The amount of books I read is simply getting ridiculous. Not so much for me- I can easily cope with the heightened surge (summer days/holidays= parks/beaches= abundant literature consumed) but trying to carefully write up everything I read coherently is just not working anymore. I’m so far behind on my book updates that I feel I’ll never catch up again, so I’m going to try a new tactic. Rather than read, summarize and elaborate, I’m now going to list what I’ve read and the few key ones that have stood out will get a more in depth evaluation. If you’re curious about a book I haven’t expanded on, comment below and I promise I’ll answer/ mini review and query if that helps you with your summer reading list.
I’m not certain exactly how many books I read from January to May 2011, but I’m going to conservatively estimate 14 based on this list here. That takes my total to approximately 104 books read in 2011. Yes, some of them were short young adult fiction, and a few were novellas/ Charlaine Harris’ work (read and you’ll know what I mean), but overall, that’s a total I’m happy with.
Last year I enjoyed a lot of young adult fiction. There’s something about the immediacy of this genre that really appeals to me, the intensity of the emotions, the way all the characters really do feel the centre of the universe and just how raw and ready everything is- people experience rather than evaluate and there’s something very exciting of being this involved in the story. During my exploration of this genre I discovered Kevin Brooks, and was really impressed. Kevin is a gritty author with a wonderful way with rhythm and his stories lure you in and don’t let go. The pace is fast, the words bright, and the books all have a sense of magical realism- despite documenting mundane activities. It’s the combination of what might be with the reality that makes these so gripping.
I also managed to finally read some of Sophie Kinsella’s earlier work, whilst she was using the pseudonym Madeleine Wickham. I was warned they were ‘in a different style’, but I didn’t expect them to be this bad! The Tennis Party was a dry tale of middle age and wine, with family complexities and friendship lies. It was so dull, it felt like Jilly Cooper had written a book whilst high on Robinson Fruit squash, it flowed badly, you simply didn’t care about anyone and-worst of all- it wasn’t funny at all!
Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller was fantastic- I had thought it might be sordid or titillating but it actually really resonated and you felt the awkward despair at the illicit affair and understood how it occurred. The two women had this strange Freudian dependent relationship and it was an eerie book to read. I really wanted to like 100 Years of Solitude but I found it hard going, the book meandered around and though it was beautiful in parts I didn’t find myself really connecting and it was a struggle to finish.
Read on for the full list of the 104 books I read this year! Read more…
It’s well documented that I’m a massive fan of eReaders, but I still have a place in my heart for the humble paperback novel. Occasionally a book comes along that makes you think that eReaders don’t deserve their acclaim, as though you might be able to get a video onto a Kindle Fire (if it’s ever in the UK) you certainly couldn’t created a 3D wonderland such as abc3D by Marion Bataille.
Educational AND a work of art! Bataille has created a beautifully styled pop up book that teaches children the alphabet in a clever and innovative way and the attention to detail is amazing. It really takes the notion of pop up books to a whole new level and I love how seamlessly the letters flow into eachother.
The red, white and black colour palette is striking and gives the book a sense of maturity, whilst still being suitable for a younger audience and she has even made the cover lenticular, for added coffee table nous.
The ‘Books I’ve read‘ feature is the least popular feature I have on my blog. Frankly, none of my readers cares at all what tomes I’ve been devouring, so rather than share them with you monthly I’m now going to do a huge round up every couple of months. This is more for my benefit than yours; after accidentally half reading the same book twice (the cover had changed, and if I reread a book it’s intentional) I find this list a good way to reference my reading habits. Here are the latest additions to my reading time, and you’re free to skip right past this and go read about crazy geek watches, or to my article on how to get a refund from the Apple and Android app stores.
{PS; Extra Note- this has been sitting in draft phase for a good while now, and then I accidentally reread the same book AGAIN (they’d changed the cover) so enough is enough, and I’m now back to listing} To make these mini synopsis more palatable to both you and me, they’ll be distinctly shorter, with only the stand out books meriting a paragraph or two.
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
It’s odd to read what’s considered a ‘classic’ book and realize how full of sex, drugs and general frippery it is. The acclaim for the book is not because it is particularly well written or will move you to tears, more that it was shocking for the time, and gives us a modern day Jilly Cooper novel in an era when women were more restrained. It charts the tale of three women. all dazzlingly beautiful, a singer, and actress and a model; from childhood insecurities right up to the pinnacle of their success- and their falls. A nice romping read, ‘Dolls’ are pills taken to enhance mood, a nod to the Dexedrine amphetamine generation. Froth, frippery and fornication blend in a novel that’s every bit as racy as the cover jacket.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer/ New Moon by Stephanie Meyer/ Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer/ Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Note: The Twilight series ruined me. I read all four books in in one week and afterwards I was left empty and withdrawn. It wasn’t that I wanted more of the story -all teen pathos and way too much female limpness; rather that I’d somehow exhausted my thirst for books, I was sated, quenched, over run by words upon words and I had ten days with no literature other than the daily Metro newspaper. It was an odd time- I’ve never had book exhaustion before, and hope I never will again. I genuinely had zero desire to read, a very strange affair for me. In brief, Bella Swan meets a vampire masquerading as a human, falls in love, gets told they can never be together and pines for him. Over and over for the period of four books. It’s readable, but like reality TV- you can’t turn away and you want to slap every character hard int he face. The one plus point is that the books are better than the movies.
The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris
So sweet, the words wrapped around me like a cashmere cloak of loveliness and the prose sparked something warm and gentle within me. I loved Chocolat, but having read that so long ago, I’d forgotten just how velveteen Harris’s words can be and how neatly they capture sleepy suburbia, magical realism, and the type of indolent laissez faire style that only the French seem to have. Set in Montmarte, this story follows on from Chocolat with a new home for the family and new fiends to combat. This time it’s not the kindly ones, it’s a new witch who uses her powers indiscriminately and who has plans of her own for the sweet little chocolate shop that Yanne has painstakingly created. She changes the way the wind smells, yet forces the family to confront what they want out of life.
Twitchiker by Paul Smith
Take one grumpy freelance journalist, a marriage newly consummated and a love of Twitter and what do you get? One man’s decision to see if he can visit the polar opposite to his house (the other side of the world) getting there on nothing more than freebies from friendly Twitter followers. Can you social network your way round the world- and will the kindness of strangers really stand you in good stead? Paul holds no punches back, from thoughts on how this may affect his relationship to worries that potential Twitter friends are axe murdering Nazi’s. It’s an engaging tale, and one that truly heralds the birth of social media. One of the most poignant examples was when Paul was in SXSW and no one there offered to help his quest- it took a ‘non scene’ Twitter follower to help him continue his journey round the world. Did he make it? Read and find out. Read more…
Amazon just announced news of its first ever tablet, the Kindle Fire which has a swish seven inch screen with a dedicated browser (called Silk) and looks to take on the iPad as a serious contender. OK, it’s like the iPad Lite, but with the weight of the Amazon inventory behind it might be the first tablet that makes it into the mainstream- did I mention it’s UK (estimated) retail price will be £125 compared to the most basic iPad at £399- you do the math.
However, I’m actually more intrigued and excited with the news that they’re selling a new Kindle eReader for $79 though (that’s the US price) as this might finally be the breakthrough device which puts eReaders firmly on the curriculum. Up till this point eReaders were a covetable piece of property, but one that many people felt were slightly unnecessary- or out of their pricepoint.
This lowered retail price puts buying a Kindle well into impulse buying territory and practically guarantees that every other household will be finding one under the tree this Christmas. With prices dropping in such a manner, I can imagine that Amazon will next turn its sights into making the Kindle a mandatory school accessory.
We’ve already seen the proliferation of iPad use in high end private schools, but a device like the Kindle- with the associated bulk buy discount and personalized profanity filters- would be Amazon’s way of consolidating the eReader hold, as if they make it into mainstream public education their dominance will be unrivalled for the next 20 years or so. Thee do exist fairly sturdy school eReaders already- the Ectaco educational eReader for example, but costs and compatibility issues often outweigh the fact that you can drop them and throw them around. Read more…
Every now and then we all need some down time, and now you can switch off in something that looks scarily close to the Avatar’s nest (plus a few extra comforts). This space age looking design is called the Concoon and is created by German design company Wasserbetten. As you’ve probably guessed from the not so subtle play on words, the idea is that you cocoon yourself into this pod and it allows you to unwind with a personalized experience. Each pod is created with smart materials that let you mimic the ‘floating feeling’ you might have in the womb (or in a floatation tank).
The Concoon features a built in water bed with surround sound which can be accessed with headphones or through subtle speakers. It also features various light cycles which are supposed to mimic various states of relaxation and provide therapeutic relief. The design looks ethereal and elegant but is surprisingly sturdy with a stainless steel base and a glass fiber reinforced plastic outer shell. The idea is that 20 minutes a day cocooned inside should allow you relief from everyday stresses, and I’m betting it’s super comfortable as well.Read more…
I recently heard about a new type of book called Flipbacks and am torn as to whether it’s a good idea or not. Essentially Flipback Books are regular books, read vertically- yes, vertically, and this means that they can be smaller (you need less paper for this) and lighter than regular books. You have to get your head around the idea of reading top to bottom, rather than side to side, and I reckon you’ll need some thumb retraining in page turning. All books weigh around 145 grams, which they tell us is a sixth of the size of a hardback book. I tend to read paperbacks so that’s not a completely compelling argument, but I’m still intrigued by these pocket sized books.
Pros of Flipback Books
They’re lighter. My bag is heavy enough, so having something less weighty is a big plus.
They’re smaller. Pretty much a repeat of Point one, streamlined is a definite plus.
One handed reading- and a spine that folds flat. Once you get the hang of reading this way it would be great for commuting- you can hold onto the train with one hand and read easily with the other. Read more…
How does one map an entire genre of fiction? Can this even be done without horribly under representing some areas? This is just what Ward Shelley has attempted with his Science Fiction Whale diagram, entitled the History Of Science Fiction which you can see in much greater detail on Ward Shelley’s website here (or here). He has mapped the evolution of the genre, from the early days of literature right up to the cyberpunk era, and the mass of tentacles above encapsulate decades and trends in this field- even including Ron Hubbard and the Dianetics movement!
I think the archetypal whale was a great choice as the basis of the diagram, as a whale’s size is immense and seems like a good fit for the size of the task at hand. I can also draw some allusions to the use of whales and their kin (the Kraken immediately springing to mind) being common refrains in many books (similar to how the King Arthur fable plays out in many science fantasy novels) and the mysticism imbued with ‘creatures of the deep’ is a good reflection of the science fiction genre, which seeks to learn, explore and create.
I was happy to see some of my old favourites included in this chart- such as Ray Bradbury, Greg Bear and Douglas Adams. I also had a small eye roll at the inclusion of a ‘soft’ science fiction category, and the selected authors such as Octavia Butler (agree) and Margaret Atwood (disagree). That’s part of the joy of the genre however, as you’re allowed to make up your own mind as to who are the masters of it, and the fact that Shelley likely compiled this whole list himself warms me to him, and makes me disinclined to contest the order of some of the names- fiction is after all a very personal affair so I’m happy to agree to disagree on certain points.
I love how thorough Shelley has been with this diagram, and I also found that this not only maps the history of this branch of literature, but also my own love affair with science fiction, as I can personally point to the different branches my reading has taken and sigh in happy familiarity at the inclusion of authors that feel like old friends.
