Reading A Little ... August

This month I don't seem to have been reading as much for some reason - probably because I've been working so maniacally on the quilt! But I have a few recommendations that I read this month for you...

 The Virgin Suicides - Jeffery Eugenides
A fairly bleak novel about a family with 5 daughters who over the space of a year all commit suicide. It is written from the viewpoint of the neighbourhood boys and speaks of how they struggle to understand the motivation behind the deaths while also coming to terms with the tragedies happening within their neighbourhood. Set in 1970s Michigan, this is a very disturbing, dark but gripping novel that had me hooked. The narration is quite matter-of-fact and upbeat considering the material it deals with and there was enough detachment to be able to brush it off. I found it intriguing and enjoyed it.

The Time Machine - H.G. Wells
I only discovered Wells' work fairly recently when I read War of the Worlds but really enjoyed it so was looking forward to this. I wasn't disappointed. The Time Machine is the tale of the nameless Time Traveller, who after inventing a time machine takes it into the future. He sees the decay and destruction of humanity and it is a terrifying view of the future. It's mostly terrifying because you could actually imagine some of the scenes happening... I like Wells' writing style: informative but allowing enough for the imagination and very easy to get into. Another good read and I'm now looking forward to The Island of Doctor Moreau!



Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
I think this was my favourite book this month. I felt it was a good mix falling somewhere between Memoirs of A Geisha and Wild Swans. This historical fiction is set in the 1800s in a remote province of China. Snow Flower and Lily are two girls bound together through ritual as 'One Sames' - they go through all the major milestones at the same time, including having their feet bound and converse for many years through their secret writing. It's a beautiful story of friendship, trust, loyalty, deceit and hardship. I really enjoyed this and have been recommending it all over the place - definitely worth a read!

Reading A Little ... July

Thought I'd share a few more good books with you. I was hoping to do a few reading posts last month but didn't quite get round to it. Will keep you posted if I find any new ones. For the moment, here are some really great books that I recommend to you. Happy Reading!

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly 

I can't remember whether someone recommended this to me or whether I just found it randomly at the bookshop but this is an absolutely FANTASTIC read. A boy mourns the death of his mother and becomes more and more drawn into his books. So much so that one day he manages to transport into another, part fictional world, where fairytales become horrible nightmares, where the Seven Dwarves are communist labourers and Snow White is far from her fairytale image. An adventure of bravery, courage, despair and hope, all overlooked by 'the Crooked Man'. This is a great read and I really recommend it to you.



Nevermore by William Hjortsburg

I'm not usually into murder mysteries, but this is an exception. The story is based around Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is set in the U.S during prohibition. Sir Arthur is doing a series of lectures about spiritism and his belief in the ability to contact spirits. Houdini on the other hand is a vocal disbeliever, going to lengths to prove that those who believe in seances are being duped by fraudsters. And then a series of murders start occuring, all with similarities to Edgar Allen Poe's mysteries. Conan Doyle meets Poe's ghost and embarks upon solving the mysteries, while Houdini gets mixed up with the mysterious Isis reincarnated. The narrator shifts in person; it is written in the third person but from different perspectives, including those of journalists and various detectives / police officers. By creating an atmosphere of curiosity Hjortsberg manages to weave a spell that will keep you reading: you're never quite sure what the next twist will be.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo


The book that inspired the West End production (which I now REALLY want to go and see). War Horse is the story of Joey, a half-thoroughbred bought on a whim as a young colt. He comes to love his owner's son Arthur but the First World War comes along and he is sold to the British Army. And so begins the tale of life as a war horse. Although this is written for young adults, and many of the children in my class have read and enjoyed it, this has a great appeal for adults too. It touches on a number of fundamental human themes (bravery, determination, friendship and loyalty to name a few) and gives a harrowing account of what life in the trenches would have been like, albeit watered down for the younger audience. An excellent read and despite seeing through a horse's eyes, the characters were very vivid and well-rounded. Another good recommendation.

Reading A Little ... June

 Animal Farm - George Orwell
I didn't like 1984. I've read it a number of times and every time I manage to forget it. It's only about halfway through when I think everything is a little too predictable when I remember I've read it before. For this reason, I approached Animal Farm with slight trepidation: I thought it was Orwell's writing that I didn't like. I was pleasantly surprised. While I wouldn't put this in my list of favourite books, I also should have read this much earlier. Animal Farm recalls how the animals of Manor Farm stage a revolution and take over from the humans. A thinly disguised satire of Stalinist communism, this is an effective novel with some fairly hard-hitting themes. I really felt for some of the characters and my disgust at the short-sighted leaders increased as the book progressed. I would recommend it as one of those books you 'should' read.

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
I read Water for Elephants as one of my book group reads on Shelfari and after a number of recommendations. It is an absolutely fantastic read and I now know why I had so many people say I should read it. While essentially it is a love story, it captures the mood of the Great Depression and prohibition brilliantly. A number of themes are dealt with brilliantly- love, loyalty, bravery, kindness, cruelty... the list could go on. Jacob Jankowski is the son of Jewish Polish settlers. After a tragic accident, Jacob joins a circus and we get a brilliant description of what life with a travelling circus during the 1930s would have been like. The portrayal of characters is deep and well-rounded and you feel total sympathy for their feelings and moods. I loved this book and it's now one of my favourites! If you'd like to see my shelfari review click here: http://www.shelfari.com/books/10021/Water-for-Elephants/readers-reviews

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
I read this years and years ago while still at school. But it's one of those books that I HAD to read, and therefore I disliked, and promptly forgot. It probably didn't help that we had about 3 teachers that term so we didn't get a 'whole' picture. In fact I'm not even sure we finished it. Anyway, I decided after reading lots of people raving about it, that I had to re-read it. And I'm very glad I did. It is written from the viewpoint of Scout Finch, the daughter of a lawyer living in Alabama in 1936. I don't think it needs much explaining here as it is incredibly well-known for it's themes of racism, tolerance, prejudice and community-spirit. It is brilliantly written, has lively characters and dialogue and I can absolutely see now why it has influenced so many people so profoundly. An excellent read.