A Prayer For Owen Meany

I'll confess, this was a bit of a slog... I'm aware that I am suffering from pregnancy brain, and therefore have the attention span of a sparrow, however it took me a long time to read, and frankly there have been several days where I just couldn't be bothered to pick up the book because I didn't particularly care about what happened. This is the story of Owen Meany, a short boy with a strange voice who seems to know a lot about his future, as told by his best friend John. John is very much the narrator and yet is a bit of a non-entity in his own story. Owen takes over, he is the dominant character and very much the leader in their relationship. The story starts off with the boys as children and takes them all the way to adulthood, death and beyond. OWEN MEANY TALKS LIKE THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOK - HE IS INCAPABLE OF SPEAKING IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN CAPITAL LETTERS. THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HIS VOICE WHICH IS ALWAYS SOMETHING BETWEEN A SCREAM AND A SHOUT. JOHN IRVING USES CAPITAL LETTERS TO REMIND US OF THIS AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE MORE CAPITAL LETTERS ON THE PAGE THAN THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE ON THE PAGE. This annoyed me (although I understand why the author chose to use this) and I actually found it really hard to read when I came to a page covered with capital letters.

Best novel ever (as hubby would ask me)? No. I enjoyed The Cider House Rules more. The irony is that this novel made it to the Guardian's 1000 novels list, and Cider House Rules did not... I really think that the judges/selectors made a mistake there.

Baby due in 11 days, I have a feeling that my reading pace and amount is going to decrease drastically - who knows, maybe I'll start reviewing books like Spot, Mog and the Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Go Set a Watchman

Well, what to say?  Having really enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, I was very nervous about reading this 'follow up'/'previous' novel. Lets just say To Kill a Mockingbird was a far superior book. I'm not entirely sure about why I thought it wasn't as good a book. It may have to be how the characters in the first book were amazing, and incredibly honourable... They loose that in this book.

This book sees Scout all grown up and living in New York. She returns to Maycoomb for a vacation and to see her family. Whilst there, Scout discovers some unpleasant truths about her family. I can't write anymore without revealing what happens. I think that this is a case of a book that shouldn't have been published - it spoils your appreciation of the previous book.

Quilt for Baby Annabelle

I used left over fabric for this quilt, and used the half square triangle technique. I decided fairly early on to try a different design, and as I had left over white squares from my brother's quilt, I decided to use these as a big feature, and put the colours around it. 

The back is made up of leftover fabrics that I had as I didn't have any single piece of fabric to fit the back. The bigger solid block of colour is actually made up of lots of little strips of the left over and trimmed backing from my last quilt.

This quilt is my first attempt at free hand quilting. I looked up several videos on line. I even had to change the foot on my sewing machine - scary! It took a little getting used to as you really have to move the quilt around. I went for a random design as I wasn't sure what to do. I'm glad that I tried it on a small quilt to start with. I ended up having to pull out metres of stitching when it went wrong, I sometimes forgot to make sure that the foot was down as you can't really see the difference, and that meant that it didn't always take. 

The binding is a mixture of the fabrics that are used in the quilt, so this quilt is really a bit of a fabric stash buster. Over all size : crib sized. 

Flying geese

I thought that I would post a picture of the flying geese quilt in situ. It's been really nice to sleep under it. It drapes really nicely. 

The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Moth Smoke

This is my second book by Mohsin Hamid. It is the story of a young man from Pakistan who comes into contact with an American in a market place in Pakistan. The story is told entirely from the point of view of the young Pakistani man, and the story is basically a monologue of his life - his journey as a student and trainee in America and his gradual increase in fundamentalism. I suppose in some ways it is a clever way of challenging a westerner's view of fundamentalism, but I found the tone annoying. I realise that this is because of the narrative choice - but in reality who has a conversation that goes along the lines of "You enjoyed the chicken dish you say.... well let me tell you about..." Still, it was a quick read.

The first book that I read (and apparently didn't post on here) is Moth Smoke.

I enjoyed this book a lot more. Again, this story was set in Pakistan. It is the story of a young man who finds himself unemployed and in love with his best friend's wife. With no money coming in, this young man starts to sell drugs as a way into the wealthy people's life. He has always been on the outskirts of this lifestyle, and as his lack of money increases his bitterness regarding the difference between the hypocritical lifestyles of the rich and poor increase. Thankfully, this book did not use the annoying narrative style of a single voice.

Flying Geese Quilt

I've finally finished the flying geese quilt that I started so long ago. 

The fabric is the Manor House fabric range from Lewis and Irene. The plain fabric is from Pelenna Patchworks and I tried to find colours that would match the Lewis and Irene fabrics. I think over all the colours work and I'm quite pleased with it. 

I made a few mistakes when making this quilt. Not everything is lined up perfectly, normally this wouldn't bother me too much. It is hand made after all. What did bug me was that I decided to straightline quilt on the machine, and this accentuated where my lining up had gone wrong. Additionally I trimmed the fabric, wadding and backing before I started quilting. As the quilting happened,  the fabric puckered and so my squared off fabric was no longer squared. As a result once I had finished quilting I had to re-trim the quilt to square it up again. The quilt is still huge but not as big as it should have been. Fortunately I had designed the quilt with a white border around it so the border rather than the colourful fabric was sacrificed. 

The backing of the quilt is a king-sized flat sheet (colour chosen by hubby). It works really well and compliments the main colours of the quilt. I hand bound it using a lovely soft purple fabric, again which really compliments the colours in the quilt. 

Tender is the Night

This is my first reading of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. I bought this whilst on babymoon in Florence. I had run out of reading material and as I needed all of my battery on my phone (for just in case scenarios) I couldn't risk carrying on with my e-book novel that has taken me ages to get through.... reading on my phone is simply not the same as reading a paperback!

Tender is the Night is the story of the Divers, an attractive American couple with money who have settled in a post first world war Europe. It is very much telling the story of money and its social and sexual attraction. The story is told in 2 parts, first from the point of view of Rosemary, a budding film star who is attracted to the glitz and glamour and apparently irresistible charm of Dick Diver. The second part of the novel is told from multiple characters' points of view, although mainly from Dick's perspective. The second part deals with the behind the scenes of the domestic life of the Divers, and reveals the problems that arose in their relationship even before they were an item.

It is an interesting book and I can see that when it was published it would have had quite an audience. I didn't really feel like I engaged with the characters at any depth. They weren't particularly well described and all seemed to be particularly shallow. Perhaps that was the author's deliberate point, but from the little bit of knowledge that I have about F Scott Fitzgerald, the Diver's lifestyle is very similar to his own. Perhaps this is why Dick Diver's character is the one that is most rounded...

Baby quilt in the making

A variation of the half square triangle quilt. I laid it all out today and am beginning to sew it together. This is for my best friend's little girl who was born just over a month ago. Quite pleased with how it looks, and that's good because I wasn't sure that I'd made the right choices of fabric combinations. All of the fabric is bits that I had amassed over the years. 

As for the big quilt... It just needs to be bound. Weather is closing in so a few evenings in front of the box should do the trick and keep me warm. 

To Kill a Mockingbird

I was sure that I had read this book before. In fact, in my paper copy list of 1000 novels everyone must read, the book is highlighted. I think that it is a book that is so prominent in education and culture and the story so well known that I assumed that I must have read it at some point.

I hadn't.

Having been given a copy of Harper Lee's next book, I thought that I should set this right. Yes, I did know the general storyline (and no, I haven't seen the film - at least not in full) but I really, really enjoyed reading this classic story. I was surprised by how emotionally attached I became to the characters, especially to Jem, the older brother. I think that I identified with the awakening and realisation that he went through as he leaves childhood and entered into adolescence and early adulthood, possibly because of my teaching experience. I understand why the book has been so popular and how the characters are much loved by the general public. I've heard different things about the 'follow up' book and am intrigued to see whether the next book will change my views on the characters.

Elizabeth is Missing

I finished this book whilst on 'babymoon' in Italy. It is the story of an elderly woman who is suffering from dementia. The thing is that she knows that Elizabeth is missing but the problem is that no-one believes her. The story skips from the present to the past (her childhood) and back again. In between you find different clues to this missing person case.

I enjoyed this book, but must admit that I had worked out the story about half way through. Despite this, I wondered how the author would solve the various problems that the book's plot threw up. Another interesting aspect was the telling of the story from the point of view of someone suffering from dementia. At times this can be frustrating and repetitive but I thought that the overall effect was sympathetic towards people who are loosing their memory - things don't make sense, and some ideas are brand new to the person saying them, but have been heard again and again by carers. I thought it was quite a brave move to write from the point of view of a dementia sufferer, although the flitting back and forth in time made this a necessary plot device.

The Gaze

I've now read a few novels by Elif Shafak, and I enjoy listening to her opinions on various podcasts, but I simply could not get into this novel. Mum leant it to me, and I asked her how she felt about it and she had a similar response. I'm not entirely sure what it was about the novel, but I think that it probably had something to do with not really believing or empathising with any of the characters.

As is usual for a Shafak novel, the story jumps around with multiple characters, multiple time lines and dipping in and out of reality and myth and legend. I haven't minded this before, but this time it grated... The story mainly considers 'the gaze', i.e. how we look at the world and other people, how humans find other humans and difference intriguing, how in a crowded room we will spot the person with a disability, who is overweight or who has the brightly dyed hair.  It is tricky to say who this story is about, but two recurring characters are a overweight woman and her boyfriend who is a dwarf (who is also writing a dictionary of gazes - possibly the most interesting part of the novel). This couple are particularly aware of other peoples' gazes and never appear in public together unless they are in disguise. It just didn't ring true...

12 Years a Slave

Oh, look! A break from tradition and I dip into a non-fiction book. A biography to be precise. I bought this book a while ago when all the hype about the film was going on. I've not seen the film, but the title of the book gives away most of the story.

I don't really know what I was expecting, but I was surprised at the tone of this book. I possibly expected the tone to be more angry. If I had been kidnapped and then sold into slavery, beaten, starved and forced to do back breaking labour, then I would be seething. Instead Solomon Northup tells his story in quite a measured, matter of fact kind of way. Yes, he does explain some of the horrors of what he went through but I have a feeling that his motivation behind writing the book was to let people know an aspect of the life of a slave living in the south. He occasionally dedicates a large part of a chapter on informing you how sugar cane is planted and harvested and then processed.

That being said, you can't help but hope for then ending of the book, where you know that he will be a free man again, but all the way through I was wondering how that would happen.

A new quilt - flying geese

It has been a while since I posted anything on here. It's been a busy couple of months, wrestling with a difficult time at work and the early stages of pregnancy. I haven't picked up a piece of fabric in months and I've missed it! I have three projects on the go - and now two baby quilts to add to the pile: one for my best friend's baby, and now, happily, one for mine. I also haven't read a book in a while, having the attention span of a sparrow! It's summer holiday now and this is all about to change!

I have been busy chopping up fabric for project number 1: a flying geese quilt for my hubby and I. I won a fabric bundle of Lewis and Irene's Manor House range from a Facebook competition and I am using this (along with the pack of the same fabrics that I had already purchased) with some plain colours that complement. 

I have never used the flying geese pattern before, and this is my first attempt. The wings will all be either white or off white with a white border all around. I'm not sure how the overall finish will be but will use my living room floor to layout all of the pieces to get a feel for colours etc when I've finally finished sewing up all 230 flying geese. Why do I do this to myself?!!!

Empress Orchid

This is a book that was passed to me by my sister. I read it over the half term break. It is the story of Orchid, a daughter of a Bannerman, and a member of the Manchu ruling class. The book follows her story; how she becomes a concubine and fourth wife of the Chinese emperor, and the mother of the future emperor. The book gives some insights into the inside of the Forbidden City and looks at how Orchid challenged the status quo and role of women in court. A good read, but wouldn't read it again, so it has been consigned to the charity shop pile, but only after I read the next one...

Maltese Falcon

A good o' fashioned detective story. I loved this, just because it is what I needed. It didn't take too much brain power but was gripping enough to make me want to know what was going to happen next. It's been a busy time both in work and in family life...

The book follows the detective Sam Spade, as he gets embroiled in a mystery revolving around a falcon statue of immense value.

The Buried Giant

 

This is the long awaited novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. As usual, it is a break with every other genre that Ishiguro has tackled previously. The Buried Giant is the story of Axl and 'Princess' Beatrice, an old couple, who go on a journey to rediscover their lost shared memories. The story is set in Saxon Britain, and is interlinked with the story of Britain post King Arthur. A mist of forgetfulness has descended on the nation and people struggle to retain long term memories as well as the odd short term memory. It has elements of fantasy and magic, and, if I'm honest, takes a little while to get into. I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it when I was reading it.  But then I got to the final chapter, and was cross when my husband interrupted me. He came in to the room when I was on the very last page, and witnessed big, fat, hot tears rolling down my face (and continuing on and off throughout the day). Clearly the story had affected me more than I had realised.

Honour

This is my second foray into Elif Shafak's world. I enjoyed this book and finished it quite quickly. In some ways it was very similar to 'The Bastard of Istanbul' in that it follows the story of a family, across several generations. Elif Shafak seems to draw on myths and legends of Turkey and mixes it with the stories of the Turkish migrant society who have settled in the UK (in this case). The book explains the possible clash of cultures between a migrant and local community, and the role of women and mothers in the Turkish society. I think that I found the contrast between gender roles and expectations well documented and tackled in an interesting and not too patronising way.

Neuromancer

This was a book that I read in Singapore. Given that cyber space was new, and the internet was a new invention (hard to believe!) this is quite a remarkable book. It is difficult to understand how new and ground breaking this book must have been. I actually found it a little hard to follow at times, although I did get gripped to the adventure story that went along.

The Icarus Girl

This is a book that my sister passed to me. It is the story of Jessamy (ironic as that is a combination of our names) who returns to Nigeria. She is the eight year old daughter of a Nigerian mother and white British father. Whilst in Nigeria she meets a mysterious girl who slowly lets her in to a family secret.

This is Helen Oyeyemi's first novel, and she wrote this when she was still doing her A-levels. Impressive and I would be interested to see if she is able to produce another good quality book in the future. There are some really interesting ideas, although I did see a few of them coming.

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

This is a book that my sister gave me. Its the story of a white woman who emigrates to Trinidad from England. It was  meant to be temporary, her husband had a 3 year job. As soon as she arrives, the island seems to hate her and she hates it back. She wants to leave as soon as possible.

The story takes place in two parts, starting off when she is in her seventies and regressing to her initial arrival as a young, newly wed. In between it attempts a political commentary on the country as it devolves power from Britain to local rule, and the racial tensions that occur as a result.

Bridget Jones's Diary

I wasn't particularly looking forward to reading this book. I didn't enjoy the film. Thankfully the book is better - but not far off from the film. Nuff said...
Why was it on the list?

Perfume

I've never seen the film but clearly, at some point, have seen a trailer or read a synopsis of the plot, and so this novel was slightly spoiled for me. This is the story of a young boy (later man) who has a particularly well developed sense of smell. He becomes an apprentice to a perfumer and begins to learn the trade. As it says on the spoiler of a front cover - he is also a murderer...

It may sound funny but I do think that my own sense of smell was enhanced whilst reading this novel.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

I finished this over a weekend - that's a weekend during a term! What a luxury to reclaim a weekend.
I like reading Murakami novels, there is something about the pace that I find reassuring.

Tsukuru Tazaki is suddenly cut off from his childhood friends (who's names all have colours in tthem) with no explanation. Over a phonecall he finds out that none of his friends ever want to see him again, or speak to him again. In his confusion and shock Tsukuru agrees to this without finding out why his friends have made this drastic decision. This novel follows Tsukuru's 'pilgrimage' to try and understand his adulthood following his traumatic experience. He travels back to his home town to see some of his former friends and then on to Finland to catch up with another.

The book itself was lovely. I've put a picture up of the sleeve as well as the book cover. The colours are beautiful, and my version also had a number of stickers in there which means that you can personalise your cover should you want to. I didn't. Stickers remain intact and unopened.

American Pastoral

This is my first Philip Roth novel. It took me a while to finish, partly as I've had a lot to contend with over the last couple of months, and also because of the amount of detail in the book. I got a little bit confused at some point as I realised that the narrator had changed but I don't recall any particular indication that this was going to happen.

American Pastoral is the story of a Jewish entrepreneur and jock and his life that outwardly looks perfect, but inwardly is in turmoil. The book explores the difference between different generations and their attitude towards America 'the land of opportunity'.

2014 - a year where I stretched those muscles of creativity

New Years is always a good time to reflect on the year that has passed and hope for the year to come. On reflection, I realised that 2014 has definitely been a year of creativity for me. I've created a collage to show off the quilts that I completed in the year and was pleasantly surprised to realise that despite teaching full time, I was able to complete 5 quilts, one of them being a queen sized quilt! How did that happen?

I don't think that I ever mentioned this on here before, but I also took an etching course in the summer of 2014, where I learned a new skill. The result is the following prints that are now all framed and hanging on our walls. My husband will testify that I have constantly moaned about not being the artistic or creative one in my family, but I seem to have proved my self wrong this year.

 I'm hoping to continue the creativity streak into next year - 2 quilts being designed as I type. I was the lucky winner of a fat quarter pack by Lewis and Irene (I had already bought the exact same pack) so I'm hoping to make myself a quilt using that. The other one is for some tricky customers - my parents, who know what they want, it's just that they don't want the same thing. I think I have come up with a solution to this though.... Still in the design stages for this one.

For the sake of a full summary: 17 novels completed in the year. Not too bad!