Dragonsong – Anne McCaffrey

Dragon song – Anne McCaffrey
  
Menolly (whose name aptly sounds like melody) is a talented young girl, although a little on the odd looking and often mistaken for a boy. Forced to hide her talents as a harper by her old fashioned family to prevent disgrace falling on their hold. She becomes disillusioned with the society she lives in, (don’t we all), and makes her own way in the world.

OK so I’m meant to be doing a million and one things before reading book but hey ho! I had never heard of Anne McCaffrey and am reading these books as part of a challenge – not sure how to link to the page though! This lady has written like 100 books though which is quite impressive and seems to have evolved her own society within it. There are lots of book challenges out there and I’m also signed up too Haruki Murakami challenge which is on my to do list.

`Continuing the outstanding chronicles of Pern…` Ok… Ok…. so I know I’ve started with the wrong book as the first one I was meant to read was... dragon flight, but you have to blame Sheffield library for that!

I ordered the ones before but this is the first one they gave me. As you can see below I spent the first forward trying to figure out what the hell this mythical world was!

Why don’t books have more pictures? Maybe it would have been easier to follow if I’d read the one before but oh well!

 Inside the cover it states `Anne McCaffrey’s books can be read individually or a s a series. However for greatest enjoyment the following sequences are recommended...` it would be useful if someone could please draw the libraries attention to this fact! (They have also given me the third book in a series when I wanted the 2^nd and. ..Well it’s just annoying) Ok…Ok I take all that back as Sheffield library are v helpful a lot of the time and have even ordered a print on demand book for me in the past – I love you Sheffield library!

Anyway on with the book and world of Pern… My Microsoft word seems to have a `write a blog` document feature so I’m trying that out today and will see how it goes….bear with meJ I’ve never really been a fan of Sci fi to be honest. I enjoyed the lord of the rings and read a few Terry Pratchett but I think they classify as fantasy not Sci Fi. I did enjoy hitch hikers guide to the galaxy and still have a copy of it that I stole from an ex (he he! Yes if you are reading this you will never get it back cause I’ve had it for about 7yrs :P)

As I said below is my map to try and understand Pern – v artistic I know!. I drew Pern, which for no real reason I have decided is light blue, with the intention of drawing the dwellings on it but it all got a bit confusing.

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Map in the book of Pern - Upper arrow = Benden Weyr- where protective dragons live and lower arrow = Half Circle Menolly's hold.

The book focuses on her life with her lizards dragons who she accidently impresses (becomes their mother) when she prevents them from committing suicide. Well ok that’s abit dramatic but after hatching to quench their appetite they try to throw themselves off cliffs in search of food while dangerous threads fall from the sky. And so she begins her life with her 9 fire lizards who are portrayed as just the cutest little pets – apart from when they fly at you with their claws!

Spiderclaws, Wyre’s, dragons, jealous sisters, grouchy uncles who sometimes try and stand up forgetting they have no legs, stubborn fathers & friends in all shapes and sizes the book is quite an enchanting read. Different family values and hatchings introduce all kinds of characters who I am sure feature in the many other books in this series.

An outdates hold where women are still kept in their place – sound familiar??

Important things to know if you are reading this book so it doesn’t all sounds like its written in code:

People live in holds.

Holds consist of average people and craftsmen with special skills.

1.       People live in holds

2.       Holds consist of average people and craftsmen with special skills.

3.       People are fostered between holds to prevent inbreeding and share skills.

4.       Only men are craftspeople.

5.       Harpers (teachers), farmers, fishermen etc… are crafts people.

6.       Dragonmen & women protect the people who live in the holds and provide for them by fighting thread that fall from the sky.

7.       Thread’s destroy everything in their path but can be stopped by dragon fire.

8.       Threads fall from the red star that passes Pern every 200yrs.

9.       Dragonmen & women bond (impress), with their dragons for life when the dragons hatch.

10.   Dragonmen & women live in baron volcanic land where they cannot farm.

11.   Dragonmen & women are busy busy protecting the planet from thread so have no time to grow veg etc…. so the hold’s provide for them and their dragons.

12.   Fire lizards are related to dragons but not as big or strong…..oh and they can teleport so are impossible to catch and rare to see…unless they need your help and want to make friends.

Get all that………….??

The story is that of a normal hold dwelling girl who learnt the skill of the old harper when he was dying. She is not allowed to take his place though because she is a girl. So really we are looking at the peasant’s story within this society – she is very working class but her family think she’s got a head full of notions above her station.

I was surprised to find this to be a darling little book, easy to read and the idea of fire lizards darting around is pretty cute. I often get confused between which name is the dragon and which is the rider so the glossary at the front is useful.

Although here meant to be read in sequence I quite want to read `The White Dragon` next…..

Many lines are opened up for this story to travel down and I can understand why there are so many strands. It feels abit like I’ve read a bite size story. When I like an authors work I tend to them track down there back catalogue and usually get disappointed after reading 3 or 4 of their book to realise they haven’t written anymore….I don’t think I’ll have this problem this time. Although I wonder if the stories will begin to get boring?? I will see…J

Even if you want to just read something abit different I’d give this a go. I do wonder why these books have fallen out of fashion. I would have thought with all the hype around this type of genre they would be an ideal never ending TV series.



Real World - Natsuo Kirino

I seem to have bought an ex Kent library book – oh well! It has a nice plastic cover so it doesn’t get wet when I read in the bath. One of three of Kirino’s books translated into English that I’ve read. Out her previous best seller was gruesome to say the least so I thought I’d give this one a go.

`A matricidal murderer`-When a book begins with a murder – where else can it go?? Telling events through different characters eyes we learn of the journey of Worm and how he killed his mother – seriously this is not a spoiler as it is in the first few pages! Maybe this is a book where you can read the back pages as you already know what’s going to happen.

Yuzan’s chapter 2 is intriguing, with bits of the underworld that seem to crop up in Japanese novels. I always have a trouble with geography when reading Japanese books not being familiar with the distances – is that like a 5 min bike ride of 5 hours?? Because it might make a big difference. I tend to get a little map and doodle dots on it to try and get an idea! My geography sucks!

Terauchi’s thoughts that `There really are things that are irreparable` will ring true in many peoples ears and she is an intriguing private character. Following all of the four girls `dependable Toshi brainy Terauchi, Yuzan grief stricken and confused and Kirarin…reckless` we follow the progressing story. Despite the multiple perspectives the writing is smooth, seamlessly fitting together. Inner most thoughts of what motivates each character are exposed. The adolescent girls struggle to understand and piece together the elements of their personalities – some unsuccessfully with drastic consequences. If the events had happened in their twenties would the characters have handled it differently I wonder?

I don’t know why, but I warm to Yuzan in this book. The account of the intense sexual feelings between Worm and Kirarin from both sides is intriguing. All of the characters are strong in their own ways. I wonder what each of them will grow into after these experiences??

By the way people – you can’t read the last few pages like I thought to start with – you’d destroy the ending J Don’t think this book really caught me tbh…..

Nothing To Envy:Real Lives in North Korea - Barbara Demick

Outstanding!
I picked this up from the library despite it being a top book (you have one week to read and return) & I couldn't put it down.
I was touched by the intimacy of the 15yr relationship between lovers who were in many ways not conventionally that. Despite being unable to publically be together the bound they formed in the darkness struck a cord in my heart.

Desperate mothers cooking weeds & grass to try to feed themselves.Heart wrenching accounts of a young ambitous doctor unable to save anyones life, only just surviving herself. Pride & national loyalty illuminated as choices that effect life and death.

The way the stories are interwoven is unique. Drawing from different classes & cultures from this society giving a eclectic overview of what a true life is like in North Korea.

The Jewel of St Petersburg Kate Furnivall

Bought at a petrol station to stem my despair of being at home in the holidays and having to watch only fools and horses about fifty thousand times!!

Set in Russia which means I find it hard to pronounce the names in my head – I think due to this I have my own version in my head. I think I am learning a few words in Russian though – most notably Spasibo – thank you

The guilt carried by the main character for the act of terrorism carried out by unknowns when she was a child lays heavy on her shoulders.

As a nurse the fact that this character fights to be part of the profession is intriguing particularly in the era when it was seen as truly a glorified cleaner for whores and spinsters. I think its changed a bit nowadays….

A story of love split between not just two men, but a sister, a family, a class and the dashed hopes and beliefs we all hold in our youth when we look through innocent eyes. A strong woman emerges from the upper class debutante who is intended to flower into the jewel of Petersburg.  

The quite character of Live Popkav, the Cossack, portrays so much in his small episodic appearances in the story line. In my mind stick the three dead children, left at the bottom of the bed not even blessed by a father to carry them to heaven, just stone cold dead, consequences of where they were born in time. The fear of estimating in your head if the value of a wheelchair your beloved sits in is worth more to your watchers than the life that sits inside it. It is these moments where innocents are slayed and true characters shown that stick in my mind about this book. Apprentices slaughtered when their innocence was meant to lead to the uprising of social justice. Like lambs being culled.

A beautiful ending to a story – don’t read the last two pages otherwise you’ll destroy the book for yourself. I will seek out her other books to read.

Jayde Bates

Jayde Bates: "http://nothingoldsomethingnew.tumblr.com/"

Noah's Compass - Anne Tyler

Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler 

My attempt at reviewing a book.....hey at least it can only get better after this due to this being the first one! (i hope)

Ok....so admittedly bought as it was £4.99 when I was buying The Long Song by Andrea Levy (I'll tell you about that later) I noticed it at waterstones as I'd read Digging to America by the same author the year before. That was a heart warming story about two couples adopting different children and their upbringing so I thought I'd give this one a go.

Throughout the whole book I was not sure where this was going and it seems, like life.....it went nowhere. Initially reading about the main character being attacked in his sleep alone in bed (i live alone) I felt quite uneasy. Liam is a defunct, inept father who is in his 60's is kind of reflecting on his life and lack of it. Through the book you met the classic ex wife & hear the romanticised account of the first wife (ok her ending was in no way positive so now I feel awful about that comment).

Trying to find memories Liam actually picks up a young fuggley character who he forms a gradual attraction too. Their relationship is interesting and  realistic with no smooth happy ending where they run away to a fairytale castle.

The thing I most like about Liam is his realness. At 60yr he is dismissive of the idea of an `intimate` relationship with this young woman and it bring to my mind the notion of the different qualities we look for in the world of love as we age. The idea of dating in your late twenties when everyone is getting married and having babies is difficult to negotiate but poor Liam being thrust into it at his time of life is simply dismayed. Multi-generational characters (Jonah who insists on colouring biblical cartoons, Kitty attached to her ipod & always out, the sister Liam who brings Liam hot pots but just drops by to judge) all seem to just be making their way through life at a slow pace. Or maybe it just seems that way as the book is through Liam's retiring eyes.

 Again as standard books have a beginning, middle & end but I felt as if the book was a constant middle.

I think I will read Anne's other books to see what they hold...

(Note - alot of my books seem to be published by VINTAGE Books I noticed today.......I don't usually remember alot about books I read so maybe this Blog will help my memory as I don't have a Eunice to do it for me!)

Ok Ok....so my bookshelf is a bit disorganised!! Arn't the best. I mean I'm sure they say untidy desk tidy mind or something to that avail.

Having been deserted by my best friend who has skipped the country to earn tax free money and wear a cape (ok a habaja!!) I have not choice but to fine myself a new outlet...and for 2011 it will be blogging. I LOVE reading anything and everything but often its boring journals for essays or newspapers (not the times on the train - grrr i hate that) - I'm more of a metro girl!

Anyhow so all the books I read and things I do I will now bore you all with. This book shelf will hopefully get bigger and who knows! If I am any good at reviewing someone might send me some free books.

Points for my day 1) I am very upset to read that the cuts in public funding are going to effect libraries! I remember going to read `where wally` and winnie the pooh with my dad as a little mite and am upset that no one seems to care or have respect for books anymore! I might even join a march or something if there are any. I'm glad the proposals to turn libraries into flipping starbucks have not seen fruition. I mean what else if free nowdays apart form the peace of a library. Now to review a book which some of you may of may not have read Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler...