This Week in Books

I have had a very unintentionally bookish week. I've been reading a fair bit and buying even more. I had myself a lunchtime trip to Waterstones, a trip to Foyles today and a trip to my favourite, the South Bank Book Market. It has been a goodun. 

To the books! 

From Waterstones I bought How To Be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis and Careless People by Sarah Churchwell. Ellis's (feminist) reading memoir was reviewed in the December/January Literary Review (love that magazine). I started this straight away and I'm already more than half-way through. It is so brilliant. I also couldn't resist picking up Careless People (I have zero powers of self-control, as you can see). Since reading Z, which I reviewed yesterday, I've fallen into another little Jazz Age obsession and I've had this on my mind for some time. So, couldn't resist. Plus, it is a totally gorgeous book.

The Novel Cure (bibliotherapy at its best) and the two Lonely Planet Guides are from Foyles. I had a lovely day mooching around London with my sister today which included a trip to Foyles to pick up guides for our trip in May. Liv bought us a trip to Amsterdam for Christmas and we're planning on having a night in either Bruges or Brussels in the same week. I'm so excited to visit the newly renovated Rijksmuseum (it's the art nerd's time to rear it's head now). Any recommendations for things to do (and bookshops to visit) in either city would be much appreciated!

The final three books were brilliant finds from the Market. I always manage to grab at least one new Virago Modern Classics as they have such a good selection. I could go crazy on them but I'm extending the excitement by limiting myself to one each visit. Then I did break out into a slight jig when I spied the Beside the Sea by Veronique Olmi. Peirene books are wonderful and I've fancied reading this one in particular for a pretty long time.

I've given up trying to be careful about my book buying habits. I know one day I'll either run out of space or money but, whichever comes first, I'll still be happy knowing I am utterly surrounded by books. 

Anyone else been buying any books recently?

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Review: Z by Therese Anne Fowler

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
Therese Anne Fowler
2013
Published by Two Roads
367 pages

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because I want to be as original as the First Flapper.

Read as part of Leah's Jazz Age in January.

'Now, finally, at long last, the Ferris wheel had stopped turning. I'd ridden by choice - I'm not saying otherwise - but that doesn't mean I didn't need to, and want to, get off after a while.'

I have wanted to read Z ever since it first graced the shelves of our bookstores in delicious hardback. I love these fictional biographies (fictographies? biofiction?) - they're so much more than historical fiction in the way they probe so deeply and in such well-researched detail into the lives of their stars. It's like reading their journals and seeing them come to life. Granted, it is not all 100% accurate, but there is such energy there and if a writer can catch the energy of a real life person (particularly someone like Zelda) and put it down on paper without it diminishing or fading then the results are startlingly beautiful.

I am occasionally prone to fits of Jazz Age obsession which are typically triggered by reading a piece of fiction/non-fiction relating to the period. For that reason, I know the story of Scott and Zelda fairly well, but I have never seen it written down in such a sensitive, revealing and emotive way. This novel is an absolute gem. 

A little way into the novel Zelda remarks that 'it's almost like we're grownups'. I think this alone describes their early lifestyle so perfectly because they did act like teenagers who played at being adult. The novel and their lives is a whirlwind of alcohol, parties, dancing, fighting and art (in all it's forms). 

'What I realised in doing it, however, was that maybe we didn't know quite as much - about anything - as we thought we did.'

Fowler doesn't delve too deeply into the psychological troubles that plagued Zelda in later life. She does address them and in some detail but much of it is glossed over and the telling of it lacks something that the first half of the novel has. And yet, it is the second half of the novel and the exploration of both Scott and Zelda's descent into alcoholism and madness (or not, as the case may be) that most interested me. Zelda was often (unfairly, I think) given as the reason for Scott's literary downfall. Now, though, it is seen as mutual and more people are considering how they destroyed (this is a harsh word and not quite appropriate but I can't think of the best word right now) each other. This latter idea is explored in the novel with many references to women's rights thrown in (which I loved). Whether or not they were each responsible for the woes of the other, Z is a portrait of two people who are so intensely in love with each other that it becomes almost too much to handle. 

I've been working on this misguided assumption that the Jazz Age was a good time for women. How wrong I was. I think I forget when thinking about the 20's that it was still the 20's - a war may have intervened but attitudes from before still reigned. Reading Z, I have been astounded to find that these women were just as stuck as ever, still slaves to their husbands, sexually tied to whichever man feel like possessing them. Even Zelda, the First Flapper, was in a marriage which definitely did not seem all that jolly. Women's issues are picked up and explored at various points in the novel (feminist high five) and I found some attitudes really revealing. My love for Hemingway has certainly faded - I knew he was a misogynist but I always struggled to imagine it. There is no struggling here.

I've found it really hard to write this review - it is such a detailed and heartbreaking novel that I'm not sure I could do it justice. Scott and Zelda pretty much defined the Jazz Age and their ever-so-public life has been widely examined. I do think this book adds something to that wider examination in that it focuses on Zelda, her own place as an artist in the world and the female point of view. Z gives Zelda the centre stage in telling her own story (no matter how inextricably bound up in Scott's story it is) and my biggest hope is that is persuades people to pick up Save Me the Waltz and truly see life through her eyes. Am I suggesting you read Z? Yes, I am. And Save Me the Waltz, of course.


Have you read Z? Or Save Me the Waltz? Are you as intrigued by Scott and Zelda as I am?

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This post was supported by Grammarly. I have been playing around with the website and it is such a brilliant tool for checking grammar and plagiarism (I still have that fear of plagiarising built in from uni). I think it is a really good service and one I will continue to use to save myself from falling into any embarrassing grammatical traps (apparently I am prone to wordiness). 

Blog Tour: The Assassin's Mark by David Ebsworth

The Assassin's Mark
David Ebsworth
SilverWood Books
2013
326 pages

'The facts are always written by the winning side. Don't you know that? Of course you do. You're a journalist Mister Telford.'

Set in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, The Assassin's Mark is an expertly paced thriller with extra thrills (seriously). Rather than get over-excited and give the plot away I'm going to let the blurb do the talking:

'September 1938. Spain's Civil War has been raging for two years, the outcome still in the balance. But rebel General Franco  is so confident of winning that he has opened up battlefield tourism along the country's north coast.

           Jack Telford, a reporter and self-professed Socialist, finds himself with an eccentric group of tourists on one of the War Route's yellow Chrysler buses. Driven by his passion for peace, Telford attempts to uncover the hidden truths beneath the conflict. 

         But Jack must contend first with his own gullibility, the tragic death of a fellow-passenger, capture by Republican guerrilleros, a final showdown at Spain's most holy shrine and the possibility that he has been badly betrayed. Betrayed and in serious danger.'

The Assassin's Mark starts as a formulaic crucible story - there is a bus and a group of less-than-trustworthy individuals. You just know something is going to go seriously wrong (which it does). Ebsworth uses this crucible with skill and keeps the tension simmering just below the surface throughout the novel, rising during each new stop on the bus tour. 

The key element of this type of thriller is characterisation and Ebsworth gets it spot on. Each character is given depth and history and their individual personalities are revealed and developed as the story progresses. I definitely have a preference for character-led novels and here there is a good balance between character and plot. The main character Jack Telford is an interesting one. A journalist for a left-wing paper and more or less the only non-fascist in the group, the action is seen through his eyes. We are privy to his inner thought which are very journalistic and questioning - you can imagine that we are reading his news stories as he is writing them.

The Assassin's Mark appealed to me as history nerd as well as a reader. Ebsworth demonstrates his research into the Spanish Civil War brilliantly without it overpowering the story. Rather than outweighing the story, the facts enhance it by adding another layer of meaning and reason to the characters actions. I enjoyed reading the lively debates between characters and I was pleased that there was a good exploration of the Civil War and the run up to the Second World War. I often find politics a bit (very) dry and my eyes do tend to glaze over but that never quite happened here. There was enough of it to be interesting and not too much that it fell into a judgemental political retrospective. 

The Assassin's Mark is a well balanced and well paced thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie (I even noticed a sneaky homage in there. Unintended maybe, but I appreciated it nonetheless). This is a book for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War or anyone who enjoys a good mystery novel with a smattering of historical tidbits. 

What do you think? Does this mix of history and mystery appeal to you?

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A review copy of this book was provided to me by the author for the purposes of this blog tour.

Mini Reviews: Wilkie and Chevalier

Over Christmas I gave myself the treat of reading books by two of my favourite authors. We all know Wilkie is up there but I'm not sure I've mentioned how much I love Tracy Chevalier and her novels (I probably have but just go with me). I was a little behind with TC, having discovered her after reading Falling Angels, her third novel. I also have to admit that I have not read Girl With a Pearl Earring - I do not doubt that the book is better (aren't they always?) but, having seen the film, I never felt the urge to read the book (I would never be able to get Firth out of my head). I actually studied Falling Angels (Suffragette high-five) in sixth form and compared it to George Gissing's The Odd Women and, considering it is a book I studied, I loved it and still do. Basically, what I'm trying to say in a ridiculously meandering and roundabout way, is that Tracy Chevalier is a darn good writer and storyteller and if you've not read anything by her then I don't see why you're still reading this when you could be rectifying the sad state of your literary experience.

The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins

'Alone! Alone on the frozen deep!'

I stumbled upon a copy of this lesser known Wilkie in Glasgow and obviously picked it up immediately. It is a novella that was first released as a play and performed by Wilkie himself and Charles Dickens. This novella has everything: an ill-fated arctic expedition, a guilt-ridden psychic, love triangles (ish) and  a sacrifice in the name of love (Richard Wardour was the influence for Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, FYI). The pacing was nice and swift - just what you'd expect from a novella - but not too fast that the climactic scene swings by with no notice. The women were a tad, well, over-feminine in their personalities (hysteria is involved) until they suddenly decided to go against stereotypes in a really pleasing way (ships are involved).

I'm not going to say it is Wilkie's best and I will be the first to admit that it is nowhere near as good as his other works. Having said that, it is a brilliant piece of melodramatic fun and absolutely perfect as a pick-me-up for these chilly winter nights.

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

'It is less distracting in the silence'

I think my little flurry of excitement above more or less indicates my reaction to this novel. There is something about Chevalier's stories that make you not want to stop reading. They have a very quiet power - there is no extreme drama or endless cliffhangers to keep me turning the pages but I keep turning them with relish nonetheless. I think it is the people she creates. They are so real you can imagine them as someone sat on the bus with you or someone you would pass walking down the street. Honor Bright, the focus of The Last Runaway, is no exception. I loved her as a character. I loved the way she made her decisions and thought about her religion deeply. She is a woman of her time and of her religion and it is important that she doesn't always make the 'right' choices but falls prey to family pressure. Having said that, she is not a wet blanket by any stretch of the imagination. 

I think a shout out for Belle Mills is also necessary. As a support character she is brilliant - to the point and with a completely no nonsense attitude to life. Her presence definitely made the novel much more lively. 

This novel gave me a really fascinating insight into the Quaker religion and the Underground Railroad. Both I knew very little about (I actually knew nothing about the latter) so as well as this being a lovely piece of fiction, it was also truly informative and has piqued my interest in a new to me subject.


Ok, so they were less reviews and more a jumble of random thoughts but hopefully you get the gist. Sometimes even my thoughts are incoherent.

Have you read The Frozen Deep or The Last Runaway? 

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Bout of Books: Wrap-Up

Right from the beginning I had planned for this Bout of Books to be a relaxed one. I made a few goals but they were fairly flexible and unspecific. The general plan was just to make more time for reading. For the first four days I definitely succeeded in this aim. I was helped along by the cold weather as I ended up cosied up in bed with my book unusually early just to get warm (I was not complaining). I read as usual on my commute (though it's only 30 minutes) and on my lunchbreak. 

Then I hit Friday...as much as I wanted to be reading, life just got in the way. My Dad was in London on Friday night and then it was my brother's birthday at the weekend so we had him and his girlfriend round for Saturday night. I also had a friend round for the weekend (busy flat) and we spent hours on Saturday in the Science Museum (they have a flight simulator which is actually the best thing ever). Then yesterday was spent snuggled up on the sofa attempting to get over my hangover. We watched movies (Star Trek and Ghostbusters) and then finished the day with a huge roast. Safe to say, I didn't make it to Sherlock time.

Even if I missed the second half of the week a little, Bout of Books 9.0 was another brilliant week. I visited some new blogs, shared the bookish enthusiasm and had a rip-roaring good time in general. Amazing.

Books finished: 2 - The Lie and It's In the Box
Books read from: The Lie, It's In the Box, The Assassin's Mark, Z

Although I didn't quite finish the books I had intended, I made good progress with all of them and I suspect I'll finish both The Assassin's Mark and Z this week. I'm loving everything I'm reading at the moment and long may it continue.


How was your Bout of Books? Did you achieve your goals?

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Bout of Books: Thursday

Thursday was another fast day for me (gnawed left arm off) and I was so BUSY. I'm one of those slightly odd people that thrives on being busy and pressure so I had a pretty good day (apart from the whole not eating thing). Unfortunately, being busy does not leave a huge amount of time for reading. I missed my usual lunch hour fix and I didn't get to bed until late so I'm thinking I managed just under an hour of reading, if that. Still, some reading is better than no reading, AMIRITE?

I'm really getting into The Assassin's Mark, the action is all hotting up and I can tell it's going to be unputdownable towards the end. I think I'm going to stick with Z for Friday though, a day away from Scott and Zelda is all I can manage! Givemethejazzage!

Number of pages read: 70

Books finished to date: 2

Books read from: The Assassin's Mark by David Ebsworth

Working lunch in Starbucks

How was your Thursday?

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Bout of Books: Wednesday

Wednesday was a very uneventful day. I went to work, went to the gym (not a great experience given the influx of resolution-runners), did some tinkering on the old blog (CSS/HTML confuse the actual hell out of me), read a little and then conked out.

I'm really enjoying Z so far (I'm about 100 pages in). There are some really fascinating insights into their relationship and I'm interested to see how it continues. I have read bits of Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda (a collection of their letters) and Zelda's Save Me the Waltz so various elements are quite familiar. I think Fowler has done such a brilliant job of making Scott and Zelda such energetic and authentic characters. No doubt I'll have a ton of thoughts when I've finished!

Number of pages read: 120
Number of books finished so far: 2 
Books read from: Z by Therese Anne Fowler, The Assassin's Mark by David Ebsworth

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