It's National Novel Writing Month!

and I'm not doing it! I wouldn't mind taking part, it sounds like a lot of fun and I'm sure it would be immensily satisfying to finish a novel in a month. But I still have my story to finish, that I started 3 years ago, and I don't want to start anything else till I finish this. The good news for me though is that I decided it's time to do it! Let's write this, and get over with it. And what best time then NaNoWriMo to get a writing boost? So I'll be trying to write at least 1000 words for the next month..well, 28 days now. I wanted to start yesterday, but I was hindered by a bad cold and a very annoying temperature. Today I felt much better so I opened that word document again and wrote my 1000 words! well done me.

It's been a great day, after a not so great Halloween weekend. Actually, it must have been the worst Halloween I had since I'm in Ireland! Almost nothing went like it was supposed to. I didn't have a costume till two days before friday. I finally decided to dress up as Daphne from Scooby-doo after seeing it in a fancy dress shop's catalogue, but unfortunately it was gone. Then I said to myself:"How hard can it be to find an orange wig, a pink dress and a green scarf?"
VERY HARD! If you're looking for them two days before Halloween. Never again.
I went into all the shops I knew but didn't find the right dress so had to settle for pink top and pink skirt. Then I ordered the wig online with 24 hours delivery, but they were out of stock. Then ordered it from another shop, and they called me to say they were also out of stock! So I thought, ok, I'll die my hair! Not permanently, only with the colour spray that washes off. Take my word: NEVER try those things on your hair. It was awful! My hair looked like a wig that was used to wipe floors after it was too old and ugly to do anything else!
I was in the shop already, and had to get ready to start the day. So thankfully we had a bright pink wig that I used to cover my sorry-looking hair and a witch hat, and that was it. I was a punk witch. I later bought some punk looking black gloves with white starts and similar leg warmers....and it wasn't too bad! but not what I wanted...
Anyway, life had to go on. I got ready to organise the Halloween party with the kids. Callista kindly emailed me few games to play with them and I used one of her suggestions. It was a creepy story to tell in the dark about a dead woman named Brown, and as you tell the story you pass around her "body parts" which were actually bits of food or other things that feel like body parts. It sounded all very scary and promising. *If only* things were done like they were supposed to be done. But we couldn't have a place which was dark enough, so the kids could see what was inside the bowls, even though they were covered. Some of them were also too old and they spoiled the game. Then, the person that was supposed to be the ghost at the end, was busy doing something else, so the scariest bit didn't happen properly.
Yeah, it was a bit of a disaster, but I was very relieved it was over. I swear this is the last Halloween party I organise.

But not everything bad happened in the last few days. In fact, last Thursday was a very exciting day because I went to the signing of.....drum rolls.....Neil Gaiman! You'll hear all about it in my review of the Graveyard book very soon:)

High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

I loved this book so much, I giggled all my way through it. I had seen the film but it was enough time ago not to see the differences and make too many comparisons. This was pure pleasure reading.
It's not really a story. It's more a window into the mind of a 30 something guy, Rob, who is not ready to be an adult yet, but feels like his life is slipping away from him. The trigger to everything is his girlfriend Laura breaking up with him. He starts remembering his past top five break-ups, in chronological order, and try to find an answer to his current situation. My favourite of his break up is probably the first one, with Alison Ashworth. They were only twelve or thirteen and their relationship, based on snogging in the park, lasted only three days:

What did I think I was doing? What did she think she was doing? When I want to kiss people in that way now, with mouths and tongues and all that, it's because I want other things too: sex, Friday nights at the cinema, company and conversation, fused networks of family and friends, Lemsips brought to me in bed when I am ill, a new pair of ears for my records and CDs, maybe a little boy called Jack and a little girl called Holly or Maisie, I haven't decided yet. But I didn't want any of those things from Alison Ashworth. Not children because we were children, and not Friday nights at the pictures, because we went Saturday mornings, and not Lemsips, because my mum did that, not even sex, especially not sex, please God not sex, the filthiest and most terrifying invention of the early seventies.

At page 4 I was in love with the book already. Not that I sympathize with the guy at all. But it was fun to read into his mind. It felt so real sometimes I had to remind myself that this was not a memoir but fiction. He made me laugh a lot, but I couldn't help to be annoyed sometimes, because I could put myself into all his girls' position and totally see their point of view!
Poor Penny Hardwick who was dumped because she wouldn't let be touched, but was secretly mad for him. She only needed more tenderness.
And what about his pining for Laura? It's all a matter of ego:
I'm unhappy because she doesn't want me; If I can convince myself that she does want me a bit, then I'll be OK again, because then I won't want her, and I can get on with looking for someone else.

Arghhh!

But despite all this, he is irresistible. The writing is irresistible, his snobbish obsession with music is irresistible. His friends and employees, Dick and Barry, are irresistible. The whole package.
Of course Nick Hornby knows his Rob is a bit of a tosser, but it's probably why he feels like a real person who's trying to analyse the reasons why he manages to mess up his love life all the time.
Some of the most insightful conclusions about Life come from Rob's relationship with music:

What came first – the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music? Do all those records turn you into a melancholy person? People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands – literally thousands – of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss. The unhappiest people I know, romantically speaking, are the ones who like pop music the most; and I don’t know whether pop music has caused this unhappiness, but I do know that they’ve been listening to the sad songs longer than they’ve been living the unhappy lives."

Some other conclusions, like the one about unrealistic expectations that pop music puts into young impressionable minds, I think are due to Rob not having found real love yet, otherwise he'd know what those romantic songs talk about:)
But I should stop arguing with him as if he was a real person! I wish he was, so I could have a proper chat with him about some stuff :p

So, to put an end to this messy review...You should read this book. Even if you are not a music nerd, or 30 something, or a man. You're in for a brilliant read.

other blog reviews:
Books I done read
Where lemon melt like lemon drops
Trish's reading nook
Know any more? Please let me know!

The Resistance - Gemma Malley

I was extremely excited when The Resistance came out. I was looking forward to it since reading the first installment, The Declaration. But, alas, its sequel didn't live up to the expectations at all. It wasn't near as gripping as the first book. It was mainly focused on Peter, instead of Anna. Anna actually makes her first appearance only after maybe fifty pages! (I borrowed the book so I can't check now, but trust me, it took way too long for her to appear). It also dedicates too much time to scientific speculations about Longevity and its role in the world. The book was going to be called Longevity+, and although I preferred The Resistance as a title, imagining actual actions of resistance from the Underground, I have to say that the previous title would have been more appropriate. Almost the whole story revolves around the concept of Longevity, with its supporters praising its virtues to the (initially) skeptical Peter, and the resistance doing nothing more than sporadically and basically ineffectively attacking some vans. I was also annoyed by the way Malley treated her characters, showing us their absolute commitment to a cause in the previous book and then portraying them as relatively easy to be convinced that they might have been wrong. Maybe I'm being too harsh. To be fair, Peter and Anna are only teenagers, and although they acted almost like adults at the end of The Declaration they're still young, unexperienced and probably not so hard to manipulate. But I expected more from them, so it wasn't pleasant to watch Peter and then Anna capitulate.
On top of that, I grew increasily uncomfortable about the whole good versus evil issue. I'm ok with moral versus immoral, freedom versus repression, justice versus injustice. But when angels and demons are mentioned I start to shift uneasily on my seat. Gemma Malley made it a matter of religion, or the lack of one. According to Peter's grandfather, Longevity has suppressed the need of the people to believe in God. They are not mortals anymore, so they feel like gods themselves. This, it is implied, is what's wrong with their world. The devils are running it and they're not afraid of God anymore. The Declaration could have been read in many ways. I saw the similarities between the Surplus and the immigrants in the real world, with the way they are despised and accused, but they are also needed to do the hardest jobs. Someone else might have interpreted differently and see the lack of religious views. Fine. Now, though, it was all less subtle. It was definitely a battle of Science versus God, and it didn't go down well with me.

Other blog reviews:
Jen Robinson
Karin's Book Nook
Becky

Mini reviews to catch up + Cybils long lists

I really can't wait to catch up on my reviews so that I can start writing about books as soon as I finish them. I don't like doing this, but I've neglected them for too long and now I need to cheat a little.
The first mini review is for The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon
This was a good and fast read. It was an interesting and rare trip into the mind of an autistic teenager, with Asperger's syndrome. I personally didn't know anything about the syndrome and didn't do any research beforehand. I knew I was going to learn about it through the book which is my favourite way of learning new things. But for some reason this book didn't stay with me for long. It didn't touch me the way it should. I read it quickly and with interest, and I liked it, but not immensely. Maybe I should blame the hype, its being a bestseller that people rave about. Would I have discovered it before anyone else, I might be raving about it right now. Instead I find myself thinking coldly about it. Could have been the maths that put me off? Did the constant scientific, rational, logic way of thinking of Christopher Boone, the protagonist and autistic teen, leave me at a distance? It definitely had a role. Sometimes I even skipped a couple of pages, those with calculations and formulas. But it also added to the sense of authenticity that I felt reading it. Obviously I don't know how an autistic person might think, but it felt real. Probably too real. Sometimes I find myself in the middle of a crowd and think "how would Christopher react now?". Walking in the streets alone, finding the train station, buying a ticket, taking a train to London. That's Christopher's hardest task in the story, almost unreachable. I felt sorry for him, and then worried and then proud. Only I never felt close to him, and that's probably why I didn't enjoy it completely.

Next mini review is for Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

"You know when you tell people Mum is dead and they give you stuff?"
Anthony nodded.
"Well, I told God."
I pulled back the box and Anthony saw it - a big bag stuffed with money. His face glowed. He says now that it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He was so happy just then.
"And it's from God, you reckon?"
I nodded.
"Well, he really wanted to cheer us up.

This is a Carnegie Medal winner,which are usually wonderful reads and they always work for me. This one was no exception. Its basic idea is simple: "what would happen if two kids found a bag full of money? how would they spend it? how would the money change their life?". Its simplicity is complicated by the made up fact that Britain is about to abandon sterlings and adopt the Euro. So now the kids need to spend the money before Euroday, when all pounds will loose their value. They will find out that is not that easy to do it. They can't invest it in real estates like the older brother Anthony would like to do, they can't change it into euros without an adult, they can't give it away to charity without raising suspicions, as Damien finds out.
Damien is the storyteller, and that's what make this book so charming. He is a kind heart, naive like only 7 year-olds can be. His main aspiration in life is to become a saint and tries everything he knows to be one, including sleeping on the floor and have a hermitage by the train track, made out of cardboard boxes. He is so obsessed with saints that he actually sees them. And they talk to him, give him advices, even help him. We never know if these are visions or not, I just accepted them as a touch of magic in this surreal tale about something very tangible as money.
Very often I find myself reflecting on whether money has an actual value or whether people never stop to think that it really doesn't. Especially when you have more than you need. You think it'd give you whatever you want and you'd be happy. But as Coraline, another wise literary child, said, "what then?". I personally prefer the longing than the having. If I had all the books that I ever wanted, for example, there wouldn't be anything left to wish for. And that'd be boring. But I'm letting myself being rhetoric (money doesn't bring happiness blah blah blah) while I'm supposed to review the book. Which is anything but rhetoric. It talks about the value of money exploring all the possibilities and then it lets the character draw their own conclusions:

We thought the money was going to take care of everything, but we ended up taking care of the money.

A funny, original, moving story that will also make you think.

The last mini-review for this round is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

First of all, I have to say I can't believe this book was even challenged to be banned in some schools! It's completely ridiculous. From The forbidden library:

Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (1991) because it is "not appropriate reading material for young children." Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word "ass" and "promotes" the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey. Removed from classrooms in Stafford County, Va. Schools (1995) and placed in restricted access in the library because the story contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.

Some people are just ludicrous. Anyway, this was a fantastic read! Totally crazy, highly imaginative, wickedly funny. A real treat. It was Roald Dahl's first book for children, and although I can't say it's my favourite, it's definitely worth my time. The insects that James meets inside the peach are a bunch of nut-crackers, and thus adorable! The story makes no sense whatsoever, but I don't think it needs too. It's entertaining, it's happy and phantasmagoric. And completely suitable for all children!

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And now a quick mention of Cybils: The nominations are closed now, and the long lists of all the books that we nominated are up!
The judges are now reading all those books. I can't think of a better job, although quite exhausting too. There's so many of them. I'm really curious to know which ones will make the short lists!

Read-a-thon: Final Meme

Ahhhh. I'm after shower, I washed up and tidied a bit around and now it's time to do a wrap up of these very intense 24 hours of reading and blogging. I really enjoyed myself but if there's something I want to improve next time is the amount of reading. I think I took too many breaks and could have read another book easily. Also I should probably drink more coffee so I could stay awake more. I did 19 hours, I could have done all of them if I were a bit more caffeinated! I loved blogging about my reading straight after finishing a book. It helped to process what I had read and to prepare the ground for the next one. I think I should do that more often! Now for the questions...

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 15. It was 3 a.m., didn't have enough caffeine in me and decided it was time to sleep a bit. I set the alarm for 9 a.m. but I was already awake at 8!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Definitely Coraline by Neil Gaiman, all the Dangerous Angels series by Francesca Lia Block, and also Oranges in no man's land by Elizabeth Laird, because it's very short but satisfying.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

It was perfect the way it was.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I was amaze how quick the new posts for each hour went up. There were prizes for everything which was great, and the support from the bloggers was always there. Loved it.

5. How many books did you read?

Four, but the first I had already started before the read-a-thon. So 3 and a half.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

The white tiger by Aravind Adiga, Oranges in no man's land by Elizabeth Laird, Cherokee Bat and the goat guys by Francesca Lia Block and Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Cherokee Bat and the goat guys. But the rest were good too.

8. Which did you enjoy least?

The white tiger, for various reasons, but it kept my interest up so I didn't hate it.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

I wasn't one but I think Nymeth had a good idea about having a cheerleader assigned for certain blogs, although you will probably need a lot more cheerleaders to cover all the blogs the whole time. I wouldn't mind being one next time even for one hour!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Very likely! If I can I will. I want to be a reader, but I could do some cheerleading as well, for an hour or two.

Read-a-thon: and the fourth book is down too! (Coraline)

I couldn't have asked for a better fourth book. Neil Gaiman has yet to disappoint me and I hope he never will.
I started this late last night and it was just the right amount of creepiness for the hour. Then I had to take a little break and kept going in the morning. But the kind of day I woke up into was still perfect for the atmosphere. It was grey and cloudy and the wind made rustling noises through the leaves in the garden. It kept me in the right mood the whole way through.
Coraline is the tale of a brave young girl who has just moved in to a old big house with her parents. She loves to explore the unknown surroundings and discover new hidden places. But one day, when the rain is lashing outside, and there's absolutely nothing to do at home, she decides to open the door in the dusty drawing room, ignoring the warnings of the circus mice and the message in the tea leaves. The door should only open into a brick wall, but this time it shows a dark corridor. The moment she steps in, Coraline falls into the trap of a mysterious creature...
Coraline is an adventurer though, and is ready to accepts the challenge, when her other mother, with buttons for eyes and bony long hands wants to keep her in her house forever. With the help of a sarcastic cat and her sharp intuition Coraline fights back with all her strength in this dreamlike, deceptive and truly creepy parallel world.
The initial quote at the beginning of the book tells us what this is all about:
Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us than dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

G.K. Chesterton

So, although scary and dangerous, Coraline's adventure is also an encouragement to *not* to be afraid of monsters in the dark. Monsters want you to be afraid, so that they can control you. The moment you challenge them, you're already a step ahead.
I know that if I had read this when I was a child I would have been frightened to death. But it's likely I would identify with Coraline and try to be brave against the shadows in the cupboards or under the bed. After all she is only a little girl, small for her age, like I was, and she made it.
Of course now I'm not afraid anymore, I'm all grown up and rational now...yes, of course...sure.

Being brave against monsters is not the only lesson to learn from Coraline, though. At one point she says something very wise:
"If you stay here you can have whatever you want."
Coraline sighed "You don't understand, do you?" she said. "I don't want whatever I want! Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted? Just like that, and it didn't mean anything. What then?"

Yes, what then? a simple but plain truth.

Read-a-thon: back after a short nap...

...of 5 hours!!! I really needed it. Actually, my alarm was set for an hour later, but I must be impatient to keep reading my book...(and, man, my dreams were WEIRD!)
How's everybody going? here is morning, 20 past 8 to be precise, and it's time for a nice cup of coffe and some Coraline!:)