Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Just finished reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Good Omens is a story about the Apocalypse. The end of the world is, quite literally, nigh. In fact life as we currently know it will cease next week! At least that would be the case if a bunch of bungling satanic nuns hadn’t made a major faux pas when transferring the son of the anti-christ with that of a newly born child. I won’t elaborate further on the plot.
This book has a very generous helping of great characters but in particular Crowley and Aziraphale. Crowley is a fallen angel, put upon earth to tempt us humans into wrong doing – although in fairness he doesn’t seem to work terribly hard at it and seems to be of the opinion that we’re doing reasonably well unassisted. Aziraphale is an angel, trying to protect us from demons. These two characters have spent so long on earth that not only have they become ambivalent towards each other but they actually like the world just as it is and are not in any rush to see it’s demise. On top of these two we have the four riders of the apocalypse to contend with, a bunch of kids living in a small village and getting up to all sorts of antics a descendent of Agnes the Witch and a couple of witch hunters. Yes, the characters are very colourful and entertaining indeed.
I did like this book. I liked the setting, I liked the alternative take on the end of the world, the bungling demons and nuns and I thought the humour was brilliant. However, and I don’t really know why, I didn’t love it. And, I’m struggling to understand why. I do think it was very readable and would have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of both these authors but I think I probably wasn’t in the right mood – I’m more in the mood for dark and creepy fantasy at the moment. So, maybe I’ll revisit this again at a point in the future when I’m of a mind to have a good laugh. I could also put it down to the fact that my first Gaiman read was Neverwhere – which I was totally in love with so I probably went into this with that sort of expectation.
On the whole, Good Omens was a Good Read.
Good Omens
Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James
Just finished reading Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. This book, and in fact the next two of the series, have been given to me by a friend. We share books quite often and when she brought these books in for me she was totally over the moon with them and couldn’t wait for me to read them. I must admit that I wasn’t really all that taken with the idea but as they seem to be taking the nation by storm (and seem to be quite literally sold out in most bookshops) I thought maybe I should give them a shot.
Well, to be honest, these books are not really for me. That being said I can understand why this series is proving so popular because it’s like reading some sort of female fantasy but personally, and I wouldn’t say that I’m prudish, there is just too much sex and too little story! What we have here is loosely based on the Twilight story (with a bit of Pretty Woman thrown in for good measure) but whilst Bella and Edward could barely share a kiss this has gone to the absolute other extreme and Christian and Ana seem to barely share a conversation (as they’re too busy going at it like a pair of rabbits). I mean, it’s not like I’ve never read a book with sex in it before but I just felt it was too much.
So, the characters, we have Christian. Who is apparently the most gorgeous man on the face of the planet. Women are rendered speechless in his presence, dumbstruck and with jaws dropped appropriately. Not only is he gorgeous but he’s successful and owns some sort of multi-million pound company. He’s powerful and a little bit intimidating but he’s absolutely bowled over by Ana – no obvious reason as to why – but he just is. But Christian is flawed by events in his past. He is unable to attach himself emotionally to anybody in fact he doesn’t even like to be touched and his sexual proclivity is to domineer! Of course Ana is completely innocent of such things being a very late developer to the whole area of sex – in fact, she’s a virgin (yes, a 21 year old, drop dead gorgeous virgin – stop scoffing, it can happen – look at that beautiful virgin living with her three fairy godmothers deep in a forest – see!!) So, whilst he’s not a vampire and Ana is in no immediate danger of having her blood drained, Christian is bad for her. He can’t give her the type of relationship she wants and she’s in danger of a good spanking at every turn.
The problem for me with this book comes in a few guises. Firstly, I don’t need this much explanation about sex – I have an imagination after all and I’m not afraid to use it so basically I got bored and found myself skimming. A lot. I just would have liked more story thrown in with the rampant sex. Secondly, you have this basically really successful guy who seems to never spend any time working – other than an odd phone call here and there. The majority of the book he spends flying around the country in pursuit of Ana or turning up in her bedroom because she’s sent him an email that he doesn’t understand (btw – stalker at all?)! Wtf is that about – I would love to know the secret of his success so that I can spend all my time flitting about the country and basically doing sweet fa. Thirdly, Ana and Christian are basically fairly young people but they read much older. They can’t get enough classical music and piano playing, the books they read are classics – lots of reference to Thomas Hardy, etc, etc, I mean, I pretty much like that sort of thing myself and I read and enjoyed a fair few classics when I was a teenager – but I also wasn’t shy about reading pulp and listening to music that my parents described as ‘that bloody racket’! Come on – these two are like twenty going on one hundre and twenty. There is, literally, nothing young about them. But, and fourthly, I think my biggest problem with the book is the relationship itself – it has it’s moments which are okay – but, mostly it’s just plain irritating. I find it difficult to believe that a modern young woman would be prepared to put up with such b/s just because a good looking guy shows her some attention. It’s not like he’s the only drop dead gorgeous one after all. I mean, he’s like totally bossy, tells her what to eat, chooses her clothes, tells her who she can see (alright, Edward was old fashioned but that was because he WAS OLD). She’s not allowed to drive her own car because it might be dangerous – she’s survived this long you big moron! He says ‘kneel on the floor’ and she just does it. Why? Just no. Sorry. In fact, I’m not sorry it was goddamn irritating and I couldn’t help thinking ‘for goodness sake woman, strap on a pair and tell this bossy f**ker to do one!’ But no, oh, he’s so gorgeous so I’ll just do whatever he says. Could you be any more shallow? And, if there was any more eye rolling or lip biting I think I would have vomited.
Okay, rant (and bad language) over! Like I said, I could see why women would maybe enjoy this novel, the very thought of this man who could basically choose anybody but wants Ana, etc, etc, (your basic dream come true) but I found it just too irritating and also a bit uncomfortable to read because it was like reading somebody’s fantasy – which all feels a bit too personal. Not judging anybody else for liking this but it’s not really my ideal book. I’ve heard this described as ‘mummy porn’ and I can see why. Also it’s described as Marmite – and again, I can understand that because opinion seems to be deeply divided between love and hate. Personally, I didn’t hate it. I certainly didn’t love it but it was entertaining and I have to hand it to the author for being able to make me blush!
Fifty Shades of Grey
Hollow Pike by James Dawson
Just finished reading James Dawson’s Hollow Pike. This is the story of Lis who at the start of the novel is moving away from her home in Wales to live with her sister Sarah in Yorkshire. A move brought on by the need to escape the bullying which she has been subjected to at her former school and also in the hope that the bad dreams she has been experiencing will stop if her location and life change. And, so we’re introduced to Hollow Pike which is rife with history and superstition, primarily surrounding the history of the persecution of witches in foregone eras.
As soon as Lis arrives at Hollow Pike she can’t help but feel strangely about it. A feeling of being watched, shadows in corners, trees that appear to reach out to her and crows that follow her movements. Also, as soon as Lis arrives her nightmares take a different turn and seem to become even worse but she’s enrolled at a new school and hoping for a fresh start. On the first day Lis is taken in by the popular girls and becomes a reluctant member of the local mean girls clan. She has mixed feelings, should she stay safe within the confines of this group – who seem to be feared by the rest of the school or should she befriend the school ‘strange’ clan who she feels a strong pull towards. Eventually Lis makes the decision that she’d rather stick to her guns and make friends with people who she enjoys spending time with rather than be a lesser member of the queen bees club – a decision that will ultimately make her rather unpopular with said queen bees.
I really enjoyed this book. It put me in mind of a number of other stories and I suppose the comparison to Scream/Heathers/Mean Girls is inevitable but for me personally I enjoyed the fun element and Lis and her friends put me more in mind of Daphne and Co from Scooby Do. I almost expected at the end for one of the villains to come out with the ‘if it hadn’t been for these pesky kids’ line!
In terms of characters I thought there was a good mix. Laura undoubtedly makes a nasty little character – although this didn’t make me dislike her enough to think her eventual demise was warranted and Delilah, Kitty and Jack make a cool little outcast gang. I thought the setting was good with the creepy copse and the little village with its limited options for entertainment and run down and mottley selection of shops. I also thought that the author did a really good job of portraying student life and putting across the bullying that affects so many students. We see Lis eventually developing and actually, with the support of her new friends, starting to stand up for herself.
The story takes on a more horrifying note when Laura is murdered and the feel then becomes much more creepy and sinister reaching a dramatic finale.
Now, this isn’t a criticism, but, if you’re expecting a book about witchcraft and spookiness then this isn’t going to be the one for you. It’s not really about that, it’s more about superstitions and fear of the unknown. Okay, there’s Lis’s dreams but lets face it dreams don’t really make you a witch after all – otherwise where’s my broomstick and eye of newt? I liked the fact that this book didn’t go all ‘cooking up strange portions and learning how to fly’. It felt more modern with a bit of a twist and a look at people’s fears and how they get the better of them. A little bit of intuition doesn’t after all mean you’re a raging old crone running around putting a hex on every second person you meet and cursing the general populace.
On the whole I thought this was a really good bit of escapism that briefly touches on the supernatural but only in the most subtle way. A good debut novel that for me felt more about new beginnings.
Hollow Pike
The Circle by Sara B Elfgren & Mats Strandberg
Just finished reading The Circle by Sara B Elfgren and Mats Strandberg.
The Circle is the first in a trilogy. It starts out fairly quickly and brings together six girls, under a red moon. They’ve come together in spite of themselves, they certainly aren’t friends and they’re about to discover that they have each been gifted with strange abilities and are to be bound together by an ancient power, one which they must master in order to survive. More importantly, they need to come together and help each other in their forthcoming struggles, a task which won’t be easy considering the way that some of these girls feel about each other.
The story starts out in high school where one of the students has just committed suicide. Or at least that’s how it appears. We are then introduced to the different characters who make up the story and a little bit of each of their personalities is revealed before they finally meet on the night where their new-found talents are revealed. Basically the girls are witches and not only that they are ‘chosen ones’. Part of a strange prophecy predicted to help save the world. Witches exist the world over but very little is really known about them as most the information relating to them is regulated, manipulated or deleted entirely in order to feed incorrect ideas. They are controlled by a body called ‘The Council’ who forbid certain activities such as revealing themselves to regular humans. Basically something evil is taking place and is predominantly focused at the school and the girls have no idea when one of them might be targeted next by whatever evil lurks there. Eventually they manage to put some of their own prejudices aside to come together and practice their skills but they have very little knowledge or guidance and they’re really stumbling around in the dark waiting to be picked off one by one.
So, obviously we have quite a mix of characters here. At first I had a bit of a puzzle keeping all the different names together with their own personalities. But, eventually it all comes together and you start to gain a picture of each of the girls. The girls range from the school bitch to the emo chick – sorry to categorise them in such a way but that’s sort of the truth of this situation. We run the extremes between the ‘popular’ girl and the ‘book geek’. We take a bit of a look at bullying, eating disorders, alchohol use and teenage sex. Looking at the characters involved I wouldn’t particularly say that any of them are happy or content, and even where you would think there would be a general feeling of happiness for a particular girl there is instead insecurity. I liked the way that the book wasn’t rushed and this also give a bit more of a chance for some stronger character building and a bit of an insight into each girl’s home/family life and how it impacts on them in totally different ways.
In terms of setting, well it felt very generic. Frankly, you could be in any high school anywhere but I guess this makes the book easier for the reader to relate to or more to the point it allows the reader just to pick it up and assume it’s something they’re familiar with which also diminishes the need for lengthy explanations or overly detailed descriptions. I suppose the only real difference is the climate, but again, that didn’t impact too much on what takes place.
Criticisms – well, this isn’t a short book, 600 pages or thereabouts. I don’t mind lengthy books but if I’m going to be honest this did feel as though it could have been shortened – I think if it had been shortened somewhat it might have been a little more punchy. The other thing for me was that, despite the number of characters involved I didn’t particularly find myself strongly caring for any one of them – well, I probably liked one more than the rest but I didn’t feel like I really had any anxiety about any of them and even when something bad happened I didn’t feel overwhelmingly sad about it. And, the plot, it feels a little bit thin – again, I think reducing the size of the book may have assisted with this.
On the whole, though, I thought this was a good book. I can imagine that it will be well received by the audience which it is intended for and although I’m certainly not the target market I will pick up book number 2.
The CircleBefore I Go To Sleep
Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson
3 June 2012
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Before I go to sleep, Psychological thriller, S J Watson
Just finished reading Before I Go to Sleep. This is a psychological thriller about Christine. Christine suffers a rare form of amnesia where every day she awakes with no recollection of the previous day’s events. Years have passed and yet each day she wakes up she thinks she’s in her twenties, not her forties. She doesn’t know the person lying next to her in bed, she doesn’t know where she lives, what the year is or… well… you get it!
Now, this is a difficult story to talk about without giving away too much and really that would just be wrong. This story is just so much more rewarding with the slow reveal. I really enjoyed this book though. I wanted to read it a long time ago but then, as is sometimes the case, the urge sort of ebbed, new books appeared and they also appealed and at the end of the day you can only add so many books. Then, the other day my friend brought this book for me to read. She said it was compelling and that I wouldn’t be able to put it down and frankly she was right.
This is a great premise. It’s a little bit horrifying to read about. You just don’t realise how BIG a thing your memory really is. You totally take it for granted. It’s just there. But it makes you who you are. I mean, I can’t even listen to a song without thinking back to a specific memory. Imagine waking up and thinking you’re twenty years younger – the irony of it – we all say ‘oh, I’m forty but I still feel like a teenager but she’s forty but literally her mind is that of a teenager. She hasn’t moved forward and every day she wakes up thinking she’s a young woman. She wakes up and finds she has sagging skin and wrinkles. Her whole history has to be relayed to her every day. It’s really something to read about. I was fascinated and scared at the same time. I feel like walking around with a hard hat on just to avoid any bumps to the noggin! On top of that, how can you trust anyone? Everything you do you’re relying on someone else. You’re so vulnerable. Anyway, enough of that.
Yes, I thought it was great that the author made me think all those things. I looked at my family and all the wealth of memories we have together, good and bad, and tried to imagine all that gone. I guess you wouldn’t hold any grudges, argument with your husband, forgotten the next day, kids not cleaning up, forgotten the next day, naffed off with someone in work, etc, etc. So, back to Christine, the only way she can have memories any more is to write things down and reread it each day. Again, this is a great idea. Okay, she has to write down everything before she forgets, and she has to be reminded daily that she has a journal so that she even goes and reads it, but this whole idea is brilliant to read about. These are now her memories.
Of course there is repetition but frankly I don’t see how you could avoid it in this novel. I suppose you could just say ‘this is Christine’s typical day – I’ve outlined it once, now ditto that for the rest of the novel’ but I don’t think that approach works here. You’re not just trying to get rid of dull repetition, like a person’s regular routines, you need to see what it’s like for Christine EVERY day. It’s just too bad if a bit of that might become repetitious for the reader – imagine how Christine feels. And, that there is the whole point.
Now, on top of that, things start to develop, because Christine is keeping a journal and so she’s more aware of things. She starts to ask more questions and things start to take a different turn. And, there comes the other part of the novel that I really like. I pretty much had my own idea of what was going on in this book but the author makes you constantly turn around and think you’re wrong. Just like Christine. I mean, I didn’t suffer the same kind of doubt as she did and she was definitely burdened with a huge amount of paranoia on top – which is easy to understand – but you can’t help reading and having an opinion, then thinking you’re wrong, then thinking you’re right, then thinking maybe not.
If I have any criticisms, I think they would be minor. A bit of repetition – but I thought that was necessary. I felt that there were actually a couple of times where I was reading and Christine seemed to be remembering too much – but then I guess she was reading her journal daily – and, I think that was a little bit of the author trying to dispel going over the same ground too much. I think the only thing I could say is that at the very start it took me a few pages to be sucked in and it’s certainly not cheery reading. In case you’re having thoughts of 50 first dates – yes the premise of falling asleep and waking each day afresh – that’s the same. But this is not a comedy. It’s a bit more dark and you certainly won’t be laughing.
But, that aside, this is a good book. It’s an excellent debut. And it definitely deserves to be read. I recommend this book without hesitation.
Before I go to sleep
