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