The Library

My book diary

[confabulousmockingbird]

 - Jesse Andrews, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

I started reading this on a whim and closed the back cover 4 hours later. Thinking back, nothing really happened for the entire book (apart from the whole dying thing [not a spoiler, it’s in the title] which is incredibly underwhelming compared to most books where one of the main characters dies). Actually, even though she’s mentioned in the title and is basically the nucleus of the book, you don’t get attached or even understand Rachel past the basic concept of her. The book really isn’t about her at all, which is kind of weird but also refreshing in a cancer story. 

The narration is perfect. Like I said, there’s practically no story, so the whole novel hinges on being entertained by the voice, which kind of gives it a creative non-fiction vibe while still also being very obviously not? It’s kind of hard to explain. There were a bunch of different writing styles which definitely gave the impression of a bored teenager but not in an annoying way, just enough to keep it interesting. It definitely made me have to cover my mouth to stop snorting with laughter and waking up my housemates though (I finished it at like 2am). The narration was also a lot more honest about illness and death than basically anything else I’ve read, kind of like A Monster Calls, except Patrick Ness made that into a point, whereas MaEatDG just kinda acknowledged that there was no moral to the story.

I thought I’d really like that because I like books that don’t have sugar-coated endings, but to be honest it just left me feeling kind of ripped off. Mind you, I would have also felt ripped off if the introduction said there was no moral to the story and then tried to sneak one in.

Anyway, it was a good book. A bit weird, a bit pointless, but entertaining. 

[confabulousmockingbird]

 - Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

This book felt very familiar because it’s essentially a mash-up of The Hunger Games, Amanda Hocking, and practically every other YA novel. I shouldn’t have liked it, but I did. In between the cliche there were some really nice ideas, and it just reads in that way that sucks you in. It’s the kind of book you pick up to read for half an hour before bed and only stop when you realise you’re going to be late for class the next day.

Aside from the obvious similarities with other series, the more I think about it, the more I notice bits which made me appreciate it more than most. I love how it actually respected the theme of betrayal rather than approaching it and then doing the usual “I had your back the whole time”. I like how the end didn’t see everyone make up and be best friends. I LOVED the ending (or what I thought was going to be the ending) because I hardly ever read Les Mis conclusions *spoilers* but this made the actual ending feel like a cop out. I guess I should have seen it coming considering its part of a series. Oh well.

[confabulousmockingbird]

 - Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

“People have never had a problem disposing of the past when it gets too difficult. Flesh will burn, photos will burn, and memory, what is that? The imperfect ramblings of fools who will not see the need to forget. And if we can’t dispose of it we can alter it. The dead don’t shout. There is a certain seductiveness about what is dead. It will retain all those admirable qualities of life with none of that tiresome messiness associated with live things. Crap and complaints and the need for affection. You can auction it, museum it, collect it. It’s much safer to be a collector of curios, because if you are curious you have to sit and sit and see what happens. You have to wait on the beach until it gets cold, and you have to invest in a glass-bottomed boat, which is more expensive than a fishing rod, and puts you in the path of the elements. The curious are always in some danger. If you are curious you might never come home, like all the men who now live with mermaids at the bottom of the sea.

Or the people who found Atlantis.”

[confabulousmockingbird]

Even though everybody loves the film, the short story felt much purer. It barely considers the outside world or relationships, it just focuses on two people in love. The story is obviously heartbreaking, but not in a romanticised way, just in a real way which means so much more. 

[confabulousmockingbird]

You heard it here first

[confabulousmockingbird]

Catch-22, Joseph Heller

[confabulousmockingbird]

I love Patrick Ness because he’s got the art of profundity down to a tee. Not too whimsical but not fake deep. I don’t think I appreciated troujlh enough because I expect too much of his books now. Either way, it was a nice 1-day read, and the cover is absolutely stunning. I really like the sub-story at the start of each paragraph as well with the alternate world - really makes the while idea that not everyone is the chosen one present but not over-involved throughout the book. While its got some nice themes, I would probably rather reread a different Ness book unless I was feeling something shorter. Still loved it though!

[confabulousmockingbird]

I’m not sure what I was expecting before reading this book - something serious, like a deep, self-reflective condemnation of humanity and its morals. The usual SF stuff. While it is (obviously) sci-fi, it steers clear of darker themes, focusing more on wit and humour. I absolutely loved the voice of Watney - his tone was the prefect level of snarky and serious. It’s honestly worth a reread just for that. This tone well, because it helps balance out the sometimes incredibly heavy description and detail which occasionally made me lose interest a little. The book moves reasonably slowly, which was fine when reading over a few days, but I’m not sure I could get through it all in one sitting.