willoyd

Hmmm. Yes, I wouldn't even go there - most of the ones I've tried have been just so. A brand/series I firmly steer clear of.

Book #15: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal for Czech Republic ***** Review to follow

Two more books completed in the past 24 hours. The first was a long-term project: Samuel Johnson, A Biography by John Wain, started a couple of months ago, but which I've put aside on occasions. Nothing to do with its quality, simply to do with other books needing to be read within time limits, and a desire to pace myself so that I could absorb it as fully as possible. In fact, it turned out to be excellent, a solid 5-stars. It was recommended to me by the curator I met at Dr Johnson's house in Gough Square, who suggested it as his favourite of modern biographies. I then found a decent hardback copy the very next day in Judd Books on Marchmont Street, so grabbed it! Very glad I did too. The second was a superquick novel: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabel, a slim 84 pages, and my choice for the Czech Republic in my Read Around the World, which I read in one sitting this morning. Superb it was too, another 5-star read.

It's a few months since I read it, and I don't have my copy any more, so thanks for putting me straight. Yes, a distinct anachronism. It's the sort of thing I would normally pick up, being the rather pedantic reader I am, but missed that one (and several others by the sound of it when I've gone away to read up on them!). I was lucky enough to have got wrapped up in the book, so suspect that's why - even though they're pretty glaring! I enjoyed it a lot, but can so empathise with how things worked out for you. BTW, I agree on Philippa Gregory - I felt the same with a couple of her other books I've tried with book groups - not an author I'm going to persist with.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it a DNA research project she was working on, rather than DNA testing? But yes, plenty of anachronisms. It all depends, as you say, on whether one is prepared to overlook them. Sometimes I am (as here, and as with some superb anomalies in Connie Willis's time travel books), other times I'm not (I remember ripping Terry Hayes's thriller "I Am Patriot" to pieces because of the mistakes).

Finished two books in quick succession in the last 2 days: first of all was Michel the Giant, An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie, which I've reviewed on my thread. This was the 14th book on my Read Around the World, my choice for Togo. A fascinating read. 5 stars. This was followed by Booker short-listed Treacle Walker by Alan Garner. This was the Christmas book for one of my book groups, and a very odd one it is too. Really not sure what to make of it. Some (most) of the writing isutterly compulsive reading, other aspects just didn't work for me, disintegrating frm the childlike to the childish - unfortunately this included (focused on) the action climax. I could have (probably have!) completely missed the point. Looking forward to discussing this, and need to read the reviews in depth, as struggling to understand why the raves, but in the meantime, will give it the benefit of the doubt, and 4 stars.

Book #14: Michel the Giant, An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie for Togo ****** My second non-fiction book for my Read Around the World, this one for Togo, but still a 'modern classic'; or, at least, one deemed worthy of the Penguin Modern Classic imprint. And I cannot disagree! As a teenager, the author, brought up in a traditional Togolese family, develops a near obsession to visit Greenland, to such an extent that he runs away and, over several years, makes his way up the west African coast into Europe and then, finally, sails from Denmark to Greenland. I say 'finally', but whilst his life in Togo occupies a couple of fascinating chapters, his life en route, although occupying several years, takes up only a couple of dozen pages. The main focus of the book is a searingly honest (or so it feels) account of Kpomassie's time spent in the country. Many Greenlanders have never seen a black person before, never mind one who towers some 8 inches or so above them. It's a real eye-opener, and not for the faint-hearted - to a 'soft' Westerner, this is a completely alien culture. In fact, it seems, with some of his comparisons, that Kpomassie's own upbringing has far more in common than our own - although some of the sexual freedoms and his experiences with food (much of it eaten raw) definitely take him by surprise! The word 'raw' feels appropriate for much else of his experience too - not least the relationship between man and dog, where the latter are as much a threat as a friend. However, as much as his preconceived ideas may have been largely washed away (much of life was more squalid and less exotic than he anticipated), and however alien life might have been, it's obvious that Kpomassie remained in love with the Inuit and with Greenland as a whole throughout his stay, and since. I loved his descriptive writing, and his openness as to his feelings and emotions, with all his faults (he's a human, and no saint). I suspect that much, if not most, of his account is of its time (the 1960s), and wonder how much of the culture and life remains, but it is no less interesting and relevant for that, given the state our world is in today. A thoroughly immersive real, all too real on occasions!

Michel the Giant, An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie ***** My second non-fiction book for my Read Around the World, this one for Togo, but still a 'modern classic'; or, at least, one deemed worthy of the Penguin Modern Classic imprint. And I cannot disagree! As a teenager, the author, brought up in a traditional Togolese family, develops a near obsession to visit Greenland, to such an extent that he runs away and, over several years, makes his way up the west African coast into Europe and then, finally, sails from Denmark to Greenland. I say 'finally', but whilst his life in Togo occupies a couple of fascinating chapters, his life en route, although occupying several years, takes up only a couple of dozen pages. The main focus of the book is a searingly honest (or so it feels) account of Kpomassie's time spent in the country. Many Greenlanders have never seen a black person before, never mind one who towers some 8 inches or so above them. It's a real eye-opener, and not for the faint-hearted - to a 'soft' Westerner, this is a completely alien culture. In fact, it seems, with some of his comparisons, that Kpomassie's own upbringing has far more in common than our own - although some of the sexual freedoms and his experiences with food (much of it eaten raw) definitely take him by surprise! The word 'raw' feels appropriate for much else of his experience too - not least the relationship between man and dog, where the latter are as much a threat as a friend. However, as much as his preconceived ideas may have been largely washed away (much of life was more squalid and less exotic than he anticipated), and however alien life might have been, it's obvious that Kpomassie remained in love with the Inuit and with Greenland as a whole throughout his stay, and since. I loved his descriptive writing, and his openness as to his feelings and emotions, with all his faults (he's a human, and no saint). I suspect that much, if not most, of his account is of its time (the 1960s), and wonder how much of the culture and life remains, but it is no less interesting and relevant for that, given the state our world is in today. A thoroughly immersive real, all too real on occasions!

Finished The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo - a book group read and also my book for Malaysia in my Read Around the World. Very entertaining yarn. 4(poss 5) out of 6. Now onto another book group choice, and also my book for Togo, Michel the Giant by Tete-Michel Kpomassie (his memoir of living in Greenland).

Book #13: The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo for Malaysia **** The second book from the Big Jubilee Read for one of my book groups, and something of a contrast to the other, A Grain of Wheat ( my Kenya read too) The latter was founded very much in the reality of colonialism. Whilst The Night Tiger is set in the 1930s, during the colonial period, there's a strong streak of magical realism in it that gives it rather more of a fantasy feel. Altogether a lighter book, but no less readable in its own way. There are 2 strands to this novel, which are told alternately, and which gradually interweave more and more. Ren is an 11-year old houseboy tasked by the doctor he serves on the latter's deathbed with retrieving the doctor's amputated finger within 49 days of death, to ensure the doctor's spirit isn't left stranded in this world. In the meantime, Ji Lin is a young woman frustrated in her apprenticeship as a dressmaker when she wants to work as a nurse or doctor, who is also working as a dance instructor/partner (a rather less than polite job) to earn enough money to pay off her mother's gambling debts. She acquires an amputated finger in a vial from one of her clients.... At it's heart this is very much a yarn to be enjoyed. Providing a rather different twist, it is suffused with Malaysian/Chinese beliefs and myths, particularly in the dream experiences of Ren and Ji Lin, which appear to be all too closely mixed up with the real world. Also underlying the narrative are suspicions of supernatural influences, including were-tigers and some improbable events and coincidences. And then there is, of course, Ren's objective. At 470 pages it's a longer than average read, and there was a point just before halfway when I wondered quite how the author was going to spin things out to fill the space, but that brief longeuse was quickly replaced by a positive gallop to the finish which had me enthralled. My one caveat was on the historical element: whilst this was set in the 1930s and certainly reflected some of the social mores of the time and place, it never really felt fully settled in that period. I can't quite place why, but whilst it all felt 'correct' (at least as far as my very limited knowledge goes), there was something intangible missing - it just didn't fully breathe it for me. Not a spoiler though, and overall a definite like! Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what the rest of the book group feel about it, particularly on that latter point (we have a writer of meticulous historical fiction in the group). Knowing me, I may well change my mind on some aspects after the discussion, but if I do, I'll edit and note the changes!

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo **** The second book from the Big Jubilee Read for one of my book groups, and something of a contrast to the other, A Grain of Wheat. The latter was founded very much in the reality of colonialism. Whilst The Night Tiger is set in the 1930s, during the colonial period, there's a strong streak of magical realism in it that gives it rather more of a fantasy feel. Altogether a lighter book, but no less readable. There are 2 strands to this novel, which are told alternately, and which gradually interweave more and more. Ren is an 11-year old houseboy tasked by the doctor he serves on the latter's deathbed with retrieving the doctor's amputated finger within 49 days of death, to ensure the doctor's spirit isn't left stranded in this world. In the meantime, Ji Lin is a young woman frustrated in her apprenticeship as a dressmaker when she wants to work as a nurse or doctor, who is also working as a dance instructor/partner (a rather less than polite job) to earn enough money to pay off her mother's gambling debts. She acquires an amputated finger in a vial from one of her clients.... At it's heart this is very much a yarn to be enjoyed. Providing a rather different twist, it is suffused with Malaysian/Chinese beliefs and myths, particularly in the dream experiences of Ren and Ji Lin, which appear to be all too closely mixed up with the real world. Also underlying the narrative are suspicions of supernatural influences, including were-tigers and some improbable events and coincidences. And then there is, of course, Ren's objective. At 470 pages it's a longer than average read, and there was a point just before halfway when I wondered quite how the author was going to spin things out to fill the space, but that brief longeuse was quickly replaced by a positive gallop to the finish which had me enthralled. My one caveat was on the historical element: whilst this was set in the 1930s and certainly reflected some of the social mores of the time and place, it never really felt fully settled in that period. I can't quite place why, but whilst it all felt 'correct' (at least as far as my very limited knowledge goes), there was something intangible missing - it just didn't fully breathe it for me. Not a spoiler though, and overall a definite like! Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what the rest of the book group feel about it, particularly on that latter point (we have a writer of meticulous historical fiction in the group). Knowing me, I may well change my mind on some aspects after the discussion, but if I do, I'll edit and note the changes!

It's been a 'slower' year for me than most recently, with 54 so far (to the end of November) Maybe not quite as extreme as you @Hayley, and in previous years that would have been a very high count, but it's on track to be my lowest total since 2014. Maybe a reaction to last year, when I got up to an all-time high of 90 (and even broke 100 for the 12 months to the end of March!). I had intended to read fewer but bigger this year, but that's not really worked out either! It's been a funny year - seem to have been reading a fair bit, but just not getting 'into' books in the same way at times, and taking longer to read them. Have enjoyed some excellent work though.

Opposite way round for me! I started keeping a LibraryThing account (see my signature!), with my books logged on there, and found I had rather more than I thought - knocking on for 3000. That's now down to just over 2000 (with another 400 on the Kindle, although only 170 or so catalogued), the majority (around 1400) of which are unread.

Just looked through the latest Richard and Judy list - looks dreadful. At least 2 writers I'd positively want not to read, and the rest look to just be more of the same. There used to be some good reading in these lists. Going back through the GoodReads list, there are just 5 books I've either enjoyed or want to read: Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus. Enjoyed this - although wouldn't really have classed it as historical fiction even if set in 1950s. A light, wet Sunday afternoon sort of read. Picked it up in a half price sale. The Marriage Portrait - Maggie O'Farrell. Looks interesting, and O'Farrell is usually a good read, even if not always up to the standard of Hamnet. Violeta - Isabel Allende. Another interesting one, mainly because Allende pretty much always is. An Immense World - Ed Yong. Heard a couple of episodes of this being read on Radio 4 - sounded fascinating, and have alrleady bought book to read (it was cheap through Amazon for Black Friday). And There Was Light - Jon Meacham. Excellent reviews on a subject I'm very interested in (American Civil War/Lincoln history). Only the Meacham was news to me though. The general fiction list looks really dull (these three fiction were all on the historical fiction page).

Is it just me? (Probably!) I've just been browsing the list of nominations for this year's Goodreads awards, and I was struck, yet again, as to how few of the nominations I'm remotely interested in reading. There are one or two, but every year this long list of books comes out, and every year I look down it for inspiration/ideas, and each time I come away thinking that virtually none appeal. I appreciate it's an American dominated site (the "history" books are almost all American for instance), but even so, I would have expected more of interest. As I said, probably just me, but curious to see if it is.

Book #12: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak for Turkey *** Warning: this review briefly discusses a few aspects of the book in its later stages. Not a true plot spoiler, but for those anxious not to know anything beyond the introductory blurb, it might have that effect (I worked on the basis that it wouldn't have affected my reading). A book group choice, and whilst not my original choice for Turkey, it fitted neatly enough. The premise was interesting - the main protagonist Leila, having just been murdered, 'lives' through the first 10 minutes 38 seconds of her death with her dying brain each minute experiencing sensations that in turn evoke key instances of her life (the idea was apparently based on a scientific paper that reported brain wave activity in a body for that period post-death). Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that this was just a 'different' way of telling a fairly standard story, the life of a girl growing up in an increasingly repressive Muslim household and how she 'escapes' and lands up working as a prostitute in Istanbul, complete with religious fanatic father, repressed mother, a sexually abusive uncle etc etc. All pretty predictable, and little different to so many other similar narratives (even if the story deals with important issues). The second half experienced a complete change of pace as Leila's friends (the story of how they became so having been told as part of the first part) work to honour her and ensure that she receives an appropriate burial (she's scheduled for a virtually unmarked grave in a pauper's cemetery). The narrative descends into virtual slapstick, and the ending was near farcical (in the literal sense). Whilst in some ways more interesting than the highly predictable first section, the juxtaposition of the two sections jarred - it almost felt like reading two different books that had been roughly stuck together Overall, this was an OK if rather underwhelming read. It certainly left me wondering why the rave reviews and the Booker shortlisting. I think I'll probably land up reading another book to count towards Turkey, as I'm really not sure how representative this is, but it'll do in the meantime.

Finished 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak. Ultimately, didn't quite live up to the early promise. 3 out of 6 stars - an OK read. Not sure of what's next.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak ** Warning: this review briefly discusses a few aspects of the book in its later stages. Not a true plot spoiler, but for those anxious not to know anything beyond the introductory blurb, it might have that effect (I worked on the basis that it wouldn't have affected my reading). A book group choice, and whilst not my original choice for Turkey in my Read Around the World, it fitted neatly enough for my 12th book in that project. The premise was interesting - the main protagonist Leila, having just been murdered, 'lives' through the first 10 minutes 38 seconds of her death with her dying brain each minute experiencing sensations that in turn evoke key instances of her life (the idea was apparently based on a scientific paper that reported brain wave activity in a body for that period post-death). Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that this was just a 'different' way of telling a fairly standard story, the life of a girl growing up in an increasingly repressive Muslim household and how she 'escapes' and lands up working as a prostitute in Istanbul, complete with religious fanatic father, repressed mother, a sexually abusive uncle etc etc. All pretty predictable, and little different to so many other similar narratives (even if the story deals with important issues). The second half experienced a complete change of pace as Leila's friends (the story of how they became so having been told as part of the first part) work to honour her and ensure that she receives an appropriate burial (she's scheduled for a virtually unmarked grave in a pauper's cemetery). The narrative descends into virtual slapstick, and the ending was near farcical (in the literal sense). Whilst in some ways more interesting than the highly predictable first section, the juxtaposition of the two sections jarred - it almost felt like reading two different books that had been roughly stuck together Overall, this was a rather underwhelming read. It certainly left me wondering why the rave reviews and the Booker shortlisting?

Thanks Hayley. Certainly worth a thought.

Need to think about the second one - pretty much renounced children's books when I gave up primary teaching, and in no hurry to go back! The only exception in the last 5 years has been Paddington (!) otherwise need to find a 'grown up' children's book. Might reread The Dark Is Rising which was superb. Have to think about the rest as well.

I don't think you'll regret it - on my shortlist for non-fiction book of the year.

You look to be enjoying a streak of Maigret - one of my favourite series. I might reread this for Christmas too! Finished Ulinka Rublack's The Astronomer and the Witch, which stayed very good right to the end - a comfortable 5 out of 6 stars (excellent). I've now moved on to 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds of this Strange World by Elif Shafak - a book group choice, but one I'm also going to be able to include in my Reading Around the World tour, counting for Turkey. It's off to a very promising start.

More Book Reviews for October-November An Honest Deceit by Guy Mankowski * A book group read from Bradford Libraries, and I really struggle to understand why one earth this is in their reading group selection. As the rest of the group agreed, this read as an early draft of a novel that had some potential, but as it stood was appallingly edited, and horribly overwritten. Spelling, grammar and orthographic errors abounded (starting with the first paragraph), whilst the author seemed to thing that every noun needed at least 2 adjectives, often repeated from earlier on in the sentence. I struggled to get beyond the prologue. The basic premise of the book depends on a substitute teacher (not a supply teacher, which is the term that would normally be used in this country) coming in to assist on a school residential, who is found to be a sexual predator, yet no mention of DBS checks, safeguarding etc (and in my experience, any supply teacher who comes in would work in school whilst regular staff would accompany the residential). Equally, the children all go on an outdoor activity on crags where no school I know would let any child near without qualified supervision - the plot was just not credible as it stood. To cap it all, it was a British book by a British publisher, yet written in American (was the author actually American, and was he pulling on American school experience? Don't know). All in all, I really couldn't see how this even got close to being published as it stood, and is comfortably the worst book i've encountered this year, possibly for some years. Curlew Moon by Mary Colwell **** The author undertakes a walk across Ireland, Wales and England, to promote and investigate the plight of the curlew, a massively endangered bird in lowland areas in these countries, with numbers plummeting everywhere. A fascinating, really well written book. The Periodic Table by Primo Levi ** Voted the best science book ever written by the Royal Institute, this is essentially an autobiographical memoir written in a series of 'episodes'/chapters, themed on chemical elements, the author being a chemist. It's thus apparently a classic of its type, but I found what I read of it rather dull and singularly unengaging. Maybe it suffered in translation, but the language felt rather simplistic and stilted. There was too much else that I want to read at present for me to finish it, even if it's a book club choice. The Eight Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley *** A reread of a book I read a year or two ago, simply to revise some of my dietary knowledge. Interesting if primarly functional reading. Everyone Knows Your Mother Is A Witch by Rivka Galchen ** Another book group read! Set in 17th century Wurttemburg (southern Germany), this is a fictional take on the true story of the prosecution of Katherina Kepler for witchcraft, and her defence by her son, the scientist Johannes Kepler. the topic was potentially fascinating, but sadly there were just too many flaws in this novel for me to really enjoy it. This starts on the first page where the main protagonist is playing backgammon - a game not mentioned anywhere historically until some years after the date of the action, and then in Britain, as an offshoot of another game, not Germany. The anachronisms otherwise, at least those I spotted, were all in the language, with the author choosing to keep that distinctly modern. Aside from the superstition, the characters didn't seem that 17th century either. Much of the storyline is toldl through (fictionalised) court documents, but these for me rapidly became somewhat repetitive and tedious. The ending just fizzles out - and so on and so on. Overall, whilst the book piqued my interest historically, I found the novel rather frustrating and generally unsatisfying. So I moved on to the real world...... The Astronomer and the Witch by Ulinka Rublack **** This was the non-fiction book upon which Rivka Galchen drew in writing her novel, and it proved a totally different kettle of fish, being an absolutely fascinating read. Whilst it told the real story of Kepler's defence of his mother (sans invented characters etc), it also delved into Kepler's own life, southern German society at the outset of the Thirty Years War, the situation of older women in that society, and the broader prosecution of witchcraft at the time (far more structured and legally controlled than I had appreciated). The result was a detailed, vivid picture of the lives of both the main protagonists and the world they lived in, well researched and documented. The ending was also far more satisfying in its completeness! Overall, a really good piece of micro-history - and worthwhile reading the earlier book to discover and be introduced to this one. My advice, though,to anybody interested in the subject would be to head straight for the real version and skip the fiction.

Finished Everyone Knows Your Mother Is A Witch by Rivka Galchen. Very interesting subject material, but distinctly unimpressed with the book itself. 2stars out of 6. Currently reading the non-fiction book the novel is based on: The Astronomer and the Witch by Ulinka Rublack, about the scientist Johannes Kepler's defence of his mother against charges of being a witch. Vastly better - well written and absorbing.

Book #8: O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker for Scotland **** Superbly written, and deservedly described as a classic IMO, but not sure how much I actually enjoyed this, with the whole book in the shadow of the opening, with the main protagonist murdered on p.1 (no spoiler, it's in the blurb). The rest of the book is the story of her life. Really appreciated yes, enjoyed hmm. Think I need to sit on this and see what I think longer term! Book #9: One Moonlit Night by Caradog Prichard for Wales ******* In spite of having a strong streak of Welsh in me (and being Welsh in sports terms), this is probably my first piece of fiction translated from Welsh. It's the fictional autobiographical narrative of a never-named young boy growing up in a northern Welsh town in the years around World War One. The town is apparently based on Bethesda, and there are elements of the authors own life in the novel. It's dark, very dark in places, but it never feels like mis-lit, with moments of wonderful humour and 'sunshine' in it. This may be written by an older adult, but it has the definite feel of a child's positiveness - although that may be regarded as simply the naiveity that underlines the grimness of what's going on around him and how he is affected without realising it. It's beautifully written, almost poetic in places; I can see why so many regard it as a modern classic. Quite simply, I loved it. This achieved exactly what I hoped for this challenge - introducing me to a books and writing that I would probably have never otherwise read (I hadn't even heard of it before researching the list), and been the worse for it. Book #10: Death and the Penguin by Andrej Kurkov for Ukraine *** A fairly slim satire on post-Soviet life in Ukraine. Inevitably, there's a strong streak of black humour in this, but I rarely find myself engaging fully with satire, and, although highly readable, this was no exception. The writing was admirably lean, saying a lot in a fairly short space, and Misha (the penguin) was well used on occasions to reflect Viktor's (the main protagonist) state of mind, even though he never actually 'said' a word! But, but, but, I never really felt I was seeing characters fully in the round, maybe a result of that very spareness; they just felt too underdeveloped for my taste - apart from Viktor himself perhaps, just not coming fully alive for me. Maybe because the book is actually focused elsewhere? So, I rattled through it, but I can't say it left me satisfied. On a different level, it did also feel horribly poignant that so much of where the book is set is now being blasted to destruction, but it does underline the fact that things weren't all sweetness and light beforehand. Book #11: A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'o for Kenya ****** This was read as a book group choice, taken from the Big Jubilee Read list, although I already had it down as my likely choice for Kenya. It's a fairly short read, just over 240 pages long, but packs a huge amount in that short space. Set in the days leading up to Kenyan independence in 1963, the main plotline covers the plans by local elders to expose, at they independence celebrations, the traitor responsible for the capture and death of a local Mau Mau leader. Other sub-plots examine the relationships of members of the same village, in particular the younger sister of the leader and her husband, himself interned for 6 years as a 'rebel'. Themes of betrayal and redemption, isolation and unity, religion and empire are interwoven in a narrative that, whilst progressing towards the denouement, shifts time and perspective sometimes almost without noticing, as one gets inside the minds of the various protagonists to see events from their viewpoint, whilst occasionally being drawn away to see the overall picture. It's complex, and it's deep, provoking an intense and very interesting discussion in our group, especially as we had members of our group with experience of both immediate post-colonial Kenya and knowledge of the author at at the time of his writing the book (we didn't find this out until the discussion!). One of the strongest reads of my yeare, and of the challenge, so far.