The Plane Ride Home with Lemony Snicket

Book: Who Could That be at This Hour
Author: Lemony Snicket
Method: Gift (Matt)
Where: On the plane home from Cancun

I remember receiving the first two books in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events novels.  I loved the whole series (although I never finished it).  They started when I was about 10 or 11, and I read them until I was 19 or so.  I just adored his style of writing and the depressing absurdity in his novels, so when my brother got me this book for christmas, I was so excited to read it.  It was a total nostalgia trip, because Snicket's writing is very stylized and ridiculous, but very enjoyable.
Snicket has mentioned in interviews about people like me who have been fans for years now, and are all grown up, but still reading and loving his novels.  This book made me feel like I was a little kid again, devouring the Series of Unfortunate Events and loving all the twists and turns and crazy characters and staying up until 2am (the scandal) reading and reading and reading and reading.

although now I need crazy intense glasses.  Kids- when mum says 'lights out', don't destroy your eyes reading under the covers.  Although its totally worth it.

xoxo
ellebee

Christmas in Mexico Pt 5 of 5

Book: Norwegian Wood
Author: Haruki Murakami
Method: Borrowed (Matt)
Where: In my hotel room, finished just as my family had left to go get pre dinner drinks

This may have been my favourite book that I read on this trip, but thats hard to say because I loved lots of them.  This book just got right inside me, grabbed my heart and gave it a good twist.  The end of the book was so difficult and sad I remember running to meet my family after I finished it, because I felt like if I didn't get with people I was going to break down and cry.  Its not that its conventionally sad though, its just kind of heart breaking.
Murakami manages to create these characters that are so alive and so real that I felt like I knew these characters after I finished this book.  I also wanted to read more of Murakami's work, although I have read that this is his 'deviation' into linear fiction and that his most famous works, Kafka on the Shore and Wind Up Bird Chronicles are much more obtuse.
I did feel strange that this was the second Beatles influenced book, and second Beatles influenced book that takes place in Japan.  But this and Number9Dream look at Japan from very different sides, and the authors have very different language.
Norwegian Wood is also the kind of book that you just want to read again right away because you can't bear that its over.

xoxo
ellebee

Christmas in Mexico: pt 3 of 5

book: number9dream
author: David Mitchell
where: by the pool (still bragging)
who: Borrowed (by dad from the library)

This was my favourite book I read this trip (actually this whole vacation). Cloud atlas may be technically more impressive, but this story was unbelievable.  I felt annoyed every time my stomach rumbled, because it meant I had to actually put this book down and focus on something else.  It was the kind of book you didn't want to end ever.  It was just so engaging and wonderfully written i never wanted this book to end but at the same time you can't wait to see how Mitchell is going to wrap all this up.
The basic premise is a young man trying to find his father, but where this journey takes him is unbelievable and unexpected.  Eiji (the protagonist) manages to get into serious (and sometimes hilarious) hijinks.  What impresses me most about mitchell is his ability to use literary devices I previously found trite, but he makes them work.  In this case, he creates dream sequences and alternate imaginings of situations (poor phrasing, sorry about that) something that, up until now, I had a tendency to dislike (dream sequences less so. they work more frequently).  I think i just might like everything that Mitchell does.
I feel like i don't even have that much to say about this book because I just loved it.

xoxo

ellebee

Christmas in Mexico pt 2 of 5

book: Cloud Atlas
author: David Mitchell
where: on the beach (bragging)
how: borrowed (dad)

I really love to go to the movies (this is important to a post about books).  I also, as much as I love watching trailers, I also like going into movies relatively blind.  However, this means I go see some real stinkers.  Cloud Atlas was one of those movies that made me happy to go to the movies again.   It restored my faith in movie making.  So naturally I had to read the book.
Mitchell may be one of my favourite new authors (well, the year is brand new, but lets just go with it).  His talent with language is just astounding.  I ended up reading two Mitchell books while I was in Mexico (see part 3) and what that man can do with english is unreal.  Cloud Atlas is such a striking example, as every character has a totally different language and rhythm.  It really is a book that feels like six different authors wrote it.
I feel like, in a way, that Cloud Atlas shouldn't work.  whenever I describe to someone how all the characters are actually linked, despite being from different eras, and all of the stories echo each other thematically, I can see disbelief crossing people faces.  We've all read these type of stories before, and the multiple narrative rarely works.  Often, its just too difficult for authors to create a voice other than their own and all the characters end up sounding the same.  Mitchell not only pulls it off, but pulls it off brilliantly.  He essentially creates a new language in his super future stories, and manages to connect the stories just enough that we feel the pull, but not so that we feel we're being bashed about the head with symbolism.
if you can get a copy, read it.  and go see the movie.  right now.

xoxo
ellebee

Christmas in Mexico pt 1 of 5

Over the school break, my family took a wonderful trip to sunny Mexico, where I did nothing except relax on a day bed, read books and drink Mai Tais.  This bought of inactivity meant I managed to finish 5 books while I was there and figured that was the perfect excuse to breathe some life into this old blog and remember why I love writing about books.  So, here goes.

book: Bring Up the Bodies
author: Hilary Mantel
how: borrowed (mum)
when: on the plane, while my glands felt like they were exploding and I actually started praying to any and every deity i could think of in hopes that someone was listening and the pain would go away.


I was really looking forward to this book, as its predecessor was one of my favourite books from last year.  I love historical fiction, but frequently they deteriorate into bodice rippers (see anything written by Phillipa Greggory) which are great when thats what you want, but most of the time I would rather read something properly researched that really pulls me into the time and I forget that I know whats coming next.  This is where I feel Mantel really shines as an author.  She manages to create this crushing sense of inevitability.  The whole time you're just waiting for the axe to drop and it just wont until the bitter end.
What I missed in this book was having a real foil for Cromwell.  Thomas Moore was such an amazing opposing factor in Cromwell's life.  The Boleyns work as a group, but they are more an obstacle as opposed to a true foil.  They are something for Cromwell to get around, or manipulate and they never seem to pose a true threat.
What I do feel Mantel really does capture is what a terrifying place Court was to be.  Every person there is more than willing to step over (or on) you to get a head, all favour is temporary and fleeting.  The King is a petulant child who demands that all things go his way and everyone at court listens to this guy and gives him what they want.
All in all, I preferred Wolf Hall to this book.  I feel like the story was stronger, but Mantel's language is so beautiful that I was completely absorbed either way.

xoxo
ellebee

Baby's First Apocalypse

title: The Hunger Games Trilogy
author: suzanne Collins
method: borrowed (various sources)

I love apocalyptic/dystopian literature.  i love the idea that maybe this could happen to us in a few hundred years if we don't change our ways, or even if we had gone down a different path we may have ended up with authoritarian leadership, or living in the woods fending for ourselves.  Also since i work at a school and spend most of my time surrounded by 9 year olds i wanted to read what they were all excited about, so the hunger games quickly made it to the top of my must read list.
first let me say that these books are totally enjoyable.  they take about an evening to read, and the whole time you will be wrapped up in them.  i don't believe that they are something to be dismissed as young adult literature, and if you like dystopian lit, its a great example of beginners dystopia. however, all of the issues i had with are the things that make the book a young adult, and not an adult book.
What i loved the most about this book was Katniss.  she's strong, a feminist and an excellent literary roll model.  i feel too many young adult books feature sissy wishy washy girls as the protagonist who can't make a decision based on their own opinion, they just follow the men in their lives.  katniss is the opposite.  she works with what she has and does everything she can to stay in control of her own situation.  the sacrifices she makes are all to better her family.  now, she is also selfish and self centred (more so in the later books) but these flaws make her interesting.
the books do have a darker progression, and the more we learn about the world the more we realize that these people are not simply oppressed but controlled minutely.  everything they see every scrap of news they hear is controlled by the capitol.  at the end of the first book, some of the people i talked to agreed that they wanted what i wanted, which was to feel more for the other children taking part in the hunger games.  each of the other tributes are almost dismissed (minus Rue) as people we know nothing about or psychopaths trained from birth.  however collins relieves herself of this duty in the beginning when katniss vows to not mingle with the other tributes.  however, if we had a sense of where these other children were coming from and how they felt, i think there are moments in the book that would have been more powerful.
i found the love triangle unnecessary as well, but it's teen lit, and you need some romance. i mainly didn't really like it because i didn't see why Gale would a) fall in love with katniss or b) think to mention it.  I only say this because Gale is so strong on his own and has so much to worry about with his family and working in the mines and it would be nice just once for childhood friends to not fall in love when they hit puberty.  just once? can we have a platonic male female relationship? any ways.... Katniss herself is so focused on her own family and the fact that she never wants to bring children into the messed up world of the districts that she doesn't particularly care, but that means neither do we.
i'm still glad i read it, and there were moments in the third book that really got to me (in that good way), and when you meet the other past victors from the hunger games, things get a lot more interesting because you see what happens to people when how they win fame is killing other people in a world wide spectacle broadcast and are then treated as celebrities.
love always,
ellebee

The Kings Good servant, but Gods first- sir Thomas Moore

Book: Wolf Hall
Author: Hilary Mandell
method: borrowed (dad)

Now, I love historical fiction. It may be one of my favorite genres, because I like when things are based in reality, but not a literal depiction of reality. I first heard of this book at a dinner party where I was one of the few people there who hadn't read it, and it was raved about. My dad even said he read it twice, which is rare for my dad (unless it's a Pynchon novel) so I had a feeling it was going to be book of the year quality stuff.
This is definitely a big book. it's a heavy presence in your bag, even in paper back. It also isn't the kind of book where you can read it while reading another novel. It requires full commitment, because the way Mandell rights, Cromwell is often only refered to as Him in the narration, so you have to be on top of who is saying what and who is in the room with Cromwell.
I can see why Cromwell would be an interesting character to write about, because he is truly fascinating. During this period in history, your beliefs were often something that kept you alive and were incredibly important. Cromwell only believes in surviving, and surviving any way possible. This was also a time when the position you were born in was the position where you stayed, but Cromwell, born a blacksmiths son rose up to be the king's Cheif advisor, and he seems to have done so by always knowing who to talk to and what people wanted to hear.
Throughout the novel, there is a beautiful duality between Cromwell and Thomas Moore. Moore is so steadfast in his beliefs throughout his whole life. Everything he does he does out of devotion to what he believes (and. Oddly enough in my opinion comes out looking the bigger scum bag.) whereas Cromwell only believes in survival. The relationship between these two characters was my favorite part of this book, because they are such polar opposites.
Anne Boleyn is much more fascinating a woman through Mandell's eyes than any other interpretation I've read before. She is cool and calculating, but never described as being overly beautiful or charming. She is a woman carved of marble, and reminds me of the grandmother or Henry, Margret Beaufort. She was another woman who had one goal and did not rest until she had achieved it. She had the same sense of drive, but the same problems, being a woman in a time where a woman had little to no power. E two women also used the only means available to them to achieve their goals

xo- ellebee