Lilliputian
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Posts posted by Lilliputian
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I'm a size doesn't matter kind of a gal, and on Kindle you don't have the carrying issues. I try to make my reading as eclectic as possible. Having read about the barriers publishers are putting up to new others, my 2017 resolution is to read more indie authors. I'll let you know how it goes.
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I quite like Black Poppies by J J Kennard. Has a bit of a Hemmingway feel to it.
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A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Not really sure what to say about this one, as I'm a little bit still on the fence. I knew from the outset that it wouldn't be my usual fare - a novel set in the early 1900s and based on a real-life event (of which I won't say more because: spoilers). It's also for "children or young adults" according to the publisher's site - which I can, now I've finished, agree with - so again I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.
It was, however - for the most part, at least - a very enjoyable book. Donnelly writes well, with an eye for period detail and with a lovely deft touch that frequently manages to have the reader chuckling despite some of the miserable conditions and family lifestyles being portrayed. The plot unfurls at an admittedly slow place, as we focus on Mathilda "Mattie" Gokey - a feisty, smart young girl who dreams about being a writer and moving away to college to pursue her dreams.
Mattie is passionate about both writing and reading - looking up a new 'word of the day' in her dictionary every morning. For this reader, some of the best bits in the book were the entertaining 'word duels' that took place between Matt and her best friend Weaver Smith, from who she is inseparable and who also has similar goals and academic aspirations.
Yet with her mother dead, her sisters to look after, and the farm work to do, for Mattie this may all be a pipe dream. Donnelly keeps us guessing which way it'll go while using concurrent narrative threads - one a present day exploration of everyday life in North Woods, the other the story of Mattie's time working at a hotel nearby, and ultimately what she discovers while she is there.
Ultimately, A Gathering Light was a good read. Not spectacular, but a slow exploration of the importance of working hard to achieve your goals and making the best of the cards life deals you. Donnelly has a great cast of characters - one of which, Miss Wilcox, Mattie's teacher, is one of the stars of the show - and writes assuredly as she gently brings the two threads of the narrative together in a satisfying conclusion.
Again, not my usual read, but this time, I'm glad I made the effort to go out of my comfort zone.
★★★☆☆
I agree with your thoughts on this book. And it is nice to go a bit out of your comfort zone. Glad to see how eclectic and challenging your reading is. I've added a few of your listings to my TBR.
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It certainly sounds heartfelt and intriguing. My friend is a writer and he says the best bit of advice is to get someone you trust to proof your work, as your emotional connection to the work often prevents you from seeing spelling and grammar errors. Good luck.
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Belated welcome and even more belated happy new year.
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DECEMBER
Late as usual. How does anyone manage to do this on time??
Loving it
Ghosts By Daylight: A Memoir of War and Love
I loved this powerful, gritty insight into the effects of being a modern day war correspondent. Janine is careful to avoid unnecessary description aimed at the gore voyeur. And she seamlessly interweaves the horror of war with the horror of adjusting to everyday traumas, such as motherhood when suffering from PTSD.
More than that, Ghosts by Daylight is follows the beautifully tragic love story between the author and another correspondent. There is great poignancy in her writing, and you are left with the impression of a woman far tougher than her exterior would suggest.
Hating it
Agnès Sorel: Mistress of Beauty (Anjou Trilogy 2) Kindle Edition by Princess Michael of Kent
Having stood admiring the portraits of Agnes of Sorel when visiting France as a child, I was thrilled to come across this novel. Unfortunately, like waking up from a dream about Sam Heughan, the disappointment was almost too much to bear.
The cardinal sin of this book is not the unbelievable characters or silly, unrealistic dialogue, it’s simply that it is boring. You simply don’t care at all about anyone and most especially the eponymous heroine. Poor Agnes. She deserved a better epitaph.
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NOVEMBER
All right, I know it’s December but I had flu and family and Xmas shopping … don’t judge!
Loving it
The Mind Body Problem by Rebecca Goldstein
Not a new book, but one I had never read. It’s hard to explain what was so great about it. The narrative follows the marriage of the protagonist (a girl who has broken free of her Hasidic Jewish background) only to marry a genius and find that she isn’t as free as she thought.
The story has no grand climactic moments or high drama, yet somehow I couldn’t put it down. There’s something in the way that the author crafts her story that reaches inside the reader in the same way that an old friend can really know you.
Probably not a great read for men (although it was a man who recommended it to me) but a must for the ladies.
Hating it
The helios disaster Kindle Edition by Linda Boström Knausgård
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00S8FKKRC/ref=pdp_new_dp_review
I wanted to love this book. It seemed original with its blend of classical mythology and modern narrative, and certainly it begins well. However, it’s a story essentially about madness, and as such the author feels free to meander about without really giving those of us, who are not mad, any understanding of what is going on.
As an exploration of depression there are some poignant insights, but the mythology sits as a clunky add-on that never really get off the ground. On the up side it is, at least, short.
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SEPTEMBER
Loving it
Snakesleeper by Ann Chamberlin
Definitely one to love if you like historical fiction that thinks out of the box. Set at the time of the Old Testament monarch, King David, she borrows heavily from the book, When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone, but nonetheless she manages to weave a truly alien world, where a goddess might have just as much clout as a God.
Her attention to historical detail is impressive, and she draws the reader in through the eyes of a very unusual little girl, who grows to womanhood while straddling two entirely different cultures.
Hating it
1Q84: Books 1 and 2 by Haruki Murakami
Recommended to me by an (ex) friend, I knew nothing of Murakami when I started. And, honestly I wish I had remained in blissful ignorance.
I had been told that the style was unusual, and that much I can agree on. Characters endlessly repeat things they already know to each other, while the plot unfolds like a poorly written fairytale and magic solves everything.
I realise many people loved the book, but it left me cold.
OCTOBER
Loving it
Possession by A S Byatt
Decidedly one for the favourite shelf. The poetry alone would sell this book. Apart from that is the poignant tale of stifling Victorian morality, there is a parallel romance unfolding in the modern day. The author draws the reader through the strands of English romance literature and mythology as the mystery slowly unfolds.
Hating it
The Octavian Chronicles: Octavian: Rise to Power by Patrick Parrelli.
I have to admit that I did not finish this book. The historical detail seemed accurate, but the writing style was (to be kind) just to sparse for my taste. This book may appeal to readers who essentially want facts with no interest in style, but I found the prose flat and unappealing. Robert Graves would be rotating in his surname if he caught wind of this.
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Welcome to the forum!
I've enjoyed all the Murakami books I have read, but I have yet to tackle 1Q84. I keep seeing it at the library, and I picked it up yesterday and had a quick flick through it, but ended up putting it back on the shelf. Not because I don't think I will enjoy it, but because I know I have to be in the right kind of mood for it. Plus it's a doorstopper so I want to clear the decks of my other library books before I give it a try.
I've heard that Murakami's other books are quite different to this one. If you've got a Kindle, it might be worth while getting a sample.
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Hello Lily! Nice to see another reading blog on the forum
Thanks. As my daughter said, at my age I need all the support I can get!!
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Hello Lily! Nice to see another reading blog on the forum
Hi there. Thanks for the support. Been a bit overwhelmed with decorators this month, but am getting right back on it. if you like obscure books no-one else recommends, watch this space
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Welcome to the forum, Lily. Great username!
I've only read one Murakami - he's definitely not for me.
Hi
Sorry to respond so very late (decorators in for last month, house in chaos scenario). I'm glad to hear someone else didn't like him. I was beginning to question my sanity as everyone said he was so good. I have a terrible habit of not liking books that are popular and preferring obscure ones. So thanks for your reply and I hope to be a bit more punctual in future.
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SEPTEMBER
Loving it
Snakesleeper by Ann Chamberlin
Definitely one to love if you like historical fiction that thinks out of the box. Set at the time of the Old Testament monarch, King David, she borrows heavily from the book, When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone, but nonetheless she manages to weave a truly alien world, where a goddess might have just as much clout as a God.
Her attention to historical detail is impressive, and she draws the reader in through the eyes of a very unusual little girl, who grows to womanhood while straddling two entirely different cultures.
Hating it
1Q84: Books 1 and 2 by Haruki Murakami
Recommended to me by an (ex) friend, I knew nothing of Murakami when I started. And, honestly I wish I had remained in blissful ignorance.
I had been told that the style was unusual, and that much I can agree on. Characters endlessly repeat things they already know to each other, while the plot unfolds like a poorly written fairytale and magic solves everything.
I realise many people loved the book, but it left me cold.
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Probably a bit of an 'out-there' choice, but I'd plump for Howard Fast. He was a prolific author, but I would have loved to see more of his historical fiction set in the classical period. His Spartacus still gives me chills.
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I've read the Book of Strange New Things, but I'm afraid that I didn't come to the same conclusion. I think the writing is great, but the plot seemed ridiculous. Perhaps it was a metaphor for his dying wife (sad to hear), but read without that connection it just didn't work for me.
Finishing SnakeSleeper by Ann Chamberlin. Fascinating stuff.
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Wow, thanks everyone. I'm thrilled. I have read some of the suggestions, but will definitely check out the others. Thought-provoking novels are so hard to come by. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is excellent if anyone hasn't tried it, as is SnakeSleeper by Anne Chamberlin.
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I'm pretty new to this sort of thing so I'm a bit nervous about getting started. Always interested in intelligent novels with beautiful language and which don't follow the formula, e.g. Donna Tartt's The Secret History or Emma Donoghue's The Room. Any suggestions?
Lily's Library
in Book Blogs - Discuss your reading!
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Thanks, and to you also.