Yes, I've been absent for another couple of weeks, this time because of the Easter holidays. I spent most of the school holidays in Dundee with my family and really enjoyed the chance to relax completely and forget about work and all the demands on our time and attention that we all experience in everyday life.
We deliberately avoided scheduling too many visits and appointments so that we would have time to just chill and have a complete change. It was bliss to be able to sit in cafes and read as long as we wanted. And there were plenty of bookshops to browse, so we were never short of reading material.
As usual, I'd taken a pile of books with me, just in case, but I discovered lots of books to buy while I was in Scotland. I find that when I'm in Scotland, I like to read books by Scottish authors. I may have books with me that are perfectly enjoyable, but if they are set in England, reading them would destroy the holiday mood and the feeling of being in a different country.
For example, before we set off on holiday, I had begun to read Stuart Maconcie's Pies and Prejudice: In search of the North, and I was really enjoying it. But somehow it seemed disloyal to read about the North of England while I was in Scotland, so that was abandoned. While browsing in Waterstones, I discovered some new books set in Scotland by some of my favourite authors, so I couldn't resist them, especially as they were on a 3 for 2 offer.
I began by reading Glasgow Kiss by Alex Gray. I had read one or two of her books a while ago and this, her latest offering, appealed to me for two reasons : it was a generously sized book club edition, rather than a tiny paperback, and it was set in a school in Glasgow. Some of the action was set in the centre of Glasgow, outside Borders Bookshop, an area which is one of my usual holiday haunts, so I particularly enjoyed being able to imagine the places which were mentioned.
I found the dialogue convincing and the plot compulsive reading - in fact, I had read all the 353 pages within 24 hours. I can heartily recommend the book to crime lovers. Alex Gray really makes us identify with her characters and shows how crimes can affect the lives, not just of the victims, but of other innocent people. In this her fifth book, she has really mastered crime writing and has set herself up as a serious contender in the genre.
The second book I read was Easy Kill by Linn Anderson. This was also set in Glasgow, in the Necropolis, the sprawling hillside graveyard which has been compared to Paris's Pere Lachaise Cemetery (where I had filmed many years ago with the BBC). I had spent some time exploring the Necropolis with my family on my last stay in Glasgow, which is probably just as well. After some of the gory things which happened in it in the novel, I'd have thought twice about venturing there, especially after dark!
Linn Anderson had caught my attention a few years ago when I bought her second novel, Torch. Like Torch, Easy Kill features the intrepid forensic scientist, Rhona MacLeod. It's a dark book, which pulls no punches. This is far from the Happy Ever After scenario you find in some crime writing - people are deeply affected by their experiences, and that goes for Rhona and her colleagues too.
What was the third book I bought in my 3 for 2 offer, then? It was by another Scottish crime writer, Val McDermid and it's her latest paperback, A Darker Domain. But after reading two crime novels back to back, I fancied a change, so I ended up reading a couple of non-fiction books - so if you want to know what the Val McDermid is like, you'll have to wait, or else read it yourself...
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Thursday, 4 September 2008
How My Death Saved My Life
Now that's an interesting title, isn't it? Fortunately, it doesn't refer to me and my life - it's the title of an autobiography by the American speaker, author and visionary, Denise Linn.
I encountered Denise Linn through listening to broadcasts on the internet from Hay House Radio. Denise has a regular radio show which I really enjoy listening to on my podcasts and she's one of my favourite broadcasters, lovely and warm and empathic and full of joy.
I did know a little bit about her life as she'd talked on air about the incident which provided the title for her book. When she was younger she was shot by a sniper and suffered horrendous injuries as a result. The medics thought that she wouldn't survive the attack and had to fight to save her life.
What I knew nothing about was her extraorinary childhood in which she had to cope with a mother who was a paranoid schizophrenic. It makes riveting reading, hearing about her turbulent early years. It's a real miracle that someone who endured an upbringing like hers could manage to turn into someone so calm and cheerful, who could help and inspire so many other people.
If you like biographies, or if you are interested in spirituality, healing or mysticism, I heartily recommend this fascinating book.
I encountered Denise Linn through listening to broadcasts on the internet from Hay House Radio. Denise has a regular radio show which I really enjoy listening to on my podcasts and she's one of my favourite broadcasters, lovely and warm and empathic and full of joy.
I did know a little bit about her life as she'd talked on air about the incident which provided the title for her book. When she was younger she was shot by a sniper and suffered horrendous injuries as a result. The medics thought that she wouldn't survive the attack and had to fight to save her life.
What I knew nothing about was her extraorinary childhood in which she had to cope with a mother who was a paranoid schizophrenic. It makes riveting reading, hearing about her turbulent early years. It's a real miracle that someone who endured an upbringing like hers could manage to turn into someone so calm and cheerful, who could help and inspire so many other people.
If you like biographies, or if you are interested in spirituality, healing or mysticism, I heartily recommend this fascinating book.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
An Inspirational Non-Fiction Classic - The Monk who Sold his Ferrari
I love books with intriguing titles and this one certainly has one - The Monk who Sold his Ferrari. It's by Robin S. Sharma and it's subtitled 'A Spiritual Fable about Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny'.
It's ideal reading for anyone who feels oppressed by the relentless demands of the rat race but hasn't yet figured out how they can stop being a rat. It tells the tale of a hard-nosed, driven trial lawyer who has a health crisis and goes off to find himself and recreate his life by studying the traditions of the East.
It's a fascinating, thought-provoking, and inspiring book, which packs a lot of wisdom into a charming and captivating story. If you feel jaded with life and resent the fact that it is passing you by, this is definitely the book you need to read to set yourself on a more positive track.
Even if you don't have a Ferrari to sell, it will help you to identify what is really important in your life and how you can work out a balance for yourself which will help you find enlightenment, health and true satisfaction.
It's ideal reading for anyone who feels oppressed by the relentless demands of the rat race but hasn't yet figured out how they can stop being a rat. It tells the tale of a hard-nosed, driven trial lawyer who has a health crisis and goes off to find himself and recreate his life by studying the traditions of the East.
It's a fascinating, thought-provoking, and inspiring book, which packs a lot of wisdom into a charming and captivating story. If you feel jaded with life and resent the fact that it is passing you by, this is definitely the book you need to read to set yourself on a more positive track.
Even if you don't have a Ferrari to sell, it will help you to identify what is really important in your life and how you can work out a balance for yourself which will help you find enlightenment, health and true satisfaction.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Where Do You Read?
I always used to read in bed, but I've changed my routine recently so that I listen to podcasts instead of reading. My favourite place to read is now in a cafe - I like to take along a library book or something I've bought recently. Today I was in a cafe at lunchtime having a baguette and reading a book about money by Alvin Hall called 'You and Your Money. Creating a Prosperous Relationship'.
I also like to read when I'm waiting for an appointment at the doctor's or the dentist's and if I'm not too busy I enjoy reading in the morning or before I go to bed. It's a good way of winding down instead of watching TV, which can make the brain too agitated instead of creating a feeling of restfulness.
I used to travel by train every week and that was a good place to read too as I could fit in about an hour of uninterrupted reading on the way there, though on the return journey the trains would be crowded so I couldn't always manage to read for the whole of that journey.
Mind you, it's a lot harder to enjoy reading on a train these days now that so many people have mobile phones and iPods. When I was a student and had very long train journeys from Scotland to Cambridge, I always knew I'd be able to get some serious reading done.
Sometimes I'd make notes for my course or even write an essay. It's not always so easy to concentrate when there are other people's phones ringing, loud telephone conversations and tinkly personal stereos playing all around.
But where ever you manage to read, the important thing is to do it, and, if possible, try to establish a habit of reading fairly regularly. That way it will become part of your everyday life and you'll miss it if you don't do it.
Regular reading will nourish you as a writer in a way that nothing else will.
I also like to read when I'm waiting for an appointment at the doctor's or the dentist's and if I'm not too busy I enjoy reading in the morning or before I go to bed. It's a good way of winding down instead of watching TV, which can make the brain too agitated instead of creating a feeling of restfulness.
I used to travel by train every week and that was a good place to read too as I could fit in about an hour of uninterrupted reading on the way there, though on the return journey the trains would be crowded so I couldn't always manage to read for the whole of that journey.
Mind you, it's a lot harder to enjoy reading on a train these days now that so many people have mobile phones and iPods. When I was a student and had very long train journeys from Scotland to Cambridge, I always knew I'd be able to get some serious reading done.
Sometimes I'd make notes for my course or even write an essay. It's not always so easy to concentrate when there are other people's phones ringing, loud telephone conversations and tinkly personal stereos playing all around.
But where ever you manage to read, the important thing is to do it, and, if possible, try to establish a habit of reading fairly regularly. That way it will become part of your everyday life and you'll miss it if you don't do it.
Regular reading will nourish you as a writer in a way that nothing else will.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Addictive Reading - 'The Other Boleyn Girl'
I said yesterday that I didn't know whether I would manage to read Philippa Gregory's historical novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, in time for our reading group meeting on Monday.
But I can now confidently predict that I will finish it in time. In fact, there's a chance that I might even get it finished tonight. I've been glued to it today, small print or no small print. I've found it absolutely fascinating in a horrible sort of way, and it certainly makes me feel glad to an ordinary British woman living in the 21st century rather than a courtier at the time of King Henry VIII.
My son is now home from school for the summer holidays - nine and a half weeks - so I've also been taking advantage of that by getting him to do all the little jobs that I usually get stuck on, like transferring podcasts to my MP3 player. He's a real technical whizz kid. I have a new MP3 player which makes it much easier for me to listen to my favourite podcasts from Hay House Radio.
It's been a day when lots of newsletters have started arriving in my mail box too. I've already recommended a great website for writers, http://www.writing-world.com/, but I'll mention it again. The latest edition of their free newsletter is now out and has some very interesting articles in it as well as information about publications and competitions. I particularly liked the feature on 'How to Read "How to Write" Books'.
I won't spend long talking to you tonight as I'm on tenterhooks to find out what happens to the two Boleyn girls. I've a vague inking of what happens to one. (Let's just put it this way - I don't think she lives happily ever after!) But I'm dying to know what happens to her sister. I think I'm a Philippa Gregory convert.
But I can now confidently predict that I will finish it in time. In fact, there's a chance that I might even get it finished tonight. I've been glued to it today, small print or no small print. I've found it absolutely fascinating in a horrible sort of way, and it certainly makes me feel glad to an ordinary British woman living in the 21st century rather than a courtier at the time of King Henry VIII.
My son is now home from school for the summer holidays - nine and a half weeks - so I've also been taking advantage of that by getting him to do all the little jobs that I usually get stuck on, like transferring podcasts to my MP3 player. He's a real technical whizz kid. I have a new MP3 player which makes it much easier for me to listen to my favourite podcasts from Hay House Radio.
It's been a day when lots of newsletters have started arriving in my mail box too. I've already recommended a great website for writers, http://www.writing-world.com/, but I'll mention it again. The latest edition of their free newsletter is now out and has some very interesting articles in it as well as information about publications and competitions. I particularly liked the feature on 'How to Read "How to Write" Books'.
I won't spend long talking to you tonight as I'm on tenterhooks to find out what happens to the two Boleyn girls. I've a vague inking of what happens to one. (Let's just put it this way - I don't think she lives happily ever after!) But I'm dying to know what happens to her sister. I think I'm a Philippa Gregory convert.
Monday, 9 June 2008
Male or Female Books?
A Controversial Book Group
Following on from yesterday's post about what sort of things people like to read, we had a bit of controversy in our novel analysis group today.
We were discussing Jodi Picoult's book, Vanishing Acts - I mentioned this book in an earlier post. We had a helpful discussion, both about that book and about Jodi Picoult as a writer. Kimm, who was leading the discussion, had very kindly photocopied the opening page of five other Picoult novels for us to read and compare.
A Women's Book?
We were in broad agreement about both the strengths and the weaknesses of Vanishing Acts, except for one member of the group, the only man, who dismissed it as 'a book for women'. He said he couldn't imagine any man enjoying it because it's about emotions. He thought we'd have been better off discussing the new James Bond novel, Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks.
Can You Get Unisex Books?
But is there really such a divide between books that men like and books that women like? I don't think it's the case in the genre that I am most familiar with. For example, I would imagine that Ian Rankin's Rebus novels would appeal to men and women equally.
And there must surely be plenty of books written by men that deal with emotions. Men feel emotions too. They get angry. They fret. They fall in love. Life isn't all about Action Man, even if you're a bloke.
What do you think? Do you believe that there are some books that will only appeal to men and some that will only appeal to women? Can writers really only write for their own sex or is it possible to write something that will appeal to both men or women?
Do write a comment and let me know what you think.
Just for the record, we have agreed that we will look at Devil May Care in a couple of months' time. Equal opportunities and all that.....
Following on from yesterday's post about what sort of things people like to read, we had a bit of controversy in our novel analysis group today.
We were discussing Jodi Picoult's book, Vanishing Acts - I mentioned this book in an earlier post. We had a helpful discussion, both about that book and about Jodi Picoult as a writer. Kimm, who was leading the discussion, had very kindly photocopied the opening page of five other Picoult novels for us to read and compare.
A Women's Book?
We were in broad agreement about both the strengths and the weaknesses of Vanishing Acts, except for one member of the group, the only man, who dismissed it as 'a book for women'. He said he couldn't imagine any man enjoying it because it's about emotions. He thought we'd have been better off discussing the new James Bond novel, Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks.
Can You Get Unisex Books?
But is there really such a divide between books that men like and books that women like? I don't think it's the case in the genre that I am most familiar with. For example, I would imagine that Ian Rankin's Rebus novels would appeal to men and women equally.
And there must surely be plenty of books written by men that deal with emotions. Men feel emotions too. They get angry. They fret. They fall in love. Life isn't all about Action Man, even if you're a bloke.
What do you think? Do you believe that there are some books that will only appeal to men and some that will only appeal to women? Can writers really only write for their own sex or is it possible to write something that will appeal to both men or women?
Do write a comment and let me know what you think.
Just for the record, we have agreed that we will look at Devil May Care in a couple of months' time. Equal opportunities and all that.....
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Vanishing Acts
Now you see her, now you don't.....I expect you might have been thinking that if you've logged into my blog over the past couple of weeks expecting to find a new posting! Sorry about that! But I'm back and raring to go, after a bit of a break to look after myself (I wasn't feeling so well) and to devote my time to scrutinising my class's portfolios - a very enjoyable and engrossing experience as they have produced a mountain of excellent writing: short stories, non-fiction, drama, analyses of markets and writing. Well done them!
Oh, and I also paid a trip to Huddersfield Town Hall for the Kirklees Community Learning Awards Ceremony to see my class win an award for Learning Group of the Year and one member of the class, Charlotte Thorpe, win an individual award for Best Returner. We had a fantastic evening and it was a fitting conclusion to a year in which my class has constantly amazed me with their enthusiasm, persistence and imagination.
I'm about to join yet another new group for writers - a novel-reading group where the emphasis is on spending each meeting analysing one novel in depth, to help us with our own writing. We are due to meet in a couple of weeks' time for our first discussion and the chosen novel is Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts. It's the first Picoult book I have read, although my writing partner Kimm is a great fan of hers and had read virtually all her books.
I avoided Picoult's books for ages thinking that they would be terribly depressing, but I was pleasantly surprised by Vanishing Acts. Yes, it does deal with extreme human predicaments, but the writing is absolutely beautiful and it really sweeps you along. In my class, we discussed similes and metaphors a few weeks ago. I pointed out how important it is to choose a simile that is fresh rather than trotting out old cliches. Vanishing Acts is stuffed fuller than a horsehair sofa with lively and original similes - for example, she says the wrapped-up bales of hay in a field are like giant marshmallows. I think that once I have got to the end of the book, I shall have to go back and re-read it with a notebook in my hand, recording her fantastic use of language so that I can share it with my classes next year.
I hope that you have been enjoying your reading and writing while I've been off-line. Do please e-mail me and let me know what you've been working on. I would be especially interested in knowing which novels you would recommend to my new reading/novel-writing study group and what lessons we could learn from them.
Happy reading!
Oh, and I also paid a trip to Huddersfield Town Hall for the Kirklees Community Learning Awards Ceremony to see my class win an award for Learning Group of the Year and one member of the class, Charlotte Thorpe, win an individual award for Best Returner. We had a fantastic evening and it was a fitting conclusion to a year in which my class has constantly amazed me with their enthusiasm, persistence and imagination.
I'm about to join yet another new group for writers - a novel-reading group where the emphasis is on spending each meeting analysing one novel in depth, to help us with our own writing. We are due to meet in a couple of weeks' time for our first discussion and the chosen novel is Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts. It's the first Picoult book I have read, although my writing partner Kimm is a great fan of hers and had read virtually all her books.
I avoided Picoult's books for ages thinking that they would be terribly depressing, but I was pleasantly surprised by Vanishing Acts. Yes, it does deal with extreme human predicaments, but the writing is absolutely beautiful and it really sweeps you along. In my class, we discussed similes and metaphors a few weeks ago. I pointed out how important it is to choose a simile that is fresh rather than trotting out old cliches. Vanishing Acts is stuffed fuller than a horsehair sofa with lively and original similes - for example, she says the wrapped-up bales of hay in a field are like giant marshmallows. I think that once I have got to the end of the book, I shall have to go back and re-read it with a notebook in my hand, recording her fantastic use of language so that I can share it with my classes next year.
I hope that you have been enjoying your reading and writing while I've been off-line. Do please e-mail me and let me know what you've been working on. I would be especially interested in knowing which novels you would recommend to my new reading/novel-writing study group and what lessons we could learn from them.
Happy reading!
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