Well Hello!

It’s been a while, longer than I meant it to be, but I’m back reading for fun again.  I took some time out to freshen up my work skills, which resulted in a promotion and regular interstate travel.  It just wasn't prime reading time for me, though I did manage a book or two (here and there).

2018 was the last time I was totally immersed in my reading.  So, looking back, these are the books I really enjoyed by year since then:

2019 

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.  Wow, not what I expected.  It was not a hard read at all and the characters were wonderful.

Legend by David Gemmell.  Again, not what I expected.  A great story told simply.

2020

Wasn't that a memorable year?

I read one book only, How to Survive a Plague by David French.

2021

Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins.  This was truly inspiring.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.  Riveting and newsworthy.

2022

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann.  I love books like this, watching the characters grow and families falling apart.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.  I'd love to read more books like this.  The characters are still with me now.

2023

Women in Love by D H Lawrence.  What a writer!

2024

(R) Evolution by Gary Numan.  I was one of his biggest fans back in the day.  Not great literature, but it captured me.

The Ciderhouse Rules by John Irving.  Classic novel, so well written.  More characters that stay with you.

2025

Retirement Made Simple by Noel Whittaker.  I haven't looked back since reading it ha ha!

2026

This year I have read a few books.  Amongst them, The Fisherman by John Langan and The Ritual by Adam Nevill which has sparked my interest in folk horror.  I ploughed through Joe Hill's King Sorrow.  That was a load of rubbish really, but readable.  He's so much like Stephen King, I can't see that he has his own voice. But, I will probably try one or two more of his books, down the track.  I also read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.  I love his style of writing, the science, and the humour.

If you have the same reading taste as me, what have you enjoyed lately? I'm looking for some inspiration....

Maxine

The Shelter ~ James Everington

The Shelter is a novella by the independent writer James Everington in the style of Stephen King's The Body which resonated with me in the fact that it is about a group of children (in this case four boys) getting up to no good during a school summer holiday.  Set in England, it brought back memories of those long six week holidays, with not much to do except going exploring with friends.  It is something we probably don't let our children do today but, without Foxtel, Apple, X-box or PC's, our options for entertainment back when I was a teenager in the late 70's and early 80's lay in the outdoors.

The story of The Shelter is related by a thirteen year old Alan Dean who, with his best friend Duncan and two older boys that he knows from school, goes in search of an old air raid shelter that supposedly lies outside of their village.  When they get there it's location seems a bit bizarre with the shelter being located in the far corner of a field, the atmosphere changes too with the incessant buzzing of wasps and a feeling of rising anger that threatens to overwhelm the boys themselves.

Driven by excitement and fear, and wondering if this is the resting place of Martin, a local schoolboy whose disappearance has dominated the news reports lately, they open the metal lid that covers the entrance to the shelter.  Everything appears normal until a simple prank leaves Alan in a terrifying situation and open to a supernatural event.  But did it really happen?  

As children we are ready to accept the unknown, and in a state of heightened terror we can imagine any amount of horrors.  Yet for all those nights of being too afraid to look under the bed, or in the closet or at that bundle of clothes thrown on the chair that looks like something unimaginable.......... did any harm ever come to us?  This then brings doubt and cynicism into the mind of the adult, and the realisation that there never was anything there at all. This is the thought that the older Alan will ponder as he reviews the events of that summer.

The writing style does need some polishing, and the idea itself of using a group of bored children to propel the story along isn't all that original - just read Stephen King and Dan Simmons - but I found that I really liked it because of the memories that it stirred up for me and I almost (almost mind you) felt a pang for a genuine English Summer.

Maxine

2013 ~ My Literary Year That Was

At the end of each year I love going back and having a look at what books I enjoyed and what I did not.  So, without further ado - what I enjoyed:

Philip Roth

Phillip Roth was a new author for me this year, and I found that I was very comfortable with his writing style.  I read several of his novels, but hands down my favourite was The Plot Against America.  Narrated by a young Philip Roth, I completely identified with this nerdy little boy and his beloved stamp collection (yes, a little known fact about me is my love of stamps and my stamp collection!).  The novel is an alternate history which is seen through young Philip’s eyes as he tries to make sense of the affect of the isolationist Charles Lindburgh’s presidency on his local Jewish community and immediate family prior to America entering World War II.  I loved it.

Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon

I haven’t finished this one yet, but I’m ¾ of the way through it and it deserves a mention here.  I read somewhere that the best way to read a Pynchon novel is just to read the words and if some of it makes sense or connects in some way then good-ho, but if it doesn't just keep reading and try to enjoy his use of language.

 I totally disagree. 

This is my first Pynchon novel, but the best way for me to enjoy Mason & Dixon has been to read it in conjunction with essays and notes on the novel.  Pynchon just gives you so much in a few words; one sentence can hold a plethora of meaning, historical fact, science, humour and innuendo.  After reading just the first chapter I realised that there was something very special about the writing and I didn't intend missing a trick.  I only read three pages a night and then I read through associated notes so that I completely understand what I have read and can research some of the historical and scientific references.

This novel is also an alternate history, as related by the Rev. Wicks Cherrycoke who claims he 'was there'.  With a bit of embellishment for the sake of the children listening to the story we follow the friendship of Mason and Dixon as they complete the famous Mason-Dixon line in America.  There are a few adventures thrown in, and a hilarious segment about a chef and a love sick mechanical duck.  I have never read anything like this before, it’s been a total challenge.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This was the year that I discovered this awesome poem. I don't really like poetry, although my favourite childhood book was A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, but Coleridge has a gothic bent which really appeals to my tastes.  When I read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner it totally blew me away, and I have read it and listened to it many times since.

My Post on: Coleridge ~ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

My Post on: Coleridge ~ The Raven

New Authors

Each year I always try to find new authors to read.  I did try several new ones this year but the stand outs for me were William Faulkner (I read The Sound and The Fury) and Philip Roth.  On the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die listing that I follow Don DeLillo has more books on it than that of any other author so I tried Falling Man (not on the list) and The Body Artist.  Unfortunately I found both of these novels profoundly boring, and the writing style reeked of self indulgence, so I'm very wary of trying another.

The Classic

Cervantes

My 'classic' this year was Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.  After two or three false starts I finally got into this very funny novel and I marveled at how well the humour still worked today, although I did find the second part of the novel much easier to read than the first part.  Sancho was funnier and more endearing in the second part, and I loved his multitude of proverbs.  There were a couple of very good short stories within the novel (as well as some short stories that totally detracted from it!), one of which was the excellent The Impertinent Curiosity about two friends, Anselmo and Lothario, and an 'indecent proposal'.

 

What I Didn't Enjoy

Apart from Don Delillo, I also struggled with The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde and The Invisible Man by H G Wells.  Out of over 67 books read for the year that’s not a bad failure rate.  With all these novels it was the characterisations which let them down.  Jean Rhys dared to use characters from Jane Eyre and I could not correlate the two stories at all, Jasper Fforde’s characters were just plain silly compared to his other wacky novels, and the character of The Invisible Man was a nasty piece of work through and through and I didn't enjoy reading about him.  Another set of characters I didn't enjoy reading about were those scottish drug addicts in Trainspotting.

My Post on: Irvine Welsh ~ Trainspotting

But, I'm sorry to say (because my love of Stephen King goes way back), my most disappointing read for 2013 was Dr Sleep.  This novel was highly anticipated, especially on the back of the brilliant 11/22/63, but I have to say it – it was abysmal.  The writing style was amateur, the story just plain silly, and using Dan Torrance from the The Shining has now marred this novel for me.  If I mention that I will be shelving my copy between The Regulators (written under Richard Bachman) and Rose Madder, you will 'get' how bad I found it.

The Horror

My reading year would not be complete without a horror or two thrown in, but I'm finding it harder and harder to find a new horror to read, or should I rephrase that to 'a readable horror'.

I started the year with The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson but it's such a well known, and well worn, story that I didn't get the thrill I was looking for from it.  My next attempt was Harbour by John Ajvide Lindqvist, but I just didn't 'get it' and it wasn't scary at all. THEN, I picked up a small factual book called Zombies: A Field Guide to The Walking Dead by Dr Bob Curran and a couple of articles in it did unsettle me in the way I was looking for.  I also really enjoyed an old classic The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson which was years ahead of it's time and which completely thrilled me. Cypher the cult classic by Kathe Koja wasn't too bad, but I didn't connect with any of the characters and I also finally got round to reading some once elusive Shirley Jackson novels, and mostly she did not disappoint.

My Post on: Harbour

My Post on: A Field Guide to The Walking Dead

My Post on: The House on The Borderland

My Post on: Shirley Jackson

So, with 2013 winding down, I'm now full of anticipation to my reading year ahead.  I hope it's a good one!

2013 - My Year in Books

Maxine

Well Written Characters & The Walking Dead

I love a well written character, don’t you?  One that you continue to think about long after you have finished the novel. For me a few of those characters have been Nick Andros from The Stand (Stephen King), Roland Deschain from the Dark Tower Series (Stephen King), John Egan from Carry Me Down (M J Hyland), Tom Ripley from The Talented Mr Ripley (Patricia Highsmith) and Owen Meany from A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) amongst a few others.

Just lately, though, it has been a TV character that has captured my imagination. I don’t watch much TV as I prefer to read, but occasionally I will borrow a TV series from the library and this month I borrowed The Walking Dead Season 2.  I enjoyed Season 1 a while back, I thought the zombies were great and overall it was a breath of fresh air compared to the banal rubbish we generally have to put up with on the box.  In Season 1 we were just getting acquainted with the start of the ‘zombie apocalypse’, but one character stood out for me: the ‘redneck’ Daryl Dixon.  Season 2 has brought Daryl to the fore, he is the best written character in the series and he is portrayed to perfection by Norman Reedus. Daryl is a hunter and tracker, he’s an angry and emotionally damaged man, but he is true and honourable and has the skills required to survive.  He’s also damned attractive when he's covered in blood and sweat, carrying that crossbow and just getting the job of zombie killing done; and I know that I’m not the only one who’s currently drooling over him judging by his fan base!

But you can’t talk about Daryl without mentioning his delightful older brother Merle.  A nasty piece of racist shit, Merle is a character you will love to hate because he is played so well by the brilliant Michael Rooker.  I’ve enjoyed Rooker’s work for quite some time and you can see that he revels in playing this charmer and the fans definitely love watching the rivalry between the two brothers.  Merle is a character from the graphic novels, yet Daryl is not, and I find it interesting that Daryl is the most rounded of the characters in the TV series to date.

I haven’t read the graphic novels yet nor watched Season 3, though I intend to, and  I admit it's not always the best writing, plotting or dialogue -  you do find yourself yelling at the characters for some of the dumb things they do and the bad decisions they make.  But it is compulsive viewing - the zombie make up is fantastic, and I have found that there are some really haunting images that actually touch me.  Season 1, Episode 1, when Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) comes across a female zombie head and torso dragging itself across a park, he watches it for a while and with great sorrow he says something like “I’m so sorry this happened to you”, and that for me was a really poignant moment.  Season 2, Episode 10 (“18 Miles Out”), when Shane (played by Jon Bernthal) and Rick take a minor character away from the farm where they have holed up we are given the image of a lone zombie in a suit slowly making its way through a golden field.  After the guys have had their punch up over Rick’s wife and killed a few zombies they drive back to the farm and we are shown the image of Shane, battered and bruised and lost in thought, watching that same zombie still making its way through the field.  The feeling I got was of utter loneliness – for Shane, for the zombie and for the future of mankind – it really was very well done. 

 It’s strange to feel passionate about zombie fiction, when I embrace 19^th Century Literature, but I hope that the Walking Dead continues to fire my imagination.  The writers are merciless when it comes to axing a character I've noticed, so I hope that Daryl Dixon’s character continues in the series because he’s the reason why I will continue to watch it.

Maxine

Plot Like Hardy, Write Like Maugham

2012 was to be the year that I dedicated my reading to independent authors, and whilst I tried (I really did), by the end of August I was feeling such a ‘lack of literature’ in my reading diet that I switched back to my ‘1001’ list.

I will keep those E-books that I have received on my reading list and will try to give them a fair go at some point.  The books that I did read made me realise what I enjoy about reading – it’s the plotting, language and characterisations.  With the exception of one or two indie books, these elements just did not figure.

If you could plot like Thomas Hardy, characterise like Stephen King and write like W. Somerset Maugham then you would be on to a winner.

I’m still undecided with regards to independent publishing, because of the two books I did enjoy.  Even a traditionally published author can write a dud, but generally they are well written duds.  It’s the quality of the writing that I am struggling with and this is why I have gone back to my original reading list.

A few years ago I used to be a member of a book club whose reading I felt to be a little too ‘high-brow’ for my humble tastes which didn’t venture much beyond Stephen King and Clive Barker.  But five years on I now feel that this is the level I am currently at.  I need to aim high to get the satisfaction I need – there’s still more Dickens, Dostoesvky, Tolstoy and Hardy novels out there I’ve yet to read and they will be my goals next year.

In the meantime I am really enjoying my current audio book the magnificent Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.  I have had to do a little background reading about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More, as well as events during the King's reign, to understand the character motivations and the period, but it is so worth it.  My physical read is All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.  The emotion evoked in this novel is so brutal that I can’t read it at night for fear it will pray on my mind whilst I am asleep. 

Now that’s what I call writing.

Until next time.

Maxine

Which Literary Character are You in Love With?

Sergeant George (Hugo Speer)

Are you like me? Do you find yourself attracted to a character in a book and then fantasise about them?  I've done it for years since having a crush on Julian in Enid Blyton's Famous Five story books.  You'd think I'd have grown out of it by now but, alas, I seem to be getting worse as I get older.

My latest 'crush' is Sergeant George from Dickens’ Bleak House.  Now, I really liked the character when I read the novel but I've just watched the BBC's mini series and, for me, Hugo Speer as Sergeant George - well what can I say? He's the one!! I'm absolutely besotted.

There have been others in the past like Nick Andros from Stephen King's The Stand (purely the fictional character not a re-imagined version for the screen), and Roland Deschain from King's Dark Tower Series (I can't even begin to imagine who could play him and do him justice).  When Nick died in The Stand I could barely read any more, I actually went into mourning for him. 

Murray Jacob (Richard Roxburgh)

There was Murray Jacob from Tim Winton's In The Winter Dark - a very moody character with a secret (though all the characters had a secret in that novel) – and the screen version played by Richard Roxburgh was not a bad choice at all. 

George Eliot's strong and dependable Adam Bede had me going there for a while and so did John Thornton from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. I did dabble with David Copperfield but he was too nice, and Heathcliffe but he was way too much Catherine's to ever hope that he could be mine; it got too hard so I had to let him go LOL!  On the whole I prefer the gallant 19^th Century character, a gentleman or a working man, they must be noble and kind, but not prissy (like Nicholas Nickley).

Sergeant George is perfect.  He is a strong and true friend, he may have crippling money problems but he is a good man with a big .. um .. heart, and those whiskers just set my heart fluttering!

So, who is your literary fantasy?

Maxine

50 Shades of Blah!

I'm talking about the hype surrounding the E L James trilogy. I haven't read 50 Shades of Grey but hey, if there is a bandwagon lets jump on it.  I don't need to read this book to know it will be rubbish, those who know me as the bookworm that I am have warned me off it, and the reviews I have read have been enough for me to know that the writing will be poor and the use of language basic. 

I thought the following review was brilliant: 

http://screencrush.com/50-shades-of-grey-movie/

I am just thankful that I caught my mother in time so that she could cancel her purchase from Amazon after someone recommended it to her. She is 68 years old and a recent widow. What the?

Why am I so anti a novel that I haven't read? Well because the hype surrounding it has reached such a pitch that we are now going to be inundated with frustrated housewives trying to sell their fantasies thinking they can make a million like E L James. Move over vampire novels..... is this the next genre that will be buckling the shelves at our local book stores making it even harder to find something new that's decent to read?  No wonder I escape into the 19th century and delve into the classics, it's just about impossible to find a new book these days, when browsing in a book shop, that truly represents the art of the written word.  Two shelves containing penguin classics doesn’t cut it.

Next will come the movie with the 'Hollywood Treatment', which is just another avenue to rip you off.  If I see another ad, article, recommendation, or breakfast tv segment about this novel I shall cry LOL!  I shall cry for all the media hype that encourages us to spend hard earned money with a guarantee to be left disappointed and wonder what all the fuss was about.  It’s lucky we have short memories – or so the industry would like to think - otherwise why do they continue to pump out such rubbish?

If you need to read a trashy book because your marriage needs saving, or your sex life needs spicing up, then you're better off seeing a marriage counsellor.  But if you want to read a good novel try The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy.  I'm reading it at the moment and it is just wonderful……or for a modern master of letters how about The Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King - I couldn't put it down. A story within a story within a story, and what a story it was, and what a story teller. I’ve fallen in love with Stephen King all over again.

Mr King, you probably get this a lot but 'I  say thankee'.

Maxine

Blah!

That kind of sums up how I'm feeling at the moment. It's nearly 9pm and my house is still hot, I'm definitely not a hot weather person.

I've been away from the internet lately as I have been busy reading and catching up on DVDs this past week.  I've caught up on my recent release horrors and I can honestly say that there was not one good one amongst them (!) apart from The Thing - Prequel which I did enjoy; the special affects were pretty good.

I re-watched Kick Ass (twice) - which has to be the coolest movie of the decade (I love the Big Daddy Warehouse scene) -  it has the lot, great story, great visual, great acting and a fantastic score. The violence is pretty intense, but somehow acceptable because you know it's based on a comic strip.  Plus, it's pretty real as the characters really do get hurt.  I love it.

I finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King and what a relief it was to read something by him that I could enjoy once again.  It was a great premise - if you could go back in time would you stop the assassination of President Kennedy?  It isn't a task that is taken lightly and the outcome sends ripples through time that are disastrous.  There were some seriously 'corny' elements which annoyed me and I guess King must be a dud in bed as his love scenes were terrible. BUT, on the whole it was a damn good story which had me wanting to know how it was going to end.

My audio book at the moment is a little gem!  I picked it up at the library and apparently it was initially a Podcast read by the author (Scott Sigler) who has a cult following.  I am finding the narration a little iffy - it's extremely American and one of the character voices comes across sounding like a gay character from South Park. However, Infected is infectious - it's a great story about a biological threat to humans - those who are infected become murderous psychopaths. Just my type of novel.  What I really like about it though are the biological elements which are taken from real life science and make the story feel quite plausible. 

If you have read a great sci fi or horror lately I'd love to know about it.  It's so hard finding something new to read.

Maxine

Horns ~ Joe Hill

I’m fairly new to Joe Hill’s work, I liked his collection of short stories in 21^st Century Ghosts, but I didn’t like Heart Shaped Box though I can’t remember why – but I do remember it was way too long.  Horns, however, has some very nice writing in it and I really liked the themes and how the characters developed.  I guess you can call Horns a love story, but it’s not your regular romance, so don’t go putting down your Mills and Boon in a hurry – as it may not be for you!

Ignatius Perrish, the protagonist, awakes one morning after getting very drunk the night before to find that he has grown horns.  People who fall under the influence of the horns will tell Ig their darkest secrets and desires which, at first, he finds very alarming especially when he learns what his parents really think of him.  But, Ig’s parents have good reason for harbouring bad thoughts about him, as they believe that he murdered his girlfriend and got away with it.  No one had been charged over Merrin’s death, but under the horn’s influence Ig’s older brother Terry confesses that it was their mutual friend Lee Tourneau.  

And so evolves a story of good vs evil, sin vs faith, revelations, love and revenge with lashings of magic realism, and some great back-stories.  I especially liked Lee’s memory of a contrary cat and setting the moon straight.  I have a feeling that some of these scenes were once short stories, but it all works very well.

Horns is a devilishly tongue in cheek dark fantasy and I really liked it.  

Maxine

Well Dean, You Have Lost Me

Stephen King is hanging by a thread, but he may redeem himself with 11/22/63 which I do happen to be enjoying (200 pages in), but Dean Koontz has done his dash with me.

I have just read his biggest load of drivel yet - What The Night Knows.  I wasn't expecting much when I picked it up, but it didn't even rise to that expectation.  I don't understand publishers, is it really all about a quick buck?  If a newbie writer had submitted this rubbish it would most definitely have been rejected.

So what was wrong with this piece of junk?  Well, pretty much everything!

Plot

It's all been done before.  The premise was just like the Denzel Washington movie Fallen - you know, the one where an evil entity jumps from person to person to achieve its end.  I'll give a little on that one, it's probably hard to come up with new ideas, especially when you pump out as many 'novels' as Koontz, and they do say 'don't write what has never been written before, but write what only could have been written by you'. However, in this case it was a poor job indeed.

Charactisation

I think that Koontz needs to spend more time in the real world, with real people/families.  When you read horror you need to suspend your disbelief, this is the nature of the genre, but you do need decent characters that the reader can relate to.  If you can't relate to them, you don't care what happens to them, and you don't care where the story is headed.  The characters in What The Night Knows are totally unbelievable, the protagonist's family are too perfect, his descriptions too corny and sickly sweet.  The protagonist is a cop yet he lives is this huge house with staff to cook and clean for the family whilst the wife paints.  The kids are home schooled, with no set bedtime hours, and intelligent beyond their years.  It just doesn't ring true.  This is an area where Stephen King stands head and shoulders over Koontz - you connect with his characters, you care about them, and he can write from a child's point of view brilliantly.

Horror

Where was it?  Readers today are more sophisticated, we need that feeling of dread and building tension, throwing in a few murders and an evil spirit just doesn't cut the mustard I'm afraid.  What happened to the writer who penned Phantoms, Watchers and my favourite Odd Thomas (discounting those dreadful sequels)?  

In short What The Night Knows is an example of how not to write a horror novel and is just an outright insult to his fans.

Bitterly disappointed,

Maxine

I Wish I Could Write Like Tolstoy

Tolstoy

Stories are really only a string of words, most of which we all know, that are put together to describe and explain.  But, it is the way that you string them together that makes the difference between an okay writer and an incredible one.

W. Somerset Maugham has always rated very highly with me for the way that he is so comfortable to settle down with.  He draws you into the story, like you are a familiar friend; and he makes it look so easy.  Yet another writer strings his words together and it’s just a bunch of characters and a setting which feels like ‘just a story’.  There’s nothing familiar about it or believable.  You are not ‘drawn in’.

Now, after reading many chapters of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, he’s rating way up there with Maugham in the way that he is making me feel.  The settings and dialogue are so natural, it all flows magnificently.  He isn’t overly descriptive yet I can picture the scenes and the characters effortlessly.  So much so that I’m going to ditch the audio version (which by the way is excellent) because I want to curl up with the ‘real deal’ and immerse myself within actual pages.  That is the joy of reading, and I haven’t felt like this for some time.

I used to love curling up with Stephen King many moons ago, okay so it’s horror which is not believable in the least, but it was King’s characterisations that I used to love so much.  However, I have been reading his ‘kindle single’ Mile 81 and I’m getting the feeling that he’s committed a ‘Meat Loaf at the AFL’ offence by not calling it quits.  It’s quite badly written, and appears to be a re-hash of old themes, though I haven’t finished it yet so I could be wrong (but I don’t think I am).  I’ve pre-committed to his new novel 11.22.63 (a date which is horribly close to my ex-husband’s birthday of 11.22.61!) on Amazon but feel it’s just going to be an addition to my King collection rather than a ‘must read’ once I get it.

On my other reading front I’ve nearly finished the audio version of Mill on the Floss, narrated by Nadia May, and I have really enjoyed spending time with Maggie Tulliver, although it hasn’t been an uplifting novel.  But, it’s another classic to put under my belt as I slowly plough through them.

Scare me Please!

I’m still looking for that ultimate horror.  I have been asking for recommendations but nothing seems to be forthcoming from you guys out there.  Please let me know what book or even short story has frightened you by way of a comment.  I’ve just ordered some Robert Aickman collections – one of them is Cold Hand in Mine which I’m really looking forward to reading and I’ve just enjoyed Pollock and the Porroh Man by H G Wells which was a nice and creepy short story and would have really scared readers back in Victorian England I’m sure.

So, I’m about to curl up with Tolstoy now, with my nightly latte, and marvel at how he can string together these words so wonderfully, and I can’t!

Happy reading and don’t forget those recommendations.

Maxine

From the Duality of Man to The Conniving Man

Muse

My reading has slipped a little this week, I blame it on work.  But I have the day off today to recover from last night (Muse) and to await my new washing machine (my LG gave up the ghost Friday night) so thought I would post a few words whilst watching Lord of The Rings on my new big screen TV (the product of going to Harvey Norman for a washing machine!!).

1922 is the first novella in Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King.  I was a little worried about going 'back' in my reading by picking this up as I have read some amazing books this year, but you know what - you just can't keep a good story teller down! 1922 is a murder confession.  The murderer blames his actions on The Conniving Man that wells up within him when his wife comes into some land and wants to sell it and move to the city.  The Conniving Man is having non of that, and he conspires with his son to murder her.  The son is only 14 years old, and is easily manipulated and whilst he did not commit the act itself he helped his father dispose of the body and with the subsequent cover up....... I am really enjoying it.

Muse

Adam Bede by George Elliot is on my Kindle and I've only had time to read a little bit of it.  It's set in 1799 and Adam has been introduced to us as a strapping young man of about 26 who works as a carpenter in a rural village in the North of England.  I'm finding the dialogue a little difficult as much of it is written in the local dialect and I also have no idea what the story's about - but it's on the 1001 list.  At the moment a female Methodist has come to the village to preach, she's young and attractive and although many of the villagers have a distrust of the 'Methody's' they all turn out to have a look at the young woman.  That's as far as I have got.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows I am enjoying quite a bit despite some of the stupid actions of the characters.  I like the fact that Neville might become a bit of a hero, but I'm still smarting at the death of Dobby.  I bawled my eyes out driving to work when he was killed and then the funeral (this is an audio book by the way!!) - Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf.... boo hoo I couldn't bear it!  But I guess, she had to kill him off as there will be scrapes coming up that Dobby could have got them out of and so he needs to be out of the picture.

Antic Hay, now this one I daren't Google in case I spoil the story.  It's by Aldous Huxley who I have never read before and so far it's been a bit of a giggle.  I love the main character Theodore Dumbril who wants to patent a design for a pair of trousers with a pneumatic seat which can be pumped up when required - to alleviate discomfort when seated as shows etc!

The first chapter was wonderfully descriptive as Theodore is sat listening to a rather long sermon, and I knew I would like this writing style right away.  I'm soooo tempted to find out more about the title but the amount of times I've ruined a good read by stumbling across a plot spoiler I'm not going to do it this time.

So, now I'm off to enjoy an uninterrupted lunch.  My  other half is at work, and Big Red and Pestilence are having their naps........ I should take more time off work, it's awesome!

How the Quality of My Reading Has Improved

After having just typed up the books that I have read over the past five years, I had a little giggle at how awful my preferred reading was back in 2005.  I would only generally read horror, Stephen King and Clive Barker were my absolute favourites.  I do actually have one book case dedicated to those authors, and have read just about every book each has written.  However, there were two books that stood out from the rest:

1.  Matt Reilly I was introduced to by a second hand book dealer when I was looking for something to read on my way to Perth.  He suggested Ice Station, and it was definitely a very fast paced book.  Although  not a huge fan of Matt Reilly I did go to see him at our local library a couple of years ago and his enthusiasm for his work was very contagious. As a person, I liked him very much.  He's very easy to read and heaps of fun, and he acknowledges that this was his appeal. When I got my book signed he suggested I sold it on e-bay as the cover was a rare one and he hadn't seen it outside of the USA.  However, it's on my 'shelf of fame' in my bedroom with my other signed books.

2. Friday Night Lights was given to me by a friend's mother to read.  It was about American Football in a Texas High School.  It was absolutely fascinating.

These two books made me realise that there were some other enjoyable reads outside of the Horror Genre.  But,  how was I going to make my choice from all those books out there?  The answer was: join a a book club.

I contacted a local bookclub and the Club Secretary dropped off Eucalyptus by Murray Bail.  From then on my reading began to expand and I never looked back.  I stayed with the book club for two and half years, but it started to become very serious and I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to so the solution was to start up my own club: Caffeine and Chapters.   My daughter came up with the name and it is very apt.  We meet up over dinner and/or coffee and just talk books ...... and movies..... etc.

The highlights of my reading has been:

Catch 22 - Joseph Heller.
This was so funny.  I saw the movie first and never understood it.  Once I'd read the book I saw the movie a totally different way and it's brilliant.  A fantastic read, something he was never able to match with future work.

Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
I read this whilst laid up on my partner's couch suffering from viral labrynthitis.  This was amazing, and fascinating  Two parallel stories each with a foot in the basis of truth. 

Pattern Recognition - William Gibson
This is the author who coined the phrase 'Cyberspace'.  His novels were years ahead of their time (Neuromancer etc).  I especially liked Pattern Recognition - the characters were quite unforgettable.

The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkein
It was a relief to finally read this novel, I had wanted to for years but thought it would be out of my league.  It's a beautiful story of friendship.

W. Somerset Maugham & Milan Kundera
Anything by both these authors.  They are like old friends with whom you can sit in an armchair and have a cup of tea with.

Tim Winton - Cloudstreet
I didn't want this book to finish.  Set in Perth, it was a wonderful off beat story of two dysfunctional families who live together.

Salman Rushdie - Shalimar The Clown
I love the humour, the colour, the language - Rushdie gives it all.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Athur Golden
I could not put this book down.  It was part of my book club theme otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to read it. I absolutely loved it.  (The movie was a total let down).

House of Leaves - Mark Z Danielewki
This must be one of the most unusual and creepy books ever written.

There have been many downsides also!

Stephanie Myer - Twilight Series
I've read three out of four, but really whilst Rushdie gives you everything, she gives you nothing.  The only thing is I need to know how it ends.....

Naked Lunch - William S Burroughs
Why is this on the 1001 list?? It was absolute tripe.  I hated it.

Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Sorry to say it but this was a real yawn.  It was more like a dictionary on whales and whaling.  In this case the movie was much better!

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer - Joyce Reardon
Based on Rose Red by Stephen King - I wish I hadn't read it.  It was awful.

Well, it's bedtime and I've still got to make up my pack lunch and iron something for tomorrow..........