When You Are Engulfed in Flames – David Sedaris

If you’re a regular follower of the blog, you’ll already know of my  love for David Sedaris. I turn to his writing when I’m feeling down or if I can’t sleep. His entertaining memories always have me in stitches but I also find his words reassuring, and often there is a poignancy to his stories.

Being a bit quirky himself, Sedaris attracts some rather strange people. Many of them wouldn’t be out of place in a Dickens’ novel. This book in particular has some real corkers. There’s his opinionated and crude New York neighbour who sounds like just the sort of person I would avoid. But she makes for great reading, especially with lines such as  Continue reading

On Writing – Stephen King

on-writingI find it hard to concentrate on anything resembling a textbook, but luckily Stephen King’s much praised memoir of the craft” is nothing of the sort.

The first section is titled “C.V.“, but is more of an autobiography, hitting a nice medium between personal anecdotes about his childhood and his early writing career. Through this section King explains why he writes and how he started. I got my pen out on page 55 and didn’t stop taking notes until the end of the book. The first gem was from his first editor at a local newspaper: “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story…. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.Continue reading

The Luminaries – Eleanor Catton

the-luminariesSet during the gold-rush era in Hokitika, New Zealand, The Luminaries is an ambitious and incredibly detailed novel, inventively structured around astrological charts from that time.

The reader’s curiosity is piqued within the first few paragraphs. Twelve unlikely men are secretly gathered in the smoking room at the Crown Hotel, when in walks Walter Moody, fresh off the boat. Suffering from a terrible shock, he is unaware that he has stumbled upon a clandestine meeting. And so there are already two puzzles for the reader: what are the twelve men discussing? And what has shaken Walter Moody? Continue reading

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardbrobeI recently wrote about my favourite winter reads. If I had written this list with children’s books in mind, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe would be right at the top.

Stepping through the wardrobe with Lucy for the first time was one of the most memorable reading moments of my childhood. It’s the sort of magical memory that lasts a lifetime and can easily be summoned up when eating particularly heavenly Turkish delight or walking along a snowy forest path in the twilight.

As a child, I felt I knew Narnia inside out, but reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as an adult, I now realise a lot of that must have been my own imagination. The writing style is simple and not overly descriptive. Lewis gives the reader a scene to work with and they conjure up the rest themselves. Continue reading

Hot Feminist – Polly Vernon

hot-feministThe title of this book was specifically chosen to cause a stir and is, in fact, what first caught my attention. I’ll be honest, my immediate reaction was to roll my eyes, but then I saw Polly Vernon at the ArchWay with Words Festival. The talk covered a lot of interesting issues and Vernon came across as very genuine. So, intrigued, I ended up purchasing a copy.

I wanted to love Hot Feminist and did enjoy reading it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody. Vernon makes some good points and adds some humorous anecdotes, but nothing I haven’t heard before. The writing is  conversational, but too heavy on the capital letters and internet speech for my liking. Continue reading

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

all-the-light-we-cannot-see

There is so much I loved about All the Light We Cannot See. I was captivated by the poetic writing, I cared about the characters and I really, really wanted to know what would happen. At times my eyes were glued to the page for hours, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way towards a book. However, there were a few negative points, which I will get to in a few moments. First of all, I will set the scene…

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Gut – Giulia Enders

gut-book-coverNow that Christmas is over for another year, it seems like an appropriate time to write about Gut by Giulia Enders. January is typically when people try to balance out the gluttony of December by eating more healthily and there’s so much conflicting advice about how to do that. Gut goes back to the basics and explains how the digestive system works.

Enders gives a simple and often humorous account of the journey food takes through your system. Her chatty manner immediately puts even the most easily embarrassed reader at ease, even when reading the section titled “a few facts about faeces – components, colour, consistency“. And if her charming enthusiasm doesn’t pull you in, the illustrations by Jill Enders (Giulia’s sister) will be sure to put a smile on your face.

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Necessary Errors – Caleb Crain

necessary-errors-coverI had no idea Necessary Errors was set in Prague until it serendipitously turned up on my doorstep a week before my move here. It was a very appropriate book to read while settling into my new city.

Necessary Errors is about recent Harvard graduate Jacob who has escaped the monotony of an office job in the States to follow an urgent desire to immerse himself in the transition of Czechoslovakia to a democratic country. However Jacob can’t shake the feeling that he has arrived too late. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Velvet Revolution having happened a year earlier, he feels as though a slice of history has slipped through his fingers. Continue reading

Man at the Helm – Nina Stibbe

Man at the HelmA couple of years ago I wrote a rave review about Love, Nina and I’ve been keen to read more by Nina Stibbe ever since.

Man at the Helm was also right up my street. With a similar tone to her first book, Stibbe has not lost her natural and laid-back writing style. This fits in well with the voice of the narrator, nine-year-old Lizzie Vogel, who is based on the real life nine-year-old Stibbe.

We are introduced to Lizzie’s dysfunctional family one morning Continue reading

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the PhilWith the recent release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the world has gone Harry Potter mad again, so I thought it a good time to revisit the magical memories of my childhood.

I was almost eleven when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in June 1997, so I’m one of the lucky ones that has literally grown up with Harry Potter. I, like Harry, was making the big leap from primary to secondary school when I first started reading the series.

A young muggle’s experiences at school aren’t really that different from a young wizard’s; Horrible teachers, too much homework, making friends and enemies, fighting mountain trolls (OK, maybe not that last one). Continue reading