Review: American Gods

I read my first Neil Gaiman book this time last year as one of my first reads of 2015, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and the second, Neverwhere, that summer. Both of them possessed qualities I'd expected from Gaiman, having read many reviews of his work and having come to expect that he would become a favourite author of mine. They were weird, magical, dark and twisted, completely fantastical but somehow true-to-life, and a whole host of other things besides. Both of those books, however, somehow fell short of my expectations. They were enjoyable, sure, but they weren't quite it. 

 

Not so with American Gods. This one, for me, was the climax of the Gaiman books I've read and has (probably) already taken its place on my favourites list for this year, maybe even of all time. It's a big book, much bigger than the other two of his I'd read. But as I said on Instagram (join the party over there if you haven't already :D), this book has cured my fear of chunky reads. Despite what felt like slow progress through the 635 pages of this book, I relished every second and felt like I could keep chewing through the story forever. 

The vast, sprawling plot and the inventive and fantastical cast of characters felt true to what Neil Gaiman was saying about America itself; namely that it is richly diverse, incomprehensible and unique. There's something about Gaiman's passionate ownership of the land, but also his acknowledgement that it is incapable of being possessed, that speaks from the immigrant experience. 

The plot itself builds slowly, gradually increasing tension in a way that was gripping but also made me want to slow down and savour the journey. The twists and turns and final climax were pulled off with finesse, and by the end it had become a story of epic proportions. I also felt like Gaiman achieved a perfect balance of tying up loose plot points, and at the same time leaving things open-ended.

Basically, I just really enjoyed this book. Let me know if you've read it too, and what you thought of it, in the comments below!

Jan-Feb Wrap Up

Hi friends :)

I've made a sort-of mini resolution to stop doing wrap-ups only at the end of months, partly because it's a purely arbitrary division and I should be able to post a wrap-up whenever I want (amirite?), and partly because, let's face it, I'm not that great at doing them on time!

So this is my books-I've-read-this-year-so-far wrap-up as of the third week of February!

Despite the slow blogging start, I've actually been having a really interesting reading year so far.

 

 

I started off with Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, which was my first Pratchett in a really long time and I absolutely LOVED it! It was everything I've come to expect from him (and more): humour, complexity, fun and relatable characters, inventiveness, and an ingenious plot. Plus this book had time travel which, as people who've read my blog before will know, is an instant sell for me!

Next up I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I actually only started this book because I'd brought it home with me over Christmas and I wanted to justify having lugged such a big book home with me on the train... But I'm so glad I did! I absolutely loved this book as well. I slightly felt like Neverwhere wasn't everything I wanted it to be, but this book really was. It was complex, inventive, thoughtful and just plain wonderful, as well as making me look at America in a whole new light. Not only that, but it also may well have cured my fear of long books. I normally find them really intimidating and hesitate to pick them up, but this 600+ page tome was just really satisfying. I felt like I could just keep chewing on it forever!

At the end of January, I picked up one that I downloaded onto my Kindle on a whim, which was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to like this book going in, as I didn't immediately gel with the writing style. As it went on, however, I became more and more invested in the story, especially the perspective of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl who flees Paris with her father during WWII. While I didn't absolutely love every aspect of the story, I did really enjoy reading it and would certainly recommend it.

Finally, I'm currently reading a book that has been in vogue of late thanks to a recent TV adaptation, and that is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I decided to pick this up partly to see what all the fuss is about, and partly to challenge myself and see if my fear of chunky books is cured once and for all. It's a little early to say for sure, but I'm really really enjoying this book. So far, I'm really loving how human all the characters are, with their little quirks and mannerisms, as well as their more serious flaws. I'm so intrigued with how it's all going to pan out. I just wish I was a bit better at remembering all the Russian names.

So there you go! It may not seem like a very good reading year so far to some people, but I've enjoyed every book so far and am learning more and more about my tastes as I go.

Next up, a non-white/non-male author! :P Any recommendations?

What have you been reading so far this year?

2016 Goals

Better late than never, eh?

Today I'm here with my slightly (very!) belated goals for 2016. I can't believe we're over halfway through February already! Where is this year going???

I've sort-of been gently working towards these goals anyway, but there's something satisfying about putting them in a concrete list and holding myself accountable to them (or at least trying to!). Who knows!? Maybe I'll even achieve some of them! :P

Anyway, without further ado, here they are!

1. Love Reading

Since this is almost exclusively a bookish blog, I thought I'd start with the most book-related goal of this year. Last year I read a grand total of 28 books (I think... It might've been even less!), and, while I'm excusing myself a little because of doing finals and getting a degree and whatnot, I can't deny the fact that I find that number kinda disappointing.

But I need to keep reminding myself that 2015 brought me some of my new favourite books of all time! I had a blast reading those books and I learned so much about myself and my tastes and just the fact that books that good can exist!

So this year my only goal when it comes to reading is as follows:

I'm jolly well going to enjoy it!

2. Narrow it down

Or, to put it another way: focus focus focus! There are loads of things I'd like to work on this year. Learn Dutch, read the bible more, get better at writing, do more regular blog posts, be better with money, exercise and play Frisbee more, work out what I want to do with my life, etc etc etc.

But, while it would be great to be able to do all those things, it's definitely more realistic and achievable to narrow it down so I don't get overwhelmed. I'm not exactly sure how this will look in practice yet, but I'm working on it!

3. Work on being, not doing

A friend put someone's words of advice to her on Facebook recently, and I'm going to repeat them here:

"It's more important who you are than what you do or what you make."

This year I'm going to take that to heart.

4. Be OK with not knowing

I've already written the beginnings of a whole post dedicated to this, but here it is now anyway. Uncertain has been the key word to describe my life post-graduation, and my capacity to mentally deal with it is next to nil.

This one's gonna take time folks! But I'm going to try and put my thoughts on this to paper. I'm hoping that, over time, I'll be able to see my growth and it'll make me more positive about the future.

*****

So there you have it! My goals for the year. I hope you will forgive the lateness of this post, but hey! Lateness is not one of the things I'm gonna work on this year ;)

What are some of your goals for this year? Let me know in the comments!

My Reading Year & Top Ten Reads of 2015

First things first:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I hope everyone had an extremely enjoyable Christmas/festive season filled with food, fun and family. 

Today's post is essentially a 2015 Favourites post, but I thought I'd sum up my reading year quickly first, just in case you're interested! I read a total of 28 books this year, not including re-reading the whole Harry Potter series (another 7 books) and starting two others (A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley) which I didn't finish. I also got so near the end of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz that I could basically count it as 29 books read this year. Seriously, I've got about 6 pages to go... I also got about halfway through a couple of audiobooks, but I'm not really counting those.

So, am I happy with how this reading year has gone? 

My 'Best Nine' bookish photos on Instagram!

Sort of. Probably. I think I would've liked to have reached a slightly higher number (probably at least 50), but I suppose I did have finals this summer so it's kind of understandable. 

What I am super happy about, however, is how many of the following books have become favourites, not just for this year, but for all time too!

Without further ado, here is (in no particular order) my Top 10 list for 2015: 

1. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The beautiful, honest and enlightening graphic memoir of Marjane Satrapi's life in Iran around the time of the Islamic Revolution, and her subsequent departure for Europe. Interesting, thoughtful, considered, heartfelt, open, poignant... Basically I can't find enough adjectives to give it adequate praise! Definitely give this a read if you haven't already.

2. The Beach by Alex Garland

A fun, fast-paced, intriguing read that I (almost literally) could not put down. I read this pretty much in one sitting and was completely hooked from start to finish. One that I will definitely re-read just to see what else I can glean from it.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

This book probably hasn't escaped anybody's notice this year, what with the blockbuster film with Matt Damon and everything. But I thought I might as well add my recommendation in with all the others. I genuinely loved every minute of the scientific explanations and nerdy research that went into this book. I loved how, despite the plot having potential to be slow and methodical, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, fearing for Mark Watney's survival. Such a fun, entertaining read.

4. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

This (along with another on this list) is my favourite read of the year. So poignant and heartfelt and tragic but also full of hope, this story is filled with female friendships and everything I could want from literary characters. I can't recommend this book enough!

5. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan 

I'd forgotten how much I loved Amy Tan's writing, so this book took me off guard and I loved it way more than I thought I would (which was still a lot). Her stories are just so magical but heartbreaking, like punch-to-the-gut heartbreaking. The last book I read by her must have been over 3 years ago and it still haunts me. And this one is even better. Read it now!

6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A classic that I'd been meaning to read for so long... And it didn't disappoint! Not a lot I can say about this that hasn't already been said, but hey. I really liked it. 

7. Villette by Charlotte Bronte

I'm still chewing over what I really thought of this, but I do know that I loved it! It's such a weird reading experience, as the narration is so manipulative and the main character so intriguing. You feel like she's in control the whole time and only reveals to you what she wants you to see. Plus it's a great story and Charlotte Bronte's writing is flawless.

8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is another, like To Kill a Mockingbird that I'd intended to read for such a long time but just never got round to it. I'll definitely be reading more by Fitzgerald - his writing is wonderfully atmospheric. This book reminded me a lot of Breakfast at Tiffany's, in the best possible way. I probably don't need to recommend this one either but I'm going to anyway!

9. How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

This is the book, tied with The Color Purple, that takes the top spot for 2015. The writing is so wonderful, the story so poignant, and the characters so real, that I'll be thinking of this book for years to come. I didn't know a book could make me feel this way. Seriously, go and read this book now!

10. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

As I mentioned in the intro, I haven't actually finished this book yet (awkward)... But I've read enough of it to know how truly unique and different this book it. It has such a strong voice, and it's unlike anything I've experienced in literature before. I can't wait to read This is How You Lose Her (which I now own) sometime soon. Honestly, though, this was another book that took me by surprise. I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I did!

 So there you have it! My top ten reads of 2015! I truly loved this reading year, though I just wish I could've fit more in! :P

What was your favourite read(s) of 2015?  

Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Typical. Probably the most famous Sherlock Holmes story there is, and I'd read basically all of them except this one. I, as a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, should hang my head in shame.

But no more! Last month, I finally picked up this book after years of wanting to, which kinda what my Classics Catch-Up month was all about! Sure, this one wasn't actually on my TBR for the month, but I never stick to TBRs, and who am I to break the tradition now? ;)

Besides, as I said above, this is almost certainly the most famous Sherlock Holmes story, and I've seen quite a few adaptations of it. So I thought it was high time I read the real thing for myself!

Having read and loved all of the short stories, I found the longer ones I've read (A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four) to be a little disappointing. The stories themselves felt a bit like overlong short stories with a giant rambling explanation on the end, which is not exactly what I wanted from a novel.

But The Hound of the Baskervilles is much more of a fleshed out story, and has more of a novel-like feel to it. The tension builds much more slowly as the threads of the mystery are woven together. I loved the spooky atmosphere of the Dartmoor setting and the lurking threat of the Grimpen Mire, capable of swallowing up anyone who makes one false step.

As far as the mystery goes, I deduced who the villain was fairly quickly. But there were still plenty of satisfying loose ends to tie up after that. All in all, a highly worthwhile read. And it didn't take very long either!

Have you read The Hound of the Baskervilles?

What are you reading over the holidays?

5 Fave "New to Me" Author Discoveries This Year

Hello! And welcome back to another post for #AMonthofFaves (check out the intro post for the details, including links to the hosts' blogs!).

Today's post is another one from last week (oops), and the topic is '5 favourite new-to-me authors of the year'. I read loads of authors this year that I'd never read before, so it'll be tricky to narrow it down!

Oh well, here goes nothing:

1.Thomas Hardy

"But Rachel, you didn't read a Thomas Hardy book this year!"

True. But I did listen to about half of the audiobook for Far from the Madding Crowd and absolutely loved it. I don't think audiobooks are for me (at least at the moment), but I did fall in love with Hardy's writing and I'm so so keen to pick this up in physical form soon.

2. Junot Diaz

"But Rachel, isn't this the first time you're mentioning Junot Diaz on this blog?"

Why yes, astute reader, I believe it is. This is a slightly embarrassing story... I read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao earlier in the summer, but I stopped about 6 pages from the end and still haven't finished it. Why? Not a clue!

I really loved the book though, and I can't wait to pick up This is How You Lose Her, which I bought recently with my birthday money.

3. Alice Walker

I LOVED The Color Purple when I read it this summer, and according to my sister the rest are just as good.

4. F. Scott Fitzgerald

I think my strategy for narrowing down this list is, rather than necessarily trying to choose my favourite (way too many!), to choose authors that have really made me want to delve deeper into their writing and read more of what they've got to offer. This kind of excludes writers like Harper Lee (I'm not that fussed about her new book) and Andy Weir, simply because it was their book as a standalone rather than their whole body of work which interested me. Hopefully that makes sense :P

Anyway, my absolutely favourite part of The Great Gatsby was Fitzgerald's writing style, and that's definitely something I'm keen to explore in his other works. I can't believe it took me so long to get to him, but I'm glad I finally did this year!

5. George R.R. Martin

Though he may not be my favourite author of the year, this guy has really made me want to read the rest of his books! I've been told they're not all as good as the first one, but that some of them are great. I can't wait to discover them!


So there you have it! My top 5 new-to-me authors of the year.

Who were your favourites?

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things in 2015

Plot twist: the bottom of this post is stuck on blue and it won't let me change it! 

Today's #AMonthofFaves topic is fun!!!

(Hop on over to Estella's Revenge or check out my announcement post for deets on what #AMonthofFaves actually is if you're not sure.)

Today's post is a list of favourite things from 2015, [Edit: I forgot to post this! It's the theme from December 3rd!] whether that's book-related or not. This is so great to reflect on - I've got so much to be thankful for, but I do such a bad job at remembering that. It's so good to be reminded once in a while of the good things in your life.

Favourite film of the year:

The Martian. Hands down. Loved the film just as much as the book and can't wait till it comes out on DVD.

Music:

My year of music listening has consisted very heavily of the Wicked soundtrack and (especially lately) Christmas music by Pentatonix. Judge all you like ;)

Food:

This year I was introduced by my housemate to the wonders of peanut butter and soy sauce and I've never looked back.

Drink:

In my old flat we had a whole shelving unit filled with different teas, and it was wonderful. Clipper do an amazing blend called Snore and Peace (also, great name!), which is camomile and other loveliness. That was probably my favourite of the teas, but the rest were great too.

Item of clothing:

I got given a Ravenclaw scarf for my birthday last year and it got worn for a significant proportion of 2015. No regrets.

Purchase:

A pair of brown brogues. Great shoes = happiness :)

Internet decision:

Making a bookish Instagram. Best decision ever.

Smell:

Honey Blossom scented candle from Yankee Candle. Closely followed by Cranberry Ice and Pink Sands. Not obsessed at all ;)

TV show:

Merlin. (Forever and always.)

Thanks buddy :')

Event:

Graduation! Actually quite a boring event in itself but it means I HAVE A DEGREE so that's always a good thing.

Outdoor activity:

Frisbee. Closely followed by cycling to work. (I also like Frisbee indoors)

Place:

Edinburgh. I went with a couple of friends in the summer and adored every second.

Animal encounter:

The elusive neighbour's cat (the cat is elusive, not the neighbour). But it's also the most adorable cat ever and I want it for my own.

Book-related gift:

This mug.

 

Thing to do:

Go for walks with my mum.

Biggest change:

Leaving education. Becoming an adult. Realising that I have to actively decide now what happens to me otherwise I'll stay in limbo in the same job forever and ever.

But I also get paid so... 


That's it for now! Let me know your faves of 2015 in the comments :) 

5 Popular Books Worth the Hype

Hello again! I only posted yesterday and here I am again. What is this madness???

In case you missed it, I'm participating in the blogging event #AMonthofFaves throughout the month of December. Read all about it here, and be sure to visit the hosts' blogs (and the other participants'!).

Today's theme is:

5 Popular Books Worth the Hype

...and it just so happens that I've read quite a few popular books this year that I thought were well worth the buzz. So many, in fact, that it was tricky to pick just five, but I think I'm happy with how I've narrowed it down. Let me know what you think!

1. The Martian

This book received a lot of hype when it was released, and even more when the film came out earlier this year. I absolutely loved it and thought it was worth all the hype 100%. Even my brother thought it was great, and he doesn't even read that much! So there you go.

2. The Great Gatsby

This is an incredibly famous book, so it was difficult to know how to prepare myself to read it. I think the way I did it - a spontaneous decision without any forethought - was the best way I could have chosen. For me, it definitely lived up to its reputation and I'm really keen to read more Fitzgerald in the future.

3. A Game of Thrones

This book is absolutely everywhere! It was recommended specifically to me by my brother (he even bought it for me!), which is high praise indeed from such a sporadic reader. But another friend whose opinions I trust didn't enjoy it at all, so I didn't know quite what to think. I finally read it this year and thankfully I really enjoyed it (it's always more fun to enjoy things I think!), and am very keen to pick up the rest of the books.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird

I read this for the first time this year and absolutely loved it. It's often difficult to know how you'll feel about a book as famous as this, and it can be a bit off-putting to know that everything you're thinking about it has been thought and expressed a thousand times before. But nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this book, and for me it was well worth the hype.

5. The Catcher in the Rye

I wasn't sure where I would stand on this as it's so well known and so divisive. Some people love it and some absolutely hate it. I think I definitely chose the right time to pick this one up. Loved it!


What 5 books would you pick?

Share your #AMonthofFaves in the comments!

#AMonthofFaves {My Reading Year}

So this was supposed to get posted yesterday...?? Woops! Blogger, you fail!

Huzzah! It's here! December has arrived and I no longer have to fear judgement for blasting out Christmas music and wanting to eat mince pies every other minute.

December is also a fun time because of the #AMonthofFaves blogging event hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella's Revenge, which basically involves writing a themed post for each day in December.

 

Today's post is all about bookish stats from this year, from best reading month to most-read genre and everything in between.

Total books read:

25 new books and 10 re-reads, including the entire Harry Potter series. Not spectacular by book-blogger standards (or compared with my previous years), but I'm pretty proud considering I was also doing finals for my degree.

Most read author:

J.K. Rowling - I re-read the whole Harry Potter series so that's 7 books. I think I only read one each by everyone else.. Though actually I did read two by Neil Gaiman so I guess he's second on the list.

E-books vs. physical books:

Of the 35 books I read in total so far this year only 3 have been e-books, so physical books win here by a large margin. Quite a contrast with last year where I spent a large portion of it abroad with only my kindle for company.

Most read genre:

I read a lot of classics this year, as well as a lot of books that I guess you would class as 'literary fiction'. But I did read a few fantasy books too (Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman books, GoT, Dracula...), and I'd love to read more soon.

Best/worst reading month:

I think July would probably have to be my best reading month as I read so many books on holiday, but I can't actually remember how many that was... Probably about 6 or 7.

As for my worst month, there were a couple of months where I read basically nothing at all, though I can't remember which those were. Almost certainly May and I think February as well. Sad times. But hooray for no more exams or essays!

Best book of the year:

Well that would be telling ;)

I'm not even sure I've decided yet! I think at the moment it's a tie between two that I really enjoyed. One because it felt so real and was so well researched and the other because it had such a unique voice. That's all you're getting for now!


How was your reading year?

Feel free to link to your #AMonthofFaves post in the comments! I'd love to read it :)

November Wrap-Up and December ANNOUNCEMENT!

Tomorrow it's officially December! Which means it'll officially be OK to listen to Christmas music (or at least to admit it!) and wear Christmas jumpers etc. Good times :)

This month I'm doing my wrap-up very slightly early so I can begin an EXCITING THING in December... But more on that in a bit! Let's get wrapping up shall we? (Appropriate to be wrapping up when it's nearly Christmas, eh???) (I'll show myself out)

What I wrote:

This month I've been doing a mini catch-up of some classics that I've always meant to read, so I put up a little TBR of books I'd like to try and get to (obviously not all of them, I'm not that ambitious!). I mentioned in my October wrap-up that I'd started reading The Great Gatsby, which I then finished at the start of November and absolutely LOVED! It actually reminded me a lot of Breakfast at Tiffany's, in that both books feature a central character who is a source of fascination for the much less charismatic narrator.

I also posted a couple of reviews, for The Catcher in the Rye and Ready Player One (the latter being a review that had been sitting half-finished in my drafts since July - oops!).

What I read:

I covered The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye above, but on top of that, I also read The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I also intend to review shortly (Spoiler Alert: I loved it!). Next, I started Frankenstein by Mary Shelley but got halfway through and fancied something else, so I picked up my new copy of The Hobbit that just arrived from Amazon.

I will finish Frankenstein at some point (hopefully soon), but I was finding it too hard a slog for my current mood. You know how it is, I'm sure! Anyway, I'm still on The Hobbit and loving it so far! I don't think I've read it since I had it read to me as a child, so it's definitely a much needed re-read.

What are you reading?

What I watched:

I've been continuing my love-hate relationship with Dr Who, as well as continuing my Merlin spree. I also watched a couple of films: Spectre (pretty good but SO violent! I couldn't believe it was a 12a!!!) and About Time (on my friend's Netflix). I was also given season 1 of Gilmore Girls on DVD, which will get watched in the coming weeks (/days/hours).

What I did:

Well, halfway through the month I had a birthday, which was nice. :) Apart from that I've been generally just chugging along, seeing friends, playing Frisbee and getting more and more cross with the weather as it tries to blow/rain/storm me off my bike on the way to work.

I've also been listening to the Pentatonix Christmas albums on repeat, particularly this song:

I'm obsessed...

Finally, my wonderful friend Carly introduced me to an app called Neko Atsume - Kitty Collector, which is basically Crazy Cat Lady: The App. But it's so adorable and I'm hooked! Just look!!!!

ONE OF THEM IS IN A HAT!!!

So yeah, I think that's all I wanted to mention for that.

Now onto an EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

Yesterday, I was having a read of some blogs, and I came across this post from Sophisticated Dorkiness in which she mentioned that some bloggers are doing a 'Month of Faves' blogging event throughout December. I had a quick look, and immediately decided to get involved.

I fully intend to stick to it at least most days! Hoorah! Take a look at the link above for the daily themes and let me know in the comments if you fancy getting involved too. Could be fun!?

So, how was your November?

Review: The Catcher in the Rye

The trouble with classics, especially ones as famous as this one, is that it can be hard to feel like your review can possibly contribute anything to the discussion that hasn't been said a million times (and a million times better!) before.

So I think this 'review' will probably be more of a personal reaction to The Catcher in the Rye and my experience of the book, rather than a review in the traditional sense.

Since I was first introduced to this book (when it was mentioned on 8 Simple Rules as being Bridget's favourite book), I've heard mixed things to say the least! Plenty of people declare it a book they thoroughly disliked, while others loved it. Having read it, I can certainly understand both points of view.

The book's protagonist Holden Caulfield made me feel a strong mix of pity, empathy and dislike. He is completely inconsistent, frequently complaining about behaviours and character traits in others that he continually displays himself, and he claims to hate all of his friends, while simultaneously wanting to be around them. Basically, he has no idea what he wants, or who he is, or what his life will be.

And I think that's why I liked this book so much. Sure, it also made me uncomfortable (much like Franny and Zooey did when I read that), but it also felt very real. All the things Holden does, all the little traits he notices in others, ring so true. And while Holden's experiences are certainly not reflective of mine, I think everyone can relate in someway to the feeling of being lost and of not knowing who you are.

I feel like if I'd read this book at a different time, a time when I was less uncertain of the future and more sure of my place in the world, then I wouldn't have liked this book half as much. But as it is, this book came at exactly the right time.

Is that weird?

How about you? Have you read The Catcher in the Rye? And, if so, what did you think?

Have you ever read a book at exactly the right time in your life?

November - The Accidental Classics Catch-Up Month!

So I'm aware that the title of this post is a bit of a mouthful, but I did just manage to pull a vacuum-cleaner down on my own head while cleaning the stairs, so don't be too hard on my OK..?

This month I started by reading The Great Gatsby, and now I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. Both books are ones I've heard referenced and mentioned countless times on TV, in films, in other books and by people around me, both IRL and on the internet.

So I've made the spur-of-the-moment decision to spend November reading all those types of classics that I've been meaning to read for ages but never got round to it. You know the ones... The ones that are considered 'canon', and are always featured on Books You MUST Read Before You Die lists.

Now, I know the so-called literary canon is far from perfect, and I'm well aware I'm likely to be reading a good many straight, white men this month... But I feel like, while they certainly aren't the be-all and end-all of literature (unlike some readers would have me believe), I'm sure they are considered classics for a reason. And I feel like their influence on popular culture and the literary landscape makes them worth the read.

I've drawn up a sort-of TBR for November, to the end of reading as many of The Books I Always Meant To Read as I can. It's really more of a list of books I might read, in no particular order, but I thought it might be of interest anyway!

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (This is technically a re-read, but I haven't read it since I had it read to me a child, so it's almost a first-time read!)
• Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Hmm... I think that's about all I can come up with! I left off all the really massive ones I want to read (*ahem* Les Mis *cough* Anna Karenina *cough* Moby Dick *cough*)

 Are there any I should add to the list?

 Please feel free to join me reading some classics if you feel like it! Let me know which ones in the comments below. :)

Review: Ready Player One

I'm sure it's not escaped the notice of many of you that Ready Player One by Ernest Cline has been an extremely popular book of late. I've seen reviews just about everywhere, all of which have adamantly sung the book's praises. Once I'd gathered the book's premise, it seemed to me the perfect book to get for my brother (who can sometimes be less than enthusiastic about reading) for his birthday. Then, in true sibling fashion, I immediately borrowed it back, I was that impatient to read it!

So, what did I think?

I must admit, I went into this book with rather high hopes. And it did not disappoint! The world was interesting and (mostly) believable, the dialogue was fun, the characters were good, and the plot itself kept me on the edge of my seat. I actually considered canceling plans with friends because I wanted to keep reading it. That's how gripping it was!

I think part of what was so enjoyable, though, was seeing how much fun the author had obviously had with the book. Every page was crammed with geeky 80s pop culture references and the narration had a layer of snark to it that just added to the effect. To be honest, a lot of the references went over my head (since I wasn't around in the 80s) but I still found them really fun. I imagine the experience would be even better if you got all the jokes.

Let's be honest, this book was pure wish-fulfillment. The nerdy, unpopular, poor, unattractive gamer beating the odds and winning the most epic game in history, while getting a girlfriend and perfect body to boot, is straight out of a stereotypical nerd's cliché daydream. But so what!? It worked! And I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

What did you think of Ready Player One?

October Wrap-Up

Hi folks, it's that time again where I discuss what's been going on over the past month! This month I actually read some books - quelle surprise!

What I wrote:

This month I did put out a couple of blog posts. Not as many as I'd like, of course, but baby steps...

Early on in the month I kicked off my 'Let's talk...' discussion post series with a post on re-reading books and my thoughts on that. Feel free to continue the discussion in the comments on that or link to your own post on that theme!

Next up (two weeks later...!), I posted a slightly personal post about writing and my intentions to start doing it again. I'm not doing NaNoWriMo, but feel free to let me know if you are! I'd love to cheer you on!

What I read:

Most of my reading this month consisted of a continuation of my Harry Potter re-read. I don't actually know what book I was on when the month began, but I finished the final book around halfway through the month. I actually re-read the final chapters of The Deathly Hallows several times, as I just love them so much! Next up I picked up Villette by Charlotte Bronte, which I actually started reading last year but ended up shelving as I had too much uni work. I was completely intrigued by this book, and ended up really loving it, despite how strange it made me feel - it's quite different to Jane Eyre!

Finally, I started reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is one of those books (rather like To Kill a Mockingbird) which I am ashamed to have left unread for so long. It so pervades our culture and collective consciousness that I really felt it was a must-read. I actually finished it on the first day of November, but hey! I still read most of it in October so I'm counting it!

What I watched:

Almost all of my TV watching for this month has consisted of Dr Who, which returned to our (British) screens recently! I have to say, my love-hate relationship to this show has not eased up on the 'hate' (*coughStephenMoffatcough*), but a couple of the episodes had some good ideas. Electric eels though? Really???

And what's with the sonic sunglasses?

I also finished my series 1 box set of Merlin, and am desperate to start re-watching series 2 immediately! I just love that show so much <3 Finally, on Friday my dad and I watched the Hitchcock film Psycho, which I've never seen but have heard so much about. It's so so creepy but I loved it!

What I did:

This month was pretty much a continuation of that last, in that it was a fairly uneventful time of working and casual socialising. I did get a sort-of promotion at work (more responsibility but no more money, alas!) and that has made the job more interesting. I also visited a friend in London for the weekend, and managed to get tickets to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (the new HP play opening in the West End next year) for next July - excited!!! :D

Anyway, I think that's pretty much it from me!

Let me know in the comments what you've been up to :)

On Writing

*Disclaimer: personal post alert!*

A little less than two years ago, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the unfamiliar among you) and churned out about 27,000 words of a novel, a feat of which I am still extremely proud. At some point during the writing process, however, I lost confidence and became bogged down in questions about why I was writing at all.

I liked the novel, I really did, but it somehow felt like it wasn't coming from me. I was writing something I thought people would want to read, but I wasn't writing something only I could create. And I came to realise that this fear of uniqueness, of authenticity extended far beyond my writing; it was pervading every aspect of my life.

So I stopped writing, and I put that particular passion of mine in a box and stashed it away where it couldn't bother me, and I got on with other things.

But writing didn't seem to want to leave me alone. I thought about it secretly. I noticed it constantly. I seethed with envy whenever a friend or acquaintance came out as a writer on social media (which happened surprisingly often). And in the end I just had to give in!

So this is me declaring that I'm writing again! I don't know what, and I don't know where it will take me. But that's part of the fun isn't it!? Who's with me?

p.s. Sorry Stephen King, I stole your title.

Let's Talk... Re-reading Books

First off, let's get out of the way the awkwardness of not knowing if there really is a hyphen in 're-read'... My instinct says to put it in but I've also seen it without all over the place. PLEASE ADVISE!!!

Ahem.

So today, in honour of this not-having-posted-anything-in-forever-and-I-really-need-to-kick-this-habit blog post, I would love you all to join me in my new series of discussion posts. These will relate to all things booky and book-bloggy, and you're all more than welcome to join in the discussion in the comments.

********

Today's post, as you've probably worked out from the title, is about re-reading books.

Now I'm a huge re-reader, especially when it comes to my childhood favourites. In fact, I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series now, which is probably what prompted me to write this post!

Here are a couple of reasons why I re-read books. Feel free to leave your own in the comments :)

1. A safe bet

I'd say probably the biggest reason for re-reading books (for me) is that I know I'll like them. Although I love to discover new books too, sometimes all I want to do is hop back on the Hogwarts Express and lose myself in that old familiar world.

'He accused me of being "Dumbledore's man through and through".'
'How very rude of him.'
'I told him I was.'

This is one of my all-time favourite Harry Potter quotes. I love revisiting this moment in the book!

2. Noticing something new

This is often especially true of childhood reads. Sometimes, the new perspective that comes from reading a book in a different phase of life can make you see things you never noticed before. When I re-read The Railway Children, I was surprised by how much of an adult perspective is slipped in by the narrator. When I re-read Wuthering Heights, I was able to appreciate it in its own right, as opposed to comparing it constantly with Jane Eyre.

Sometimes you can tell from the first time reading it that a book will benefit from a re-read. I know there are loads of mysteries where I'd love to see if I can decipher the clues now I know whodunnit. And some books are just so complex or confusing - One Hundred Years of Solitude is one that initially springs to mind - that I just know I haven't gleaned everything I can from them!

This can be a bit of a double-edged sword though. Sometimes re-reading a book you loved as a child with an adult perspective can put a damper on your enjoyment and show you some of the flaws you never noticed before. Has this ever happened to you?

3. Connection with the past

This is a strange one... Do any of you associate certain books really strongly with a time or place? 

For example, whenever I think of The Professor by Charlotte Bronte, I'm transported back to my bed in my little flat in Germany with the rain pounding on the windows. Breakfast at Tiffany's reminds me instantly of the little holiday cottage my family rented in Wales, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes takes me right back to the table in the corner of the Costa where I used to work, devouring those stories on my lunch breaks.

Talk to me!

When/what was the last book you re-read? 

Do you ever re-read books? 

Why or why not? 

Have your re-reading habits changed over time? 

Has re-reading ever ruined a book for you?

Where do your books take you when you re-read them?

I'd love to hear your views! :)

August Wrap-Up

Wow! It feels like a massively long time ago that I last posted on here. But it also feels like time has absolutely flown by!

First of all, a bit of news: I have a job and I am a grown-up and it's scary but also kinda fun!

Shelfie from my new place

So yes, I sort of have to stop being in denial about being a real proper grown-up now and pay council tax and think about savings and stuff. Say WHAAT!? I'm not really a full adult though because I bought some new Frisbee boots last week and left them on the train the next day. Fail.

Anyway, that's the life update bit sorted! Now onto the proper wrap-up!

What I wrote:

Er... Let's just skip this bit shall we...?

What I read:

Not a lot! But I did read a couple of things.

First of all, I picked up Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, inspired by the fact that I'd just bought it for my brother for his birthday and I actually just wanted to read it myself. Anyway, I really really enjoyed it as a story, though the beginning felt a bit info-dump-y at first. I do really recommend this book as a really fun and fast-paced read. Honestly, sometimes I was so keen to find out what was going to happen that I had to force myself to stop skim-reading. So that was a success!

Next, I picked up The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, which I also absolutely loved. It's so uniquely written. I think Junot Diaz hasn't written much (if I remember correctly), but I'm so keen to check out his other works. Oscar Wao is quite a strange story, but it's really powerful and not like anything else I've ever read. Seriously, give it a try!

Oh yeah, and I started a re-read of Harry Potter. I'm halfway through the third book <3

What I watched:

I'm currently in the middle of watching The Great British Bake-Off, along with the rest of the population of the British Isles. It's the best. I have also been introduced to an abundance of bizarre YouTube videos by my new flatmate (who sadly was only subletting and has already left). It's amazing what exists on the internet!

Finally, I've been rediscovering the wonders of Merlin, which, if you don't already know, is a hilarious BBC version of the Arthur/Merlin legend with some dodgy CGI and one of the best bromances on TV. Definitely worth a watch!

So yes. That was my month! Sorry I've been MIA and that this post is kinda late. I'd love to know what you've all been up to!

How was your month of August???

2015 Reading Goals - How I'm Doing So Far

Now, I'm pretty certain that at the start of the year I said I wasn't really going to set myself any challenges (I didn't set one on Goodreads for example). But after a month, I caved and posted this list of books I wanted to read to complete a reading challenge for the year.

I then promptly forgot all about it until just now. Oops.

So although it's way past the halfway point of the year (hello August, how did you get here???), I thought I'd just do a quick update on how I've done so far... Better late than never, eh? And who knows? Maybe I'll surprise myself.

1. A book with more than 500 pages: CHECK!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

2. A classic romance

3. A book that became a movie: CHECK

I read The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dracula, and The Beach, all of which became movies! There are probably even more that I can't think of right now.

4. A book published this year

5. A book with a number in the title: CHECK

I literally just finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline about 5 minutes ago, so that's another challenge complete! Yay! Hopefully I'll get a review up soon :)

6. A book written by someone under 30

7. A book with non-human characters: CHECK

I finished The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke a couple of days ago and that has some characters that aren't human... So I'm gonna go with that!

8. A funny book: CHECK

Read (and loved) The Martian earlier in the year. Not exactly the same type of humour as the book in my original post, but still really funny!

9. A book by a female author: CHECK

Loads of them!

10. A mystery or thriller: CHECK

I forgot to mention in my July wrap-up (woops) that I read Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie, partly listening to it on audiobook in the car on the way to Norfolk, and partly via my own physical copy (which I flew through - I couldn't take the suspense!).

11. A book with a one word title: CHECK

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

12. A book with short stories

13. A book set in a different country: CHECK

I put Burial Rites by Hannah Kent as my original answer for this, but I could also have gone with Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

14. A non-fiction book

15. A popular author's first book: CHECK

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, which I LOVED and really need to get on and review!

16. A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet

17. A book a friend recommended: CHECK

The Beach by Alex Garland. 

18. A Pulitzer Prize winning novel: CHECK

Well, I haven't managed to read Gilead yet, but I did read The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird, which I think have both won the Pulitzer Prize.

19. A book based on a true story

20. A book at the bottom of your TBR list

21. A book your mom loves: CHECK

I didn't get round to reading the one I put on the list originally, but I did read Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson, which my mum adores!

22. A book that scares you

23. A book more than 100 years old: CHECK

Dracula by Bram Stoker. I also read some of the Penguin Little Black Classics that fall into this category.

24. A book based entirely on its cover

25. A book you were supposed to read in school and didn't

26. A memoir

27. A book with antonyms in the title

28. A book you can finish in a day: CHECK

I read The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, which is super short, in one sitting (I think), and it completely blew my mind.

29. A book set somewhere you've always wanted to go

Does Mars count? ;)

30. A book published the year you were born

31. A book with bad reviews

32. A trilogy

33. A book from your childhood

34. A book with a love triangle

35. A book set in the future: CHECK

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

36. A book set in high school

37. A book with a colour in the title: CHECK

The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

38. A book that made you cry

39. A book with magic

40. A graphic novel: CHECK

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which I recently cited as one of my favourite reads of this year.

41. A book by an author you've never read before: CHECK

Loads.

42. A book you own but have never read: CHECK

Again, loads. I did read a lot of books I only bought this year, but I also read plenty that had been sitting on my shelf awhile.

43. A book that takes place in your hometown

44. A book that was originally written in another language: CHECK

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide.

45. A book set during Christmas

46. A book by an author with your initials

47. A play

48. A banned book

49. A book based on or turned into a TV show

I'm part of the way through A Clash of Kings so I'll probably count that here when I'm done with it.

50. A book you started but never finished

I'm coming for you Villette!

So there you go! If my counting is correct, I've completed:

21/50 challenges

Yay me! I'm definitely pleased with that :) I just hope I actually end up reading over 50 books this year (stupid exams). 

Are you guys doing any challenges? How's your reading going so far this year?

July Wrap-Up 2015

Hi friends :) I've decided to try something new today! If you like it, let me know in the comments so I can do it more :D

What I wrote:

Here's a quick summary of the reviews I posted this month, in case you're curious about my thoughts! I'm still somewhat behind on my reviews and am sitting on a LOT of unfinished content... Oops! But never fear! It will all appear eventually :P Most of these books I actually read earlier in the year, but there we are:

• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - really enjoyed it, but not quite as much as I'd hoped
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - ditto
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker - LOVED it! a contender for one of my all-time favourite books
• Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - really liked

I also wrote about my favourite books of 2015 so far, which was rendered slightly obsolete by my then immediately reading some more books that are definitely firm favourites now, and I also listed some hyped books I've never read.

What I read:

So July was quite a busy reading month at the beginning but kinda petered out towards the end. Something about being on holiday (which I was at the start of July) just speeds up my reading I guess. Before heading on holiday with my family, I re-read The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton, which was as crazy and beautifully written as I remembered it.

My holiday reading started out with To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (my first time reading it! Say whaaat!?) and The Color Purple by Alice Walker - I thoroughly enjoyed them both! Then I picked up the considerably more light-hearted but still really awesome Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson, and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Finally, just before heading home from my holiday, I started How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn (though I'm still midway through that - I'm savouring it!).

Basically, my holiday reading was seriously awesome and all the books I picked up were 5-star books for sure (though, you may have noticed, I don't actually give star ratings).

Then I sorta fell into a weird reading mood, which initially started because I was so busy visiting friends and whatnot (which I was totally cool with), but continued to prevent me from concentrating on the books I was reading even after I stopped doing fun stuff (which I was very much less OK with). Hey ho.

So I only finished one other book this month, The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke, which I only finished last night and I'm still processing my thoughts on.

What I watched:

Short answer: some, but not a lot. 

I'm trying not to get too much into the habit of watching shows as I'm moving next week to a house without a TV (and I can't afford, neither time- nor money-wise, to get Netflix). But I have gotten rather addicted to watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is the perfect combo of hilarious/philosophical/hardcore-awesome to make it a hit with me :)

I've also been watching lots of Come Dine With Me with my sister. Sibling bonding yo.

What I did:

Aside from going on holiday and seeing friends, I also GRADUATED!! Crazy times! I got to wear a gown and hood and everything (though no mortarboard... apparently my uni doesn't believe in hats!)

Since then I've just been pondering what on earth I want to do with my life (fun) and trying to look for jobs while I figure it out (double fun).

How was your month?

Review: Chronicle of a Death Foretold

When I posted a picture of my recent book haul on Instagram (as I mentioned recently, I've finally jumped on that particular bandwagon!), a user called themreadsbooks commented to say that Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcìa Màrquez was an absolutely wonderful book and she highly recommended it. After that, curiosity got the better of me, so I bumped it up my TBR and whizzed through it in a single sitting.

Beneath the deceptively simple writing style, this book is very complex and nuanced. The plot, as far as it exists at all, is minimal, and the main events (or, I should say, event) are revealed very early on. But nonetheless the narrative continues to build, painting a more and more detailed and nuanced image of the 'reality' of what happened.

As it goes on, more and more moral ambiguities are evoked, and there is always a tension between what the characters are morally capable and morally willing to do. Those with the best intentions never seem able to prevent tragedy, and by the end it is clear whether the whole thing is a mess of coincidence or of fate.

The narrator tells the story retrospectively from a point in the future, and the memories, both personal and collective, of those who were there are woven into the story. Somehow, in many cases, the author does this in such a way that it only serves to throw more doubt on the reliability of narrative. Even something as simple as the weather is called into question, with some remembering glorious sunshine and others remembering rain.

There is no real conclusion to the story, and no real point where the themes come to a head or any further meaning is revealed. Instead, everything just hangs in the air and any solid purpose is only hinted at.

There are a great many themes,large and small: the reliability of memory, the individual versus the collective, the nature of moral responsibility in the face of what is (or is perceived to be) inevitable. And all of this against a scorching Caribbean backdrop. This book is not only wonderful and evocative, but incredibly engrossing. Not to mention it's barely over a hundred pages. Pick it up now! You won't be disappointed.

What did you think of Chronicle of a Death Foretold? Do you agree with my review? Let me know in the comments.