1. I read Family Life by Akhil Sharma last week. Seems the various publishers around the world went into a cover war over this one (Australia got the first two of those covers).
2. I recommended All the Light We Cannot See to one of my kid’s teachers. She told me this week it was one of the best books she’d ever read. Isn’t that just the GREATEST?
3. More than a bit pleased with myself that I received an ARC of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 release, My Name is Lucy Barton.
4. Look. At. This.
5. I saw mince pies in the supermarket this week. Seriously. Later the same day, I saw this tweet –
Luckily @dawneywawney made me laugh about Christmas in October or otherwise I’d be screaming about effing tinsel in Spring.
6. For Rory, who’s in a (reading and/or everything) slump –
Bookish Thoughts is hosted by Christine at Bookishly Boisterous. Pop over and say hi.
I saw those little dissection knits. SO CUTE. But we have a problem. All the Light We Cannot See. I think I tried to read a different book, one called All The Light I Cannot See. Should I try again? I got quite far in. I hope we can still be friends.
Well, I guess Doerr’s book isn’t for everyone… but I thought all the layers and analogies were genius. It’s a book you have to read closely. Of course, we can agree to disagree, as we did with Barracuda 😉
So clearly I’m a dunderhead. Layers and analogies? Did you know about them and look for them or just see them? I wondered why everyone was nuts about this book. I fancy myself a close reader, but obviously completely missed this element. Will re-look at so as to try to eliminate dunderheadedness. But Barracuda. Yeah. May not be any reversals there.
I didn’t know anything about the book when I started it. This is what I wrote in my review –
“Doerr plays with scale and themes of destruction, safety, the keeping of secrets and the sharing of information on so many levels that it was only when I had finished the final page that all of his work, stitching the themes into every character, every scene and every beautiful sentence, became clear – the result is stunning.”
It’s true – it was on reflection that the themes ’emerged’- the locksmith stuff/ the tiny wooden village/ the walled village/ snails in shells/ being blind and/or trapped… being trapped as a soldier fighting for something you may not believe in… I could go on and on. I thought it was mesmerizing.
I suspect no dunderheadedness on your part – perhaps you didn’t read it at the right time – it’s easy to be distracted from books by life in general 😉 Or perhaps it’s simply not for you – I know one other person who thought it was just average.
I recently read All the Light We Cannot See. I had it on my kindle and think I felt compelled to start it after seeing table after table of the paperback in domestic and international airports across Australia during my recent trip.
I did not enjoy it much at first and was close to abandoning it. However, cue a Sunday on the sofa comforting a sick toddler and with no strong views about what I wanted to read next, I continued and finished it that day.
I did end up enjoying it and think it is a fine novel but I didn’t even bother to try and find any of the layers and analogies. I took it at face value and found it a quick read in the end.
Unlike other books I rate highly, I would actually change part of this novel – I would have liked the focus to be on the search for the missing gem, turning it into an action/adventure. Now that would be a clever novel!
PS Did you like Strout’s last book? I adored Olive but didn’t read the next one cause heard ‘wasn’t as good’.
I didn’t read the last one for the same reason but also LOVED Olive. Early indications suggest Lucy Barton is good.
Those anatomy knits are amazing!
I’m resisting the urge to kick over the mountainous displays of Christmas goods that all the supermarkets seem to have out at the moment…I’m not sure how long I can contain myself…
I know… Wish I could knit.
Christmas seems to get earlier every year (that sounded ridiculous but you know what I mean). We don’t put up our tree until December, partly because one of my kids has a late November birthday so we need to have the birthday festival first.
There should be a law prohibiting anything Christmasy to be on display in shops before 1 November each year. Bastards.
Or if you can’t beat them, join them – will I see a gluten-free mince pies recipe on your blog this week? *joking, joking*
2. I started All The Light in the summer and quit after a few pages. It just seemed like such a heavy book and even though I could tell almost immediately that it was going to be great, I wasn’t ready to read it. Now that Fall is here, I can probably sit under a blanket and really get into it.
Ps. I found you from the linkup and I’m going to follow your blog. Hope you’ll check me out too.
My day suddenly got better thanks to the BB singalong – thanks 🙂
Ha-ha. What a fun and funny Brady Bunch video. My sister was obsessed with the show but we never saw that episode. I love ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, too. My book club is planning a trip to see the author later this month.
My Bookish post
Oh, I love All The Light We Cannot See. And those knitted animals are great.
I’m actually really excited about the Christmas stuff starting to come out. I just ordered a stocking and ornament for my daughter. I think it is because she will be six months at Christmas, and that is a milestone I’m really looking forward to. It is crazy that it is out in the first week of October though….
Thank you. <3
I need(ed) that.