Is there anything more beautiful or fulfilling to a book lover than a book about books? Whether it be fiction or non there is something magical about reading about the love of books. I even love movies about books, although since those are almost non-existent, I find I make due with movies based on books. Rarely do they compare to the book (however I have to admit that I have come across at least two movies based on books that I liked better than the books themselves) but I usually enjoy seeing books I love brought to life even if they usually are wrong. There have been times when I see and really enjoy a movie and then find out that it was a book first. The two movies that I liked better than there book counterparts were like this. I found out that these movies I loved were books, and being the book nerd I am, I had to go and read the books. Highly disappointing in both cases.
However, back in the day when I was working at the video store in Cali, I came across a movie about books. Titled '84, Charing Cross Road.' I watched and was utterly swept away by it. For someone who is looking for a movie for simple entertainment this is not the movie for you. In fact for quite a few people this movie may seem boring and make no sense as a movie. But if you are true book nerd this movie is so much fun and endlessly entertaining. Imagine my delight when I discovered that this was not only based on a book but that it is a true story as well. It is the story of Helene Hanff a writer and script reader from New York who writes to a book shop in London called Marks & Co at 84, Charing Cross road. What begins as a simple request for out of print books turns into a twenty-year long correspondence and friendship.
Helene Hanff is a writer and script reader in New York who has a voracious appetite for secondhand books. When she has trouble finding some of the books she wants here in New York she goes searching internationally. After seeing an ad in the Saturday review Ms. Hanff writes to a bookstore in England called Marks & CO searching for her books. To her delight they send her two of her requested books and promise to send along the rest when they find them. She responds "Gentlemen: the books arrived safely, the Stevenson is so fine it embarrasses my orange-crate bookshelves, I'm almost afraid to handle such soft vellum and heavy cream-colored pages. Being used to the dead-white paper and stiff cardboardy covers of American books, I never knew a book could be such a joy to touch" (pg. 3). This is just the start of what soon becomes much more than a simple client proprietor relationship. Very soon Ms. Hanff and Frank Doel, her main correspondent, begin a friendship that lasts them twenty-years. One Christmas Helene sends the shop a bundle of food because they are still under ration. This kindness opens the door to the other employees in the shop to write to her and in short order the entire shop has become pen pals with her.
The whole book is no more than 97 pages, and is made up of nothing but letters between Helene and various people connected with the bookstore. Some letters even seem to be missing as time seems to jump rather drastically. But for someone like me that loves books because they are books this was an amazing read. It made me want to find a bookshop in some beautiful country and start a letter writing relationship with someone who has a true love of books. I find that in our day of modern technology, where 140 characters is the most people are willing to use to communicate, people are reluctant to write letters. I love letter writing, and there is something truly fulfilling about receiving something in the mail that isn't a bill or credit card offer. For me this is the perfect book because it is about people that love books and it's all letters. It's a beautiful book about a beautiful relationship and I highly recommend it. This book is simple and wonderful and perfect for book lovers everywhere!
I know this isn't much of a review but I got so excited by reading the book and seeing the movie again that I wanted to share that excitement. There is nothing less amazing than sharing the joy of a book one has just read and enjoyed immensely. That is what this is, me sharing my joy with you all. I hope that it was as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write.
On a side note as for the book club/discussion thing that I want to do, I'm thinking of veering once again from that which I thought of originally. My friend, writer/blogger Sidney McEntyre, has a friend who is an editor (I know, I'm jealous too) and her first book is coming out soon. I've decided that I want to read this book next. Not only am I supporting a new friend but the book looks really good. It's called 'Night Owls' by Lauren M. Roy and once it comes out I hope that you will all join me in reading it for discussion! More details when I have them! Don't worry KD the spy novel review will be posted next! =D
Book Title: While Beauty Slept
Author: Elizabeth Blackwell
Version: ARC
Publication Date: February 20th, 2014
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam
ISBN: 9780399166235
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm back by popular demand...well by demand anyway...ok, ok since I'm supposed to tell the truth I'm mainly just back because my manager (who has just started reading my blog) brought it to my attention that my last post was about a month ago. And so here I am once again. As my faithful readers have probably discovered the whole book club idea hasn't taken off. I seem to have lost my steam and excitement for it due to the lack of excitement from everyone else. So things have changed around a little bit. I'm still going to be rereading some books, although I've so far been weak to the calling of new books, but instead of trying to set up a discussion I'm going to put down my insights and thoughts on them and if people feel the urge to comment than that is awesome. One day I hope to have a more interactive website where things like virtual book clubs are the norm. For now this is what the new plan is. I hope that you all keep reading and enjoying what I put out for you for now!
SYNOPSIS: This is supposed to be a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. That's how it was presented to me anyway, and it was that, that made me so excited going into it. As soon as I started I realized it was more of what seemed to be a prequel to the story. It starts on a farm where a young girl, Elise, is searching for something more than just the life she leads. She lives a hard life of farming, raising her younger brothers, taking care of the animals of the farm and trying to dodge her father's blows. Although her dad was a hard man, a man that seemed to treat his children as objects, he seemed to always hate Elise just a little more than her brothers. One day at the town market Elise gets into a little scuffle with a boy, the boy angry and feeling above Elise calls her 'bastard.' Confused and hurt Elise asks her mother why the boy would call her such a thing. After thinking it over her mother tells her that Elise is actually the daughter of a man that her mother had met while working at the castle.
Knowing that her mother had lived a whole life before the hard one she was living now was like throwing gas on a flame and Elise became determined to leave the farm and find a better life. After a great tragedy that kills almost all her brothers and her mother Elise decides to leave her old life behind and head to the castle. When she finally arrives she meets with the head housemaid Mrs. Twekes and when Elise tells her who her mother was Mrs. Twekes decides to give Elise a chance. As Elise begins to learn the ins and outs of the castle she finds that although it's a scary place she feels that she has at last found a home.
After working there for some time Elise gets promoted to the Queen's personal handmaid. An honor that skyrockets Elise into a brand new style of living that takes her farther away from the rest of those that work at the castle. When the Queen finally gives birth to a beautiful baby girl Elise's love and loyalty is further cemented. On the day of their daughter's baptism the King and Queen throw a giant feast to honor their daughter and celebrate her becoming their official heir. In the middle of their great celebration the King's aunt, Millicent, who has been cast out of the royal favor shows up uninvited. Angry and vengeful Millicent makes a promise, a promise that seems like a curse, she says that her revenge will be that the King and Queen will enjoy the love and beauty of their daughter for only a handful of years and then one day they will have to watch her wither away and die. Scared and worried the whole castle gets turned upside down and the royal lives are halted. The Queen takes to fretfully watching over her daughter, the King to trying to find Millicent.
Elise is witness to this all and as Rose grows Elise begins feeling as if she is her own. Watching her grow into a willful young woman who is searching for more. And though the immediate danger of Millicent seems to have disappeared Rose is always protected and warned against the dangers of the outside world. When the castle goes to war against those that protect Millicent every one's world gets turned upside down and the war seems to be just the beginning of a doom that seems impossible to escape.
REVIEW: Alright so I have to say I'm a little obsessed with fairy tales. I watch 'Once Upon a Time,' love all things Disney, and enjoy reading and hearing about all the real stories behind the fairy tales. And lately I've felt the urge to read whatever I can on them. So when I was given this I was super excited. I couldn't wait to get into a whole new telling of Sleeping Beauty. And though I liked it overall it wasn't really what I had been hoping for. But that's not going to stop me from telling you all how much I enjoyed it.
Though the story was less a retelling and almost more of a prequel to the story of Sleeping Beauty. And it was interesting and it kept me wanting to read for most of the story but as I mentioned it wasn't what I had been hoping for. I felt that though the story was good it had it's moments when it seemed to drag. I felt that there was a chunk of about 90 pages or so that were unnecessary and made the story drag for a bit. But all in all it was an interesting story that I enjoyed reading.
This was Ms. Blackwell's first novel and although she was a freelance writer before I was thoroughly blown away by her novel writing abilities. Keeping a voice and imagery alive for an entire novel can be a difficult thing at times for new authors. But I truly felt that Ms. Blackwell did a great job keeping the writing at a top level the entire book. It was flowing, and intriguing. I ended up thinking about the way she stated things and how she described the castle and the King's knights and the giggles of the ladies in waiting even while not reading. Her writing stuck with me and I really enjoyed it.
The characters were well drawn out and full of life. Elise especially was put together in such a complicated and real manner that she was practically jumping off the page. The funny thing about the characters, and it made me like the book even more, was that none of the characters were all that likable. Elise was annoyingly naive, the Queen ridiculously overprotective, the King nothing but a hothead, and Rose was the spoiled brat that everyone circled around. But I kind of liked that I I didn't like any of them. It made it more honest somehow, everyone at court had a part to play and they all did it perfectly.
All in all I found the book enjoyable. I tip my tiny hat three times to Ms. Blackwell and her journey into a different side of Sleeping beauty. It's a good book and one that if you have a true love for fairy tales could be a fun one to read. It is not a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale so go into it fresh and not expecting that. But it's a good book, well written and mostly exciting. 'While Beauty Slept' is a book that needs to be read and decided upon by each person. I liked it and recommend it and hope that you my dear readers pick it up on the 20th, read it and enjoy it as well.
Hey folks here, finally, is the author interview with Josh Conrad! If you missed the review of his super fun book click here. I am so excited to present it after so long. I really hope you all enjoy it!
1) What drew you to writing?
"It all began in fourth grade for me. Every year, my school participated in a project called Young Authors where we had to write and illustrate our own book. I always loved receiving a new book with blank pages and endless possibilities, though I was definitely too young to take writing 'seriously.' I just did it for fun. I think this was the second time I had written and illustrated one of these books, and since the first one had taken place in space, I thought that this one should too. I decided to call it 'Lost in Space' and wrote about a boy who receives help from three aliens in an attempt to get back to Earth (somehow he had become lost...). My mother helped me type in all up after I hand-wrote the story, then I illustrated it and outlined everything in black before handing it in to my teacher. A few weeks later, she announced to our class that I had won the Young Authors award that year for 'Lost in Space.' I was shocked! Completely ecstatic (though I secretly didn't know what exactly 'winning' meant. Like, did I win a medal or something? Or just a new set of gel pens, which, let's be real, I would have happily taken...) I ended up bringing my book to the Young Authors Conference in Bloomington, IL (where, ironically enough, I would later go to college to study Music Theater) and had an amazing time there. Kids from all over the state brought their winning books and we all got to share them with each other and talk about writing. I had never experienced anything like it before. We even got to meet some of our favorite childhood authors, like Debbie Dadey, the author of the 'Bailey School Kids' books. Months later, I was sitting at my desk while my teacher read aloud from whatever book we were in the middle of when I started jotting down ideas for another story. When she saw what I was doing, she stopped reading, walked over to me, and bent down with a stern look on her face. 'Are you writing a story?' she asked. I nodded very nervously. She smiled. 'Good. Keep going.' Then she resumed reading. That moment has stuck with me until this very day and it is her support that I believe fueled my desire to continue writing through the rest of grade school and into middle and high school. I named a character after her in 'CyberWorld.'"
2) In 'CyberWorld...' you have such an interesting story line. What was the inspiration behind it?
"In the Young Authors book I had written, the main character was playing a video game in an early scene and I needed to think of a name for it. On a whim, I chose 'CyberWorld.' Months after I had written it (when I was starting a new story about aliens running a secret Dimension in outer space), I re-read the book and decided to call my new story CyberWorld. It was a land completely run by aliens...and that's it. (Clearly I went through an alien phase...). I didn't really know what the story was going to be about, but I remember constantly asking myself, 'What IS CyberWorld? Who lives there? How are aliens running it?' Then, when I decided that I wanted humans in CyberWorld, I nixed the aliens and was struck with a new idea: I wanted to merge two of my childhood interests together. (SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet read 'CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria,' I would stop reading this paragraph here and skip to the next question). I lived in a cul-de-sac my whole life, and one of my sister and I's favorite activities was spying on our parents and on our neighbors. We had spy kits and everything-it was legit. And since I was on a 'space' kick with my writing, I started to wonder what it would be like if a group of agents learned how to spy in outer space. As I considered this possibility, the muddy image of a boy and his dog trickled into focus. I still don't know why, but I knew that (SPOILER ALERT) the dog could talk. I also knew that the boy didn't learn that people could be trained to spy in outer space until he reached a certain age...and for a long time that age was 13. I was nine years old when the ideas for the story began percolating, and from its inception, it only continued to grow and grow as my imagination grew. I was constantly interested in seeing what new ideas I would get and where they would take my characters. Since I was so busy with school, it was unreasonable to set a deadline for the book; I worked on it when I could and toyed with the plot almost on a daily basis. I literally couldn't get the characters out of my head, nor could I stop asking questions about how they all ended up together in this unimaginable place fighting evil forces that they didn't even know existed. It evolved into an extremely long, nonlinear process, but the basic plotline (which was almost fully developed by the time sixth grade rolled around) remained the same."
3) What is your writing process? Do you sit down each day and force yourself to write for a while or do you sneak in time whenever you get inspired?
"After reading Julia Cameron's incredible book, 'The Artist's Way,' I have taken to doing Morning Pages every morning right when I wake up. Basically I write three pages of stream-of-consciousness longhand before doing anything else. I do this to wake myself up, get my brain moving, and take dictation fro whatever my muse is throwing at me that morning. Sometimes I don't use punctuation and write complete gibberish or lists; other times the words just POUR out of me in perfect order and I'm shocked at how profound it sounds (especially when the rest of it is complete crap). I never know what to expect, which makes it exciting, but I'm not gonna lie, writing first thing in the morning can also be tedious. Otherwise, my process is very disjointed. I must have written twenty or thirty drafts of 'CyberWorld' before I even hit the halfway point; this was mainly because I was, well, a child, and my writing continued to evolve as I advanced through school. Even though I had the entire book planned when I was in sixth grade, I did not finish my first draft until exactly one month before I graduated from college. At that point, I had been writing it for so long that even finishing was a big deal. After that, I spent a year and a half editing, revising, submitting it to agents and publishers, editing again, revising again, etc. I was adding new things all the way up until my final read-through of the book a few days before I self-published it as an e-book. In terms of a writing ritual, my new favorite thing to do it sitting down in a new cafe that I've never been to and just go. I find that my writing is more dynamic when I throw the rule book out the window and let myself be messy with it. Lord knows I'll go back and fix it later! The thing that I find to be the most important is to always carry a notebook with me. I'm constantly writing down interesting words, thoughts, ideas, and epiphanies. They hit me at the weirdest times and in the strangest of places, so I absolutely fascinated by the idea of the 'artist's process' and have learned that our processes are as unique as we are; we all have to find what works for us and what makes our inner artist feel like he or she can come out and play."
4) Charlie is a truly great character! What was the inspiration behind him?
"Thank you! I absolutely love Charlie, and I love writing him. He ended up being the dog that appeared in my mind when I envisioned Max going up to CyberWorld for the first time. Honestly, Charlie evolved entirely on his own. He came to me years ago, in summertime, when I was sitting on the side of my future high school's running track while my mom, sister, and I were getting our daily exercise (or, rather, my mom and sister were and I was sitting there writing...). I saw him clearly in my mind and knew that he was a sassy young thing. (SPOILER ALERT!) It only made sense to me that he could talk. Why not? Who doesn't love a talking dog? Especially one who can be facetious one moment and earnestly serious the next? After a while, he simply started writing himself. I have a few characters like that-Charlie, Sarah, Danny, Gyro-and there is nothing more incredible to experience or difficult to describe as having a character's words flow right through you, as if they live inside you and want to have their say before you can edit them. Not all of the characters are like that for me, but it's the ones who bugged me to get their story finally published that excite me the most."
5) What authors inspire you in your writing?
"Oh gosh, good question. Well, the ultimate answer for me is an obvious one: J.K. Rowling. Even though it took me a little while to get into Harry Potter, she taught me everything about structure, character development, pacing, language, mystery, and the best trick of all: leaving breadcrumbs for your reader to either pick up or pass over without realizing that it's a clue for something that happens later on. She revolutionized books for everyone, not just children, and she heavily influenced my young and imaginative mind. Before J.K., I was obsessed with Roald Dahl. I don't know if I have ever read more imaginative children's books in my life; he tapped right into my soul and invited me to spend time with characters that I wished were real because I knew that we would've been friends (like Fantastic Mr. Fox for instance). In middle and high school, I became nuts over Ray Bradbury and John Steinbeck, and in high school I gained an appreciation for classics like The Catcher in the Rye (my favorite book) and Anthem. Lately, I'm reading all kinds of authors and genres, but I'm absolutely mad about the Beats. Jack Kerouac's writing is pure magic to me; I could read him every day, all day (and sometimes do). There are absolutely no rules for him; he just writes it like he feels it and didn't care much for vast amounts of editing, which speaks a lot to the idea that writing from a completely honest place often yields better work than an 'edit-as-you-go' approach. In terms of non fiction, I absolutely swear by Julia Cameron. Her books, including the 'Artist's Way' series and 'The Right to Write' have changed my life and made me see how important it is to grow in my art every single day. Collectively, these authors have shown me how to step out of my own box and embrace all that could be while also thoroughly investigating what is. I know that CyberWorld would not be what it is today without each and every one of their influences."
6) What can we look forward to from you in the future? I know in your author biography you mentioned more adventures in CyberWorld but anything else coming soon? Although truth be told I can't wait for the next adventure involving Max and his friends!!
"Well, I know it won't take 13 more years, but I am hard at work on the sequel to Legend of Alaxeria and am hoping to have some kind of rough draft completed by the end of this year. I have planned for five books in the series, so I'm also simultaneously adjusting the plot lines for those books and figuring out how all the loose ends come together. Though I don't often stray from the Cyber Dimension when I'm in the zone, I have also been working on two television pilots (a sitcom and a musical drama), another book series, a stage play, and something that I should probably celebrate: having TOO many ideas! If I could sit and write all day, I would, but there are things to do and bills to pay, so I write in whatever free time I have. My ultimate goal at this point is to have Legend of Alaxeria published on a mainstream scale and then complete the CyberWorld series with the remaining four books. Then, the sky's the limit. (Though I wouldn't be surprised if in between writing the remaining CyberWorld books I dabble in some other ideas)."
Thank you Josh Conrad for taking time away from your precious writing time to answer the questions! I loved getting a glimpse into your life as a writer! I'm sure my readers will love it just as much!! I know we all look forward to the next from you!!
This is a mini post due to the lateness of the hour and me being tired. I want to assure those that have been waiting for it the author interview with Josh Conrad will be up next week! Hopefully by Sunday. If you haven't seen the review of his recently published novel "CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria" take a look, you'll want to pick up a copy as soon as you can!
With the new year I decided that I was gonna have a new way of reviewing books. In my last post of 2013 I mentioned that I wanted to start a cyber book club and that is still my intention for 2014. I have so many books that I want to reread that I was unsure as to where to begin. I decided to take inspiration from other books, and picked up a copy of a non-fiction book called 'All Roads Lead to Austen' by a Professor from California named Amy Smith. A true book nerd and lover of Jane Austen she decided to combine two of her favorite things and travel for a year in South America gathering together groups of readers in different countries to discuss Jane Austen. I'm only about a little ways into the book but I'm enjoying it so far. Dr. Smith's goal in her traveling book club is to discover if Austen translates in other countries the way she does here. She is in search of South American Jane-ites.
Dr. Smith states that 'Sense & Sensibility' is usually looked down upon as one of the lesser novels. She says that many of her students find it slow and overly preachy. I was shocked when I read that because that just happens to be one of my all time favorite Austen works. With that in mind and a nagging thought that might be turning into an idea I've decided to start off my cyber book club with reading 'Sense & Sensibility.' I will have a conference number that people can call in so we can discuss about the novel. This will be my first time doing anything like this so forgive me in advance for a little bumpy start. I'll post the number and date of the call in the next post. I'm excited and nervous and hope you all are as well.
As for tonight that is all for now, but look forward to an author interview early next week. Thank you all for the support last year and I look forward to a wonderful year full of books, reading, and great discussion in 2014!
So faithful readers we have come through another year together. It has been a year of ups and downs, of good reads and bad, of some posts and none. I know that I haven't been as faithful with my posts this year as I could have been and I apologize but it has been an intense year. And this post will not be a review nor will it be the author interview that was promised after my last review, it is instead something else.
This year was full of new books, some with sad memories attached (like the books I read while I was in California helping my dad recover from surgery), books that I fell instantly in love with, like 'Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore', and 'Shadow of the Wind'. Books that made me laugh like Christopher Moore's 'Lamb' and Tina Fey's 'Bossypants.' And it was filled with books that inspired me to read even more books like 'Tolstoy and the Purple Chair' and even though I didn't like it 'Howard's End is on the Landing.' I visited different worlds, like in 'CyberWorld' and battled cancer and an impossible decision with the characters in 'Loving Marcus.' It was a year of books that I absolutely loved and books that I couldn't stand and books that made me go 'meh.' But the thing that united them all was the fact that they were all brand new to me. Which of course is a wonderful part about reading, all the new stories and authors that await you.
Now I may be a little odd in this but I truly love going back and rereading a favorite novel. The past couple of years I have mainly focused on reading new things. 2014 is going to be a little different for me and hopefully for you dear readers. I have decided to make 2014 my reread year. I am going to take some of my favorite novels and visit the worlds they hold between their covers once more. I will of course be reading some new things because lets face it, I just can't help myself. But I will be doing my reviews a little differently. I want to set up a virtual book club, not sure yet how I am going to do it but what I want to do is pick a book and get my readers to read it with me and then some how we can get together and discuss it. I think what I am going to do is get one of those conference numbers and post it here each time it is time for the discussion.
I am planning on starting with a little Jane Austen, I think I was thinking of starting with 'Emma' and moving on from there. Now I know that not everyone reads at the same pace so the discussion will be recorded and downloaded here so that if you miss it or choose to skip it you can listen to it and comment on it here. I plan on reviewing some of the new books I read as well so that I can offer new recommendations. I hope that you will join me in this new adventure for the new year! I'll post the details of how it's all going to work in the next week or so. If you or any of your reading friends decide to come on this journey with me I can promise a good time, and as always lots of good reading!
Thank you all for spending 2013 reading with me. I look forward to the next year and all the great books that await us whether new or old! Happy New Year dear friends! I'll see you in 2014! Happy reading!
Book Title: CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria
Author: Josh Conrad
Version: eBook
ISBN: B00GWNSJQQ
Publisher: Self Published
Published: November 25th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
SYNOPSIS: Max Cruiser seems to have it all under control. He's a straight A student, he's well loved by all, and once he turns 16 he just knows he's going to make it onto all the varsity teams at school. He has the perfect home life, parents that love him, a brother that is away at school and a mom that knows how to throw a party. Basically Max Cruiser's life rocks.
On his 16th birthday things begin to take a turn for the weird and unusual. While out getting surprise party supplies his mom gets attacked, and almost killed. After the assassin is taken into custody by her team of rescuers, something even stranger occurs. The sky opens up and ships appear. This does not faze Maria Cruiser at all, but the news the ships bring does. An old friend also suddenly appears, Félix Santalago, and tells Maria some incredible news. Her near perfect son Max has just been accepted at the Cyber Academy!
Back home Max's surprise party goes off wonderfully, he has tons of friends there and he gets all the presents he wanted. After the party when all the guests are gone and Max was still glowing, his parents and their dear friend Félix, sit him down to give him one last gift. They tell him that they are actually CyberSpies and he has just been accepted to their old training school Cyber Academy. Max goes to bed feeling angry, confused and betrayed. After thinking about it through the night and with a little help from a very special friend, Max decides to accept the invitation to CyberWorld and the Cyber Academy. What starts with a surprising trip to a new dimension soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW: Let me state right up front that I truly enjoyed this book all the way through. I couldn't seem to put the book down, which for a first novel is quite something. So please remember that I really, really liked the book because I did.
All that being said I did have a few moments of 'oh right this is a first novel.' And I must admit that it felt a little bit like Harry Potter set in space. Which is fine because I have a true love for Harry Potter. And there is nothing wrong with imitating something you love. The story was great though, full of incredible characters, adventure and mystery. I loved it all the way through but it also felt familiar. This of course is not bad and for a first novel is a lost expected, and I take no points off for that.
The writing was wonderful and has much potential to be truly great that I can hardly wait for the next from Josh Conrad. I think that Mr. Conrad has a great voice and though the story felt familiar at times his voice was fresh and I think that we can safely say that Mr. Conrad has some great things in him just waiting to get out. I guess I should say more great things waiting to get out. All in all the book was well written, well put together and full of wit and twists that kept me up late into the night. It was really well done for a first novel. I think that he is just going to get better the more he writes.
The book was great and I loved the story and the characters but I also felt that it was a tad too long. It was a first novel and I think that maybe Josh Conrad was nervous about finishing it or how to end it or something because it went on for a little longer then I felt necessary. I loved the climax of the story but I felt like it happened early and then the book just kept going. In his author biography Mr. Conrad says that he is working on four sequels, which I can't wait for because I love Max and all his friends, but that means that there is plenty of time to keep the story going. I hope that with the subsequent sequels Mr. Conrad has more confidence in himself and is able to trim down and really make us beg for more.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, although I have started enjoying it more in the last year or so, but this book captured me. I know that I may have said some harsh things here but above and beyond all things the book captured my attention and kept me reading from the first page to the last thrilling sentence. I do think that the author has a long way to go until he is truly great but I think, no I know that we are all going to really enjoy the journey.
All in all the book was a really good first novel and I highly suggest those fantasy buffs out there, find a way to buy a copy and not only support a budding new author but also to enjoy a truly fun fantasy story. It's worth the read because it is a fun and exciting read and what more can you ask for when it comes to a fantasy novel? I tip my tiny hat four times to Mr. Conrad for excitement, mystery and a great start to what I think is going to be an exciting career.
Tonight I have decided to put together two reviews and make it just one post. See both books that I want to review are by the same author. And since I am trying to keep things fresh and new I am combining the two. Sounds a little strange I know because they are two different books, different stories so how can the two be combined? I guess we will just have to discover that together.
Book One Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780743298025
Published: September 12, 2006
Publisher: Atria
Book Two Title: Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781476711959
Published: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
First and foremost I would like to state that I think Diane Setterfield is a great writer. I find that her writing is addicting in all the best ways. Once you start reading you can't seem to stop, you can't stop reading, can't stop thinking about it and it is all consuming and amazing. The great thing too about these two books is how they differ from each other. There is a hole that authors can sometimes fall into, where book after book feels the same, same basic story, same character traits and after awhile it becomes boring. With Ms. Setterfield, so far, each book has a unique flavor to it.
"The Thirteenth Tale" is a book about books, about the love of books so of course I was intensely interested from the start. Margaret Lea lives in an antiquarian bookshop with her father and mother. From a very early age Margaret was fascinated by the world of books and reading. Her father, a simple quiet lover of books, encouraged this. Her mother was distant and sad and never really seemed to respond to Margaret. As Margaret grew up she became endlessly fascinated with the stories of people and the lives they led. Biographies became not only her passion but her livelihood. One day she receives a letter from a very famous and very private mystery writer, Vida Winter. Although Margaret has never met this woman, in fact she has never even read her books, Ms. Winter requests that Margaret comes to her and writes her biography. Surprised but intrigued Margaret decides to meet with Ms. Winter. Her curiosity heightens even more after reading her books, and Margaret goes to meet Ms. Winter. As her story starts unfolding Margaret finds herself drawn into a world of darkness, hopelessness and twins. Above all she finds herself drawn into the story about twins, a story that touches the very core of her own.
"Bellman & Black" is a story about a man who as a young boy killed a rook with a catapult. Frightened by what he has done William Bellman pushes the memory as far into the recesses of his mind as possible and locks it away for good. As he grows up he becomes the best loved young man in town. He is friendly, hardworking, handsome, and well trusted by all. Since he is related to the Bellmans that own the Bellman mill he learns the business. As he learns it, and quickly masters it he suffers the loss of his mother, his uncle and his cousin in quick succession. Using his grief to fuel his work, he becomes the head of the mill and starts taking it to all new heights. He eventually gets married and has kids and his life seems to be going perfectly. When two of his kids and then his wife die he throws funeral after funeral for them. At each funeral a strange man appears, a man all dressed in black, a man that is never there when William goes to look for him. One night, drunk and alone William stumbles to his wife's grave where who should be there but the strange man himself. This man proposes an idea to William, an idea that sparks an empire, an empire of death called 'Bellman & Black.'
Both books are well written, well put together and utterly mysterious. Diane Setterfield has a mystical voice that comes out beautifully in both books, a voice that from the very first line of 'The Thirteenth Tale' captured me. Her writing is magical and in each book I found myself unable to tear myself away. For a debut novel 'The Thirteenth Tale' was perfectly written and 'Bellman & Black' followed it masterfully. Ms. Setterfield has an incredible talent and I really look forward to seeing what else she brings to the world of literature.
Now as for stories 'The Thirteenth Tale' was truly amazing. Of course I went into it knowing that I would like it because it was about books and the love and respect of books. But when I really started getting into the book and the story within it I found myself loving every detail of the story. It was up and down and elegant and gruesome and I loved every second of it. It took me in directions that I was shocked at and there were times when I actually had no idea what was going on at all but I was so into the story that I kind of liked not knowing what was happening. It was incredible.
With 'Bellman & Black' the story was good. I found myself confused a lot of the time about who was who and what was going on but not in the same way as with her first book. It's full title is 'Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story' and I found myself confused as to why. Even now after reading it and letting the story sit for awhile I have no idea what it was actually about. Where was the ghost story? What was the book actually about? I found myself being confused by it and even at the end I stayed confused. The story was just good enough to keep me interested all the way through and of course the writing made up for it. It just didn't wow me as much as 'The Thirteenth Tale' did. But it was still a good story.
All in all the books were well done and I am so glad that I read them. I'm already looking forward to the next book by Diane Setterfield because she is such an amazing writer. It's been a long time that I have found a new writer that is truly unique and talented. It is an exciting thing finding a new author to be this excited about. I hope that you, my readers, find a way to pick up one of Diane Setterfield's books because I think that they will sweep you away and make you fall in love with reading all over again. I tip my tiny hat five out of five times to 'The Thirteenth Tale' and only three and a half times out of five for 'Bellman & Black.' I highly recommend both of them though simply because her writing is just that good!
