Stacking the Shelves

This is a weekly meme (I'm a few days late!) hosted by: http://tyngasreviews.com

Sorry for the not so great pictures btw! :/

So this week I picked up a proof from work which I've just started to read: 

Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It. 

Wisdom of the Great Philosophers on How to Live. 

By Daniel Klein

'Fifty years ago it was in the hope of finding some guidance on how to livethe best life he could that led Daniel Klein to embark on the study of philosophy at Harvard, where he began filling a notebook with short quotations from the world's greatest thinkers. Now, decades later, Klein revisits the wisdom he relished in his youth and takes a wryly humorous look at some of life's great issues. From Epicurus and Emerson to Camus and Beckett, Klein expounds upon each pith pronouncement with his inimitable charm and insight. The result is Every Time I find the Meaning of Life... - a light-hearted meditation on the most profound subject there is.'

This goregous looking, intriguing book:

After Alice

by Gregory Magire

'When Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she found Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she had left behind. But how did Victorian Oxford react to Alice's disappearance?

Gregory Maguire turns his imagination to the question of underworlds, undergorunds, uderpinnings - and understandings old and new, offering ab inventive spin on Carroll's enduring tale. Ada, a friend mentioned briefly in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, sets out to visit Alice but, arriving a moment too late, tumbles down the rabbit hole herself.

Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause ad effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and bring her safely home from this surreal world below the world. The Whire Rabbit, the Chesire Cat and the bloodthristy Queen of Hearts interrupt their mad tea party to suggest a conundrum: if Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or if Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life.

Either way, everything that happens next is After Alice.'

The last book I picked up was actually from an event that I worked! I managed to get a signed copy of:

The Best Christmas Present in the World

by Micheal Morpurgo.

'The chance discovery of an old letter brings to life the story of a Christmas miracle amid the horrors of the trenches.'

& here's a wonderfully embarassing photo of us all at work with him, but I must say, he was lovingly eccentric and funny :) .

* Read any of the above? Want to now? Let me know. Comments & thumbs up much appreciated! x

Time Lord Fairy Tales 5 Stars 
by Justin Richards
(Illustrated by David Wardle)

These really are fairy tales for grownups. Fairy tales for nerds!

'WE ARE ALL STORIES IN THE END...

Fifteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords.

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs, from across all of time and space.'

*noise of bookish satisfaction!*

God that blurb. It's gorgeous in itself. I imagine it being read by Peter Capaldi and I just ooze into a puddle nerdy satisfaction.

This book was the perfect pick-me-up. I'm a big Doctor Who fan and I lovelovelove fairy tales, so weave them together and you get a book I adore!

What made this even better is that I was actually prepared to be disappointed by what lurked beneath its beautiful cover, but instead, was curiously captivated. (Unfortunately I'd read a previous DW book and found it boring and childish.)

There's so much inside this rather average sized book that it's quite the surprise. I think the best way to show you is to list all the marvellous mashups (trust me, these aren't spoilers, they're tidbits of temptation!): Weeping Angels; Snow White and cryogenics; Cinderella and the Doctor; a twist on Hansel and Gretel; three little Sontarans and more; a wormhole instead of a beanstalk; Snow White and a doomsday machine; Zygons dressed as Grandma; Cybermen and a certain Pied Piper of Gallifrey; Beauty and the Beast; Slitheen;  three brothers Gruff; an Ice Warrior; nods to previous Doctors, their companions and more. Phew!

I think the short story format worked wonders here, it was just the right length like a digestible episode of DW itself :) - perfect for my short trips on public transport. That fairy tale tone has been captured perfectly in this collection, making it such an easy joy to read, but it's the dollop of Science Fiction and dash of excitement that make this book so fantastic. I really feel I'm not doing this enough justice here, but if I went into more detail I'd be in spoiler territory... These really are fairy tales for grownups. Fairy tales for nerds!

JUST READ THEM! *enormous thumbs up*

(I'm pretty sure you'll thank me for it! :p)

*Read these? Going to now? DW fan? 

Please comment & let me know, thumbs up much appreciated. x

The Cement Garden 1 Star 
by Ian McEwan

I had to force myself to read it.

Unfortunately I don't have much to say about this one, which you can probably gather by the 1 star I've given it. I've seen through GoodReads that it's resonated with a lot of people, just not with me. 

I believe it's supposed to show the power of grief and the fragility of childhood and the child mind, as well as that of life itself. Honestly, I did pick up on those points, but not enough. I didn't feel that McEwan truly delved into or delivered on anything - for me my overall experience of the book was: weirdness.

 

I had to segment the book so I could manage it for a book club, it was that boring and uncomfortable for me. That instantly does not say, good book, if I had to force myself to read it.  But perhaps that second point was the purpose? Some have said it is.

 

But there are good descriptive passages and parts that had the shock or squeamish factor, so, good going there McEwan? He's such a popular writer that actually this hasn't put me off, I'm still determined to read Atonement at some point (Because of all the hype) and hopefully he can redeem himself there...

*Read this too? Agree/disagree? Let me know in the comments.

Thumbs up much appreciated. x

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by: http://tyngasreviews.com/2015/11/stacking-the-shelves-184.html

I've just got the one book this week, but boy oh boy, is it a special one!

*holy music* Bask in it's golden glory! :p

*screams* The. Most. Expensive. Book. I. Own.

But it was released the day before my birthday, so, you know, excuses excuses...

And excuse me if it looks a tad grubby, the tiniest touch and, well, there's the result on the left. It's like Goldfinger does forensics...

The differences from the normal hardback edition or Waterstones Limited edition (both of which I also own ^^) are: a tad of extra content, it's printed on more delicate paper, it's stamped with THE bee sigil from Pratchett's OWN office, it has artistic end papers, a signed and limited print by Kidby and is itself, limited to just 500 copies.

Can you tell that Terry is my favourite author yet!?

I am truly going to treasure this. It is right next to my cardboard stand of Tiffany Aching. Perfect.

 P.S. Sorry here have been no other updates since last weeks Staking the Shelves. I'm struggling with Battle Royale and trudging through The Cement Graden for my book club, BUT am happily reading and nearly finished, Time Lord Fairy Tales - yay!

* Liked this post? Want to read Terry Pratchett or already a fellow fan? Please comment & thumbs up!

Weekly meme, hosted by: http://tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html

Stacking the Shelves


Here's what I got this week:

I love collecting the Penguin Clothbound editions! I already have 6. I thought these were fitting because it's just been Halloween (Frankenstein is also a book I've read over and over and I read Dracula whilst in its settting of Whitby) and I just couldn't resist them when I was helping out in a fellow bookshop.

I've been trying to resist these on the Book People website for years now! The ones in cellophane are only £1 per book! My bookshop is hosting an event with Morpurgo so I thought it'd be nice to delve into the world of being a child again sometime in November.

Whilst The Cement Garden was choosen for my book club this month.


*Fan of Morpurgo? Love the Gothic genre too? Let me know. Comments & a thumbs up are very welcome & much appreciated x

All Hallows Eve, Wish List and Recommendations:

So I wanted to make a list of books perfect for Halloween, fall and these darker nights and chills. <3

Nightfall by Jake Haller & Peter Kunjawinski 

'On Marins Island, sunrise doesn't come every twenty-four hours it comes every twenty-eight years. The rituals are puzzling bizarre. Just as the ships are about to set sail, a teenage boy goes missing. But night is falling. Their island is changing. And it may already be too late.'

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke

'A host of the sharpest young adult authors come together in this collection of terrifying tales and psychological thrillers. From bloody horror, to the supernatural, to unsettling, all too possible realism, this collection has something for everyone looking for an absolute thrill.'

Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo Hunt

'Luke has been left in charge of his father's ghost collection. They want revenge, and in the absence of the father, they're more than happy to take the son. Luke has just thirteen days to uncover the closely guarded secrets of black magic, and send the unquiet spirits to their eternal rest.' 

Conversion by Katherine Howe

'The first victim is gorgeous, popular Clara. More students follow suit with new symptoms. Experts scramble to find something, or someone, to blame. But there is one thing no one has factored in: the school's town was once Salem Village - and it seems history is about to repeat itself.'

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

'Sofia's expectations are shattered when her new friends kidnap Brooklyn, a troubled classmate, and attempt to save her. The girls stage an exorcism, but their efforts spiral wildly out of control. Sofia will learn who is good and who is evil. What she discovers is the biggest surprise of all...'

Survive the Night also by Danielle Vega

'Casey doesn't think Survive the Night could get any worse...until she comes across Julie's mutilated body. And by the time they get back to the party, everyone is gone. But every manhole is sealed shut, and every noise echoes eerily in the dark, reminding them they're not alone. They're being hunted.'

Alice by Christina Hendry

'Alice has been in the mental hospital for years. All she can remember is a tea party long ago. Long ears and blood. When Alice escapes, something escapes with her. And the truth she so desperately seeks is so much stranger than any madman's ranting.'

And pretty much anything by Stephen King - no more needs to be said there!

I've personally read and would highly recommend:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

'One of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century Gothicism. A subversive and morbid story warning against the dehumanisation of art and the corrupting influence of science. The prototype of the science fiction novel, it has spawned countless adaptations but retains it's original power.'

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

'Oskar and Eli. Both victims. Against the odds, they became friends. Oskar dreams about his absentee father, gets bullied at school, and wets himself when he's frightened. Eli is the young girl who moves in next door. She is a 200-year-old vampire, forever frozen in childhood, and condemned to live on a diet of fresh blood.'

The Shining by Stephen King

'When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny's visions grow out of control. The hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive? Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel - and that, too, is beginning to shine...'

(The above 3 being some of my favourite books ever!)

And Dracula by Bram Stoker

'When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England. In the ensuing battle of wills between Dracula and a determined group of adversaries - led by van Helsing - Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.'

* Read any of these? Any other suggestions? Has this list given you ideas? Please comment below & thumbs up this post! x

The Danish Girl 3 Stars
by David Ebershoff

A truth based tale of a transgender person, that needed to be told, and that needs to be read.

This book was picked for a ladies book group that I try to attend, because it is being made into an upcoming movie starrring Eddie Redmayne. Although I was suprised that it's currently out of print, (there's a possible reprint in December) but if you can get your hands on a copy, I'd say it's well worth it.

A man's (Einar Wegener) journey of self discovery is sparked by a seemingly innocent act, a favour for his wife when he poses in women's clothes when her model is missing for a portrait. The best way I can bolster this book is with a quote (p10-11): 'Yes, that was how it felt the first time: the silk was so fine and airy that it felt like a gauze - a balm-soaked gauze lying delicately on healing skin.' It is through wonderfully incitful and beautiful quotes like these, that Ebershoff manages to create a path to understanding.

I could not truly begin imagine what it feels like to be trapped in your own body - that was until I read this book. Hopefully that speaks volumes to you... 

Whilst this is a rather romanticised version of the truth, it doesn't stint on covering all the aspects. We see both positive and negative responses to Einar's want to change, getting inside both his head and that of his wife, Greta's, as well as details about the medical side too.

When you are made to feel someone elses excrutiating pain, humilation and fear, you cannot not see that they were born that way. (See, on a lighter note, Lady Gaga's right!)

There's much more to this book, but it's such a personnal in-the-moment experience that it's hard to surmise it afterwards. 

I think, ultimately, it's a book about acceptance and the goodness of human nature, about being at peace with yourself, whether transgender or not, and about true selflessness, and love.

* Want to read this now? Liked this review? Anticipating the film? 
    Please thumbs up and comment below! x