The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

A colleague lent me this short and thoughtful book, warning me to be prepared to cry. Well, I was a bit disappointed that I didn't, although perhaps the tube is not the best place to be emotional. I did enjoy this little book, the idea being that when you die you meet five people whose life touched yours in some way when you were alive, who teach you a lesson, to help you understand the purpose of your life; I would be interested in reading Albom's other book. But I am disappointed I didn't find it more of a weepy!

The Gathering by Anne Enright

I finally finished this Man Booker Prize winner yesterday. It's taken a long time - although it's my second book of the year, I have been reading it since I finished Chicken with Plums! However, this is not because it has been a drag, but instead because the writing has been so good I've been reading it little by little and enjoying it very much.

I can understand why Enright won the prize (although I have not read any of the others yet, although I do have Ian McEwan's Chesil Beach by my bedside). It's a bittersweet tale, full of memory, re-readings of recollections, everyday observations, descriptions of mundane family routines. Some beautiful lines.

Inside the church they passed the paschal flame from candle to candle until it looked like the whole place was on fire: then they switched on the fluorescent lights.

How true, how true!

The Gathering refers to the funeral of one of the narrator's brothers, but most of the book, although it keeps touching back on that event, covers many years and many events. I was given this book as a gift from a book person ... it's been a great read, and I recommend it.

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

What a change from my last completed book of 2007 and my first completed book of 2008! Russell Brand's life so far couldn't really be further from John Pridmore's! Unless of course you include the fact that they were both involved with drugs at one stage in their life.

My Booky Wook is a very well written and interesting book - I read it very quickly, and enjoyed it. Had a long discussion about it with H on the way south yesterday. It definitely starts off well, and Brand's voice is very clearly heard, but the language seems to become flatter towards the end, although that could simply be because we are used to the style by then. One thing I noticed was that there seems to be very little introspection of his circumstances, although they are well described, and the reader can see the connections between different events in his life without the need for much reflection on Brand's part. I suppose writing the book in itself is the reflection.

One of the good things about the book was that it clearly was not one of those ghost written autobiographies, which can be very interesting and informative, but can be quite flat in tone. This seemed to be very obviously Brand's book.

Brand's actual life has been drug and sex filled, so it's not exactly a book to read if you want to be inspired in an uplifting type of way, but it is a good read and I would recommend it.

From Ganglands to Promised Land by John Pridmore

I read this autobiography in preparation for meeting the man himself in a week's time when he will come to speak to our pupils. I read it really quickly because I wanted to find out what happened. John Pridmore was an East End bouncer, involved in gangs and criminal activity round about the time of the Krays. After almost killing a man, he found God and became heavily involved in Catholic youth work. An inspirational story, and unusual for me because although I've read lots of similar stories of conversion to evangelical Christianity, I've never read one which has such an emphasis on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Adoration of the Eucharist before. Very enjoyable, and I'm really looking forward to meeting the man himself!

Chicken with Plums by Marjane Sarpati

This book was a real treat. It's a poignant story of an Iranian tar player who dies, and is unusual because it's a graphic novel. Definitely following in the footstops of Where the Wind Blows rather than Superman. The story covers the week or so leading up to the narrator's death ... Very beautiful, very moving. Five stars. Go and buy it now! (Or at least borrow it from a library or something!)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick

I much preferred this to Blade Runner! A funny futuristic story about cloning. I like that sort of stuff. He's got to kill the clones ... but is that ethical?! And all to get a real sheep ...

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

Another funny and well written book from Mark Haddon. Really enjoyed this story of a wedding and all the thrills and spills that go with it! Highly recommended.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Another of Richard and Judy's books. I did enjoy this one. Two babies are born on a cold winter's night, one is supposed to be given up for adoption but instead is kept by the nurse, who keeps the memory of the birth until ... Well, the end is a little hazy because I read it months ago, but that's probably just as well, don't want to give anything away!

Disgrace by JM Coetzee

It's now some time since I read this, but I can still recall it fairly clearly. A lecturer has an affair with a student, this brings about a disgrace, so he goes off to live with his daughter ... at some point her home is broken into, so the narrator has to deal with the consequences of that as well. An interesting read, neither enjoyable nor unenjoyable. Well written, I'd probably read another Coatzee at some point, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

Happy New Year!

Well, it's another new year, and I haven't updated this blog since August! Which is dreadful, since I have still been reading books ... And my Mum got me a book for Christmas which I read earlier this year, but she pointed out that she had looked at my blog and I hadn't mentioned it so she assumed I hadn't read it yet, so if the blog is being used in a nice, practical way like that it's only reight that I use it properly! So I will try and update it a bit just now, then have a new year's resolution to try and keep it in better order this year!!