Unhaul Number ONE

I never get rid of books. You might have noticed that if you saw my one bookcase. (There are still more.) But having put up my amazing and awesome bookcase (I swear I am never moving), I have books that I do not want on display. Some I have stashed in sealed plastic boxes under my bed (in case I ever have kids one day). Others I just can't see myself ever wanting to read again. This has lead to my first ever proper book unhaul. (Occasionally I have been known to give books I really don't like to second hand bookshops.) I have bought all of these books in the quest to find books for reluctant readers to try and get them into reading. It is something I have been working on for years and I have a huge list of books that kids might enjoy.

The first things to go were my Robert Muchamores. I bought these to read when I was trying to find books specifically to encourage reluctant teen boys to read. I read them and will never reread them.  They are great for kids, especially in their early to mid teens, but for me, well, I could be a teen's parent. I can't say that I am all that interested. I would rather fill that shelf space with books I love, and not just books I have read, So these go!

Then I decided to get rid of the Bear Grylls books. These would be better suited to weaker readers. The stories are fast and action packed, but the language is not complicated. They might also come in handy if that zombie apocalypse arrives!

Next on the list was Daniel X by James Patterson and Payback by Andy McNab. What can I say? I don't like James Patterson, and I have far too much oestrogen to enjoy Andy McNab.

Then there are also duplicates of things like Sherlock Holmes - books that I had bought in second hand bookshops and were really scruffy but within my budget in those days. I have since acquired complete works of both the short stories and novels and no longer need these eye-sores on my shelves. There are also loads of old books that people have given me because they hear I like reading: books without covers, books with dodgy titles... yeah... books I will never read. I am not even going to bother about finding pictures of them. Suffice to say that a few have naked women on the covers (with well-placed shadows.) I think they are actually crime novels, but, meh. Not interested in those covers at all!

And then, I am giving ALL my Cassandra Clare books to a parent at school. She has had such a run of bad luck, and her daughter's birthday is coming up. I said I would give her my CCs for her to give to her daughter (she has been wanting to read them). My books do not even look like they have been opened, let alone read, so she won't know that they aren't new. And then I won't look at them on my shelves and cringe about how much money I wasted on them. They will be going to a good home, with the right demographic and will be loved. So, toodles to:

 I am also wanting to get rid of the Starcrossed books by Josephine Angelini. I actually didn't buy these for YA reads for school, but because I had heard a podcast on Geekson with the author and it sounded like it would be far more advanced than it was. In the end I finished buying the series because I was curious to know how it ended, nothing more. The writing actually bugged me with this series - which is rare, as I tend to get so wrapped up in what I am reading that I usually never notice it beyond the first page.

 And then, to finish off, I am getting rid of books 2 and 3 from The Lorien Legacies series. I might keep book 1, I am Number Four, for now, as it did spark off an idea for a novel I could write during nano. But, as with the other books mentioned here, I will never reread them. I also found the writing a bit annoying in this. I might still change my mind about book 2, just because it is absolutely gorgeous and I have it in hard cover. But, to be honest, I will never read it again.

So, this is less an unhauling and more a purge of YA. I will read YA electronically from now on, and save buying hard copies of books I love and want to keep. Although I will continue my project to find books to make kids love reading, I also want my reading to be for my benefit and not purely for school.

Bookcase Progress part 2

WHEE! I have a bookcase! It is almost finished, but as it is now, I can put books on it!

So... what did we do? Well, I didn't read anywhere near as much as I was hoping over my holiday. In fact, I read less than I usually do while working! But, you don't want to hear that. Let me get on with the bookcase!

 After we managed to get the perfectly square base set against a particularly non-square or straight wall (that took effort, folks. Imagine trying to put a square in a circle.) we then started putting the actually bookcase part together. We assembled it sideways, working from the corner to the doorway. It took us an entire day to do two sections because, with the risk of repeating myself, the lack of straight lines just made everything so darned difficult. Both my mom and I wanted it to look perfect, and that meant that we didn't want gaps behind the bookcase. The other delay was that it was ever so slightly a bit heavy.

As you can see on the left, we would screw the shelves into the upright and then raise it. Next, we would screw the shelves into the next upright and raise it too. One of us would hold the thing up, while the other would screw like crazy.

I am now an expert at screwing. (Oi! You have a dirty mind!) Pine is not the softest of woods out there and screws don't just land in the right place. We drilled holes in the uprights for the screws, but they went into the shelves without. I was convinced at one point that I would be returning to work with one arm looking like The Hulk's, and the other as normal as ever.

The second day of assembly went so much better. By then, the only thing we were concerned about was that all the tweaking we had had to do would have moved the top piece beyond the edge of the base. Thank Merlin that was not the case. This project started to resemble Mark Watney's time on Mars...

 In case you are wondering how we got the shelves level, you will note that only every other shelf is screwed in. The others rest on clear plastic shelf pegs. I did not want my shelves uneven and the method we had thought of to get it that way without pegs would have required Gummyberry juice, radio active toxic waste dips and a stretch on a non-deserted island filled with danger. In other words, strength to the point where one might wonder if magic was involved. So we didn't do that in the end - obviously.

The first night, I emptied all my bookcases and planted books. I started off trying out the rainbow effect, because I have always thought it looked pretty although I knew it would drive me nuts as far as organisation goes. That lasted until I was too tired, and then they were just put there. This was to clear my other, older bookcases. I then broke those down and, between my mom and I, we stripped off the old paint and redid them. I can't say that they are now in the most logical place in my room, but at least I can now get to all my books (and sleep without the security light on my neighbour's house shining directly in my window at night).

You are probably wondering why I am saying that the bookcase is almost finished. Well, the top pieces that go up against the ceiling must still go in, and the part that goes above the door must still be done. We didn't want to cut the wood until we knew for certain exactly the size we would need (I refer you back to the issues with putting squares in circles and my walls not being straight. They look like brackets actually.) I will probably save that for a long weekend (one is coming up next month) or the next holiday.

Now I need to sort out my books and revert back to my more comfortable alphabetical arrangement.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

I was curious. I also enjoy Jen Campbell's booktube channel and wanted to support her, so I bought one of her books!

This was hilarious! I read it out loud to my mom, and she and I both sat around laughing and the dumb things people can say. Of course, reading it in one sitting was not probably the best way to get the most out the book, as I found that, after a few pages, I would find some things less funny than others. If I had taken my time and dragged it out, I probably would have laughed harder and more often.

I would recommend this book to people who need to tighten their tummy muscles. (I found one particular entry so funny, my stomach hurt from laughing.) I also think booksellers would enjoy this - and book lovers.

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads because, for a quick humorous read, it did everything it was supposed to.

This is the 45th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

I am grinning from ear to ear. Can you tell?

Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy gave me hours of enjoyment for the past two weeks.

Now, how am I to review a trilogy? I suppose I talk about book 1 (a bit) and then leave the rest up to you. OK, so book 1, The Final Empire...

The Final Empire is ruled by a tyrant. The skaa are forced to work as slaves, receiving only meal tokens in payment for their services while the nobility attend balls and enjoy the riches of a better life. This is enforced by obligators and inquisitors. Surviving is difficult. Mists shroud the land at night, terrifying the skaa into remaining indoors, and ash falls from the sky, covering the world (and plants) making everthing dirty and food hard to grow.  Vin is a teenager who has grown up as a thief on the streets. Life is horrid for her, until the day she meets Kelsier, a mistborn, who shows her that she also has the rare power. Of course, Kelsier is also planning a rebellion...

Mistborn was marketed for a YA audience so it is really quite an easy read. It does not mean that the plot is simple or that there are aspects of adult fantasy that are missing. It has a complex and magnificent magic system which makes so much sense. It is simple to understand, but I admire Sanderson for thinking of it. I have never encountered a system like it before. The world is also well done. Even the religions are detailed and interesting. In the later books, even the politics is advanced. I liked how Sanderson didn't have the characters have all the answers, and make mistakes.

Characters grow and develop during these books. In the beginning of book one, Vin is a quiet girl who aims to not be seen. That is not her at the end of that book, and the character she becomes by the final book is a gazillion miles away from that timid mouse she was initially. Her change is gradual and logical. Oh, and can I just state here how awesome it is, again, to have a female character who can kick butt. I liked how Sanderson did not remove her femininity even though she was the fighter.
I also enjoyed that all the characters had their own distinctive voices. Oh, and even the main characters had flaws in their logic and prejudices. That was pleasant, as I thought it was far more realistic and gave them more depth. It also allowed for me to be able to make my own opinions and not rely on the characters too much. That is also rather rare in books.

I would recommend this series particularly to readers who are wanting to get into fantasy. I think readers who are used to Tolkien and other adult fantasy writers might find some aspect of this series a bit young, but even then, as this is an enjoyable read, it is still very possible they would enjoy it too. Folks with severe ADHD might suffer a bit through books 2 and 3 where the politics is being dealt with, as there is little action.

These are the 42nd to 44th books I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.
I gave The Final Empire (#1) and The Hero of Ages (#3) 5 stars and The Well of Ascension (#2) 4 stars on Goodreads. If I had to rate the series as a whole, I would probably give it 5 stars. It was really well-constructed and definitely not tossed together like a green salad. Sanderson put a lot of thought into this!

The Harry Potter Tag

Many folks on Booktube have done this and I have loved listening to all their answers.Here is my input!

This is in honour of the fact that yesterday, 8 years ago (wow, it has been that long!!!) I was standing in a queue in London in Charing Cross Road, waiting to buy my copy of Deathly Hallows!

WARNING: If you have not read (or watched - but come now, read them!) the series, back away from this page right now. There will be SPOILERS! (Obviously!)

Favourite book
That would probably be Goblet of Fire. The Triwizard Tournament, the dragons, the hilarity of Harry finding a date... But most of all, my favourite chapter was Flesh, Blood and Bone. I know it is dark, but it was beautifully chilling. It was also the point where I knew for sure that this was going to be serious. Sometimes, I have encountered books where I have felt that the bad guy was really not worth the hassle. Voldemort was not such a villain. He earned my respect, and my fear for Harry multiplied off the charts. I also got completely obsessed with this one during the, (What was it, 3 year?), wait for Order of the Phoenix.

Favourite movie
This is a tough one to answer! I loved the charm and magical setting created in the first two. I loved how Alfonso Cuaron captured the fear of the dementors and added the darkness to the series. I did have a few issues with some changes to the book though - and the omissions. I loved what Mike Newell did to Hogwarts and the kids (they were far more like real teenagers). And dang! Those dragons looked real! David Yates did a fantastic job too. I liked how he did all of Umbridge's rule changes (Imelda Staunton did a magnificent job of bring my most hated character to life)  and the Daily Prophet. He also gave me goosebumps with the cave in Half Blood Prince. And who can forget the fall of Hogwarts? I actually teared up there. It was like watching everything finally come to an end, literally and figuratively and friggin metaphorically too. I can't choose! Possibly Deathly Hallows part 2. Or Goblet of Fire, because it was fun and had an awesome soundtrack! I really liked them all, although I feel that Azkaban doesn't quite match the others. It is a bit more artistic.

Least favourite book
Another tough one. Can I chicken out and claim Deathly Hallows for the ugliest cover of the lot? More seriously, I would say maybe Deathly Hallows, or at least the camping and hiking part. I had no objection to it during my first read, but I really struggle to get through that part when rereading it. It seems that not a lot happened. But, saying that, it is still way up there on the list of books I have read that I love. (Maybe it also has something to do with it also ending the series.)

Parts of the books/movies that made you cry
If I hadn't been in company while reading Deathly Hallows, I probably would have cried over Dobby and Hedwig. My heart did break when Mrs Weasley hugged Harry after Cedric had been killed in GoF and we realise that he had never (as far as he could remember at least) been held like that, a motherly, loving hug.

As to the movies, I already confessed to getting very teary eyed over Hogwarts 'falling' in Deathly Hallows. The caption, 'It all ends here' is exactly how I felt watching that. No more books, no more movies. It was the end  in so many ways and that realisation hit with the force of an Avada Kedavra spell during that scene.

If you could hook up with any HP character who would it be?
Well, it would be fun to hook up with George Weasley. Some of my favourite characters, though, were Hermione, Ginny, Dobby and Tonks, but as Tonks and Dobby are no more (thanks Jo!), I guess I would settle for having a nice chat with one of the other girls. In fact, let's go with Ginny. It must have been quite the experience growing up with six brothers. While it would be fun to hear about all the Weasley boys, I think she would make an interesting character to get to know in her own right. To be honest though, the character that I would really want to hook up would be Harry. Which leads me to the next question...

Favourite character
Harry. He had guts. I loved that after Sirius died in Order of the Phoenix, he gathered himself together and then chose to go on. He didn't wait for destiny to find him. He accepted it. Which is a lot better than hiding under the bed and hoping Voldemort won't find you. He took control of his life and faced it head on. I also felt that, considering his upbringing, he could have turned out to have a lot weaker character. But he didn't. Harry was awesome! I loved him.

What would your Patronus be?
A tabby cat. Or a staffie. (This has nothing to do with my pets - I promise *whistles innocently*) I mean, look at the face! He would be delighted to protect me!

If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?
I can't say that I would have use for any, although I could see how anyone would be tempted with the Resurrection Stone. What I wouldn't do to have another chat with my dad. I suppose I would go for the wand. I live in a dangerous country and it would be nice to do some magical self defence and zap someone's ass! (Nope, I didn't learn my lesson there, apparently.)

What House would you be in?
This is hard to answer. I was always put in Gryffindor in the past in all those online quizzes. I did, after all, head off to live in a country where no one spoke English and I didn't speak Korean. But to be honest, I could easily see myself in Ravenclaw too. I think I also have a bit of a Slytherin in me. I would not, however, make it to Hufflepuff. I am a procrastinator, and if it weren't for the last minute, I would never get anything done. It's a bit difficult to work hard at something whilest putting it off. Although, having said that, loyalty is something I have a lot of. Let's go Gryffindor (with Ravenclaw tendencies) because I would ask the hat to put me with Gryffindor.


IF you could meet any member of the cast who would it be?
Well, I have met Jason Isaacs and got his autograph! That was pretty cool. (Although strangely odd that of all the characters from the cast I would meet in real life, the one I did was responsible for the deaths of so many other on-screen heart-throbs.) I also saw Dan from not too far away. I think if I had a choice now, it would be Emma Watson. I admire what she is doing with He for She.

I would be completely happy to meet anyone from the cast though. I am a sucker for all things Harry Potter.

Have you played any of the video games?
Pfft. Naturally! I have played at least 1 through to 4. (My friend has them and we would play together when I would go and visit. It has been a couple of years though, so it is a bit vague now.)

IF you were on the Quidditch team which position would you play?
You're joking right! I would be the commentator. If there were no other members in my house to play, I would probably go for beater. (I might be able to whack a bludger, but at least the opposition wouldn't score if I messed up - unless the bludgers took out the rest of the team.) Trust me, they would not want me there! I can talk a lot though....

Were you happy with the ending?
It was ok. I think my biggest gripe was that they named all their kids after fallen heroes. At least the ending did bring a conclusion and the feeling that "all was well", which I appreciated after having my life and soul turned upside down for all those years. Ideally though, I don't know if it was what I would have chosen. There could have been far worse though. (Sweet, I remembered that avatar from yeeeears ago. Glad to see it still exists!)

How much does Harry Potter mean to you?
Wow. How can I put all of this into words! At least this isn't on Twitter! I met my best friend as a result of Harry Potter. I have had the best weekend of my life because of Harry Potter (she and I met up in London for a weekend - seriously!) I started reading again because of Harry Potter (I had finished my degree and was convinced that I should only read intellectual books. Only thing was, I was burnt out on intellectual books and I could not find anything I loved. And then I met Harry.). I started writing again because of Harry Potter. I found something to be passionate about. I met people who I could share that passion with. I lived those stories. I laughed, giggled and sniffed my way through those books so many times, I cannot even say how often I have reread them. By now you are probably thinking I am weird. You might be right. But Harry captured me completely. It reawakened my imagination, my creativity and made me passionate about something. And as I cannot  not finish a series, and I was constantly being left to hang in tortuous limbo while Jo wrote the next one.

Some Harry Potter memories
(This is not a part of the tag)

This is me at school dressed as Bellatrix Lestrange. (It helps to go as bad guys. Usually more fun for the make up, and extra fun to act mean for the day.) If you think that looks crazy, (although the light in the pic has lightened my dark circles etc. and my hair! Wow, I should try going that colour!), then you should have seen me go as Elphaba Thropp from Wicked. Green, folks. I went GREEN!

And then, as all HP fans do when they actually get to go to London do ... (Yes, this girl from Africa went to England because of a book! TWICE!) Yip, I popped onto Platform 9 3/4! That was a part of the best weekend of my life! Three days of just having way too much fun! I saw Dan in Equus (although I was just a wee bit embarrassed at that), I saw Jason Isaacs in The Dumb Waiter (he remained dressed; I was a lot more comfortable) and then went fangirling over Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker street. And that entire weekend was all a result of having met my best friend because of Harry Potter.

Yeah. Harry Potter has been the cause of so many great things in my life! Thanks Jo!

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Shew! This is going to be a difficult book to review, because there is so much to say. So much to say, if fact, that I am already dreading trying to make it coherent.

“No more Internet. No more social media, no more scrolling through litanies of dreams and nervous hopes and photographs of lunches, cries for help and expressions of contentment and relationship-status updates with heart icons whole or broken, plans to meet up later, pleas, complaints, desires, pictures of babies dressed as bears or peppers for Halloween. No more reading and commenting on the lives of others, and in so doing, feeling slightly less alone in the room. No more avatars.”

― Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven

First off, I loved this. Station Eleven is a very clever book. It isn't just an apocalyptic book. The story starts just before the characters learn of the 'cause' of the apocalypse. It begins during a stage production of King Lear and the actor playing Lear, Arthur Leander, falls down and dies of a heart attack on stage. A man in the audience, Jeevan, tries to save him while a young girl, Kirsten, one of the cast members, watches. The story then jumps ahead 20 years, and we follow Kirsten, who is a member of a travelling group of actors.

Station Eleven doesn't have a protagonist as such. It follows the lives of these people, in a not-necessarily-chronologically order. The only thing these people have in common is that they are directly, or indirectly, connected to the dead actor.

This story explores interesting theories on the world and how it would change in the event of a disaster such as this occurring. Naturally. not all of these scenarios are pleasant, but I feel that there is a lot of accuracy in this telling.

I am looking forward to rereading this book in a few months. It was well constructed, and I fear that I missed too many things because it has been a couple of decades since I read King Lear. (It does not require the reader to be familiar with Shakespeare's plays, but I think that a reader who is will get a lot more out of this.) I think I will give it another go next year sometime, after giving King Lear a reread.

I suppose that, at the end of the day, that is really what anyone would want to hear. Yes, it is fine to dedicate a few hours of your life to this one. It would not be a waste of time. I do not necessarily think that everyone would love this, but I definitely did.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads.
This is the 41st book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

“WHO’S GOT A TAMPON? I JUST GOT MY PERIOD, I will announce loudly to nobody in particular in a women’s bathroom in a San Francisco restaurant, or to a co-ed dressing room of a music festival in Prague, or to the unsuspecting gatherers in a kitchen at a party in Sydney, Munich, or Cincinnati. Invariably, across the world, I have seen and heard the rustling of female hands through backpacks and purses, until the triumphant moment when a stranger fishes one out with a kind smile. No money is ever exchanged. The unspoken universal understanding is: Today, it is my turn to take the tampon. Tomorrow, it shall be yours. There is a constant, karmic tampon circle. It also exists, I've found, with Kleenex, cigarettes, and ballpoint pens.”

― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking

Have you ever had that experience where you are curious about someone and then they go and publish a memoir? I'm sure you have. Well, that is what happened with me here. I adore Neil Gaiman, so I wanted to know what his wife was like. So I bought and read her memoir.

I got over the 'it is by Neil Gaiman's wife' very early into the book. Amanda Palmer became an artist in her own right. To give a little bit of info about Amanda Palmer (all of this I learnt in the book), after she left her record label, she used Kickstarter to fund her next project. She had the most successful Kickstarter project, raising over a million.

While this book does cover her career from start to present, it also covers so much more. It covers relationships with people - not just the 'special someone' in one's life, but everyone, including strangers. Let me touch briefly on one point that is to do with a relationship with that 'special someone': Amanda was really sick shortly after she and Neil Gaiman were married. She ended that chapter rather miserably, saying, surely she shouldn't have to ask. Surely he should know. I thought that was profound. I think it is too easy to assume that the special someone should know when you need help. I think this is where the art of asking really peaks. It is not about 'how to ask' but that you should ask.

Her focus on connecting with people was inspiring. I am going to try and take it to the classroom. Really make the kids feel that I am seeing them. She says in the book that people don't want to get looked at, they want to be seen. It is about making connections with people.

I have included the video to the TED Talk she gave on this topic. The book is a much more fleshed out version of this speech, and it covers new angles and aspects as well, but everything she mentions here is in the book too. It is probably a good way for one to test whether they are interested in it or not.

There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this book. One thing that I think is very relevant is the cyclical nature of giving and receiving. Just as with the tampon story above (the is how the book starts) the artist gives their music which helps people, so the financial 'gift' the people give in return helps the artist. But for the rest of us who are not artists, we also fall into the giving and receiving cycle.

“Asking for help with shame says:
You have the power over me.
Asking with condescension says:
I have the power over you.
But asking for help with gratitude says:
We have the power to help each other.”

― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking

OK, I will stop there. I am finding it very difficult to comment on this because it is not written as a self-help book. The nuggets are there for the reader to unearth and appreciate - which I think gives this far more credibility.

On a slightly more negative side, I should probably say that I did feel that she mentioned being a living statue for a huge chunk of the book. While I understand where she was coming from and the importance that the 'statue trade' had on her outlook, I did start to feel that there was only so much one could say about silently giving someone a flower in response to them putting some money in a hat.

Who do I think will enjoy this? Well, fans of Amanda Palmer's would - but then, they don't need me to tell them that. I think people who are wanting to get into any field that is artsy would get something of value out of this. In fact anyone could get something of value out of this. I wouldn't say that this is for everyone, but it is good to read something of value over something enjoyable occasionally. Because the book is broken up into smaller parts (I am not just talking chapters here), some a few lines, others a couple of pages, this book is actually very good to read over a period of time. There are many places where one can stop for the night and pick up something else.

This is the 40th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads because I really appreciated many of the ideas in this book.