Libby's Library

120 pages of determined struggling. This is the most tedious...

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:29:00 -0400

120 pages of determined struggling. This is the most tedious book I have read in a long time and it should have only taken me a few hours to read.. instead it took weeks. Ugh.

Written in 1902, this story resembles Conrad’s own adventures in Africa and follows a sailor as he captains a steamboat up a river into the Congo. He is in search of the infamous Kurtz, an ivory dealer who turns out to have become as wild as the wilderness he lives in.

Sounds interesting right? Could anyone have made such an intriguing story so boring? I confess, that by the end of it I had little comprehension of what the point of the thing even was?

Even though ‘Heart of Darkness’ was heralded as an anti-racist book, there has been plenty of literature that condemn this book and its representation of African people. I have to agree…

Don’t recommend unless you are a reader of classic texts.

My friend in my writing group’s sister has just had a book...

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:25:00 -0400

My friend in my writing group’s sister has just had a book of poetry printed by Auckland University Press.

I loved reading ‘Other Animals’. Whether you read the book from cover to cover or flick through and dip in, there are beautiful moments on every page. This is a book of gems to treasure, lines that make you truly feel.

Let me share with you some of my favorite lines from a poem called ‘The Eternals’

The sunset blazes in a dog’s ear
and the casual sea throws back its whales
We have stopped looking out the window
or holding hands when we cross the street

Support home grown poetry and give this book a try! You won’t be dissapointed!

Read ‘The Corrections’ by Jonathan Franzen. Felt...

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:29:00 -0400

Read ‘The Corrections’ by Jonathan Franzen. Felt apathetic.

Read ‘Freedom’ by Jonathan Franzen about 20 months later and loved it!

Put off reading it for so long because of the so dislikable characters in Corrections but really, really, the characters in Freedom really captured me! They were so real, recognisable and utterly human. Messy mixes of good, bad, beautiful and ugly.

This is a story of marriage and family. It mainly follows Patty and Walter Berglund as they navigate the process of learning to love eachother. Honestly. It is a heartwrenching, funny and moving story. A great read. Very much a slice of life, kind of book.

You can bypass the Corrections but you can’t miss this one.

Other post modern reads you might like:
‘The Slap’ by Chris Tsolkas
‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ by Jonathan Safran Foer
‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt
Anything written by Michael Chabon

Lovers of fantasy novels will inevitably find themselves in...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:50:00 -0400

Lovers of fantasy novels will inevitably find themselves in Duncton Wood, at some time or other. William Horwood’s tales about Moledom are what my friend calls, Wind in the Willows for adults. Think Lord of the Rings with talking moles. Seems rediculous but actually these books are really captivating. A real tour de force of adventure, adversary, history, destiny and the human or ‘mole’ condition.

Duncton Wood was my first foray into Horwood’s novels, I read this as a young teenager and I think I liked it better than this novel, more gritty action and I liked the main character Braken better. Duncton Tales follows a haunted scribe-mole Privet as she seeks to discover the truth about the Book of Silence. That is the main plot line… but this is a many layered, tappestry like book and the first in a Trilogy.

I’ll get to the others in time but I think I need a bit of a break for now… these books are tomes!

If you like animal literature, here are some others that I loved (mainly young adult fiction):
‘Firebringer’ by David Clement-Davies (deer)
‘The Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame (you know…)
‘Duncton Wood’ by William Horwood (moles)
‘Redwall Series’ by Brian Jacques (medieval mice etc)
’Winnie the Pooh’ books by A. A. Milne

In colourful, tangy prose Junot Diaz latest collection of short...

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 00:56:00 -0400

In colourful, tangy prose Junot Diaz latest collection of short stories tell stories of a young Dominican named Yunior living in the United States.

Very sassy.

That pretty much sums it up I think :).

I liked his stories and there were some truly touching moments between Yunior and his mother in stories like Invierno. But, as most of the short stories involved cheating, I can’t say that I LOVED this book. This vibrant set of stories almost seemed to glorify the subject… definitely a way to loose me.

I guess that is the point… maybe?

You will have probably guessed by now that I will read every...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:43:00 -0400

You will have probably guessed by now that I will read every new book that Tracy Chevalier puts out. I love her!

Why? Let me count the ways.

Tracy Chevalier’s novels look at historic events from the eyes of unexpected main characters. She brings these large topics to life with intimate details and often, with reference to a specific artistic practice.

For someone who hates the dry, dull tones of a history tome… then reading a Chevalier novel is the way to go.

The Last Runaway is a novel about the underground railroad in America during the early 20th century. Seen through the eyes of a young British Quaker, we learn about the cost of following your convictions in a country where slavery is totally ingrained. Throughout the book, Chevalier charms us with details about different kinds of quilting, Quaker lifestyle and farmlife in Ohio, America.

Not my favorite Chevalier novel (still Girl with a Pearl Earring and the Lady and The Unicorn) but a page turner nonetheless.

If you liked this, read:
‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
Anything else by Tracy Chevalier

Time to read a classic. It is easy to see why people often...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:02:00 -0400

Time to read a classic.

It is easy to see why people often compare ‘Rebecca’ to Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’. Sinister tone. Young girl marries/ falls in love with older, mysterious man. They live in a beautiful mansion full of mysteries. The ex-wife is forever lurking in the background, haunting them.

Some critics say that ‘Rebecca’ is a poor cousin to ‘Eyre’ but I have to say that I much preferred it. Although the nameless main character was self-conscious and insecure, I truely felt she was real. Du Maurier has a way of writing which makes you imagine a person or a situation exactly. She writes like a keen observer of people and their habbits.

In its time this book was called a Gothic romance. It definitely has gothic elements (the overgrown garden, the dark rooms of the house, haunted dreams) but it is also much more a story about marriage and the fraught tension of what it means to be a woman and a wife.

If you liked Jane Eyre definitely read this. If you liked this, definitely read Jane Eyre.

For those of you who struggle with reading autobiographical...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:18:00 -0500

For those of you who struggle with reading autobiographical novels (like I do) this is the book to change your mind.

The book follows Bear Grylls as he climbs Everest. AMAZING! I would read a page and then have to exclaim and discuss the harrowing and mind bending conditions of climbing the Earth’s highest peak with my husband. He is very patient.

If you thought that climbing was just climbing, this book will blow you away. Think… air tanks, suffocation, freak storms, oncoming monsoon season, dehydration, climbing up and down the mountain time and time again to acclimatise… there is more. If any of this interests you I recommend you read this book!

Definitely an “all action adventure” as the tag line says :)

Suprisingly, this book reminded me of a short story by Dave Eggers in ‘How we are Hungry’. The story called ‘Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly’ follows a girl as she climbs Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa. Magnifique. I recommend the entire collection of short stories actually.

Sorry that it has taken me so long to get onto reading...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:28:58 -0500

Sorry that it has taken me so long to get onto reading this…. you see, it is rather a long story…

I didn’t have the cash to buy any new books and asked my mum if she wanted to read ‘The Casual Vacancy’ and if so, would she please buy it so that I could read it too?
Polite, I think.
Anyway, she buys it…

AND GIVES IT TO MY SISTER. Who has since devoured it, lost the dust cover and given it to her boyfriend.

So I bought my own copy.

And it was worth it. This story could not be much more different than the Harry Potter Series, (although you get glimpses of modern British life in scenes with Dudley Dursley). This story is about small town England, about the comings and goings of the members of the town, the town council and a block of ‘project housing’ nearby.

It is about poverty and addiction and pointing the finger… who is to blame for all the tragedies that happen daily?

It took me awhile to come to grips with the abundance of characters but by half way through I was almost addicted to this book as I was to Harry and Pals. A great read.

Sometimes I do this naughty thing where I read the last few...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:03:37 -0500

Sometimes I do this naughty thing where I read the last few pages of the book when I am only half way through. I definitely shouldn’t have done that here… definitely not.

A captivatingly written novel (as you can see… see how long it took me to read it!) of a brother and sister who share an unusually intimate relationship. Toby is the brother, Elenor the sister. Toby is sent off to fight in WW1 and dies and Elenor cannot be at peace until she finds out how he died.

This book portrayed the visceral, horrible reality of fighting at the front lines of a World War more than any other book I have read. And I have read a lot which concern WW1 and 2. I felt the damp, the heat, I smelt the smells and imagined myself cramped in cattle trucks or crouched in a trench. This is a book to help you never forget.

I want to read more of Pat Barkers work, I am intrigued.

Other books set during/ after the world wars which you may like reading:
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - by Louis de Bernieres (get past the first third and you’re away flying)
A Pale View of the Hills - by Kazuo Ishiguro
Catch 22 - by Joseph Heller
Ship of Brides - by Jojo Moyes
Coming Home - by Rosamund Pilcher
The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak

A small piece of the world in a novel. This is a tale of...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:36:25 -0500

A small piece of the world in a novel. This is a tale of brotherhood, medicine, tradgedy, estrangement, ‘a country in turmoil’ and love. Its span reaches from Ethiopia to India to America and comes with a large cast of intricate characters.

Two siamese twin brothers, separated at birth are thrown apart through tragic circumstances and brought together through similarly tragic ones. This personal story sits within the larger stories of military coups in Ethopia and the state of the medical systems in Africa and America. Beware of graphic surgical scenes - made me feel a tad queezy.

What would be a real bonus to some but was a deterrent for me was that this book reads more like a biography than the fictional novel that it is. I don’t do well with non-fiction. It is the kind of book to buy for someone who usually reads memoirs or autobiographies.

Other books you may like:
‘White Swans’ - Jung Chang
‘Angela’s Ashes’ - Frank McCourt
‘The Heavenly Man’ - Brother Yun
‘Ines of My Soul’ - Isabel Allende

A little slow to start and dragging its heels at the end, this...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:10:31 -0500

A little slow to start and dragging its heels at the end, this book was nevertheless full of gripping intrigue and juicy details throughout its centre.

Set in Edwardian England, this story follows a man unlawfully imprisoned (George) and a famous novelist (Arthur) who takes on the detective skills of his most famous character (Sherlock Holmes) to help bring justice about.

Imagine a courtroom drama, mixed with historical biography and lashings of mystery… the kind of book that people, who don’t usually like fiction, would gladly read… and for lovers of fiction, it is a bit of a page turner and a good holiday read.

If you liked this, you might also like:
The stories of Sherlock Holmes, in their various forms of publication by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The various mysteries of Agatha Christie (she is alluded to in this book also!)
Memories and Adventures - Autobiographical - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Exquisite and Devastating are disarmingly brilliant words for...

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:18:00 -0500

Exquisite and Devastating are disarmingly brilliant words for describing this novella. With subtlety and attention to detail, nuance and sexual tension, McEwan describes the wedding night of two young, inhibited virgins in the 1960s.

Their worries and thoughts are revealed to the reader but kept from each other. As the night whirled to its climax, I was immersed with the deep tradgedy of all that can be lost through missunderstanding and the simple act of silence.

Love is something to fight for.

The only other book which I felt as gently coaxed into sadness through was:
‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro

An excellent second novel and in every way, just as enjoyable as...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 19:31:00 -0500

An excellent second novel and in every way, just as enjoyable as ‘Q&A’. I devoured this book. Set in modern day India, this book begins with the death of a millionaire playboy and follows this six arrested suspects, detailing their motives and lives. An Indian whodunnit, with all the colour and flavour of a Bollywood movie.

In a way, this book is about the depravity of modern society where justice is not upheld; a society where Ghandi’s seven social sins are common occurances:
Politics without Principle
Wealth without Work
Knowledge without Character
Commerce without Morality
Science without Humanity
Worship without Sacrifice
Pleasure without Conscience

If you liked Q&A read this!

Rosamund Pilcher is truly a pleasure to read. This is the kind...

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:24:21 -0500

Rosamund Pilcher is truly a pleasure to read. This is the kind of book you curl up with on a cold winter’s night with a large cup of cocoa or a large pot of tea.

The story follows a young girl called Judith as she moves from childhood to adulthood, before, during and after WW2. The novel is set largely in Cornwall, a place which Rosamund Pilcher evocatively portrays. I felt as though I absolutely wanted to be there, to feel the fresh wind on my face and to stand on a cliff overlooking the clear sea, before heading to a local pub for some Cornish pasties.

One of Rosamund Pilcher’s strengths is her attention to detail, she makes you believe in the setting she creates among the pages of this book. Another of her strengths is her ability to portray character after character after character without making you feel overwhelmed. Instead, I felt as though I knew each of her characters intimately and became engrossed in their lives. She is a masterfull storyteller.

Other Masterfull Storytellers that I love:
Bryce Courtenay
Isabelle Allende
Margaret Atwood
Enid Blyton
Sarah Waters

This is the kind of novel I can imagine my friend’s mum...

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:08:30 -0500

This is the kind of novel I can imagine my friend’s mum reading at the batch at Omaha. I think you get my drift.

The story follows Kathryn (the pilot’s wife) as she uncovers the secret life of her husband after he dies in a plane. Although it was moving in parts and Shreve managed to convey grief in a really believable way, I couldn’t help but think that this book was aimed at a different reader.

SPOILER ALLERT - I am tired of reading books that explore infidelity and marriages that fail. A lot of people go through this, yes (about 50% of the population) but what about the other 50%? I am much more interested in the intricacies of marriages that work or are worked upon. Maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, if you want some more middle aged women fiction, these are ones I enjoyed:
‘Ship of Brides’ by Jojo Moyes
‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ by Mary Ann Schaffer
I’ll come back to you on that one after going to my mum’s house. I’ve forgotten the names of the authors…. memory like a sieve!

It has been an interesting sequence of book reading...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:21:29 -0500

It has been an interesting sequence of book reading lately… Falling Angels evokes Edwardian England and 1984 evokes a distopian world ruled by fear and lies.

Then comes this work of historian fiction by Phillippa Gregory which connects both English royal history and the politician and social climate of a court and a country ruled by a controlling tyrant.

It is frightening to think that five centuries ago, England was ruled by king Henry Viii, a man who tortured his own people, killed his own friends, wives and family, was suspicious and war mongering, organised arranged marriages, decided he was a god, took charge of state religion and enforced it and killed those who dared to believe otherwise. Perhaps the novel by George Orwell could also have been called 1544?

I was thoroughly entertained with this book. The only slight critique I would make was that it could have been two-thirds as long as it was. There was a bit of repetition going on sometimes and not enough plot development in others.

If you like historical fiction:
Anything by Tracy Chevalier
‘Ines of my Soul’ and ‘Portrait in Sepia’ by Isabelle Allende
‘The Tresspass’ by Barbara Ewing
‘The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet’ by David Mitchell
‘The Raging Quiet’ by Sheryl Jordan
‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ by John Boyne

and many more… too many to count. I personally LOVE historical fiction.

One day someone will read my blog and ask me to review books for...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:22:59 -0400

One day someone will read my blog and ask me to review books for their magazine or publication! That is the hope. To read all day and get paid (or even to be given books!!) would be amazing.

Anyway… I digress… todays book is by NZ author Laurence Fearnley again. Why is it that every novel by a kiwi (that has been published within the last ten years and that I have read) has this cool, dreary tone about it? A slow, pondorous, introspective tone. If you read any of the books by NZers that I have blogged about lately you will know what I mean.

This book was a sad love story between an older man and a young girl. They are brought together in unusual circumstances as Edwin searches to find his mother that he hasn’t seen since he was seven. This story is about an unravelling and a coming together and it is beautiful but it is also tragic. However, at the end, it was redeeming. A true love story for those who can’t stand vapid, sappy ones.

One of the most disturbing books that I have read in a long time...

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:00:00 -0400

One of the most disturbing books that I have read in a long time because of its startling relevance. All you have to do is think about Mao’s Communist China or Pol Pot’s Regime in Cambodia and you get the gyst about what this novel is about…

This is a political book and I am interested in politics but not deeply immersed in it. There were words I didn’t understand and types of governance which I didn’t have a full grip of but I definitely got the gist of Orwell’s novel… that facism, communism, totalitarianism or oligarchy is destructive. And the mindless search for power results in ignorance, fear, hate, war and betrayal.

It was horrifying seeing the main character in the book, Winston Smith, get caught by the Thought Police and tortured. It was horrible reading the mind-washing garbage he was fed. I felt utterly sick. The worst part is that these kind of regimes have existed before and they could exist again… Let 1984 be a warning to us all.

If you found this a good read, you may also like:
‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell
‘Voices from S-21, Terror and History in Pol Pot’s Secret Prison’ by David Chandler
‘The Heavenly Man’ by Brother Yun
‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank
‘Bonhoeffer - pastor, martyr, prophet, spy’ by Eric Metaxas

Set between the deaths of Queen Victoria and her son, King...

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:29:46 -0400

Set between the deaths of Queen Victoria and her son, King Edward VII, this novel explores cultural changes at the turn of the century.

The story ends and begins in a London cemetery. Tracy Chevalier is brilliant at giving history new life and I feel as though I have learned more from her novels than from textbooks… perhaps because I find textbooks desolately boring! In this book, Chevalier explores Victorian mourning customs, the advent of cremation and the rise of suffragettes as women in Britain marched to get the right to vote.

The story is told from different perspectives: a traditional family, the servants, gravediggers, suffragette’s and two young girls called Maude and Lavinia who grow up as best friends.

I love everything Tracy Chevalier writes and this is no exception. It is possibly one of the most tragic of her stories that I have read. I cannot sum up Chevalier in a little post like this so I just recommend that you read:

‘The Girl with the Pearl Earring’
‘The Lady and the Unicorn’
‘Remarkable Creatures’
‘The Virgin Blue’

You will learn so much and you will love!