My Thoughts: The Hours by Micheal Cunningham

I wasn't overly impressed by the film for this, but it was on my challenge list for both the Pulitzer prize and the 1001 list so I thought I had better give the book a go, and it was so much better, much more rounded.

The book spans across the day in the life of three women, each at a different point in history.

Virginia Woolf, in London in 1927, trying to start writing Mrs Dallloway, but also struggling with the pressures of depression and a desire to just slip away from this world.

Mrs Brown, in America in 1949, a housewife with the perfect little family, but they just don't satisfy her. She wants to escape, to a different life, to the book Mrs Dalooway, and also contemplates commiting suicide.

And Clarrisa, nick named Mrs Dalloway, who is preparing a party for her dying friend in modern day New York.

All the women are feeling seperated from life in some way, and suicide comes up a lot. Not agood novel for if you are having a bad day!

Challenges:

20th century Reads: 1999

Pulitzer Prize Challenge

1001 Reading Challenge

Book Awards 2 2/10

[TSS] My Thoughts: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier

I didn't expect to get this finished at all today, but I sat down to a few chapters and the last 150 pages suddenly whirled past.

"She was called Isabelle, and when she was a small girl her hair changed colour in the time it takes a bird to call to its mate."

The story starts with Isabelle, a young girl with copper hair living in the 16th Century. When her hair first changes to the same colour as the Virgin Mary's she is given the nickname La Rousse, but as time passes and Catholicism and the Virgin Mary are shunned the name starts to become something of a plague. Isabelle soon becomes associated with witchcraft along with her mother, the local midwife.

Isabelle marries a local tyrant, moving in with a Christian family, who shun her because her past, and the red hair she constantly tries to cover. As time moves on the Tournier family are forced from their house moving away to Switzerland. Isabelle's marriage has become one of fear and violence, she lives with a mother-in-law and a son who despise her, always mistrusting her, constantly on the look out for signs of witchcraft. Her only sanctuary is her daughter, who is starting to find copper colour stands in her hair, and shares her mother's passion for the deep blue of Mary's robes.

In the alternate chapters we are introduced to Ella Turner/Tournier, she has moved to France with her husband, and feeling lost she decides to dig through the family history to try and help herself fell like she belongs. Soon her nightmares of the bright blue colour and a pray in French become entwined with her search for her family.

As her marriage breaks down, Ella comes to discover more about her heritage, and to feel like she belongs in this foreign country.

Chevalier manages to make the characters from both the 16th Century and the 20th feel alive and well rounded. I would have quite happily have read another 100 odd pages of this book.

Challenges

2nds Challenge Book 1 of 4

20th Century Project 1997

Other reader's thoughts:

A Self Proclamation

The Readaholic

If you have read this add a link to your review and I'll add you in

My Thoughts: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

I know that I'm probably one of the few people never to have read Neverwhere, but it was worth the wait. I'm definately having a bit of a Neil Gaiman year, seeming to be reading his books all over the place.

For anyone in the dark, like I was, Neverwhere is a novel set in London Below. Richard is a typical middle class office worker in London, he gets up, goes to a boring job, and sees his boring girlfriend and then does exactly the same thing the next day. That is till one evening an injured girl literally falls at his feet. His life changes in moments, leaving him dumped, invisible to everyone arouund him and able to talk to rats.

The injured girl, Door, leads him to a life under the normal London, filled with the people who just 'fell through the gaps'. The train stations act like portals, and more than live up to their names and his life is at risk with every step he takes.

I absolutely loved this novel. The inverted world of London, the fantasy creatures and the pace with which the story unfolds. For years I shrugged away from fantasy literature, and I seem to have discovered it through children's literature and its opened up a new world of books. If anyone has any great recommendations for more books from this genre please share them with me :-)

Each of the Gaiman books I have read so far have been bookrings, so I'm planning on asking for some for Xmas, all with the gorgeous black and white covers.

Challenge:

20th Century Reads Project (1996)

Classics Challenge (Fantasy Classic) Book 6 of 6

Other Reviews

Eye on Everything

Raidergirl3

Bart's Books

Stephanie's Confessions of a book-a-holic

If you've reviewed this leave a link to your review and I'll add it in

Sunday Salon: A Review - Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi

A fairly good reading week for me, I managed to finish 4 books: A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden, Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey, Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips and Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi - all of the good reads but nothing to rave about unfortunately. I only have two weeks left of the summer holidays and really need to start preparing for the classes I will be teaching when I get back, so I'm not sure I'll be reading so many books next week. I am hoping to finish Eldest, which I'm loving. I have Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson to start this afternoon, and I hope to read In Cold Blood and possibly start Pawn of Prophecy if all goes well.

Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi

Years ago I read Kureishi's novels The Buddha of Suburbia and The Black Album, and earlier this year I read Gabriel's Gift all of which I really enjoyed. So I picked up Intimacy and expected to enjoy it, I guess I also expected to read a book written in a similar style as those books of his which I had read before, but this wasn't so.
Intimacy is a first person narrative of a man who is leaving his wife and two small children. The novella is based on his thoughts the evening before he leaves, we see him playing with his kids, remembering elements of his marriage, remembering the affairs he has had, in particular the mistress he fell in love with.
I'm not sure if we are meant to feel for him or not, personally I ended up hating him. He claims to love and adore his children, yet he is leaving without letting anyone know, let alone giving an explanation. He talks about his wife as if he never loved her, she is just someone he seems to leave fairly regularly. And he talks about his countless affairs as if he is entitled to them. He lives a very good life, working only in the mornings and obviously having a fair amount of money and luxury around him, yet he just whinges about everything. He seems pretentious, selfish and shallow, so I came to the end of the novel thinking it would be better for the wife if he did leave and she could meet a nice bloke instead.

Challenge:
1001 BYMRBYD

Other Reviews:
Over-exposed Image for a more positive impression.

If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link and I'll pop it in.

My Thoughts: A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden (incl spoilers)

This is going to be a very short reveiw. I'm participating in an African Bookbox (I get sent a bunch of African books in a box, take out how many boxs I want, replace thm with that many books set in Africa, then post them to the next person), and I needed another book. This book is set in Morocco so this book got picked. Now this isn't a typical African novel, but I'm hoping that it will be a good thing to have something a little different from whats expected in the box.

This novel is about an English couple, in their early 40s, they take a holiday away to Morocco. They have a fairly loveless marriage, which the woman tries to sort out in her head whilst on this holiday. She thinks back over the past and the present situation (she catches her husband with another woman, then she sleeps with a much older man), she tries to work out whether she should stay with him or leave.

It's a fairly basic plot, and a very easy read. It was interesting to read a book about marriage in the 1960s, its shocking that it wasn't that long ago that women accepted being hit, or their husband having an affair.

Challenges:

Reading Around the World

20th Century Project (1967) Book 11 of 100

Sunday Salon: My Thoughts on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor and Challenge Round Up

This is one of those novels that I've always been aware of but somehow never got around to reading it. I picked it up in a second-hand sale the other day and realised that it would be perfect as the last book for the Southern Challenge.

The novel is about the Logan family, living in Mississippi in the 193o's. Times are hard because of the forthcoming depression, and because of the continuing tension between the black and white communities. The Logan families are one of the few black families with their own land, this is resented by both the black and white families.

The story is centred aroud the four Logan children, having being brought up by indepent parents, who believe evryone should be equal, they have a hard time understanding the unequal society that they are living in. As the novel progresses more and more problems arise between the two communities.

This novel deals with the racism alive in that society, as well as they way the law and politics was shaped to benefit white people.

Obviously as a kids book this was a fairly easy read, and a easy way to spend a windy Sunday afternoon. I'm now of for lasagne, a couple of episodes of 24 and maybe a film for the evening. This week I'm going to finish Theft: A Love Story, Bellefleur and hopefully start Frankie and Stankie. What have you be reading today?

Challenges:

Southern Reading Challenge Book 3 of 3!

Young Adult Reading Challenge Book 7 of 12

Classics Challenge (Kids classic) Book 5 of 6

Unread Authors Challenge Book 3 of 6

20th Century Project (1976) Book 10 of 100

Reading Around the World

If you have read this book, please leave a link to your review, or your comments, I will link in any reviews added.

The Southern Challenge Round-Up

I finished it with 5 days to go, which seemed unlikely this time last week. My intentions (Gone with the Wind, The Awakening, Cold Moutain and The Sound and the Fury), seemed to go amiss during the last few month, with me only managing to read one from the original list. I think I ended up with a good mix though, one classic, one contemporary fiction and a YA classic book (The Secrets We Keep, Gone With the Wind, and Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry). While I enjoyed all of them in their own way Gone With the Wind was by far the best, and a book I definately plan to go back and read again.

Looking forward to next years selection, Maggie!

My Thoughts: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

It has taken me a very, very long time to read this, but I have enjoyed every page. I have never seen the film or knew a great deal about the story except Rhett and Scarlett's name so everything was all new to me.

As I'm sure most people know this novel focuses on just 12years in the life of Scarlett O'Hara. In that 12 years she faces a lifetimes worth of events and emotions. From a flighty, flirty and selfish teenage with a spread of men laid at her feet for her choosing, she ends up in a loveless marriage because she couldn't have the one man she wanted. This marriage leaves her a mother and a widow by the age of 17. The war betweeen the Yankees in the north and the south rages, at first leaving Scarlett with a sence of freedom and then a series of burdens and worries. Scarltett's fierce soul helps here battle her way to safety, fight poverty and kill a man so she can keep the hous that she loves going and in her possession. For the safety of this house and those in it she enters yet another love less marriage and produces yet another unwanted child. She is yet again left a widow and marries the Scalleywag Rhett Butler, a marriage full of passion, hatred, lies and deciet.

As much as Scarlett should be a hated character I couldn't help but like her determination, her way of getting what she needed - yes she was spiteful, and self absorbed but the reader always seemed to be kept on her side, in the knowledge that deep down she wasn't as strong as she liked to show. Melly, took a while to capture me, but she was created with a weak body and a stong mind and soul. Yet the most captivating character in the novel was Rhett, we had to learn to read the expressions on his face, just as Scarlett had to try and decipher them. We never knew how he was going to react to any situation, or to Scarlett's scorn. I loved all the passages about him with Bonnie, a way to love Scarlett through another person.

I shall definately get my own copy of this book, as I'd love to read it again in the future, and I shall hire the film in the next few weeks to see how it compares. The best book I've read this year by far.

Challenges:

The Southern Challenge Book 2 of 3

The Classics Challenge Book 4 of 5

Unread Authors Challenge Book 2 of 6

What's in a Name Book 5 of 6 (Weather)

1001 Project

Around the World

20th Century Project 1936

Pulitzer Project Book 11 of 81

If anyone has reviewed this, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I'll add it in

My Thoughts: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Of course I've seen the film, hasn't everyone? But I always meant to read the book, it's one of those classics that you just feel you should have read, and when the Classics Challenge came along I pushed my butt to finally get around to reading it, and boy I wasn't disappointed.

For anyone that's been living on another planet, Breakfast at Tiffany's is about Holly Golightly, a stunning New York girl who has men falling at her feet. As well as being beautiful Holly has a way of charming all the men around her, they know that there are others but they just feel drawn to her. Even the reader falls in love with Holly, we can see all the things she does wrong but as she is not malicious, we like the men forgive her.

The novella, at only 100 pages, is a real quick and easy read, its light tone and humour were just what I needed after a tiring last week at school bogged down with a cold, and spending my Friday night in.

Challenges:

The Classics Challenge: Book 3 of 6

What's in a Name? Challenge Book 4 0f 6

July Book Blowout: Book 6

20th Century Project: 1958

If you have reviewed this book please add a link in the comments and I'll place it into this page.

My Thoughts: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

I wasn't to sure if I wanted to read this novel, but it was part of the Noble Spiral (I get sent one Noble winning book roughly each month then pass it on to the next participant) so I had to give it a go.

The book has a simple enough plot, Siddartha is a Brahmin but he wishes to push his philosphy further, he is seeking peace and being at one with the world. As he journeys through life in various guises his philosophy changes as he understands more about himself and the world around him. Underneath this simple plot is all the philisophical discussions and theories. The ideas are mainly centred around Buddhism and drawn out from this way of living.

The novel is not really my type of thing, it reminded me of the type of 'clever' books I read at University and I'm sure it would be a great text to study, I feel that had I known more about Buddhism, India at that time and the author I probably would have got a lot more out of the novel. Having said that the book was highly readable, mainly down to the beautiful use of language, it certainly descerves it's subtitle 'An Indian Poem'.

Challenges:

Read the Nobles

Classics Challenge

Reading Around the World

20th Century Project

July Book Blowout Book 6

If you have reviewed this book please leave a link to your review and I'll add you to mine.

My Thoughts: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I've been meaning to read a Neil Gaiman novel for a while as everyone seems to rave about him and I finally got around to it! I had seen the film earlier this year, and while I loved the film I seem to have forgotten the majority of it so this story was still fairy fresh to me.

The novel, for anyone who doesn't know, is set in the village of Wall, a small English village in which the locals guard the wall which leads to the land of Faerie. Despite no one being allowed to cross into Faerie a market exists every 9 years which allows the inhabitants of Wall to mix with the people of Faerie. Early in this book the market results in a child being born, he is brought to live in Wall and grow up as a normal citizen.

When this child is 18 he falls in love with the popular Victoria Forrester. So in love with her is he that he promises her anything she wants in the world, she requests the star she has just seen fall from the sky. The star lays in Faerie, so off he goes on his journey. Along the way he meets a variety of characters and situations.

This is a feel good book, something nice to drift off into at the end of a busy day at work. I will certainly be looking out for more of Gaiman's work. I have seen a stunning graphic novel copy of Stardust in the bookshop and may have to ask for it for Christmas.

Challenges:

July Book Blowout

20th Century Project

Others Thoughts:

Andi.Lit

A Striped Armchair

Just a Reading Fool

Becky's Book Reviews

Bart's Blog

If you have read and reviewed this book please leave a link to your review and I'll add it on, also feel free to link back to my review.

My Thoughts: Junky, William Burroughs

Another book read that fulfuils a few Challenge slots (well done me ;-) ).

Junky is a classic cult novel that I have been meaning to read for ages. Apparently it is semi-autobiographical, it tells the story of a man who starts selling Heroin, never having taken it before. He quickly falls into the slippery slope of addiction. He struggles to pay for his next fix so he has to deal as a means of satisfying his need, as we all know dealing drugs is always going to be full of dodgy characters and situations. The character copes with withdrawals, both voluntary and forced as well as betrayal by those around him.

The book is fully submerged in the drug world, the language - with a helpfull glossary provided by Penguin - uses a range of terms for vaious drugs and drug users, most of which are fairly recognisable. The language is fairly sparse, matter of fact and focuses on action rather than description so the events in the characters life seem to rush through, one major event after another.

I have a few other books by Burroughs on my wish list and I look forward to reading them in the future.

Challenges:

The Classics Challenge 1/5 See other peoples reads in July for the Challenge here.

1001 BYMRBYD

July Book Blowout

20th Century Challenge (1953)

If you have read Junky please feel free to leave a link to your review and I'll tag it into the post, and feel free to do the same for mine.

My Thoughts: A Dog So Small, Phillipa Pearce

Curled up on the couch to let the gogeous Tapas I had for lunch digest and finished a couple of chapters of Gone With the Wind and then this little gem of a kids book.

A Dog So Small is a quaint little tale about a little boy, the middle of 5 children so often the lonely one who believes he is going to get a dog for his birthday. He is desperately disappointed when a picture of a dog arrives through the post instead. Ben continues to want a dog, but knowing that it isn't feasible where he and his family live in London he keeps his dream to himself and ends up with an imaginary dog.

This book would be ideal for a quiet child, it isn't full of adventures or the unimaginable like other kids books that are out today, but it creates a cosy little atmosphere to curl up with.

If you've read this book or blogged about it leave a comment and I'll link your thoughts to my blog.

My Thoughts: Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende

This is my second Isabel Allende novel and I will certinly be going back for more. It wasn't what I was expecting as I had been led to believe that all of her work was magical realism but this one certainly wasn't, but it was still a great read.

The novel is set in Chile in the 1840's. A young British family bring up their 'adopted' child Eliza into the colonialist culture of the area. Their is much discrepancy about Eliza's parentage and she is even left unsure about her national heritage. Like many children belonging to rich families she is expected to follow all the rules and customs of her class yet she is largely left to be brought up by the sevants in the kitchen. The novel follows Eliza through her childhood till she meets her first love. He promptly leaves her, leaving for the Gold Ruch in California and she follows him, leaving the world of riches for a place of prostitutes, slaves, murder and poverty.

Allende created a novel which caused you to consider human greed, racism and the treatment of woman in a variety of cultures. The novel had some fantastic scenes spanning from England, Chile, California and over to China. Each character was well rounded and believeable. The only thing I would say is that it could have done with being just a little shorter.

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

Read for my Around the World Challenge and the 20th Century Project.

Chech out Adventures in Readings review of this book here

The 20th Century Challenge: Another Long Term Project

I'm stealing this idea from Lizzy's page, the aim is to read one book from each year of the twentieth century. I'm starting as of tomorrow, I wonder how many years this will take...

2000: Daughter of Fortune, Allende

1999: Hardboiled/Hardluck, Yosimoto

1998: Stardust, Gaiman

1997: The Virgin Blue, Chevalier

1996: Rabbit Proof Fence, Pilkerton

1996: Neverwhere, Gaiman

1992: All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy

1991: The Sandman, Neil Gaiman

1989: Goodbye Tsugumi, Yosimoto

1983: The Fragrance of Guava, Mendoza

1976: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Taylor

1967: A Woman of My Age, Bawden

1963: The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, Mishma

1962: A Dog So Small, Phillipa Pearce

1958: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote

1952: East of Eden, Steinbeck

1953: Junky, William Burroughs

1936: Gone With the Wind, Mitchell

1922: Siddartha, Hesse