Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde
Thoughts: Oh, I loved this book. I loved it! I spent my entire lazy Sunday reading, and when I finished, I wished for nothing more than the second in the series. Sadly, I didn't have it. But I will! Very soon! Because I loved this book. Granted, I am a bit of a lit fiend... and this is lit done right. Because all literature isn't about stodgy study and tearing things apart in order to find meaning... it is about good books. It's about books people, through the ages, have loved and continue to love. Not too long ago I read a different novel that tried (and failed, I thought) to blur the lines between real and fiction, where fictional characters walked about in the 'real' world. Fforde shows exactly how the concept can be handled well.
Clever, tight storytelling, good characters, non-pretentious, enjoyable = love love love.
Plus, there is a character named Jack Schitt. Say it out loud! Jack Schitt!
Monday, 28 April 2008
Monday, 21 April 2008
Book: The Third Angel
Title: The Third Angel
Author: Alice Hoffman
Thoughts: I started reading Hoffman's books after her last novel Skylight Confessions was published. I've read all her books out of order, and just now looked up the chronology. I realize my favorites have been her later novels... she's just been getting better and better. I loved The Third Angel. It was beautiful and haunting, and I feel like I missed so much in my first read-through (you'll understand if you read it) that I want to go back and read it again. Possibly right away.
A lot of what I loved about this book I've mentioned before in relation to Hoffman's writing. She looks at things in such an interesting way. Her stories often read like fairy tales... but ones where no happy ending is guaranteed. Her imagery and use of dreams and symbols is beautiful.
The characters in The Third Angel were so fully realized I couldn't stop thinking about them. I kept imagining all the moments of their lives we didn't get to see. Just wonderful. I can't wait to reread.
Author: Alice Hoffman
Thoughts: I started reading Hoffman's books after her last novel Skylight Confessions was published. I've read all her books out of order, and just now looked up the chronology. I realize my favorites have been her later novels... she's just been getting better and better. I loved The Third Angel. It was beautiful and haunting, and I feel like I missed so much in my first read-through (you'll understand if you read it) that I want to go back and read it again. Possibly right away.
A lot of what I loved about this book I've mentioned before in relation to Hoffman's writing. She looks at things in such an interesting way. Her stories often read like fairy tales... but ones where no happy ending is guaranteed. Her imagery and use of dreams and symbols is beautiful.
The characters in The Third Angel were so fully realized I couldn't stop thinking about them. I kept imagining all the moments of their lives we didn't get to see. Just wonderful. I can't wait to reread.
Book: Remember Me?
Title: Remember Me?
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Thoughts: I love the way Kinsella writes chick lit. I got a little tired of the Shopaholic books, and haven't even read the latest one yet, but this is a departure from that character and I enjoyed it very much. I love the way Kinsella takes chick lit norms and uses them deftly. Even when something walks the border of cliche, it is saved by cleverness and good writing. So many chick lit authors get the romance, girl-of-the-world, girlfriends and cocktails thing nailed, only to fall down as second-rate writers. Sophie Kinsella always has a good voice, and doesn't resort to the telling-not-showing.
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Thoughts: I love the way Kinsella writes chick lit. I got a little tired of the Shopaholic books, and haven't even read the latest one yet, but this is a departure from that character and I enjoyed it very much. I love the way Kinsella takes chick lit norms and uses them deftly. Even when something walks the border of cliche, it is saved by cleverness and good writing. So many chick lit authors get the romance, girl-of-the-world, girlfriends and cocktails thing nailed, only to fall down as second-rate writers. Sophie Kinsella always has a good voice, and doesn't resort to the telling-not-showing.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Book: Belong to Me
Title: Belong to Me
Author: Marisa de los Santos
Thoughts: I am embarrassed because de los Santos's first book, Love Walked In, is one of my absolute favorites... and I had no idea her second was due out last week. Honestly, anyone walking next to me on the street when I noticed the big BARNES AND NOBLE RECOMMENDS poster in the window must have thought I was crazy, because I stopped in my tracks and stared for a good minute or two.
I wasn't expecting de los Santos's second book to be a sequel to her first, but I'm glad it was. I had no idea how much I'd missed those characters until I started reading about them again. And yet, she writes a story that isn't dependent on the first to make sense, which I like. The new characters were just as wonderful and developed and perfect as the old, and, as ever, de los Santos has an absolutely magical ability with turn of phrase and metaphor. I love it and it makes me jealous at the same time. High praise! It's a book I'll read and reread many times, I'm sure.
Author: Marisa de los Santos
Thoughts: I am embarrassed because de los Santos's first book, Love Walked In, is one of my absolute favorites... and I had no idea her second was due out last week. Honestly, anyone walking next to me on the street when I noticed the big BARNES AND NOBLE RECOMMENDS poster in the window must have thought I was crazy, because I stopped in my tracks and stared for a good minute or two.
I wasn't expecting de los Santos's second book to be a sequel to her first, but I'm glad it was. I had no idea how much I'd missed those characters until I started reading about them again. And yet, she writes a story that isn't dependent on the first to make sense, which I like. The new characters were just as wonderful and developed and perfect as the old, and, as ever, de los Santos has an absolutely magical ability with turn of phrase and metaphor. I love it and it makes me jealous at the same time. High praise! It's a book I'll read and reread many times, I'm sure.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Book: The Great Gatsby
Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Thoughts: I last read this book in high school. Mostly the only thing I remembered about it was not liking it all that much... but this was a common ailment I had when it came to assigned reading. Anyway, high school was a few years ago now (ahem) and so, when my husband chose The Great Gatsby as our latest reading-before-bed project, I thought--'Okay, we'll see if I like it better this time around. I mean, it's a Great American Novel, right?'
In some ways I understand why it is a Great American Novel. It's all about The American Dream (whether this dream is successful or fails is probably another story). Fitzgerald is talented, obviously, and he has a remarkable ability for creating interesting turns of phrase.
But for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I still don't love it. I don't hate it anymore--I think I hated it in high school--so perhaps I will pick it up again in another ten years and suddenly find it my favourite novel? I'll get back to you on that one.
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Thoughts: I last read this book in high school. Mostly the only thing I remembered about it was not liking it all that much... but this was a common ailment I had when it came to assigned reading. Anyway, high school was a few years ago now (ahem) and so, when my husband chose The Great Gatsby as our latest reading-before-bed project, I thought--'Okay, we'll see if I like it better this time around. I mean, it's a Great American Novel, right?'
In some ways I understand why it is a Great American Novel. It's all about The American Dream (whether this dream is successful or fails is probably another story). Fitzgerald is talented, obviously, and he has a remarkable ability for creating interesting turns of phrase.
But for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I still don't love it. I don't hate it anymore--I think I hated it in high school--so perhaps I will pick it up again in another ten years and suddenly find it my favourite novel? I'll get back to you on that one.
Friday, 28 March 2008
Book: One for Sorrow
Title: One for Sorrow
Author: Christopher Barzak
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It's been a long time since I read a good ghost story, and this one does something magnificent: it sets up a world in which the main character has these completely believable and moving experiences with another character, but it just so happens that character #2 is dead. No laborious over-thinking passages about the meaning of life and death; no painful attempts to delve into the physics of why the ghost is possible; no saccharine musing on the nature of the afterlife. Yet the world of the novel is richly sketched, and never once did I set the book aside thinking 'Hmm, I don't believe it.' At its heart it is a story about grief: the toll it takes, the long process of overcoming it. It is also a coming-of-age story, a growing-up story. Beautifully written and beautifully realized. I'm only sad it's the author's first novel, because I can't run out to find something else of his to read.
Author: Christopher Barzak
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It's been a long time since I read a good ghost story, and this one does something magnificent: it sets up a world in which the main character has these completely believable and moving experiences with another character, but it just so happens that character #2 is dead. No laborious over-thinking passages about the meaning of life and death; no painful attempts to delve into the physics of why the ghost is possible; no saccharine musing on the nature of the afterlife. Yet the world of the novel is richly sketched, and never once did I set the book aside thinking 'Hmm, I don't believe it.' At its heart it is a story about grief: the toll it takes, the long process of overcoming it. It is also a coming-of-age story, a growing-up story. Beautifully written and beautifully realized. I'm only sad it's the author's first novel, because I can't run out to find something else of his to read.
Book: Me and Mr. Darcy
Title: Me and Mr. Darcy
Author: Alexandra Potter
Thoughts: As someone currently working on a novel that pays homage to Pride and Prejudice, I just have to say this one thing: it is entirely (and often all too) possible to stick too close to the original when one is retelling a famous story. Pride and Prejudice is a great book--my favourite, as a matter of fact--and no one who retells the original word for word is doing themselves justice. A perfect nugget like the original Austen is hard to compete with on the best of days by the best of writers so all you chick-lit wannabes out there take heed: borrow if you must, but don't copy passages of the original. And when you (inevitably) get to the part where your Darcy stand-in writes his revelatory letter explaining everything, please don't steal lines from Austen. Please. Please. You aren't as good as Jane Austen, and voluntarily putting yourself up for comparison with one of the greatest novels of all time? Just painful. For everyone involved.
Author: Alexandra Potter
Thoughts: As someone currently working on a novel that pays homage to Pride and Prejudice, I just have to say this one thing: it is entirely (and often all too) possible to stick too close to the original when one is retelling a famous story. Pride and Prejudice is a great book--my favourite, as a matter of fact--and no one who retells the original word for word is doing themselves justice. A perfect nugget like the original Austen is hard to compete with on the best of days by the best of writers so all you chick-lit wannabes out there take heed: borrow if you must, but don't copy passages of the original. And when you (inevitably) get to the part where your Darcy stand-in writes his revelatory letter explaining everything, please don't steal lines from Austen. Please. Please. You aren't as good as Jane Austen, and voluntarily putting yourself up for comparison with one of the greatest novels of all time? Just painful. For everyone involved.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Book: The Art of French Kissing
Title: The Art of French Kissing
Author: Kristin Harmel
Thoughts: Chick lit? Check! Crazy French rock star? Check! Girl discovering herself? Check! Paris, Paris, Paris? Check! Check! Check!
This was a quick and easy read, but boy did it scratch an itch I didn't realize I'd had. I've been a bit chick-lit-ted out recently, but this was a lovely book and was exactly what I needed. Plus it was set in Paris, and I'm writing a book set in Paris, so it was practically research! I kind of wish I hadn't figured out what was obviously meant to be the twist in the end about half-way through, but... what can you do? I'm going to look up her other two books the next time I'm at the library!
Author: Kristin Harmel
Thoughts: Chick lit? Check! Crazy French rock star? Check! Girl discovering herself? Check! Paris, Paris, Paris? Check! Check! Check!
This was a quick and easy read, but boy did it scratch an itch I didn't realize I'd had. I've been a bit chick-lit-ted out recently, but this was a lovely book and was exactly what I needed. Plus it was set in Paris, and I'm writing a book set in Paris, so it was practically research! I kind of wish I hadn't figured out what was obviously meant to be the twist in the end about half-way through, but... what can you do? I'm going to look up her other two books the next time I'm at the library!
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Movie: The Duchess of Langeis
Wow.
This movie was so boring.
I'm sorry to be so critical, but... honestly? At least half a dozen people left the theatre as it played (and it was a small theatre) and more just slept... I could hear a guy in my row snoring. The costumes, I grant you, were beautiful. But the characters had no chemistry, I didn't even like them, and I certainly didn't care about the things they cared about. Which means as a character-driven drama it failed. Failed miserably.
Also, it was two and a half hours long.
Zzzzz.
This movie was so boring.
I'm sorry to be so critical, but... honestly? At least half a dozen people left the theatre as it played (and it was a small theatre) and more just slept... I could hear a guy in my row snoring. The costumes, I grant you, were beautiful. But the characters had no chemistry, I didn't even like them, and I certainly didn't care about the things they cared about. Which means as a character-driven drama it failed. Failed miserably.
Also, it was two and a half hours long.
Zzzzz.
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Book: Illumination Night
Title: Illumination Night
Author: Alice Hoffman
Thoughts: I sure will be sad when I run out of Alice Hoffman books. The thing is, I don't love all of them. Some stories I just can't get behind. Illumination Night wasn't one of those. It was a delicate story with just enough of the magical realism I so enjoy in her books. Sometimes you feel as though you're reading a grown-up fairy tale. Sure her usual themes of infidelity and rebellious teenagehood were present, and sometimes I get sick of those, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a lovely tonic while I recuperated from the flu!
Author: Alice Hoffman
Thoughts: I sure will be sad when I run out of Alice Hoffman books. The thing is, I don't love all of them. Some stories I just can't get behind. Illumination Night wasn't one of those. It was a delicate story with just enough of the magical realism I so enjoy in her books. Sometimes you feel as though you're reading a grown-up fairy tale. Sure her usual themes of infidelity and rebellious teenagehood were present, and sometimes I get sick of those, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a lovely tonic while I recuperated from the flu!
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