Books We've Loved This Year

We're fast approaching autumn, and many of us will have read at least one book this year that we absolutely loved and can't stop recommending to people.  For me, there have been two, about which I have already waxed lyrical: The Gargoyle  by Andrew Davidson and Skin Lane  by Neil Bartlett.  Here, three bloggers give you their favourite book of the year so far.


"Blue Boy" by Rakesh Satyal
Recommended by Brian Centrone from New York 
(Site: BrianCentrone.com Twitter: @BrianCentrone)
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love for all things Indian: The Food, the culture, the men (especially the men), and the literature. So it was not a surprise that when I came across Rakesh Satyal’s Lambda Award winning novel Blue Boy, I fell in love at first read...
Set in Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1990s, Blue Boy tells the story of young Kiran, an Indian American trying to fit in. His world is split between the Indian families his parents socialize with and the very Middle-American kids and teachers at the public school he attends. Poor Kiran doesn’t feel he belongs to either world and the situations he finds himself in in both groups are just as awkward and endearing as they are funny and heartbreaking.  Kiran believes his difference is Divine and sets out on a journey to transform into who he feels he really is, the reincarnation of Krishna himself.
A magical voyage of self-discovery, spiritual understanding and pop culture references, Blue Boy is the book for every boy who had a secret love of dolls, ballet and singing, and for every person who grew up wondering where they belonged. This novel will not disappoint. 

"Free Fall" by Nicolai Lilin

Recommended by Marc Nash from London 
(Site: Marc Nash's Kindle Store Twitter: @21stCScribe)

War memoirs are dominated by those of WW2 and of course Vietnam. This memoir of a more recent and modern war blows those portraits out of the water. The second Russian war in Chechenya was dirty, pitiless and ultimately pointless on both sides. Lilin was a conscripted sniper in a specialist anti-terrorist unit that fought on the front line in ordinary clothes rather than uniform. He paints brutal pictures of the effects of modern weaponry on human flesh, but not in a Hollywood relish of gore fashion, but rather one that makes you realise why soldiers try and avoid engaging in combat with the enemy from any closer than an airborne helicopter gunship. This updating of the deadliness of modern weapons again removes us a million miles from the Vietnam/WW2 battlefield axis.

The cruel treatment and dispatch of captured prisoners on both sides, in order to send a message to the enemy, is graphic and yet almost neutrally detailed. And finally, I have never come across better descriptions of physical states of being during battle. The physiological symptoms of a body overtaken by fear, exhaustion, sensory deprivation, concussion from a grenade, are astounding pieces of writing. There are some ruminations on the purpose(less) of the war, as the book begins with a Kafkaesque account of his conscription and ends with a short but debilitating section on his failure to adapt back into civilian life and an undiagnosed PTSD. Lilin's writing is so good as to bear the weight of its gravity, its philosophising and to convey the mix of muscle and technology throughout: "God was a haven for our souls, the only place not regulated by military code". Simply stunning. 

"Blueeyedboy" by Joanne Harris

Recommended by Jemima Valentino from Shropshire 
(Site: JemimaValentino.com Twitter: @jemimavalentino)

"Blueeyedboy" is the brilliant new novel from Joanne Harris: a dark and intricately plotted tale of a poisonously dysfunctional family, a blind child prodigy, and a serial murderer who is not who he seems. Told through posts on a webjournal called badguysrock, this is a thriller that makes creative use of all the multiple personalities, disguise and mind games that are offered by playing out a life on the internet.

The word ‘creepy’, is somehow not enough. Harris has truly opened up her dark side and within these brilliantly crafted pages, unfolds a story of a lonely 42 year old sociopath who lives with his mother and his online friends. Through his web journal, his disturbed mind is truly let loose, his style - intelligent bordering on genius, his motives - dark and intensely dangerous; pulling the weak and vulnerable into his tribe, badguysrock.

Our Blueyedboy dreams of killing mother, stalks a blind child prodigy and harbours an unhealthy fascination for Albertine, a girl that holds more influence over this life than he dares to admit. As he entices Albertine out to play on badguysrock, we realise that there is far more to their relationship that meets the eye.

Just as you think you know this would-be serial killer and can predict his actions as easily as Columbo, Harris throws in a twist, and then another, and another until the entire story fits together like the perfect jigsaw and leaves you breathless.  I have read some intense books this year, and have loved many, but Blueeyedboy jumps to the top of the pile. Now this book is inside my head, I don't think it will ever leave.

A Few Issues With Harry Potter 8

Now, before you read the title of this post and go all Avada Kedavra on me, let me just say: I loved Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows.  I loved the book, and I thought that the two-parter adaptation was pretty spectacular.  But as I was watching the final instalment in the cinema tonight, I couldn't help but feel that the film was a little uneven.  Below are some of my personal best and worst bits.  Please be warned, SPOILERS abound!

Best: The film was in two parts.  I'd cynically assumed it was a money-making ploy on the parts of the studio, but having watched both films back to back, there really was enough going on to carry over four hours of action.

Worst: The film did not need to be in 3D.  I've always been a little sceptical on this matter, but apart from a few specific effects (the magical shield around Hogwarts, the ripples in the Pensieve), it felt gimmicky and largely unnecessary.

Best: The scene where Harry is surrounded by the ghosts of his loved ones in the Forbidden Forest.  Yes, some of the dialogue was heavy handed, and the resurrection stone could be seen as a simple rehash of the Mirror of Erised from book one.  But as somebody who has lost a parent, I couldn't help but get a little misty-eyed at the late Lily Potter's line "we never left".  It is well documented that Harry's life as an orphan stemmed from JK Rowling's own grief following her mother's death.  It is in scenes like this that her storytelling feels most authentic.

Worst: The "limbo" scene at King's Cross.  It was fairly faithfully adapted from the book, but even on the page it seemed nowhere near as original as Rowling's other ideas.  Obviously Christian metaphors abound, and while I have no problem with allegory, the ghost of Dumbledore was far too similar to transparent Obi-Wan from the second and third Star Wars films.  It has to be said though, the vile mini-Voldemort was a gruesome success.

Best: Bellatrix Lestrange's death.  After dancing around like Morticia Addams on crystal meth for a couple of years, it was nice to see Molly Weasley take her down with that immortal line; "not my daughter, you bitch!"

Worst: Bellatrix Lestrange's death.  It should have been Neville to take her down.  Don't you think?  After Bellatrix tortured his parents until they lost their minds, I'd have quite liked to see him skewer her with that magic sword.  (Having just read the last part of that sentence back, it sounds a lot dirtier than intended.)


Best: Young love.  I always thought that the romantic relationships appeared out of nowhere in the book, but on-screen they have taken the care to develop chemistry between pairs.  Ron and Hermione's soaking-wet first kiss down in the Chamber of Secrets made a number of people in the audience cheer.  Harry and Ginny didn't get much screen time together, but I liked how they portrayed her as his equal.  And Neville's mid-battle line "Have you seen Luna? I'm mad for her!" was a little bit glorious.

Worst: The epilogue. I was never truly comfortable with the way Rowling tied up her story in a big neat bow by writing the "19 Years Later" segment.  Yes, it was comforting to know that Harry grew up and married Ginny and stayed life-long friends with his school companions, but the whole naming of the offspring after every last dead character felt a tad twee.  But that's my problem with the book.  My problem with the film's version of the epilogue is: if you want to make these young stars look older, try doing a bit more than giving them all bad hair and making them look a bit fat.

Oh, and before I forget.  Just a few more tiny annoyances...

The trio's heist at Gringott's and escape via dragon seemed like it belonged in one of the earlier, more childish books.  Perhaps this was intended as a callback, but did anyone else feel that it just didn't fit the tone of the film?

The constant slow-motion, hissing moments where Harry sees a glimpse of Voldemort's mind.  This became more and more repetitive, much like the scenes in Lord of the Rings when Frodo would become entranced by Sauran and/or the ring.

Whatever happened to Tonks and Lupin's baby?  When the Order of the Phoenix converged at Harry's House in Part 1, Tonks tried to deliver some good news, but Mad-Eye interrupted.  This is never mentioned again.  Did the film-makers decide that killing off a new mother was just too depressing?  (Even though that is exactly how the saga began...)  I expect this will be explained in some deleted scene.  On another note, who else choked on their own tears, seeing the bodies of Lupin and Tonks very nearly holding hands, like they did in the tower? Sob!

Voldemort's death.  I much preferred the book's climax, where Harry's defensive magic wins over Voldemort's aggressive curse (which I am sure is a statement on the power of pacifism or some such).  It just said more about the characters than the film's fancy magic lightshow and weak explanation of how the elder wand switched owners.  In fact, I was so expecting this scenario that when Voldemort died and began to fall apart, I thought No, this isn't it. He must have something up his sleeve...

Rant over.  These points aside, I really did love this film.  Alan Rickman steals every single scene he is in as the tragic Snape, the Battle of Hogwarts did not disappoint, and even some of the best secondary characters got a moment to shine (I'm thinking specifically of McGonagall and Neville, for both of whom I have a soft spot).

And as strange as it sounds, I felt something akin to pride by the time the credits rolled.  Having first read a book about a little boy wizard ten whole years ago, it was nice to wave him off tonight.  I reckon a lot of people feel that way, feel that Harry Potter and his story belongs to them.  And in a way he does.  As that wise man Neville Longbottom says at a crucial moment in the final film: "Harry lives on in us."

~

Top 5... Mystery Novels

Whenever somebody asks me what my favourite book is, I find myself unable to answer.  What, exactly, is meant by "favourite"?  Is it the book that made me laugh the most, or the story that stayed me with longest after I turned the last page?

I love reading books of every genre, and I bloody love writing about them too.  So this is my first post in a series on my favourite five books in any given genre.  Sorry, but I can't pick one.  Not even a top three.  Five is my number.

Philip's Top 5 Mysteries

5
The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman

An engrossing thriller set against the backdrop of the New York art world, The Brutal Art is the story of Ethan Muller, a flawed but successful art dealer who stumbles across a vast work of unparalleled genius.  When he attempts to locate the artist who created this oeuvre, he is drawn into a world of violence and deception.

4

Light Before Day by Christopher Rice

After his first two novels, A Density of Souls and The Snow Garden, Christopher Rice took a step away from the modern Gothic genre and into noir with Light Before Day.  The first-person narrator, Adam Murphy, is a Los Angeles-based journalist, looking for his one time boyfriend who has seemingly vanished off the face of the earth.  His search takes him into the city's seedy underbelly, and Rice proves himself highly skilled at creating detestable figures in the drug dealers and sexual predators that Adam crosses paths with.

3
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Less of a conventional crime story than Dennis Lehane's other novels, Shutter Island toys with the reader's perceptions throughout.  The hero is Teddy Daniels, a Federal marshall called to Ashcliffe hospital on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a mental patient.  As a hurricane descends on the island and his migraines become more unbearable, Teddy becomes less certain of who he can trust.  I can't say much more without giving the game away - suffice to say it's well worth a read.  And much more rewarding than the film adaptation.

2

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

In this, the first of Private Eye Jackson Brodie's adventures, Kate Atkinson playfully entwines the genres of crime and literary fiction.  Detective and divorcee Jackson is contacted by Julia and Amelia Land to find out what happened to their little sister Olivia years before.  At the same time, he is harrassed by an old man who needs answers about his daughter's death.  Seemingly unrelated events propel the story's narrative, and while the conclusion is not necessarily climactic, it provides the reader with a huge sense of satisfaction.

1

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

This is it.  The big one, the daddy of noir.  Philip Marlowe is the original hard-boiled detective.  What else is there to say?  Considered by many (myself included) to be Chandler's magnum opus, The Big Sleep features pornographers, killers, femme fatales and one reluctant hero.  Classic.  Just classic.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Do you think I've missed an important mystery novel off the list?  What are your suggestions for the next genre to be featured in the Top 5 series?  Let me know!

Judge A Book By Its Cover

When it comes to books, I am a magpie.  I am drawn to covers that are bold and beautifully designed, often falling in love with the story before I have a clue what it is about.  And I don't think I'm the only one. 

The current trend of self-publishing is allowing authors to retain creative control of the entire process, including cover design.  But designing a book cover is an art, and while the author might be the best authority on the theme and content of their novel, they are not necessarily the best candidate to express these ideas visually.

Below are a few of my personal favourites from the world of books.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Not only is this a beautiful cover image, but when closed the book's pages appear entirely black.  Another great story that I discovered only through the book's aesthetic appeal.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

The design may be stark, but the image is a perfect representation of the story - Briony's bored solitude in the early stages of the novel are a key part of every event that follows.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I must admit, I am not a fan of the Twilight saga at all. But there's no denying the evocative imagery in this cover; bringing the themes of temptation, seduction and sin to the forefront of your mind, it has since become iconic.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

This novel is part fantasy, part coming of age tale, part homage to the storytelling tradition.  The book's cover creates a world much like that of fairytales, a wood in which the reader can easily become lost... and fall prey to the Crooked Man.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Levithan's love story is told through a series of non-chronological definitions, all of which are pertinent to a relationship between two unnamed parties.  This experimentation with the form of the novel is reflected in the simple but effective cover.

Strangeland by Tracey Emin

Taken in a photo booth, this cover image could not be more telling of the book's contents.  Raw, unembellished, and unflinching in its honesty.  Much like the artist herself.

Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland

This is a prime example of a book that I would never have picked up had it not been for the instantly engaging cover.  Fortunately, the story lived up to it.

Out by Natsuo Kirino

Visceral, cold and disturbing. An excellent indicator as to what you can expect from this novel.

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

I first came upon this when studying Winterson's novel at university.  The lushness of her prose and ambition of her story are perfectly summed up in this artful, almost seductive cover.

Persepolis by Marjane Strapani

As a graphic novel, this cover image is a perfect representation of the author's work.

Which of these do you like best?  And what are your own favourites?  Let me know in the comments below, I'd like to make this a regular thing.