thecatsouthebag: book blogger

Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel (Book #22)

11:11:00

Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (Book #21)

09:19:00

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”

This book was kindly given to me by Headline publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I'm in a bit of a limbo at the moment in terms of reading. Sometimes exploring new corners of the world every day via non-fiction leaves me tired and restless, so I love to reach for a cosy YA from time to time. They put me at ease whilst reminding me of my hectic A Level days and downright obsession with John Green's novels. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick was offered to me by Netgalley at just the right time; my holiday was over, I needed something to occupy my nights again. For just under 24 hours, I became immersed into the world of Nanette O Hare.

Matthew Quick's writing style is fresh and conversational, it truly felt like I was reading a long letter from a well-loved friend. A well-loved friend who was struggling with their identity. At the end of her high school career, Nanette O Hare feels suffocated by her success. She's a renowned football player, with colleges fighting over the right to give her a full college scholarship. She's a good student. She's a high achiever. But Nanette no longer wants to be one of those things. She wants to be herself. After reading The Bubblegum Reaper, Nanette decides to change her identity. She doesn't fit in. Every Exquisite Thing follows her downward spiral, her mistakes, triumphs and lessons learnt about the adult world she is about to enter.

Quick's writing forte seems to be removing the stigmas surrounding mental illness but also shedding light on the realities. Nanette is flawed, flawed beyond belief. She's short-sighted in her thinking, insecure, naive, all too trusting whilst not trusting enough, obsessed with fantasy etc etc. Every Exquisite Thing would have no purpose without these flaws. Who wants to read about a girl whose got her life together and has no obstacles in her way?

Death, loss, separation, disappointment and love all bear down heavily on Nanette and co. Yet there's glimmers of hope throughout Every Exquisite Thing that echo real life. Yes the ending of a story may not be exactly what you expected, but sometimes a hint of the unexpected is whats needed to change your identity and in turn your life.

50 book challenge

Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by Jack Thorne and J.K. Rowling (Book #20)

12:04:00

“In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.”

Much like every other person born in the 90s, I was bouncing off the walls on July 31st. Why? The eighth installment of the Harry Potter franchise hit bookshelves, coinciding with it's official opening night in the West End. Boy oh boy, was I excited. Resigned to the fact that I would have to sell an organ in order to buy a ticket to see the Cursed Child live, £10 on a hardback copy of the script was the next best thing. If you haven't already guessed, The Cursed Child was (in my eyes) the perfect end to the Harry Potter series, an end that was full of surprises. Surprises I promise not to spoil during this review!

I suppose we should first acknowledge the elephant in the room, JK Rowling did not write the script, she simply provided the original story which Jack Thorne magicked into a play. Some readers have argued that the play is therefore not truly Harry Potter at all, but simply inspired by the series. That's simply not the case in my eyes. An original story written by Rowling herself is good enough for me, especially as parts of the play contains dialogue directly lifted from previous books and films. There is certainly a clear continuation of story-line and in some respects writing style.

I'm not going to detail the story to you, as I'm very aware that there are some of you waiting to read the book/see the play for yourselves on stage. However, I can tell you now that it involves Harry and Draco's children, Cedric Diggory and Hogwarts. Vague enough for you? There are some huge surprises at every turn, but I was most impressed with the character development. Harry, Ron, Hermionie, Ginny and Draco all appear as adults - they have children, responsibilities, fears. They're simultaneously exactly as we left them after the Battle of Hogwarts, and completely different.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ticked all the boxes for me. The story made sense, the characters were exactly as I imagined they would be 19 years on, and the constant throwbacks to pre- Battle of Hogwarts events were the icing on the cake. If you've travelled beside Harry and friends for all these years, it would be a shame for you not to pick this up and complete your journey.

Beth x

book blogger

Has proofreading been cast aside in pursuit of quick book sales?

12:32:00

Proofreading is an essential part of the book publishing process, a step which can make or break the reputation of both the author and the publishing company they are attached to. If they get it right, awards can be won and further contracts can be signed. Get it wrong, sales can plummet and an authors reputation can suffer. But with the rise of books written by high profile online stars and YouTube success stories, some argue that the correlation between quality and sales seems to have disappeared. This has led me to ask the question, has proofreading been cast aside in pursuit of quick book sales?

A couple of years ago, I would have been the prime market for books written by online stars. To an extent now, I still am. Yes, I'm more choosy about what I buy and at what price, but if I see something I genuinely want to read, I will buy it. Tyler Oakley's autobiography Binge was honestly one of the best non-fiction books I read in 2015. Me being selective about these books has to do with one thing and one thing only. The quality of the book.

The past month has seen the publication of some long anticipated YouTube titles, most notably Tanya Burr's cookery book Tanya Bakes, and Carrie Hope Fletcher's debut novel On The Other Side. Both online content creators have a huge following, most of whom keenly anticipate the release of their publications, so its not surprising that both books have sold a huge amount of copies. However, in some cases fans have left melancholy reviews that all point towards the same issue: they wish the publishers had spent more time editing and proof-reading the authors work.

Amazon reviews of Tanya Bakes - readers seem frustrated at the omission of crucial information in recipes

Shortly after it's publication, fans (like those above) noticed that vital ingredient information was missing from Tanya Bakes and called for Penguin books to right the situation. Tanya Burr also echoed this, tweeting out apologies and amendments to those who asked her for recipe advice. Penguin Books responded with an apology, access to correct online recipes for those who needed them, and a promise to replace fan's copies with correct editions if they wanted them. You can see the full apology here. Reviews (that can be found on on Amazon) for Carrie Hope Fletcher's novel On The Other Side also received similar comments from fans, who argued that closer editing and further proofreading from the publisher would have made for a much easier read. I thoroughly agree with these comments; the novel overall is an enjoyable and original read, but could benefit from a little more editing. I particularly found there to be some awkward wording and sentences as long as a five line paragraph, which could have easily been altered to the story's advantage.

With this evidence in front of me, I can't help but wonder if proofreading has been cast aside by some publishers in exchange for a quick publishing date that would ultimately lead to a boost in sales. Perhaps, like one reviewer of Tanya Bakes says, publishing companies are more focused on getting YouTube books out there before a YouTuber's popularity wavers. Closer proofreading and editing is therefore sometimes overlooked for the sake of sales.

I asked Kelly Bishop, proud owner of book blog Bright Book and Creative Writing undergraduate, for her take on this issue:

"I think that whilst it's the job of the editor to scan books for errors, 'quick' publishing really prevents them from doing this well and in an attempt to get books out quick, mistakes are often missed. I think this happens with all books sometimes, but I've noticed, in a few books that I've picked up from the [YouTube] genre and skimmed through, a fair few mistakes that make me almost unwilling to buy it."

Whilst publishing errors can be disappointing for readers, they will no doubt have a negative affect upon authors. They are, after all, being given the opportunity to achieve their dreams and create something to be proud of. If the publishing is not quite up to scratch, is it truly the authors fault? With more exciting YouTube publications by Zoe Sugg, Joe Sugg, and Hannah Hart (to name but a few) soon to be released, I hope that recent issues have placed proofreading firmly on top of a publisher's agenda once more. Readers and authors alike will surely be left disappointed if this isn't the case.

50 book challenge

In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (Book 19)

09:10:00

“Why does this person, who doesn’t even speak our language, care so much about us that he is willing to risk his life for us? It moved us both to tears. I said a silent prayer of thanks as we became a part of the night.”

I thought I knew a great deal about North Korea and it's appalling human rights record. I'd read all about the famines, executions, escape attempts and propaganda. But I'd never actually read a survivor's story. I think that's why In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park touched a nerve with me, and completely changed how I see the worldwide problem that is North Korea.

Yeonmi no longer lives in North Korea, as she managed to travel to South Korea. I feel like this is a gross understatement though - by travel, I mean struggle through Chinese human trafficking until she had enough money to pay to crawl across the Goji desert into Mongolia. That's not even half her story, but you're going to need to read her book if you want the whole picture.

With every page I became engrossed in North Korean culture; I truly started to understand why so many North Korean's choose to defect, and why others choose to stay. Famine, constant surveillance, executions and poor prospects may force people out, but patriotic propaganda, lack of knowledge, sincere belief in the communist regime, and fear all play a part in why people stay put. I had to constantly keep reminding myself that what I was reading was reality, not a piece of intense, dystopian fiction. This is probably Park's greatest asset as a writer and young advocate for human rights; having trouble assigning reality to such a brutal experience soon gave way to a feeling of utter disgust and an urge to do something myself.

Yeonmi Park now spends her time campaigning for a greater awareness for human rights in North Korea - something that she hopes In Order To Live will help her do. Even after contending with every horror imaginable, she also volunteers with think-tanks and charities, in the hope that she can repay the world for the kindness that strangers showed her when she was in need. Park is an eloquent, knowledgable woman, wise beyond her years, who is not afraid to risk her life and speak out about the oppression that she suffered and thousands of others still suffer in North Korea today.

Beth x

(Thank you Penguin Random House via Netgalley for providing me with a copy of In Order to Live in exchange for an honest review.)

50 book challenge

Holiday Essentials: Reading List

01:11:00

50 book challenge

After You by Jojo Moyes (Book #18)

09:04:00

“You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. It always does feel strange to be knocked out of your comfort zone . . . There is a hunger in you, Clark. A fearlessness. You just buried it, like most people do. Just live well. Just live.”

Having read and reviewed Me Before You here, I couldn't resist picking up it's sequel After You, which seeks to fill the reader in on Louisa Clarke's life after Will Turner's exit. A life that is quite honestly a mess. Two years on, she lives in a dingy flat, holds down a degrading job and has no life outside her grief. Until someone knocks on her door in the middle of the night, and sets of a chain of events that will eventually put her life right back on track.

If your looking for an original piece of literature that sparks conversation and national debate, this certainly isn't for you. But if, like me, you've read Me Before You and/or want an easy, satisfying read, After You is right up your street. I really enjoyed following the Louisa's story, and adored the way in which Moyes chose to focus on peripheral characters and their story lines too.

Like every other rom-com book that's ever been released, the ending is of course light and fluffy. But I would have been so disappointed if that wasn't the case. Readers cry out for a sequel because they want a satisfying end to a heroine's tale, not more misery and desperation!

I have yet to see Me Before You in it's cinematographic form, despite having heard rave reviews from family, friends and bloggers alike. I have a sneaking suspicion that this sequel will also be made into a film, as the story is deep and has the potential to be developed into a meaningful screenplay.

Pick After You up if you have even the slightest bit of interest in Louisa's life after Will's death. Pick it up even if you have only seen the film. Pick it up and take it away on holiday with you. Sometimes a sequel is needed for a story to feel complete, and Moyes was certainly right to tell the second installment of Louisa's story.

Beth x

50 book challenge

Show Me A Mountain by Kerry Young (Book #17)

09:08:00

"So it was done. Signed and sealed. The end of one life, the beginning of another. With a good deal of sadness for so much of my life that had been wasted and misguided."

Show Me A Mountain by Kerry Young follows the life of Fay Wong, the daughter to a rich Chinese immigrant and a mother of proud African heritage. Growing up and living her life in 20th century Jamaica, Fay has to come to terms with the world she lives in, a world fueled by business, racial tension and a real threat of communism. As she grows older, she becomes wrapped up in all three worlds, to the point where she has to make a life-changing decision, one that could save herself and her family from considerable danger.

I must admit, I picked this book up on a bit of a whim. I have no knowledge whatsoever of Jamaica and it's history, so I half expected myself to get bored and/or confused whilst reading. But that was definitely not the case. Young's writing is engaging, faced paced and reader-friendly; not once did I have to re-read a passage or give Jamaica a google. It didn't take long before I was sucked into Fay's world - I read the whole book in 2 days (quite impressive for me!)

Show Me A Mountain deserves great praise for its characters. Not one is perfect, every character has significant flaws, just like the people you and I meet every day. These flaws get in the way of their lives, jeopardise them in some respects, and lead to interesting outcomes. I would like to go into these flaws in more detail, but I really don't want to give any surprises away!

I would imagine Show Me A Mountain will be classified as a work of historical fiction, as it is set in 20th century Jamaica and deals with communism (amongst other themes.) But I would also categorise it as literary fiction, one which deserves to be read by the masses - its on par with To Kill a Mockingbird.

I urge you to put this on your holiday reading list this summer - you will come out the other side craving more internationally-set fiction.

(I was kindly given an advanced copy of Show Me A Mountain by Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley.)

Beth x

50 book challenge

The Ladybird Book Of Mindfulness (Book #16)

09:23:00

50 book challenge

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (Book #15)

12:39:00

“Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.”

I was craving familiar text this week, so I dived back into the world of Jean-Louise Finch and re-read Harper Lee's Go Set A Watchman. It was exactly the read I needed. Having always been fixated on To Kill A Mockingbird, I grabbed this sequel virtually on the day of release and devoured it in one afternoon. The second time around it took me a matter of hours.

Go Set A Watchman follows Jean-Louise Finch and her visit back to Maycomb, Alabama, and watches her get wrapped up in a race row, whilst sparing with her father Atticus. To avoid giving anymore of the plot away, I'll insert the Random House hardback 'blurb' here:

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout’ – returns home from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be guided only by one’s own conscience.

The main message of this novel is so simple yet so evocative: everyone must set their own moral compass and answer to their own conscious. Flawed characters, shocking events, and the humdrum of Southern life really hammer this message home.

Whenever I need to be set back upon the right course, I simply read the last chapter. It reminds me of my responsibility to myself, the community and the wider world. After reading Go Set A Watchman, I felt so grateful that Harper Lee had allowed the world to read Scout's next chapter. Soon after, Harper Lee died. Maycomb was left behind for good, but never forgotten.

Beth x

50 book challenge

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams (Book #14)

10:28:00

50 book challenge

Always With Love by Giovanna Fletcher (Book #13)

09:49:00

"Sophie, I know you're all modern these days with your phone, laptop and the fact you're even on blooming Twitter AND Instagram, but I thought we could take things old school and act like we're in one of those old books you're permanently reading. It'll give our grandchildren something to be amazed by when we're long gone. No doubt they'll stumble upon a dusty and weathered box in the attic and open it with delight as they realise how much love we once shared...or how bad my spelling, grammar and punctuation were."

The highly anticipated sequel to Billy and Me, Always With Love was a treat to read. As the girlfriend of Billy Buskin, a global movie star, village girl Sophie May finds herself splitting her time between her little cafe in Kent and her boyfriends house in LA. When Billy extends his stay in LA to star in a film, the couple rely on letters and the occasional call to keep them together. But with paparazzi rumours, Sophie's ever expanding tea shop and her mother's imminent wedding, can Sophie and Billy keep their transatlantic relationship on course?

I tend to stay away from predictable rom-com books, and although Always With Love is essentially a rom-com, its far from predictable. Whilst following the unfolding love story between Sophie and Billy, Fletcher delves deep into what life is like in the limelight with regards to paparazzi and constant media attention, whilst also questioning human attachment to places, people and material things. Why are we so attached to four walls? Is it right that we feel guilty making positive life changes after the loss of a loved one? Should we always follow our dreams, regardless of who we may leave behind?

Sophie May is also a loveable character. She runs a tea shop that caters for the older ladies of the small village of Rosebud, and prefers a good Indian takeaway over a wild night out. She reminds me a lot of myself, and I'm sure other people feel this too. But she also has flaws - she jumps to conclusions, drags a lot of her past worries and guilt around with her, and relies upon herself for everything. I honestly think this is why Giovanna Fletcher has seen so much success from this novel; her characters aren't transparent, self-righteous martyrs, but real people with real problems and tricky decisions to make.

At only £5.59 (and going down) on Amazon, I pre-ordered this way back in January, praying that this sequel would be as good as its predecessor. I needn't have worried in the slightest. Relatable yet still pure escapism, you'd be a fool not to give Always With Love a chance.

Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel (Book #22)

Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (Book #21)

Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by Jack Thorne and J.K. Rowling (Book #20)

Has proofreading been cast aside in pursuit of quick book sales?

In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (Book 19)

Holiday Essentials: Reading List

After You by Jojo Moyes (Book #18)

Show Me A Mountain by Kerry Young (Book #17)

The Ladybird Book Of Mindfulness (Book #16)

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (Book #15)

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams (Book #14)

Always With Love by Giovanna Fletcher (Book #13)

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