The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

06:59 Unknown 0 Comments

No - Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men. 



The Great Gatsby is my first classical read. I’ve put it down as a classical novel on my list as it’s one that’s studied for Literature courses all over the UK. I wasn’t in a class that read Gatsby and was always rather jealous as I had heard great things about the novel itself. So when I came to write my list, I knew that Gatsby had to be read. 

On starting reading I knew that Fitzgerald’s language was something I could get along with. It’s very fluid and easy to read; most of the events are easy to follow, at least until the end where I struggled a little. It’s quite ‘flowery’ language; everything described so that it is possible to be drawn into 1920s Long Island and experience everything with Caraway. 

I feel like however the only real character development comes through Caraway. This is possibly just because of the first person narration through the novel, but then again it can be seen as a social criticism that people put on a front when they become wealthy. Social critiques are shown all the way through this novel from the character dialogue at Gatsby’s parties to the fact that Daisy, not only has the success that people desire in the typical american dream, but also this unmistakeable beauty. It is shown throughout that Gatsby believes he can buy not only success, but the love of this one beautiful woman. 

I also feel that this book really does show the strains of relationships very well, and how they develop over time. From that of Jordan and Caraway, the sweet turning sour relationship, to Daisy and Tom Buchanan, the “I’ve never loved you I’ve always loved another” relationship, to Daisy and Gatsby. I don’t feel that Daisy and Gatsby would ever have been a suitable couple at any point, due to Gatsby’s almost stalker-ish tendencies; I mean, not to say that buying a house over the bay from your 20’s sweetheart isn’t romantic but… it can be seen as kind of weird to hide in the bushes of her home, or to formulate a plan so you can see her by inviting yourself to tea with a mutual friend. I think most of the relationships shown by Fitzgerald are volatile and quite toxic in places, mostly because of this constant urge to have financial security vs love. 

However Gatsby is quite an easy read, fairly quick as well. I suppose that in the future I will pick this book up again and re read it and all of the explanations will make sense and I’ll take more away from than i have at the present moment. I don’t know if I’d call it the great american novel, not that I have read a lot of American literature, but I would say that Fitzgerald appears to have captured a summer in an affluent, maybe even immoral, area of American history. 

Total pages - 180
Total read time - 3 hours 
Rating /10 - 6
Recommend - Maybe, old sport, unless you’d prefer to watch the film 

For more information and in depth discussion on The Great Gatsby, I'd recommend Crash Course; Literature with John Green 

The Great Gatsby Part 1
The Great Gatsby Part 2

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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin

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Precarious stacks of Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) and galleys line the hallway, and Amelia feels the unusual flash of despair. The tote bag that is embossing her shoulder has several additions for A.J’s piles and a catalogue filled with other books for her to pitch. She never lies about the books on her list. She never says she loves a book if she doesn’t. She can usually find something positive to say about a book or, failing that, the cover or, failing that, the author or, failing that the author’s website. And that’s why they pay me the big bucks, Amelia occasionally jokes to herself. She makes $37,000 per year, plus the possibility of bonuses, though no one who does her job has made a bonus for a very long time. (Page 10)



This is a book or people who love books and love reading. Set in a bookshop on Alice Island, Island Books is run by A.J. Fikry; a grumpy, lonely, nearing middle aged man. One day he goes down to close the shop up for the evening and finds a two year old girl called Maya sat on the floor of the children’s section with a note attached to a stuffed toy asking him to look after her. 

It is such a beautifully written book that Zevin had produced here. Not only is it funny in places but it speaks to people of all ages, and it has this universal message about love and happiness. All of the characters take a long time to come around to the idea of happiness above all else but when they decide that this is the best path to take the world seems to become a brighter place. But of course there are sad twists as always in novels, twists that aren’t expected and caused some tears on my part. However this novel has heart. I think it speaks to me as a reader because it’s a focus on relationships and different kinds of them. There’s not only paternal relationships between father and daughter, but the showing of a lack of maternal role model, a one sided relationship where the love is unequal, love in later life, and that “We are what we love. We are that we love."

The characters are simply a joy to get to know as well. We get a glimpse into all of the characters at some point or another, including not only A.J the bookshop owner and Amelia the sales rep, but the chief of police Lambaise and A.J’s sister in law Ismay, her husband Daniel etc. All of these characters add to this story, either in humour or tension and I personally love the “Chief’s Choice Book Club” development throughout and the relationship this leads to. 

In addition to this each chapter offers up a reading suggestion and a little review from A.J himself, intended for his daughter to read. It offers a nice selection of short stories, novels and poems, which I’m sure would be good fun to read through at some point, because surely Zevin wouldn’t include books she didn’t enjoy herself?

Overall I think this is the perfect book for a sunny afternoon or a cosy morning. It’s fun, light and easy to read, funny throughout with touches of sadness. Definitely a quick read you’ll wish you hadn’t sped through. 

Total pages - 260
Total read time - 3 hours
Rating /10 - 7
Recommend - Yes

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The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton

05:08 Unknown 0 Comments

On the step of her new husband’s house, Nella Oortman lifts and drops the dolphin knocker, embarrassed by the thud. No one comes, though she is expected. The time was prearranged and letters written, her mother’s paper so thin compared with Brandt’s expensive vellum. No, she things, this is not the best of greetings, given the blink of a marriage ceremony the month before - no garlands, no betrothal cup, no wedding bed. Nella placed her small trunk and birdcage on the step. She knows she’ll have to embellish this later for home when she’s found a way upstairs, a room, a desk. 
     Nella turns to the canal as bargemen’s laughter rises up the opposite brickwork. A puny lad has skittles into a woman and her basket  of fish, and a half-dead herring slithers down the wide front of the seller’s skirt. The harsh cry of her country voice runs under Nella’s skin ‘Idiot! Idiot!’ the woman yells. The boy is blind, and he grabs in the first for the escaped herring as if it’s a silver charm, his fingers quick, not afraid to feel around. He scoops it, cackling, running up the path with his catch, his free arm out and ready. (Page 7)

Can we just discuss how beautiful this cover is?

I had seen rave reviews of this book before, being The Sunday Times number one best seller and all that jazz, so I thought it was about time I picked it up and had a read. I am not the world’s biggest lover of historical fictions and this made me a little sceptical as to whether I could appreciate what was being written about, or whether I would find myself enjoying this book at all. However in terms of appreciating a novel set in 17th century Amsterdam the amount of information given by Burton is outstanding, from a glossary of common words, salary comparisons and sample expenditure list of a wealthy Amsterdammer in the back, to frequent bible citations throughout, and a photograph of a cabinet like Nella’s in the front of the novel. Once I’d discovered these I felt more than caught up enough to be able to start reading. 

From first glance this book may seem simply about a young girl, Nella, becoming the wife of a wealthy merchant sailer. However things all change when she is presented with a cabinet replica of the home she is now living in. Her husband, Johannes, calls it a 'distraction' but in fact it acts as a really beautiful metaphor throughout for the idea that things can change and there are always secrets behind drawn curtains. Slowly throughout the novel Nella receives small parcels from a miniaturist to fill her cabinet. These are anything from small blocks of marzipan to unasked for gifts such as a cradle and replicas of each person in her home. 

The arrival of all of these unasked for gifts gives Burton’s novel a really eerie feel. I felt as I was reading it that I had no real control over the events that were taking place. I had to completely surrender, much like Nella, to the whims of this miniaturist sending these gifts, which when pieced together lead to discovering the secrets that the Brandt family holds. But whilst being eerie it’s also beautifully written. The dialogue reflects the characters beautifully; Marin’s cold and pious exterior, Meerman’s sense of exaggeration, Nella’s growing knowledge etc. 

For the first part of the novel I wanted things to speed up a little quicker. It is very much about learning who people are and what they’re doing, finding out as much as you can about the current state of affairs before the pace really begins to pick up at the end of the first ‘act’ (I’ve chosen to call them acts as there are individual chapters but they are split over 5 or so larger chapters or acts in which more and more is revealed and Nella becomes more and more independent). From the second act it all speeds up incredibly quickly. I spent a lot of time thinking that I finally understood a character or a situation before everything changes again. In fact, had I been looking thoroughly all the way through I may have been able to see some of these situations arising, and maybe that is cause for a second read. 

Overall the characters are beautifully written, with a mixture of people you love and people you come to find revolting in the way that they betray friends and act as if they are a king among paupers. Despite not loving the genre I found myself really enjoying this read, despite the tear jerking ending which I should have expected. 

Total pages - 416
Total read time - untimed 
Rating /10 - 7.5

Recommend - Yes

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How to Get Out of a Reading Hole

00:30 Unknown 0 Comments

I'd not really come across a reading hangover until I started to try and read all of these books in such a short space of time and this week has been the worst for me. So I've decided that I'm stuck in a reading hole... And I need to get out of it. 

 Put the Book Down

 There is no point in trying to keep reading when all you want to do is a) sleep, b) tidy your room c) check youtube/twitter/instagram. Sometimes it's best to just take a break and come back to what you've got to read. Definitely recommended practise before starting a new book.  If you aren't going to be starting a new book, but are in your reading hole mid way, write a short summary of what's happened so you don't forget. 

 Go For a Walk

 Sometimes going for a short walk can really help to clear your mind. Especially if it's just boredom you're struggling with. I find just a walk around the block can really help to free your mind of any anxiety or stress, which in turn gives you some space in your brain to contemplate complex sentence structures, much like those used in Hardy's work, or just to deal with the twists and turns of certain stories. This time can also be used for your social media, especially with smart phones, and you can check up on everything before you get home and curl up with your book. 

If a walk doesn't help...

 Do Some Other Exercise

 Exercise is really good for taking things off your mind. So if a short walk doesn't do anything for you maybe it's time to find something new. Yoga is amazing for your body but also for your soul (cliche I know...) I'm also a huge fan of swimming as a sport. Not just going along and treading water with some friends but proper length swimming. Both of these encourage you to focus on your breathing which stops you from worrying too much about other things too much.

Have a Shower/Bath

 Showers and baths are my favourite things to do when I'm struggling to get through a book. Quick and easy hop in the shower, or take some time to yourself to really make the most of a bath. I like to sit with my Netflix on and catch up on some tv that I might be watching at the time or I just lay there with a nice Lush Bubble Bar in the water. It's just a really nice way to calm you down and clear your brain of anything that might be worrying you. 

Make Tea and Have Biscuits

 I hate reading on an empty stomach. It's just another distraction. And besides, tea is calming and biscuits are yummy. My favourite at the moment is english breakfast tea with rich teas. It's a nice little treat to get you all cosy and ready to read. If not tea and biscuits I fully endorse ice water and lemon with a banana or assorted fruits. 

 So there are some of my tips and tricks for getting yourself out of a reading hole to get you, and me, back into reading again. If there are any other tips and tricks there are that you've found help, feel free to leave them below. I feel like these tips are easily used for revision purposes as well, for those of you reading this when you should be revising. 

 Keep Reading, 
Kelly

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