Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 52

Women in Fiction | Chloe O’Brian

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Chloe O’Brian

Chloe O’Brian is an agent working with the Counter Terrorist Unit in the TV show, 24. Portrayed by Mary Lynn Rajskub, she is both immensely intelligent and wonderfully forthright, never once mincing her words or holding back when she has something to say.

Throughout the show, Chloe consistently proves herself to be protagonist Jack Bauer’s most invaluable and trusted ally, going above and beyond the call of duty time and time again to aid him in his mission – even if it means jeopardising her position at CTU or putting her own life in danger. What I love even more however is her willingness to also stand up to Jack and call him out if she feels he is in the wrong; proving her commitment to her morals and showing us that even her closest friend isn’t beyond the reach of her personal conviction to do the right thing.

Wonderfully sassy and sarcastic, she never suffers fools lightly and comes out with some fabulous one liners and truly epic put-downs, delivered with dead-pan brilliance. Using her technical prowess to outsmart the bad guys and save the day on plentiful occasions, she is also not afraid to enter the field when needed.

Despite her tough, no-nonsense exterior, Chloe is well developed throughout the series, showing moments of true compassion and empathy (*sniff* Edgar *sniff*) and going through a crisis of identity following personal tragedy later in the series, but throughout it all, she never loses her confidence in her own skills as an agent and a fighter for the common good.

January Wrap Up

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All the books I read in January

I know it’s a cliché but I can’t believe we’ve made it through a month of 2017 already. That said, it is at least an opportunity to take stock of what I’ve been reading. Throughout January, I finished a total of 10 books (4 novels, a novella, a short story collection, a non-fiction book, a poetry collection, a graphic novel and a fairy tale/art book).

I’ll quickly get the negative part out the way first, which is that I DNF’d one book as well, which is very rare for me. I won’t go into too much detail here as to why I disliked Being a Beast by Charles Foster so much, other than to say I thought it was exploitative, ludicrous and in very poor taste. I wrote quite the rant on Goodreads if you would like to know more, but needless to say I don’t recommend picking it up.

On a much more positive note, I had three 5* reads this month that stood out as real highlights. They were: Shaun Tan’s art book, The Singing Bones, in which he presents beautifully whimsical, atmospheric and eerie sculptures inspired by fairy tales; And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, a classic mystery novel about a group of people brought to an island and forced to confront their dark pasts as one by one they’re killed off by an unknown assailant; and The Dig by Cynan Jones, a stark yet quietly beautiful story that draws parallels between two very different men, focussing on grief and man’s capacity to be both tender and brutal. I loved all three.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Physical by Andrew McMillan, a collection of poetry that explores sexuality and masculinity in the modern world, and Revenge by Yoko Ogawa, a series of interconnected short stories tinged with melancholy and more than a hint of the macabre, as they explore the idea that we all harbour secrets.

Inspired by mythology and using the structure of stories within stories (with elements of gender, feminism and LGBT rights thrown in to boot), Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel, The One Hundred Nights of Hero, was also a great read.

Overall, it’s safe to say that it was a strong start to my reading year (one unfortunate blip aside) and I look forward to seeing what February has in store for me in terms of books.

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What was your favourite read in January?

Threat

They bundled her into the back of the police car; all six feet of her Amazonian beauty marched to a whispered soundtrack of accusations. I couldn’t tell if the click, click, click was the sound of her heels on catwalk-concrete or the readying of fingers on canisters of pepper spray; the look of discomfort on her face the sign of embarrassment or a need to empty her bladder. Perhaps it was both.

Spotlight | Patrick Ness

One of the new features I want to start on my blog this year is a spotlight series, where I highlight a person, place or thing from the bookish world that I love. It could be writers, illustrators, publishers or anything else of the like, and to start things off, I thought who better to shine the spotlight on than one of my favourite authors: Patrick Ness.

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Patrick Ness and his impressive catalogue of work.

At the time of writing this post, Ness has so far released nine full-length works, seven of which I have read. He has written books aimed at both adult and YA audiences, though is probably best known as the author of A Monster Calls, which was very recently adapted into a movie starring the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones and Liam Neeson; the script having also been written by Ness himself. Most recently, he wrote a Doctor Who spin-off series called Class, which aired on the BBC, and announced a 10th book which is slated for release in May 2017.

The main reason for my love of Ness is his writing style, which is understated yet beautiful; his stories always infused with a gut-punch of emotion. His eclectic catalogue of work has seen him explore several themes, though common recurring topics include self-worth, friendship, sexuality, conflict, mental health and love. I also admire him greatly as a person, with him often speaking frankly of his belief that anyone can achieve their dreams and spearheading a recent charity campaign that saw writers match pledges from the public to raise more than £600,000 for Save the Children, in aid of refugees.

I am yet to read his short story collection, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and his debut novel, The Crash of Hennington (truth be told, I’ve been deliberately putting them off because I don’t like the thought of not having more of his books to get to), but with regards to a recommended reading order for the books I have read if you are new to his work, personally I would suggest the following:

A Monster Calls: Firstly, this is accessible for a wide age range, but it’s also a good indicator of the kind of beautiful imagery and strong emotion that much of his work features. It’s fairly short, meaning it wouldn’t require a big time commitment to see if you like his style, and with a stunning edition illustrated to whimsical and eerie perfection by Jim Kay (which is definitely the one I recommend you pick up) and a movie adaptation having just been released, there’s plenty to absorb yourself in. The story centres around a young boy as he attempts to cope with his mother’s increasingly poor health, whilst being visited by a monster at night who pledges to tell him stories.
The Chaos Walking Trilogy: If you try A Monster Calls and like it, then I would head for his three book series next (probably my favourite of his work) which opens with a boy named Todd, who lives in a world populated entirely by men who can all hear each other’s thoughts in a chaotic mass known as Noise. But when he stumbles upon an area of complete silence and a secret that reveals everything he thought he knew to be a lie, he must flee for his life. It’s a breathless, heartfelt tale about the devastation of war and the struggle to hold onto your sense of self in dark and difficult times.
The Crane Wife: Written for an adult audience, this one is a little quieter and more contemplative than the others I’ve mentioned, but in my opinion his most eloquent in terms of the actual writing. Inspired by an old Japanese folk tale, it is a story about love, loneliness and the power of art as a means of great beauty.
More Than This: This book opens as a teenage boy wakes in a deserted street that he believes to be hell after seemingly drowning in the ocean. He must explore this strange place to uncover the truth and figure out if he can ever get back home.
The Rest of Us Just Live Here: In all honestly, this was my least favourite of his books so far, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, as it’s still an enjoyable and worthwhile read for its positive and sensitive portrayal of both LGBT characters and someone living with OCD. Not necessarily as hard-hitting as his other work, this one takes a more light-hearted approach, affectionately poking fun at the tropes of YA by flipping the ‘chosen one’ concept on its head and having the story focus instead on the wallflowers that are just trying to avoid getting involved in the dramas of the apocalypse and survive the perils of adolescence instead.

Here’s hoping Mr Ness shares many more stories with us in the years to come.

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Have you read any of Ness’ books? Which is your favourite?

Origin

Round the grandest table a war of words raged on,

the baying masses thirsty for their truth

with impatience in their eyes and malice in their hearts.

“Tell us of our place,” they said. “Tell it loud and true.”

First to stand was Silver Fox whose effervescence shone.

She told a tale of song and dance, companionship and awe;

of land that rose beneath her paws to float upon the sea.

“And so it was done,” they said. “And so we shall believe.”

But Lady Suharina stood and calmly cleared her throat.

She told a tale of vengeful blood dripping from her blade,

brandishing the evidence to prove her story’s worth.

“And so it was done,” they said. “And so we shall believe.”

Then came Goddess of All Things, beside her serpent beau,

who told a tale of Cosmic Eggs upon the ocean’s waves

birthing sun and moon and stars; mountains, birds and trees.

“And so it was done,” they said. “And so we shall believe.”

Brahma was the next to speak, serene from where he sat.

He told a tale of nothingness, then life through thought alone,

of how he tore himself in two to pass the lonely days.

“And so it was done,” they said. “And so we shall believe.”

The learned man approached the crowds and spoke with clarity.

He told a tale of a great big bang, tremendous heat and light.

Fallen jaws and twinkling eyes were proof enough of fact –

“And so it was done,” they said. “And so we shall believe.”

From the back there came a voice, weary from the strain.

It had risen oftentimes, desperate to be heard,

for its owner had a tale to tell; it writhed and longed to burst.

“Silence, little girl,” they said. “We’re done with all that now.”

The hordes embraced the learned man, falling at his feet.

Hence came Silver Fox and Suharina, the Goddess and good Brahma

to pacify the silenced girl and wipe away her tears.

“Patience, little one,” they said. “Their truth is a fickle thing.”

A Bookish Year in Review & 2017 Goals

I’ve already reflected on my favourite reads of 2016 but thought that before we get too far into the New Year, it would be good to take a look back at my reading year in general and check up on how well I achieved my goals before I set some new ones.

The first of my targets for 2016 was to read 100 books in total. By the end of December, I had in fact managed to get through 137, so that one gets a definite tick.

Next was a desire to try more non-fiction books. I read 22 in all, and when compared to the grand total of 1 that I read a year earlier, I’d say that’s a step in the right direction, and something I plan to continue.

I also said that I wanted to read more classics. I definitely upped my intake compared to previous years, but there are still a lot I want to get to, so this is an ongoing one.

Finally came a general aim to read diversely. I’m definitely content to say that I achieved that in terms of form and genre, reading an eclectic mix of novels, short story collections, poetry, non-fiction, graphic novels and a few plays, amongst other things. However, I don’t think you can ever really read diversely enough in terms of authorship, representation and ‘own voice’ literature, as it’s something we can all continuously seek out more of.

I suppose this brings me nicely to my first goal for 2017. I’ve seen a few ‘bingo’ style resolution charts, where each box has a reading task to be achieved, and you try and complete the chart by the end of the year. I loved the idea, but couldn’t find one that necessarily included all the areas I wanted to make sure I cover, so I put one together myself. (By all means, if anyone in search of some diverse reading goals wants to use the same chart, please feel free to do so.)

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My diverse reading goals

There may well be some that I achieve several times over, but my reckoning is that if I can tick each one off at least once, that will be a minimum of 16 diverse reads covered. It’s the first time I’ve taken on a specific reading challenge like this and I’m excited to give it a go.

As for other reading goals, I’ve set my Goodreads reading target for 100 books again, and having managed to up my intake of both non-fiction and classics last year, the only real hole left in my reading is plays. I am very much still a believer that a play has to be seen to be fully appreciated, but not living in a big city like London, realistically I have to accept that the only way for me to enjoy most plays will be to read them, and I’d hate to feel I was missing out on some potentially amazing stories because I ‘don’t read plays’. This target was buoyed by the fact that my third favourite read of the whole of last year was in fact a play: Peter and Alice by John Logan; one of only 3 plays I read all year.

I look forward to hopefully discovering some new favourite books in 2017 and chatting about them here on the book-blogosphere. Last but not least, I thought I’d share all my 2016 monthly wrap up pics, so I (and anyone else who’s interested) can look back at all the books I read in one place, at a glance. If any titles or covers catch your eye and you’d like to know more, don’t hesitate to ask  :)

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All the books I read in January

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All the books I read in February

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All the books I read in March

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All the books I read in April

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All the books I read in May

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All the books I read in June

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All the books I read in July

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All the books I read in August

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All the books I read in September

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All the books I read in October

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All the books I read in November

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All the books I read in December

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Have you got any bookish goals for this year?

Top Reads of 2016

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My favourite reads of 2016, but which one will take the top spot?

As 2016 ends and we head into the New Year, the time has come to reflect on a year’s worth of reading and pick out the cream of the crop. Throughout the last 12 months, I read a total of 137 books, which makes singling out just 10 of them a fun if somewhat daunting task. Without further ado, let’s start the countdown.

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The first of Mitchell’s books I read, though I have since read another, this intricate and multi-layered fantastical epic features fleshed out, well developed characters throughout decades of their lives and it made me feel very excited to continue to explore his fascinating work.

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

It seems no list of favourites is complete without an appearance from Mr Ness somewhere. One of his adult novels, this beautiful story is inspired by a Japanese folk tale. It is both a modern story about loneliness and the power of art, as well as a whimsical tale of love, longing and storytelling as a means of great beauty.

The Trees by Ali Shaw

Unsettling and deeply enchanting in tone, this is both a dark and gritty tale of survival and one for lovers of magical realism. Shaw beautifully paints with words a world reclaimed by mysterious, secret-bearing trees which erupt from the ground, plunging society into chaos and sparking a treacherous journey through new and dangerous terrain for our group of wonderfully realised characters.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Incredibly charming, this first book in the Fairyland series has a lot of Alice in Wonderland vibes, as a young girl is whisked away to a bonkers world, meeting many a quirky character throughout her stay, not least a dragon-like creature who believes his father is a library. The writing and imagery are gorgeous, and the dark undertones complete the fairy tale feel.

The Collector by John Fowles

This is one that didn’t necessarily stand out right away as a potential favourite for the year, but one that has really stayed with me and continued to haunt my thoughts – which is in itself the sign of a great book, I believe. We follow a disturbed young man as he kidnaps and imprisons the object of his affections, believing he can make her love him in time. His victim, however, is not as meek as she may at first seem.

Why God is a Woman by Nin Andrews

A series of prose poems, this wonderful collection tells the ongoing story of a fictional island where men are descendants of angels and women come from the sea. A type of social satire, Andrews shrewdly flips gender roles, presenting women as the dominant sex, as they objectify young men when their wings begin to sprout and browbeat their husbands to prepare them for a life of domesticity. Beautiful and poignant, this collection has a lot to say.

The Book Collector by Alice Thompson

Another tale heavily influenced by fairy tales (something I evidently love), this is a tale of obsession, madness and murder. It explores what it really means to be insane and the warped control of men over women in the world of fairy tales, as well as in our own world.

Peter and Alice by John Logan

Considering that I almost never read plays, the fact that this is my 3rd favourite read of the year speaks volumes for how much it impacted me. A fictionalised account of the real life meeting between the man and woman who inspired the protagonists of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in their youth, it discusses the highs and lows of trying to live up to the legacies created by their fictional counterparts. It’s beautifully realised, expertly handled and will ultimately break your heart.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Hugely atmospheric, the way this book toys with your senses is incredible. Set in a world in which there is something outside which drives anyone who sees it to insanity, our protagonist has lived in seclusion with her two young children for years, but she must blindfold them and set out in search of safety. It utterly gripped me, thrilled me far more than I could have expected, and though it was one of my first reads of the year, I still get chills when I think about the truly haunting and intense climax.

Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry

The settings in this rich tale include a brutal women’s asylum, the gritty streets of New York and an enchanting sideshow. Set at the turn of the century, we follow an eclectic cast of characters who seem completely separate at first, but whose lives slowly weave together, forming a complex tapestry of beautiful and heart breaking storytelling. Each character has their own distinct personalities, pasts, flaws and motivations, and I fell completely in love with them. Secrets big and small lead to an eventual revelation that changes both everything and nothing all at once, and I utterly adored it, as well as the breathless journey towards the bittersweet conclusion it began. I urge you to learn nothing else of this book; simply dive in and let it sweep you away.

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There we have it! 2016 was quite the year and I am excited to see what books 2017 will bring my way. What were your favourite reads of the year?

December Wrap Up

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All the books I read in December

First off, I’ll just quickly start by saying that I hope those of you celebrating had a lovely Christmas and that I wish for you all a very happy New Year. It will soon be time to look back on a year’s worth of reading and pick out my top reads for 2016, but before that, there’s one last month to wrap up.

Throughout December I finished a total of 11 books (3 novels, 2 novellas, a short story collection, a poetry magazine, 2 non-fiction books, a book of comic strips and a stand-alone fairy tale).

In what is quite possibly a first for me, I made a point of selection a few seasonal reads, which included The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher, an utterly charming story about a wheelchair bound little boy who would love nothing more than a dinosaur, and an ancient egg frozen in the North Pole ice; Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson, a collection of festive themed short stories, which range from magical tales of snowmen that come to life in your time of need to haunting stories about ghosts and revenge; and The Peanuts Guide to Christmas, charming little snippets of Snoopy and friends at Christmas time.

The highlight of the month for me came in the form of another rarity: a re-read. However, Jim Kay’s stunning illustrations throughout the new edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets breathed new life into the story, making for a suitably enchanting and nostalgic jaunt; perfect for the time of year. Craving more such charm, I also thoroughly enjoyed the third book in Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland series, which follows a young girl on grand adventures in an utterly bonkers world.

In a departure from the whimsy that dominated most of my reading for the month, I picked up The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma-Jane Kirby, a novelised account of a real-life incident related to the on-going refugee crisis. It was understandably harrowing and I definitely recommend it as a powerful reminder of what is happening around the world and why we can’t afford to stick our heads in the sand, though personally I had a slight issue with the decision to fictionalise the account, rather than simply state the Optician’s story as fact.

Along with the other reads for December, these took me up to a total of 137 books for the whole year; a figure I’m pretty chuffed about. My next post will be a look back at my top 10 amongst them; a shortlist I’m equally excited and daunted to make; after which I will reflect on my reading year as a whole and draw up bookish resolutions for 2017.

Thanks for reading!

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What was your favourite read in December?

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas

It’s that time of year –

May the magic of Christmas

Call your heart a home.

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Whether you are marking the occasion or not, and however you may be spending it, I hope you all have a lovely festive season.

Top Albums of 2016

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My favourite albums of 2016

Anyone who follows my blog will know how much I love books – and my top reads of 2016 list will indeed be coming soon – but music is also a huge part of my life, and I thought it would be fun to look back on what have become some of my favourite albums throughout the last year. All of my picks were released in 2016 (with the exception of one cheat which I will explain when I get to it).

Citizen of Glass by Agnes Obel

A fusion of classical and pop elements, Obel’s beautiful lyrics and piano melodies are always the stars of the show, but her heavy use of the cello is another reason for my love of her atmospheric and captivating work.

Love Stuff by Elle King

Here is that slight cheat I mentioned. Love Stuff was technically released in 2015, but there was a single from the album released this year, and it was then that I discovered and fell in love with her music, so I couldn’t not include it here. Mostly blending two styles I don’t often listen to – rock and country – Elle oozes sass, and her music is so infectious.

Vulnicura Live by Björk

A series of live recordings from Björk’s most recent tour, she not only revisits the tracks from her stunning heartbreak album, Vulnicura, but reimagines several songs from her impressive back catalogue, complete with enchanting new string arrangements orchestrated by the artist herself. She may have turned 51 this year, but boy do these recordings prove that she’s still got it.

Long Live the Angels by Emeli Sandé

A powerful voice and catchy hooks, this album crept up on me really. I enjoyed her debut, but with quite a bit of time between the two there’s always the fear that ‘the curse of the second album’ may strike. Thankfully, Sandé didn’t disappoint.

All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend by Aurora

Aurora’s distinct voice and poetic lyrics drew me to her work immediately, but this album has been the biggest grower of the year for me, as I fell in love with it more and more with each listen. She can move from up-tempo, catchy songs to dark and haunting tracks with ease.

Chaleur Humaine by Christine and the Queens

Christine’s songs are almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head and make you want to dance. Blending English and French lyrics, to see her live (as I was lucky enough to do earlier this year) is a whole other experience, as her incredible dancers join her for truly mesmerising performances that prove she’s one of the freshest, most exciting artists at work right now.

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There we have it. This list definitely confirms my strong preference for female vocalists – I’m not sure why it’s the case, but I’m more than okay with it. I think one of my favourite things looking back on this list however is to realise how eclectic it is, not only in terms of musical genres but nationality, with the singers hailing from Denmark, the US, Iceland, Scotland, Norway and France respectively.

What are some of your favourite albums from 2016?