Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016

[poppyshake]

Gracious! All behind again  I won't make excuses .. I'll just try to plough on and get some reviews written.
 
My computer is on its last legs (but will probably be made to stand on them for another five years at least .. I NEED a new kitchen  ) and is refusing to upload pics so I'll have to do without for now     If I can find the right buttons to push/spells to say then I'll add them later.
 
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
 
Synopsis: On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways. Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall? Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.
 
Review: This was another book that I read jointly to/with Alan and, though we did like it, it outstayed its welcome and by the time we finished it we were glad to put it down and a bit miffed to have invested so much time and energy reading it without the big reward we felt was owed. It was a bit laborious at times and boring. Promising much that never really materialised. Characters .. behaved oddly .. if not totally bizzarely. I didn't make them up obviously but to me they started behaving out of character .. and it all got a bit 'soap opera' but not in a good way .. in a cardboard sets, listening at key holes, plotlines that fizzle out kind of way.

I don't think our opinions are typical .. it seems to be quite a well loved book but neither of us loved it. Disappointing as the opening chapters are brilliant .. and the overall premise is great but it ended as a bit of a damp squib. Again, fractured reading of it might not have helped. After a while we weren't particularly eager to pick it up Liked it but could have cheerfully thrown it out of the window by the end .. its lovely cover saved it!    

Edited June 16, 2016 by poppyshake

[Nollaig]

Oh that's a shame, it's one I've been thinking about picking up recently. Maybe I won't...

[poppyshake]

Bird Cloud: A Memoir of Place by Annie Proulx
 
Synopsis: Annie Proulx, one of America's finest writers, invites us to share her experience in the building of her new home on a rich plot of untouched, unspoilt prairie and her pleasure in uncovering of the layers of American history locked beneath the topsoil.‘Bird Cloud’ is the name Annie Proulx gave to 640 acres of Wyoming wetlands and prairie and 400 foot cliffs plunging down to the North Platte River. On the day she first visited, a cloud in the shape of a bird hung in the evening sky. Proulx also saw pelicans, bald eagles, golden eagles, great blue herons, ravens, scores of bluebirds, harriers, kestrels, elk, deer and a dozen antelope. She knew she had to purchase the land, then owned by the Nature Conservancy, and she knew what she would build on it – a house in harmony with her work, her appetites and her character – a library surrounded by bedrooms and a kitchen. Proulx's first non-fiction in more than twenty years, Bird Cloud is the story of building that house – solar panels, a Japanese soak tub, a concrete floor, elk horn handles on kitchen cabinets – and an enthralling natural history and archaeology of the region, inhabited for millennia by Ute, Arapaho and Shoshone Indians. It is also a family history, going back to nineteenth century Mississippi river boat captains and Canadian settlers, and an illuminating autobiography. Proulx, a writer with extraordinary powers of observation and compassion, turns her lens on herself. We understand how she came to be living in a house surrounded by wilderness, with shelves for thousands of books and long worktables on which to heap manuscripts, research materials and maps, and how she came to be one of the great American writers of her time.

Review: I normally love Annie's writing but oh gosh .. this was a trial   She just goes into too much in-depth detail. If you're the sort of person that wants to have every screw, gate post and rivet described then this book might be for you .. as long as you like archaeology and biology too. Plus lots of other ologies. I actually loved reading all about the wildlife (she has or had nesting bald eagles and golden eagles at Bird Cloud and was able to observe them whirling about the sky and in their favoured trees) and I loved reading about the build in general .. the problems and setbacks etc but goodness .. sometimes the chapters just laboured on. Sadly the bits I hated far outweighed those I enjoyed and I struggled to remain interested. I have great admiration for her, she built a house in one of the most inhospitable areas on earth, basically so she could get away from the rat race and live almost as one with nature (albeit it in a state of the art new build with regular trips into town) but, apart from herself, I can't see the book appealing to anyone really. It's too long winded with only glimpses of the gorgeous writing she's capable of. 

Apart from a pic of the area on the cover (which sadly .. you can't see   ) .. there were no pics included. No pics!!?? Of this house that you feel you know every centimetre of .. that you sweated blood and sweat and boredom to read about. No pics of the eagles!!! Cheated doesn't cover it. I had to Google them straight after and thankfully there were a few. I feel some progress pics along the way would have helped. It's always nice to see a picture .. that's why I'm so gutted not to be able to include any myself .. to have you wade through all of this without the reward of some nice images  Soz!   I gave it a Liked it! But really it was a Not My Cup of Tea! It's just that she's a great writer (usually) and this is such a worthwhile thing to do and write about. I just felt she got it wrong in the execution. 

[poppyshake]

Oh that's a shame, it's one I've been thinking about picking up recently. Maybe I won't...

Honestly Noll .. lots of people love it. Read some other reviews before making up your mind  

[poppyshake]

The Bees by Laline Paull
 
Synopsis: Enter a whole new world, in this thrilling debut novel set entirely within a beehive. Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But Flora is not like other bees. Despite her ugliness she has talents that are not typical of her kin. While mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is removed from sanitation duty and is allowed to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. She also finds her way into the Queen’s inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous. But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. And when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all her instinct to serve is overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce love that will lead to the unthinkable . . .
Laline Paull’s chilling yet ultimately triumphant novel creates a luminous world both alien and uncannily familiar. Thrilling and imaginative, ‘The Bees’ is the story of a heroine who, in the face of an increasingly desperate struggle for survival, changes her destiny and her world.

Review: Just READ IT, READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!!!!  

That's all you need to know (and many, many, thanks to Claire for thrusting it into my hands at Waterstone's as I was aimlessly wandering about looking for inspiration among the millions of books .. ALL of which looked like my sort of thing   .. I expect I would have hit upon something not half as brilliant or exciting.) Read on if you must but it's all just padding .. I've said the important bit already!  

 

I read about a page of it before deciding that Al and I needed to read it together. We'd had some unsatisfactory reads or reads that didn't quite set the Thames on fire and this sounded like just the thing to keep us interested and involved and it certainly was .. it didn't let up for a minute .. it was just thrill after thrill.

 

Flora 717, a sanitation bee, is an unlikely heroine in lots of ways but she's feisty and inquistive and blessings of all blessings .. she's the sort of book character who WILL enter the forbidden west wing .. if her curiosity is piqued enough. There's only one Queen of the hive though and the others must vow to Accept, Obey and Serve at all times .. because if they don't .. they may fall victim to 'the kindness' (which is not very aptly named   ) or some other equally barbarous treatment. 

What's so brilliant about this story is although it's fantasy of course .. it's steeped in reality. The bees .. though anthropomorphised here .. act exactly as bees do (well, with a little embellishment of course) so it's fascinating as well as thrilling. 

Surely this must be made into a film, they simply must! They've made such great strides in digital animation now that it would be brilliant. If they do I'll be lamenting the fact that they can't use Rik Mayall to voice the drone, Sir Linden .. who seemed to me to be the embodiment of Lord Flashheart!

 

It's violent, it's bloodthirsty at times and a bit lewd. It's frightening and exciting, joyous and sad and all the things a great adventure story should be. Literally THE best book I've read in a long, long, time. Read it please, nag your library to get it in for you. You won't be sorry.

Loved it!

 

The only thing is (and bearing in mind that I'm not vegan or vegetarian) .. it's made me think differently about bee keeping  I was watching a lovely programme about Martha Kearney (journalist) who keeps bees and sells the honey for charity etc. And all I could think was 'vandal'       .. when she talked about extracting all the honey from the hive so that she would know for sure that the next batch would be solely from wild flowers and not oilseed rape .. I just yelled out 'now .. what will the bees do .. you scoundrel!!   ) I always used to think of it as a lovely thing to do .. like being at one with nature. Bees and man .. working in harmony. Oh dear!! 

 

[Nollaig]

The Bees is another one I've been meaning to get to so I might read that before The Miniaturist

[poppyshake]

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

 

Synopsis: Twig lives in a remote area of town with her mysterious brother and her mother, baker of irresistible apple pies. A new girl in town might just be Twig's first true friend, and ally in vanquishing an ancient family curse. A spellbinding tale of modern folklore set in the Berkshires, where rumours of a winged beast draw in as much tourism as the town's famed apple orchards.

 

Review: I did enjoy this though it was a bit slight. It is a magical read and certainly early on it's enchanting but I'm probably just a little a lot too old to fully appreciate it. As a teenager I would have lapped it up though but sadly books like this didn't come my way then. I was probably still reading Enid!  

I do love her writing, and it's a great piece of escapism. It's only short so you can gobble it up in one sitting and it's very atmospheric. I would have liked it to be a little more complex but it's not an adult book. Loved her book Practical Magic .. and was hoping for something similar and it was .. but in a gentler .. less hard hitting, less macabre (and shorter )way. Liked it! Ideal for a rainy afternoon .. probably in winter .. with cocoa and toasted marshmallows. 

[poppyshake]

The Bees is another one I've been meaning to get to so I might read that before The Miniaturist

Yes .. definitely do that!!

[poppyshake]

I've been too behind on reading other people's reading logs, including yours!  I love my work and my Boss is the best but hell, it does cut down on the time I get to spend doing other stuff I love!! 

I know .. doesn't life get in the way!? When I think of all the hours I spend shopping and cleaning and ironing and washing etc. Who wants to do any of that? It's cutting into my book and booky things time!!

I've had a lot of fun reading through the latest posts in your reading log and as always, have a few comments... 

 

Great review! I'm glad this was even better than the other one, as it feels like you've 'discovered' the great laugh potential with Jonathan Tropper I've yet to read this particular book of his myself, but I'm thinking it'll be a hoot! (Did I tell you about seeing the movie of the book of his I sent to you? Can't remember the name... The one about the funeral? The movie was rubbish. Too bad as the book was awesome and the cast in the movie was great! It just didn't deliver.)

You did tell me yes, I remember you being particularly disappointed that they didn't do full justice to the 'birthday cake of revenge' scene 

Holy crap Hardbacks!!!!!

I know! Is it an age thing do you think? .. something you grow to like more like Werther's Originals and cardigans?

An amazing review!  Can I ask (if you said, I missed it ): how did you discover the book and what made you read it? Out of curiosity. So glad you enjoyed it! I'm not sure, but I think the reason why this book is on my wishlist is because it was somehow featured in the non-fiction book about 9 different literary couples, which I really liked. I've been curious about the book but have never felt like ordering a copy for myself, from a bookstore or a library. However... I'm so glad you added a few quotes! Because I was mesmerized... I'm now totally wanting to read the book!! 

Thank you lovely xx I was wandering around Waterstone's on my birthday .. with money and vouchers and I was willing something to speak to me .. and this book did!

I must say it's challenging though .. blimey did I suffer but I enjoyed it .. I quite like to suffer when reading. Apart from with boredom .. nothing is worse. It felt right to suffer as she was suffering so much. She doesn't come across very well .. she's not likeable at all but in a funny way I did admire her .. for her honesty as much as anything. 

Again, an amazing review!! Many months ago, I happened to accidentally catch the movie on TV, and I was blown away, and immediately added Keats's stuff on my wishlist. I even borrowed this particular book of his/about him from the library, but didn't get into it... It was in Finnish, maybe that was why. I think his stuff will be amazing in English... I'm so glad you had a chance to watch the movie, too, and that you really really liked the book (the poetry and the letters). I can't believe he died at age 25... That's really nothing... He was way too young. 

Oh gosh the movie was just sublime :wub: Reading Keats is not as easy or accessible as I was hoping but I'm glad I did. I'm pretty sure the Finnish edition was not to blame  

Gallic charm indeed! So pleased you really liked it even though you didn't absolutely love it! Such a darling book, such a darling character.

It's one of the stories that has stayed with me actually and one that was v close to being loved. Yes .. Guylain is such a darling character.

I remember us talking about Christopher Fowler... Glad you finally got to reading the first book in the series! I've yet to read it... I think I started it some time ago but was a bit perplexed by the start... I think it was the 1940s stuff, right from the start, and it threw me off. I wanted there to be the modern day stuff to begin with.

Not sure .. I thought they started with the modern but then again there might have been a prologue that was set in the 40s. I like stories set in WW2 .. my Dad watched so many films and documentaries about it when I was little that I spent my childhood in the trenches .. figuratively speaking Though I was often riding the range too   

As I've not read FDH, I don't know how it's truly like, but I think you could actually like the second novel in the series better than this one as there's no going back and forth in time. It's a full-on detective story.

I definitely am going to read more .. I love this partnership 

[chesilbeach]

Oh I am glad you enjoyed The Bees - it was one we read at my book group, and one of those very occasional reads that was a hit with everyone!  I think it helped that none of us really knew what it was going to be about, and I can't remember any negative comments about it at all.

[poppyshake]

Oh I am glad you enjoyed The Bees - it was one we read at my book group, and one of those very occasional reads that was a hit with everyone!  I think it helped that none of us really knew what it was going to be about, and I can't remember any negative comments about it at all.

I'm not surprised .. it's brilliant! Exactly what I want out of a book but very rarely get!  Thanks again Claire xx

[poppyshake]

The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell
 
Synopsis: Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays. He even has a motorbike, Che Guevara style. What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin. Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Perónist regime, this is the heart-warming story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by Tom from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - in particular one homesick school boy. And as for Tom, he discovers in Juan Salvador a compadre like no other.
 
Review: Oh, I do love a book about a penguin I remember wanting one after reading Death and the Penguin .. and, if anything, I want one even more now. I shan't give in to my impulses though .. I know little penguins are better off where they are and we would probably be incompatible. Do penguins like Kate Bush and cheese on toast? It's doubtful but anyway .. everyone who reads this absolutely enchanting tale will hanker after their very own penguin to love. Don't say I didn't warn you.
 
It didn't start well (the relationship that is .. not the story ) Whilst wandering around on a beach in Uruguay, Tom comes across (practically stumbles across) a hideous catastrophe. Hundreds upon hundreds of penguins have been washed up on the shore, dead .. and covered in oil    (and not from an accidental oil spill either .. but from a deliberate oil spill       ) It sort of transfixes him for a while but then he spots a penguin that is still moving. He goes towards it with the intention of .. well .. putting it out of its misery but as he approaches the penguin jumps up and starts to get defensive .. snapping at him and basically trying to kill him  This little penguin has some spirit and spark left in him. Is it possible that he can be saved? There's no way Tom can pick him up and carry him  .. he's covered in oil and more than a little tetchy, so he looks about for what he can use and settles on a piece of fishing net. He drapes it over the penguin, bundles him up and sets off for his rented apartment (and I did worry about this plush apartment with its sparkling bathroom that he was borrowing from a friend!  ) Now I don't know about you but getting my shopping home is always a trial .. I'm not a good packer and there's always potatoes that want to jump out and roll on the floor and jars that inexplicably open of their own accord. I cannot begin to imagine what it must've been like trying to get a furious penguin home! 
 
Tom eventually manages though. He takes the penguin into the gleaming white pristine bathroom and attempts to hold him over the bidet (with the aid of a string shopping bag) and pour clean water over him. At first there is a mad struggle, the penguin bites him and draws blood and kicks out at him with razor sharp talons. Tom has to bind up the penguin's beak and feet (all the while cursing like mad and trying to staunch the flow of blood) but then, miracle of miracles, as soon as he starts pouring the water the penguin calms down. He understands all of a sudden that this man is trying to help him. He changes just like that into the most docile and helpful creature ever and it's not long before Tom unbinds his beak and feet and together they get the job done. Tom then puts him in the bath where he skitters up and down quite happily.
 
Tom looks after him for a few days, works out how to get him to feed, keeps washing his feathers (they've lost their waterproofing so no point in trying to re-introduce him to the sea just yet) and generally revels in his company. He gives him a name .. Juan Salvador Penguino .. shortened to Juan Salvador and eventually to Juan Salvado. I won't spoil the rest of the story and tell you what happens to the pair of them .. but it's an amazing story. It's probably true of a lot of animals, most of them probably, but this penguin .. though he doesn't talk obviously .. has an understanding and an affinity with the humans he comes into contact with. They confide in him and are solaced by him and altogether it's the most wonderful thing in the world .. to be loved by a penguin
 
I must just warn you though ..

It has a sad ending

Lovely story .. it will make you do a happy dance. Liked it! 

[poppyshake]

Yuki Chan in Bronte Country by Mick Jackson
 
Synopsis: 'They both stop and stare for a moment. Yuki feels she's spent about half her adult life thinking about snow, but when it starts, even now, it's always arresting, bewildering. Each snowflake skating along some invisible plane. Always circuitous, as if looking for the best place to land...'
Yukiko tragically lost her mother ten years ago. After visiting her sister in London, she goes on the run, and heads for Haworth, West Yorkshire, the last place her mother visited before her death. Against a cold, winter, Yorkshire landscape, Yuki has to tackle the mystery of her mother's death, her burgeoning friendship with a local girl, the allure of the Brontes and her own sister's wrath.

Review: Oh, I wish you could see the cover you'd know then why I bought it Well, that and the title .. it's irresistible! The combination of the two was lethal .. my purse gave up the fight before it got nasty!  

It's probably not the story I was expecting but all the same I liked it a lot. Yuki (who's from Japan) doesn't know anything about the Brontes .. she doesn't particularly want to know anything about them. But, she feels they might hold the key to her mother's suicide. She has some photos that her mother took just before her death .. and Yuki wants to visit those places, stand in the self same spots .. absorb the atmosphere and try to draw something from the very air she once breathed and the ground she once trod on. Though it was ten years ago there must be some vestige left .. some message .. some reason.

One of these places is Haworth .. home of the Brontes.

 

It's a very sad tale actually .. sometimes funny but lots of pain and unhappiness. Yuki is desperate .. and her desperation leads her to do some unwise things that put her in danger. 

 

It's one of those stories that just weaves its magic slowly .. not fast paced .. quite the opposite but mesmerising and intriguing. Yuki is a great central character too .. very unconventional. There was no reverence for the Brontes I quite liked that (though I am at pains to point out that personally .. I greatly esteem them ) She was a bit sarcastic about them actually .. or at least the whole tourist town thing. Everything seemed to be linked to them .. the Bronte this and the Bronte that (Bronte nonsense as she calls it.) Yuki has joined a bunch of tourists and they stop at a little group of rocks (on the moors) to eat their packed lunches. She wonders if this has a name too .. Bronte Picnic Corner or Bronte Quick Stop For a Pee!?   She wonders why the Bronte Biscuits sold in keepsake tins in the tourist shops are called Bronte Biscuits .. what is Bronte about them? Shouldn't they at least be sister shaped? She listens to the others talking though and envies their enthusiasm. Perhaps she should read the well loved books .. maybe keep a journal about it .. perhaps persevere with her English so she can read them in their mother tongue ... 

'Then she thinks. This is how it starts. One minute you're eating some peculiar English sandwich. Someone whispers something in your ear and the next thing you know you've been infected with the Bronte Sickness. Worst of all you actually welcome it. Despite the fact that given time, it will destroy every last healthy cell.'       

 

My only criticism is that I wanted slightly more from the ending. Other than that I thought it was great, I like books that brood and are quirky. I've already looked at Mick's other books and have scribbled down some titles. There's one called The Underground Man which sounds great and Ten Sorry Tales which are illustrated by David Roberts who illustrates the wonderful Tales of Terror books by Chris Priestley so that's a definite. Liked it! .. but very close to Loved it! 

I'm loving it more actually in retrospect and I never know if this is sound or not! Have I forgotten some of the niggles or have I come to realise that it was something unique and special?  
 

[poppyshake]

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
  
Synopsis: In Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson regaled readers with uproarious stories of her bizarre childhood. In her new book, Furiously Happy, she explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. As Jenny says: 'You can't experience pain without also experiencing the baffling and ridiculous moments of being fiercely, unapologetically, intensely and (above all) furiously happy.' It's a philosophy that has - quite literally - saved her life.
Jenny's first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness. Furiously Happy is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways. And who doesn't need a bit more of that?
 
Review: Again .. you need to see the cover  :banghead: The cover drew me to the book. In fact I saw the cover, grabbed the book to look at the blurb etc .. loved the sound of it but thought I would do some sneaky research before fully committing. When I got home I couldn't remember the name of the book and of course, the cover is absolutely useless when doing an internet search .. especially if you can only remember that it was awesome  I did look at the non-fiction on Amazon etc .. just to see if the lovely cover came up but sadly it didn't. Happily I knew exactly where it was on the Waterstone's shelf I'd seen it on so I went back a few days later to find .. it wasn't there (sorry about this .. not a review at all but a lesson on buying books or rather how not to buy books ) Alan said 'what was the cover  like?' and I said 'well .. it was colourful .. it had sparkly bits on it .. and there was an endorsement from Caitlin Moran .. oh and it was a great big hardback'  Not exactly helpful! An assistant wandered over and Al .. to my great embarrassment .. tried to engage them in finding the book. I did remember that the author was some sort of blogger and that it was about mental health .. but that it was a funny take on it. The assistant didn't know what I was on about (join the queue) and I apologised and said it didn't matter and pretended to be interested in a completely different book .. hoping she would walk away so I could run out of the shop. While I was doing this Alan found it He had said a lot of 'is this it?'s so I was just about to bat him away with another exasperated 'no' when I found it was indeed it .. hooray! The annoying thing was that, even though I hadn't done the research, I felt rather obliged to buy it now. Al showed it to the assistant and said 'found it' and I'm all like .. well it's all very well for you to brag but I was still making my mind up .. couldn't you have been more discreet? 
 
It turns out the pic on the front was of a very happy raccoon with lots of sparkly bits around him. I have no idea why I remembered the sparkly bits but didn't remember the raccoon  I often try to remember key words (furious would have been a good one in this case .. apt too ) Actually, I later found out that the raccoon is real .. or at least it's a stuffed raccoon that Jenny owns (actually there are two)  .. and the rather unconventional pose it's striking was actually requested by her. She has a thing for taxidermy (only for roadkill .. she stresses this lots) .. which probably stems from childhood as her father is a taxidermist. This is weird territory for sure. The subtitle for this book is 'A Funny Book about Horrible Things' which sort of sums it up. Jenny struggles with mental health issues and laughter is her medicine (doesn't always work .. things are often bleak .. but ultimately she can usually see the funny side.) I'll write out her opening paragraphs which will explain all. Please excuse language .. if you don't like swearing .. the book's probably not for you. Scratch that .. it's definitely not for you. Having typed it up it's worse than I remember .. I'll put it in spoiler tags .. and bleep it but don't read it if offended by bad language.
 
(This was a blog post by Jenny) .. October 2010
 

All things considered, the last six months have been a goddamn Victorian tragedy. Today my husband, Victor, handed me a letter informing me that another friend had unexpectedly died. You might think that this would push me over the edge into an irreversible spiral of Xanax and Regina Spektor songs ( .. I love Regina!) but no. It's not. I'm f***ing done with sadness, and I don't know what's up the ass of the universe lately but I've HAD IT. I AM GOING TO BE FURIOUSLY HAPPY, OUT OF SHEER SPITE.
 
Can you hear that? That's me smiling, y'all. I'm smiling so loud you can f***ing hear it I'm going to destroy the goddamn universe with my irrational joy and I will spew forth pictures of clumsy kittens and baby puppies adopted by raccoons and MOTHERF***ING NEWBORN LLAMAS DIPPED IN GLITTER AND THE BLOOD OF SEXY VAMPIRES AND IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME. In fact, I'm starting a whole movement right now. THE FURIOUSLY HAPPY movement. And it's going to be awesome because first of all, we're all going to be VEHEMENTLY happy, and secondly because it will freak the sh*t out of everyone that hates you because those assh*les don't want to see you even vaguely amused, much less furiously happy, and it will make their world turn a little sideways and will probably scare the sh*t out of them. Which will make you even more happy. Legitimately. Then the world tips in our favour. Us: 1. Assh*les: 8,000,000. That score doesn't look as satisfying as it should because they have a bit of a head start. Except you know what? F**k that. We're starting from scratch.
Us: 1. Assh*les: 0

Within a few hours #FURIOUSLYHAPPY was trending on twitter worldwide.
And basically that's what the book is about. Despite the ranty tone (bark worse than bite) .. it's quite a thought provoking book. Anyone who has ever suffered with anxiety .. especially social anxiety or stress/depression will recognise a lot of Jenny's experiences .. she self harms .. she hides under tables from the world (literally) .. she's zonked out by medication. Sometimes she can't bear noise or being near people .. etc etc. But, she tries to deal with it all with humour. Her husband, Victor, is a great stooge (or is she his? .. not sure ... bit of both) I'm not sure he really does say the things he's credited for in this book but if he does .. haha .. genius. Otherwise she's the genius for making it up!

I laughed loads. It can be a bit wearing .. verging on manic. But overall, a tonic for the troops. Caitlin endorses it which is no surprise because this is very Caitlin-like. Only this is an American version.
An acquired taste I imagine but if you like irreverent and are interested in the subject then it might be for you. Don't read though if you're easily offended or offended at all by bad language as it's pretty liberally sprinkled. Liked it!

[Athena]

Lots of long Poppyshake reviews . I'm glad you're enjoying your reading .

[poppyshake]

Lots of long Poppyshake reviews . I'm glad you're enjoying your reading .

Yes  I was thinking that      I could have actually written lots more reviews if I'd kept them shorter    Oh well ... gabbling on is my default setting. Can't fight it I suppose 

Thanks Gaia My reading is going pretty well all things considered   xx It's my reviewing that's not going quite so well 

[poppyshake]

Bermondsey Boy by Tommy Steele
 
Synopsis: In this engaging memoir Tommy recalls his childhood years growing up in Bermondsey. He relives with great fondness Saturdays as a young boy, spent gazing at the colourful posters for the Palladium and days spent wandering up Tower Bridge Road to Joyce’s Pie Shop for pie and mash. But he also brings to life with extraordinary vividness what it was like to live through the devastation of the Blitz.
Yet it was once he joined the merchant navy and began singing and performing for his fellow seamen that his natural ability as an entertainer marked him out as a favourite. And it was while ashore in America that he became hooked on rock’n’roll and a legend was born. From Tommy’s humble beginning to life at sea and finally as a performer, Bermondsey Boy is a colourful, charming and deeply engaging memoir from a much-loved entertainer.

Review:  My sister thrust this at me last time I saw her. I was a bit hesitant but then she said .. 'I've never really liked him .. I've always thought he was an irritating twit .. but a friend recommended this and its really good', which convinced me as it was just what I was thinking. Not that I particularly disliked him .. he was just a bit .. hyperactive  (exhausting in other words.) Anyhow I didn't think much more about it but a few weeks ago I caught a really bad self pitying cold My head was like cotton wool and I couldn't concentrate on anything, the book I was reading was just too involved .. it wasn't going in but then I remembered this book and picked it up and it did the trick (I'm not claiming it cures colds .. I wouldn't go as far as that .. but it did distract and entertain me without taxing me too much .. it made me actually smile which I hadn't done for a week  ) 

 
Most of the book is about Tommy's childhood and adolescence .. he hardly really touches on his adult famous years (perhaps that's another book.) He grew up in Bermondsey, London during the Blitz so has lots of stories to tell and he tells them really well. I found him engaging and had to chuck out all of my preconceived notions.  Very nostalgic but not overly sentimental .. a very happy and joyous read actually. Mum has also read it now and loved it. Liked it! 

 

PS: The book doesn't touch on it but as I was Googling about later (something I often do after reading a book .. digging a bit deeper to find out more about story/writer/subject.) I learnt that Tommy is a sculptor .. and that there is a bronze statue in Stanley Road, Liverpool called 'Eleanor Rigby' which Tommy designed and made. Marvellous .. who knew?!? 
 

[poppyshake]

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
 
Synopsis: In a London flat, two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their mother's sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic, imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness.
In this moment of despair they are visited by Crow - antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter. This sentimental bird is drawn to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss gives way to memories, the little unit of three starts to heal. In this extraordinary debut - part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief - Max Porter's compassion and bravura style combine to dazzling effect. Full of unexpected humour and profound emotional truth, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers marks the arrival of a thrilling new talent.

Review: Well, this was something different The synopsis and the blurb are a little bit misleading. It sounds all a bit Nanny McPheeish which in theory it is but the execution of it couldn't be more different. Be prepared to be challenged.
I don't know much about Ted Hughes .. his work I mean. I wasn't familiar with his book 'Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow' which was a shame as I'm sure it would have been enormously useful and had I twigged (ha .. don't know why that's amusing me but it is  ) earlier then I probably would have tried to get hold of a copy to read first because I feel a lot depends on you knowing about Ted's crow.

The family in this book (a man and his two sons) have been recently and suddenly bereaved. They're devastated and almost drowned in a sea of despair .. and that's when Crow comes to stay. I'm not sure anyone would particularly welcome Crow at any time .. let alone a time when they're at their most vulnerable. He's a bit caustic .. not to say downright insulting, crude, lewd, sarcastic and unfeeling. Somehow though he's what they need and it's an astonishing insight really into deep down, raw, gut wrenching, grief .. which isn't pretty or easily assuaged by kind words.   

 

It's a stunning book, sometimes I was confused .. sometimes it moved me to tears. It's difficult .. almost painful to get through. Anyone who's even considering reading it should flick through it first in the bookshop/library. It's short and the text is scattered about .. quite sparsely in places and split between The Boys, Dad and Crow .. sometimes prose, sometimes poetry .. sometimes just random words stuttering on the page .. just scraps really. Again the book cover with its large black crow is striking .. it almost demands that you pick it up (I suppose that's Crow's doing ) It's very different to nearly everything I've read .. and I've read some oddities lately but I like books that challenge .. even if I do curse them at the time  

I'll just put in an excerpt from Crow .. one where he's not so potty mouthed Hope you speak Crow .. I don't and it scrambled my brain a bit. Liked it!

 

CROW

Gormin'ere, worrying horrid. Hello elair, krip krap krip krap who's that lazurusting beans of my cut-out? Let me buck flap snutch clat tapa one tapa two, motherless children in my trap, in my apse, in separate stocks for boiling, Enunciate it, rolling and turning it, sadget lips and burning it. Ooh, pressure! Must rehearse, must cuss less. the nobility of nature, haha krah haha krap haha, better not.

(I do this, perform some unbound crow stuff, for him. I think he thinks he's a little bit Stonehenge shamanic, hearing the bird spirit. Fine by me, whatever gets him through.) 

[bobblybear]

Oh my, what a lot of reviews!

 

I had to laugh at your story about trying to remember the cover of Furiously Happy (which I've now added to my wishlist). I put the title in Amazon, and up comes the cover......and how could you not remember such a delightfully goofy cover?!

 

I have The Miniaturist on my Kindle, and a few times I've thought about starting it, but I've been distracted by books I keep borrowing from the library. I think yours is the first not-so-glowing review of it I have read. Makes me extra curious now! 

 

I saw The Bees at the library last week, and I picked it up because the cover caught my eye.   I put it back on the shelf though, because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it.   I shall keep an eye out for it next time I'm in the library, as it does sound like a good read.

[poppyshake]

Oh my, what a lot of reviews!

 

I had to laugh at your story about trying to remember the cover of Furiously Happy (which I've now added to my wishlist). I put the title in Amazon, and up comes the cover......and how could you not remember such a delightfully goofy cover?!

 

I have The Miniaturist on my Kindle, and a few times I've thought about starting it, but I've been distracted by books I keep borrowing from the library. I think yours is the first not-so-glowing review of it I have read. Makes me extra curious now! 

 

I saw The Bees at the library last week, and I picked it up because the cover caught my eye.   I put it back on the shelf though, because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it.   I shall keep an eye out for it next time I'm in the library, as it does sound like a good read.

Don't stop me now .. I'm having such a good time   

 

I know ... how could I not remember THAT cover!!   It's what led me to pick up the book ... couldn't help smiling when I saw it and still can't. I've pulled the pose myself now several times :lol: .. frightening!   

 

Definitely give The Miniaturist a go .. most people love it. It probably did suffer because I read it with Alan He got bored with it and that might have affected my opinion. I don't know. I believe he fell asleep nearly every time I read it .. unluckily I stayed awake when it came for him to read   

 

But then DEFINITELY read The Bees ... I really think you'd love it bobbs   

[poppyshake]

The Lifeboat - Charlotte Rogan
 
Synopsis: It is 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. When a magnificent ocean liner suffers a mysterious explosion en route to New York City, Henry Winter manages to secure a place in a lifeboat for his new wife Grace. But the survivors quickly realize the boat is over capacity and could sink at any moment. For any to live, some must die.
Over the course of three perilous weeks, the passengers on the lifeboat plot, scheme, gossip and console one another while sitting inches apart. Their deepest beliefs are tested to the limit as they begin to discover what they will do in order to survive.

Review: Another one that I read jointly with Alan (gosh .. are we on a reading roll or have I just forgotten to review any of them?) This was gripping, absolutely unputdownable although obviously I had to put it down every time Al went to work etc ... I was terribly tempted to peek .. but I didn't 

Obviously, there are parallels to the RMS Titanic here .. which sank only two years before. We are already in the lifeboat though when the story begins and we mostly stay there .. although there are flashbacks. 

 

What I liked about it is that nobody is completely reliable .. least of all the narrator .. so you're never sure quite if you're hearing the truth. There's a sinister undertone to the whole thing and of course, it all gets very dog-eat-dog (not literally ... NO DOGS ARE EATEN ... just to put your mind at rest ) You don't know what's coming or when. It's tense and nail biting and a great book to read in one sitting actually. I'm annoyed I had to break it up into pieces   Though Al enjoyed it so hurrah .. he managed to stay awake .. mostly  

 

Sadly there's a but .. it was almost brilliant but .. the build up and the set up and the intrigue and the tension .. didn't really amount to anything at the end. I just felt that big opportunities were missed. The ending was too subtle and ambiguous .. plus once the story left the lifeboat (and it left too early imo) it lost most of its tension and nail biting drama. We both felt that. The end quarter of the book was responsible for most of Al's catnaps  

That's a personal opinion though and plenty of people are happy with the ending etc so .. again .. horses for courses. You might well love it and think its spot on. It doesn't stop me from recommending it though ... a very readable read. Liked it! with a big L.

[poppyshake]

spill simmer falter wither by Sara Baume
 
Synopsis: A misfit man finds a misfit dog. Ray, aged fifty-seven, ‘too old for starting over, too young for giving up’, and One Eye, a vicious little bugger, smaller than expected, a good ratter. Both are accustomed to being alone, unloved, outcast – but they quickly find in each other a strange companionship of sorts. As spring turns to summer, their relationship grows and intensifies, until a savage act forces them to abandon the precarious life they’d established, and take to the road.

Review: A frustrating story at times (I just kept thinking .. why on earth didn't Ray persevere with the muzzle? .. I know it was horrid for One Eye but he needed it .. it could have saved so much heartache .. it would have prevented a lot of misery .. it would have made the book very short actually ) 

For all that I did like it a lot, it's slow and brooding, disturbing and very, very touching. My heart was wrenched several times. I liked its weirdness .. Ray is very unconventional .. there were sharp shocks every now and then which resonated all the louder because of the quietness of the rest of the story. 

I found myself worrying for them and trying to think of solutions etc .. so the characters (well the two of them) got under my skin. Not a book to read if you're low .. avoid at all costs ... it's bleak. It's what loneliness would sound like if given a voice (the mundaneness .. the never changing monotony of a life with no happy memories to look back on and seemingly none to come.) But I thought the writing was sublime .. I'll definitely look out for the author again .. she's one to watch I think.

She didn't try to make the characters lovable or even likeable but for all that .. somehow she gets you to care about them. Neither of them have been loved or felt love before .. neither expect to now .. but quite quickly and without noticing they do form a bond .. and that bond can't be broken .. they are vital to each other now. I absolutely LOVED the ending (first time for everything   ) Liked it! 

Edited June 19, 2016 by poppyshake

[bobblybear]

Both of those sound really good, so I've popped them on the wishlist. Spill Simmer Falter Wither - what an odd title!

[Athena]

Spill Simmer Falter Wither, that's a tonque twister!

[Nollaig]

I thought Spill was overrated and the ending spoiled it I thought! But it's won awards and stuff here so I'm in the minority on that. I felt it's one of those books that's very pretty to read, but ultimately lacks substance. Glad you enjoyed it though, Kay, and hope anyone else who reads it likes it too!

 

(I'm commenting on practically everything you've read lately, sorry! Feel like I'm stalking your thread! )