Gyre's Reading Adventures 2009!

[Weave]

Spiral by Koji Suzuki ~ Started: 10.02.09 ~ Finished: 25.02.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

Stunning, cutting-edge thriller with a chilling supernatural twist from Japan's stylish new literary star, the acclaimed author of Ring. Pathologist Ando is at a low point in his life. His small son's death from drowning has resulted in the break-up of his marriage and he is suffering from traumatic recurrent nightmares. Work is his only escape, and his depressing world of loneliness and regret is shaken up when an old rival from medical school, Ryuji Takayama, turns up on his slab ready to be dissected. Through Ryuji's bizarre demise Ando learns of a series of mysterious deaths that seem to have been caused by a sinister virus. From beyond the grave Ryuji appears to be leading Ando towards a suspicious videotape -- could this hold the answer to the riddle of the strange deaths? Or is it merely the first clue? When Ando meets Mai, an attractive former student of Ryuji's, his desire to solve the puzzle transcends curiosity and becomes a matter of life or death. Spiral is the stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Ring, and can also be read as a standalone.

 

Following on from 'Ring' (and also readable as a stand alone book), 'Spiral' starts with Ando performing an autopsy on Ryuji following his early demise in 'Ring', suddenly Ando is dragged into the world of the ring and Sadako Yamamura who is responsible for numerous deaths.

 

I enjoyed 'Ring' but I enjoyed 'Spiral' a lot more for numerous reasons, there was a more sinister feel to it for one thing, the story was excellent, I did not expect the ending, some parts of the book were obivious but still enjoyable to read.

 

I felt pity for Sadako Yamamura in 'Ring' but in 'Spiral', my pity slowly disappeared.

 

An interesting read, well written, highly recommended.

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Edited March 29, 2009 by Weave

[Janet]

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley & David Roberts

 

An excellent read, great stories, memorable characters, lovely illustrations and loads of twists in the tales, something to share in the future with my nieces and nephews.

Oh great, another one for my Wishlist - thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

It sounds great!

[Weave]

Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley & David Roberts ~ Started: 22.02.09 ~ Finished: 26.02.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

When Ethan and Cathy fall ill during a storm, their father must leave them to fetch the doctor. . .but they are not alone for long. A sailor comes begging for shelter. So, the children agree to let him sit out the throes of the storm as they listen to his grisly tales. But something about the man puts Ethan on edge, and he is anxious for the storm to blow over, their father to return and the long night to come to an end.

 

Storms whistling through the sails, evil pirates pacing the floorboards, and of course, a haunted ship of ghostly beings. All this and more is waiting to give you goose bumps in an atmospheric and thrilling collection of spooky seafaring tales

 

Another excellent collection of stories by Chris Priestley, with illustrations by David Roberts. I really enjoyed 'Tales of Terror from the Black Ship', a wonderful collection of stories from the sea with a twist at the end. A joy to read.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[Seiichi]

I enjoyed 'Ring' but I enjoyed 'Spiral' a lot more for numerous reasons, there was a more sinister feel to it for one thing, the story was excellent, I did not expect the ending, some parts of the book were obivious but still enjoyable to read.

It's been years since I read the book but generally I felt the same. It was a gripping read. Sadly, I'm referring only to the first half of the book, which had given me such high expectations for the ending. Ultimately, I felt let down by the explanation of how things come to pass. After following the scientific investigation of the Ring curse, I wasn't really prepared to suspend my disbelief in order to accept the ending.

[Weave]

I finished 'Brave Story' by Miyuki Miyabe, review to follow

[Weave]

'Brave Story' Review

 

[Weave]

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons ~ Started: 06.03.09 ~ Finished: 06.03.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

Imagine a future where Nixon is still President, America won the Vietnam War, and the nuclear clock stands at five minutes to midnight.

 

I am planning on seeing the film of 'Watchmen' as soon as possible, so I decided to read the graphic novel first and all I can say is WOW, I can see why 'Watchmen' has such a huge fan base and I think the film has a lot to live up to for the avid fans of the comics.

 

Rorschach was my favourite character, there is no inbetween for him, good is good, bad is bad and the beauty of 'Watchmen' is you out find about Rorschach's background, why he is the way he is, why he continues to fight in what he believes in, while seeing the cruelty of the world, for Rorschach there is no compromise, he gets the job done despite being an outlaw.

 

'Watchmen' for me is the perfect comic, I loved everything about it, the story was brilliantly written, the illustrations are amazing, especially the illustrations of Dr Manhattan (aka Jon Osterman).

 

Read it as soon as you get the chance.

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[pipread]

Spiral by Koji Suzuk

 

An interesting read, well written, highly recommended.

 

Rating: 10/10

 

 

 

 

I read Ring, a while ago, and enjoyed it, and I`m definately going to look out for this now!

[Ben]

Is Watchmen the film that all the other films have been building upto. Like with all the superheroes?

 

Edit - Ignore that.

[Weave]

I am not sure Ben, I know it has taken awhile to be released, due to various problems.

 

It looks ace x

[Weave]

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb ~ Started: 10.03.09 ~ Finished: 12.03.09

 

'The Fetch' ~ Review

 

[Weave]

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ~ Started: 17.03.09 ~ Finished: 19.03.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

A 16-year old American boy relates in his own words the experiences he goes through at school and after, and reveals with unusual candour the workings of his own mind. What does a boy in his teens think and feel about his teachers, parents, friends and acquaintances?

 

This was my fourth attempt reading 'The Catcher in the Rye' and I am pleased to say that I finished it, the reason for the failed attempts before? well to be honest, I found Holden Caulfield really annoying and frankly a brat but reading it this time around I can see that Holden is actually lonely and scared, he has experienced loss and he is scared of growing up. A sad tale but I do not think I will read it again.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[Weave]

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson ~ Started: 13.03.09 ~ Finished: 23.03.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

The narrator of THE GARGOYLE is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. As he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide - for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.

 

A beautiful and compelling, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and tells him that they were once lovers in medieval Germany. In her telling, he was a badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life - and finally in love. He is released into Marianne's care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull of his past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is prescribed becomes ever more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she only has twenty-seven sculptures left to complete - and her time on earth will be finished.

 

I had a bit of a late one finishing 'The Gargoyle' because I was so engrossed in the story.

 

I really enjoyed 'The Gargoyle', it was interesting and you can tell that Andrew Davidson has researched extensively in burns and the procedures to help burn victims, all the procedures are a trial in themselves, alongside coping with extensive burns and you share this with the un~named narrator which at times was quite hard to read, the amount of pain he goes through but you see the other side of it.

 

'The Gargoyle' is a really good read I thought, Marianne Engel was a lovely character, I was in awe of how sure she was of her faith and her love for the narrator was beautiful because that was the main theme of the book, love, the love between the narrator and Marianne, Marianne's love of her faith and her gargoyles.

 

If you get the chance, give 'The Gargoyle' a try. The only thing I felt would put people off was how descriptive everything was, with regards to the burns and procedures, it did not put me off but just putting the warning out there.

 

Rating: 10/10

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[BookJumper]

Since you've only just finished reading "The Gargoyle", maybe you could help me answer a teeny tiny question *is shy*?

 

Many people have compared this to Scarlett Thomas's "The End of Mr. Y" but that is a book I had to abandon because the graphic scenes made it too much of an uncomfortable read, even though the metaphysical topic interested me a great deal.

 

I'm a great reader of horror so the graphic descriptions of burns shouldn't be a problem; I was wondering how much of the other type of graphic there was?

 

The reason I was wondering at all is because when I picked "The Gargoyle" up in Waterstone's to flick through it I read a bit where

the protagonist talks about becoming I'm not sure whether it was a porn star or director...

and if that bit is very in-depth or there's lots like it then this might not be for me.

 

Thanks you in advance for any help; I really hate buying books which I then can't read!

[Weave]

 

Hiya, he was porn star and porn producer, it is not ver graphic, he does mention the various sex acts he participated in but it is told in a subtle way, if it had been graphic, I would not have continued reading but as I said, its very subtle.

 

 

Hope that helps

[BookJumper]

It makes me re-consider the possibility of buying it... think I might have to go to one of them big Waterstone's with sofas and just read that chapter first and see if it's subtle enough for my easily scarred mind lol! Thank you .

[Weave]

I finished 'The Wonderful Demise of Benjamin Arnold Guppy' by Gina Collia~Suzuki

 

Click ~ Here

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[Weave]

The Evil Seed by Joanne Harris ~ Started: 20.03.09 ~ Finished: 29.03.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

When Alice Farrel meets Joe's new girlfriend she is disturbed by the girl's placid nature, not realizing that this is just one side of her persona. Is the lust for power which was true of Rosemary Ashley 40 years before, the same hunger she sees in Ginny?

 

 

My friend, Claire, gave me 'The Evil Seed' as a gift last year. 'The Evil Seed' was her debut novel and due to popular demand was re~published (this also happened with her second novel, 'Sleep, Pale Sister', which I have also read and enjoyed).

 

I really enjoyed reading 'The Evil Seed', the story was excellent, two stories are told interwined throughout the book, the story of Robert, Daniel and Rosemary and the story of Alice, Joe and Ginny, are Ginny and Rosemary the same woman? well you will have to read and find out.

 

As in 'Sleep, Pale Sister' I notice that the female characters were alot more stronger than the male characters, I do not know if this occurs in Joanne Harris's other books (I will need to find out), I found it refreshing to read such strong female characters, the male characters are dependable, which for me created a good balance.

 

A truly scary gothic book, I loved the setting (Cambridge), I truly believe 'The Evil Seed' would make an excellent film.

 

Highly recommended

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[chrysalis_stage]

Ooo evil seed sounds intriguing! Will definitely have to check it out.

[Weave]

Its really well written chrysalis_stage, I hope you get the chance to read it

[Weave]

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami ~ Started: 20.03.09 ~ Finished: 01.04.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

The Sequel to 'A Wild Sheep Chase'.

 

High-class call girls billed to Mastercard. A psychic 13-year-old dropout with a passion for Talking Heads. A hunky matinee idol doomed to play dentists and teachers. A one-armed beach-combing poet, an uptight hotel clerk and one very bemused narrator caught in the web of advanced capitalist mayhem. Combine this offbeat cast of characters with Murakami's idiosyncratic prose and out comes Dance Dance Dance. It is an assault on the sense, part murder mystery, part metaphysical speculation; a fable for our times as catchy as a rock song blasting from the window of a sports car.

 

 

I fully admit to being biased when it comes to Haruki Murakami, he is an amazing writer and every book I have read by him so far has struck a chord with me, this was very much the case with 'Dance Dance Dance', the sequel to 'A Wild Sheep Chase' but can be read as a stand alone book was excellent, just excellent, it followed the continued adventures of the narrator from 'A Wild Sheep Chase' and the ever eclectic collection of characters he meets, the return of the sheep man put a smile on my face.*

 

In 'Dance Dance Dance' the narrator goes on a journey to find his place in the world, searching for what he has lost, some parts were sad, some parts were funny and hopeful too.

 

Another gem by Haruki Murakami

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Rating: 10/10

Edited April 1, 2009 by Weave

[Weave]

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy ~ Started: 30.03.09 ~ Finished: 03.04.09

 

Synopsis ~

 

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant

 

Ace Detective, Snappy Dresser, Razor-tongued Wit, Crackerjack Sorcerer and Walking,talking, fire-throwing Skeleton ~ as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old. These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil. The end of the world? Over his dead body.

 

I read the first book in the series, 'Skulduggery Pleasant' last year as a book of the month (which was suggested by Incognito) and really enjoyed it, a really fun, light~hearted read. 'Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire' was just as much fun, its been a year since Skulduggery and Valkyrie Cain (also known as Stephanie Edgley) stopped Nefarian Serpine, now they have a new enemy in the shape of Baron Vengeous, can Skulduggery and Valkyrie stop the Faceless ones rising, they are sure going to try.

 

All in all a good read, I love Skulduggery's wit and Valkyrie's courage.

 

I am looking forward to reading the third installment, 'Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones' and also seeing the film, which is due for release in 2010.

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave

[Weave]

A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi ~ Started: 03.04.09 ~ Finished: 04.04.09

 

Currently reading

 

Synopsis ~

 

Susanna desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage. What she doesn't realize is that the girls are about to set off a torrent of false accusations leading to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people. Susanna faces a painful choice. Should she keep quiet and let the witch-hunt panic continue, or should she "break charity" with the group--and risk having her own family members named as witches?

 

 

I found this book quite interesting and I would like to read more about the Salem Witch Trials. Susanna, the main character was not I would call a positive character, given the situation she was in, you could understand why but at the same time, I thought that the situation she was in, would make her want to do something about it, I understood how scared and lonely she was especially when facing the accusers and the subsequent hangings because of the lies that were being told in a town where everyone was suspicious of each other, it really was a vicious circle but I really wanted Susanna to tell someone what was going on.

 

I found the town suffocating, I could not imagine for one second how difficult it would have been living in such oppression, terrified to speak your mind in case you were accused of being a witch. I felt anger towards the accusers, how could they stand back and watch innocent people being executed?

 

As I said, an interesting read, the only part I did not enjoy was the author‘s notes at the end of the book explaining why they accusers did what and why they did it, which I found a bit pointless because you knew why from reading the book why they (i.e. boredom, the times they were living in, acting on their parent’s behalf to settle scores with individuals who they had arguments with, etc), I just felt like she was repeating what she had already said.

 

Recommended.

 

Rating: 7/10 (because of the author’s notes)

Edited April 20, 2009 by Weave
A Break with Charity

[bethany725]

Wow, Paula.. another good streak of books for you, I see Good!

 

And this Ann Rinaldi book looks really great from the synopsis.. I'll check back to see your review when you're done. Maybe I'll check it out if you like it!

[Weave]

Wow, Paula.. another good streak of books for you, I see Good!

 

And this Ann Rinaldi book looks really great from the synopsis.. I'll check back to see your review when you're done. Maybe I'll check it out if you like it!

 

I will certainly let you know Bethany, not a problem x