What I'm Reading.

It's times to admit that I'm not going to hit my 12 book target this year. It kind of sucks, but I seriously am the slowest reader and knew that giving myself a target would be a struggle. I'm definitely going to give it another go in 2015.  This is numbers 6, 7 & 8:

My second batch of 2014 books:

     After The Quake by Haruki Murakami

     The Sailor who Fell from Grave with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
     The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

I'm going to start with my absolute favourite from this set; The Magic Toyshop. This book is my Dads, it somehow made it onto my bookshelf so I decided to give it a read. The story is through the eyes of a 15 year old girl and Angela Carter gets the perfect level of innocent & naivety of someone on the brink of adulthood. Its super sad at some points, but equally as lovely in others. I fell in love with (almost) every single character the characters in this book (Francie & Finn are definite favourites though ♥). I highly recommend you giving this a read if you haven't before.

Next, After the Quake; I didn’t realise that it was a collection of short stories! (Which, after reading Smut, I love.) It’s the first book I have read which has been translated from its original language. I’m not sure how I feel about this; I kept thinking ‘is that how he really wanted that sentence to sound?’ 'has the  meaning being lost in translation?'. Anyway, each of the 6 stores are based after a huge earthquake in Japan. A couple of the stories are so surreal, I felt kind of dumb reading them at first (“Superfrog Saves Tokyo”, for example, ha) but I ended up loving each one. Short stories are so fun to read! 

By complete coincidence, my next book was by another Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima. It took me a while to get into The Sailor who Fell From Grace with the Sea, I actually considered giving it up but I really want to hit this 12 books goal so kept at it, and it was worth it. The writing is really beautiful and poetic, which is huge change from the gritty stuff I usually read. But, the overall atmosphere of the book is pretty dark, and some parts are pretty gruesome (like, animal torture gruesome). Towards the end I couldn’t put the book down and it does end quite suddenly... it really leaves you thinking.

You can read about the first 5 books I read this year right here.

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What I'm Reading.

As the slowest reader on the planet I set myself a goal at the new year to read 12 books. So far I have read 5. I feel as though I am cheating a bit by including the first two in my 2014 reads but I'm going to anyway. I started them in 2013 but only finished them this year so it counts to me. I really am the slowest reader, so it has been nice to already have found new authors and new books I've struggled to put down.

So far in 2014 I have read:
     Stiff! The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
     Hollywood by Charles Bukowski
     The Contortionists Handbook by Craig Clevenger
     Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi
     Smut: Two Unseemly Stories by Alan Bennett

I'll start with Stiff!; it is the first book I have read by Mary Roach and has re-ignited my love of non-fiction. I think Mary Roach and me would be pretty good friends; she is interesting, funny and down to earth. Stiff is about cadavers (I hate that word) and their different uses in medical science; its both disgusting and amazing. Second, I finished off Hollywood by Charles Bukowski. Bukowski is my favourite writer, so I feel really bad saying this, but Hollywood let me down. Hollywood seemed very drawn out, and pretty non-eventful. It was like someone trying to be Bukowski had written it. If you haven't read anything by him I recommend Ham on Rye, Women or Postoffice, which are far superior.

The first book I really finished in 2014 I loved; The Contortionsit's Handbook. I had never heard of Craig Clevenger but after reading how much Kaylah loved the book I thought I'd give him a go. And... I really struggled to put it down. It is quick moving and unpredictable. Not like anything else I have ever read. It's the kind of book that makes me anxious to read anything else by the same author, just in case it sucks and ruins how good the first one was.

Helter Skelter is something I had had on my shelf for a few months but when packing for a trip to Glasgow and scanning my shelves for something to keep me entertained on the 6 hour train ride I picked it out; with my new love of non-fiction and my old love of anything weird and cultish, it was an easy choice. The Manson murders are something (I think) most people know the basics of but this book took it to a whole different level. Vincent Bugliosi was the district attorney who prosecuted Manson, so you couldn't really have a better insight. Reading about some of the obvious clues that were missed, and the things the family members planned on doing and never got around to blew my mind. Real life is weird. People are weird.

My favourite from the bunch though, has to be Smut by Alan Bennett. Its the first thing I have read by Bennett, which is kind of sad as he is from Leeds and one of my Dads favourite authors too. Smut is two short stories; The Greening of Mrs Donaldson & The Shielding of Mrs Forbes. As the title may indicate, some of the subject matter is adult-orientated, so if you're not into that this will not be the book for you. Both stories centre around pretty normal life, but Bennett makes it interesting and poetic. They are funny, the characters are relatable and loveable. I can't wait to read more by him.

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A Book Commitment.

I am really slacking on the reading front at the minute. I am a few pages into a total of four books. Yes! FOUR!! I keep picking up a new book and just not bothering to pick it back up again. Have you had this problem before?  I don't know whats wrong.

Here are the books I'm midway through;

1. On the Road by Jack Kerouac- I can't even remember when I started this it was so long ago. I was really loving it too! Plus, I'm putting off seeing the film before I finish it.

2. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - I heard great things about this, and my friend Ellie kindly loaned me her copy months ago now. I struggled through the first few chapters in all honesty, but I really want to know whats up with Kevin.

3. Hollywood by Charles Bukowski - Ah Bukowski, I'll never struggle to read your books. I just haven't made the time for you, I'm sorry.

4. Mary by Vladimir Nabokov - A recommendation I found through my Weekly Book posts (Thanks Charli!), interesting so far, quite a thin book too so shouldn't be any trouble getting through.

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So, I'm setting myself a mini-challenge; I will finish the above before the year ends. I have never set myself a reading deadline before. They always seem really daunting to me, I am a very slow reader. Seriously, I read at the same pace (if not slower) than I talk. Maybe if I succeed at this, I'll move onto a real 2013 book challenge!!  What do you think? Have you set yourself a reading challenge before? How did it go?

Book a Week #7

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis

I'm sure you all know this one, or at least know Bret Easton Ellis. I love the guys writting style, and this is definitely the book that has influenced my taste in novels the most. It was the first Easton Ellis book I read, I had seen a lot of people reading American Psycho, and heard a lot about if, I'd obviously seen the film too, and decided I was way too cool to read what everyone else was reading so went for the next one along on the book shop shelf. I only just realised now that Lunar Park must have been pretty new when I first read it and I had no idea.

Lunar Park is partly a 'faux autobiography', early on Ellis describe his own sudden rise to fame, wild partying, his drug taking etc, the story does blur into fiction in some obvious aspects, particularly that he he marries a beautiful movie star. They move out of New York City, after a number of terrorist attacks makes them feel unsafe in a big city, and they end up in a quiet, rich suburb.

Halloween comes, and Ellis begins noticing strange things happening around the house they have moved into. Particularly surrounding the death of his farther. He isn't taken very seriously when he shares his concerns that the house in haunted, and that his step daughters doll is alive, and vicious! (I don't there is anything that can creep me out more than demonic toys). The line between reality and fiction distort even more when Patrick Bateman appears, along with other characters from American Psycho.

If you aren't really into this genre of book, or haven't read anything by Ellis before, I think this, and Less Than Zero, are great places to start. Completely disturbing, amazing books.

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 Remember to recommend me your favourite books, everyone that has been recommended to me so far I've either bought, or its on my Amazon Wish List.

A Book A Week #6

I planned to write about a Palahniuk book today, well, I actually did write about it, went to take a photo of the cover and realised it wasn't in my collection! I hardly ever lend out books, so thats pretty frustrating it's gone.

Soooo, change of plan. Here is my book of the week;

Marabou Stork Nightmares By Irvine Welsh

You should know Irvine Welsh as the author of Trainspotting, which was made into a pretty notible British film. I haven't actually read Trainspotting, but I have a couple of his other novels.

Roy Strang ends up in court for being involved in an awful awful crime, and the remorse he feels lands him in hospital, in a koma, unwilling to fight anymore after a life of being abused, and being the abusor- physically, mentally and sexually. The story fades in and out of his koma induced dream world, Strangs past leading up to his hospitalisation and the world he hears from his hospital bed. In his dream world, he's in South Africa, on the hunt of the Marabou Stork which he describes as the ugliest savage creature there is. In Strangs real life, you hear him growing up on a housing scheme in Scotland, the mundane job he hates, but excels in and the football hooligan gang (I mean real football hooligan gang) he loves, which all leads him to the awful crime.

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Its a hugely gritty book, and one thats definitely in my top 5. I highly recommend this to anyone that loves Bret Easton Ellis. Remember to recommend me your favourite books, everyone that has been recommended to me so far I've either bought, or its on my Amazon Wish List.

Book a Week #5

An Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead the story of Frank Meeink.

You need to know, I love watching prison documentaries I can't get enough of Lockup, Werner Herzog documentaries on the death penalty, anything to do with gangs or prison and anything relating to the Aryan brotherhood (I know, I'm weird, it just really interests me, definitely the only reason I have Netflix). Sooo when I heart about this book, I had to get it.


The book is autobiographical by Frankie Meeink, it starts when he is a young teenager in Philadelphia which is where he first becomes exposed to the skinhead culture. Its beyond weird hearing how someone thinks when they're in the state of mind, a completely clouded, misinformed, almost insane way of thinking, but you start to sort of understanding (not agree, just understand). You hear about the beatings, killings, the children he fathers and abandons, the kidnappings and awful torturing he participates in and goes to prison for. Whilst in prison Frank starts to realise his way of thinking could be wrong when he befriends 2 black inmates and comes out questioning things again, obviously it isn't easy to get out of a gang, especially when you're respected as a founder.

It's an unbelievable story, truly inspiring, and my heart completely broke when he starts hiding his drug addiction from his girlfriend, who is the only worthwhile person he's had in his life. Frank Meeink is an amazing man, and still does loads of fantastic work for equality all over America, I'd love to go see one of his talks.

I have never really read any autobiographies, so pleaaase recommend me some!