Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 46

End of the Year Book Tag

I was kindly tagged by Steph to take part in the End of the Year Book Tag (thanks, Steph!), and so without further ado, let’s just jump right in.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m actually very much a one-book-at-a-time kind of reader, which means I don’t tend to have many unfinished reads lingering over me for very long. So, call me smug, but I’m all up to speed!

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Hmm, most of the books I have in mind to pick up over the next month or so are more Christmassy or wintery than strictly autumnal… That said, The Good People by Hannah Kent looks and sounds very autumnal to me, and I’m very excited about it! Realistically, I probably won’t read it until early next year, but I’ll be excited about it at the end of this year, so that’s my thinly veiled lack of a proper answer for you.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

There are quite a few upcoming releases I’m really excited about, but as far as I’m aware, they all come out next year so I guess they wouldn’t count here. The most recent release that I may well get to before the end of 2017 is probably What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid – a gorgeous coffee-table style book about space; which fascinates me but kind of makes me feel ill to think about, so yeah… maybe a pretty book explaining it will help with that? Let’s roll with it.

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A little example of what the book looks like inside. Pretty, huh?

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Generally speaking, I’m definitely a mood reader, so at most points of the year I probably wouldn’t be able to answer this, but, seeing as we’re about to head into December, there are a few specific seasonal reads that I’m hoping to pick up, including A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay – because I couldn’t possibly go a whole month without reading something at least a little macabre.

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I enjoyed picking up some specifically Christmassy reads last December, and so I’d like to do it again. These are the ones I’ve marked out for this year.

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

Well I probably wouldn’t include it on my list of favourite reads, since the story itself will of course be a re-read, but I’d like to try and pick up the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Having read the first two around Christmastime the previous couple of years, it would be nice to keep up that little tradition. And Harry is obviously a favourite. After all this time, you ask?… Always. (lololol)

Have you already started making reading plans for 2018?

Along the same vein as being a mood reader, I haven’t really thought too far ahead in that sense if I’m honest. There are a few reads I’ve been wanting to get to for a while, but I have an annoying habit of putting off longer books, so perhaps I’ll set myself a goal in 2018 to finally pick up those somewhat heftier tomes.

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Thanks again to Steph (whose blog you should definitely check out if you haven’t already, by the way) for tagging me. Since this is very much a time-specific tag, I’ll take the easy way out and leave it open to anyone who wants to get involved  

The Listicle Tag

I was kindly tagged by Rachel to take part in The Listicle Tag – thanks Rachel! Let’s just jump right in, shall we?

RULES:

Create your own listicle tag, using the prompt from the person who tagged you.
Tag the creator of the post (not-so-modern-girl!) so that she can read all your brilliant posts and see how the joy of listicles is being spread.
Nominate as many people as you want!
Set those people the subject/prompt of their listicle post!

Rachel’s prompt: Top 5 books you feel like you read at the wrong time.

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Let’s chat about some books I read at the wrong time.

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

This is where I risk being berated by the bookish community. Mrs Dalloway was the first (and so far, only) book by Virginia Woolf that I’ve read, and the honest truth is that I found it pretty underwhelming and didn’t connect emotionally at all. This still doesn’t sit right with me though. I kept feeling like I should be enjoying it more, and I’m fascinated by Woolf as both a writer and a person, so I definitely want to give her another chance.

Human Acts by Han Kang

This is another one that the whole way through, I kept thinking, ‘this should be impacting me more’, and, ‘why can’t I connect with this?’. Having since picked up and thoroughly enjoyed another of Han Kang’s books (courtesy of some nudging by Rachel, no less) and found it rich, layered and incredibly thought-provoking, it reaffirmed to me that I most likely picked Human Acts up at the wrong time.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is an easy one to include, in that I know for sure that I read it at the wrong time. Having picked up the book when I was about 15, I thought it was fine and could understand its classic status, but its depth was completely lost on me. Returning to it a few months ago, after all these years, I fell in love with how nuanced and intelligent it is, picking up on so many more themes and ideas this time around, proving that a rare re-read can indeed be very worthwhile.

The Last Animal by Abby Geni

I read this a few years ago and actually really enjoyed it at the time – I believe I gave it four stars, in fact – but there’s just something about it that I feel would gel with me so much more now thematically. It’s a short story collection in which all the stories show the ways humans use their relationship with the natural world to cope with the struggles in their own lives, and that is right up my street. I remember the stories being beautiful, but having become a much more analytical reader over the past few years, I think I’d be able to delve much deeper during a second visit.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

This is a very recent read for me, and given how hyped I was for it, it sadly proved to be one of my biggest disappointments of the year. It wasn’t quite what I thought it was, nor was I swept away as I’d hoped, and I suspect this shortfall between expectation and reality was a major player in how lukewarm I found it. Whilst I don’t think I’ll ever love it, it does still contain enough of my buzz words (fairy tale inspiration, a whimsical tone, a dark vibe, a female lead, an isolated and snowy setting, etc.) that perhaps giving it another chance down the line may allow me to see its merits more.

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My prompt is:

5 authors you haven’t read yet but think you’re going to love.

Thanks again to Rachel for tagging me! If you aren’t following Rachel, FYI, just know that I’m judging you

Five-Star Read Predictions | Update

A few months ago, I took part in the tag-like challenge started by Mercedes, in which you pick out five books from your TBR that you think will be five-star reads for you. Having since read the books I picked out, I thought it was time for an update. For each book I’ve linked to my Goodreads review so you can see my full thoughts.

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My five-star read predictions

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden –

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell –

The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill –

Trumpet by Jackie Kay –

Little Nothing by Marisa Silver –

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As you can see, in terms of actual five-star reads, I wasn’t all that successful in my predictions, with only one, The Lonely Hearts Hotel, fully living up to expectations, but I have to say that Trumpet also came very close, and it was more than worth it for these two books alone.

It was definitely interesting to properly track the difference between expectation and reality in some of my most anticipated reads of the year, though I have to say that for me personally, amping up the self-inflicted hype may have played a part in some of them proving to be a little disappointing. I’ve known for a while that I don’t do well with the strict nature of a set TBR, and I think this was perhaps a bit too close to that in my head, in that I felt like I had to get to these reads sooner rather than later and wanted to absolutely love them, rather than picking them up as and when I wanted and going in more casually and open-minded.

Then again, maybe I’m just rubbish at predicting five-star reads. This isn’t strictly a tag per se, but if anyone else wants to take up the challenge, I’d love to see how you get on.

Diverse Reading Challenge | Update

One of my bookish goals for 2017 (and just life in general, really) was to read diversely. In a bid to make sure I covered a range of different topics and made tangible progress towards this, I put together one of those ‘bingo’ style challenges, with various criteria I wanted to meet at least once by the end of the year. Having completed the chart, I thought I’d do a little update post, hopefully passing on some recommendations of diverse books for anyone on the lookout for some.

I will start, however, by pointing out that this challenge was in no way intended as a means for me to pat myself on the back and think, ‘look at me, aren’t I inclusive?’. We can never read diversely enough when it comes to the likes of representation and own voice literature; it’s something we can all stand to constantly consume more of. I always knew there were some boxes I’d likely tick several times over (as has been the case), and so the challenge was simply my way of being a little more conscientious of my own reading, and a means to compile a little list of diverse reads to share now.

For the boxes I’ve already ticked several times over, I’ve chosen my favourite relevant book to recommend, and for each book listed, I’ve linked my Goodreads review in case you want to know more about it.

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My diversity bingo chart and the books I picked for each challenge in the corresponding position.

Read a novel with an LGBT+ main character: Trumpet by Jackie Kay

Read a book with a disabled protagonist: Little Nothing by Marisa Silver

Read a poetry collection by a non-white poet: Citizen by Claudia Rankine

Read a book about terrorism or hate crime: Jo Cox: More in Common by Brendan Cox

Read a poetry collection with LGBT+ themes: Physical by Andrew McMillan

Read a translated book: Revenge by Yoko Ogawa

Read a graphic novel by a woman: The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg (also features LGBT+ characters and themes)

Read a book by a transgender author: The Gender Games by Juno Dawson

Read a classic written by a woman: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Read a non-fiction book about mental health: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (discusses addiction and bipolar disorder)

Read a non-fiction book that explores sexuality: Branded by the Pink Triangle by Ken Setterington

Read a novel by a non-white author: Shelter by Jung Yun

Read a book by a Muslim author: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Read a book about refugees: After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross

Read a novel with a native protagonist (Inuit, etc.): Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Read a non-fiction book about gender: Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O-Toole

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Have you read any of the books mentioned? What are some of your favourite books that would meet these criteria?

Book to Film | Murder on the Orient Express

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Murder on the Orient Express’s book cover (left) and film poster (right).

Having very recently read and loved Murder on the Orient Express, the book was fresh in my mind when I went to see the new film version earlier this week, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as Agatha Christie’s iconic detective, Hercule Poirot.

I suppose the first and most important thing to say is that whilst definitely not a perfect adaptation, it was one that I feel was clearly made with deep respect and affection for the source material. Though there has been a definite attempt to add some theatrical flair in a few scenes (no doubt to mix things up a little for those already familiar with the story, and to make the pacing etc. more suited to modern cinema-goers), the integrity of the core story remained very much intact.

I thought Branagh made a great Poirot. I’m sure those already invested in previous Poirot actors may struggle to get over their loyalty, but thankfully I could go into this open-minded. He captures his wise if somewhat pedantic ways well, and manages to bring a lot of warmth and humour to the character without pushing it too far, so we can still take him seriously when we need to. There is a short sequence added to the beginning of the film that sees the world-famous detective wrapping up another case before he boards the Orient Express. I thought it was a clever addition, as it establishes the character’s quirks and methods for those who aren’t yet familiar with him, making the new adaptation accessible for existing and first-time Christie fans alike, before we delve into the proper story. Without spoilers, there’s also a small moment at the end of the film that not only sets up the potential for a sequel, but also serves as a nice little inside joke that will no doubt get a few chuckles from long-standing Christie readers – as it did in my local theatre.

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The majority of the film’s ensemble cast, left to right: Olivia Colman, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Branagh, Leslie Odom Jr., Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp.

As for the rest of the cast, it’s an impressive list of well-known actors. Pretty much all do a good job, though it is worth pointing out that the one downside of a large ensemble cast made up almost entirely of huge stars means that some big names get fairly little to actually say and do. Judi Dench and Olivia Colman are both as enigmatic as ever as a grand Russian Princess and her loyal maid, for example, though I found myself wishing we could have seen more of them. Daisy Ridley and Penélope Cruz also both stood out as highlights, but the real scene-stealer for me was Michelle Pfeiffer, who is given a little more time to flesh out her character than some of the others and does a great job of doing so.

Visually, the film is stunning, both in terms of the exterior shots of snowy mountain tops, and with regards to the sense of old-school Hollywood glamour in the design of the costumes and the eponymous train itself. Aesthetically, the film definitely captures the era in which the story was written and set.

Having fallen in love with the book so recently, the film could easily have proven a disappointment, so I’m very glad to say that it didn’t. Perhaps the aforementioned sections of added drama and action will rub a few Christie purists up the wrong way, but for me they were acceptable efforts to shake things up a little and add a fresh spin to what could otherwise have felt like a stale and unnecessary rehashing of a beloved tale. The timeless, cosy-crime vibes, the brilliant twist, and the touches of humour that have seen the book’s popularity endure over the decades were all maintained, and so for me, it’s a conversion to screen that worked overall, and I’d be happy to see Branagh and co. take on more of Christie’s tales. I think the fact that the author’s own great-grandson, who is now head of her estate, has shown a desire to work with the production team again on future adaptations of her work shows that if nothing else, the project was made with love and admiration for the book, which should hopefully please and reassure readers.

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Have you seen the new film version of Murder on the Orient Express yet? Did you think it was a successful adaptation?

Let’s Recommend | Anti-Heroes

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Let’s recommend some books with anti-heroes.

I love a good anti-hero; a character we find ourselves rooting for despite their often questionable moral compass. I’ve recommended a few of my favourite books with anti-heroes in them below, and as always, I encourage you to share your own recommendations in return.

Out by Natsuo Kirino

Written by the ‘Japanese Queen of Crime’, Out follows a group of female factory workers who band together to help their colleague quite literally get away with murder, after she kills her good-for-nothing husband. We shouldn’t want them to get away with it, and yet somehow, we do. The book brilliantly documents the different ways the pressure of covering up their secret affects the various women, whilst also exploring the grimy underbelly of Japan’s yakuza, and the divisions in society between rich and poor, and men and women.

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan

Donal Ryan managed to catch me off guard repeatedly throughout All We Shall Know. With a single line that seemingly comes out of nowhere, he can make you see his protagonist, Melody, in a completely different light time and time again, increasingly exposing her flaws and complexities and thus making us question her very morality, whilst still maintaining our sympathies for her. It’s a book about love, betrayal, forgiveness and the letting go of guilt, lest it cause a poisonous ripple effect throughout the lives of everyone around us, as Melody seeks redemption from her past.

The Butcher’s Hook by Janet Ellis

In this dark and immersive historical fiction novel, Ellis has done incredibly well to create a main character, Anne Jaccob, that is so unforgivable in her actions and yet charismatic and compelling enough that we want to keep reading about her regardless. This book is in essence an exploration of a young woman’s descent into a state completely lacking any sense of humanity, as she becomes increasingly apathetic towards those around her and takes drastic steps to be with the object of her obsessions, and avoid being married off to a man she loathes.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

What’s interesting about Frankenstein is that both the eponymous doctor and his creation can equally be seen as the hero or the villain of the story, ultimately making them both classic examples of an anti-hero. Shelley repeatedly asks us to consider who the true monster really is; Frankenstein, for meddling with science and abandoning his own creation, like a God-gone-wrong; or the fruits of his labour, who channels his repeated rejection into violence and deadly rage. The duality of power and cruelty that man is capable of is, after all, represented in both characters, hence why they come to hate each other despite their inability to cut the ties that bind them.

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What books with anti-heroes in them have you enjoyed? Let’s chat about them in the comments.

October Wrap Up

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All the books I read in October

Like many people, there was a definite Halloween flavour to a lot of my reading this month, in which I got through a total of 11 books (5 novels, a novella, a non-fiction book, a poetry collection, a Little Black Classic, a graphic novel and a collection of plays). This means my total for 2017 is now sitting at 107, having surpassed my goal of 100.

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I’ve played around with the format of my wrap up this month to hopefully make things a little less of a ramble and a bit more coherent, so let’s just jump right in, in the order I read them.

Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] What better way to kick off the month than with a five-star read? This great little mystery certainly continued my blossoming love affair with Christie’s work. The way she set out the various characters’ motives and developed the complex web of secrets and lies between them all was as masterful as you’d expect. Technically perfect by modern standards it may not be, but it’s proper, old-school cosy crime at its best, encapsulating the mood of its time and genre excellently.

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] A brilliantly creepy read, the sense of dread that builds throughout this book got right under my skin. The story follows a young couple who move into an apartment block and become suspicious of the elderly neighbours who seem very invested in their unborn baby. I thought Rosemary was a fantastic character, in some ways an everywoman of the 60s that made her relatable, no doubt, but also witty, smart, likable and proactive, responding in very realistic ways to the horrors that unfold before her.

The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Andersen

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] I love classic fairy tales, and whilst the selection featured in this little edition may not all have been my favourites of Andersen’s work, it was still an enjoyably whimsical read.

Carrie by Stephen King

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] We all know the concept of Carrie, and the outcome is made largely clear from the outset. What thus makes it so impressive is how King manages to hold our interest and build tension and pathos regardless. As a character, Carrie is so well drawn that despite her supernatural abilities and the horrors she ultimately unleashes, we can’t help but feel sympathetic towards her. By structuring the story in the way he does, King shows us that it’s the ‘normal’ people who are the true monsters here.

The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

[ ⭐ ⭐ ] I found this book completely underwhelming, sadly. I love the concept and themes it sets out to explore; a realistic dystopian about a flooded Britain and displaced refugees from the perspective of a new mother. The structure, the writing style and the characterisation are all so sparse however that I felt held at arm’s length the entire time, meaning there was no emotional impact. I could feel the author’s desire to write a ‘beautiful’ and ‘unique’ book, and for me this was to the detriment of her setting, plot and characters.

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] For starters, I would say don’t be put off if you like the concept of this book but didn’t enjoy the film version starring Will Smith; they’re very, very different. It’s as much a story of survival against bloodthirsty vampires as it is the story of one man’s struggles to hold onto his sanity in the face of grief, loneliness and isolation, as he fears he’s the last man standing. Matheson gets inside his protagonist’s head brilliantly; infuses some great emotional impact, and makes a solid attempt to make the horror feel all the more unsettling by basing everything in plausible scientific fact, which I appreciate in sci-fi.

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] ‘I bet you think you know this story. / You don’t. The real one’s much more gory.’ That sums this book up perfectly; classic fairy tales retold in Dahl’s dark, witty verse; ideal for any age. I loved it.

The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] A decent, quick read for the Halloween season, this ghost story from Hill had a great concept and settings that lent themselves well to a creepy tale. The problem for me was that the ending was inevitable from the start, meaning the 150 pages to get there felt overdone, and so for me, it would have worked better as a short story. Hill’s style is very direct and fuss-free, meaning it’s easy to get through but won’t sweep you up; I did rather enjoy the ominous last line though, and added an extra half-star on for that alone.

Branded by the Pink Triangle by Ken Setterington

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] This non-fiction book asks us to remember the often-forgotten horrors that were inflicted upon gay men under Nazi rule. Setterington pitches it perfectly, with his style being accessible and readable without dumbing down or shying away from the upsetting subject matter. He also very cleverly structures the book by basing the information around real men’s individual experiences, meaning they never feel like faceless statistics or numbers, and thus humanising the pain and making it all the more relatable.

Girls Like That and Other Plays by Evan Placey

[ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ] This is a collection of four plays starring (and aimed predominantly at) young people, that tackle issues that are relevant to them in the modern world and explore notions of acceptance, diversity and kindness, by tackling themes such as sexuality, gender, class, cyberbullying, peer pressure, and suchlike. I enjoyed them all, and love the concept of getting more young people interested in theatre, but Pronoun, the last play, was by far my favourite, being touching and powerful, with beautifully-drawn, layered characters.

Monstress Volume One by Marjorie Liu (writing) and Sana Takeda (art)

[ ⭐ ⭐ ] The first instalment in a graphic novel series, this blends elements of fantasy, sci-fi and horror, but came off feeling a bit of a muddle for me. Liu drops us in at the deep end and provides very little in the way of explanation or context for the magic, creatures and lore of her complex world, meaning I was left feeling confused and a bit cold, sadly. This has high ratings though, and I don’t read much fantasy, so it’s very possible I’m in the minority.

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There we have it! It was a great reading month overall, and I’m excited to see what books November will bring my way.

What was your favourite read in October?

Spotlight | Little Black Classics

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My modest but growing collection of Little Black Classics.

In my spotlight series, I like to share the love for some fantastic bookish things, and today it’s the turn of one of my favourite book editions to collect, the Little Black Classics from Penguin. These pocket-sized classics were first released to mark the 80th anniversary of the publisher: 80 books to celebrate their 80th birthday, each one costing just 80p. Clever, huh? The series proved so popular that they’ve since expanded the collection considerably, meaning there’s all the more to hunt out and collect.

There are lots of reasons why I love them. Firstly, there’s the simple but effective design, and how well they complement each other when lined up on a shelf. We’re all suckers for a pretty bookshelf, after all. Secondly, there’s the great value for money, with each of the books costing either 80p, £1 or £2, depending on its length, meaning they offer a great little bang for your buck (and that they would make perfect stocking stuffers for the festive season).

Thirdly, there’s the fact that their compact nature makes them an excellent way to try out a classic author’s style before you dive into one of their epic, 500-page tomes, with a fantastic mix of both iconic writers (Austen, Wells, Brontë, Dickens, etc.) and lesser-known, hidden gems featured. Last but not least, there’s the wonderfully eclectic mix of forms and genres that can be found, including short stories, novellas, letters, diary extracts, essays and poetry, amongst others, meaning there’s hopefully something for everyone.

So far, I have 31 Little Black Classics in my collection, which I’ve listed below, but I certainly plan to keep adding to it over time.

The Lifted Veil by George Eliot

Matilda by Mary Shelley

Daphnis and Chloe by Longus

The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann

The Suffragettes by Various

The Sea Raiders by H.G. Wells

The World is Full of Foolish Men by Jean de la Fontaine

A Slip Under the Microscope by H.G. Wells

Come Close by Sappho

The Fall of Icarus by Ovid

Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield

The Robber Bridegroom by Brothers Grimm

A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin

The Night is Darkening Round Me by Emily Brontë

Lips Too Chilled by Matsuo Bashō

How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James

The Reckoning by Edith Wharton

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen

A Hippo Banquet by Mary Kingsley

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

The Terrors of the Night by Thomas Nashe

The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Anderson

Olalla by Robert Louis Stevenson

Woman Much Missed by Thomas Hardy

How to Use Your Enemies by Baltasar Gracián

A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees by Kenkō

Wailing Ghosts by Pu Songling

The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anonymous

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Some more pictures of my LBC collection as it stands, because you can’t have enough pictures of books.

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Do you have any Little Black Classics? Which have been your favourites so far?

Bookish Loyalty

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite books. I just found out a couple of days ago that Susan Hill, another popular author, has written a ‘sequel’ to it, and yet I feel no urge whatsoever to pick it up, despite having also enjoyed some of Hill’s work. I suppose my love for the original is so strong, I don’t want to risk tarnishing its reputation in my own head, akin to the controversial and divisive reception many showed towards Jack Thorne’s recent contribution to the Harry Potter canon with The Cursed Child, which some adored for its return to the magical world we all know and love, but others denounced for not being penned by J.K. Rowling herself.

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Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and Susan Hill’s Mrs de Winter.

This situation isn’t unique. Authors have been writing spiritual sequels to classics for years (think Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre), whilst others have been picking up series where others left off (think James Bond and the Millennium saga).

It got me thinking though, as I also recently found out (via a post on Zuky’s blog) that there’s going to be a novelised version of Mary Rose, a play by J.M. Barrie which I both read and saw on stage earlier this year, and in contrast to Hill’s take on Rebecca, it made me feel excited, and I definitely plan to give it a go. I think the difference is that whilst I loved Rebecca and want it to be left alone, I enjoyed Mary Rose but felt it could have been developed a bit more or had a bit more impact, hence why I have high hopes for a full novelised version.

Apologies that this is all a bit of a ramble. I suppose I’m essentially just curious to know whether you would be excited to pick up another writer’s interpretation or continuation of one of your favourite stories, or whether your love and loyalty to the original would make you avoid it for fear of a beloved book being tainted.

Let’s chat about it in the comments! I’d love to know what you think.

The Book GIF Tag

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The books I’m going to give the gif treatment

I came across this tag randomly (and couldn’t find the original, so apologies for not linking to it), but I thought it would be fun so decided to give it a go. The aim is simply to sum up 10 books with a gif, but since no one tagged me, I’ve cheated and chosen the 10 books myself. Just call me a rebel.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

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Shelter by Jung Yun

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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

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Being a Beast by Charles Foster

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Bird Box by Josh Malerman

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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

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Why God is a Woman by Nin Andrews

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The Ice Lands by Steinar Bragi

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Peter and Alice by John Logan

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne

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Jokes. Sort of. Don’t come for me.

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There we have it. I wasn’t tagged so I’ll leave this open for anyone who wants to do it.