#LibraryHaul

Got a new Library Haul today - argh I love the library!

 

 

Anyone with a sharp eye may notice that Under the Never Sky and The Witch's Daughter were part of my previous haul - but that's what renewals are for!

 

As for the rest of this haul, the picture kind of cut off some of it, but there's a few Quick Reads, a graphic novel, and some non-fiction. There's also Doctor Sleep by Stephen King, because I've read the Shining so now I have to read it's sequel.

 

I'm looking forward to two of my non-fic picks in particular - 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, and Ban This Filth! by Ben Thompson. Ban This Filth! is about Mary Whitehouse and the censorship movement, so should be fun and irritating at the same time.

 

Hopefully some reviews will be appearing for you all soon!!!

Reviewing the evidence - NOS4R2 (aka NOS4A2)

Title: NOS4R2 (NOS4A2)
Author: Joe Hill
Genre: Horror
 
A few starting notes:

I'm a big fan of Joe Hill. I read Heart Shaped Box, Horns, and 20th Century Ghosts before I'd ever read anything by Hill's father (some little-known author named Stephen King.) His writing is just amazing. I'm not over-hyping, this dude has some talent.

NOS4R2 is the British name of Hill's novel NOS4A2, probably due to the fact that pronunciation is different on opposite sides of the Atlantic, and the publishers wanted the pun on Nosferatu to still make sense. It's nice for things to be Anglicised (I wish that phrase was Britishised or something, Anglicised is far too centred on England, and I don't live in England) instead of Americanised for a change.

Premise:

Sometimes people can create their own worlds in their head - what if it didn't always stay in their head?
 
Vic McQueen has a bridge. A bridge which finds things for her. She hops on her Raleigh bike, and looks for what's been lost.
 
Then there's the Wraith. Charles Talent Manx. He takes children to Christmasland, where it's Christmas every day - except they're not quite...children, anymore.
 
When Vic and Manx cross paths, things are going to be interesting. And bad. Very bad.
 
Best bits:

Firstly, I have to point out the quality of the writing. Joe Hill wraps you in the rhythm and tone of the words, and carries you along. You're a passenger on this ride, and it leaves you enchanted.
 
The plot is considered and well thought out, lining up its intricacies to slot them all neatly together. Yet nothing feels forced. Due to Hill's light and controlled touch, there's none of the awkwardness which may occur with other writers.
 
Likewise, the characters are believable and complex people, who need little more than ink, page and reader to come inexplicably to life. I particularly like the Scrabble-obsessed Maggie Leigh. She's incredible.

Not so great bits:

If you're sensitive, or wary, about the following: abuse (of several types,) swearing, addiction, cancer, mental illness, child abduction, self-harm and graphic violence - then I advise that you are cautious when it comes to this book. I may even have left some potentially traumatic issues out. But, it's to Hill's credit that it doesn't feel overwhelmed by the issues which he handles so matter-of-factly, yet so deftly and competently. This could so easily have become a leaden weight around the plot, but Hill manages to pull it off.

Also, unless you're OK with adding a taint to all your childhood memories, I suggest you don't read this around Christmas.

Verdict:

I cannot emphasise enough how amazing and masterful this book is. Any horror fan who has not yet discovered Joe Hill (and any who has) needs to get hold of a copy of this. You won't regret it. I would give it 5 stars any day.

Time to Review the Evidence - The Shape Stealer

Title: The Shape Stealer (US Link)
Author: Lee Carroll
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Series: Watchtower

A few starting notes:

This is another random pick from my last library haul (I have renewed, I won't be hunted down by mercenary librarians, it's fine.) I didn't realise when I picked it up, but it's actually book 3 of the Watchtower series. That didn't bother me too much because it's not like I've never dived into a series mid-way through before.

Lee Carroll is actually the pen name of a two-person writing team.


Premise:

Garet James, the Watchtower (a magically guardian-y type person,) has some stuff to deal with. Her boyfriend is a vampire (well, sort of,) and there's an ancient demon following them (don't you hate it when that happens?) plus there's a whole lot of time-travelling hijinks going on.

Best bits:

It's fun! The tone is light and enjoyable, and definitely readable.

The short chapters make it easy to dip in and out of, and it's easy to follow even with all the twists and turns of the plot. This is a chillax, Sunday afternoon when your brain needs some down-time kind of book. With supernatural stuff chucked in for good measure.

I'm also a fan of the urban fantasy sub-genre in general (that's where there's vampires and stuff faffing around modern cities,) and this carries it of competently.

Not so great bits:

I'm sorry, but the poetry and song lyrics just didn't do it for me. I found them naff. Very naff.

There's also plot-holes aplenty here, as is the hazard with time-travel plots - all those pesky paradoxes! But if you just let the plot-holes exist and quiet the voice that argues with them, you should be fine.

Verdict:

This is fairly enjoyable - a quick light read with the plus of supernatural goings-on and a good pace.

My 5 Rules for Reading More

I figure, as I'm on such a crusade to read more and encourage others to do the same, that I'd share my 5 rules for reading more. Hope it encourages you to get your nose in a book!

1. It doesn't matter what you're reading, so long as you're reading: this means, quite simply, that it doesn't matter if you're reading 50 Shades, Twilight, or War and Peace - just keep reading! Never let the shamers get you down. Haters gonna hate. Readers gonna read. Just enjoy it.
2. You'll never read everything there is to read - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try!: this means don't get discouraged by the amount of things people expect you to have read - enjoy the challenge of reading more without stressing over the details. Never stop looking for the next book, but don't worry if you add ten more to your list in the meantime. Tbr lists grow of their own volition.
3. Read every day: this one's non-negotiable. If you want to read more you have to get in the habit - so read every day, even if it's only a page or two.
4. Read everywhere: On the bus, the train, in the café, in a queue, on a park bench...just read. You never know, you may even encourage someone else! Never be ashamed of reading.
5. Develop your own rules: Reading is a deeply personal thing, don't let anyone (including me!) tell you how to do it. Make up your own rules and do what works for you.

Happy reading!

An update on my goodreads challenge

Hey everyone, just to let you know how my goodreads challenge is going - I'm now up to about 16 books out of my 50! Woo! If I continue at this rate I'll have to up my target! What do you think? 60? 70? More????

Remember though, numbers aren't everything - enjoy what you're reading, and take the opportunity to read more often and read more widely!

Reviewing the evidence time (Manga Edition!) - Genju No Seiza vol.1

Title: Genju No Seiza vol. 1
Author: Matsuri Akino
Genre: Graphic Novel, Manga, YA (older teens,) Fantasy, Paranormal

A few starting notes:

Genju No Seiza translates to 'Constellation of the Imaginary Beast' (thanks Wikipedia,) and is presented in the format favoured by the publisher (the now sadly diminished, but hopefully will soon rise from the flames, Tokyopop,) of reading right to left to keep the orientation of the artwork. It sounds more complicated than it is, honestly, though sometimes you do read things in the wrong order and have to check yourself.

I picked this up randomly in my last library haul, so didn't really have any preconceptions about what it would be like.

Premise:

Fuuto Kamishina hasn't had the easiest of lives, and it turns out the past few lives have been a bit complicated too. It's not everyday that a birdman attaches himself to you and tells you that you are the reincarnated rightful ruler of a tiny Asian country called Dhalashar. What's a Japanese schoolboy to do when there are paranormal assassins, restless spirits, and premonitions of doom to deal with?

Best bits:

The artwork is competent and engaging. Sometimes it crosses the line into truly beautiful - which is always a good sign going forward in a series. Some of it is brutal and striking - manga rarely shies away from dramatic wounds and blood.

The characters - Fuuto in particular - are believable and interesting. You care what's going to happen to him, what he's going to decide to do with this insane situation that's suddenly landed on him. And he's different, which is a huge thumbs up as far as I'm concerned!

The plot and tone have a gothic and slightly surreal feel that I think actually fits quite well. The castle which Mayu lives in gives the whole thing this sort of other-world anything-is-possible feel that's really entrancing.

There's humour here too - not over-used, but excellent at tempering the seriousness of much of the plot. I particularly enjoy 'Professor Vision' which shows what it looks like to outsiders (this outsider happening to be the Professor, there are always professors in manga,) when Fuuto is arguing with a random bunch of animals.

Not so great bits:

The first chapter (this volume takes in Chapters 1-5) is a little rushed as far as plot is concerned, but it soon settles into it's groove.

Some readers may find some of the themes and artwork difficult to deal with - there's discussion of suicide and abuse here, for example - but I think it's handled with grace. Obviously, if you find this sort of thing distressing, this may not be the book for you.

Verdict:

A promising start to the series that tempers gothic seriousness with the gentle touch of humour. Engaging characters, artwork, premise, what more could you want in a good slab of manga?

Book or Film? The debate continues!

People will think I've taken something a little bit unusual with my morning coffee but I (yes, me, the reading addict,) don't always think that the book is better than the film. I realise that I now need to go into hiding before my fellow bibliophiles hunt me down and force me to read the entirety of a song of ice and fire (up to the current volume) in one sitting (I realise that's a TV series not a film, but let's not be overly pedantic about this.)

Please though, listen to my point before you bind my hands with fabric bookmarks and march me out of the library in disgust! We should not be asking which is 'better' (and I would certainly never watch the film instead of reading the book - blasphemy!) - it's simply which we prefer.

In some cases, no matter how radically different the book and the film are, I like them both equally. Because they are different. Because directors, producers, and actors, can read the same book I do and see something completely different in it's pages - and sometimes their ability to show us that is simply beautiful. No one can argue that Alan Rickman does not perfectly embody Severus Snape, and also completely steals the show in the last film despite having minimum screen time. If it wasn't Harry Potter he would've won an Oscar (After all this time? Always.) Shutter Island has a different vibe, and several different points, to the original book by Dennis Lehane. I love both book and film equally - they're simply beautiful; the same with An Interview with the Vampire.

This leads me to my next point - the film encourages people to read the book; to date, (and off the top of my head,) films (or TV series) which I have seen and then been inspired to seek out the book are: Shutter Island, An Interview with the Vampire, The Crow, Let the Right One In, The Man with the Iron Mask, The Vampire's Assistant, Tanya Huff's Blood books, A Game of Thrones, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and A Tale of Two Cities. All of which I now adore to varying degrees; I don't love the film any less for reading the book, nor the book any less for seeing the film. And if films are encouraging people to think about their literary predecessors, shouldn't we be encouraging that?

Sometimes though, filmmakers miss something vital - something of the magic and the majesty of the original. There's always something to prose that it's almost impossible to convey on screen. Sometimes the film is just down-right disappointing (I really wasn't fond of the Picture of Dorian Gray adaptation starring Ben Barnes, despite my usual love for his work.) But the best of stories, novels, etc., can withstand even the most haphazard of adaptations. They survive. They continue. Everybody forgets the crappy film, and goes on loving the book.

So watch the film, read the book, or do both. And hopefully my fellow book lovers will understand what I mean, and I won't have to change my name and flee the country!