The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

Read for: Dewey's Books Reading Challenge

I am probably one of the last people to read and review this adorable little novella, but it was well worth it. Alan Bennett is one of Britain's most well loved playwrights, although I am not sure how well known he is outside our small Isle.

The Uncommon Reader is the short tale of a most unusual encounter and how it affects one person's life in particular. That person of course is the British Queen, who comes across a mobile library when she is persuing her corgis across the lawn of Buckingham Palace. After apologising profusely for the racket, she finds it only polite to borrow a book and takes her leave. Although she did not particularly enjoy the book, she persevered and borrowed another, awakening in herself a deep passion for literature. A passion that slowly begins to affect her everyday life and her very public job.

I most definitely had a smile on myself through this one! The Queen is very much a figurehead in my country. Although we acknowledge her presence and place in our history, most (save the royalists) are glad that she has so little authority, and as such, show very little interest in her private life, which she keeps under wraps. This book gave a little insight into an idea of a person, one who is so very public. That idea was amusing and warm, stern and responsible, but who hadn't truly lived in the way your average person has. Such a sheltered life, I almost pity the woman, though thinking back to the changes she must have witnessed over the years, I imagine she might be a very interesting person to have a cup of tea and a chat with.

Full of British politicians and quirky Palace employees, and of course, the Queen herself, The Uncommon Reader is a tale of one woman realising, it is never too late to discover a passion that can completely change your life. A highly enjoyable though very short read, and oh so worth it!

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Into the Forest - Jean Hegland

Read for: Dewey's Books Challenge

Into the Forest was the first on my list for this challenge after reading Dewey's fantastic review. A pseudo post-apocalyptic tale of two sister living alone in their home in the forest after society collapses and our modern way of life becomes a thing of the past. Unlike most such novels, no disaster has struck the world, it is more a slow decline. Yet chaos reigns, power becomes a rare commodity and food becomes more and more scarce.

It is in this world that we meet Nell and Eva, two sisters, who although very different, have a close bond with each other and their bohemian parents. Having grown up in this forest home, they are already somewhat distanced from city life, and this is perhaps why they have survived so long. The story follows the girls and their everyday struggles, while through a series of flashbacks, we also learn about their parents, and life before.

Hegland does not dwell on the cause behind the loss of our way of life, and it soon becomes apparent that knowing any further details are irrelevant. The tale itself concerns the girls and their struggle to maintain a normal life and sense of family, isolated as they are. Now don't get me wrong, there are some plot holes, that might annoy some people a little too much. I won't go into any detail as they would involve major spoilers!

Needless to say, some events and character descriptions are written in an incredible amount of detail, while others are glossed over. There are also a few dubious decisions made by the author in the direction she takes her characters in the latter half of the book. But what struck me most was Hegland's writing. Boy does it make up for every and any other flaw in this book! The lyrical prose follows every aspect of the sister's lives, often in painful detail. The sheer idea for example of a girl to whom ballet and music mean everything, having no music to listen to once the electricity stops, to be forced to dance only to a metronome, is written so beautifully that it is heartbreaking.

The aspect that I loved most about this book though, was the forest. To start with it is merely the location in which the characters live, with little detail or thought put into it. Then it becomes a place of beauty and reflection, to remind them of what they have, before it is all suddenly and brutally taken away. For a long time, the forest seems dark and sinister until later, it becomes a lifeline through which the girls are forced to find ways of feeding, clothing and housing themselves.

Although a book with some flaws, I would recommend it if only for Hegland's writing and the beauty in which she can set a scene of situation, rip it all away, then allow it to recover. A truly different and refreshing take on the usual end-of-the-world novel.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

Read for: YA Challenge; Dewey's Books Challenge

Another book that seems to have been subject to all the hype recently, although less so on this side of the pond. I picked it up in the States, after spending some time with a Navajo woman and driving through Flathead and Spokane land.

The Absolutely True Diary is exactly that, narrated by our part-time Indian, Junior, who grows up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. After a disastrous start to high school, Junior requests a transfer to a different school, in a rich, predominantly white town, miles away from his home. He soon discovers that change brings numerous challenges, both at home and at school.

Rather than being a story about an Indian boy suffering the trials and tribulations of life and leaving the rez in order to have a better education, it is more the story of a teenage boy suffering the typical trials and tribulations of life. Two things make Junior stand out from the average American boy. One being that he suffered brain damage as an infant, which affects his speech and has caused some physical problems. The other is that he is Native American, growing up in poverty on the Spokane reservation. Although perhaps it is the latter reason that the book has been so hyped, it is not the only reason to pick up and enjoy this book. In fact, quite the opposite. Sherman Alexie has written a touching tale about a boy trying to find his way in the world, surviving his health problems, bullying and his family's poverty, to obtain himself a good education and possibly a bright future. Yes it is made all the poignant by his ethnicity, but much of the humour comes from the typical teenage mishaps and discoveries.

Having said that, Sherman Alexie has obviously drawn on his deep intimate knowledge of life on a reservation to write a wonderfully humourous and often sad tale which gives us some insight into a world that most Americans know little about. Regardless, this is an amusing and touching tale that will strike a chord with any teenager (or anyone who remembers being a teenager) who has felt like an outsider.

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Have I missed yours?

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

Read for: Dewey's Books Challenge, YA Challenge

Meg Rosoff’s acclaimed novel tells the story of Daisy, a teenage American girl who travels to Britain, leaving behind her estranged father and his new family. Sent to stay with her mother’s family in the English countryside, Daisy has to juggle her family problems and eating disorder, while being swept up in a different way of life. She soon grows fond of her eccentric aunt and misfit cousins, especially bonding with the slightly younger Edmund. Everything changes however, when her aunt is out of the country on business. Britain is attacked by some unknown enemy, and left in a chaotic state of war, reminiscent of the country during WW2. The children are left to fend for themselves, providing food and shelter and hiding from the world outside, living and playing in their own little bubble. The war is never far away though, and soon the army arrive, building a base on the farm and separating the children. Daisy is left alone to care for nine year old Piper, and is tormented by her separation from Edmund, with whom she had fallen in love and is determined to find.

Although dealing with war and the delicate subject of love between blood relatives, neither of these is the focus of Rosoff’s story. Rather, they set the scene, and allow the story to follow as it will, through Daisy’s own experiences. She sees some true horror, yet finds in herself a spirit and courage unbeknownst to her.

It is easy to see why this extraordinary book won the Guardian Children’s Fiction award. Rosoff’s writing is remarkable and her storytelling is daring, yet she tackles her subjects with a gentle hand. I can imagine that some readers would be put off by a story that is, in places, quite violent, and that touches on the sexual relationship between two cousins. In Rosoff’s capable hands, this story is a touching one, brimming with emotion, full of beauty and hope. Although I never particularly became attached to any of the characters, the storytelling is so involved that I found myself open-mouthed in horror one minute and holding back tears the next. I'm not sure anything I can say will so this book justice, so you'll just have to read it and make up your own mind.

I for one have been won over by Rosoff’s writing, and will certainly be reading more of her work in the future. A moving read.

Other blog reviews:
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Looking for Alaska - John Green

Read for: Dewey's Books Challenge

"I go to seek a Great Perhaps." - Francois Rabelais’ last words

Culver Creek, one hundred and thirty six days before…

From the moment the reader is introduced to Looking for Alaska’s protagonist, Miles Halter, we are graced with a charming, naïve and idealistic fifteen-year old, with a penchant for remembering famous figures’ last words. Miles becomes entranced by some of these words, and decides to attend his father’s former boarding school to seek out Rabelais’ Great Perhaps.

So we follow Miles to Culver Creek in rural Alabama. There he meets a motley crew of teenagers; his roommate, Chip, amusingly and appropriately referred to as the “Colonel”, who gives a skinny Miles the nickname “Pudge”; Takumi, the mild-mannered and loyal Japanese rapper; and Lara, the beautiful and sweet Romanian. And it is here, on his first day, that Miles meets Alaska. Sexy, impulsive, and dangerously alluring Alaska. This small group of friends orbits around the enigmatic young misfit, getting themselves into all kinds of harmless mischief, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, breaking curfews and scheming pranks. For Miles, Alaska is unobtainable but addictive, and he is drawn closer and closer into her web of chaos. She catches his attention from the off, the voracious reader bestowing him with the mysterious last words of Simón Bolívar…

"How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?"

After. A shocking event occurs half way through the book that shatters this little world and causes the circle of friends to spin into a whirlwind of emotions; guilt, anger, love, betrayal and grief. Most of all, they learn about loss. The loss of childhood, the loss of before and the shock of after.

There is a beautiful, poignant symmetry to this book. We begin one hundred and thirty six days before, and end one hundred and thirty six days after. In that time, all our characters have traversed a long and difficult journey from adolescence to adulthood, learning about life and love along the way. Interestingly I read this book directly after Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book which, though a completely different story and style of writing, has many parallels in theme to Alaska.

Devastatingly compelling, quietly philosphical and ultimately brutal, Looking for Alaska is possibly the best young adult book I have ever read, and is a remarkable debut for the effervescent John Green who seems to be popping up all over the place (see his blog here). I'm not sure my words will do justice to how I felt about this book. After finishing it, I could not even think about reading another book for over three days (very unlike me), and I still find myself thinking about Alaska now. An absolute joy to read.

A deeply personal coming-of-age tale of what to do when the unthinkable happens. And the ultimate question, as Alaska herself asked. How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?

Other blog reviews:
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Becky's Book Reviews
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Dewey's Books Challenge - reading list

Oops. I chose my list but completely forgot to post it. Well, it was quite hard, seeing as Dewey read and reviewed so many fabulous books over the years, but I have decided to go with the second challenge option and read 5 books over all 6 years of her reviews. Well, I've actually gone with 6 books, as its possible I may not be able to get hold of one of two of them (Into the Forest and The Lost Years of Merlin have proved elusive!). So, the list:

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff
Looking for Alaska - John Green
The Lost Years of Merlin - T.A. Barron
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Vol 1 - M.T.Anderson
Into the Forest - Jean Heglund
The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

Dewey's Books Challenge

I've been finding keeping up with challenges difficult as I am so fickle with choosing books to read in advance and then picking something completely different up later! I decided not to join any challenges in 2009, but have chosen to make a couple of exceptions. The first is Dewey's Books Challenge, a wonderful way to honour and celebrate the life of Dewey, one of our most beloved book bloggers who is sorely missed. I haven't posted about her passing before as I never seem to find the right words, so this is my way of honouring Dewey, and all the wonderful reviews she has shared with us in the past. I am very grateful to Chris and Robin for designing and hosting this challenge.

So to the challenge! Either:

1. Pick one book from each of the 6 years that Dewey has archives of. You can access her archives by clicking on the archive link in the sidebar of her website. It’s a dropdown menu. For instance, you would read one book that she reviewed in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 for a total of six books.

2. The other option is to read 5 books that Dewey reviewed, which can be from any year.

The rules are simple! Choose either option 1 or 2 from above and read your five or six books between January 1st and December 31st 2009 (though the challenge unofficially starts now). Check back to the Dewey's Books page to update on the challenge, mini-challenges and giveaways, and post your reviews on the Mr. Linky’s on the Dewey's Book Challenge Reviews blog.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourselves and remember that we are celebrating a blogger who has made such an impact on so many people. If you sign up by January 1st, you'll be entered into the prize draw for one of Dewey's infamous chocolate monkeys! So I'm heading on over to Dewey's blog to peruse her many many reviews. Happy reading.