New Read: The Lion’s World

One of my goals for 2013 is to make more time for re-reads. I have been slowly working my way back through my childhood favourite The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis. Knowing my love of this series my friends couldn’t resist buying me The Lion’s World by Rowan Williams when they spotted it at a Christian event. I thought this would be a perfect accompaniment to my re-read of The Chronicles of Narnia so started reading it almost straight away!

In The Lion’s World author (and yes former Archbishop of Canterbury) Rowan Williams explores the magical world of ‘Narnia’ that C S Lewis created with so many characters, landscapes, themes, and layers. Williams admits he was a late comer to The Chronicles of Narnia series having missed out on reading them as a child; but even as a young adult he found himself instantly endeared by The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Williams doesn’t just focus on his own enjoyment of the series though. As a Christian Williams spends the majority of the book reflecting on the parallels and references to Lewis’s own faith and beliefs which he wove into ‘Narnia’. I found this book utterly fascinating. Both as a Christian and a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. If you are not a Christian you may still enjoy this book as it does help understand some of the many layers within the books whether you hold the same beliefs as Lewis or not. I also loved the chapter Williams wrote about some of the arguments that have arisen from the series such as sexism, glorified violence, and the use of archaic language.

The Lion’s World is the first novel by Rowan Williams I have read. If I’m honest it is the first book I knew of him having written. This is more to do with my ignorance though because in fact Williams is a pretty prolific writer which is not that surprising really. I thought The Lion’s World was very well written and researched. With an excellent balance of for and against arguments which were backed up with a wide range of quotes and sources. I also felt that Williams didn’t just get the facts across but also got across his own feelings successfully. He clearly has a lot of love for this series and it’s author; however he has balanced it well. His own opinion isn’t strong enough to wipe out all other opinions. All information was very well organised into chapters and separate sections within these chapters which meant this was an easy flowing read with plenty of chances for breaks. Not that I took many breaks. I think I finished reading this within two or three sittings! After reading The Lion’s World I am intrigued to discover what else Williams has written.

The Lion’s World was a fascinating and informative read, which was a perfect companion to go along with my re-read of The Chronicles of Narnia this year. I highly recommend to Christians and fans of The Chronicles of Narnia. I am looking forward to my re-read of the next instalment in the series Prince Caspian even more now.

Have you read The Lion’s World? Could you recommend another work by Rowan Williams?

The Classics Club: Spin #2 Result

A quick update for you fellow bookworms the result for The Classics Club Spin is in!

The number randomly selected is: 6

Which means I will be reading: Bleak House by Charles Dickens

I knew it would be my luck that the book chosen would be one I don’t already own. Fortunately for me the classics can all be found for free for the kindle so I’m not going to let that worry me. In fact I have recently been in the mood to read more of Dickens’s work and I have been intrigued about Bleak House ever since I watched the 2005 BBC adaptation.

What has the spin chosen for you?

New Read: Root

After a glorious bank holiday weekend last week the rain has now returned to the UK. Finding myself inside again I was happy to lose myself in the exotic world of Root by Tara Maya the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but until January I seemed to have forgotten all about it. Earlier this year I polished off the second and third instalments and I was ever so lucky to get my hands on more instalments straight away. I am very glad this is a series I have rekindled my interest in.

Root is the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on previous instalments first as this post may contain spoilers.

Root continues to follow the exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable life of the young girl Dindi. After surviving a gruelling test Dindi has had her life spared and is now allowed to dance with her clan’s Tavaedi group even though she doesn’t possess magic. This is small consolation as Dindi is required to return to her home with her clan folk after losing the man she loves. There is one thing Dindi clings onto and that is the secret that in fact she does have magic. Other’s can’t view this magic because long ago a curse was placed upon her bloodline which Dindi must discover how to break if she ever hopes to reach her dreams. However there is someone  who can sense her magic. He is a dark, mysterious, and dangerous man who is to bring death and war down upon Dindi and her clan folk in the pursuit of her.

Dindi’s teacher, friend, and love interest Kavio was sadly missing from this instalment leaving Dindi to narrate the majority of Root. Kavio was mentioned but his story line was never viewed. I really hope we will return to him in later instalments because I thought the relationship between the two protagonists was really good. It was however quite refreshing to focus in on Dindi as she progresses in maturity and strength. Maya also included the voices of Kemla and Tamio two ambitious Tavaedi dancers who have a bit of sexual tension going on, the faerie born White Lady who is on the run, and the dangerous man in black who is hunting both the White Lady and Dindi herself. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought different dimensions to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all works perfectly together. Other than a few typos I thought Maya’s style, language, and story flowed really well and I didn’t notice the use of any too modern sounding language to break me out from my magical revelry.

Root was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content in this series so not recommended for younger readers. I have the next instalments Wing and Blood waiting for me on my kindle. I can’t wait to read them.

I received a free copy of Root from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of dark fantasy?

I’m counting Root as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

The Classics Club: The Great Gatsby

I won a beautiful Alma set of F Scott Fitzgerald’s work last year but until now the set has been gathering dust on my bookshelf. With the up-coming release of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby I found myself spurred on to read it. As I am looking forward to seeing the film at the cinema. Of course The Great Gatsby is also Fitzgerald’s most famous book so it felt like the right place to start in the set.

The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway in the summer of 1922 as he moves from the Midwest to Long Island to start a job as a bonds man in New York. The only people Nick vaguely knows when he arrives is his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan but they live in the more affluent area across the bay from Nick. While Nick’s area might be more up and coming it doesn’t take him long to notice his neighbour Gatsby. Every weekend Gatsby throws ever more flamboyant and fabulous parties. One evening Nick finds his neighbour Gatsby has personally invited him. From that evening on Nick finds himself a front row spectator to the tangle of Gatsby’s present, past, and future. I simply adored the setting of this book! I have always had an attraction to the glitz, glamour, and liberated behaviour of the ‘roaring twenties’ which this book played right into. However Fitzgerald has written a balanced novel where by we don’t just see the positive aspects of this time period. I was interested to read more about the social structure, the clique mind-set, and the lack of much responsibility.

The narrator of The Great Gatsby Nick Carraway I found was the only character I really liked or made any true connection with. He is honest, educated, and came across as a pretty decent fellow. I found the protagonist of the story Gatsby to be very interesting but I never felt like I really knew him. While I found myself completely disliking Daisy and her husband Tom. Actually I found myself disliking nearly all the characters but Nick. The problem was I found them all to be shallow, aloof, and secretive. I feel though this might have been intentionally because the characters themselves seemed to realise it but accepted this behaviour as normal. What I really learnt was the glitz, glamour, and flamboyant parties were pretty much all these socialites had, and that there wasn’t really much going on underneath it all.

The Great Gatsby was my first foray into F Scott Fitzgerald’s work which won’t be my last as I look forward to reading this rest of the Alma set. I found Fitzgerald’s writing to be detailed, eloquent, but quite meandering. Fitzgerald is certainly not a direct writer. He instead often starts off on one tangent to only intersect it midway through with something that catches his interest to then move back to his original point. This was quite hard to keep track of at first but once I got used to his style I didn’t find it bothered me too much. In fact it probably added to the precocious, aloof, and flamboyant mood of the setting. Not sure this style would work in any other setting though!

Overall I thought The Great Gatsby was an interesting and glitzy glimpse into the past. I can’t go as far as to say I loved it though because of the general lack of connection to the characters. Recommended to those interested in the 1920′s and American classics. This is now my 12th read off my Classics Club list.

Are you a fan of F Scott Fitzgerald? What Fitzgerald’s novel do you think I should read next?

New Read: The Glass Guardian

I don’t generally read a great deal of chick lit or women’s literature but I make an exception for Linda Gillard who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. I had read three of Gillard novels but I haven’t read one since last year so I thought it was high time I read another. The Glass Guardian Gillard’s most recent novel was handily waiting for me on my kindle.

The Glass Guardian follows Ruth Travers a successful TV gardener who finds her world falling apart after the loss of both her parents, her lover, and finally her job. Looking for healing Ruth returns to her Aunt Janet’s old family home, Tigh na Linne, on the Isle of Skye where Ruth remembers spending many pleasant summer holidays in her childhood. Sadly Aunt Janet also passes away. Living alone in Tigh na Linne Janet starts to believe that she might not just have lost her job and loved ones but perhaps her mind too. As Ruth discovers that her childhood imaginary friend, Heckie, has returned to comfort her. Heckie is in fact a ghost, and together they are to discover their past and look toward to their future. I thought The Glass Guardian was a beautiful tale that follows a mature woman through love, loss, family, friendships, loneliness, self-worth, desire, and history with a wonderful supernatural twist. Unlike a lot of chick lit/women’s literature I’ve tried to read before I think Gillard’s work has some real substance coupled with interesting and believable characters.

The protagonist of The Glass Guardian Ruth is an attractive, intelligent, and interesting woman. As a middle-aged woman Ruth has lived long enough to know who she truly is but like a lot of people she is still searching for the right place and person to share her life with. Heckie or in fact James Hector Munroe is a ghost who has lived and helped his family in Tigh na Linne since he was killed in France during World War I. Hector has stayed because he feels he has unfinished business which he feels Ruth is the one to help him complete. Plus you can add into the mix Ruth’s childhood playmate Tom and an eccentric music professor Athelstan from Canada. All in all I thought these were a great blend of characters.

I am no stranger to Gillard’s work. Each new read I am not disappointed either. I think Gillard’s writing is beautiful, detailed, but also comfortable and down to earth which is why I enjoy reading her work so much. I always feel her characters and story are realistic and interesting. I especially love all the history she puts into her stories and The Glass Guardian was no exception. Gillard added details about World War I and of music and poetry from the past. I think this historical detail always adds a wonderful depth to her tales. The difference with The Glass Guardian is the supernatural element which I haven’t read in her works before but I thought Gillard handled it well. Some elements were a little far-fetched and perhaps a little obvious however Gillard’s natural style made up for any small faults in that department.

The Glass Guardian is another beautiful tale of the love, life, and history of a strong woman from Linda Gillard. I highly recommend to those interested in women’s literature and British history. I can’t wait to read more of Gillard’s work.

I received a free copy of The Glass Guardian from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you a fan of Linda Gillard? Any recommendations what I should read next?

New Read: Queen Elizabeth I

One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to try to read more non-fiction in particular about history. I noticed that over the last few months or so different editions of A Very Brief History series by Mark Black have been offered for free on Amazon so I have been collecting them. After enjoying the Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell editions from the collection I was keen to read more from this time period so moved on to the Queen Elizabeth I edition.

Before reading this book what I knew of Elizabeth I was a lot more than I had known of her mother Anne Boleyn or her father’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell. It is hard not to know of Elizabeth as she was the longest and most successful Tudor monarch. Her reign is still referred to as ‘The Golden Reign’. One of her best and most famous successes has to be the defeat of the Spanish Armada which stopped the Inquisition reaching British soil. What I’ve learned from reading this book was more about her early years. Such as how Elizabeth received an excellent education alongside her half-brother Edward due to the influence of her father’s last wife Katherine Parr. I also learned that from a young age she was suspected by her half-sister Mary and her advisors of possible treason. Elizabeth remained under house arrest for many years as well as her two months spent within the Tower of London. Once Elizabeth became queen she was keen to bring reform to the church much like the other Tudor monarchs had but Elizabeth’s reforms were more about balance rather than favouring either Catholics or Protestants. I don’t believe Elizabeth I was perfect but she was a strong and intelligent ruler who did seem to strive for fairness for which I find I really do admire her.

This brief history of Queen Elizabeth I is separated into chapters on her birth, her childhood, the accusations of treason, her succession to the throne, church reforms, the Mary Queen of Scots plot, the wars fought and finally her death. Now this is called a very brief history and they aren’t lying if you are someone looking for in-depth history of Elizabeth I you won’t find it here.  I thought it was a wonderful introduction and taster of the important events in her life. I thought each chapter was really interesting and could be great places to discover what you would like to read and research further.

Mark Black is a relatively new author for me but I am glad to have discovered him and this series. There were a few typos in this but other than that I thought it was clear, concise and well-written. I thought each chapter was an easy bite-size length and each flowed on very well to the next. An easy and entertaining read. The previous editions I read on Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell only took me two sittings to finish! I got so into this edition that in fact I finished it in one go! I am really keen to read more from this series.

A Very Brief History: Queen Elizabeth I was a simple but interesting introduction to ‘The Golden Reign’ of Elizabeth I the last Tudor monarch. I recommend to those interested in reading more history non-fiction. I have plenty more from this series to read but I am particularly keen to read more from this time period, which leaves me with the edition on Elizabeth’s infamous father Henry VIII.

Are you interested in history? What do you think I should read next?

New Read: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

I haven’t read a memoir since I read World War II London Blitz Diary: Volume 1 by Ruby Side Thompson back in February. Over the last month or so I have been hooked on historical non-fiction so thought I would combine that with a memoir and read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl follows the trials and tribulations of the young orphan Linda. After growing up under the wing of a kind elderly lady Linda is thrown into turmoil when her mistress dies and she is left to her mistress’s family just like property. Linda is a pale and beautiful girl so is favoured by her new owners to work within their home rather than being sent to the plantation. Linda is to learn the home comes with its own dangers though as from the tender age of 13 years old she is sexually chased and harassed by her master. Linda’s grandmother has bought her own freedom in her old age. Linda dreams of joining her and is finally forced into drastic action to try to attain it. Before reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl I didn’t know a great deal about slavery other than the obvious. This memoir gave an interesting glimpse into the real life of a slave living within the south while slavery was now banned in the north. This wasn’t a happy story but it was a fascinating one.

The protagonist and the slave girl mentioned in the title is Linda. Orphaned very young Linda is pretty much raised by her old and kind first mistress where she learns to read and write. On the death of this mistress Linda’s friends and family are convinced she will be allowed her freedom, this hope is painfully dashed when she is in fact moved on to another family. This is all a shock to Linda because she has never really been treated as a slave before then. Linda might have avoided the strenuous work of the plantation and the harsh whip but I still felt a great deal of sympathy for her. Linda’s looks and pale skin may have saved her from one danger only to land her in another. As an educated and moral girl Linda is painfully aware of the liberties her master is trying to take. Linda is no saint herself but all her faults you could almost forgive because of the circumstances and her severe actions were usually forced by other’s hands.

I thought Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was well written and interesting. The memoir was comprised after the events rather than being a day-to-day diary which explains why I found the story flowed so well. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was first published in 1861 under the pen name Linda Brent but in fact her real name is Harriet Ann Jacobs. After reading this memoir I found out most names were changed to hide identities.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself is a fascinating look into slavery especially from a female perspective. I highly recommend to those interested in history, memoirs and slavery. After finishing this I am interested in reading more about slavery from this time period.

Have you read this memoir? Any recommendations of similar work?

Re-Read: The Horse and His Boy

One of my goals for 2013 is to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia’. Recently I have been reading long and pretty intense novels so over last weekend to lighten up my reading again I reached for The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Horse and His Boy follows Shasta a young boy who has grown up in a small fishing village in Calormen. Arsheesh the man who Shasta calls father is a fisherman who works the poor boy very hard. One night Shasta meets a talking horse named Bree who convinces the boy to run away with him. And so begins their adventure through the mighty city of Tashbaan, over the vast desert, through the mountains of Archenland, and finally to the magical land of Narnia. Where Bree and Shasta hope they will find freedom from slavery and servitude that they were subjected to in Calormen. I haven’t read The Horse and His Boy since I was a child and I found I’d forgotten much of what happens. This re-read felt almost more like a new read! What I loved the most about this instalment is how it gives us a glimpse into the lives of people living in the lands around Narnia. Calormen is an exotic country with little to no magic, it reminded me of Middle-Eastern countries here in our own world. This instalment also stands out because it doesn’t involve anyone travelling from our world into Narnia instead it involves characters that already live there.

The Horse and His Boy has an interesting collection of characters. The protagonist Shasta is young, naïve, kind, and he finds out along the way he is also pretty brave. With his blonde hair and fair skin he has always felt an outcast in Calormen. Bree the talking horse was captured when young and brought to Calormen so knows where he truly belongs, and convinces Shasta that he too must come from the north. Along the way they also meet Aravis a Calormene princess and her own talking horse Hwin who are both seeking freedom too. What I enjoyed the most was to meet the Pevensie siblings when they are all grown up and are in the middle of their golden reign of Narnia. I particularly loved seeing Mr Tumnus again!

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the books. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading The Horse and His Boy as the third instalment really helped me to understand better Narnia and its relationship with the lands around it. Plus it also gave me more detail about Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy’s reign over Narnia.

The Horse and His Boy is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, friendship and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday evening. I am keen to move on to Prince Caspian next, the fourth instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Have you read The Horse and His Boy? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

I’m counting The Horse and His Boy as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

New Read: The Lives She Left Behind

During the cold and snowy weather of March I happily let myself get lost in the world of Ferney by James Long. A beautiful a novel that left me wanting more. Luckily for me I already had a copy of the long-awaited sequel The Lives She Left Behind sitting on my shelf. The weather has slightly improved in April and I found I couldn’t wait any longer to find out what happens to Ferney and Gally next!

Jo is keen to escape her distant mother and the mind dulling drugs she makes her take to blot out the voice of her friend Gally. Jo finally gets her chance when she joins her friends on an archaeological dig. Luke is keen to escape too he is not close to his mother or stepfather and has no friends due to the odd things he says. After a chance meeting on the archaeological dig Jo and Luke make an instant connection, and find themselves inexplicably drawn to the small Somerset village of Pen Selwood. There they are to find their story is tangled up with school teacher Mike Martin a man living in the shadow of a dark tragedy.  Going into reading Ferney I really had little idea what I was getting myself into with The Lives She Left Behind there were elements I was looking forward to seeing. There is the never-ending romance, history, life-stories, and ’time-slippage’. The Lives She Left Behind certainly didn’t disappoint me.

Within The Lives She Left Behind there is a host of characters more than were included in Ferney. These include Jo’s faithful friends Ali and Lucy, the fun-loving archaeological team, independent woman Fleur (Jo’s mother), Luke’s trouble making parents, the dogged Detective Meehan, and the kind-hearted Rachel. But once again the real focus is on Ferney and Gally (Luke and Jo). Ferney and Gally are such bright and timeless individuals that normal folk are only left walking in their shadows. Then of course there is also poor old Mike. I really felt for him the first time round however the second time round it is seems even worse. My heart went out to him completely. While I sympathised with Ferney and Gally’s situation too it is again so unusual that I don’t think I totally accepted or understood it, I do think I understood better after this book though.

James Long was a new author to me but I am very glad I have been introduced to him as I thought Ferney and The Lives She Left Behind were both beautifully written. Long’s style is steady and has quite a lilting quality to it, once I’d started reading I found myself completely swept off into the emotionally charged tales of Ferney and Gally. Long also managed the present time period and the several historical periods effectively all times seemed to have been well researched even though some time periods were only briefly glimpsed.

The Lives She Left Behind was another enchanting journey through the unusual love, lives and history of Ferney and Gally. I highly recommend to those readers who loved Ferney. I also recommend Ferney and The Lives She Left Behind to those interested in romance, history, and ‘time-slippage’. After enjoying these novels so much I am interested in reading more of Long’s work now.

I received a free copy of The Lives She Left Behind from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.

Have you read James Long? Any recommendations for similar work?

New Read: Thomas Cromwell

One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to try to read more non-fiction in particular about history. I noticed that over the last month or so different editions of A Very Brief History series by Mark Black have been offered for free on Amazon so I have been collecting them. After enjoying Anne Boleyn from the collection I was keen to read more from this time period so moved on to the Thomas Cromwell edition.

Before reading this book what I knew of Thomas Cromwell was very little. I knew he was a powerful man during the reign of Henry VIII who played a key role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn and the disastrous match with Anne of Cleves. What I learned from reading this book was that Thomas was born a commoner who grew up to travel Europe where he learnt several languages and tried out various jobs. He returned to England where he made a name for himself in legal circles and used his connection with Cardinal Wolsey to gain power. What surprised me was that Thomas like Anne Boleyn was a big supporter of reforms in the Church. He was crucial in the publication of The Bible in English which he then had distributed to all the parishes of England. This fact makes it sadder that he so easily turned on Anne Boleyn when King Henry grew tired of her. Some would say Karma awaited him though. As after the disastrous match he made with Anne of Cleves Thomas found himself out of favour, accused of treason, and executed. Unlike Anne Boleyn I don’t really feel the greatest sympathy for Thomas. He may have helped reform the Church but he was also instrumental in the ravage of England’s monasteries and the death of many people. Thomas seemed to only care about power.

This brief history of Thomas Cromwell is separated into chapters on his time abroad, his successful return to England, his rise to power, the reforms he pioneered in the Church, his fall from favour, the accusations against him, and finally his execution. Now this is called a very brief history and they aren’t lying if you are someone looking for in-depth history of Thomas Cromwell you won’t find it here. Yet I knew little to nothing about Thomas to begin with so this book was great for me. I thought it was a wonderful introduction and taster of the important events in his life. I thought each chapter was really interesting and could be great places to discover what you would like to read and research further.

Mark Black is a relatively new author for me but I am glad to have discovered him and this series. There were a few typos in this but other than that I thought it was clear, concise and well-written. I thought each chapter was an easy bite-size length and each flowed on very well to the next. An easy and entertaining read which like the previous edition I read on Anne Boleyn only took me two sittings to finish! I am really keen to read more from this series.

A Very Brief History: Thomas Cromwell was a simple but interesting introduction to the politically charged life of Henry VIII’s ill-fated chief minister. I recommend to those interested in reading more history non-fiction. I have plenty more from this series to read but I am particularly keen to read more from this time period, which leaves me with the choice between editions on Henry VIII himself or his daughter Elizabeth I.

Are you interested in history? What do you think I should read next?