Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson was February's book club choice but I only managed to finish it this week, 6 weeks after I started. It's quite a weighty tome stretching to 621 pages and I found myself dipping in and out of it rather than devouring it like a lot of the book club did. This didn't hamper my enjoyment of it much though.

The premise is a simple one yet one I've not read before. What would you do if you could live your life over and over again? What would you change and how would you change it? This is explored from the very first page as we find Sylvia giving birth to our protagonist Ursula, but complications arise and Ursula dies within minutes. Darkness falls around her then she feels snowflakes. Ursula is now being born again, in the same place, to the same mother with the same surroundings, yet this time she survives. Just. Only for her life to end not long after. And repeat. Each time Ursula dies she is reborn on February 11th 1910 to Sylvia whilst a blizzard rages outside. It took a while to fully grasp the writing style but once I understood then it was a treat. We find out not just about Ursula and how her life pans out in several spanning arch's but also that of her family and friends. In one life a child is murdered whilst in another that same child grows up to wed Ursula's brother. There is never a conscious knowing if Ursula remembers her previous lives, but more that she has a feeling about what is right and wrong. Should she take the shortcut to get home or should she walk the long way? One way leads to a grisly confrontation so in the next life she unconsciously decides on the other path.

After the first few reincarnations her live's seem pretty similar and mundane, but then when Ursula turns 16 a shocking act occurs. I felt rocked by this act. I was emotionally sapped. I'd come to really enjoy Ursula's company and it veered away from the importance of focusing on how she's headed towards her deathbed to how she's going to cope with her current life. It was the first time I was happy for the story to start again, as that's the easy way out, rather than dealing with it.

Being born in 1911 meant that Ursula lives and experiences the second world war. Kate Atkinson has found several angles to approach this from. In one life we see Ursula living in Germany and has regular contact with Adolf Hitler himself, mostly in the mid 1930's. The book ask's itself not just 'What would I do differently?' but also 'What would I change?'. Does she pull the trigger on Hitler in the mid 30's to stop the war ever happening? And even if she doesn't in one life, does she in another? I must admit her time in Germany was the least engaging for me as I enjoyed her relationship with her family. Once she returns to the war in another life in London however I think this is the strongest part of the book.

The street's are transformed to rubble and glowing embers, explosions occurring almost hourly. The way Atkinson weaves Ursula into this is majestic. She throws several unlikely personalities together to create a band of amiable figures. Butchers, teachers, musicians all banded together to help clean up the streets along with Ursula. Sometimes Ursula lays down and accepts death and sometimes she's heading straight into a 20 foot mound of twisted metal and fire to see if anyone is alive, but never once do we feel that she's a different character each life. Her decisions in her life affect how she approaches the war. It was a very moving part of the book.

The main gripe with the book club though was the ending. How do you end it? Can she just keep being reincarnated  for ever more? I won't reveal how it does end but I disagreed with most of the club as I thought the ending was suitable and bitter-sweet. It was a long read, a sometime burden if I wasn't enjoying a certain route she had taken, but that route always ended a new path was taken as a new life. I would recommend it to most but perhaps make sure you devour it in a few sittings rather than the two dozen or so I had!

Rating books is a personal thing and I've decided against giving half scores this year. It's better than a 6 but not quite a 7, but I think it probably deserves the 7 for the devastating scenes alone so it's been awarded 7 cushions on the comfometer.

If you want to join the book club just add yourself to the Goodreads club and the Facebook club. Choices are posted at the end of every month to pick from and the winner announced when we chat about the previous book. We chat on Goodreads on the last Sunday of the month at 4pm but also have comments on Facebook too so if you only use one of these (Goodreads is best) then it doesn't matter.

Michael

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Batman:Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

Our book club choice in December was Batman:Year One, a graphic novel and retelling of the origins of Batman. For the book club it was a little different from what we normally read. I admit, I added it to the choices as I've wanted to read it for ages. Several times I've picked it up in a book shop and skimmed through but never bought it, but now I had an excuse to!

I'll state from the start that I am very much a novice when it comes to graphic novels. The term Graphic Novel is also one that is not always accepted, some say that 'Comic' should suffice. There is a great Radio 4 Open Book debate about it which you can hear HERE, it starts at 13 minutes 50 seconds in. Regardless, that's for another time, I'm happy to call it a graphic novel. My graphic novel reading history can be counted on one hand: Maus by Art Spiegelman (a classic), Neonomicon by Alan Moore (bloody horrific, mesmerizing, disgusting, yet mostly fulfilling), a few Buffy series 8 volumes (meh) and half of Watchmen. I'd read reviews on Year One and was excited to read what many believe to be a masterpiece.

Lets start with the story. I knew it was an origins story, and I knew that Chris Nolan had used it as the springboard to make his Batman Begins film, which I adore by the way. I think because I knew the film so well, I put too much stock into the novel taking the same steps and thus here is where I struggled. Literally from the start I had Batman Begins, the film, in my head; the images, the dialogue etc. It quickly became clear that the film was only loosely based on it, and had taken more the aesthetic rather than rigorously stick to the storyline. I'm no Batman aficionado and always considered Commissioner Gordon to be a quiet hero who steered clear of the grey area, the middle ground. Well this was firmly beaten out of me as I'd estimate over 50% of Year One is based on Gordon. SPOLIER AHEAD! In Year One we see him cheat on his wife, constantly, knowing she is pregnant. We see him take revenge on a dirty cop. Although in the film (and previous films) Gordon does exact revenge, he does it through Batman, as they work (kind of) together. In Year One he has no problem beating the crap out of his corrupt partner, albeit after he himself has taken a beating. I think this alone made the story jar with me. As stated earlier, what I know of Batman comes from the films, so my preconception was very biased. 

As for Batman himself, his transformation from Bruce Wayne into the Dark Knight was satisfactory. Yet again my film experience overshadowed the book. If I had read it pre-Batman Begins I'm fairly sure it would have been a more enjoyable read. But it wasn't all a negative experience.

I was surprised and intrigued by the introduction of Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman, and how she became embroiled in the Batman universe. SPOILER AHEAD! Selina was introduced as a gritty, oppressive prostitute. We first see her looking through a window eyeing the street below and her fellow comrades, whilst a client is in the room, unseen. Down below, Brice Wayne, pre-Batman but still with his idealistic vision of cleaning up the streets, is provoking the girls pimp. Once a few fists are exchanged the girls attack Bruce and in a flash Selina is there to the help the posse, throwing her karate expertise into the mix. Her own revenge mission becomes distorted later in the novel as the public are never really sure who she is or what she's fighting for, a cause that I've never known myself! It was mentioned in the book club chat over on Goodreads that as there were so few woman in the book  it was depressing to see the most influential or well known female character in such a grim role.

The book is nearly 30 years old (published in 1986) and as I do not really understanding the techniques of graphic novels, I thought some of the panels were a little dated, moreover, some of them are fantastic. Overall I was disappointed, but I still enjoyed it and it's not put me off Batman, or graphic novels. I've given it a 6 on the comfometer.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below, or tweet me @bigcomfybooks using hashtag #ComfyBookclub.

If you'd like to join in the book club then go to our Goodreads page and add yourself. Alternatively add yourself to the Facebook group. Books are voted for from a handful of choices once a month, with our discussion taking place on the last Sunday of the month on Goodreads.

Michael

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Book club choices for December

Christmas is nearly here! But the book club waits for no man, or woman.

Take a browse of these 6 choices for Decembers choice. You can vote over on Facebook HERE, tweet me your choice or simply put your choice in the comment section of this blog. Closing date is this Saturday. You'll then have the month to chew through it.
On Sunday at 4pm we'll discuss November's choice The Cuckoo's Calling over of Facebook.

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller

Michael
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PS Here's the awesome trailer for the next Hobbit film.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

When The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Prize it obviously garnered a lot of attention and it's unfortunate that it was mainly due to the fact it's so large and that Eleanor is the prize's youngest winner. What should be highlighted instead of these is the plot, the characters and the setting. It's a deeply rich book filled with luminous characters (see what I did there) and a wildly complex plot involving gold, guns, politics, prostitution and death.

The setting is 1860's New Zealand, a wilderness slowly populated by travellers wishing to make their fortune on the recent gold rush. The town of Hokitika has recently been erected and is slowly growing and with it comes a culture of greed and power struggles. We start our journey with Walter Moody, fresh off the boat 'Godspeed', as he accidentally becomes embroiled in a secret gathering of 12 men. These men have all been connected to the disappearance of wealthy young entrepreneur Emery Staines, the death of a drunk hermit Crosbie Wells and the incarceration and reformation of former prostitute Anna Wetherall.

One by one, these 12 men tell their story to Moody of where they have been over the past few weeks, leading up to the secret rendezvous at the Crown Hotel, where they have met Moody. The tales vary wildly, with most stories involving at least one other member of the twelve. Men in the group range from a Chinaman, a Maori, a banker, a chemist and a chaplain amongst others. With so many characters each telling their own stories, intertwining with several others, it could have become a bit too muddled but Catton has fleshed them out so much that they become real. Along with these 12 (13 including Moody) characters, we also get to hear each persons view of several other key cast members including Anna Wetherall, the violent Francis Carver and the deceased Crosbie Wells.

The first chapter is a whopping 360 pages long but it absolutely required every page due to the detail of each statement of the participants. Chapter 2 is also over 100 pages and concerns two weeks after the meeting at The Crown Hotel, with each man now in the knowledge of each others secrets. With these secretes slowly seeping out, and each person with something to lose, it becomes a tense, beautifully rich mystery.

The story has all been laid out using astrology, and according to Catton, the stars in the sky in 1866, and the astrological science behind it, is all heavily researched and correct. You need to know nothing of this as it doesn't enter the plot at all and is used merely as a structural tool, but after reading it I saw that each character had been plotted on a character chart at the front of the book. It's a very interesting way to structure the book as if you are up to date with the astrological field in 1866 New Zealand, you may have seen a few plot twists coming. I, however, only know up to 1864.

I would never have picked this up if 1) It wasn't nominated for the Booker Prize and 2) If we hadn't had it as our book club choice. I am so grateful that I did as it's one of the best books I've read this year. Don't let the length put you off as 832 pages went past quite quickly. It took me about 6 weeks to get through.

On the Comfometer it has received an 8.5. I'm looking forward to reading more of Catton's work.

Michael
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Novembers book club choice is The Cuckoo's Calling

Say's it all in the title really. The Robert Galbraith AKA JK Rowling thriller is this months choice. Pick up The Cuckoo's Calling and get reading, you have til 1st December to get through it. I am a massive Harry Potter fan and, even though her first non-Potter book The Casual Vacancy was not exactly praised, this tome has been held quite high. Before the news broke of her pseudonym it was getting great reviews and even afterwards too, and it's been a while since I've read a crime thriller. It's often cited as being a bit of a soft genre, too saturated, not literate enough, but I don't go in for that. If there is a story to tell, then tell it. I'm a big Kathy Reichs and Michael Connelly fan and hope The Cuckoo's Calling is in the same vein.

I'll report back with my book review once finished. Last months book The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton is a deep, complex murder mystery set in the mid 1800's in New Zealand. I'm actually still reading it as it's quite a large book, but those that finished it have said, on Facebook, that it was very good. A few tried it but couldn't get past 100 pages.

Michael

Book club choice for November

Have a look at the books up for vote this month. Pick your favourite and vote on Facebook, Twitter or comment below this blog. Feel free to add yourself to the Facebook group.

The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (AKA J K Rowling)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Octobers book of the month was the Booker winning The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. If you're reading that then you have til Sunday 3rd November. The vote for this months choice closes THIS FRIDAY Nov 1st.

Michael

What have I been up to lately?

My last few blogs have mostly been reviews so I think it's about time I had an update on what has been going on with the shop and I.

Fargo Village has finally started. It has been on the drawing board for quite some time now and it's a relief to see a digger actually on site. It has begun. I was getting a little worried it might be quite some time before the doors are open, but now, since the start of October, it's a go!

OK, so it may still be a while yet, but hopefully if the winter is kind and I cross all fingers and toes I could open mid next year. That's probably the best case scenario. It is such a large project with several spaces being developed for all the new businesses occupying the village. My building is one of the first to be worked on. The question that needs to be discussed a little further is does Fargo Village, and my shop in particular (along with those in the same complex) open when our part is complete, or do we wait until all other areas are complete? I am firmly in the 'I WANT MY SHOP OPEN NOW!' camp. Whilst the building is complete, and the area around safe and fenced off, why wouldn't I want to start getting people in the shop? Those I've spoken to have the same feelings too. The people at Fargo, both tenants and project managers are very keen to do it right, and are open to many ideas so I can't see it being too much of a problem (famous last words?!).
Last night was the second FarGo Village tenants meeting held at The Tin in Coventry's canal basin. It was nice to speak a little more to the other tenants and get some info about setting up as a Social Enterprise. I've never owned a business before so it's all new to me and the options are quite confusing sometimes so to have a little more detail was appreciated. Ian Harrabin, the man who's idea FarGo was, graced us with his presence and told us a little about the entire Far Gosford Street, Gosford Street area and I was stunned hearing the history of the area. I had absolutely no idea the importance, globally too, of Coventry. I am planning on investigating further so that I have more details to pass on to you and the shop customers, and maybe have some history events going on in the shop. I'll be wondering a little more around the area that is for sure.

At the meeting, Hannah from Urban Coffee Co, one of FarGo's tenants, gave us a little talk on her business and how they have grown and adapted. They only set up in 2009 in Birmingham but have already 3 stores open with FarGo being the forth. Even though I will also be selling coffee and cake, I will be along to Urban Coffee to learn more about coffee beans and to take part in their events too! It's all a happy family at FarGo! Hannah brought along Steffan from Droplet. Droplet is a mobile app that lets you pay without using cash or card. It's like a wallet. FarGo is being talked about using this type of payment (along with Cash and card too) as another way to be forward thinking. Droplet is new and is being used in Birmingham and areas of London. I for one am championing the design and inventive new ways that the Village hope's to take.

As well as Fargo I will be attending a few local craft fairs. Both are at Stockingford Sports and Social. The first is on October 27th and the second on 8th December. I'll have books and hopefully some homemade Christmas decorations and cards for sale, all book themed, mainly thanks to my wife Heidi.

It has been quite difficult to get the website getting hits as bookshops are overtaken by Amazon, not to mention other online bookshops. I started adding my stock to the website about a year ago now, and that was my day-job, with about 50-100 added daily. I added every single book I had which I see in hindsight wasn't a great way. A lot of generic books, some worn quite badly, have been added. I have looked recently at just adding those that I think are something of a find. I have a mass of sci fi and fantasy books that are not your everyday find, plus I still have about 80% of my stock to even look through. From now til Christmas I'll be streamlining the site a little with quality rather than quantity. Please take the time to have a look at the shop website. If there is a book you want, or a certain author then I will do my best to find it for you.

Finally it was the Man Booker Prize last night. I love the prize as it showcases books I would not have heard of before and gets people talking about books. In the book club I run (join for free here!) we picked The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton as our book of the month to read and it just so happened to have won last night! I am able to get The Luminaries at a special price of £16 with free postage so if you fancy it, please let me know.

Michael

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The great thing about running a book club is that I get to pick the book, or at least have it up for vote. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a book I've wanted to read for ages yet never got round to but with it being victorious in the vote, I gladly sat down and devoured it.

The Book Thief by Dean the cat

One reason for picking it is also there is a film version out very soon and i didn't want to taint my experience of the source material. The book is based in Germany at the start of World War II but instead of focusing on the army or the war, it picks it's lead as an 11 year old girl off to live with her foster parents. The war is simply a backdrop to her life. Another expert twist is that the whole book is seen through the eyes of, and narrated by, Death.

Liesel, the girl in question, has a wicked start to her story, with her younger brother dying in the first few pages and her distant yet lovable mother leaving not long after. Her brother leans heavily on her conscience and moulds her character throughout the book. At her brothers funeral she comes across a book, The Grave Diggers manual and, unable to read but wanting to find something to hold on to, she takes it. The first of many.

When Liesel finally arrives at her adoptive parents this is where the book takes off. The characters are full of life. Her 'Father' Hans and 'Mother' Rosa create a world of discipline, safety, love and freedom, with Liesel's love growing each day for Hans, who each night helps Liesel read. Rudy, the boy a few doors down and best friend is captivated by Liesel and the pair are in love more or less from the start, but the young love that children find. Although with little food and in the slums of Germany, the pair, along with other kids, make the best, with Rudy and Liesel becoming expert thieves, plotting schemes, capturing adolescence perfectly.

The war is far away from her home of Himmel Street but at several points it creeps in with a procession of Jews appearing more often, and Hans's son putting all his faith in the Fuhrer. Promises made 20 years ago haunt the family but also open them up to a life much more colourful and rewarding.

I loved this book from page 1. It was harrowing, tense, depressing yet uplifting too. I have never cried at a book but I had a lump in my throat at one specific part. It is a book that, very cleverly, revealed everything about Liesel's future life due to the narration from Death, way before the book was over, in fact about a third of the way through we find out the ending. Even when we know what's coming, the way Markus Zusak pulls no punches and uses symbolism choked me.

I've given The Book Thief a massive 9 cushions on the Comfometer. I miss these characters.

Michael
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PS The trailer for the film is a bit too syrupy for me.

October book club choice - Man Booker Mania!

Our October book club choice will be chosen from the list of 6 Man Booker Prize nominees.

I love the Man Booker Prize for several reasons. New authors are brought to public attention. It's one of the only book related events to be covered by the media extensively. Small publishers are given a huge boost. People buy more books. Plus loads more!

Often the list is argued that it's too snobbish, too easy, too literal or too stale, but for me I love the fact that these discussions are taking place.

I failed to read a Man Booker nominee last year but usually I try to cram as many in as I can. Sometimes the books on the list are absolute stinkers. Snowdrops by A D Miller from 2011 is one of the worst books I've ever read and even the winner from a few years ago, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, had me bored to tears. Conversely The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt is one of my all time favourite books and Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch is simply a delight.

So what does this year hold? Below are the six short-listed entries. Read the blurb then take your choice!
Either vote via Facebook, let me know on Twitter or comment below this blog.

Our September book of the month discussion will be Sunday at 4pm where we'll be discussing The Book Thief. The vote will close at the same time.

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Harvest by Jim Crace
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Tale of the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin

Have a look at the Man Booker website for more info.

Michael
@bigcomfybooks

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson

I've seen a great documentary about Jeanette Winterson and I even gave her book Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? out on World Book Night, yet I've never actually read any of her books, so when Sexing the Cherry won the vote in our book club I was excited.

It's a hard book to describe. It roughly follows Jordan and his 'mother' in the 17th century, except time, space and all things real are not really true. Villages that float, an elephantine protagonist and the stories of the 12 princesses (great bit btw) all mash together with the London Plague, feminism and sexuality. At even 144 pages I really struggled to follow it. Winterson's literary tongue, especially towards the end, was overindulgent and suffocated what was already a convoluted idea. I really enjoy literary fiction but was sorely disappointed with this result.
The book club was split, with some also not enjoying it but some really revelling in the prose.
Here's hoping that her other books are not as muddy and troublesome for me.

A dour 3.5 on the comfometer.
I'm excited to start The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Michael
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Septembers Book Club choice is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is our book club choice in September after our week of votes. I'm excited by this as I've been meaning to read this for ages and now I HAVE to, seeing as I run this book club!

If you fancy joining the book club, it's purely online and we have a group on Facebook (click here and add yourself) but if you're not on Facebook then fear not as you can join in the conversation over on Twitter or simply comment on this blog. Join in anyway you can!

You'll have til September 29th, 4pm to get through it, then we'll talk about it over on Facebook.

Happy reading folks! 

Michael

PS I have yet to receive my copy of the book so I'm unable to take a picture of my cats with it, so instead here is Dean on his own.

Book club choice for September

If you are in the Big Comfy Book Club (or even if not) then take a look at what you might fancy reading in September. Pick 1 from the list below and I'll add it to the vote. Whichever wins will be announced next Friday (30th) on here, Twitter and Facebook.
Apologies for not announcing that Sexing The Cherry by Jeanette Winterson had won August's choice on this blog, I promise I'll get better! If you have read Sexing the Cherry then we'll have a chat about it on Facebook on Sunday 1st Sept at 4pm.

Leave a comment below with your choice. Click on each title to read a synopsis on GoodReads.com

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling
The Life And Time Of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Michael

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

This book review comes a while after reading this tome due to a family wedding, a break in and some shop stuff. Anyway, I read this as part of our bookclub, The Big Comfy Bookclub (join online! right HERE). Its over 600 pages so I gave myself (and the group) 5 weeks to read it, It's the second Neil Gaiman book I've read, the first being Stardust.

Gaiman is held in sci-fi and fantasy circles as a talisman, a hero of all. Comics, kids, YA and adult fiction all being conquered. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed with Stardust but delved into American Gods with no preconceptions. I thoroughly enjoyed it all, it was a blast.

The anti-hero of the book is Shadow, a prisoner just released finding his way in the world. The way he was due to navigate was quickly swiped from his grasp in the first chapter or so and thus begins his journey across America.
It's really a road trip. Several stories, characters and locations, both in this world and others, are visited and have an effect on Shadow. A few book club members questioned the reason for Shadow going along with situations just on a whim, or as easily as someone asking. I found this great as I never really knew where it was all heading. He had nothing to lose by going along.
A few minor points for me was every few chapters there would be an in depth story of a culture, a certain male or female, that ran for quite a few pages. It gave the book a larger canvass and understanding of the age of some of the characters, but it took me out of the Shadow story too much.

I've been given some more Gaiman book recommendations and will be tackling them in due course.

On the comfometer I've given it a very strong 7.5 cushions.

If you're in the book club (or want to be) then we should be reading Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson right now, and we have til Aug 30th to finish. It's only 140 pages or so.

I'm actually reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it.

Michael

August Big Comfy Book Club

It's book club time! Below are the 7 choices for our next book. Our first two books were 500 and 600 pages long so I've gone easy this time round as each book (more or less) is less than 200 pages. I've also decided to stretch the reading time til the end of August for whatever is chosen, as this way we can then read a book a month starting on the 1st and going through to 30th/31st. It will make it easier to keep track!

I've added a wee bit about each book too so you'll have more info on what you might like to read. Go on over to the Facebook group to vote. As always, if you're not on Facebook then please Tweet me or leave a comment on the end of this blog post with which book is your choice. You'll have until 4pm Sunday to make your choice and also, FINISH AMERICAN GODS! (I'm only on page 332! Half way, yikes!) I'll then post the winning book on this blog.

The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes

You may have noticed over the past 2 book choices I like to include a Man Booker book in the 7 choices. I like to read what others seem to say is the best. Half the time it isn't. Here's a bit of blurb on it

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson

I gave away Jeanette Wintersons biography for World Book Night. She's a wonderful person. Here's some blurb

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

An absolute classic. I've read it already but would gladly again. Blurby bit

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I know little of this book but have always wanted to read Marquez. Plus Mariella 'Book-show vixen' Frostrups favourite. Can I get a blurb?

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

Dark, gritty, distasteful, downright uncomfortable. Monday, Tuesday, Blurbday 

The Stranger by Albut Camus

Something a little different for the club? Blurbnation

Eric by Terry Pratchett

I LOVE Pratchett. One of my favourite authors. Love fantasy and comedy? Final Blurb

So there you go. All (mostly) are under 200 pages. Make your mind up then head on over to the Group, comment below or tweet me. 

Michael

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Book Club review

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was the Big Comfy Book Club's first book club choice. The Big Comfy Book Club got off to a storming start with nearly 50 people joining the online club. Out of the 7 choices available we voted for Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn as our first book. I received a lot of messages over the next 4 weeks telling me what they thought, where they bought it and what other books aill be in the future. It's been great already! But lets talk about the book itself. Beware, there are spoilers a-plenty.

The book has become a huge success both over in the USA and on our own Isles so the expectation by me and several other book-clubbers was high. A quick read of praise from the national newspapers on the cover gave it more gravitas too. So lets delve into it, did it excite and move me? Did it make a lasting impression on the club? In short. Not in the slightest.

The story revolves around Nick and Amy, a 'normal' couple living in New York. They have the great big posh flat, they are both authors and journalists, they met in a very meet-cute way. They are a Sophie Kinsella couple. But the story really starts after all this and how their relationship has dwindled due to the death of Nicks mum and his dads dementia. Amy has a huge trust fund from her parents, (Authors! Wow!) as their books are based around Amazing Amy, a fictionalised version of their real daughter. One day Nick gets a call from a neighbour saying his front door is wide open, so he returns home and sees that his wife has been involved in a struggle, and she's disappeared. She is Gone Girl. The resulting 250 pages are seen through the eyes of both Nick, at the time, dealing with what has gone on, the subsequent police investigation and the reveal of an affair, and Amy in the form of her diary written over the past 7 years. The format works to a degree but neither Nick or Diary Amy have many qualities to make you like them, Nick is weak and obtuse whilst Diary Amy is a pushover. I'm calling Amy Diary Amy as half way through there is a big reveal which I loved (the best part of the book). The format shifts slightly to the real Amy.

This shift kept the book alive for me as it was really starting to have that bad-movie kind of feel with very clichéd characters. The mum being posh and snooty, the dad being all 'hey sport' with the son-in-law, the good cop, bad cop couple. But really what I disliked was Nick. He's an idiot. He does the stupidest things for no reason. Only his twin sister Go (short for Margot) seems reasonable and normal. With the change in narration it gave a real insight into Nick from a different angle. But it didn't last long. The whole book was dragged to the finale. Gillian Flynn had written herself into a corner and had no way out and didn't have an ending. It was a frustrating, annoying read.

Once we'd all read it we had a long discussion on Facebook about it and nearly everyone agreed with me. We are still baffled as to why it has become such a best seller.

I've given it 3.5 on the comfometer. The lowest yet.

If you fancy joining the online book club then hop on over to the Facebook group and add yourself or alternatively if you're not on Facebook, just send me an email, tweet or comment on this blog telling me you're reading along. We've just started our next book, Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Michael

Book club choice #2 - Neil Gaiman's American Gods

We've just chosen American Gods by Neil Gaiman as our book club choice. If you want to take part then beg, steal, borrow or buy a copy. Add yourself to the Facebook group if you want too or follow me on twitter @BigComfyBooks. Local bookshops are the best to buy from but don't fret too much if you don't have access to one. Get reading as you have til July 20/21 to get through it!

My copy comes from the fantastic local bookshop Astley Book Farm

Michael