Month: April 2015

Book Review: Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

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“The beauty of this world where almost everyone was gone. If hell is other people, what is a world with almost no people in it?” This book graced many a Top books of 2014 list, but does it live up to the hype? In my opinion not really, but it is not without good moments. What’s it about: Well, many synopses claim it to be the story of a travelling symphony in a post-apocalyptic North America/Canada after the world is decimated by a flu pandemic, but I find that’s not really true. This is a book of many stories, and these travelling actors/musicians are only a small part of that. It is a book about how people are connected to one another. It switches between multiple POVs, telling the stories of a small number of characters over what adds up to be about 50 years. “First we only want to be seen, but once we’re seen, that’s not enough any more. After that, we want to be remembered.” What did I think: I found this book to be …

In which you discover how neurotic I am about books…

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I’m obsessed with collecting pretty collections of books, mostly classics, I have quite a beautiful and vast collection. But for some reason I have neglected a fairly ubiquitous and worthy collection, and I don’t know why. Nearly ever booklover has at least one of the Penguin Clothbound Classics. They are beautiful and I just don’t know why I haven’t been collecting these. I only have five of them, which for me is strange. I collect series of books and I get a little obsessed about it, but this series has not driven me crazy like some of the others. Trying to get the last two books in a certain series over the last few days had completely consumed me after my fourth attempt (every bookseller cancelled my order saying the books weren’t in stock) to purchase them. I was acting like a crazy person. I was seriously distressed about not being able to have that full set. I actually get quite upset about it if I had the opportunity to buy the book at one …

Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

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“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still” I was initially sent a preview of this book by the publisher and after about two chapters I had already pre-ordered it. I knew I would love it right from the start. Unfortunately, my pre-order took a very, very long time to come and it was a terrible, terrible wait. I wanted to finish it so badly that I ended up buying another copy in the interim. It’s that good. Seriously. “Magic is a truly beautiful disease” What’s it about: This is the story of four alternate Londons, three magical, one not, and the man who can travel between them. Kell belongs to the royal family of Red London (the nice magic London), and must travel between his London, Grey London (non-magic London), and White London (creepy magic London) carrying messages between the royal families which rule each London. Although forbidden, Kell ocassionally brings objects from one London to another for the right price, and when he unknowingly he accepts to carry a piece of …

Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

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“Even a book can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and when that happens, you blame the hands, but you also read the book.” What’s it about: In a fantasy universe that is somehow a future version of our universe, but actually nothing like it except that we share some of the same literature, a young girl named Kelsea seeks to reclaim the throne of her kingdom, The Tearling, and free it from the oppressive dominion of the neighbouring country ruled by an evil queen. What I thought: I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about this book, and I am a bit mixed myself. I loved Kelsea as a character. She was strong, intelligent, knew right from wrong, and had a very realistic hang up about her looks. I have heard so many bad things about how Kelsea felt about her looks from reviewers, and I kind of get the impression that these people are probably attractive themselves. Living in a world that values beauty above nearly anything else, you’re constantly aware that you …

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”

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“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

The series taking over my life

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So I am only just reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I have always loved the movies but I had avoided the books for so long because I was told that they are really hard to read. I am a fool of a took! I’m about halfway through The Two Towers now and they really aren’t difficult at all. Okay, so the prologue to The Fellowship is difficult to read, but once you get through the billion or so pages of history of the hobbits, they are really fun. And now they are talking over my life. All I want to do is read them.

I have a confession…

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So, I own all these beautiful editions of Jane Austen’s novels… and I have never read them. I bought them last year when a friend made me promise that I would read Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion… I am yet to fulfill that promise. Which Austen novel is your favourite? Which do you think is the best starting point?

The Mastery of Sir Terry Pratchett

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I remember waking up at some ungodly hour in the morning on that terrible day, and unable to sleep, I checked my twitter and read the news of his death. Suffice to say, I didn’t get much sleep that night. The passing of Sir Terry Pratchett is such a loss to literature. The Discworld series was truly unique and it’s hard to believe that there will never be any more of them written. As I said, a true loss. His work is so wonderful, and all his books deserve covers such as these. Unforunately, only half the series has been released in these editions, released by Gollancz, but the rest of the series is owned by a different publisher. It would be nice if we could see some kind of collaboration to complete this amazing collection. You can get them here: The Unseen University Collection: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Moving Pictures, Eric  The Death Collection: Hogfather, Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music The City Watch Collection: Jingo, Guards! Guards!, Feet of Clay, Men at Arms, Interesting Times The Witches Collection: Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches …

The magic of stories

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“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.” ― Roald Dahl, Matilda You can get this beautiful copy of Matilda here