Noll's 2015 Book Blog

[vodkafan]

Sounds interesting Nollaig! I will put that one on my wishlist and may even buy it today...

[Anna Begins]

Great review!  What's with the Vonnegut?

And why does he inspire so many books?? 

[vodkafan]

Great review!  What's with the Vonnegut?

And why does he inspire so many books?? 

 

Imagine Marvin The Paranoid Android as a writer. Then you have Vonnegut.

[Nollaig]

Lots of people interested in a book I found underwhelming - not sure how that reflects peoples' view of my judgment but okay! I hope you all enjoy it if you read it. It's certainly worth one read, and a LOT of people do love the story too.

 

As for Kurt, he is, as described in Alex Woods, someone who seems to write a whole load of random absurdity which, upon closer reflection, actually has a very great deal of intelligent insight to it. I say this having only read Slaughterhouse-5, but I loved one aspect of that book so much I got it tattooed on me. I really must start reading his other stuff.

[Marie H]

Imagine Marvin The Paranoid Android as a writer. Then you have Vonnegut.

[Anna Begins]

As for Kurt, he is, as described in Alex Woods, someone who seems to write a whole load of random absurdity which, upon closer reflection, actually has a very great deal of intelligent insight to it. I say this having only read Slaughterhouse-5, but I loved one aspect of that book so much I got it tattooed on me. I really must start reading his other stuff.

Ah- ok, I've only read Slaughterhouse- 5, so I don't really know his work.  But a lot of authors and stories I have read either reference him or cite him as an inspiration.

Now you have me intrigued about your tattoo... is it a quote?

[Nollaig]

Tis - "So it goes."

 

I can't express how much I loved the apparent apathy with which that phrase is repeated in the face of both good and bad things in that book. I got it as a sort of double-sided reminder to myself - things happen. Whether they're good or they're bad or expected or unexpected or brilliant or tragic, they're just things, and they are not definitive of our whole lives because any given moment is only a fraction of the whole. So, it basically reminds me never to get so lost in any one moment of my life, that I don't retain hope and humility, in the face of the bad and the good respectively.

 

Did you enjoy Slaughterhouse-5, Anna?

 

Edit: Only got a low-quality phone photo, but:

Edited February 21, 2015 by Nollaig

[Anna Begins]

I did.  It changed a lot of the way I think about the bombings of Dresden, and other cities (Kyoto, etc) that were firebombed.  It set off a little reading branch of research for me. 

 

I like your tat though!  It's like, a secret  

[Nollaig]

Wrong thread I think But thanks

[Athena]

As per request I have moved these two posts above ^ from the "What's Up in February? 2015" thread.

 

Great review, Noll, I'm glad you liked the book though it's a shame you didn't love it. Nice photo of your tattoo !

[Nollaig]

Thanks Gaia

[Anna Begins]

[Nollaig]

Nooooo come back

[Nollaig]

I did it - I finished all 7 Harry Potter books. 17 years of refusing, 4 prior attempts and two months in the end to finally read them.

 

Tl;dr: prefer the films, appreciate all the additional information I have now from the books.

 

I thought I'd be sadder to finish them, but honestly I've seen the final two films so many times, and they were so similar to the book, that I honestly had to draw myself at times. But it was good. Pacing was off and the ending anti-climactic, but I expected that from the films. Definitely helped me clarify my views of Snape and Dumbledore.

[chesilbeach]

Congratulations Noll … and you never had to read them again now!

[Athena]

Well done on finishing them !

[Nollaig]

Mwehehe. I'm sure I'll skim them again in the future!

 

At the moment I'm tearing my way through Bird Box by Josh Malerman. It being credited among my favorite horror stories of all time is now dependent only on the ending being good. Come on, book, don't let me down.

[Nollaig]

Bird Box - Josh Malerman

 

Genre: Horror

Synopsis: Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn't look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything.

***

 Review: Horror is one of those genres, like thrillers, by which I can potentially be hugely impressed or satisfied (even by books I don't feel are objectively flawless, such as this one), but by which I'm more commonly I'm underwhelmed by unoriginality or lacklustre writing.

Happily, this book (mostly) falls into the category of the former. I don't remember the last time I was so gripped by a horror novel. From the outset it was promising, indicating an unknown and unknowable enemy which terrifyingly does not itself hide in the dark, but which forces you to hide in the darkness of blindness. So much more terrifying than Weeping Angels are their exact opposite - these creatures. I absolutely loved this whole concept, and the creativity it inspired in the characters in their attempt to survive - how do you walk the length of a garden without your eyes? How do you scavenge for food to stay alive? How can you travel far enough to find safety? This is a genuinely, psychologically creepy novel which brings you so close to horrors you can't observe that they might pull the blindfold right off your face.

The writing, although a tad clunky in places, is great in others. I really felt a superb sense of pacing, and a wonderfully conveyed sense of confusion amidst chaos during the more tense moments. The characters were perhaps not the most developed (particularly Gary and Rick, who felt like little more than placeholders for necessary plot devices - one of which led to the ending that I'm a little unsure of). All the same, I warmed to Tom and Jules immensely, and certain had a respect for the lead gal Malorie. There's certainly quite a bit, largely towards the end, which requires rather a lot of salt. The unliklihood of certain events combined with a total flatness of certain characters made the whole thing underwhelming. The novel is a short and quick read, and I can't help but feel that the author could easily have fleshed it out and vastly improved it with another hundred pages.

Still, getting there is half the fun, and I enjoyed the ride immensely. I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who likes books which can elicit that creepy-crawly under-the-skin feeling of discomfort.

Rating: 4/5

[Michelle]

I listened to this as an audiobook, usually in the dark before going to sleep, and I think that really added something - I loved it!

[Nollaig]

I think doing that would have utterly scared the bejaysus out of me! I was nervous walking around my dark house after it!

[Anna Begins]

I listened to this as an audiobook, usually in the dark before going to sleep, and I think that really added something - I loved it!

[Nollaig]

^ HAHA! Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Sure I'll stick on a blindfold while I'm at it and listen to the audiobook, really go for the full effect!

 

Oh man, you guys know those binaural audio things, where the sound is recorded from the 'perspective' of a human listener, so it sounds like you're really there? There's a very famous example of a haircut one, which can really make your neck tingle like someone's about to shave the back of your head.

 

Imagine if they did a dramatized binaural enactment of Bird Box - blindfold yourself and sit there listening to it We'd all go mad

[Nollaig]

The Humans - Matt Haig

 

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: The Humans is a funny, compulsively readable novel about alien abduction, mathematics, and that most interesting subject of all: ourselves. Combine Douglas Adams’s irreverent take on life, the universe, and everything with a genuinely moving love story, and you have some idea of the humor, originality, and poignancy of Matt Haig’s latest novel.
Our hero, Professor Andrew Martin, is dead before the book even begins. As it turns out, though, he wasn’t a very nice man--as the alien imposter who now occupies his body discovers. Sent to Earth to destroy evidence that Andrew had solved a major mathematical problem, the alien soon finds himself learning more about the professor, his family, and “the humans” than he ever expected. When he begins to fall for his own wife and son--who have no idea he’s not the real Andrew--the alien must choose between completing his mission and returning home or finding a new home right here on Earth.

***

 Review: The novel starts out on a hilarious note and continues in that vein for probably the first third of the book. As much as humans might struggle in a country where they know neither the language or customs, you can only imagine what difficulties an alien, with no knowledge of even the basic cultural elements universal to almost all human beings, let alone the norms of the western world, might face on his first day on Earth. Naturally, the results are genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny. If nothing else can be said for Matt Haig, he can see the amusing side of everything.

Fortunately, many other things can be said for Matt Haig. As the novel progresses, it understandably becomes less funny and starts to focus on the fallout of spending so much time among humans - winding up caring for them. I felt like it took a little while for this to start happening, and at first wasn't sure if there was going to be a solid plot or if the entire story would just be one alien bumbling around Earth being funny. The plot does eventually make an appearance, and I'll be the first to admit that it is unoriginal, and merely a vehicle for Haig to throw out some ideas and sentiments about the human condition which are relatable and beautifully expressed. That is far more okay a thing than you might think, reading this review. This book is like a quirky expansion upon that famous "Don't Forget To Wear Sunscreen" song - it will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, reminding you of what makes humans so special despite their myriad flaws.

Matt sounds like a man who has spent nights awake, wondering at his own place in a world that is sometimes difficult to understand - a man who is aware of, and has possibly experienced, the different ways that people try to cope - retreating into themselves, repressing their doubts and 'just getting on with it', and I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was as cathartic for him to write as it was for me to read. As a frequent cynic, particularly about the state of the human race, this book was a refreshing reminder of how people try, and how that is actually the most important thing anyone can do. With turns of phrase that made me teary, characters I myself came to love, just enough drama to stop it being soppy, and an alien with so much faith in humanity that it will restore your own, this is an absolute must-read.

Rating: 5/5

Edited March 2, 2015 by Nollaig

[Nollaig]

The Ritual - Adam Nevill

 

Genre: Horror

Synopsis: When four old University friends set off into the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle, they aim to briefly escape the problems of their lives and reconnect with one another. But when Luke, the only man still single and living a precarious existence, finds he has little left in common with his well-heeled friends, tensions rise. With limited experience between them, a shortcut meant to ease their hike turns into a nightmare scenario that could cost them their lives. Lost, hungry, and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, Luke figures things couldn’t possibly get any worse. But then they stumble across an old habitation. Ancient artefacts decorate the walls and there are bones scattered upon the dry floors. The residue of old rites and pagan sacrifice for something that still exists in the forest. Something responsible for the bestial presence that follows their every step.

***

Review: I'm not a regular reader of horror novels, although I felt very okay reviewing Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Possibly because that was more supernatural/psychological horror than traditional Blair Witch horror, but either way, reading this book was definitely me stepping off the beaten track and as such if you're a horror aficionado then take my opinion with a pinch of salt. I did enjoy this novel, for the most part, but I enjoyed it in the way I enjoyed the film The Ruins - it was something that was distinctly entertaining and for the duration of time I spent with my eyes affixed directly to it, but which I'll never feel inclined to return to after this review. My reference to The Blair Witch Project was apt, because this book feels very similar in style (less witch, more Pagan god).

I've never been a fan of the woods, because too many horror films set in them scared me as a child, and I will admit this book scared me. Which is unusual. I had to actually sit up in bed, turn on the light, and distract myself for a while before attempting sleep. This novel is highly readable, and despite its length I tore through it in two days, eager to find out what happened. I found the 'bestial presence' genuinely unnerving and compelling - I really wanted to know what it was. I also genuinely liked the characters, even if I didn't exactly think much of them, and I felt that the balance of character development - in conversations between them about their friendship and subsequent drifting apart - versus the actual horror and suspence, was great.

All those positive things said, it still felt lacklustre. As I said, it's forgettable. And, about two thirds of the way in, it takes a bit of an unusual turn, which I seriously did not like. It made logical sense, I guess, but it also seemed a little too far off the wall and made the transition from 'this feels unnatural' to 'this is downright impossible' without enough credibility to hold itself up, even with the suspension of disbelief. I definitely only kept going towards the end to find out what would happen. I have since heard lukewarm reviews of Nevill's other books, and despite the readability of this one and the fact that it did scare me, I don't think I'd bother picking up any of the others.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Nollaig]

Penpal - Dathan Auerbach

Genre: Horror/Psych Thriller
Synopsis: Penpal began as a series of short and interconnected stories posted on an online horror forum. In Penpal, a man investigates the seemingly unrelated bizarre, tragic, and horrific occurrences of his childhood in an attempt to finally understand them. Beginning with only fragments of his earliest years, you'll follow the narrator as he discovers that these strange and horrible events are actually part of a single terrifying story that has shaped the entirety of his life and the lives of those around him. If you've ever stayed in the woods just a little too long after dark, if you've ever had the feeling that someone or something was trying to hurt you, then Penpal is a story that you won't soon forget, despite how you might try.

***

Review: I loved this book. I - loved - this - book. I suspect I am going to reread this book before the month is out. Now, that said, it is not without flaws. Flaws which, admittedly, I took little notice of while reading the book and which didn't really impact how I felt about it. These flaws were issues for other people who read it, I noticed afterwards - things like the narrator recalling events from his childhood at age 6 such as exploring the woods and swimming largely unsupervised in a local pool, which generally children age 6 don't do unless they've got insanely neglectful or oblivious parents. Other reviews claim it is terribly written. I'll be the first to admit that I don't usually care if a book is a little badly edited or written as long as it has a good story, but I honestly thought this one was very well written. If you're willing to give it a go despite those potential issues, the only flaw it has is that it is not told chronologically, and is recalled in fragments spanning years which are told out of order, often without immediate clarification about where they fit into the story. If used well, that can be a great device. It is not used well here, so that's where the .5 of a star went.

Now, onto what I loved about this book. I had no idea what this story was really about - and I'm not going to tell you because I want to to read it for yourself. I realised fairly early on where it was going, although I could never have guessed at the specific events that occurred along the way. I also never would have seen the end coming. And I loved it. I felt that it was a fantastically unnerving story, not told in the voice of a child but a brilliant recollection of a child's view of things by an adult remembering his past. The more disturbing details are touched upon quite indirectly, drawing on the weary knowledge of the adult mind that the world can be a screwed-up place to fill in the blanks that our narrator's childhood self was oblivious to. Each individual event was like a miniature short story, which ultimately had to be slotted into the bigger picture, and which ended with an unforseen twist, which, mostly of the time, left me utterly creeped out. The initial setup, the actual acquisition of the penpal shall we say, is one of my favourite things I've ever read. No internet, no social media, no technology at all. A very neat idea, gone horribly awry.

This isn't a long book, so it's a quick and easy read. Scary is not the word, except perhaps if you have children of your own. But it is chilling, absolutely chilling. Highly recommended read.

Rating: 4.5/5