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Sharing my Birthday Book Blurbs: Part 1

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Lucky me! I had a birthday recently (21 again – obviously), and when I put time aside to jot down a few book titles on my birthday list, I saw that one of them was in that angel/devil Amazon’s 3 for £10 offer. Whoops. That sent me looking for others in the same offer…

Lucky me again, because I got all seven books on my list. So I thought I’d bore you with why they appealed to me and then make you buzz with booky excitement by sharing their blurbs.

In this post: The three books my teens bought me.

birthday books 1

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

What appealed: The title, the tagline (‘How do you solve a mystery when you can’t remember the clues?’), the fact that it’s about lost memories (something I’ve have in mind to write about since wandering around Chloe Meineck’s fascinating and touching Memory Box ‘Identity’ exhibition at The Design Museum in London back in 2013), and the blurb…

Blurb 

Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn’t remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable – or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.

But there’s one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to shut up, Maud will get to the bottom of it.

Because somewhere in Maud’s damaged mind lies the answer to an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery. One everyone has forgotten about.

Everyone, except Maud . . .

The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan

What appealed: This came up in a search for slipstream fiction (on Goodreads, I think). The blurb says it’s ‘for fans of Kate Mosse‘ (excuse me while I fangirl) ‘and Kate Morton‘ (give me time. Guess whose book will feature in Birthday Book Blurbs Part 2?). My son was very intrigued by the blurb, so without further ado…

Blurb 

A haunting novel about two women separated by decades but entwined by fate.

When Alice Eveleigh arrives at Fiercombe Manor during the long, languid summer of 1933, she finds a house steeped in mystery and brimming with secrets. Sadness permeates its empty rooms and the isolated valley seems crowded with ghosts, none more alluring than Elizabeth Stanton whose only traces remain in a few tantalisingly blurred photographs. Why will no one speak of her? What happened a generation ago to make her vanish?

As the sun beats down relentlessly, Alice becomes ever more determined to unearth the truth about the girl in the photograph – and stop her own life from becoming an eerie echo of Elizabeth’s . . .

Station Eleven by Emily St.John Mandel

What appealed: I read about this novel months ago, but naughtily I’ve got no idea where. Maybe it was recommended on someone else’s blog, or perhaps in a ‘must read’ column in a newspaper. I really like the sound of it,  anyway – I like it bit of apocalypse, me – but I had no idea that it won the Arthur C.Clarke award last month) at about the same time I put it on my list. I’m surprised it was on the 3 for £10, then! George R.R. Martin said: “One of the 2014 books that I did read stands above all the others, however: Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel . . . It’s a deeply melancholy novel, but beautifully written, and wonderfully elegiac, a book that I will long remember, and return to.” Now I’ve put that, I’m wondering if that’s how I heard about it – on a George R.R. Martin Top Ten Reads or the like… yes it was. He named it his favourite novel of 2014 here.

Blurb 

What was lost in the collapse: almost everything, almost everyone, but there is still such beauty.

One snowy night in Toronto famous actor Arthur Leander dies on stage whilst performing the role of a lifetime. That same evening a deadly virus touches down in North America.

The world will never be the same again.

Twenty years later Kirsten, an actress in the Travelling Symphony, performs Shakespeare in the settlements that have grown up since the collapse.

But then her newly hopeful world is threatened.

If civilization was lost, what would you preserve? And how far would you go to protect it?

Read any of these? What did you think? I can’t wait to get stuck in, but I have one book to finish (Matthew Plampin’s The Devil’s Acre) and another to read first.

De-stressed by The Teenage Guide to Stress

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A new book coming through the post is always a reason to celebrate. But when it’s on your mat when you get home from an unexpected and rather stressful stint at work, it’s even better. And when it’s a book you’ve won – and it’s a good’un! – what could be better?

Not a lot (yes, that’s the right answer. You can put your hand down at the back). Coming home to a signed copy of Nicola Morgan’s The Teenage Guide to Stress on Monday was a great start to a busy week, and as you’ll see…

Teenage Stress

… Nicola sent three lovely signed postcards too, featuring her book covers; one for me and one each for ArtyDaughter and ConstructoBoy. I asked for the book to be signed to them because, well, they’re teenagers. I thought it might be very useful for them. ConstructoBoy was alerted to the book’s presence by TechieHusband muttering approvingly about it as he turned it over in his hands.

ConstructoBoy (glaring, jaw twitching, fingers drumming an irregular beat on the table): What? Why have you got us a book on teenage stress, hmm? So what are you saying? That I’m STRESSED?

Walks off stage, grinding teeth.

I jest. That’s artistic licence gone mad. He did make a fake unimpressed noise, though, and asked why I thought he needed it.

Of course, nobody needs a book on stress solely because they’re a teenager – and it’s not only teenagers that may need a book on stress, either! But I’ve already had a dip into several sections and read enough to know that firstly, it’s really good and full of sound, non-judgemental advice – I found myself nodding a lot – and that secondly, I wished I’d had a book like it when I was a teenager. When I was a teen, I didn’t know that I was stressed, but looking back, I’m not sure how I survived with my marbles intact (always open to debate, that one).

I do remember saying once that I wanted to go to the doctors because I thought I might be suffering from depression. I was asked what on earth I had to be depressed about. I didn’t mention it again.

Hopefully any teens out there experiencing similar problems to those I had (problems that unfortunately I can’t really go into here) will borrow, buy or download this book and not only be reassured, but steered towards getting the right information and help too.

The Teenage Guide to Stress is my favourite kind of non-fiction – the kind that genuinely helps, informs and makes the world a teensy bit better. If you want to scoop up a copy for yourself, try your local bookseller, or WHSmith, Waterstones, Play.com, the Hut… or those other South American river people if you must. You know who I mean.

If you’re in the Peak District, you could pop into the lovely Scarthin Books, which I wrote about here, to buy a copy. In the Marches/Herefordshire? Then pootle along to Aardvark Books instead (recommended here). You’ll get a warm welcome at both places and delicious food, too (plus, probably, several other books you didn’t budget for). What more could you ask for?

 

U is for Underrated: The Disney Film Nobody Knows

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Underrated: rated or evaluated too low; underestimated.

A-ha! I remembered! Here we are at last on ‘underrated’, as promised in my E is for Enthralling: The Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books that Got Me Hooked post:

Lloyd Alexander: The Chronicles of Prydain 

They’re brilliant, and based on Welsh mythology. Never heard of them? Er… ever heard of the Disney film, The Black Cauldron? That’s not that surprising either. Taking its title from the 2nd book, yet loosely based on books 1 and 2, it was “the first Disney animated theatrical feature to receive a PG rating. It even had to be edited twice to avoid being released with a PG-13 or R rating” (IMDB).  It’s popularly known as ‘the film that nearly finished Disney’. I’ll explain why in my ‘U for Underrated’ blog post. 

See?

So let’s look at the film.

First, according to Wikipedia, ‘The Black Cauldron is notable for being the world’s first full-length animated feature film to incorporate the use of computer generated imagery in its animation.’ Well that sounds ok. 

Second, Lloyd Alexander, the author of the books on which the film was based, had an interesting complex reaction to the film in an interview with Scholastic about his books: 

“First, I have to say, there is no resemblance between the movie and the book. Having said that, the movie in itself, purely as a movie, I found to be very enjoyable. I had fun watching it. What I would hope is that anyone who sees the movie would certainly enjoy it, but I’d also hope that they’d actually read the book. The book is quite different. It’s a very powerful, very moving story, and I think people would find a lot more depth in the book.”

I have to agree there. But I think there are two reasons why the film wasn’t popular: the characters and story were too complex for the audience, and the story was too dark.

Because third: the story is very dark and this horrified just about everyone.

File:The Black Cauldron poster.jpg

According to IMDb’s notes, after changes in Disney management during production, ‘new studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg screened the mostly-completed film and was appalled by its darkness’ and asked the producer, Joe Hale,  to cut 10 minute of it. Joe and Roy Disney managed to cut 6 minutes that they thought would have little impact, But Katzenberg wasn’t happy. Despite their protests he ‘brought the film into an editing bay and began cutting it himself’. Joe Hale said that “eventually [Katzenberg] cut out about 12 minutes, which really hurt the picture.” The cuts were very clumsy and the Horned King wasn’t much of a villain once his habit of zombie-making was glossed over.

It was supposedly Disney’s attempt to gather teen fans, but it backfired.

According to animation artist Michael Peraza Jr., when Disney started having screenings for the public at the studio theater to gather their reactions to the rough cut of this film, he knew that the “un-dead” section would most likely be revolting to some in the audience who would not expect to see a bunch of rotted corpses slowly fermenting. When the film reached the “un-dead” sections close to the end of the film, the doors opened and a mother was angrily leaving with her two wailing children. She was followed by another, and soon there was a sizeable exodus of crying kids and upset parents fleeing from the theater. The un-dead sections were quickly cut from the film. IMDb

With its dodgy editing, changes in animators and producers,  5 torturous years in production and the loss of the grittier and more compelling scenes, it was a massive flop financially and critical reviews were mixed but often negative. It took years of nagging to get a VHS release (1998), then a DVD release (2000). Finally in September 2010, Disney released a 25th Anniversary Edition DVD, which we own, with one of the deleted sections featuring The Fairfolk. Wkipedia

And we own it because it is underrated. Yes, it could be a lot better, but you do get a sense of the story and it’s refreshing not to be confronted by the  nauseating, weak ‘judge-me-by my-looks-because-I-don’t-have-any-brains, kiss-me-without-my-permission (or even my consciousness), save me, save me, I’ll-sacrifice-anything-for-you, marry-me-oh-my-hero’ Disney Princesses. It was a great book and the film does have a dark charm.

So should you get the chance, I recommend a watch.

 

R is for Relevant:

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Relevant: Having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand.

Writers, you’ll be pleased to know that this post is relevant to you. That’s not even a pun.

The first interesting hit I got for relevant – and I emphasise, interesting – was this:

Young, Fresh and Relevant

is a yearly open submission journal with the aim of carving a space for writing within the visual arts. YFR hopes to be accessible for a new generation of young (in their practice rather than age) artists who may never have had their writing published, as well as aiming to attract practitioners who are more familiar with the Art Writing / publishing scene.

The editors say ‘There is currently no open call but email us anyway with texts, images, questions or invitations.’

The journal is available from a select group of libraries and bookshops in London, Glasgow. Ghent, Berlin and Tokyo – addresses are on the home page.

And as I’m behind again – that’s all, folks!

K is for Kooky: Eccentric Geniuses and British Festivals

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Kooky: ‘Strange or eccentric’.

Stumped for ideas once again as to what I personally find strange and eccentric, I cast my net upon the world wide web, curious as to what hits I’d get if I put in ‘strange’ and ‘eccentric’.

strange brainsOne of the first things that popped up was Strange Brains and Genius: The Secret Lives of Eccentric Scientists and Madmen by Clifford Pickover.

“In this unusual and penetrating work, Clifford Pickover… takes us on a wild ride through the bizarre lives of brilliant, but eccentric geniuses who made significant contributions to science and philosophy. Unveiling the hidden secrets,[he] delights us with unexpected stories of their obsessive personalities and strange phobias.”

Sounds like my kind of book. I’m fascinated by the inner workings of people’s minds and all their little quirks. This will be going on my birthday list.

The next thing to catch my eye was a Rough Guides article: ‘Five strange and uniquely British experiences’. I’m not sure these 5 would be what many people would pick, but I investigated.

  1. The Chap Olympics
    Participants dress up in clothing from the Victorian era to the 1940s, apparently, to take part in events like Umbrella Jousting (on bikes) and the Cucumber Sandwich Discus, held in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury. This year it’s on Saturday 12th July, noon to dusk, and you can get tickets here if it sounds like your, er, ‘bag’.
  2. The Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
    File:Rave in the Henge 2005 02.jpgAs Stonehenge is in Britain, this can’t help but be uniquely British! It seems a shame that hype and drunken revelry have been allowed on the same bill as people celebrating an important day in their religious calendar, but then it’s unsurprising; in somehow it’s become socially acceptable to mock those trying to practise Paganism, a religion with roots far older than Christianity. Ironic when you consider how many people moan about ‘Eastern’ religions ‘usurping’ English traditions – usually around five seconds before they say, ‘after all, you don’t get Christians murdering people in the name of their religion, do you!’
    Closely followed by me rocking in the corner and/or banging my head against a brick wall, mumbling ‘Crusades, Inquisition, Cathar Massacres’ over and over again…
  3. Morris Dancing in the Isle of WightFile:Mechanical Morris Dancers at Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival 2011 2.JPG
    Why in the Isle of Wight? Morris dancing is practised throughout the UK in ye olde villages everywhere. It has to be there, the writer says, because ‘the Isle of Wight is a hotbed of morris madness, with no less than six active troupes’. I see. Although I’ve been there twice without seeing so much as an ankle bell or funny hat…
  4. The Cotswold Olimpicks
    No that’s not a spelling error. Apparently these games have been going on since the seventeenth century on a hill outside Chipping Camden. Games vary from year to year but shin-kicking is very popular… ooh, I can’t wait (? ouch!). Tickets aren’t available yet, but this year it’s on 30th May 2014 at 7 pm.
  5. Shetland’s Viking Ritual
    NOW you’re talking. Finally, a ‘unique British experience’ that I’d actually like to, er… experience. Officially called Up Helly Aa, it takes place in Lerwick, Shetland on the last Tuesday in January. More about this in W for Wacky.

Kooky enough for ya? 😉

J is for Jaunty: Goats! Coffee! Authors! Doctor Who!

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Jaunty: Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk; crisp and dapper in appearance; lively in manner or appearance; having or suggesting a lively and confident quality.

Jaunty, I pondered. This was a tough one. David Tennant and Matt Smith were both quite jaunty as Dr.Who. I don’t think Peter Capaldi’s going to be. That’s not to say I don’t think he’s going to be any good; I’m suspending judgement on that until he’s made himself at home in the Tardis. I just don’t think he’s a jaunty kind of guy. Do you?

Hmm…I thought I’d look for jaunty things in Google. That might help.Photo: Friday's Chalk Board...

Some were very boring, but I did come across The Jaunty Goat: ‘Chester’s Best Coffee’, which I may have to visit when I go to Chester again purely because of the name. And because it seems like the staff have got a sense of humour. Though surely they should serve a coffee called the Anti-Depresso that claims to cheer you up? For me, it would need to be frothy with caramel and hazelnut syrup, plus chocolate sprinkles on top. I’m not hard to please.

I also came across The Sisterhood of Jaunty Quills. 

Who's Jaunty?No, it isn’t a strange cult. It’s a group of ten authors blogging about ‘writing, life and love’. Jaunty Quills, I hear you ask? Pourquoi? Jaunty Quills is their blog mascot (pictured left) and you can find out more about him by visiting Who’s Jaunty? (while suspending your disbelief 😉 ). They haven’t got an About page unfortunately, or any info on their Home Page, so I struggled to find out how they know each other, why they set up the Sisterhood or why they share a blog.  I had to search their blog posts until I found a 2011 post by Shana Galen, ‘The History of the Jaunty Quills’:

The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills was the brainchild of Kimberly Logan. She used to write for Avon, as did all of the founding members, and asked some of the debut Avon authors if they’d be interested in starting a blog with her. This was in the days of Squawk Radio (remember that?) and everyone was looking for new ways to reach readers. I guess some things never change!

The original Jaunty Quills were Kimberly Logan, Margo Maguire, Cindy Kirk, Robyn DeHart, Anne Mallory, Shirley Karr, and me.

And that’s quite enough jauntiness from me *tips hat*.