A book about books: Howard's End is on The Landing: Susan Hill

Now here's a book for me! A book, about reading books! I feel like this is the sort of book you should read tucked up in a chair with a hot drink in Autumn. I'm too sentimental.

Our author, Susan Hill is a fiction and non-fiction writer, and great book lover, who lost among her sea of unread books, decided to halt her endless purchase of new books, and explore her expansive library of books collected over her lifetime.

This was a charming wee book to read, and finished all too soon: i felt if she'd had a bigger book, she could have gone into greater depth about her collection. Essentially it was a journey through some of her favourite authors, and books, why they were her favourites and some fantastic insights into books and reading. Books vs Kindle for example?

A great holiday read, and fantastic for encouraging you to read more and enjoy the books you have!

8/10 (purely because it should have been longer.)

Wicked-Gregory McGuire

   

     The hit musical! Or, my battered copy of the book, picked up from my local charity shop!
Wicked has had such a song and dance made out of it (no pun intended...) that I was sure it would be worth reading the book! So I picked it up second hand, a little daunted by its size...I mean, how much DID happen before Dorothy appeared? It was definitely worth the read though. McGuire clearly has some imagination on him, although that being said he's stolen the concept of The Wicked Witch of the West from someone else entirely!

     The book follows the "life and times" of the Wicked Witch of the West, a character you're unsure at first that you want to grow fond of. After all, she's one of our great fictional villains! But being written in his subtly humorous manner, McGuire achieves this sense of endearment towards Elphaba. I'll admit the first and the last few chapters I struggled to get through; thinking the book really did go on quite a bit towards the end, but the over all effect of the book was that you really did get to know our protagonist, and cared about her life. Small details such as how the witch, who is deathly allergic to water, cleans herself give, falls in love, and has an agenda like all of us make her a likeable character, and that perhaps this poor character is just misunderstood.

It took a little getting into, but overall enjoyable.

7/10.

The Call of Cthulhu: H.P Lovecraft

Yes my copy also came with 3D glasses...

Lovecraft's a bit weird really. His obsession with stenches and "indescribable horror" makes you really wish he actually would just describe it. The more time passes since reading his collection of "weird tales" the more it plays on my mind and begins to disturb me a bit!

     A lot of the stories are essentially science fiction, something I've never really dealt with before, and not what the book seems to present itself as...but then there will be a surprise element of pure horror story, leaving me with chills down my spine and feeling glad I'm not alone in the flat.
And Lovecraft loves to describe the horror, of what humans would actually do if we came across these ancient life forces, as described in his "Necronomicon" and what they would do if they came across us.
There is a deepening prevailing sense of darkness and despair while reading these books. Hs writing style, definitely requires perseverance, but is worth it for the overall effect. He grapples a lot with the psyche and the stress of terror and loneliness dropping down into a spiral of horror...

I'm really selling this aren't I?

This book was definitely not what I would usually go for, and was also definitely a challenge for me, but the overall effect of his writing style has managed to stay with me weeks after finishing the book, and if anything has broadened my horizons to other genres I might enjoy.

7/10, will possible reread some stories, but not the whole book. Tad depressing!

The Selection: Kiera Cass (Book 1)

     Not gonna lie, trashy young adult fiction is my weakness.

Set in a sort of dystopian future (as most of these books are post Hunger games extravaganza...) Girls from different districts are offered up to the Prince to be part of a selection: a sort of reality TV show (Bachelor style) for the country to find their new princess.  She has a sweetheart back home already, so of course vows not to fall for the seemingly vapid carefree prince, ends up falling in love, conflicting love triangle blah blah blah.

It's pretty cliched, but it's a fun read if you like that sort of thing (embarrassingly, I do,) which is why it doesn't really deserve a full review. Just to say I'd give it 7/10 for entertainment purposes, not quality of writing! And of course, as seems to be the fashion at the moment, there will be a trilogy...Stay tuned!

Ps in contrast to this nonsense, my next review is Vintage Lovecraft. I really don't have a genre I stick to.

The Great Gatsby-F.Scott.Fitzgerald

 

  I bought this book for my partner, who really wanted to read it before the film came out (which was AWESOME, by the way!) And didn't think I'd have time to read it also, but at 180 pages, finished pretty quickly. I feel like if I hadn't been in such a hurry, the book might have held greater weight with me, and I hate to say it, but watching the film did bring it to life and illustrated very well the meanings and relationships from the book.
     The book however, is a great illustration of a man's life, the dreams and downfalls of a man who seems so great to others, but to himself is so full of clear shortcomings, he hides behind grandeur , always remaining illusive and an enigma. Needless to say the book is incredibly sad; as a commentary on how our lives can be so full of meaning to us, yet so empty and disposable to others was essentially pretty depressing. But then that's what books are meant to do: teach you something, even small that you can take home with you at the end of the day.
Definitely worth the read, and as with most classics, I find are worth rereading to achieve the greater messages hidden within a text.

Aaaaaand for your viewing pleasure.

Stephen King Joyland

    Stephen King, Stephen King. Did you owe someone a favour, allowing them to publish this book? This review's a tricky one because I actually really enjoyed reading this book, and finished it in about 4 hours; but without giving too much away, the ending was a huge let down, and so many plot points felt like copouts, to the point where an episode of Scooby Doo almost has better depth and plot craft..."if only it wasn't for you pesky kids!"

     His writing style for Joyland, is unlike his usual style: although I haven't read a Stephen King in about  five years, but I was attracted but it's 60's print cover and its reminding me of the "Point Horror's" I used to read as a teenager, holed up in my room, terrified of the mere words on the page.

     Joyland is so similar to this style of book, and is marketed as such: a pulp fiction. It follows the story of a young man with a broken heart, who finds work at a funfair in order to make some money over his summer. As someone who however prefers the rational explanation over the paranormal one, many of the events that unfold lack real depth, and their explanations seem farfetched and a bit of a letdown. I feel completely conflicted because I want to love this book. But it's characters are lacking somewhat, and the finale is just weak.

For that, I'll give it 6/10...worth a read if you enjoy quick to read, trashy horror, but not worth a reread any time soon.

And for amusement purposes, here's Stephen King holding a pink Kindle

When God Was A Rabbit-Sarah Winman

   

      The first thing I will say about this book is that I finished it in 12 hours, some of which I was sleeping-it really wasn't a tough read at all. That being said, it was enjoyable enough to keep me reading, bit not a book I'd pick up again.

     I enjoyed Winman's writing greatly: the subtlety with which she delivers a blow is something many authors just haven't grasped, instead opting for in your face crass descriptions.
The book is written from the eyes of Eleanor Maud as she grows up, with the book being split in two parts, creating an almost seamless leap between her childhood and adult years.  The book provides a definite sense of what is lost in adulthood, but also what might be gained, through a better understanding of the world.
      The relationships between characters are what makes this book a success. Between Eleanor and her brother, her closest friend, the neighbour, and her rabbit...the book is a wonderful illustration of bonds that can form between people, that often last a lifetime, and this is what  took away with me from the book: that across space and time, some bonds aren;t broken, and that your closest friends are often the most unexpected.
7/10.