How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

So, to kick of my Japan-based reviewing, I thought I'd start with a book that I recently re-read.

But firstly, a confession. The first time I read this, a few years ago, it really didn't do it for me. I found the prose style irritating, the voice of Daisy didn't feel real, and the love story on a par with Bella and Edward. And yet, it won the Printz Award in 2005, and is now one of the few YA novels published as a popular penguin.

And then, recently, I read Rosoff's latest book "There is No Dog", which I utterly loved. It was darkly cynical, yet full of heart, and written seemingly effortlessly.

So, I thought I'd give How I Live Now a second go.

I guess I'd read a lot of YA between my first reading and this one, and something just clicked this time around. As much as I wanted to dislike Daisy, I was drawn to her character, seemingly against my better judgement. The informal style of writing that Rosoff matches Daisy's voice perfectly - as though Daisy were writing the book herself - and with what seemed, on my initial reading, to be possibly a sloppily-edited novel, just worked.

Of course, I still didn't *love* this book. The story still didn't do it for me, and I found the ending largely unsatisfying. But there's a sublime adolescence in Daisy's narrative that Rosoff brings to the fore, that will stick with me far longer than the story will.

3.5 out of 5

New Life, New Book Pile

So, it's been seven weeks since I left Australia. I've settled into my new place, and with my arrival came a selection of books that I plan to read over the next year that I spend here.

Much of it is YA, although some of it isn't. Much of it is unread, although some I have brought for a re-read (or is the first of a series that I never finished, so I need to start again from scratch!)

This time around, there are no rules. I'll be reading books, then I'll review them.

Enjoy.

Changing piles

My life is changing, and so the pile is shifting.

There will be a new pile - it currently exists in two small boxes that I'll be sending to Japan, where I'll be living for the next year.

Stay tuned...

Returning to Discworld

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett - a sort-of-review

I've been dreading writing this, and have put it off long enough. But it's time to bite the bullet and bring about some closure on my relationship with Terry Pratchett's Discworld (and a number of other things).

When I first read the Narnia books as a child, I used to feel terribly sad that characters would eventually become "too old" to return to Narnia. I mean, how unfair was that - to be shown a fantastic world, and then deprived of its wonder once one reached a certain age.

But, at the same time, youth have a certain openness when engaging with such magic, and, as a reader, one soon realises that at least some of the magic comes from the reader. Just go and read any Enid Blyton as an adult, and you'll see what I mean.

In the same way, I *loved* Terry Pratchett's Discworld books as a teenager - through to my mid-20s. They were always oh-so-clever, with an assortment of quirky characters, and incisive social commentary of a world very different - yet strangely familiar - to our own. I grew to love certain characters, and there was a very strong "british humour" element to Pratchett's writing. What's more, Pratchett is very much a romantic and a consummate storyteller, and I was always easily hooked once the story and relationships kicked in.

But over the last few years, I've been sadly absent from Discworld. The last Discworld novel I read was "Thud!", which I recall absolutely loving. That was over five years ago.

So, I found myself attempting to return to Discworld about a year ago, when I borrowed a copy of "Unseen Academicals" from a friend. I started reading it a couple of times over the year, but never found myself drawn in like I used to.

And this time, I gave it a concerted effort. Yes, the book has all of the hallmarks of Pratchett's discworld novels - it's very clever, it has overly-long footnotes, unlikely heroes, and a conventional-yet-imaginative storyline. Yet, for me, the magic was gone - and I fear that it might be my magic as a reader, rather than Pratchett's magic as a writer that is absent. After all, I freaking loved Pratchett's Nation, which was much-deservingly shortlisted for the Printz Award in 2009.

This does make me a little sad. I'm tempted to go and revisit earlier Discworld novels that I've loved - just to confirm that it is me, but I also don't want to ruin my fond memories of devouring them as a younger reader. Maybe I should just let it be, and move on.

But for those of you who are fortunate enough to still inhabit Discworld, this book will at least satisfy your need for another Discworld adventure, and take a cast of new and familiar characters from the Unseen University on new sporting exploits.

Next week: The Pigman - Paul Zindel

Appeasing the blogging goddess...

So, my final week in my current place of employment has come about, and so I've had to abandon the book pile for a week, due to the urgency in completing my books that belong to my workplace (lest my final paycheck be withheld until my books are returned). I'm done to one last book - "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins, and it's pretty cute so far.

And so, Unseen Academicals remains Unread. However, in its place, I offer another review...

REVIEW: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SEASON EIGHT (VOL. 1-7)

I have had a long-standing fandom of Buffy. Through my undergraduate days, I would religiously watch every episode upon its release, right up to its Hellmouth-imploding finale in 2003. And then, the Buffyverse lapsed into a place of nostalgia, occasionally revived for repeat viewings of Season 2 (still my favourite season).

I was somewhat aware of the release of the season eight comics in 2007, but between full-time work and part-time study, I never got around to seeking it out, and then I moved to Darwin, where access to new graphic novels were somewhat limited.

And so, four years later, I discover that my library holds some of the earlier volumes of Buffy Season Eight. Once more, I'm drawn into Joss Whedon's world of Demons and Vampire Slayers.

Yes, Slayers. Season Eight continues a little after the events of Season Seven. Buffy and the Scoobies have sought out all the "activated" slayers around the world, and are ammassing a slayer army, fighting evil wherever it may produce its demonic head. Willow's magic powers have reached fearsome levels, and Xander has worked off his post-season-four fat and back in Commando-Xander mode. Andrew - now trained as a Watcher - works with the slayers. Giles and Faith work together with various assignments. Dawn is annoying as always. And yes, there is a Big Bad - a new masked nemesis, somewhat aptly named "Twilight" - who is recruiting a host of demonic allies to rid the earth of the slayers.

Firstly, the good - this is a return to the Buffyverse as we remember it. The stakes are as high as ever, and whilst we're looking at yet another apocalypse, it's not like one we've seen before (like every other of Whedon's apocalypses - he's not one to rehash old plot devices). There's plenty of witty banter, plot twists and shifting alliances. And, reading these graphic novels, it certainly feels like canon - which is just as well, as Whedon penned many of the stories.

But - the bad! There's certainly a sense of nostalgia for the original TV series. Other than some of the new slayers, almost every substantial character here is somebody that we've encountered in a previous season. It's almost like, "Which old favourite character is going to re-emerge now?" as though we necessarily needed to know what they've been up to. Of course, by the time Twilight reveals his mask, it comes as very little surprise. Even so, whilst we'd already guessed the "who?", we really want to know the "why?". Unfortunately, what we get is a resounding "wtf?"

Of course, I'm saying all this before having read the final volume, which is due to come out some time soon. I don't have high hopes, but just as I felt obliged to watch "Revenge of the Sith", I'm going to have to see this through anyway. I just hope that Whedon has the good sense to let it be, and not pursue a Season Nine...

Next Week: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. I promise, this time!

TRASH by Andy Mulligan

As a school librarian, I have regular dealings with The Little Bookroom, which, along with being the closest bookseller to my school, and the oldest children's specialist bookstore in Australia the world, has just opened its second store in Melbourne in the same week that mega-booksellers Borders and Angus & Robertson went into receivership.

Anyway, we have a lovely relationship between the library and the Little Bookroom and, from time to time, I find myself with a leftover ARC or two that I often give to my bookclub kids as prizes and such. Trash was one such copy, of which I'd read a number of glowing reviews, and was passed on to me toward the end of last year.

The story of Trash is centred around three boys who live on the Behala dumpsite in an unnamed country that is presumably somewhere in South America. It begins with Raphael, who happens upon a leather bag containing a money-laden wallet, a key and a map. Along with his friends, Gardo and Rat, Raphael sets out to make sense of this mysterious discovery, and they soon find themselves pursued by the authorities, and deep in the middle of a deadly political scandal.

I have to confess, I was initially put off by Mulligan's narrative style, which switches between a host of characters, and this possibly contributed to my putting-down of the book many months ago before reaching the obligatory 50-page mark. However, upon a second reading, this style of switching rapidly between characters struck me as remarkably inventive, allowing for fast-paced storytelling, and exciting reading as the story approaches its climax. And at 211 pages, it's the kind of book that any avid reader will blitz through in a day or two.

Also - for what is clearly a middle reader audience, the story is also easily accessible to older readers, and a thrilling read for all. It explores the very real dangers and social issues of living in second-world countries, and whilst at times the story is bleak and gritty, the voices of the central characters are never without hope or determination, which makes for an oddly delightful read - almost in a Slumdog Millionaire kind of way.

This is a classic adventure, with a broad appeal - particularly for reluctant readers who might be ready for a thought-provoking challenge - a confronting yet extremely satisfying read.

Next week's book: Unseen Academicals by Sir Terry Pratchett

The Rules

So, as you've noticed, it's been a few weeks since I planned to start blogging here. In my defence, I was away for a week in Sydney for a library conference, and then started full-time work again, after enjoying the school holidays, so it's been a bit of a shock to the system.

Regardless, it's time I set up a few rules here:

1. I will be blogging here once a week with a post every Tuesday.
2. The post will feature a book from the book pile.
3. Along with an obligatory review, the post will also mention how the book found its way onto the pile, for how long, and why I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet.
4. I will also announce the book that will be featured the following week.

You can find the list of the books in my pile over here. There are a total of 26 books, which will take us through the next six months. After that? Well, I'm sure there'll be new additions to the pile...

This Tuesday, the first book from the pile will be Trash by Andy Mulligan.