I thought I’d add a quick post to say that I have started reviewing for The Wee Review based in Scotland. I have been doing this for the past couple of months and will be focussing on Theatre and Books for the time being.
Inerestingly, the theatre shows seem to tour all over the place and at the different festivals, so if you are into this sort of thing, keep an eye on my reviews!
I started reading some of Matt Freese’s work a few years ago and so I jumped at the chance to read his latest – a memoir and a sort-of-sequel. I enjoy reading memoirs because I like peoples’ personal stories, there is so much more to each one of us than what is evident on the surface.
So it is with Matt. At 76 and getting on a bit now, he worries about the usual stuff, health, running out of time to do things, reconciling with his estranged child. What runs through the entire book, however, is a deep need to understand his emotions and using a mix of logic, history and philosophy. I enjoyed the interludes where he references the great words of Krishnamurthi. It continues to surprise me that it is hard to find reviewers who will review Holocaust literature. I believe it requires a special type of spineless to shy away from the horrors of history. How will we move forward as a species if we do not learn from our past collectively?
It is nice to be taken through a long life, but through its most salient parts – I still find it hard to compute what a long life holds – so many heartbreaks and smiles, tears and love, distances and horizons. And of course, dreams. Freese brings them out beautifully through his words, as in his previous works (here, here, and here). At times, the prose is a bit halting in this one, but it all lends itself well to this short work that hold the substance of a tome.
I recommend this book, especially as this time of the year is a wonderful time for reflection and looking back. To say the least, Matt is ‘felt’. It is available here.
My teaser:
“Her transformation from oranges and browns to a pristine white is epic. And the wind, always the wind… like a veil over the city, the wind is her handmaid.“
From here, my piece for the launch of Scottish Book Trust‘s ‘Scotland’s Stories Of Home‘ series.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Enjoy!
My Musing:
After a long time, I began reading a series, The Clifton Chronicles, written by Jeffery Archer. I happily embarked on the journey, completely convinced that it was a trilogy. Woe of woes, I’m midway through the third book and was told by a friend that it is actually a five part series, and the last two books have not been written yet. Now I’m annoyed with myself because that means that when part 4 is released, I’ll have forgotten a great deal of the story line; after all, it is a year from now.
I try and let the author finish writing all parts before I start reading a series. Else, either I end up not finishing the series at all or I have to re-read the earlier parts. This one’s a good series though 😛
Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
Describe one of your reading habits.
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
Since this is nearer the date, here’s a repeat post 🙂
Also because I’m busy
My Musing:
So, the background being that Book Week Scotland (25 November to 1 December 2013) is about celebrating books and reading in every part of life in Scotland.
More than 330,000 free books will be given away during the Book Week Scotland campaign this year, including 150,000 free copies of a new short story and poem collection celebrating the most treasured possessions of various Scots.“Treasures” is a free book for all of Scotland to share, celebrating the nation’s most loved possessions. Aaaaaaand, my piece is in it. And, one of the eight book covers doing the rounds of Scotland -Tada! I am going to be in 150,000 books and on the cover of like 37,000!
More info here:
– http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading/book-week-scotland/about– http://www.publishingscotland.org/news/book-week-scotland-2013/
I know that many of you who follow my blog are published authors and have felt this before. So, to you, I say congratulations again. And to those of you that are aspiring writers, keep writing and keep feeling inspired.
Pick up a copy if you’re in Scotland; what can I say, one more reason to be here!
*skipping around with stupid grin on face*
Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
Describe one of your reading habits.
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
My Musing:
I have followed this series since its inception as I used to follow his wife Nicole’s Blog (she does incredible work too). I think he does a fabulous job on every piece and I enjoy what seems to be a very original idea.
Details: Obvious State
Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
Describe one of your reading habits.
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
My Musing:
I used to write a lot of poetry. I used to write well most of the time and my friend circle at the time was encouraging and critical, a good combination for better writing. Somewhere down the line, life caught up with me and I stopped writing as much. This blog helped me write critically, think more. And now, I think there may be a seed of an idea for a book somewhere, but I don’t know how to start the writing process.
My previous poetry is mostly at Shreds & Shards, look before 2011 in archives.
Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
Describe one of your reading habits.
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
So, the background being that Book Week Scotland (25 November to 1 December 2013) is about celebrating books and reading in every part of life in Scotland.
More than 330,000 free books will be given away during the Book Week Scotland campaign this year, including 150,000 free copies of a new short story and poem collection celebrating the most treasured possessions of various Scots.
“Treasures” is a free book for all of Scotland to share, celebrating the nation’s most loved possessions. Aaaaaaand, my piece is in it. And, one of the eight book covers doing the rounds of Scotland -Tada! I am going to be in 150,000 books and on the cover of like 37,000!
More info here:
– http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading/book-week-scotland/about
– http://www.publishingscotland.org/news/book-week-scotland-2013/
I know that many of you who follow my blog are published authors and have felt this before. So, to you, I say congratulations again. And to those of you that are aspiring writers, keep writing and keep feeling inspired.
Pick up a copy if you’re in Scotland; what can I say, one more reason to be here!
*skipping around with stupid grin on face*
This was the third book I picked from last year’s Orange Prize shortlist and I have had mixed feelings about this book, that has been described as ‘achingly brilliant’. Now, it has been the longest time since I read any form of romance, so it was a refreshing read. And brilliant it was, initially, the story of the author’s affair with a married man. What is great was that sometimes people write about their thoughts and they write the ‘correct’ thing, the ‘right’ thing. They write the things that people want to read. Well, Anne Enright does none of that. She writes the things that a woman in love actually thinks, actually feels, not made up stuff. So, she writes of the wrong emotions, and that’s refreshing.
It is a fairly short read, shorter than books usually are these days. But, nothing really happens, you know. I mean, they sort of end up together and there’s the daughter Evie and stuff, but you know the point where life catches up with people and make them do/say the right things? Well that point never comes. So, although a poignant read, the plot is pretty bad. There is expression but no imagination. So I’m not entirely sure if i would or would not recommend this book. There you have it then!
My Musing:
Most of you may have heard of Alice Munro winning the Nobel for Literature this year. While I was slightly disappointed that Murakami didn’t win, I’m also willing to give this lady a fair try. So, if you too are interested, this is where you can read some of her short stories. I am going to sample them to see if I like what she writes, if I do, then I’ll buy her books.
Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
Describe one of your reading habits.
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
BookMark 