Willoyd's Reading 2023

[Hayley]

On 1/30/2023 at 4:32 PM, willoyd said:

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley

Somehow, I missed this review in January! I already have this book on my wish list but I’m excited to get my hands on it again after reading your review! I love books with multiple intertwined plot threads (as long as it’s done well and isn’t just a jumble of different things). The cover is very nice as well, I agree.
 

On 3/15/2023 at 11:31 PM, willoyd said:

The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas *****

And I’m also tempted to try this one now! 

[lunababymoonchild]

11 hours ago, Hayley said:

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley. Somehow, I missed this review in January! I already have this book on my wish list but I’m excited to get my hands on it again after reading your review! I love books with multiple intertwined plot threads (as long as it’s done well and isn’t just a jumble of different things). The cover is very nice as well, I agree.

Just bought this.

[France]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:47 AM, Hayley said:

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley. Somehow, I missed this review in January!

 

I had too - even though I bought it as a Kobo special and it's been languishing in my huge "unread" collection ever since. it's just been moved up to the top.

[willoyd]

Another Country by James Baldwin ******
Another masterpiece on this Tour of the USA (book 30/51) - this project is really producing the goods! It took me a while to decide on which book out of a rather large number I would read for New York. I eventually plumped for James Baldwin simply because I'd never read any of his work, and yet had heard so much about him. I was delighted I did. His style is definitely not on the lean side - it's full, rich, detailed, and digs deep into the mind of his characters - we are directly privy to their thoughts and feelings. So there's a lot of tell rather than show, which usually puts me off, but his telling shows things that are even deeper, resulting in some really strongly developed characters, far richer than many even good writers achieve. I found it hard to tell whether 'Another Country' referred to race, or, as one part of the novel suggested, love. Probably a combination of both, because at the heart of this were the relationships between several mixed race couples. and the tensions created from the differing viewpoints these differences led to. There again, the title could have been referring to literally the influence of another country, Eric (almost entirely absent in the first half of the book) returning to the US after an extended stay in France a very different person to the one who had left, and one whose relationships are thoroughly effected by that change. Or, perhaps, the 'country' was gender, with a lively mix of homo-, bi- and heterosexual characters and relationships? To be honest, it was almost too rich in places, and I was in danger more than once of getting lost in the dense weave of all four of these threads.
It wasn't perfect. I found the first half utterly engrossing, but after dramatic events at the end of the first half, the narrative seemed to take a while to get going again at the start of the second. I'm sure this was deliberate - the pace and intensity changed so dramatically it couldn't have been anything other, but it took me rather longer than I wanted to regain the sense of reading rhythm and level of immersion that I had earlier achieved - a bit like coming out of a particularly vivid dream, desperately trying to hold on to it, but finding it slipping away. Fortunately the new characters (the transition between the two halves of the book sees a dramatic shift in character focus) are quickly well established in their own right, the two halves are stitched together, and the book starts to gather pace again, none too soon!
Overall, this was an intense, rich, immersive, big book (over 400 pages) - a thoroughly rewarding read that will not let go easily, an excellent 'representative' read for New York. Another writer of whom I need to read more.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa ****
Having thoroughly enjoyed the author's more recent book A General Theory of Oblivion as a book group read, I was keen to try him again for my Angolan stop on my Read Around the World. This was the one generally recommended! A interesting quirk of this book, and one that instantly attracted me to it, is that the story is told by a gecko (lizard) whose mobility around the house of the central human character, Felix Ventura, makes him a realistic omniscient narrator. Felix is an albino native of Angola, one who sells clients reinvented/imagined pasts. He is approached by someone who wants to create a completely new, documented, identity, the implication being that they are on the run (but who from?), and far harder core than Felix has been involved in before. Events start to spiral out of control (but not necessarily in the way that one might have imagined!).
A lot of (most?) reviewers suggest that the book has really been misnamed - the narrator is a gecko after all, not a chameleon, but I think that's a fundamental misunderstanding of what the title is referring to - it's not the narrator, but the human characters - adopting new identities, adapting to those identities, camouflaged by them, identities that become more real than their original ones, although these start to break through.... Actually, we find (fairly early on; it's not a spoiler) that our gecko was once human - perhaps the ultimate chameleon of all, now absorbed into the background of Felix's life and work (and regarding Felix as a friend).
It's an intriguing story, told in very short chapters (including a number of dream sequences when the gecko - Eulalio - recalls his human existence) that give a rather staccato feel to the reading at times (deliberately I'm sure, and sometimes rather disconcerting). I'm not sure I really got everything from it first time through, so it's now added to the lengthening queue of books on this tour which I want to reread. I need to find time for them!

Edited September 20, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Who Among Us? by Mario Benedetti ****

Read for my Read Around the World project - my choice for Uruguay, my first South American book on the tour! This is a very short novel (novella), telling the story of a three-way relationship, with all three protagonists contributing in their own way. The primary narrator, telling his story through a series of entries in a diary/notebook, is the husband, Miguel. HIs wife, Alicia, contributes barely half a dozen pages, in one letter. The 'lover', Lucas (and also Miguel's best friend) provides the final element, his side told through a short story, written for personal not public consumption ( he is a writer), and footnoted as the story is fiction based on the reality, and the footnotes explain the differences. Complicated? Yes, it is, although for the most part I found the reading reasonably straightforward - it was just those footnotes; I could read the story, or I could read the footnotes, but the latter disrupted the former too much to read in parallel. Maybe that was the point?
It's an odd relationship. Miguel pretty much wills on Alicia's and Lucas's relationship - they are initially pretty antipathetic, and it's only because of Miguel's actions that they ever come together. Love manifests itself in very different ways - and, as with so many love stories, misunderstandings abound, as we find out once we see things from more than one perspective.
To a considerable extent, the plot is really rather trivial. What this is, is a study of 3 characters and their triangular relationship. The plot is the relationship. The book is brief, and very much to the point. It may be less than a hundred pages long, but it feels it's worth more.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

History. A Mess.  by Sigrun Palsdottir *****

I've recently taken out a subscription to Peirene Press, as their books look particularly up my street, and this is the first of those. It's also my choice for Iceland in my Read Around the World tour. There seems to have been a flourishing of independent presses lately, with the likes of Peirene, Pushkin, Peepal, Fitzcarraldo (along with the longer established Persephone) appearing to receive a higher profile, and going a long way to revitalising my reading of late. Penguin, and their modern classics, seem to have brushed up their act too. It all may just be my imagination, or just a delayed awareness (probably this, given the length of time these presses have actually been going!), but whatever the reality, it's a while since I found reading quite as exciting as in the past few months.

A young, female post-grad student studying a 400-year old diary trying to see if she can link the author to a famous portrait artist of the English Civil War era, finds a series of clues that suggest that not only is there a link, but that the artist is female, the first female professional artist in Britain. Her thesis is based around this premise, yet just as she's due to finish and submit, she finds an overseen entry that looks like it blows her work out of the water. What to do?
This is the central premise for a plot that sees our protagonist (I don't think she's ever named) come under increasing strain as she tries to come to a conclusion, returning to her native Iceland with her husband, Hans, and struggling to retain her equilibrium and sanity.
I was intrigued, increasingly so as I continued to read. The book is written from the perspective of the central character, and we see the world as she sees it. As a result, things become thoroughly increasingly disjointed as our subject starts to struggle mentally, imagining what people are saying, flashing back to and reliving remembered incidents (is her memory reliable?), becoming increasingly confused, even hallucinatory (early on, she contemplates a door in her sitting room that she doesn't ever recall seeing before!) as she struggles to hold on to reality. Tjhere are moments of real concern, but also of some humour.
It's a book which I can't pretend I understood all the time. Quite a few reviewers completely lost it, and a fair number reported giving up, but every time I though I might be losing it altogether, things seemed to resolve themselves again, and the mystery, quality of writing, and interest in the main character, kept me reading all the way to the end. I needed those moments of clarity though! I'm glad I persisted - the last dozen pages or so produced an ending that not only left me really pleased I'd made it, but also looking forward to going back and exploring the book further (it's only 170 pages long) to try and get to grips with elements I failed to grasp first time round.
This was not an easy read (well, the reading was easy, it was comprehension that wasn't always!), but one I found ultimately worth the effort. I'm certainly looking forward to the second of the author's books to be translated, Embroidery, due out soon, and also to my next Peirene volume!

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield ******

I'm not a great short story reader, all too often finding them rather unsatisfying, but i have to make an exception for these. I think that's because Mansfield focuses so much more on character and place than on pure plot. They are more vignettes that tell us something about lives, even about ourselves. No more so than in the first, and longest, story At The Bay, which consists of 13 different 'episodes' spread over a day at or near the bay in question, building layer upon layer. The language is concise but rich - both places and characters come vividly alive in a very short space. One can see very quickly why she's regarded as one of the leading developers of modernist writing - these stories have a very strong affinity with, for instance, Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse and I can certainly see why Woolf so respected Mansfield's work. Perhaps the first short story writer whose work I'm going to definitely read more of - and have acquired a really nice second-hand copy of Constable's The Collected Stories in order to do so!
I immediately followed this with Claire Tomalin's A Secret Life; it doesn't tell us much (if anything!) about the generation of her work, and, unusually for a Tomalin work, left me a little bit unsatisfied, but provides some interesting insight into the difficult, fractured life of someone who, to be honest, I found it rather hard to warm to (maybe that's why I was unsatisfied?). I also have a copy of, and plan to read soon, Claire Harman's All Sorts Of Lives, which hopefully will provide more insight into the stories themselves as well, as well as possible alternative perspectives.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

A trio of books recently read:

 

Katherine Mansfield: A Secret Life by Claire Tomalin ***

An interesting follow-up to the book group read of a collection of her (superb) short stories.  However, unusually for a Tomalin biography, I never really felt fully involved or engaged with her subject, for whom the description 'reckless' seemed wholly appropriate.  It helped to explain much though, and I will certainly, and unusually for me given my usual disinterest in short stories, see me reading more of Mansfield's work.

 

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez *****

Both a book group read and the Columbian contribution to my Read Around the World.  A 'big' book in more ways than one, this was an anything but easy read, even if very  readable (if that makes sense!).  A saga of seven generations of a family responsible for setting up a remote village in Columbia, reflecting the history of the country and its people's experience. Being anything but an expert on Latin American history, I spent much of my time wondering what on earth it was all about, and was grateful at the end to read a number of critiques, but the themes of colonialism and the human inability to apparently learn from history were all too clear!  The strength and centrality of the female characters were prominent as well.  Rich, colourful, unrelenting, this was a rare book that left me mentally exhausted (and wore out most of the book group - only 3 of us finished in it in the timeframe available, although several said they would continue with it) - although well sated.  Needs a reread though, although I need some recovery time!  Monumental.

 

Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto ****

A thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery from 1957, with an intriguingly complex plot, that provided a very nice, and very welcome, contrast to the Marquez. Written in what was for me 'typical' Japanese style - slightly cold, clinical, removed -  which on this occasion was well suited to the narrative in hand (all too often I don't really get on with Japanese novels). The age of the book took me slightly by surprised when the author talked about "the recently introduced" passenger plane service, and explained one or two small questions I had around the book (nothing negative). Very much a book I just happened onto in my local independent, and very glad I did too. BTW, just love the cover (Penguin Modern Classic edition), taken from a 1937 Japanese Railways poster - superb artwork.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih ******

My book for Sudan in my Read Around  the World, and prompted to choose it by the war currently being fought there.  Review to be added.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari ****

Edited September 20, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Potiki by Patricia Grace ****

Another in a series of slim volumes that packs a big punch! Initially reading in the rather stiff and repetitive way of of a traditional oral tale, this, as with many world books tackled to date, took a little bit of getting into, but, as with all the others, it wasn't overlong before I found it thoroughly engrossing - this one picked up enormously at the point when the developers start to try and persuade the residents to sell up. Telling the story of how a group of Maori inhabitants of traditionally owned land on the seashore stood their ground against developers trying to establish, by hook or by crook, a major leisure complex*, the novel was an object lesson in culture clash and failure to understand a different point of view - classic post-colonial literature. Modernist in style, this had definite whiffs of Woolf and Mansfield about it, but was oh so different (interesting comparing and contrasting this with Mansfield's 'At The Bay' and, to a lesser extent, elements of Woolf's 'To The Lighthouse'). A book that definitely grew on me.

*Later reflected in Grace's own experience resisting the New Zealand government's efforts to compulsorily purchase land she lived on to develop an expressway.

Edited September 20, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken ****

The author discusses the impact of ultra-processed food, and the ultra-processed industry, on our lives, and it makes for pretty brutal reading in places.  Some of it has been in the public domain for some time now, but other elements were new to me.  As with any of this sort of book, I'm a little bit wary of the 'answer to all questions' advocacy that so often creeps in, but if even half the message is accurate, it's still a pretty scary scenario - and I've no reason to doubt what he has to say (it certainly ties in with my personal experience, particularly as a teacher).  Even though my diet was already fairly low in UPF (ultra-processed foods), I've found myself doing even more to cut them out, even if it means shopping is temporarily taking twice as long as we check out the food labelling!  A worthwhile read.

Edited June 4, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

A fair spate of reading lately:

 

I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti ***

Michele's family is southern Italian poor, living in a small rural hamlet.  Playing in an abandoned farmhouse, he discovers something that completely changes his life.  Strong on atmosphere - this is hot, sultry, Italian summer, and it feels it - and character, particularly of the main protagonist, this is a slim, tautly written read, a selection for one of my book groups.  Sounds good, and yet I never felt really engaged with it.  Once the mysterious find was disclosed, it pretty much all followed what felt to be a fairly standard pattern.  It wasn't bad, far from it, just obvious.  After some of the exciting/interesting reading lately, this all felt just a bit mundane.  I'm all too aware that I'm probably being unfair too, but still 3 stars.

 

Standing Heavy by GauZ ******

And this is just the sort of book that made the previous one feel so ordinary.  Read as my book for Cote d'Ivoire in my Read Around The World, this equally slim novel focuses on a group of Ivorians trying to make their way as "undocumented immigrants" in Paris. Working as security guards they see much of the underbelly of Western capitalism and consumerism, and it's not a pretty sight.  Satirical, wrily ironic, with much to say about post-colonial attitudes in both France and Africa,  I was grabbed from the word go, reading this in two sittings (and wanting it to last longer). 

 

Department of Speculation by Jenny Offil *****

The story of a marriage, a marriage that the narrator swore would never happen, told in a series of fragmentary paragraphs, treading a fine line between sadness and sharp humour.  Nobody is named, and when the marriage struggles (this is a novel after all!) the writer moves from first to third person, presumably to try and create a sense of distance/alienation. it does!  There are some wonderful moments of insight, particularly from a parental perspective, which (even though I'm male and never experienced motherhood) I could strongly relate to!  All in all, beautifully observed. So why not more stars (although 4 is good!)?  I'm not sure, and perhaps I'm being miserly - but it just felt that way. Perhaps because, whilst beautifully written, there were moments when the plot line felt just a little bit the same as so many that had gone before -and there was something about the resolution that didn't quite work for me.  Perhaps, but I should acknowledge that few have dealt with the subject with quite the insight and lightness of touch shown here - thoroughly recommended.   

 

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Scwartz **

I had been really looking forward to this, but ultimately felt disappointed.  The format was similar to the previous book, told in fragments (although the fragments were rather longer and more complex here!), taking a fictional approach to a group biography of leading feminists/lesbians of the late 19th/early 20th century.  Dipping in, this looked to be eminently readable, but once i actually sat down to read the book as a whole, I found myself very soon floundering.  A host of characters were introduced, all of whome I struggled to mentally organise, not helped by rather perfunctory introductions.  I felt that I needed to know a lot more about feminist writers and their history to even begin to understand what was going on and what this was all about - massive assumptions were made about one's prior knowledge.  Much of the referencing to Sappho and other classical characters went right over my head.  By one-third of the way through (probably earlier!) I was utterly confused and bemused, coming close to giving up. In the event, I persisted, hoping for illumination (there was a brilliant book in there somewhere, or so it felt) - but that lack of comprehension continued to the end, and I started skimming over the classical references in particular.  The one exception was when the spotlight was on Virginia Woolf - being rather more familiar with her life story, I felt I understood so much more of what the author was writing about.  But those were relatively rare moments, and I came away feeling this was one really only for the literary academic, or, at least, those rather more thoroughly conversant with the characters and the subject than me.  2 stars.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

A goodly while since I last posted, so a bit of a catch-up. TBH I've struggled a bit this past month - lots of distractions mainly, and perhaps a bit of mojo missing? Anyway, reading since early June:

 

The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers ****

The author's background as a poet is clear from the outset with a strong sense of rhythm and full of figurative writing. Initially it actually felt rather overloaded with the latter, heavy metaphors on every page, or so it seemed. Whether I just got used to them, or the author settled down a bit as the story itself developed, I'm not sure, but they certainly didn't impinge later as they did in earlier pages.

The story itself, centred on the relationship between a pair of (eccentric) friends responsible for a spate of corn circles, proved a really engaging read - light but thoughtful, almost a meditation, not just on male friendship but also aspects of societal attitudes. I'll certainly being exploring his writing further.

 

The Fall of Boris Johnson by Sebastian Payne ****

An interesting, easy read, definitely recommended if the subject interests you (which it does me!). I remain completely bemused how Johnson fooled so many for so long. 

 

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante **

A group read nominated by a couple of fans of the author's Neapolitan series. I was very much in a minority (but not alone) in really not getting on with it at all. I could admire the writing, and would be interested in giving her another go, but this story seemed to spend a lot of time going nowhere, centred on characters who I really could not care about. That may well just be me - stories of teenage angst and anguish just don't do anything for me, rather the opposite ([Catcher in the Rye] - ugh!!); I'm glad to have left that long ago!

 

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov ***

Intrigued by it's winning the International Booker, this was the book for Bulgaria in my Reading Around the World project.

Initial impressions were very promising if a little confusing: a slightly surrealistic tale of a series of clinics set up to to deal with dementia by creating safe environments for sufferers in a time they could remember - rooms exactly reproducing a decade - and the almost inexorable expansion of that concept into the wider world, spiralling into nationalist politics. Dystopian satire?  Certainly a cutting examination of recent trends throughout (especially) Europe.

I was fascinated by the concept and ideas, but have to admit that I found the book itself an increasingly difficult read, so much so that I rather struggled to reach the end. It was worth it, and some of the ideas continue to resonate, but it was tough going!

 

On Chapel Beach by Laura Cummings ****

Promoted as a mystery surrounding a childhood kidnap, this felt a bit of a mis-sell, which is a bit unfortunate as there is an intriguing story of memoir and genealogical investigation that is mentioned but IMO underplayed. Essentially, it's the story of the author's and her mother's investigations into the family history of the latter, and the impact of various (often false) narratives on both mother and daughter (primarily former).

It's rather overwritten in places, almost tabloidy in the way we are led through a series of almost melo-dramatic revelations, but I remained engaged, even fascinated, through to the end and a satisfying and interesting twist.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[MrCat]

Oh boy, I just bought My Brilliant Friend. It's one of those books that everyone around me has been reading recently so I figured I'd give it a shot. 🫣

 

Edit: so sorry, I have no clue how to delete the spoiler tags.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by MrCat

[willoyd]

I plan to give it a go too. I thought the writing great, it was just the narrative. I've often found I can love one book by an author but hate another (eg Amy Liptrot's The Outrun - a favourite - versus her latest The Instant - most disappointing book of last year).

Edited September 8, 2023 by willoyd

[France]

On 7/28/2023 at 6:00 PM, MrCat said:

Oh boy, I just bought My Brilliant Friend. It's one of those books that everyone around me has been reading recently so I figured I'd give it a shot. 🫣

 

 

 

My Brilliant Friend is exceptional as is the second one in the series so don't worry!

[willoyd]

More titles for review - will catch up on them as I can.

 

Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories by Thomas Grant ****

 

Portable Magic by Emma Smith ***

 

Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspie ***

 

Travelling In A Strange Land by David Park *****

Almost a novella, this beautifully written story focuses in on the thoughts of one man as he drives across a snowbound border country from Stranraer to Sunderland to pick his poorly son up from university at the end of his first autumn term there. Much is revealed about the man's family history and its impact on his relationship with his family.  Beautifully written, full of atmosphere, made almost claustrophobic by the state of the landscape (the descriptive writing was excellent), this really took me by surprise, coming from an author I'd not even heard of until nominated for one of my book groups.  For me the second half didn't quite live up to the first, but our discussion, one of the best we've had, helped me understand why the author took the route they did, and led to me adding a star back on! A book that really underlined the value of book groups to me if nothing else, but also, and perhaps more importantly, led to me thinking a lot more about my own role as a father and individual.

 

Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell ****

Even after reading the Sebastian Payne book (see post above), this was a jaw-dropping read.  Unlike Payne, it's a review of the whole of Johnson's premiership, not just the last days, and it's scathing and devastating in its coverage and assessment.  One always had one's suspicions, but the inside view on Johnson's incompetence (let alone corruption) was revelatory - and as for the role taken by Dominic Cummings......  Things have come to a pretty pass when so many workers in no. 10 and elsewhere in government so welcomed Dominic Raab's temporary standing in for Johnson when he was in hospital with Covid. 

Because it's written as a series of chapters focussing on different themes, rather than a purely chronological narrative, I did fine this a bit repetitious in places, but the book never dragged - the different perspectives ensured that - and I ripped through the 500 or so pages, almost gasping for breath on occasions.  What really stood out for me is how vulnerable our system of government to the machinations of one individual, and how easily the British electorate can be manipulated (it's never mentioned, but this was for me a complete condemnation of our First Past the Post system - actually our whole system of government so much in the hands of one person.

 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver **

Gave up on this after just under 200 pages.  It's a modern day version of David Copperfield , set in the Appalachians and the opioid crisis.  It's this Copperfield framework that's the real problem.  I loved the original Dickens novel- a full 6-star rater - but having read it, you know pretty much exactly what's going to happen to Kingsolver's characters as soon as they are introduced (her character names cling closely to their originals). She lacks Dickens's lightness of touch: I found the narration flat, a monotone, with no real variation in shading (near constant mis-lit), even though matching him in verbosity. And where, oh where, is the humour?  I can still see why people enjoy this, but its raising to the ranks of Pulitzer and Women's Prize winner is quite beyond me.  I'm not at all surprised that it's been passed over for the Booker, other than it's the Women's Prize that usually nails it and the Booker that doesn't!.  On Kingsolver generally, I thought Poisonwood Bible was excellent and enjoyed The Bean Trees, but since then it's been a steady turn-off through an OK Unsheltered, a rather dull The Lacuna and now this.  Sadly, I really don't think I can bring myself to read any more Kingsolver unprompted, and will leave her to her many fans  This was read for a book group, and was going to be my book for Virginia in my Tour of the United States, but that will now have to be rethought! 2 stars.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Update: no I haven't -  it just didn't feel right. Instead, what I've done is slightly change the emphasis of each grade.  6 stars is 'excellent - an outstanding read', with a sub-list of favourites  (books that particulary resonate on a personal level).  5 stars now means 'very good' (unputdownable), 4 'good'' (compulsive - demands to be picked up once put down).  1 (ugh!) and 2 (disappointing) and 3 (OK, but not compulsive) remain the same.  so the old grade 5 has seen some most move into 6, some staying at 5, the old grade 4 has seen some move into 5, with most  staying at 4, and a few grade 3 have moved up into 4.Basically,  I just needed a bit more space to differentiate between books I liked.  All very geeky!

 

After much umming and aaaghing, I've decided to slightly change my rating scheme.  I started using a 6-star a few years ago, and it's held up pretty well, but over the last year or so, I've felt the grades in the upper tiers have been a bit too broad, lumping books together that I feel rather too differently about.  So, I've decided to add another tier, making it a 7-start scheme, with a three 'not so good' levels (1-3), three 'good' levels (4-6), and 7 reserved for favourites.  In practice that means I've added an extra tier in between the old 4 and 5 star levels.  Level 4 is now a narrower 'good', level 5 is now 'very good' and level 6 is a tighter 'excellent but not favourite'.

 

So, the new system is now:

 

1 star: really didn't like this . Most of these are book group choices that I really didn't get on with, with just the odd one or two choices of my own.

2 stars:  disappointing, or books which, whilst I can recognise have merit, I just didn't particularly like. There are some classics here!

3 stars: OK, a decent enough read, even if not demanding to be picked up once put down.

4 stars: good, the first tier for 'compulsive' reads

5 stars: very good, pretty much unputdownable and/or provides some real insight.

6 stars: excellent, but doesn't quite make it into my favourites list, even if I often can't quite say why!

7 stars: a favourite, a book that may not be great literature, but resonates with me personally in a special way.

 

I've updated this year's blog entries to cater for this new system, and will update challenge threads soon.

Edited September 27, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah for Ghana ****

(Copied from my Reading Challenge thread).

From several promising looking books, I chose this one based on its appearance on the Big Jubilee list, which has been the source of some cracking reads already, and the fact that The Leeds Library, a subscription library I belong to (the oldest surviving in England!) had got a stock in for one of the book groups, so was easy to get hold of!
The narrative focuses on 'the man' (he's never named), a railway clerk who, very unusually, is absolutely honest in what is shown to be an utterly corrupt society, the Ghana of the Nkrumah era. Colleagues, even relatives, don't understand why he takes the line he does, and no-one more resents his 'failure' to take advantage than his wife and mother-in-law, who, in particular, want to enter in a deal with a local party high-up over the ownership of a boat, and reap the rewards they perceive will be forthcoming. The book homes in on how his honesty affects these relationships, and the internal monologue that the man holds with himself - even he's not sure why he does what he does. But then events take a turn....
Most distinctive for me was the author's ability to draw a picture, one into which I really felt pulled - this was a place, never visited by me, that really came alive. It could be fairly gruesome too: the author used basic bodily functions and the contrast in toilet environments to really underline the difference between the corrupt 'haves', and the (more) honest 'have nots'. This is a distinctly post-colonial novel, but one that highlights the fact that (apparently)even after independence in Ghana everything 'white' was the aspiration, and anything native was to be deplored (some reviewers say that's still a problem). The colonial masters had simply changed colour themselves, treating the 'lessers' in just the same way as the previously European colonists had. I have to admit, I found the excremental side of things rather overwhelming at a couple of key moments, when I could only read through gritted teeth and clenched muscles - descriptions and details were all too vivid, and far too real to be anything but excruciating! But they certainly pushed the point (and the narrative) home. There are also passages where it feels all too much that the author has climbed up on his soap box and his bludgeoning us with his hectoring, but fortunately, they didn't overly dominate the book, and only once really felt intrusive - Armah was far stronger when he was showing than when he was telling.
Overall, this was a powerful read. It wasn't 'easy', but it certainly wasn't as difficult as the reviewer who claimed it would take anybody weeks to read (it's less than 200 pages) suggested. I read it in less than a week, and it only took that long because I was staying with friends for the weekend in the middle and unable to have my usual reading time. Well worth 5 out of 7 stars, and yet another great read for Africa, my 9th book from that continent, the most consistently rewarding continent to date so far.

Edited September 20, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Two more books to add to the read pile:

 

The Restless Republic by Anna Keay *****

I was encouraged to read this by overhearing an episode from when it was Radio 4's book of the week (I didn't listen to any more, as I decided I wanted to read the book itself!).  Keay examines the  decade when England was a republic through the lives of a variety of characters who (largely) played a variety of key roles, including John Bradshaw (chief judge in the trial of Charles I), Charlotte Countess of Derby (prominent Royalist), William Petty (surveyor of Ireland and doctor to Oliver Cromwell), Marchamont Nedham (journalist and newspaper editor), Anna Trapnell (religious visionary) and, amongst others, Oliver Cromwell himself. For me this approach worked really well: it's a period that I don't know well (certainly less than the reigns of the two monarchs either side), and always felt a bit dry and dusty to read about (religious and political hair splitting).  Focusing on lives rather than topics and themes brought the latter to life and showed their relevance to actual people's lives.  It also made the subjects themselves very human - I've always been sceptical of Cromwell's prominence as a 'Great Briton', and whilst my scepticism was if anything confirmed, I did start to feel I understood more why things happened the way they did. It also made the book really (and I mean really!) readable - I did not want to put it down, at least during a chapter, whilst the chapters themselves provided convenient and well spaced breaks for me to take a breather.  Keay's account struck me as well balanced, even though her views were apparent (not a great fan of Cromwell, if understanding, more so of Charlotte Derby and George Monck!), and I came away both feeling I had learned a lot, but been well entertained at the same time.  A book that I will almost certainly go back to.

 

Minty Alley by CLR James *****

There are other candidates for the most famous book from Trinidad and Tobago, the latest stop on my Reading The World tour, not least A House for Mr Biswas, or pretty much anything by VS Naipaul, but I decided to opt for this on discovering it was the first novel by a Black Caribbean writer to be published in England. I came to it, and that fact, through it being included in the Black Britain collection published by Penguin and curated by Bernardine Evaristo. Whilst I'm sure the alternatives are great (and Biswas is on my to-read list), I have absolutely no regrets making this choice, rather the opposite!
Haynes (I'm not sure we ever learn his first name) lives on his own, his mother having recently died. He needs to downsize, and, against the advice of his loyal servant, Ella, he opts to take a room in the house of Mrs Rouse, at no. 2 Minty Alley. The house is a very mixed bag, including Mrs Rouse's lover, Benoit, various lodgers, servants and relatives. The book, just 260 pages long, tells the life of this household and how, almost against his will, Haynes moves from observer to active participant in this menagerie of characters. It's a fascinating, colourful, loud character study, and, (if accurate - I have no evidence one way or another), social portrait, bringing this small community vividly to life, vibrantly coloured. There's certainly plenty of passion and scandal, and the whole novel, including the writing, felt distinctly more modern than it's 1936 publication would suggest. For a book that addressed so many 'issues', it had a remarkably light feel to it - this was a distinctly enjoyable, entertaining, almost rollicking read. 5 stars out of 6.

Edited October 1, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Incomparable World by SI Martin ***

Following on from Minty Alley, this was another book from the Penguin Black Britain collection, curated by Bernardine Evaristo.  Set in the late 18th century , when slavery was still legal in England, in the aftermath of the American War of Independence, it focuses on the historically largely invisible but substantial black community in London, boosted by the host of ex-American ex-slaves who fought on the British side and left for England in the wake of the American victory.  The author doesn't pull any punches on the dirt, violence and criminality of the time, and both characters and place are strongly drawn.  To that extent, I really enjoyed this relatively slim novel. However, I have to admit that I found the plot rather predictable and rather slow to get going. We know there's a punch line, and it's fine when when we get there, but it does seem to take a long time arriving (and all too brief when it does).  To be honest, I wasn't that bothered about the plot - I was enjoying the other elements of the story - but the book felt that it was intended to be plot driven, in which case it, for me, needed to be rather stronger.  As a portrayal of time, place and character, I thoroughy enjoyed it, and would certainly read more.

 

Stories From Nauru by Bam Bam Solomon and others, plus readings from Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia  ****
My geography of the Pacific Island nations is, at best, sketchy, so venturing there for my first book from that region in my Reading the World project was a bit of an act of personal discovery. As I found out, Nauru is the third smallest nation in the world in terms of land area (only Monaco and Vatican City are smaller - I was really surprised to find that it's barely one-third the size of San Marino!), and population (Vatican City and Tuvalu are smaller), even fewer people than my nearest (small market) town in West Yorkshire (Otley)! It's not surprising then that its depth of literature is not great, particularly given the largely oral cultures that prevail in that part of the world. Even finding something to read was something of a challenge but, fortunately, the source that Ann Morgan used for her Year of Reading the World, proved equally productive for me over a decade later, and I was able to obtain a copy of Stories From Nauru from the Masalai Press in California (very effectively and efficiently packed and despatched too). Also published in the past few years has been a rather attractively presented anthology, Indigenous Literatures of Micronesia, part of The New Oceania Literary Series from the University of Hawaii (relatively new, with just 2 volumes in it so far), with 4 readings from Nauru within its covers. So, not a huge amount (Stories is just 20 pages long), but what this combination lacked in quantity, it more than masw up in interest.

Ann herself wrote an excellent review of Stories, which says far more than I ever could, so do read her commentary .  What I can say is that I found the combined collection fascinating - an eclectic mix of folklore retold, personal experiences (or so they read), and reportage. There's a distinct thread to these pieces- they don't make for the happiest reading - with a distinct sense of sadness, almost wistfulness, for how life was, or how it could have been, and the disconnection Nauruans are in danger of suffering from their culture and sense of identity, if they aren't already doing so. Inevitably, the impact of the phosphate mining that has devastated the island environment, and the mismanagement of the sovereign fund that should have provided the islanders with some financial security, has a presence too.

However, I did enjoy what I read (more than once). My impression is that most of the authors were somewhat inexperienced at the time of writing - Stories after all derived from a literacy workshop designed to promote creative writing on the island - but the quality rather belied this, although there was a rawness, or freshness, about these pieces that I find thoroughly engaging, particularly given their brevity (succinctness!). It all certainly bodes well for my further explorations in the Pacific region. Both books thoroughly recommended (although Indigenous Literatures is likely to be much easier to obtain!).

Edited October 3, 2023 by willoyd

[willoyd]

October books

 

See You In September by Joanne Teague **

An account of a family's 'once in a lifetime' trip round Europe after the mother, the author, is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, with a limited life expectancy.  It's light, instantly likeable, but after a while it becomes very repetitive and predictable, with a succession of chapters recounting 'this is where we visited, this is where we stayed, this is what we visited', and providing little insight beyond the standard tourist experience. I'm full of respect for the author, but this was more of a book for the family and anybody who knew/knows them, rather than a book to add to one's own experiences.

 

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ****

The book for Florida in my Tour of the States.  My heart initially sank when I realised much of this - the dialogue - was written to reflect Afro-American dialect, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get into, and I barely noticed it after a while.  The protoganist, Janie, is a young Black American brought up by her grandmother, who marries her off at 16 is married off to an older man, effectively, as the grandmother sees it, to protect Janie. The story is of her development and self-discovery through three husbands, only the final one living up to her needs/expectations in spite of being the least secure of the three.  Not surprisingly, it's often described as a 'feminist' novel, and it's easy to see why, although some of what happens would strike a modern reader as anything but (feminist)m being more typical of what a black woman might expect.  it's not overly fast paced (which is actually a good thing in my eyes!), and the character development feels a little bit stereotyped at times, but it was never less than fully engaging, and I surprised myself at sailing through it.  

 

Chess by Stefan Zweig *****

The book for Austria in my Reading Around the World project.  More a novella than a novel, the quality of this psychological study more than compensates for the lack of volume!  A group of cruise passenger take on the world chess champion in a series of matches, and takes the latter by surprise through the intervention of a complete unknown who, whilst surprisingly diffident and uncertain and apparently having not played for many years, is devastatingly incisive, leading the group to victory.  How? It's intense, stark, and utterly riveting, posing some big questions about the human psyche.

 

October Sky by Homer H Hickham ******

Previously known as Rocket Boys.  Set in 1950s West Virginia this memoir is of a childhood in a coal-mining community where the author and a small group of friends, inspired by Sputnik and the American attempts to respond, set up the 'Big Creek Missile Agency' and set out to develop their own rocket for space.  In spite of initial resistance, not least from the author's own father (the mine supervisor) and pretty much everybody in authority, other than their immediate teachers, they gradually gather the community behind them, a community whose entire existence is increasingly threatened by changes in the mining industry, whilst the author's own family life becomes increasingly fractured.  It's a balancing act, but overall, in spite of the difficult background, this is an inspiring and joyful read that had me gripped from start to finish.  It's easy to see why it's so popular in the States. I would have liked to have included it in my Tour of the States - West Virginia hasn't been the easiest state to find a novel for - but rules are rules!  Later edit: and rules are made to be broken!  This is too good not  to include, so have changed my criteria from pure fiction to fiction plus narrative non-fiction.  Which makes this both the 32nd book to be completed in my tour, and the first non-fiction. It might also ease up one or two other states where non-fiction writing is more prominent than fiction.  Or maybe I should try one of each for each state?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by willoyd

[Hayley]

On 10/25/2023 at 10:21 PM, willoyd said:

October Sky by Homer H Hickham ******

I loved the movie of this and now you’ve reminded me that I want to read the book!