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June 28
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will
gave  to:
The Olivetti Chronicles (Hardcover)
by
John Peel
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
will said:
"I didn't know this book existed. Actually, that's not true. I had seen in my Goodreads update that Neil Gaiman had just read a book about John Peel, but I didn't take a lot of notice. I hit delete and moved on. Therefore, it was a wonderful surprise ...more
I didn't know this book existed. Actually, that's not true. I had seen in my Goodreads update that Neil Gaiman had just read a book about John Peel, but I didn't take a lot of notice. I hit delete and moved on. Therefore, it was a wonderful surprise when maria handed me a parcel from Amazon and wished me a happy father's day.
This is a collection of some of John Peel's writing, all of it hammered out on his Olivetti typewriter (hence the title). The articles are collected from several sources and span four decades, the 1970s to the 2000s.
It is wonderful to "hear" John's voice again. Through the stories you rediscover his love of his family, music, and Liverpool football club. Obviously, most people know Mr. Peel (I can't call him John) through his radio shows. In my case (and I am probably not alone in this) it was spending the night, listening through an ear piece, as the signal faded in-and-out, under the blankets - so I wouldn't get caught. From 1976 to 1979 I followed a revolution in music through its greatest reporter, John Peel.
Some of the articles in this book deal with the paucity of music in 1975/6. John Peel predicts (and often demands) a change in the music scene. When the change comes, centred around The Sex Pistols, John Peel leaps to their defence. In one article, his defence is more of an attack on the "old" establishment, and the Last Night of The Proms.
But not all the articles are about music, many cover his other interests; family, football, television, and TT racing.
This is a fantastic book for anyone who was ever touched by John Peel's own brand of magic. It is a great book for anyone who grew up through the years 74-84, as the book will cause you to reminisce over "the good olde days". It is a good book for anyone who enjoys well thought out writing.
Can you tell I really enjoyed this book?(less)
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May 04
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will
is currently reading:
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West (Paperback)
by
Cormac McCarthy
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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will
marked as to-read:
The Gum Thief: A Novel (Hardcover)
by
Douglas Coupland
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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will
gave  to:
I Love You, Beth Cooper (Hardcover)
by
Larry Doyle
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
will said:
"There are books that call out to you. You try to avoid them, you don't intend to ever read them, but somehow they end up in your hot sweaty hand as you walk out the store.
I came across this book 5/6 months ago on the "buy two get th...more
There are books that call out to you. You try to avoid them, you don't intend to ever read them, but somehow they end up in your hot sweaty hand as you walk out the store.
I came across this book 5/6 months ago on the "buy two get third free" shelf in Borders. I already had my two books and was doing that desperate search for a third book - you know how it always goes. I picked this up and read the first couple of pages and thought it had potential, this was going to be my third book. Except I ended up walking out with Cormac McCarthy' The Road. A couple of months later I am convinced I read a review from a friend, a review that raved about the book. Last month I had money in my pocket and was picking up a Roddy Doyle book and I love you Beth Cooper, somehow, came home with me.
I liked the first two pages, a friend liked it, so when I got to page 50 and toyed with throwing it away, I continued to read, waiting for it to get better. It never did. However, it wasn't "eye-clawingly-out" bad, it just never lived up to its own hype.
Basically it is a movie, a teen movie based on Graduation night from High School. The valevictorian (uber geek/nerd) announces in his speech that he loves the captain of the cheerleader squad, and hilarity ensues. However, whereas "SuperBad" I found amusing, this I didn't. The book moves from set scene to set scene (which would work well in a movie, not so good in a book - plot holes in a book make very little sense), each scene culminates in an action sequence which would look wonderful on the screen, but is convoluted in the book.
Maybe I didn't like this book because I found it full of clichés (at one point one character even accuses another of speaking in clichés). Or maybe because I never went to an American High School. Or maybe because I was never unpopular. Or maybe because I am too old. I am sure that some people will like it, just as I am sure that some people like "American Pie", it just didn't "rock my boat". (less)
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April 24
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will
gave to:
Blindness (Paperback)
by
José Saramago
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
will said:
"Brilliant!
There are some books that just suck you in and then spit you out a wiser, better person - this is one of them. I'm fairly sure that if I took an I.Q. test before and after reading this book, I would discover that I was several p...more
Brilliant!
There are some books that just suck you in and then spit you out a wiser, better person - this is one of them. I'm fairly sure that if I took an I.Q. test before and after reading this book, I would discover that I was several points above where I started. How does this book do this? Not by telling me anything new but by forcing me to re-evaluate my conceptions of everything I knew.
Have you ever read "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind? No? Why not? Go and read it now, it is amazing. I'll wait....Have you ever read "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind? Yes? You know how suddenly you smell everything differently, how the actual moment when you breathe in through your nose suddenly becomes a conscious effort? Well, Mr. Saramago does the same for vision in this book.
Slowly (in a week?) the whole city goes blind, except for one person. Through their eyes (the doctor's wife - people don't need names when you are blind [think about it:]) we see how humanity isn't three hot meals away from revolution, they are two seeing eyes away from total collapse. The book details the collapse of society and how one small group face the consequences of a world gone blind.
I'd like to say this book is a page turner but it isn't. The author uses a brilliant device for dialogue. There are no speech marks, the only change between people speaking is a comma and a capital letter. I discovered that this forced me to read "aloud" in my head. I ended up allotting different voices to each character, and therefore would "say" their words in my head. This made the book a slower read but at no time did I begrudge the fact. Because I read "slower", I came to appreciate the characters more, which made their problems more real.
There is little that will amuse in this book but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. You'll put the book down and be glad that it ends the way it ends, however you will still have questions. And it is, whilst trying to answer those questions, that you will realise that the author has made you think, really think.
Have I mentioned I really liked this?(less)
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April 12
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will
gave to:
Blueberry Girl (Hardcover)
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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will said:
"Perfect.
If you have a daughter, buy this and give it to her. NO! Buy this and read it to her.
If you have a female partner, buy this and read it to her.
Simply perfect in every way.
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will
is currently reading:
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (Paperback)
by
Roddy Doyle
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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will
gave  to:
The Graveyard Book (Hardcover)
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
will said:
"So, this is how it goes. I love Neil Gaiman books, love them unconditionally, it's the rule. It is probably a silly rule but it is tied in with the first book I gave to maria was "American Gods", then I bought her "Anansi Boys", t...more
So, this is how it goes. I love Neil Gaiman books, love them unconditionally, it's the rule. It is probably a silly rule but it is tied in with the first book I gave to maria was "American Gods", then I bought her "Anansi Boys", then she bought me "Sandman", then...do you get it? The rule is, I love Neil Gaiman books, unconditionally.
Really didn't enjoy this book.
Mr. Gaiman writes short stories really well. Dunno if it is his background (writing for magazines), but he has loads of brilliant ideas and writes some of the bestest short stories. Obviously, this worked well with Sandman. He wrote short arcs, often the lead character didn't appear, it was (basically) short stories that were linked.
Oddly, Mr. Gaiman writes very good children's stories, there are few of his books that I wouldn't recommend to kids in my class - Stardust and Coraline stand out, my class adore The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish (which I use every year as an introduction to writing book reports). Even Mr. Gaiman's adult books can be read fairly safely by children and, on the flip side, his children's books can be read (and enjoyed) by adults.
But, I really didn't enjoy this book.
Which is odd because it was written for me to enjoy. It is a (grown-up) children's book. It is episodical (is that a real word?). It is a Neil Gaiman book but it just seemed to lack something. [Although maria did comment that she read the whole book in one sitting and questioned why I should be looking for depth in a Gaiman book.:]
Each episode is telegraphed from the first page of the chapter. There is no mystery, no suspense. And so it becomes a chore to read - there is no delight in discovering where Mr. Gaiman is taking you. And it is a children's book (and I know children) but some of the "jokes" seem too adult, too "clever". Maybe Mr. Gaiman knows children, better but I just felt it was too "knowing". Really, how much do kids know about graveyards?
Anyhoo, it's an enjoyable book if you are a Gaiman completest, otherwise read American Gods, read Stardust, pick up a short story collection Read Gaiman but not this one.
Oh, in passing, if you have a daughter, get her "The Blueberry Girl". Read it to her. Sit her down, read it to her, share the pictures, talk to her. It is beautiful and the sentiments are everything a parent should be saying to her daughter. Just thought I'd mention it.
(less)
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March 30
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