Killing Me Softly

I've just finished 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro, a book which has really got you talking on Twitter!

Set in an imaginary late 1990s Britain, 'Never Let Me Go' tells the story of three friends; the devious Ruth, child-like Tommy and contemplative Kathy, all former inmates of Hailsham, a boarding school with almost mythical status among their peers.  At the age of 32, Kathy has become a carer and reflects on the truths and lies which have had such a major impact on all their lives, many rooted, like their friendship, in their formative years at Hailsham under the guardianship of the authoritative Miss Emily and the conflicted Miss Lucy.

This book is a lot better than the previous paragraph makes it sound, but I daren't write more as I don't want to give anything away!

'Never Let Me Go' is the least science fiction-y science fiction book I've ever read.  I really didn't think it was science fiction until quite a way into the book, which just goes to show how daft labelling by genre really is.  There are two stories going on here - that of Kathy and her friends and that of the role they and others like them play in wider society.  The book's strength is its subtlety, in that it's not about a big technological idea, it's about the people who have to live with the consequences of it.  Ishiguro remains focussed and faithful to the human element throughout, so, despite a persistent sense that something isn't quite right, the science fiction is really only drip fed to the reader when it's necessary for the personal narrative.

By the end of the book, you realise that this is story is full of enough thought provoking allegory to keep any book group discussing it for many years.  Animal rights, what makes us human, innocence and childhood are just a few themes that spring to mind.  If this book isn't on the English Literature syllabus already, it really should be.

As soon as I got to the end of this book, I was ready to turn back to the first page and read it again.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it!) I do have one or two other ones to read first, but I'm sure I will return to 'Never Let Me Go' in the future.  In the meantime, this is a story that will live up to its name.

Now, what next...

The Difficult Second Year Post

I can't believe I've been writing this blog for two years already!  And I definitely can't believe it's a whole five months since I last reviewed my progress. Blimey!

I have to be honest, though, and say that not much has really changed since my review of the year in December. Despite not finishing anything in January, I'm still averaging two books a month (yay!), but I've still not really latched onto any themes or events or read any classics (boo!).  I've picked up 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' at various times, but somehow always managed to get distracted by something else. Clearly I'm shallower than I thought and these books need shinier covers!

On the plus side, and I hope you agree with me on this, what I'm reading is still quite varied. As someone who loves Historical Fiction and Science Fiction, I often worry that I'll get carried away and read too much of one or other of these genres. I really don't want to bore anyone and think my 'library' is broad enough to cater for most people, so hopefully this won't become a problem. Having said that, I do want to read a few series of books, although this category ranges from the Poldark novels to Ian Fleming's James Bond books, so perhaps I don't need to worry!

So, between May 2012 and April 2013, I read 23 books. Not bad considering I had a couple of quite major lulls due to the length (and sometimes weight!) of what I was reading. Sadly, I've not been able to help myself when unleashed in the local bookshop, so this hasn't really made much difference to the overall total.

I am reading more due to the lovely weather we've been having lately though.  It makes such a change to be sat in the warm sunshine, lulled by the sound of insects buzzing about, rather than inside, under a blanket, listening to constant rain thrashing against the windows.  So, as long as the weather holds, I'm quite hopeful for the next few months.  Just so long as I don't get too relaxed!

As always, thank you very much for reading this blog and sticking with me despite the lack of progress! I'm glad that you're interested in what I've read and what I've thought about it and hope that you're enjoying at least a few of the posts. At least not all of them are as dull as this one!

May 2012
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller

July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham

September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson

October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell

November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving

December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman

February 2013

'My Heart is My Own' by John Guy

'Fluke' by James Herbert

March

'My Word is My Bond' by Roger Moore

'The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis

'The Real Me is Thin' by Arabella Weir

April

'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory

'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella

Back to the Future

Although I like a variety of books and stories, there is one genre that I tend to shy away from; 'chick lit'.  I know I shouldn't be prejudiced to a whole type of literature because of its name, but I find it hard not to be when there's no 'bloke books' category.  As if anyone in the 21st century should choose what to read based on whether they're a boy or a girl!

Anyway, despite this, there are a few chick lit novels on the list and I've just finished reading one of them - 'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella.

'Remember Me?' tells the story of Lexi, an ordinary girl who who wakes up from a coma to find she's

'Remember Me?' by
Sophie Kinsella
(Bantam Press, 2008)

forgotten the last three years of her life.  The last thing she remembers is being a disappointed 25 year old with a low grade job, absentee boyfriend and few prospects, although she does have a fantastic group of friends.  Now in 2007, she discovers she's a company director with a rich and attractive husband and more designer clothes and accessories than she could've imagined three years earlier.  Somehow, things have changed for the better, but as Lexi begins living her new life, it starts looking less than perfect...

This was a cheery, well written book which trundled along quite happily. The characters were easy to visualise and it had the lovely feel of watching the film equivalent of chick lit, a rom com.  It did make me laugh a few times and Lexi is a likeable character who is easy to root for - after all, who hasn't sometimes felt out of touch and as though everyone else knows something they don't?

'Remember Me?' is a breezy, holiday read that would cheer up all but the most hard hearted of readers.

One word of warning: This book contains strong language and scenes of a sexual nature.  Not the best present for your prudish maiden aunt, that's all I'm saying!

Now, what next..?