Shannon's profile

718 ratings | 216 reviews
avg rating: 4.03
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Shannon's bookshelves

read (730)
currently-reading (4)
to-read (322)
fantasy (278)
contemporary-fiction (117)
2008 (114)
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ya (98)
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paranormal-romance (79)
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vampires (66)
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historical-romance (38)
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Shannon is currently reading

	08/20 Shannon is currently reading: Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence (Paperback) by Rosalind Wiseman bookshelves: currently-reading, non-fiction, psychology	my rating:
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	08/18 Shannon is currently reading: Farthing (Mass Market Paperback) by Jo Walton bookshelves: alternate-history, currently-reading, speculative-fiction	my rating:
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	07/26 Shannon is currently reading: The New Penguin History of Canada (Paperback) by Robert Bothwell bookshelves: currently-reading, history, non-fiction	my rating:
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Shannon's recent updates (rss)

August 19

Shannon gave

to:
The Pirate's Daughter (Hardcover)
by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
bookshelves: 2008, contemporary-historical-fiction

my rating:

read in August, 2008

Shannon said: "In 1946 Errol Flynn's boat was shipwrecked in Jamaica on its way to Haiti; he fell in love with the country and bought a small uninhabited island off the coast of Port Antonio called Navy Island, continuing his rascally ways, hosting wild parties whe...more In 1946 Errol Flynn's boat was shipwrecked in Jamaica on its way to Haiti; he fell in love with the country and bought a small uninhabited island off the coast of Port Antonio called Navy Island, continuing his rascally ways, hosting wild parties where he drove Truman Capote into the swimming pool, and Marilyn Munro danced ... and a young local girl called Ida, infatuated with the handsome movie star, becomes his lover at 16 and gives birth to a baby girl, May.

This is the story of Ida and May and Jamaica, and the characters that come and go throughout three decades of peace and upheaval. While Errol Flynn was a real person, and his manner of arrival in Jamaica and his flashy lifestyle on Navy Island, are all based on fact - and here it's obvious the author's read Flynn's own autobiography, as well as other works - the rest is fictional. His British friend and author of spy novels, Nigel Fletcher, is obviously based on Ian Fleming who lived in Jamaica and wrote his first Bond books there, but this isn't a biography or anything of that nature.

As far as the story goes, it's a very good tale, and feels very real. I learnt a lot of little things about Jamaica I'd had no idea about - like how, since the beginning, it wasn't just a matter of white people and black people, but white, black, Chinese, Indian, Syrian, Lebanese and so on; it must have been one of the earliest, truly multicultural countries around. The portrayal of Jamaica is vibrant and sensual, in the sense that I felt like I could see it, hear it, smell it, feel it. In a way, it felt like the island nation was the real star of the book.

Ida and May are two very distinct characters, verging on likeable but always holding back. I hate reading about women who throw their lives away on the love of a man who doesn't deserve it, doesn't appreciate it and, even worse, doesn't even notice it. Ida came close to being just such a woman, but luckily it never went down that truly melodrammatic path. In fact, the novel never slipped into corny self-indulgence or melodrama; but part of that could be because of how it was written.

The prose is where I think the book fell flat for me. Perhaps it's because the author read biographies and history texts etc., but it was written in a completely "tell" way. What I mean is, the omniscient narrator - who shifts perspectives constantly - simply tells us everything, leaving us entirely dependent on what is doled out to us, what is revealed and kept hidden, giving us no opportunity to discover things for ourselves, draw our own conclusions, or get to the characters in a more intimate way. And I would have liked to, very much. Especially Karl, who I thought was the most interesting character, but whom you never get the chance to really appreciate the way you want to. Mostly because of Ida.

In its own way, the prose works - it's constant, consistent, very nicely paced and well-structured - almost like it was written to a metronome. It gives the book the feel of historical accuracy, but it also greatly distances the reader from the story, way more than was intended I'm sure. Here's a short paragraph, chosen randomly, to give you a feel for the prose:

He [Errol] looked at the clock. It was a little after ten and his head was pounding. Today he would try not to have a drink until lunchtime. Not that he was worried about being an alcoholic. It was just that the morning cocktails stopped him from getting any work done. In the morning, while Brenda slept, was the best time for writing, and he wanted to finish his screenplay about the Cuban rebels by the end of the month. (p.187)

The only things I knew about Errol Flynn before reading this book was that he was born in Tasmania, like me, and that he was a famous Hollywood actor - and the one movie I knew he'd starred in was Robin Hood. Here his pirate films are more important, and I did feel like I was reading a pretty accurate portrayal of the actor. I can't say I liked him very much.

While I didn't find it as satisfying as I'd hoped - because of the way it was written - I did enjoy the story, for what it's worth. It's just that I find the two - prose and plot - inseparable, and one impacts on the other. It's a good story that could have been told better, rather than a dull story told well - it's the better option of the two, and for that alone I'd recommend it, especially if you're interested in the era, the country, the culture, Errol Flynn or pirate stories. ...less "

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Shannon made a comment in the group Think [the box] ing—Tibet and China (and the Olympic Games) topic:

Shannon wrote: "Charly, I just keep looking at the impressive smog hanging in the air, and all the man-made lakes. T...more "

Shannon made a comment in the group Think [the box] ing—That which no one owns, no one cares about topic:

Shannon wrote: "Maybe I misread the article, but the line:

An easing of the ban on ivory sales would make the herds even more valuable, and so, paradoxically, boost elephant numbers ...more "

August 18

Shannon gave

to:
Princess in the Spotlight (The Princess Diaries, Book 2)
by Meg Cabot
bookshelves: 2008, humour, ya

my rating:

read in August, 2008

Shannon said: "While the storyline in this one isn't as fresh and exciting as the first one, it still holds solid and Mae hasn't yet changed much.

It takes place only days after the end of the previous book - I have a quibble with how fast everything moves, and ...more "

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New comment on rivka's review of Uglies (Uglies, Book 1)

Shannon wrote: "I enjoyed these books - I had low expectations (or no expectations!) and that always helps ;) I woul...more "

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August 16

Shannon marked as to-read:
I Am the Messenger (Paperback)
by Markus Zusak
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Shannon marked as to-read:
Grotesque (Vintage International)
by Natsuo Kirino
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Shannon marked as to-read:
Master and Commander (Book 1)
by Patrick O'Brian
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Shannon marked as to-read:
The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing, Book 1)
by R. Scott Bakker
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Shannon marked as to-read:
Gigi (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Colette
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Shannon's favorite quotes

"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
— Marcus Tullius Cicero

tags: books, soul

2442 people liked it

"Never judge a book by its movie."
— J.W. Eagan

tags: books, humor, movies

2244 people liked it

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."
— Groucho Marx

tags: books, humor, reading, television

562 people liked it

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
— Louisa May Alcott (Work: A Story of Experience)

tags: books

288 people liked it

"When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes."
— Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus

194 people liked it

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Shannon's groups (recent posts)

True North — 100 members — last activity 0 minutes ago
To discuss important issues, book-related and not. To talk about the things that matter most to us, the things that get us up in the morning, the thin...more

Goodreads Feedback — 1050 members — last activity 1 minute ago
This is a place to give feedback about Goodreads. Feature ideas, bugs, or any other suggestion for improvement. The Goodreads staff monitors this gr...more

Movies We've Just Watched — 888 members — last activity 14 minutes ago
A chance in quick form to give your recent impressions of a movie you just watched--on the big screen or on dvd. Good or bad; life-changing or just s...more

Constant Reader — 870 members — last activity 30 minutes ago
An open forum for friendly discussion of books and anything to do with reading, movies and art.

YA Book Club — 302 members — last activity 31 minutes ago
Welcome to the Young Adult Book Club!

August Book: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Discussion Leader: Ashley Lamore

September Book: Stardust...more

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Shannon's friend comments

showing 1-5 of 5. (add a comment | view all)

from Mary

25 days ago, 05:47PM

I'm so glad you enjoyed The Name of the Wind! :-D

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from Erin

06/29/2008 02:52PM

Just wanted to say: I love the smell of book pages too - especially new ones.

XD

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from Deidre

06/08/2008 02:04PM

Hey Shannon, thanks for adding me. I didn't want to seem creepy by adding you as a friend, but I noticed that we have very similar interests in books so hence the friend request. It will be nice discussing books with you. Glad to meet you.

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from Stephanie

05/25/2008 06:03PM

I am sooooo totally jealous of your ability to read a book or more every day. XD

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from Holli

04/30/2008 08:34AM

Hi Shannon!! Thanks for adding me..... =)

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Shannon's friends (169)

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	Michael 467 books 29 friends
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	rivka 1223 books 83 friends
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	Julie 346 books 7 friends
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