A Writer's World: keswick convention

Tuesday, 27 July 2010

The travelling girl

What a busy month it's been! I've been in Africa for two weeks, doing missionary work down in Rukungiri. It was fantastic, did so much writing, so watch this space...I did write a novel out there, so will be typing that up when I get a moment.
Currently at the Keswick convention where I'm helping out on the Wesley Owen Bookstall - and I've been very good and only bought one book so far. Lots of christian authors milling around up here so hopefully get to speak to some of them!
Walked around Derwentwater lake and have been writing poetry since. What a lovely place the lake district is!
One last note - look what I just found!

http://anthologyofguernsey.blogspot.com/2010/06/celia-jenkins.html

Book Reviews - 2010

1. ‘Clean Break’
- Jacqueline Wilson
:Really good characters, heart warming and true to life, liked the hidden exospheric references to Wilsons other novels. A lovely story.

2. ‘How I Live Now’
-Meg Rosoff
:The use of free indirect speech and lack of punctuation was frustrating at times. Felt very real, life like characters, a real heart-wrenching, very emotive.

3. ‘The Book of Tomorrow’
- Cecelia Ahern
: Really good, one of her best. Magical and heartfelt, gripping plot and surprise ending.

4. ‘The Blind Watchmaker’
- Richard Dawkins
: Dawkins is a very intelligent man, but his argument is diminished by snide comments and rudeness. The book was a very difficult read. Well researched and in depth, scientific jargon. Interesting and enlightening, not something I could read twice, but glad I tackled it.

5. ‘Selected Poems’
- Carol Ann Duffy
: An interesting, versatile collection. The more abstract pieces didn’t work for me, but I loved those from ‘The Worlds Wife’ series.

6. ‘Extremities’
- Kathe Koja
: A collection of macabre short stories, some disturbing. Well written, scary imagination, original and unique.

7. ‘Them - Adventures with Extremists’
- Jon Ronson
: Journalistic style, quite repetitive and poorly written. No conclusion, interesting topic but arranged to be random and dull.

8. ‘The Flash’
- Peter Wild (editor)
: A collection of short stories by varied authors. Some were unimpressive, others were good. Varied topics and styles.

9. ‘When a Girl is Born’
- Pamela Grant
: Interesting story about Chinese culture. Simply written with a fast paced narrative. Interesting to discover history and facts. As a whole, poorly written but good characterization and I liked the timeline feature at the end.

10. ‘American Gods’
- Neil Gaiman
: An old favourite, amazing plot with huge references to mythology. A real journey story. Believeable characters, chilling and amusing. Hard to put down. Really good interlinking of storylines .Love it.

11. ‘Playing Sardines’
- Michele Roberts
: Short stories; all very similar. Quite good but really repetitive, characters and setting became stale and boring. A shame because, alone, the stories were actually quite good.

12. ‘Everyman’
- Philip Roth
: Good characterization, stark, blunt and realistic. Informative and well researched. Bleakness of humanity.

13. ‘Lady Chatterly’s Lover According to Spike Milligan’
- Spike Milligan
: A quirky adaptation, very funny in its simple way, a lot was hard to understand, rather I let the langue just flow over me than try to keep up with it.

14. ‘The Changing Face of the Channel Islands Occupation – Record, Memory and Myth’
- Hazel R. Knowles Smith
: An excellent piece of life writing. Very well researched, insightful and balanced throughout. Some sentences were too long, but on the whole, very well put together.

15. ‘In America’
- Stephen Fry
: Witty and insightful, a brilliant challenge. She he didn’t have more words for each state as there is so much to say. Very enjoyable and informative. Fry is excellent as ever.

16. ‘The Gospel According to Larry’
- Janet Tashjian
: An old favourite, this true story boggled my mind every time. Frank and honest, I feel close to the protagonist, and inspired every time I finish reading it. Ace.

17. ‘The Gift’
- Cecelia Ahern
: A big disappointment. Ahern has let her writing get sloppy and predictable, and the plot wasn’t captivating. Massive shame.

18. ‘Poems Selected by Ted Hughes’
- Sylvia Plath
: Beautiful. I love reading Plath in a slow, lingering way. ‘Tulips’ and ‘Poppies in July’ were my favourites.

19. ‘To a Fault’
- Nick Laird
: A poetry collection. Unremarkable and far too casual. I couldn’t make sense of them nor were they beautiful.

20. ‘High Fidelity’
- Nick Hornby
: Genius; perfectly written. Hornby has a style that is almost feminine in its emotional detail and casual tone. Unsure about the ending, I’ll see if it grown on me. Reading about Robs miserable life make me happier with my own. Funny, frank, original and quirky.

21. ‘A Song of Stone’
- Iain Banks
: A gruesome, gory tale, too much description but good characterization. Horrific, detailed scenes of torture that were nearly impossible to read. Disappointing after the genius of Banks’ acclaimed ‘Wasp Factory’.

22. ‘Faith and Doubt’
- John Ortberg
: An intriguing exploration. Well researched and through provoking. Good flow, easy to read and engaging.

23. ‘Woman’s Hour 50th Anniversary Short Story Collection’
- Di Speirs (editor)
:A varied collection, so very witty, clever pieces. A great range of styles and topics, a fun, jovial ead.

24. ‘Stone de Croze’
- Guppy
: A collection of cartoons about ‘the original Guernseyman’. Very clever, clear characterization, lots of fun.

25. ‘The Sisters Who Would be Queen’
- Leanda de Lisle
: A fantastic historical biography of Lady Jane Grey and her sisters. Detailed and well researched, reads like a novel through an accessible language. Insights into many walks of life, especially royalty politics. Interesting, gripping and fascinating.

26. ‘The Shack;
- Wm Paul Young
: An intriguing book, a difficult storyline but handled with style, clear characterization and beautiful imagery.

27. ‘The Forward Book of Poetry 2008’
-Michael Symonds Roberts (editor)
: A vibrant collection, all ups and downs. Favourites include: ‘The Murderer’ – Luke Kennard, ‘Thursday’ – Lorraine Mariner, ‘Ragdoll’ – Louise Adjoa Parker, ‘Ten Places I See my Mother’ – Jennifer Copley, ‘Parallel Universes’ – Kate Edwards, ‘Your Body’ – Ann Gray, ‘Wildlife’ – Neil Rollinson, ‘Orphan Doll’ – Seni Seneviratne. A mixed collection, lots of life and promise.

28. ‘The World’s Wife’
- Carol Ann Duffy
: A brilliant collection, witty and sexual, great characters and research done. Memorable anecdotes and in-depth explorations. Brilliant.

29. ‘The Butterfly House’
- Marcia Preston
: A debut novel, it’s a charming story of twists and turns. Good characters, a beautiful story, well researched, good use of imagery.

30. ‘The Kommandant’s Girl’
- Pam Jenoff
: An amazing story of love, loyalty and war. Ending was too sudden and too many deaths but a really good read. Believable. Good research, engaging.

31. ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’
- Agatha Christie
: Enjoyable as ever, Christie weaves a tangled web involving students, drugs, love, theft, and of course Poirot.

32. ‘The Book of Orgasms’
- Nin Andrews
: A compelling book of prose poetry transporting the subject through unique ideas, tastefully composed and thoroughly engaging.

33. ‘ The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
: Written in a letter format, this highly humorous account details life in Guernsey during and after World War 2. Brilliantly researched, written with charm and character, this beautiful book is honest and heart-wrenching, harrowing and touching. Loved it.

34. ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’
- Jay Asher
: A thoroughly engaging book, clear, honest narrative, realistic characterization. Insightful cassette tape format. But does the tone glorify suicide? A book that could be seen as challenging, depending on who reads it. Aimed at teens, a debut novel from a promising writer.

35. ‘Life on the Refrigerator Door’
- Alice Kuipers
: Although short, this book is fun and insightful. The unusual format brings lightness to the serious topic.

36. ‘Breathing underwater’
- Julia Green
: A beautiful diary-esque story through grief. In this honest, heart-warming story the reader finds peace, intrigue and poetry.

37. ‘My Name is Mina’
- David Almond
: Prequel to Skellig, a beautiful, insightful story. Layout is a worthwhile challenge. Inspiring, musical, sweet.

38. ‘Johnny Angel’
- Danielle Steel
: Though heart-warming and inspirational, the story was predictable, utterly repetitive and too idealistic.

39. ‘A Choice of Shelley’s Verse’
- Stephen Spender (editor)
: Shelley’s poetry is divine. Lyrical, rich in imagery, evocative language, beautiful, narrative-eqsue. Adore it.

40. ‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’
- Agatha Christie
: Like much Christie, the writing is not of a fantastic standard but the plot is fantastic. Interwoven genius.

Book Reviews - 2009

A list of all I read in 2009 with a few comments on each:

1. 'The Master Bedroom'
-Tessa Hadley
:A story about relationships and people, beautiful sense of enviroment, unexpected ending.

2. 'Doing It'
- Melvin Burgess
:Insight into sex/relationships by teenage boys. Humerous and realistic.

3, 'A Spot of Bother'
- Mark Haddon
:A great read, realistic, funny, sad, great characters.

4. 'Pure Lizard'
-Sujata Bhatt
:A compilation of poetry, abstract, some ok but some seemed a bit pointless.

5. 'The Time Travellers Wife'
- Audrey Niffenegger
: Amazing, instant favorite. Well written, realistic, fantastic plot, great characters I grew to love, twists in the end. Excellent and really clever.

6. 'The boy in the striped pyjamas'
- John Boyne
:Simply written yet captivating, a shock ending which resonates true horror. Brilliant

7. 'Tales from the Country Matchmaker'
-Patricia Warren
:True stories of romance, heart warming but somewhat repetitive and uneventful

8. 'Becoming Jane Austen'
-Jon Spence
: Biography based largely on speculation. Repetitive and mostly dull.

9. 'Charlie Recons'
- Annie McGann
: Poetry collection. A modern and unique look at cliche themes. Beautiful imagery.

10. 'M is for Magic'
- Neil Gaiman
: A fairytalesque collection of short stories. Clunky in places because of the make believe, but good read, imaginitive and witty.

11. 'Poetry and Life, 3'
- Nora Grisenthwaite
:Old book of childrens poetry, archaic language, uplifting and funny

12. 'The Ecclesiastical history of the English People'
- Bede
:Interesting, historical, religious, inspiring, repetitive, agent based.

13. 'Treasure Island according to Spike Milligan'
- Spike Milligan
: Hilarious, lots of exophoric references and simple humor, reoccouring jokes and livley characters.

14. 'You can change your world!'
-Sondra Clark
:An insightful look into wats to voluenteer by an extraordinary girl

15. 'Brandenburg'
-Henry Porter
:A historical account of 1989 Germany. Good characters, lots of drama, a good thriller.

16. 'The women in the fifth'
-Douglas Kennedy
:Slow start, bit too out of this word and surreal but liked the characters and slow reveal of plot

17. 'Worlds Worst Jokes'
-Tony Husband
:Average joke book, simple humor, some adult themes.

18. 'Born Lippy'
-Rosemary Dun
:Modern poet, relationships and sexual themes. Good humor, likd the poems 'it's life, right?', 'sometimes', 'shagging', 'poetic breakfast' and 'he done one right'

19. 'Dissolution'
-C J Sansom
:Great historical, religious murder mystery. great characters, good detail and use of red herring, well rooted in history.

20. 'Coming of Age'
-Valerie Mendes
:uncomplicated lexis and linguistics, good plot twist and believable character, not instant favorite byt a good read.

21. 'Lolita'
- Vladimir Nabokov
:impossiblt difficult to hold a moral stance when reading. sympathies switch to lie with different characters. What impications are threr for the author who writes of book on child molestation?

22. 'Gone in a heartbeat'
-David and Marie Works
:A true story of how to deal with loss and keep your faith. Very emotional, really involves you.

23. 'Red sky in the morning'
- Elizabeth Laird
:Emotional story of a sisters relationship with her handicapped brother. A younger read, continuity errors but a nice easy read.

24. 'Stuart: A life backwards'
- Alexander Masters
:Biography of a homless man. To begiun with I found it dry and couldn't connect at all. Only in the last third did I feel for Stuart and sympathize. Interesting insight, fresh approach.

25. 'Nation'
- Terry Pratchett
:Excellent book, really life like characters. Could loose the last chapter, one of those all or nothing sorts of ending. Really insightful, deep underlying issues and topics. Lots of wit.

26. 'The cross centered life'
- C J Mahaney
: a guide for christians on how to lead a life with a focus on Jesus and not ourselves.

27. 'The suitcase Kid'
-Jacqueline Wilson
: rered for my study of childrens authors, an old favorite. Clever alphabet chapter layout, found the dialogue unrealistic in places, but one of Wilsons best.

28. 'The Prophet'
- Kahlil Gibran
: Fantastic, great musicality and lyricism. Poeticly styled, biblical language and moral tone.

29. 'The worry website'
- Jacqueline Wilson
: Original idea, liked the characters chapter layout. Could be longer, wanted more detail and character input.

30. 'Water bugs and Dragonflies'
- Doris Stickney
:Good combination of helpful narrative and useful info. Religion cantered, a short but handy booklet.

31. 'Badgers parting gifts'
-susan varley
: lovely book, classic characters. Clearly explained concet with optimistic ending.

32. 'Always and forever'
- Alan Durant
:Beautiful book with fantastic illustrations. Explains the concept realistically through endeating characters. Helpful and charming.

33. 'Are you sad, little bear?'
- Rachel Rivett
:uses metaphors in natue to get at the bigger picture. NBot God based but a hint of the other world towards the end. Relatable characters showing real emotion.

34. 'Sad Book'
- Michael Rosen
: Unique stance on the concept of death and grief. Explained in an adult way. Not necessarily optimistic but hopeful, accepting of the way things are and of how it's okay to feel sad.

Book Reviews - 2008

A list of all the books I red in 2008, along with a short review of each one.

1. 'A Long Way Down' - Nick Hornby
: Really good! Four characters meet at a well known suicide spot and end up as the most unlikely of social groups. Uplifting and thought provoking.

2. 'Jane Eyre' - Charlotte Bronte
: An instant favorite - breathtaking language, endearing characters, engaging plot - amazing!

3. 'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories' - Tim Burton
: Macrbe, funny, strange!

4. 'Transgressions' - Sarah Durant
: Mundane, uncaptivating plot and characters. Dissapointing throughout and an unworthy ending.

5. 'Celia' - Catherine Robinson
: Perhaphs a younger read, but entertaining. Unrealistic, but somehow uplifting. Great ending.

6. 'Rebel women of the Klondike' - Rich Mole
: Real life accounts of the woman of the late 1880's goldrush. Inspiring.

7. 'P.S. I Love You' - Cecelia Ahearn
: a tearful, playful, funny and deep novel. Very emotive, great characterization, believeable and honest with harsh reality. Loved it.

8. 'Knowledge of Angels' - Jill Paton Walsh
: Interwoven plot, marvelous philosphical references, diverse characters. Brilliant!

9. 'Bigot Hall' - Steve Aylett
: Abstract, unreal, gory, nonsencial, confusing, fantastical, unrelated, brilliant.

10 ' The memory keepers Daughter' - Kim Edwards
: heartwrenching and heartwarming at once, different perspectives on the same trauma. Deep and insightful, realistic characters, touching.

11. 'The Outside Child' - Nina Bawden
: A younger read but light hearted and fun. A lovely piece

12. 'Dress to Kill' - Eddie Izzard
: Autobiographical work of an unusual and interesting comedian. an insightful and comic read.

13. 'Dead Famous' - Ben Elton
: In an accurate portrayal of reality TV, the characters were irritating and the plot too strung out, but humerous, and original 'whodunnit'

14. 'Moab is my Washpot' - Stephen Fry
: As much as I adore Stephen Fry, I found this autobiography a struggle to get through. However, he was charming, brutally honest and funny.

15. 'Thanks for the Memories' - Cecelia Ahearn
: Another stunner from a great author, fab ending and loved how the plot came together.

16. 'Third Girl' - Agatha Christie
: A fun to read murder mystery, full of unexpectancy. Good plot.

17. ' The Notebook' - Nicholas Sparks
:very different to the film adaption, a captivating plotline, good use of timescale and perception, beautiful characters

18. ' Serious concerns' - Wendy Cope
: a fantastic book of poetry: witty, sensitive, laugh-a-minute, a favorite.

19. ' On Writing' - Stephen King
: A helpful comentary on the art of writing as well as interesting personal details.

Book reviews - 2007

Here is a list of all the books I red in 2007, along with short reviews on what I thought of them.

1. 'A Place Called Here' - Cecelia Ahearn
: I liked this, an innovative idea, but not as good as her other book 'Where Rainbows End'.

2. 'Granny Dan' - Danielle Steel
: Great character portrayal with historical information (wartime - Russia) but tends to go on an reiterate the same point too frequently.

3. 'The Cat Mummy' - Jacquline Wilson
: Childrens book, reread for memory and recollection.

4. 'Jingo' - Terry Pratchett
: Plot was a little confusing at times but liked the descriptive settings and the character 'Vimes'.

5. 'The Girls' - Lori Lansens
: Really liked this, loved the doubled point of view, couldn't put it down, emotional and moving.

6. 'If You Could See Me Now' - Cecelia Ahearn
: Liked the child-like portrayal of 'Ivan' and the feel-good ending. A good read.

7. 'The Magic Toy Shop' - Angela Carter
: Feminist writer, recommended by an english teacher. Traumatic plot, odly titled, detailed descriptions and portrayals of emotion and character.

8. 'Dear Charlie- Letters To A Lost Daughter' - Reg Thompson
: A true story in diary form. The nature of the book made it repetitive but you could note the progression in the families healing. Trully heart-wrenching and shocking, Charlie is a concept I feel as if I know.

9. 'A Child Called It' - Dave Pelzer
: Harrowing and heart breakng, a true story. Evoking emotion of the most intense kind.

10. ' The Lost Boy' - Dave Pelzer
: Sequal to 'A Child Called It', gave a limitless view into fostering and perspective of an 'f-child'. Moving.

11. 'King Lear' - William Shakespear
: Dual storyline, liked the ending - upbeat, fast paced and packed with tragedy.

12. 'Great Expectations' - Charles Dickens
: Good storyline but longwinded and drawn out. Good characterization, particuarly liked Wemmick and his double life.

13. 'Finding Cassie Crazy' - Jaclyn Morianty
: Teenage novel of friendship and penpals. Good read, fun and realistic characters.

14. 'A Thousand Acres' - Jane Smiley
: Slow starting but rapidly picking up drama and shocking events. Depressing and harrowing. Diverse and satisfactory characters. Deffinatly emotion envoking.

15. 'Holes' - Louis Sachar
: A younger read, but humerous and entertaining

16. 'The Invitation' - Diane Hoh
: an unconvincing and unsatisfactoyu horror story. Very flimsy plot.

17. 'Sushi For Beginners' - Marian Keyes
: Really good (despite the total lack of sushi until the end!) A romantic comedy with deep storylines.

18. 'Maus' - Art Spiegelman
: A true holocaust survivor story told in a comic strip style. Humerous in places with a serious undertone.

19. 'The Secret Life of Bees' - Sue Monk Kidd
: Loved it! Inspirational and endearing, a girl searching for answers and getting more than she bagined for. Lovely!

20. 'Gods Callgirl' - Carla Van Raay
: true story of a rebelious nun who becomes a prostitute. Interesting but tedious towards the end.

21. 'Feather Boy' - Nicky Singer
: A younger read but gripping plot and satisfactory end. Pleasant read.

22. 'The Gospel According to Larry' - Janet Tashjian
: A re-read, one of my favorites. A true story of a boy who tired to change the world, and the world that changes him.

23. 'Damaged' - Cathy Glass
: Much like the Dave Pelzer accounts, a story old childhood abuse told by a foster carer. Heartbreaking.

A Writer's World

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Tuesday, 27 July 2010

The travelling girl

Book Reviews - 2010

Book Reviews - 2009

Book Reviews - 2008

Book reviews - 2007

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