chesilbeach Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Remarkable Creatures is the latest book from Tracy Chevalier and tells the story of Mary Anning, a young fossil hunter in the early nineteenth century, as she discovers some incredible fossils on the beaches of Lyme Regis which fuelled the debate of evolution as opposed to God's creation. As a woman of a working class family, Mary is befriended by the gentlewoman Elizabeth Philpot who helps Mary and her family earn a living from their finds. The two women must brave the gossip and censure of both their own town and the wider, almost exclusively male, scientific world. Unusually for me, I've had this book on my shelf for about 18 months, and it's the first Tracy Chevalier I haven't been eager to read as soon as I bought it. I think I'd been quite disappointed in her previous book, Burning Bright which although I enjoyed, I thought it had been the weakest of her books. Remarkable Creatures is definitely a step back in the right direction. The two main characters, Mary and Elizabeth are both strong women, but with their own unique personalities, they felt very real. Chevalier bases her story on real people, but fictionalises their lives, and there's a connection for me as the beaches of Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Eype are beaches I spent many holidays on, both as a child and an adult, and are very close to West Bay, the westerly end of my namesake, Chesil Beach. Having seen many modern fossil hunters at Lyme Regis myself, it was interesting to read about the lives and experiences of these early pioneers, and to think that Mary's father fashioned one of the first hammers used in trying to find the ancient forms. I felt the relationship between the two women was very believable, and it was nice to see that it wasn't just a rosy picture painted of both their lives and their friendship, which suffers the strain you would expect from two people from different classes and in such a masculine world. All in all, I don't think it comes close to my favourite of her books, Falling Angels, and The Lady And The Unicorn also rates highly with me, but it's still a very good story and one I enjoyed reading a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Wow, I'm actually down to 50 books on my TBR! I have sneaked a peak at Amazon over the last couple of days, and was almost tempted by one of the daily deals, but I have remained true to my quest, and have gone 20 days without buying a book We got our books for next month at my reading group this week, but I've already read one, one is a nasty looking crime novel which I definitely won't be reading, and the other is non-fiction, and I've got my fill of those on my TBR already, so I haven't even added books from that source this month. Started The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery yesterday - it's all about climate change, and although it's good, I can only manage a couple of chapters at a time (about 20 pages), so I'm going to start a fiction to go alongside it, but can't make up my mind which one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Just read Reunion by F. E. Heaton which is actually a short story/novella, but was a nice interlude while taking a break from my other non-fiction book. I've only read the Prophecy trilogy which starts this Vampires Realm series of books, and this story was from the same world, which always gives you a head start as you don't need any scene setting. Difficult to find much to say on such a short novel but it was entertaining, and I'll be reading the rest of the series at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I absolutely loved Remarkable Creatures - although written as a fictional story the book has been well researched. I could absolutely believe just how badly the scientists treated Mary Anning but in the end justice prevailed. Who would have thought that a young girl would have contributed so much to the science of paeleontology. A thoroughly enjoyable read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Have you read her other books, Angel? I'd still advocate that Falling Angels is her best, so if you haven't read it, I'd strongly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 It's officially three weeks today that I bought my last book. In that time, I've read 12 books and reduced my TBR by 20%. A great start, and I'm still determined to stick to it. I can get all my TBR books on a single shelf now, and there are even gaps appearing now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Most of my childhood reading was dominated by Enid Blyton and new books, and I've read very few of the classic children's books, so when I was given a free copy of The Wind In The Willows as part of the National Year of Reading a few years ago, I thought I'd give it a go, but it's sat languishing on my bookshelf ever since. It caught my eye this morning, and I've just finished it. I have to say, I wasn't that impressed. I know so many people who love this book, but I just found it was very old fashioned. I didn't engage with the characters, in fact the only character I liked was Mole, while was Toad selfish and vain with no redeeming characteristics at all. But I also didn't like how the book was written - most of chapters felt like short stories but not all of them. I would have been happier if they'd all been individual stories with a narrative threading through them all. I do enjoy reading children's books, and I can see why people who've grown up with it would love it, but I think I'm too old to read it for the first time. I do think, however, that it would make up a good book to read aloud to children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I hope you don't mind me asking, but for someone who has never read a Jane Austen book, which title to you recommend as a first to read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Of course I don't mind! If you haven't read any before, I think Northanger Abbey is the most accessible. It's good fun and it's comparable to a good romcom style novel, just in a historical setting. It's a relatively easy read for a classic too. Edited March 18, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Remarkable Creatures was a fantastic book. I loved the story they created around the two characters. I know it was fictionalised, but it was written in such an authentic way that you believed that is exactly what happened between the two of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Of course I don't mind! If you haven't read any before, I think Northanger Abbey is the most accessible. It's good fun and it's comparable to a good romcom style novel, just in a historical setting. It's a relatively easy read for a classic too. Thank you! I have added it to my TBR list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Have you read her other books, Angel? I'd still advocate that Falling Angels is her best, so if you haven't read it, I'd strongly recommend it. That's the only one of her's that I haven't read - I have just ordered it from the library Edited March 18, 2012 by Angel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 I've just finished the best book I've read so far this year, and I had no idea what it was about before I started it. The book in question is William - An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton. It's the first book in the Persephone catalogue, and that's the only reason I'd bought it. It tells the story of William Tully, who we meet at the start of the book where he is working as a clerk in 1910s London. After the sudden death of his mother, he finds himself comfortably off and is able to use his new freedom to find his place in society, and begins to follow his Socialist ideologies, where he meets Griselda, fighting for the Suffragette cause, and the two marry. Their honeymoon takes them to the Belgian Ardennes on the eve of the first World War, and their lives change forever. The writing is superb. It's clean, crisp, and describes with vivid realism the futility and horror of war from the perspective of ordinary people. I can't tell you the impact it's had on me, but I can't stop thinking about it. Although there is a certain detachment in the prose, you can feel the anger of the author coming through, and after finishing the book, I've looked up a bit more about it and found out she was a suffragette herself before working in a hospital in France during the war, and wrote this novel in 1918, so she has first hand experience of the war itself. The protagonist starts the book as an innocent having lived under his mothers influence, and is malleable enough to be drawn into the socialism movement, and initially I felt he was quite weak willed, but as the story progresses, you being to see how the experiences shape him, and in particular how one day changes his life and his outlook forever, and how he matures as a man. The conclusion of the story is sudden but fitting, and I found the final paragraph incredibly moving. I've read more war books this past year than I've probably ever read, both fiction and non-fiction, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. An outstanding novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Time for my next foray into my year with Jane Austen, and I've just read Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange. This is the second of the Austen inspired diaries by this author that I've read, and it was just as enjoyable. Re-telling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view gives you the feeling of reading your favourite book for the first time again, as you see the familiar story play out but from a previous hidden point of view. All the characters are known to the reader, but displayed in a different light with someone else perspective on them, and Grange captures the same tone and evokes the period effortlessly. I'm thoroughly enjoying reading these diaries, and can't wait to move on to the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Not really enjoying The Weather Makers too much at the moment, but I think it's because I've studied climate change in the past, and read a lot around the subject, and so far, I know a lot of the subjects covered, with just an update in the facts and figures. I've put it aside for a bit, but I'm not sure I'll go back to it if I'm honest In brighter news, realised this morning (with my statistics head on) that since I bought my last book, I've reduced my TBR pile by *drum roll* 25% *trumpet fanfare* !!!!!! I started reading An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay this morning, and it's very good so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I've just finished the best book I've read so far this year, and I had no idea what it was about before I started it. The book in question is William - An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton. It's the first book in the Persephone catalogue, and that's the only reason I'd bought it. This sounds really good - I've just downloaded a free version onto my Kindle. Well done with the not buying books. I was trying not to buy any during Lent (although books are not the thing I've actually given up for Lent) but I failed yesterday! I'm very impressed that you've reduced your pile by 25% - that's amazing! | Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) I think 24 books so far this year is quite a low number for you, isn't it Kylie? It seems to me that frankie's not doing too bad. I would definitely love to be included in your client base frankie (as long as I can afford the fees ). Did you hear that, Kylie? Claire said frankie's not doing too bad! *looking all smug* 24 books is an awfully low number for Kylie so I'm mighty proud of her. She's doing great Payment? Shhhh! Don't go putting ideas in her head! I haven't been paying her at all. I would like to think Frankie's doing it out of the goodness of her heart. Yes, fortunately for you I have one of those good hearts. All advice is free and you can spread the wisdom around Yes, Mum. Mum's the word! I'm reading this as part of my Jane Austen challenge, and I have to admit, despite challenging myself to read them, I had low expectations for any of the novels inspired by the great author, but this has been a very pleasant surprise. In only two sittings, I'm already half way through, and I'm absolutely loving it. I suspect I will have finished it by the end of the day, as it just dances along with characters I already know and love, but giving a totally different perspective on the story. I know what you mean, I don't think I would have very high expectations for those Jane Austen inspired books, Austen herself set the standards very high. As optimistic I would like to be in life, I dare say you are bound to come across with a few duds. But I'm happy to hear Captain Wentworth's Diary isn't one of them, I'm very tempted to add it to my wishlist! You made it sound so great. Thanks for the review! I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish, and I will definitely be reading more of her books, and there is one for each of the male heroes in Jane Austen's novels, and even one for the villain in Pride and Prejudice! I had no idea that there's an author who has covered all of the male heroes in Austen's novels! I wouldn't also necessarily think that this would bode well, an author like that seems too serialised, but apparently I'm mistaken. I think Grange's body of work needs a closer look It's officially three weeks today that I bought my last book. In that time, I've read 12 books and reduced my TBR by 20%. A great start, and I'm still determined to stick to it. I can get all my TBR books on a single shelf now, and there are even gaps appearing now! That's amazing! And it's not even 20%, it's come to 25% You've done wonderfully, hip hurrah! I must ask, did you think it possible when you started this journey? I feel inspired. I think the tables have actually turned and you are the one to come to when advice is needed Edited March 22, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 This sounds really good - I've just downloaded a free version onto my Kindle. Well done with the not buying books. I was trying not to buy any during Lent (although books are not the thing I've actually given up for Lent) but I failed yesterday! I'm very impressed that you've reduced your pile by 25% - that's amazing! | I hope you enjoy it Janet, I'm still thinking about it two books later! Fortunately, I did say at the beginning that I would still buy some books for a few specific reasons, so as long as I stick to what I originally said, I'll be happy, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 I know what you mean, I don't think I would have very high expectations for those Jane Austen inspired books, Austen herself set the standards very high. As optimistic I would like to be in life, I dare say you are bound to come across with a few duds. But I'm happy to hear Captain Wentworth's Diary isn't one of them, I'm very tempted to add it to my wishlist! You made it sound so great. Thanks for the review! I had no idea that there's an author who has covered all of the male heroes in Austen's novels! I wouldn't also necessarily think that this would bode well, an author like that seems too serialised, but apparently I'm mistaken. I think Grange's body of work needs a closer look I was amazed at how much I liked them, it genuinely felt to me like I was getting read my favourite book for the very first time again with a pair of fresh eyes. You're right in that they obviously couldn't match up to Austens work, but then she sets such a high standard, it would be impossible to do that, but I did enjoy them far more than I could have thought before I started. That's amazing! And it's not even 20%, it's come to 25% You've done wonderfully, hip hurrah! I must ask, did you think it possible when you started this journey? I feel inspired. I think the tables have actually turned and you are the one to come to when advice is needed I don't usually stick to these sorts of goals I set myself, but I think actually writing it down here has helped me stick to it. It's like I don't want to publicise and admit to my failure! At the moment, I'm not tempted to fall off the wagon, so even if I only make it to 50%, I'll be delighted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Did you hear that, Kylie? Claire said frankie's not doing too bad! *looking all smug* 24 books is an awfully low number for Kylie so I'm mighty proud of her. She's doing great Yes, fortunately for you I have one of those good hearts. All advice is free and you can spread the wisdom around It's more like 32 books now. I think I need you here by my side to help me. Yes, you're very kind-hearted. I'm so impressed with your self-control, Claire! I have a proposition to make: would you like to split my TBR pile with me and help me get it down? It'll only be around 650 books, which should take you no time at all at the rate you read! I have a pretty awesome TBR pile, if I do say so myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I don't usually stick to these sorts of goals I set myself, but I think actually writing it down here has helped me stick to it. It's like I don't want to publicise and admit to my failure! At the moment, I'm not tempted to fall off the wagon, so even if I only make it to 50%, I'll be delighted. Do you actually stay away from book related places? .. not here of course but shops and stuff .. Amazon and the like ... or do you still browse? I'm just equating it to my chocolate addiction which is ok if I don't go down the confectionery aisles (but then they place it at the tills too .. you can't win ) What I'm trying to find out is how much self control you have You're doing excellently Claire .. well done you and Kylie .. you're doing excellently too .. No book fair!!!! .. that IS a sacrifice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 I'm so impressed with your self-control, Claire! I have a proposition to make: would you like to split my TBR pile with me and help me get it down? It'll only be around 650 books, which should take you no time at all at the rate you read! I have a pretty awesome TBR pile, if I do say so myself. Nice try! Surprisingly, no, I wouldn't like to share your TBR, but thanks for the kind offer Do you actually stay away from book related places? .. not here of course but shops and stuff .. Amazon and the like ... or do you still browse? I'm just equating it to my chocolate addiction which is ok if I don't go down the confectionery aisles (but then they place it at the tills too .. you can't win ) What I'm trying to find out is how much self control you have You're doing excellently Claire .. well done you and Kylie .. you're doing excellently too .. No book fair!!!! .. that IS a sacrifice. Thanks! For the most part, I don't really get much opportunity to wander round book shops anyway, but I haven't avoided them particularly - I've been in Waterstone's a few times and I've been ok. I have purposely stayed away from Amazon though, as it's the much more tempting proposition. I think the most inspiring thing has been seeing the gaps starting to appear on the bookshelf where I keep my TBR books. Once it's empty, there'll be a celebration in our house, I suspect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay is a fictionalised biography of an artist, Jennet Marrow. You know at the beginning it's written by someone close to her, probably one of her children, but you're not sure who. It follows her life from birth to death, concentrating on her relationships and her development as an artist, and how her life affected her art. I'm in two minds about this book. The descriptions of an artist at work and the analysis of her art are wonderful, and it truly brings imagined artworks to life, amazing colours, textures and light are bright on the page. And, in fact, it was only in the last 30 or so pages, when you find out which character is actually supposed to be writing the book, that I felt a bit let down. I don't think this is giving anything away, but the reason I felt disillusioned by it was that from the story they've written, I found it hard to believe how that character could know so much about Jennet's life. This is added to by the fact that the last twenty of so years of her life feel sort of skimmed over in the story. Overall, I would say I enjoyed it, and as I mentioned before, the analysis of the pieces of art was captivating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) Many people of my age will remember Carol Drinkwater as the actress who played Helen Herriot in the BBC television series, All Creatures Great and Small but she has carved herself a second career as a writer with her series of books about how she and her partner bought and learned how to run an olive farm in Provence, as well as novels and childrens books. The Olive Season is the second book in the series, and after a successful first season, this book follows their second year on the farm, trying to juggle their main careers in film and actin alongside keeping their trees in the best condition, jumping through all the bureaucratic hoops to try and get their AOC acceptance, as well keeping their relationship strong through some very tough times. I've had this book since it was first published in 2003 after having loved the first book in the series, but I suspect, the longer it stayed on the shelf, the more I was seduced by my newer purchases. Having started on this challenge to finally reduce my TBR to nothing has been a godsend, as I'm relishing returning to books that once tempted me but have fallen by the wayside, and are now rewarding me with wonderful storytelling and fascinating stories, and this was no exception. There are some heartbreaking moments in the book, but she writes with such honesty about her feelings of loss and how bereft she felt at times, that when the sense of a new beginning comes at the end of the book, you feel happy for her and Michel. What I love most, are the sections dealing with the land and the trees, and although I can sympathise with her and all that she went through personally, I felt myself wanting to get back to the olives all the time. A lovely read for an unexpectedly warm March day, with the sun making me feel a connection, albeit very small, with the warm Provençal climate, and making me dream of holidays and travel, a time when I would traditionally read this style of book. Edited March 24, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Sunday mornings are the hardest time for me to resist buying books, as I normally settle down and make sure all my book lists, databases and spreadsheets are up to date (yes, I'm that much of a geek ), and then head over to Amazon and check if any of the books on my wishlist have been reduced in price, check the recommendations section to see if there's something new I fancy trying, look at my favourite authors/series to see if anything new has been added, and then read the Guardian review section for extra inspiration. This is made all the more tempting if, like today, I'm in between books, and I'm thinking of my next read. But I'm going to resist! Today is the one month anniversary since my last book purchase. I have finished seventeen books and abandoned one. My TBR list currently stands at 43 which is a 30% reduction in just one month. Gives me hope that maybe this is achievable after all, and I just need to stick to the plan to get to that magic place of being able to buy a book and start reading it straight away with no guilt about how many other books I have waiting to be read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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