I So Don’t Do Mysteries

Happy Lunar New Year! We are now in the Year of the Ox, and I sense a stabilising influence already.

I have not researched the significance of the Year of the Ox; the influence of which I speak is only my interpretation of information received from the telepathic highways.

A down to earth fact, however, is that Barrie Summy’s debut novel, I So Don’t Do Mysteries, is a totally fantastic read.


From the flap:

So here I am spending spring break in California with my best friend, Junie. Our chaperone is a teenager, like us. And soon I’ll get to hang out with the coolest, cutest boy in the Southwest. Life is so good.

Except I should tell you that I’m not in San Diego for fun. Even though I’m a normal person who likes normal stuff—friends, clothes, the mall—I’m supposed to be solving a mystery, one that involves a rhino heist and a crazy chief. And I have to do it because my supercop mom is counting on me. Did I mention she’s a ghost? A ghost who can make contact with only one person. Me, Sherry Holmes Baldwin. My mom is flunking out of the Academy of Spirits, and if I don’t help her, she’ll be banished to an afterlife for ghost failures.

But . . . I so don’t do mysteries.


Barrie has an energetic and catchy voice. It is infectious. And that, together with well-drawn characters, a fabulous plot, and truly great pace, kept me turning and turning the pages. Which meant I stayed awake far too late, too often!

After 30 pages, I wanted to be Sherry’s best friend. (I still do.) And here comes more praise ... I laughed out loud so many times!! This is one of the wittiest middle grade novels I've read.

I So Don’t Mysteries is fun, warm, and uplifting.

It might even have cured my cold. :)

The Graveyard Book

At the weekend, I finished reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I spent ages with this book!

When that happens, when I seem to be in the process of reading a book forever and ever... it is because it is good, good, good!!! I am enjoying the world, the characters, the story, and the writing so much that I want to stay there as long as possible. (And I do have a penchant for restricted locations -- a graveyard is perfect -- as well as a penchant for ghosts.)

Such a book feeds me with something that is greater than the sum of its parts; it makes a difference, enriches me -- leaves its mark. And, as a novice novelist, by taking time with a book, as well as being entertained, I am learning.

The Graveyard Book has made a difference to my own writing in the last few weeks. There was a great sense of both joy and calm in the way Neil Gaiman told this story, and I learned the value of sometimes slowing things down.

Now, of course, I am addicted to his blog.

A fabulous start to the reading year!

The Best Books I Read in 2008

2008 was a bumper year for reading. I read so much great stuff! None of my top three could overtake each other to reach the number one slot, as I love them all equally but for entirely different reasons. Therefore, we shall proceed alphabetically by author. I won’t say too much about each title; these books speak for themselves!


Little Brother by Cory Doctorow


Exciting, inspiring, and entirely of its time. Though still highly relevant, I am glad I read this in late summer, before the economy usurped terrorism as the fear that dominates the news.


The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos


Refreshingly odd, somewhat disturbing, thought provoking (perhaps every family has some sort of curse), not too long or too short. Fabulous!


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


This book made a huge impression on me, and I wrote about it here. Such beauty!


I must also mention The Best First Draft I Read in 2008: Natalie L. Sin's NaNoWriMo novel, a horror thriller titled Bucky’s Luck. Great premise, crisp writing, sharp dialogue, gruesome murders, strong characters, humour. If only my first drafts were as good as this! :)

The Book Thief

“... an extraordinary novel about the redemptive power of words and reading.”


Last night I finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Without doubt, it is one of the best novels I’ve read in my life -- yet I almost passed it by. For three reasons:

It is a whopping 584 pages.

It is set in Nazi Germany during WW2. And the Nazi regime is a subject I can barely stomach. The persecution and slaughter of millions of Jews, Gypsies, Poles...

It is narrated by Death, and the atmosphere is grey and gloomy right from start -- when a ten-year-old girl named Liesel Meminger witnesses the death of her little brother on a freezing cold train.

But it is brilliantly told and BEAUTIFULLY written. And even though it is such a fat book, I slowed down, savouring it more and more.

I prefer a linear narrative, not to know what will happen in the story until reaching that point. But in the case of The Book Thief, I think the use of foreshadowing was essential. Without it, some of the blows might have been too hard.

Even so, it was difficult to read through my tears during a couple of the final chapters.

And I don’t want to ruin the story (it is a great story, with an element of consoling humour), but by the time Liesel Meminger is fourteen, she has experienced more horror and loss than most of us will see in a lifetime.

A truly unforgettable book. I am astonished at what Markus Zusak achieved...



And reminded of a real-life story:

The elderly father of one of my friends was a teenager in Poland during WW2. The Nazis murdered his whole family; his mother and one of his brothers were shot right in front of him. (I don’t know the reason he was spared.) He had no one and nowhere to go, so he started walking. Somewhere along the way he found a gun -- and decided to keep on walking. He reached England a few months before the end of the War, by which time he was seventeen-years-old.

He got a job in the building trade. He worked hard and eventually built his own successful business.

It wasn’t until he retired that he began to have terrible nightmares and to struggle to cope with his past.

War is never over.

Wonderful News!

In case you haven’t heard: Stuart Neville, AKA Conduit, has a two-book deal with Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House. His first novel, The Ghosts of Belfast, will be published in the UK towards the end of next year.

You can read all about it at his blog.

UPDATED: And... the Japanese rights have sold to Random House Kodansha.

Fantastic!

And speaking of distractions…

I’ve discovered another fabulous way to waste time! God bless the Internet. And all praise to my guardian angel (who must have now deserted me) for keeping this off my radar for such a long time!

Which cornucopia of delights has taken an hour from my day? Meet the Author UK.

They have almost 1,500 video clips of authors talking about their books. The Sunday Times describes the site as “curiously addictive”. I’ll say.

To whittle the list down to something more manageable, I’ve decided not to watch clips of authors such as Rupert Everett and Emma Thomson. (Being an actor as well as an author gives an unfair advantage when speaking straight to camera. ;)) And if I rule out all memoir, non-fiction, and poetry too, there just might be time to view everything else!

I've already watched Zoë Sharp (because she lives in Cumbria), Roger Morris (because he blogs), Philip Pullman (because I have a crush on him), Santa Montefiore (because that’s such a great name),  Helen Cooper (because we attended the same school), Andy McNab (because he appears in silhouette) -- and there are hundreds more to see…!

But today, I must become un-distracted. Then get back to work. :)

Andy McNab on CNN

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I love how one thing leads to another … and then you discover a brilliant book!

Today, I visited Folio Literary Management’s new blog and read the inaugural post, “On Query Letters”, by agent Jeff Kleinman.

The post includes an example of a successful query from Garth Stein, now one of Jeff Kleinman’s clients.

The query letter is excellent, and the novel seemed both unique and compelling.

Later, I popped over to Janet Reid’s blog and read a fascinating post about (you guessed it) Garth Stein, and the very book for which Jeff Kleinman had posted the query. I was now becoming extremely excited -- and almost squealed after clicking the link to the THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN !

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

“YOUR CAR GOES WHERE YOUR EYES GO” -- Enzo

Tag Me Twice

The amazing Cate, proprietor of The Poisoned Apple, has tagged me -- TWICE!!

Oh, crumbs…

The rules state that I must tag six others. But I’m not good at chain letters, so I hope Cate will forgive me. :)

My rules:

1. Anyone who wants to be tagged can become so by leaving a comment. I will then add a link to your blog at the bottom of this post, confirming the tag.

2. You can choose to follow the real rules, posted on Cate’s blog, follow my rules, or make up your own!!!


Tag one: Six random things about me

I started talking at eight months old, but didn’t walk until two years later.

I’ve modelled for L’Uomo Vogue (Italian men's Vogue). They cast me as an art dealer.

I can often predict the future, for others; I’ve no idea what will happen to me!

I like travelling alone.

I love black olives.

My worst summer job was as a machine operator in a tin can factory.


Tag two:

1. Pick up the nearest book.


2. Open to page 123.


3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people (if you’re following the original rules) and post a comment back to Cate's blog (she's the one who tagged me -- you will in turn nominate the person who tagged you -- ie me) once you've posted your three sentences.



The nearest book is THE LOVE CURSE OF THE RUMBAUGHS by Jack Gantos. And… on page 123, the fifth sentence brings us to a paragraph of three sentences (cool), the last in the chapter titled SQUIRRELS ARE MY FAVOURITE:

“But lurking behind this ticking clock of fear and joy was the unspoken dread that some day she was not going to come home and I would have to do what the Twins did. I couldn’t predict the future. All I could predict was that the future would arrive and I would have to be prepared.”

A (Secret) Crush and Newborn Lambs

For a couple of years, I’ve had a huge crush I have not mentioned to anyone. My reason for secrecy was threefold: he’s an older man, a married man, and his dress-sense is slightly dated. But push those things aside (quickly!) and he embodies all I admire.

He’s intelligent, creative, and driven. He has soul. He draws and makes things out of wood. He writes wonderful short fiction and wonderful epics. His name is Philip Pullman.

And whenever I read one of his interviews, I feel enriched. Sigh...


(The Firework-Maker's Daughter, and Clockwork, or All Wound Up are two of my all-time favourite novels.)

**********

En-route to the Lake District for Easter weekend, I drove through Caldbeck Common -- where the ponies grow thick, winter coats.

Driving home on Tuesday, I jumped out of the car to snap the cutest newborn lambs… I’ve seen in all my life!!!

Click on the photos for bigger and better views!

Happiness, Sadness, and Something In-Between

:-)

I love good news. And good news about a brilliant book by a fabulous writer is double (or even triple) good news! Which means it must be GREAT news! What, what, what? Well, I’m delighted that Patricia Wood’s wonderful debut novel, LOTTERY, is a contender for the 2008 Orange Prize for Fiction!

And, because I’m having no luck winning the UK’s National Lottery (though I live in hope), I’ll trot along to the bookie’s and bet on LOTTERY winning the Orange Prize!

:-/ 

I adore characterful property. And the gypsy blood that runs through my veins means I’m always thinking of moving. In fact, I was supposed  to be moving next week. To this apartment:

But my buyer backed down two days before exchange of contracts, so I was forced to pull out of the purchase. This is exactly what happened when I tried to move last October. So, I’ve had two potential buyers pull out, you guessed it, two days before exchange of contracts. And on both occasions, I was trying to move to an apartment!!

This must be a sign that my next move should be… NOT to an apartment, but towards my dream of living in the country.

:-(
The untimely death of writer and director Anthony Minghella is incredibly sad news; “… absolutely ghastly” is how Juliet Stevenson describes it in her warm and insightful tribute.

I re-watched Truly, Madly, Deeply only last week, as part of my research on ghosts.

You have to be in it, to win it!

Lottery by Patricia Wood
















My name is Perry L. Crandall and I am not retarded.

You have to have an IQ number less than 75 to be retarded. I am not. Mine is 76.

I am lucky. I know this because I am not retarded.

I know this because I have two good arms.

And I know this because I won twelve million dollars in the Washington State Lottery.


Perry L. Crandall is an adorable character. His story grabbed me from page one.

I loved the voice and the rhythm of the writing. I felt the haziness surrounding the action and conversations Perry didn’t understand, or didn’t wish to be involved in. Perry is a man with a low IQ, but also a good and happy person.

When he wins the lottery, his mother and brothers try to swindle him out of his fortune. But Perry ultimately proves to be wiser than them.

I laughed, and I cried. Perry’s friends became my friends. And, after 305 pages, I wanted to keep on reading.

This book is a gem!

B-Day

Today is my birthday.

And, at long last, I’m impressed by my sisters’ good taste. Because this year – they both gave me Waterstone's gift cards.

I can buy more books.

Happy Me!!!

The best book I read in 2007...

Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb














I’m in awe of this little book (132 pages). It is so well written, acutely observed, interesting, funny; such a good story, beautifully told.

From the back cover: “Amélie, a well-intentioned and eager young westerner, goes to Japan to spend a year working at the Yumimoto Corporation. Returning to the land where she was born is the fulfilment of a dream for Amélie, but once there her working life quickly becomes a comic nightmare of terror and self-abasement. Disturbing, hilarious and totally convincing, Fear and Trembling displays an elegant and shrewd understanding of the intricate ways in which Japanese relationships are made and spoiled.”

I’ve read reviews that describe this novel as “simplistic", and the characters “stereotypical”. But Amélie has a chid-like view. Nothomb pulls it off with verve!

Happy New Year!