Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has emerged as one of my favourite books I’ve ever read. Oskar Schell is the most lovable (but sometimes despicable) characters I have ever encountered. What I love about this book the most however is that tells a story about relationships, whether between a grieving mother and son, or a failed relationship decades past. Foer also manages to weave history together with his story in a way that this book will make you realise that no matter how much you think you might live in a bubble, our actions present and of years past affect the world more greatly than we will probably ever know.

What starts off as a boy’s adventure to find answers affects not only him but an array of characters, sort of like when a butterfly flaps its wings it causes a tsunami on the other side of the planet.

Do yourself a favour and read this book. WARNING: It will give you heavy boots.

Blurb

In a vase in a closet, a couple of years after his father died in 9/11, nine-year-old Oskar discovers a key…The key belonged to his father, he’s sure of that. But which of New York’s 162 million locks does it open? So begins a quest that takes Oskar – inventor, letter-writer and amateur detective – across New York’s five boroughs and into the jumbled lives of friends, relatives and complete strangers. He gets heavy boots, he gives himself little bruises and he inches ever nearer to the heart of a family mystery that stretches back fifty years. But will it take him any closer to, or even further from, his lost father?

Looking Forward – Pan Macmillan 2012

Today I went to the Pan Macmillan Adult Presentation having no idea what to expect, and not really sure if I’d even be able to find my way there, but after traversing the Gautrain and a bus I made it to their offices unscathed and in quite a pleasant mood.

The presentation consisted of two parts, their South African books and their international list so without further ado I present some of the titles you can look forward to from Pan Macmillan in 2012:

South African Non-fiction

Two of the series stood out for me here:

Reverend Frank Chikane’s new book Seven Days in September (March 2012) will give the reader a front row seat to removal of Thabo Mbeki as South African president; it will shed light on what happened during those seven days in September 2008, the build-up to it and Mbeki’s legacy.

Chikane has been signed on for three titles with Pan and the book following Seven Days in September will be Things I Could Not Say to be released in September 2012. His other book No Life of My Own will be rereleased to coincide with Seven Days in September.

The other series I am really looking forward to is The Youngsters Series which will consist of a number of smaller, shorter format books focusing of topical issues for young people in South Africa, all the authors are under 35. The series’ editor is Mandy Weiner who wrote the runaway success Killing Kebble. Pan hopes to attract the youth market with these titles, and I think it looks like a fantastic series. Three titles from the series are set to be released in June 2012.

South African Fiction

Three titles from their RSA fiction presentation stood out for me, namely Entanglement, Sarah House and Redemption Song.

Entanglement (March 2012) by Steven Boykey Sidley is set in the USA, and looks at very sweeping themes in a dark, humourous way. I don’t have that many details but by the presentation I can tell the publishers are passionate about this one and I really look forward to it.

Sarah House (March 2012) is a title found in the ‘slush pile’ which looks to be as though it will be the literary highlight for South African fiction next year. It is written by Ifeanyi Ajaegbo, who is a man who works at an NGO in Nigeria helping victims of human trafficking and providing them with safe houses. The novel tells the story of Nita, ‘a young woman who is kidnapped and sold into a terrifying world of prostitution and human trafficking’. I think this is going to be an emotional but important read, especially considering what a huge problem human trafficking is in the world.

And finally for the South African list we have Redemption Song by Amanda Coetzee which follows Badger, from her first book Bad Blood, to Albania and explores traveller communities even further. This book can be read as a standalone, but it will surely win some new fans for Coetzee.

International Fiction

The Trylle Trilogy is coming to a bookstore near you, Amanda Hocking self-published and self-made millionaire has joined St. Martin’s Press and her Trylle Trilogy is set for release in 2012. And I can tell you the covers look absolutely beautiful, no more depressing black and red, or black and blue covers, these full colour covers come to life and I’m sure will bring a whole new following to Hocking’s story. I have already read Switched, but I am really looking forward to the edited, beautiful version. Also I look forward to her untitled Watersong series coming in September 2012.

Easy Money by Jens Lapidus is the other title coming in 2012, he is said to be the next big Scandinavian -English translation hit and US film rights have already been purchased. The first in a trilogy, this book takes the usual Scandinavian crime and throws it over and has sold more than 1 million copies in Sweden alone. Pan Macmillan gave me a proof copy to read, so I will post my review in the near future.

Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer (Book II in the Clifton Chronicles) is set for release in March 2012, the bigger new than this is that Mr. Archer MIGHT be coming on a South African tour to coincide with the release of this title.

Picador will be celebrating their 40^th birthday and are rejacketing some of their titles. I can tell you they look absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to get by book-nerd hands on them.

The Last Rhino by Lawrence Anthony, author of Elephant Whisperer, is releasing this new title in April 2012 which judging by Elephant Whisperer’s success will follow in its footsteps.

Tigers in Red Weather was described as ‘cocktails, jazz, and suppressed violence’. The book is something for fans of books like The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Carol Shaben’s Into the Abyss (August 2012) sounded like a bad joke when presented to us, a criminal hand-cuffed to a policeman, a politician and a pilot survive a plane crash. It’s a true-life adventure written by the politician’s daughter and I am really looking forward to it.

And lastly Peter F. Hamilton’s A Great North Road (October 2012) is being published and Pan have also signed him up for another three titles.

There were many more titles to look forward to but unfortunately you’d be reading forever if I wrote about them all.

About a boy and a dragon

Eragon was one of those books that was completely off my radar when it came out and subsequently I never got round to reading it. Thus it came about that my dear friend, Marius (@Shanothaine) decided I should read it. Well there are things 16 year old boys should do, and one of those is not writing books.

I love the concept of Eragon but I have a few issues with it:

1. The book was published first by Paolini International, which is all fine and well except a professional editor does more than just correct spelling and grammar errors but helps the author develop their manuscript to be the best it can be.
2. The character of Saphira got on my nerves, I have issues (with books) where the protagonist (Eragon) is made out to be dumber than what is, in fact, a baby dragon. And yes Marius explained why Saphira is supposed to be smarter… blah… blah. I don’t care, I still don’t like it.
3. This book would have been brilliant if: Paolini had waited until he was a bit older and had developed his craft a bit more before setting out to write this book and if an editor had taken the time to edit the book and help develop it further. Also ridding the clichés would have harmed no one.
4. Oh and another thing, his ideas were not very original, bits and pieces from other fantasy writers and basically a fantasy version of Star Wars.

So did I like it? The book has potential, it was okay. I struggled to read it, actually dreaded reading it at times but I got through it. The last few chapters redeemed it slightly, but it was too late in the day to save it. Am I going to read Eldest? Yes, I am; Because I’m not a quitter.

Water for Elephants

Upon hearing the movie was to be released I decided I was going to read the book before I watched the movie. Also at the time the book was only $5 on kindle, so it wasn’t going to break the piggy-bank. Water for Elephants isn’t the sort of book I usually read, romance, history, circus… well it just seemed like a good combination. Plus I have always been fascinated by The Great Depression which is when this book takes place.

Before I continue with my review here is the blurb:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

So Water for Elephants for me is about a boy becoming a man and learning to love. Having lost his parents and being thrown into an unknown world entirely by coincidence it is either do or die for Jacob Jankowski. But the book is not only about the young Jacob but alternates with the boring, sterile and confined world of the retirement home Jacob lives in while he narrates the story of his youth. You feel sorry for the old Jacob in that the excitement of his youth has come to this. His life is dictated by nurses, he has to deal with other older people in the retirement home and he longs for food that actually tastes like food. Gruen ties together the present and past with this beautiful story about the adventures of the young Jacob and the longing for excitement by the older, retired Jacob. The characters are well constructed with the antagonist being well-rounded and the reader can understand that the man is not purely evil but it is something that goes far deeper. Marlena is what I imagine an unhappy wife in the 1920s to be like, the modern day woman might shout out, ‘leave him’ but where was she to go? Her husband and the circus were everything; she is a much stronger character than I think a lot of people give her credit for. And her growth can be seen as reflected by the star of the book, Rosie the elephant. The other characters are also enjoyable and well-rounded and add their parts to the story.

This book feels like a last will and testament of Jacob Jankowski, having lost his wife and his children are also old and have their own families to worry about he is again alone in the world. His message is clear, ‘life is the greatest show on earth’ and therefore shouldn’t be lived worrying about the daily problems but rather focussing on the bigger things in life and fighting for your beliefs.

P.S. I also recommend the movie starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz (who gives an amazing performance), beautifully filmed it is definitely worth watching.

Nineteen Eighty-Four

This week marked the book birthday of Nineteen Eighty-Four, it was first published in 1949, on 8 June. This book, like The Hobbit, is one of those you have to read. It is like a civic duty to literature. It was about a year ago when I read it. It is not one of those books that leave you with a fuzzy feeling inside; it is a dark vision of the future written from Orwell’s perspective. Has the world become this? I don’t think so; however we have become closer to Orwell’s version of dystopia. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a person who is constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for Big Brother to catch me. However I am wary of governments, like my own, who are trying to control what we read and see in the media. I’m not a fear-mongerer but I call a spade a spade.

Anyway back to Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is a fantastic book. I am a huge fan of dystopia and this is the father of all dystopia. If you have not read it, you cannot understand the fear instilled in you that Winston could be caught at any minute. Orwell weaves a story and a vision of our universe that is so complete that you can actually believe that the world could end up like that. Winston is a wonderful character, and so is Julia. Orwell’s writing is well-knit and although there are points that are difficult to get through, it is probably because he wants it to be difficult. This is a story for all generations (which has been proven) and I think it helps to keep us all a little bit more human.

So do your civic duty, and read Nineteen Eighty-Four!

(Is that too ‘Big Brother’ for you?)

Synopsis: Novel by George Orwell, published in 1949 as a warning about the menaces of totalitarianism. The novel is set in an imaginary future world that is dominated by three perpetually warring totalitarian police states. The book’s hero, Winston Smith, is a minor party functionary in one of these states. His longing for truth and decency leads him to secretly rebel against the government. Smith has a love affair with a like-minded woman, but they are both arrested by the Thought Police. The ensuing imprisonment, torture, and reeducation of Smith are intended not merely to break him physically or make him submit but to root out his independent mental existence and his spiritual dignity. Orwell’s warning of the dangers of totalitarianism made a deep impression on his contemporaries and upon subsequent readers, and the book’s title and many of its coinages, such as NEWSPEAK, became bywords for modern political abuses. — The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Coraline – My First Graphic Novel

I have been told by numerous people how fantastic it is to read a graphic novel, so I thought that Coraline – the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman would be a good one to ease me into the genre. Having already read American Gods, Neverwhere and listened to the audiobook of The Graveyard Book I was quite interested to read Coraline. I had already seen the movie, and loved that so off I went and bought the book.

So I read it, in two days. I’m not quite sure how long it’s supposed to take to read a graphic novel and personally I feel the amount of time it takes me to read a graphic novel is too short. Before I know it the story is over and I haven’t had a chance to enjoy it. The artwork is beautiful in Coraline and I really liked the style, I wasn’t a huge fan of the style in the movie. That aside Coraline is a fantastic story, but I’m still not sure if graphic novels are for me. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I thought I would.

Any suggestions for further reading in graphic novel format? I want to try The Dark Tower series of graphic novels, I have seen the artwork online and it blows me away. And I’m a complete Dark Tower geek.

The Hobbit

You know that guilt you have when you haven’t read a book that according to others you have to have read to be taken seriously as a reader? Sound completely ridiculous when you say it like that, but everyone know it’s true. The Hobbit is apparently one of those books. Therefore I caved, and instead of being nagged by my Tolkien-befok friend(s) to read it, I just bloody well read it. And I hated it. Yes, I’m going to say it. I hated it.

Why? Well, patronising much, Tolkien? Ever heard of dialogue? Hmm? And then the ending? Seriously? Seriously?! And this book isn’t really about a hobbit, it’s about a bunch of stupid, grumpy dwarves.

Ugh no. It was such a drawn out story, and Bilbo seemed to be the only character to have two brain-cells to rub together. The fantasy and world are fantastic (ha, notice the pun there). But good lord those dwarves are thick, it’s no wonder elves don’t like them. No, I can’t. Those dwarves were just too much.

And if you haven’t noticed, I don’t like dwarves very much.

Don’t let people guilt you into reading this book, it’s awful. There are better books out there to read. Despite this I am looking forward to the movie, but that’s just because Peter Jackson is going to make it awesome.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Dystopia seems to be the alternate choice of young adult readers when wanting something other than werewolves, vampire or angels. Let’s all admit those have been done to death, apparently this summer (or winter) a whole lot of mermaid YA fiction are due to be released. Not quite sure if I’m excited or not about this, not really a fan of mermaids or dwarves… but that’s a story for another time.

Anyway getting back to dystopia, I’m a huge fan, especially when it comes to movies. Think Christian Bale in Equilibrium. Also I read 1984 last year, and loved it. So when I heard about The Hunger Games I had to read it. Cue summer holiday, December 2010. Just finished Neverwhere and decided to give The Hunger Games a try. I emerged a week later having read all the books and telling everyone else they should read them too.

But what exactly did I like so much about these books? I’ll be completely honest it was Katniss, she is just so different to every other Bella-like character in YA fiction these days. Also Collins writing is superb, and well for everyone who didn’t like the ending to the trilogy: read 1984 and then you will see that this is how dystopia ends. That’s why it’s called dystopia. A couple of the characters were quite annoying in the beginning but in the end you learn to love them, which keeps in with the themes the series covers.

I don’t like to give anything away from books in case somebody stumbles upon my blog and has the series ruined for them. I will tell you this though, I highly recommend this series. I absolutely loved, and in my opinion it is currently the best series YA fiction.

So read the blurb for the first book below, and go and read it if you haven’t already. Also they are busy making the movies, and you’ll want to read the books before the movie comes out, so go forth and read The Hunger Games!

Blurb: In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

PS. For those of you who have read the books, what do you think of the casting? I can’t believe Lenny Kravitz has crawled out of the wood-work and is playing Cinna, and Woody Harrelson is Haymitch. Not quite sure about the protagonists’ casting… but we’ll see.

I am Number Four

Synopsis: John Smith is not your average teenager. He regularly moves from small town to small town. He changes his name and identity. He does not put down roots. He cannot tell anyone who or what he really is. If he stops moving those who hunt him will find and kill him. But you can’t run forever. So when he stops in Paradise, Ohio, John decides to try and settle down. To fit in. And for the first time he makes some real friends. People he cares about – and who care about him. Never in John’s short life has there been space for friendship, or even love. But it’s just a matter of time before John’s secret is revealed. He was once one of nine. Three of them have been killed. John is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

Despite the fact that this book is co-written by James Frey, and I seriously detest him. I quite enjoyed it. The characters were pretty solid (except for the girlfriend – she was just annoying as per usual in young adult fiction), I especially liked the Henry character. What I also enjoyed about this book was that it wasn’t vampires, werewolves or other paranormal beings but aliens. And I love a good alien.

It’s a quick read, and entertaining. Something to read while relaxing or on holiday and you want something quick to read that doesn’t require much brain power. The writing isn’t bad, and I can see why Frey managed to sell so many books (despite being featured and then persecuted on Oprah). His writing combined with that of his co-author flows consistently and makes for an enjoyable read.

I loved the world of Lorien and how their world functioned as a stark contrast to our own, but as something to aspire to. The Mogadorians are also quite interesting and the themes that run throughout the novel can be easily identified.

I would definitely recommend this book as a quick read, but do not go watch the movie. It’s awful! I have never seen such a bad adaptation in my entire life. The character of John in the movie is nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing like the character in the book. The movie took up two hours of my life I will never get back. The only good thing about the movie was Timothy Olyphant and even he couldn’t save it from disaster.

In conclusion: read the book and forget the movie exists. 

Abhorrence – film needs funding

Indie film-makers asked for a spot on my blog, so just take a minute to read this and visit their site.

There is a film concept by a bunch of guys wanting to make a film called Abhorrence. They need $5000, and only have 27 more days to get it. Have a look at their concept and if you believe in them, donate something even $1. I think this film has potential from what I’ve seen.

We need more great horror films, and I’m always willing to support young artists. So have a look for yourself and donate something or give them a shout out.

Follow them on twitter @TheAbhorrence.

If you want to donate visit their page: http://www.indiegogo.com/Abhorrence

And finally here is a concept trailer: