else who has taken English classes, was my first Fitzgerald novel. I have Zelda’s to read as well, very excited! It is not as long as you expect it to be, especially if you have only seen the film versions. But there is a reason that the films got so much material out of a book with nine chapters. Fitzgerald’s writing almost leaps off the page and you are immediately transported into Gatsby’s fast paced parties without ever meeting Gatsby properly. I think Cary Mulligan did a fantastic job as Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is not an easy character to sympathize with in the book. At the end you question whether she loved Gatsby at all. It would have been easy to see Tom Buchanan as the ultimate villain, pulling Daisy into his world and out of Gatsby’s. But that isn’t the case, as people who have read it will know. Fitzgerald does not allow us off the hook easily. It moves so quickly you will feel as if you have taken a car ride with the Great Gatsby himself, after one of his parties. Look out for green lights across the bay. The one thing you will regret after reading this book is that you weren’t born into 1920s America. And the only way to sooth this regret is to read Fitzgerald’s prose. Both the Fitzgerald’s novels.

Daisy Miller by Henry James

Daisy Miller by Henry James

The one thing from this book that sticks in my mind is the discussion on moustaches we had in class. I know I use this word a lot but Daisy is delightful and memorable. If you are a fan of Edith Wharton or any James, or Evelyn Waugh then you will love this novella. At first it seems that Winterbourne, the young American, just can’t figure out if Daisy is flirting, defying expected manners or just does not know what is expected of her. But then a rival comes in the form of an Italian Giovanelli (who does have a moustache) and the question of whether Winterbourne is jealous or not arises. It is short novella, although be careful what edition you get. Mine is Penguin Classics and based on the first English publication of it in book form by Macmillan in 1879 but there are many different editions. In fact, I had the wrong one for class. We were supposed to have the Oxford World’s Classics one. Just read the ‘note on text.’ Essentially the story is the same but it may be worth buying two editions for comparison to see what was taken out and what was left. The book is worth reading for the descriptions of the character’s travels in Europe alone. The ending is a bit unexpected. Daisy Miller is a figure beyond her time, better placed in a Fitzgerald novel perhaps?

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland

A book snob about Fifty Shades? Well, this is my argument for not being a book snob when it comes to the subject of erotic fiction. Fanny Hill was the little black book, sitting on top of the shelves with no cover and read in secret. Now? My edition is an Oxford World’s Classic and I sat in a two-hour seminar comparing the novel to Hogarth’s paintings. Perhaps it is too far to go and say that future English students will be studying Fifty Shades alongside some great painters of this day. But you can’t deny that the Fifty Shades phenomenon is something to be discussed. On this review, discussed at a later time because I have not read it.

Back to Cleland!

You will adore Fanny Hill. She is hilarious and charming at the same time, educated as a London prostitute but never far away from her country upbringing. Cleland does not shy away from his explicit descriptions, including one where Fanny fakes her own virginity for a client. Another scene, when Fanny’s original client’s “wand had prov’d too weak to lay” she has sex with a sailor and the innuendo is hysterical. There is a strong plot, interspersed with other prostitute’s tales of dalliance. The novel was made legal in America in 1963 and England in 1970. Despite this, it was widely read and several hundred editions were published. The book first appeared in 1748-9. Cleland’s own history is fascinating and it would be worth picking up a biography or book of criticism on Cleland’s work. The blurb on the back describes Fanny as being “among the great heroines of eighteenth- century literature.” Completely accurate.

(My edition is Oxford World’s Classics, unexpurgated text and edited by Peter Sabor)

First Love, Last Rites by Ian McEwan

First Love, Last Rites by Ian McEwan

My copy!

I love McEwan’s writing. I am aware that he is a bit of a marmite writer. I have read Atonement but I think this collection of short stories and The Cement Garden can be put in a different class. The Cement Garden has always (and will continue to) sat in my top ten books. McEwan’s subject matter in the collection of short stories and novel has more in common with Lolita than any period romance novel. The short stories are a disturbing mix of weird deaths, sex and pedophilia. Doesn’t sound like your cup of tea? You are missing out if you do not at least try to read this collection. Short story authors are almost always highly praised. McEwan is no exception. Writing short stories is supposed to be extremely difficult so when done well are superb. Books aren’t just here to entertain, they are meant to make your think and educate. At the end of the book I had to ask myself why I could not stop reading descriptions of rape and incest? That is the power of McEwan’s writing. Forget everything you know about this author if your only education has been Keira Knightly and James Macovy. McEwan should be remembered for his ability to write short stories and for the undeniable power of Cement Garden. 

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Clichéd choice? Bite me. This book remains on my top ten. Why I didn’t read this sooner, I will never know. I was missing something beyond brilliant. I could not take my eyes off Kerouac’s writing. One of the beauties in his writing is how he describes such simple things such as Sal standing under a streetlight and that being something that you remember. How I didn’t just get up and leave for the States the moment I finished I’ll never know. It took will power and having to check my bank balance for sense to return. There isn’t much else to say and at the same time there is everything. Read this. Then read Maggie Cassidy. Then continue through Kerouac’s novels. Kerouac has (in my opinion) never been beaten in his style. He stands apart from the other writers, under a streetlight. Perhaps it is because of Sal’s (Kerouac’s) adventures. Perhaps we can look back to Kerouac’s description of himself as “a strange solitary crazy Catholic mystic.” (Charters A. “Introduction” On the Road, (1957) 1991 Penguin Books: London) The initial reviews focused on Dean Moriarty but now, after Kerouac’s work has gained the recognition it so rightly deserves, we can see Sal Paradise. I would recommend reading it twice. Once focused on Dean and once on Sal. Then pack your bags.

The Ghost by Robert Harris

The Ghost by Robert Harris

Guessed which one is the ridiculous one yet? If not, let me put you out of your misery. This is it. Harris’s barely veiled attack on the Blair regime borders on the hysterical at the end. (SPOILER ALERT) Adam Lang is the former prime minster that needs his memoirs written due to the fact his first ghostwriter bitten the dust. The ghostwriter (number two) isn’t given a name so lets just called him Ewan McGregor. There is a lot more surrounding the novel, to do with the Blair regime that perhaps we know but for Cherie Blair to be a CIA operative? Really? I was never a particular fan of the former prime minster or his wife but this implication harks back to the cold war days. Robert Harris seems to be attempting what John le Carre accomplished. Harsh? Perhaps. 

Harris isn’t the only one who took advantage of the political situation. In recent years we have seen the rise of suspicions that (according to Philip Schofield) the British Government are harboring high profile members of society that are actually sex offenders. Anyone remember that car crash moment on This Morning show? It was the only time I have ever sympathised with the current PM. Schofield spent “only three minutes” on the Internet finding names and accusing them of sex offenses. This was at the height of the Jimmy Savile controversy. Ridiculous. I think Schofield took it upon himself to act like an investigative journalist, promptly failing and effectively accusing the PM of a cover up.
Again, I think the success of The Ghost was all down to timing. Tony Blair resigns so lets write a book accusing him of great cover ups, thinly referencing Blair’s ghostwriting for Bush’s speeches and THEN accuse his manipulative wife of being a CIA operative? Sells books but did it actually have any repercussions? Did the secret services on both sides of the Atlantic suddenly go, “damn it! Harris has figured it all out!” I highly doubt it. So, in conclusion, a good (quick) read and slightly ludicrous. Borrow or buy second hand but for heaven’s sake, do not buy new. 

White Noise by Don Delillo

White Noise by Don Delillo

This is the one I’ve finished most recently. It was trippy to say the least but there is a reason it is considered a classic of postmodern literature. The preoccupation that Jack and his wife have on their supposedly imminent deaths is fascinating alongside their brood of stepchildren. The toxic gas that goes from plumes to a cloud feels like a move towards an apocalyptic science fiction sequence. The prose is straight to the point but at the same time requires your utmost attention. To get the most out of this fascinating novel I think a couple of rereads are in order. And do not watch the television whilst reading it. In fact, just take yourself off to an abandoned shelter somewhere and begin questioning why the prospect of your own death does not terrify you more. Looking forward to reading more of Delillo’s work! 

How to make love by Dany Laferriere

Original title

How to make love to a Negro without getting tired by Dany Laferriere

Shocked by the title? That got your attention. It is a French translation of the francophone author, Laferriere who is brilliant. A name that is being watched followed and studied. I read this one on a Canadian Literature module focused on writing from the cities. My edition includes a review on the back from The Edmonton Journal comparing Laferriere to Kerouac, Miller, Baldwin and Bukowski. (Who will all feature on this blog) For a writer to be compared with such great (and different) authors is a fitting tribute and an accurate way to describe Laferriere’s writing. It is a novella that deserves to be read again and again. It came out in 1985 and caused a sensation. In a sense this is a book written by an immigrant about his experiences within American culture. And then it is completely different from other books on the same subject. Laferriere’s ability to describe American culture, trying to assimilate and at the same time staying true to his own identity is what makes this book a future classic. A must read for university students of American literature. For anyone who is interested the authors Laferriere is compared to or mentions in the book. If it feels like I have been vague in my review that is because the book does not lend itself to one side or the other. The writing is close to manic at times. Just read it. Buy it new. Ship it from Canada. Hell, swim to Canada and walk into the first bookstore you see. You will not regret anything once you start reading. (Even the onset of hypothermia thanks to the Atlantic Ocean)  

Nice stack!

Thought I’d post a picture of the next books to be review. These are a mixture of ones I read at university and ones I read for pleasure. And one that is completely ridiculous.

The books behind them have yet to be finished. The toy is a stuffed pasty with a face and flat cap. And yes, shame on me for not having finished the Female Eunuch. 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I picked up this book whilst on holiday in Cornwall a few years ago. It now has a home in my top five. It is a must read for anyone who has felt alienated in a world of phones and media. Bradbury’s prophetic novel on the future where happiness is found on screens is (not) surprisingly uncanny. I look around the staff room at work and see everyone glued to their phones. I will admit that my pinterest obsession may be slightly out of control but I am not buying a smart/android phone to perpetuate that behaviour. Montag isn’t an especially loveable character but you will be cheering him on mentally at the end, as he tries to remember his parts of the Book of Ecclesiastes and some of Revelation. The outsiders are those who live within the realms of an academic world, each fugitive having to remember parts of books in order to preserve them. There is no ‘sparknotes’ where Montag has escaped. In 2011 Keele University almost lost its philosophy department. The lecturers, research students, taught students and others stood their ground and launched a protest. Common sense won out and an entire academic department was saved. People have strong opinions about the arts and subjects such as philosophy. The people with the negative “Why study arts?” attitudes have come by that opinion by being (some what) educated. And education starts by reading. And how do we learn to read? I rest my case. Granger, Montag’s saviour admits to striking a fireman when he comes to burn his library. I think some similarities can be drawn between the cuts to Arts and Humanities Research Council Funding. Wish someone would slap Michael Gove and whoever is pulling the strings on university funding!

In conclusion, Bradbury’s masterpiece is a classic for a reason. It deserves to be next to 1984 and Brave New World in its dissemination of the future of society. It is one book that will never, ever be burnt.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild by Cheryl Strayed 

The mug is from University of Birmingham,
freebie when I started my Masters! 

There has been a lot of talk about this book recently. That and my friend lent it to me are the reasons I picked up this book. I regret nothing. It is fascinating. In a way it is a very engaging book, mixed with Miss Strayed’s personal journey and her hiking experiences. To be honest, I was more fascinated with her hiking experiences. It really made me want to strap on my walking boots and just go. But her personal journey? I hate to say it but I wasn’t convinced. Yes she has gone through personal hell with the death of her mother and the deterioration of her marriage. I love her honesty, finally a woman who is the destroyer of a marriage instead of playing the victim. But here comes the big BUT. The book ends with her having an ice cream. It wasn’t very clear that the end of the journey was at that point. And then a paragraph later we discover that in the space of four years post the trek she gets married and then five years after that they have a son and then a daughter. This may be coming from someone who thinks that early marriages/engagements are a bad choice but FOUR YEARS?! After heroin addiction, walking eleven hundred miles and a messy divorce AND her mother’s death she commits to another human being for eternity? Really? Anyone else think that is all a bit too soon? I thought the descriptions of her experiences throughout the trail were amazing and very inspiring. Her battles within her personal life, again, very moving and engaging. But the last two pages were not convincing. And don’t get me started on the acknowledgements. That being said, I am going to read more by Strayed. She may not be the next Elizabeth Gilbert but her writing style is excellent and I look forward to more from an author that has made a name for herself through her honesty.

Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene

 Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene

And on a lighter note…

This is one of the most hilarious books I have read in a long time. Greene’s prose pulls us into Henry Pulling’s world almost immediately. If you are reading this on a train, be warned, you may miss your stop. But that is fine, head to Paris or Istanbul like Pulling does with his Aunt. The title explains the literal premise for the book but there is so much more. I want Aunt Augusta for my Aunt. She is a hilarious figure that can be found on the pages of Humphry Clinker and any Oscar Wilde play. There is something sad to Henry’s world, alone with his dahlias and the Major next door. The reader immediately knows that the train Henry is put on can not return to his normal life as a retired bank manager. I doubt Greene would have even thought to have Henry pack his bags and head back on a boat for England from Paraguay. And no one, unless they have a heart of steel or haven’t been reading this book, would want that for Henry. There is not much explanation for Augusta but there does not need to be. Greene does a brilliant job of not only making a hilarious comedy but also capturing a history of England that is rarely seen. The book was originally published in 1969. The Major living next door has dinner on his own, same as Henry. Henry’s mother talks about the price of food at the dinner table, harking back to rationing post World War Two. Throughout you get the feeling that Henry is left over from another age, especially when he meets a young travelling girl on the train that may or may not be pregnant. And whose father may or may not be involved with the CIA. At times you feel that this novel could be set now but then Greene drops words such as ‘negro’ to describe Wordsworth, Augusta’s friend and you realize that this book was written in a time that both seems very similar and very different to our present. Travels with my Aunt deserves to sit between Brighton Rock and The Power and the Glory.  

Carrie by Stephen King

Carrie by Stephen King

I love horror stories. From Horace Walpole’s classic The Castle of Otranto to Rosemary’s Baby, I will happily consume them with relish! But not late at night. Carrie has recently been in the spotlight because of the current movie version. I haven’t seen it yet. I plan to but for the moment, I thought I’d give the original book a try. I am definitely going to start reading more Stephen King! I can see why Carrie was absolutely terrifying when it was published. I think in some ways you are torn between immense sympathy with the constantly bullied Carrie and her unexplained power. Did we not all go to school with someone who was a bit different? In my edition Stephen King introduces his novel, explaining the character of Carrie came from two girls who King went to high school with. The link between puberty and the onset of Carrie’s powers is fascinating. It all starts with a very uncomfortable scene in the girl’s changing rooms when Carrie gets her period and does not understand what is happening. This is a story that places blame on the lack of parenting from a mother whose own beliefs out weigh her daughter’s education and the isolation at school from girls who could have helped. You want your students to stop bullying the ‘strange’ girl in the back of the class? Put this book in their hand. It might make some sort of difference. King is hailed as one of the greatest storytellers alive today and I hope this review supports that statement. It is one that has been earned. 

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Lovely edition!

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Get where I got the idea for my imaginary cat’s name? Anyone who grew up in England will understand the love and admiration from a small bear from Darkest Peru. I wonder at why I have not read this delightful book sooner!!!! I must have seen the television series when I was younger. Whether or not you have seen or read Paddington’s adventures, he is a well-known bear. And I say, read his adventures. Delightful probably isn’t a strong enough word to express my love for this book. London has accepted the fact that there is a bear wandering about the metropolis, wearing a blue duffel coat and carrying a suitcase that normally contains some food item. Mostly marmalade sandwiches. This book will excite any child’s imagination and if it doesn’t tear you from your phone, then something is seriously wrong with you. I am going to take this gem whenever I go to London and remind myself that amongst the hassled commuters and stressed out tourists, there may be a lost bear sitting on his suitcase, waiting for someone to take him home. 

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I have never been a book snob. I will literally read anything, which will be supported by my next post. A friend from the States recommended this book to me (Miss Aby Stoner). I knew that it was starting to become a bit of a phenomenon at the time but I had no idea why. Then amazon decided to change its damn shipping prices and I was FORCED to buy two books to make it up to ten pounds and get free delivery. Well played amazon. I could not put this down until I had finished it. There is a reason it is a New York Times bestseller. However. We have yet another book that centres on the relationship between a guy and girl? Although an original ending (no spoilers) I think we need a break. Hazel Grace does not want to fall in love, so why have her fall in love? She has very good reason not to be looking for a boyfriend. I’d like to see a review from a teenager suffering from cancer. I think some perspective is needed on the recent media attention surrounding the film. That being said, her intense search for an author to finish the book that she loves does ring a bell. When I was seventeen I was obsessed with Luke Rhinehart’s The Dice Man, or George Cockcroft as those in the know, know. I wrote to the author asking when Jesus Invades George was out and he sent me not only a SIGNED copy of it but Naked Before the World. Hazel Grace has put a seal on ‘fangirling’ (I think that is the term?) towards authors. Move over 1D, here come the bright young things that have an educated taste in music and literature. I have banned myself from seeing the film until I’m back in North Carolina, with Aby and watching it behind closed doors. No one needs to see that much emotion.  

Moveable Feast by Hemingway

Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

This was my portal into Hemingway’s writing. Just read it. There isn’t a lot that can be said, it is a fantastic piece of prose that recalls Hemingway’s days in Paris where he discovers his vocation. The name-dropping will blow your mind and the references to what Hemingway is eating? You will be on the train to Paris before you have finished. Ignore all the guidebooks or history books on Paris. This is the only one that matters.

Hemingway will feature heavily on this blog as will both Fitzgeralds!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

I was worried about reading this because of just having finished university. But actually, I got through it partially dry-eyed. John William’s Stoner? I can’t touch that one at the moment. We learn that Albom used to want to be a piano player. We also know that he did not become this. What you can’t escape from, is the certainty that Morrie will eventually be no more. For me it was from the food Albom kept bringing and Morrie not eating. I want to hand this book to friends who have become obsessed with careers and money. I want to shove this in their hands and shout “do you remember when you loved Pride and Prejudice or Lord of the Rings?!” Why do we insist on letting life take over? Right now, being surrounded by books and (most importantly) time I can be self-rightous on this issue. I worry that if I get a full time job I’ll begin to lose my love of reading or the importance I place on literature. But I will always have this book to guide me, like Morrie did for Albom, back to myself.

Should definitely be read post-graduation. Along with The Graduate. 

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

"Another one?!" I hear you cry. Yep. It is so exciting to have an author that is still producing such great works, at the same as having written books that are already classics in classrooms. The Edible Woman was written in 1969, establishing Atwood as a great writer of her age (and ages beyond that!) This should be on every woman’s bookshelf. I will kick myself in the future if I ever get into a relationship that takes me away from myself. And if you have read this book, you will understand that rather untidy sentence. Part one and part three are written in first person whilst the second part is third person narration. Clichéd? Nope. Clever. It is a book that may be hard to stomach for some who are in the position of Marian, impending wedding or who relate more to the “office virgins” and are waiting to get married, not very patiently. I know this will be one book that will be on my daughter’s bookshelf before she can even walk or talk. And I can only hope that she’ll do the same.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

I discovered a deep love for Atwood’s writing through Cat’s Eye not The Handmaid’s Tale. For some reason I’m having trouble getting into her more science fiction based novels. The Blind Assassin might be the solution. It switches between a book supposedly written by Laura Chase, sister to Iris Chase who narrates most of the story and the actual story. The story between Iris and Alex Thomas is one that takes place off the page. The twist at the end will leave you reeling (although you may have already worked it out) and I think Atwood could have got another three hundred pages out of what happened with Iris’s daughter and granddaughter. And those three hundred pages would have been devoured like the rest of the book. Honestly, I didn’t really get at the beginning that ‘The Blind Assassin’ was meant to be an allegory of what really happened between Iris and Laura. But eventually all becomes clear. Atwood is an expert at leaving things unsaid and as a result leaving her readers wandering around, wanting someone to talk to about what they’ve just experienced. I am planning a re-read, starting sooner rather than later. Then I’ll attempt The Handmaid’s Tale again. The Blind Assassin won the Booker Prize in 2000.