Wonderful Wednesdays #8 (Gothic Reads)

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different theme or genre.

In honour of halloween approaching, this week's theme is gothic reads.  


Gothic fiction is one of my favourite genres, so it's been a tough choice for me.  As much as I adore gothic classics such as Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula and anything by Edgar Allen Poe, I've decided to spotlight a more modern book with elements of gothic style, despite it not being a horror story.

My choice is Michel Faber's excellent The Crimson Petal and the White.  It's the story of Sugar, a prostitute in late 19th century London who rises up through society when she catches the attention of a wealthy business man.  Victorian London is bought to life in all it's filthiness and grime, opium dens and brothels and the reader is introduced to a wealth of characters from all walks of life.  From stark poverty to home brewed contraceptives to abandoned children to graphic but very unappealing sex scenes, Faber's novel is all about the grimier side of life.  It's a long read, at over eight hundred pages, but they just whizz by and the imagery is just so vivid.

 If you like gothic literature at all, you should read this book!  My full length review of it from last December can be found here.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite gothic reads.  Grab the image above, make a blog post and then sign up to the linky below so we can all hop between blogs.  Thanks in advance to those that do take part.

Wonderful Wednesdays #6 (Historical Fiction)

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different genre or theme.

This weeks theme is historical fiction.


Which stories set in the past do you really love?  This one was a tough one for me because lots of my favourite historical fiction I have reviewed recently (Shanghai Girls, Remarkable Creatures, The Mistress of Nothing, The Sandalwood Tree).  In the end I decided to go with a book I first read in my teens.  There have been controversies over whether or not it is a fiction book at all, being based on extensive research, but I decided in the end that if the Booker committee think it's fiction, then that's good enough for me.

My choice is Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally (published as Schindler's List in the US).  Oskar Schindler shelters many Jews during the Nazi Holocaust at considerable risk to himself and comes very close to being caught at times.  The reason I love this book, aside from the wonderful writing, is that Schindler is morally ambiguous.  This book shows that you don't have to be a wonderful person to do great things.  Schindler likes a drink and is an awful husband but when it comes down to it, he does something great.  Schindler's Ark also asks the question of whether good things can be done through evil methods, and whether you should 'shake hands with the devil' if it's going to save lives.

If you've not read it, I do recommend it.  The film is good, but nowhere near as good as the book.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite pieces of historical fiction.  Grab the image above, make a blog post and then sign up to the linky below so we can all hop between blogs.  Thanks to those that do take part.

Sunday Salon: Memes

Those of you that stopped by my blog in the week will know that I'm trying to revive the meme I started almost a year ago: Wonderful Wednesdays.  The reason for this is mainly that my reading pace has slowed dramatically compared to the summer holidays.  I know this is true for a lot of us too - we're all back at work or school, and in the run up to Christmas as well there just isn't as much time for reading.

Wonderful Wednesdays is supposed to be a way around that, as it lets us discuss books without reading any new books.  It highlights books that we've read in the past, possibly pre-blogging and each post should be a discussion of a book we have enjoyed (rather than just a list or a brief comment).  I also think that with all the new books that we read, ARC copies and ones with buzz, it's nice to step back and revisit some old faves.

Maria from Fly High visited my blog during the week and pointed out that it might be useful if people knew in advance what the topic for each Wonderful Wednesday is going to be, so they have a chance to think about it and decide what to write about, or maybe even schedule a post.  So I've added a picture on my right sidebar with next week's topic written underneath.  Next Wednesday, I (and anyone else who wants to join me!) will be writing about our favourite books in the historical fiction genre, literary or not.

I'm hoping that this meme will become a way to discuss great books and get new recommendations every week.  I hope it stays small scale but in-depth, with a group of people that ending reading and commenting on each others blogs.  Anyone who wants to take part is more than welcome (the more the merrier!), and I'm also open to topic ideas too.  If I use your topic idea one week, I will of course credit you and link to your blog.

So who's with me?

Wonderful Wednesdays #5 (Escapism)

Back in Jan and Feb, I had my own little meme going called Wonderful Wednesdays, in which we highlighted some of our favourite books each Wednesday.  It was doing well for a fledgling meme, but then life took over and I never really developed it.  I've decided it's time to give it another shot, so it's back with a revamped logo and new theme.

Wonderful Wednesdays #5

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different genre or theme.

This weeks theme is escapism.  

What books do you read when you are having a tough time of it in real life and need to forget all of your worries?  What books do you trust to take you far away from reality?

I've chosen two books for this theme, one fiction and one non-fiction, both of which I have read multiple times and make me forget everything else.  A few years ago, my answer would have definitely have been Harry Potter, without a shadow of a doubt, but times change:

Choice 1: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

For those not familiar with this book, it's a retelling of Dracula based on the premise that Dracula survived and continued to create havoc up until the present day.  A young woman finds a cache of letters and an ancient book and this sets her on the trial of Dracula throughout history.

This one is pure escapism for me both for the plot and the setting.  As a Dracula fan, I like imagining his history through time and as an armchair traveller, I adore the descriptions of the places, cultures and food.  I defy anyone to read this and not want to immediately visit Eastern Europe and Istanbul!

Choice 2: In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah

This choice is a non-fiction book, in which the author has moved to Morocco. In beautiful and poetic language, he describes his experiences in Marrakech, the Sahara desert and interactions with Moroccans.  It's all threaded through with his passion for storytelling, and the local stories passed down through the generations.

This book is a real gem that I don't think gets enough recognition.  It's the only account of Morocco or the Middle East that portrays how different it is without making it overly exotic and romantic.  You can tell that Shah truly loves Morocco, it's people and traditions.  Whenever I read it, I'm completely swept up in the sights, sounds and smells of Morocco and it's not a bad place to be.  England and real life certainly seem a long way away.

How about you?

I want to hear all about your favourite escapist reads, be they fiction or non-fiction, or whatever genre they come from.  If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog.  Then link your post below, so I can read and comment on all your lovely entries!

Wonderful Wednesdays #4 (Guilty Pleasures)

Welcome to edition four of Wonderful Wednesdays!

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different theme or genre of book to focus on.


This week's theme is guilty pleasures.

What books do you love but don't want to admit you love?

My own guilty pleasure is the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.  It's definitely a guilty enjoyment because I'm one of those snobs that looks down on paranormal romance and goes on about how they mainly read literary fiction/classics! :P

But I'm a sucker for a good story as much as anyone else and when I'm tired or had a bad day or my brain isn't working properly or it's been too long since my last holiday, I love the pure escapism of these books.  I like getting inside Sookie's head for a while and I like that I know most of the characters before I even open the first page.  Reading one of these, my mind is always taken off whatever is worrying me.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite personal guilty pleasures!  If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog.  Then link up your blog below, so I can come, read and comment on all of your entries.

Wonderful Wednesdays #3 (Novels Set in Another Country)

Welcome to edition two of Wonderful Wednesdays!

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different theme or genre of book to focus on.

This week's theme is novels set in another country.

I want to hear about the novels that have inspired you and made you want to travel to an exotic location. 

My own pick is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.  It's a story about a missionary and his four daughters as they move to the Congo just before independence.  The novel has lots of themes, religion, colonialism and family amongst them, but as I read it I just loved the lush descriptions of the Congo.  The scene with the swarm of ants really stood out for me - I would hate to be there myself for something like that but it was fascinating reading about it.

The Poisonwood Bible inspired me to read lots of other books set in the Congo, and in Africa in general.  I moved on to The Heart of Darkness by Jospeh Conrad, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and I'm currently reading Half of a Yellow Sun.  One day I will get around to finishing off The Famished Road by Ben Okri.  I doubt I will ever visit Africa, but I love travelling there through books.


How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite novels set in another country!  If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog.  Then link up your blog below, so I can come, read and comment on all of your entries.

Wonderful Wednesdays #2 (Biographies)

Welcome to edition two of Wonderful Wednesdays.

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different theme or genre of book to focus on.

This week's theme is biographies.

 My pick for this theme has to be Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.  It tells the story of Jung herself, her mother and her grandmother as they live through some of the changes China faced in the 20th century.  It starts with foot-binding, goes through civil war and a communist victory and ends with the cultural revolution.  All of this is told in clear and engaging prose.

Part of what attracted me to this book and why I enjoyed it so much is that the lives of the three women are so different from my own.  I especially enjoyed the section about Jung's mother, who is married but forced to live separately from her husband and liable to be sent anywhere for work.  The sense of optimist she had about Mao coming to power was contrasted well with the sense of disappointment and fear when things started to turn nasty and the older generation starts to fear the younger.

Whilst there was a lot of history in the book (which isn't a problem for me), it was mainly a wonderfully told story of the lives of three women.  I loved every page of it, and look forward to a re-read at some point in the near future.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite biographies!  If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog.  Then link up your blog below, so I can come, read and comment on all of your entries.

Wonderful Wednesdays #1 (Childhood Books).

So here it is, my first attempt at creating a meme.  Bear with me and please join in! :)

The meme is called Wonderful Wednesdays and it's all about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently.  Each week will have a different theme or genre of book to focus on.

This week's theme: a book you loved as a child.
 We all have a book that we read over and over again as a child and still think of fondly as an adult.

 One of my favourite books as a child was A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I remember my parents got it for me one Christmas when I was about 10 or 11 and I have read it over and over again since.  For those not familiar with story, it centres around Sara Crewe who comes to England from India.  Her father finds her a place at an exclusive boarding school and lavishes her with gifts, turning her into a show pupil.  On her eleventh birthday news arrives that her father has died and Sara is transformed from show pupil into low class servant.  She isn't given enough food, forced to work all hours of the day and has to wait on the very pupils that once looked up to her.  Sara retreats to her imagination in order to survive.

The main reason I love this book is that it was the first one I read that showed me it was OK and indeed a good thing to have an imagination.  I was a daydreamer as a child and always felt that this was a bit of a bad thing, that reality should be preferred to fantasies.  A Little Princess and Sara Crewe taught me that it could be a strength, and that there is something to be said for having an active imagination.  I also enjoyed how Sara was a bit flawed - she flew into a temper easily and thought a bit too much of herself.  It made her much more real and relatable.  All of the characters were well developed and I also loved the historical feel of the book.

I went on to read all of Frances Hodgson Burnett's books and whilst I liked them all, A Little Princess always remained my favourite.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your childhood favourites!  If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog.  Then link up your blog below, so I can come, read and comment on all of your entries.




I would love to have lots of participants :)