The Local Lit Scene

celebrating South African Literature beyond our past

Cloud Atlas

So, the month of love finally draws to a close and we will have a winner for the Love book competition in a few days.

But I wanted to write my review about Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

As I have said before, The Man recommended this book to me.   Pretty much on our first date and considering that when he was ‘courting’ me, he said that one of his favourite authors was Tom Robbins – my ultimate favourite favourite – and that I had seen David Mitchell’s books around and was fairly attracted to his covers I thought, cool a new author to discover.

Well, four years later I still hadn’t read it and it being sat on my bookshelf for a year (it was my birthday present last year) and after NEEDING something to read, I thought, right I’ll do it.  I will, if only to stop the jibes whenever I bemoan the fact I have nothing to read, ‘read Cloud Atlas’.

And I did. It was hard going in the beginning. It begun to redeem itself in the sort of middle and then went down hill from there. I struggled through it and honestly,even left it for about a week while I read some other stuff as it was really hard going. I eventually finished it (and I am not the usual reader who will finish a book even if I am not enjoying it but I persevered with this one just to prove a point) and I did not enjoy it.

It had a great thread and his writing is good, but the actual story just didn’t really make much sense in the end. There was no meat in the story, just the basic aroma of a good novel, which doesn’t taste as good as it might smell.

Futuristic, not enough substance but great story telling. I can see how someone would enjoy it, but I found the ending bland.

Have you read it? Did you enjoy it?

1 Comment »

It’s the month of love

so, tell me, what is your favourite love story?

photo credit

Are you a ‘Wuthering Heights’ type of romantic? Or more along the lines of Jane Austen? A fairytale? Romeo and Juliet? Twilight?  Something more recent perhaps?

Well, I would love to know. February is the month of love and what better way to celebrate than remembering your favourite love story?  And one lucky reader will win their very own copy to keep for themselves or to give to their favourite special someone.

All you need to do, is tell me in the comment section

a) what your fave love story book is

b) Why, out of all the others this one stands out for you.

You have the entire month to do this in and at the end of month, one lucky reader will be a ‘love story winner’.

2 Comments »

And the winner of January’s give away is…

Cat@juggling act of life! Congratulations!

You are now the proud owner of a copy of Room by Emma Donaghue.

The best thing about not using random.org is that I get to write everyone’s name on a small piece of paper and pop it in a hat and pick a winner:-)

Cat, please comment at the bottom with your email address so I can get the book up to asap. And the only thing you need to do, is write a review for us once you have read the book. We would love to hear what you thought of it!

3 Comments »

GIVEAWAY-GIVEAWAY-GIVEAWAY

So, how many of you have read Room by Emma Donaghue?

I read it over the festive season after hearing word of mouth rave reviews from all most all my bookish friends. I decided to buy it and read it and see what on earth it was all about, because if you haven’t read it, and someone has told you about it, I’m sure you realised that they haven’t told you too much about the actual story… Am I correct?

Well, I’m about to tell you the same thing, its a VGB (Very Good Book) but I can’t tell you the story line.

What I can tell you is that I have one copy to giveaway for one lucky reader!

Yip, just one, so get those fingers talking and leave a comment telling me what you think the story is about, and for those of you who have read it, no telling and spoiling the suspense, k?!

The giveaway is open until the 25th Jan 2011, that gives you a week, and its open to South African residents only.  I will randomly choose a winner by putting all your names into a hat and pulling out one name.

so, get commenting…

P.S. if you don’t win a copy, you can click on the picture and it takes you straight to Kalahari to purchase a copy if you do so wish.

8 Comments »

Sweet as candy

I vaguely remember seeing this book at Exclusive Books, and then I found it last week at the library and seeing as though I am a fan of chick lit books it headed home with me.

Saturday afternoon rolled around and with my daughter sleeping I had some spare time and decided to read, but, (and if you read my last post you will know) I am reading Cloud Atlas at the moment – a new to me author- and it was a at a rather hairy part of just being a little difficult to read and I really didn’t feel like concentrating on a different time dialect. So, I picked this up for some light relief.

And I loved it! The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is magical. Light and fluffy but with a little bit of substance, pretty much like a freshly baked chocolate brownie;-)

This novel is about friendship, love, what we do to not love and the possibilities of a new day. There is a small twist at the end, which one does suspect closer to the end of the book but if you are a very perceptive reader, you could pick it up earlier and just adds to the magical dimension of this story. Not too much that it doesn’t feel real though.

I read it in about 3/4 a day (luckily the man was on hand to play  football with the little one…) and if you are looking for something easy to read but that definitely has a feel good vibe, read this:-)

1 Comment »

New Authors

Well, new to me!

I have decided this year, to challenge my reading habits and to try authors who are new to me, but are not necessarily new.

First up –

David Mitchell

I have been told that Cloud Atlas is an extremely good book to read. It was recommended to me about 4 years ago and I have started reading it countless times, but was never able to get past the first couple of pages. I decided about a week ago (while searching my bookshelves for something to read) to give it another go.

I am now about  a third way through the book and I am intrigued. It is interesting so far, with a great style of writing and I am looking forward to finishing it to have an opinion on it. And who knows, maybe read all of his books?

Second-

Terry Pratchet.

Again, I tried one of his books many years ago, and just couldn’t get into it. While out visiting a neighbor this week, she recommended him to me again. So, I decided, hell, why not, I will give it another go and see.

The one I have waiting to read is Soul Music.

Third-

Sue Townsend

I have read her earlier Adrian Mole books but haven’t tried any of her latest writings. I was recommended to read Number Ten, apparently it is highly amusing, and so that is sitting on my TBR pile.

We shall see if any of them hit the mark for my reading sensibilities, but its good, yes, to challenge ones reading habits?!

So, have any of you read these authors? What did you think? Are they up to par, and would you recommend them to others to read?

2 Comments »

Book review – Helen of Troy

I had never read anything by Margaret George until this book and I have to say, I am seriously impressed.

I found this book while I was out searching for something to read at a nearby booksale (three for R100 and this was one of them) and I loved it.

Margaret takes the myth of Helen and weaves it into a story of love, war, passion and forgiveness. It is a stunning novel and I am amazed at how anyone could write anything like it!

We experience young Helen’s discovery of her divine origin and terrifying beauty, all told in her own voice. She remains shielded from the eyes of strangers until she is of marriageable age and then at only 15 kings and princes compete for her hand in marriage. She weds Menelaus and settles into a life of apparent contentment and bears him a daughter. But when she sets eyes on Paris from Troy, she realises the passion and love that has been missing in her own marriage and they elope to Troy. The rest of the novel is how the Trojan War began and how it ended.

It is a beautiful novel and if you are interested in historical novels, I urge you to read this.

(and if any of you, have read it, let me know what you thought!)

No Comments »

Books of 2010

I was aiming to read 50 books this year, which may or may not sound like a lot to you, but alas I didn’t make it. I did manage to read 45 (or to be completely honest, am 3/4  way through book no 45*) but will most likely be finished by tomorrow  so I’m counting it in.

I failed miserably at doing any of the challenges that I planned to, I only managed to read one book from the GLBT challenge and I still have other books on my list which are sitting in my bookshelf awaiting my eyes to peruse them.

What I did learn about myself, is that I am not a List reader. I need to go searching for something which tickles my fancy at a particular time and then read it, which doesn’t work so well for challenges, but I may aim to try it again sometime. Another thing which I have learnt over the last year reading wise, is that sometimes I am just not in the mood to read, whoever would of thought I would utter such words, but it’s true. Between work and toddler play, life gets busy and  at bedtime, I can barely keep my eyes open to read a page, never mind a chapter but my holiday has rectified that for  now at least.

So, without further ado, I give to you my list of books I read this year. Not all of them have reviews.

  1. We be reading  – Sue Gee
  2. Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman
  3. The Angels game – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  4. The Subtle Knife – Phillip Pullman
  5. Micheal Tolliver lives – Armistead Maupin
  6. The Marriage Bureau for rich people – Farahad Zama
  7. Where Rainbows end – Cecilia Ahern
  8. The Elegance of the hedgehog –  Muriel Burbery
  9. Rumour has it – Jill Mansell
  10. Indigo Children – Lee Carroll, Jan Tober
  11. The Mother Daughter Dance – Harriet Lerner Ph.D
  12. The Swan Thieves – Elizabeth Kostova
  13. Natural Flights of the Human Mind – Clare Morrall
  14. A Million Miles from Normal – Paige Nick
  15. The eye of the world – Robert Jordan
  16. The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan
  17. Sparkles – Louise Bagshaw
  18. Blankets – Craig Thompson
  19. The Forty Rules of Love – Elif Shafak
  20. Mushy peas on toast -Laurian Clemence
  21. Pippi long stocking – Astrid Lindgren
  22. One fifth Avenue – Candace Bushnell
  23. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – Mary Ann Shaffer
  24. Our Tragic Universe – Scarlett Thomas
  25. The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs – Jack Gantos
  26. A pyschic in new york
  27. The Host – Stephanie Meyer
  28. Tom Bedlam – George Hagen
  29. Slam – Nick Hornby
  30. Tea Time for the traditionally built – Alexander McCall Smith
  31. I don’t like chocolate – Jesse Breytenbach
  32. The Childrens book – A.S Byatt
  33. Penny Vincenzi- the other woman
  34. Louise Bagshawe – Passion
  35. The pillars of the earth – Ken Follet
  36. The last Dragonslayer – Jasper Fforde
  37. The love verb – Jane Green
  38. How to raise happy healthy children – Sally Ann Creed and Andalene Salvesen
  39. Haroun and the sea of stories -Salmon Rushdie
  40. Room – Emma Donahue
  41. Ladies who lunch – Linda Francis Lee
  42. Toby Alone- Timothee de Fombelle
  43. A book of a  thousand days- Shannon Hale
  44. Aphrodite – Erica Jong
  45. Helen of Troy – Margaret George *

Hmm, looking at this lists, I realise, I will need to do more reviews on my reading!

Here’s to a great book year, leave a comment, and let me know where you book at, love checking out new book blogs:-)

3 Comments »

The Million Rand Teaspoon – Nikki Ridley

How many of you have read ‘A Million Little Pieces’ by James Frey?  I read it, and I know that there was huge controversy with the book but the bottom line for me, was the ability of James to kick his addiction.

‘The Million Rand Teaspoon’ is very similiar, it is a story on addiction. Paul Batemans  true story on how he became addicted to pinks, and heroin. The road to destruction and how he eventually came to an abrupt halt on his downward spiral.

It is extremely readable, set in and around Cape Town and Joburg, it makes you realise how much goes on that we are not aware of.

I recommend this book to anyone who is in any interested in the effect drugs have on a person, and the lives that are affected around the person. It is sad, and just makes one realise how addiction takes control of ones entire life.

shoo, hardcore reading but brilliant!

No Comments »

The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follet

I eventually read this book!

It has been on countless best seller lists and when I was in the UK a couple of years back, this was the Next Best Thing. It was huge, had been on the Richard and Judy show aswell as Oprah and when ever there is huge hype over a book, I get pulled in two directions. One – is it as good as they say it is should I read it? or, nah, def cant be as good as they say it is, wont read it.

I did start it two years ago, I booked it out of the library and read the first chapter. I couldn’t really get into it, so abandoned it for another time. That another time was recently, and I couldn’t put it down. I took it out from book club, thinking I really must read this and see what all the hype was about and I am very glad I did.

Hugely enjoyable book, hugely rich in its tapestry of stories of the characters lives, how the lives are intermingled, the violence that abounds still to this day but maybe not quite in the form of the 12th century, and the building of Kingsbridge cathedral, the first Gothic cathedral in England. I have always enjoyed historical novels and this one fit the bill for me.

So, if you haven’t yet read this book for the same reasons I hadn’t, put aside your doubts and just read it for what it is. A really great story.

(and now, time to get my hands on the second book… World without end.)

No Comments »