Wednesday 12 June 2013

Summer Reading!


So as I have finally finished my English Literature Degree (hoorraaaahh) I can finally start the big pile of 'I will read these when my degree is finished' books! I'm going to post regular reviews on these books so if you're interested in widening your summer reading please follow by email. (Which boys and girls you should be because reading is cool.)

I'm going to kick things off with a few books I read during my degree (as the big pile takes time to read I'm afraid) but don't worry I wont be reviewing Dickens or anything (although he's great if you've got a spare year), but if you're interested in reading something other than 50 shades or Twilight these will be a good selection for you.
But here's a little list of some that I will be reviewing fairly soon (and there will be more to come)
The Hunger Games Trilogy- (may be very commerical but they are amazzzing.. literary crack)
'Benjamin Button'
White Queen- Phillipa Gregory
The Counterlife- Philip Roth
The New York Trilogy
The Things They Carried

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. (Forewarning: get ready for digressions.)

I personally love this book because it's made up with short stories that all inter-link in some form. You're probably thinking- wait short stories- why would I want to read them? But stop right there- I don't know where this short-story-ism began but short stories can be great and there are plenty of them out there. If you don't have a lot of free time then short stories are perfect and can be just as exciting and enthralling as a novel. Sometimes even more so as short stories tend to get to the point so you don't have two chapters of waffle about a handkerchief (The Hobbit I'm referring to you here.)

Right now off my short story rant back to the actual text! Goon Squad is primarily about the music business and how it has changed over time so from the 60s to the noughties. There's quite a bit of sex, drugs and rock and roll during the ride. This may seem like a light hearted affair but it does have a sad element as even for me (someone who doesn't know a lot about the music business) I found myself pining for the times when music was raw on records and not just mindless computer generated garbage.

I really enjoyed the chronology of the book as Egan doesn't stick to the usual linear affair. In an interview she states that she has done this on purpose and doesn't want the reader to read the stories in a different order. (At least on the first read.) Personally I find this form very exciting as your constantly building a picture of the different characters in your mind and once you think you have that character pinned down in a story blows that out of the window.

Despite that fact that Goon Squad uses a number of different characters, Egan's characterisation and ability to make the reader empathise with characters is brilliant!

Overall this book is a great read! I particularly love the flash forwards and flash backs throughout. Egan is able to portray so many lives and how time moves perfectly.

The only negative I can find is the PowerPoint presentation chapter... I have loathed them since every teacher at school insisted on using them and lost interest in that chapter.
But apart from that set back it's a great read and I recommend it! Apparently Sky is making a TV series of it so now would be a great time to read!

4/5