A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I have never believed in love at first sight. I am far to jaded and practical for that nonsense. Or at least I was. Because I fell in love with this book by the third chapter.

Welcome to my new favourite book of 2015!

Ove is not a pleasant man. He is bossy and sticks his nose into other people's business constantly, from writing down their registration numbers if they have dared to park for more than 24 hours in the 24 hour parking area, to shouting at them for being idiotic enough to drive in the 'no drive' area around the houses. In short, he is annoying and grumpy and anti-social and judgemental. But... there is so much MORE to Ove than meets the eye.

“Ove glares out of the window. The poser is jogging. Not that Ove is provoked by jogging. Not at all. Ove couldn’t give a damn about people jogging. What he can’t understand is why they have to make such a big thing of it. With those smug smiles on their faces, as if they were out there curing pulmonary emphysema. Either they walk fast or they run slowly, that’s what joggers do. It’s a forty-year-old man’s way of telling the world that he can’t do anything right. Is it really necessary to dress up as a fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast in order to be able to do it? Or the Olympic tobogganing team? Just because one shuffles aimlessly around the block for three quarters of an hour?”

― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

I loved Ove. Backman masterfully revealed just enough of his back story for one not only to understand the reasons behind why he is the way he is, but to actually appreciate the way he is. In fact, all the characters in the book felt so real. Even the cat. I adored the cat. My other favourite character in this book is his pregnant neighbour, Parveneh. I am not going to tell you how the two of them meet, because it is really worth the read and the laughs you will have just from that scene alone.

I loved the way this book was written. It seemed effortless in its construction, which is always a sign of good writing. But on top of that, this book has one thing that even winners of literary awards do not generally have - charm. I did not read and appreciate this book. I loved and lived this book.

“He had never heard anything quite as amazing as that voice. She talked as if she was continuously on the verge of breaking into giggles. And when she giggled she sounded the way Ove imagined champagne bubbles would have sounded if they were capable of laughter.”

― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

The book is spread out with a combination of laughter and tears. This wasn't just my experience. I gave it to my mom to read, and she sat in the chair crying and laughing throughout. I did not find this a sad story though. The balance of humour did keep it more on the up overall, but also, the sadness that Ove encounters are the side effects of living. And while I really felt for him and what had happened, I could see the magnificence of what was happening - even if he couldn't.

“Men like Ove and Rune were from a generation in which one was what one did, not what one talked about.”

― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

I really thought that I would have tons to say about this, but I can't seem to get past the words "I loved...". Perhaps I should just scrap everything and just say, "I loved this. Read this," because that is what I really want to say. And I don't want to go into the plot, because I want you to not only read the book, but to enjoy it unfolding as I did.

Who would enjoy reading this? People who enjoy contemporary reads. People who have hearts that beat.

This is the 72nd book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this one 5 stars on Goodreads because they don't allow one to give books 100 stars. 

Tsotsi by Athol Fugard

We are all here because we are readers. We love books. We read books all the time. So why is it that as soon as something becomes prescribed reading, interest vanishes?

Welcome to the book that is going to be prescribed reading for my Grade 11s next year (if the government has the money for the books. Always a valid question around these parts.) I have a choice between this one and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I read Achebe earlier this year (before I knew it was the alternative book, and thus actually looked forward to reading it) and although I loved its literary merit and the message it has to give, I know I will never manage to get that class to sit and stay awake during it. So Tsotsi it is - unless I can choose something else.

I suppose I am already setting this review up negatively. That isn't exactly fair, because I didn't hate this book. But I was reading it from the perspective of the sucker that has to teach it next year, as opposed to someone just reading for pleasure. It makes a huge difference, I promise.

Anyway, Tsotsi is a fairly young black, South African male living in Apartheid South Africa in Soweto. The word 'tsotsi' mean hoodlum. He is a vile piece of work, until something happens to change him.

There were parts that I liked. The writing for one was very good. I appreciated Fugard's use of imagery. The supporting characters were also very vivid and believable. I liked all the back stories we got on characters. They helped show the horror that Tsotsi was responsible for, and also helped us understand another member of his gang. They were not long winded, but written with an African charm.

My ambivalence towards this book is with the main character, Tsotsi. In the beginning of the novel, we see him and his gang committing a heinous crime, murder. This is made even more so by learning about the man who they kill. As a reader, it is impossible to not feel for that man and to dislike Tsotsi. That same night, we witness Tsotsi beating one of his gang members, Boston, nearly to death, for asking him questions about his past, asking how they could do such horrific acts and not feel anything. While this raises questions about Tsotsi's past and character, and sets the plot of the novel -  Tsotsi remembering his past and learning to feel - it does not endear him to the reader either. After beating and breaking Boston, Tsotsi runs off where he encounters a woman, who it appeared, from my point of view at least, that she was going to abandon her baby. Tsotsi, not knowing about the baby, was thinking of raping her and instead, ends up with the baby. Basically, we have a despicable character that no reader would be able to find anything positive in. It is this that raises my disbelief in what happens next. It is only a handful of days (about four I think), before Tsotsi becomes a 'new man'. He shows mercy to a would-be victim and 'cares' for the baby. (I use the term 'cares for' very loosely, as I do not think his parenting methods would be approved of my anyone with an iota of common sense.) But even in this, one could not necessarily approve of his methods. The ending left me feeling that it was a bit of a cop out, as Tsotsi would not be tested to see if he would be able to continue on the path he had just started in life because I could not believe that he had changed permanently. If he had let the baby live with him, for example, I might have been more inclined to see progress. The ending, although conclusive, was inconclusive. Tsotsi's back story was interesting though. It made it clear that he became who he was as a result of Apartheid and not because of an innate character flaw.

I need to give this one more thought - which I will be doing when I start making the study guide for it. For now, I am going to leave the remainder of my questions to tackle later. I suppose, if nothing else, this book is going to give us plenty to discuss in class.

Who would enjoy reading this? Shew. Good question. I suppose people interested in reading diversely, for starters. Folks who are interested in seeing what it was like for a black person growing up during Apartheid could also find it interesting. Anyone who would like to immerse themselves in some good visual imagery.

This is the 71st book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads. My rating might change with subsequent reads, but for now, I am sticking with my initial reaction.

You by Caroline Kepnes

Don't sit down yet. Lock your doors, close your curtains, change your passwords - for everything. Feeling safe yet? You won't be for long - not after reading this twisted book...

This was a creepy book. If I had a shelf for 'completely messed up', this one would be there. It is one thing reading about someone being stalked and completely another reading about it in first person from the stalkers point of view. I need brain bleach badly!

The writing itself was pretty good. It carried the madness of the narrator when it was necessary and carried his calmness when needed. I did not find him scary, but then, as he was narrating the story, he was the definition of an unreliable narrator, as he clearly thought there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. After a while, though, I did get tired of the darkness. This is not a light, fun book to read. And if you are offended by vulgar language and fairly graphic sexual fantasies, then, well, there a many other books out there that would not be shelved on 'completely messed up'.

I did feel that the story should have moved a bit faster. I was getting a bit bored by the end, because there are only so many times one can read about the similar fantasies and concerns without starting to roll one's eyes. I also felt that in the last third, some things he did were not completely in character - keeping in mind that I am not a sick stalker dude. I was a bit curious as to why Kepnes went there with the story. I also had a couple of questions regarding some later events in the plot, but to go into them would be a spoiler.

This was not a bad read. But, even though it is a cardinal sin when talking books, I felt that in someone like Gillian Flynn's hands, I would have closed my facebook account and been completely freaked out. Not that this wasn't freaky, wacky and completely messed up as it was, but it missed something that Flynn has.

I should also add that I am surprised to see that there is a sequel coming. I don't think I will be reading it. One messed up book is enough for me. I also can't really see what a sequel could do that would add to this story. I think it stood well enough on its own. But, as I haven't read it, I can't give anything more than an unsubstantiated opinion on that point. If you are the type of reader who doesn't want to start a long series, don't let the sequel put you off. You stands alone just fine.

Once again, this is not for everyone. It is dark, twisted and likely to leave a strange after taste. But if this does sound up your aisle, then give it a read. You have been warned though.

It is the 70th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads because I got tired of all the darkness and living in Joe's head. It was not a nice place to be.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Before I begin with the review, let me just say that I have finished setting all my exam papers for the year, a whole, whopping 4 days ahead of schedule! Either I am getting good at this or else the papers are dreadful - but I don't think they are! Anyway, now that I have jumped that massive hurdle, I now have time to get back to reviewing books!

The Jane Austen Book Club was a big disappointment. No, I lie. It was a painful disappointment. This was a book that I kept putting down to pick up anything else instead. The only reason I finished it was because I paid a fair amount of money for it - something I am still feeling a bit sore about.

There is very little reason to sit and mentally go through that again. So, for this one, I am going to cheat and just put up my Goodreads rant review.

One: I do not see what the point of this book was. Nothing happened - or at least nothing I cared about happened. The characters did not grow (although they claimed they had) by the end. Finding someone, reuniting with someone, does not automatically imply that a character has undergone a change. I was not convinced that any of these people had changed for the better or the worse. Granted, although we get snippets of their lives in the past and present, I never felt that I got a feel for any of them anyway. They were cardboard cut outs of people.

Two: I felt offended for Jane Austen for being dragged through this pretence of literature. If the author wanted to write a random snapshot of the lives of six people, why use Austen? Oh wait, because suckers like me would expect something good. It was a marketing ploy. As to the quotes used, I did not see the point either. Granted, in literature, connections can be made with anything and everything, but in this case I was left wondering why they were there.

Three: I did not care at all for the characters. While I have no objection to reading flawed characters, this lot were just annoying. They were bitchy towards each other, especially Bernadette, who was finally allowed to have what she was saying noted so as to stop a male writer from talking. Was this supposed to be some sort of pro-feminist text? Because they were really unnecessarily mean to Grigg, the only male in the group. And that in itself was uncalled for because he was no different from any of the women in the book club. Funny how it was clear that the comment from the writer was to be taken offensively, when it was fine for them to snidely make comments about Grigg serving the cheese on a Christmas plate and judging the quality of the snacks he made, even to the fact he had used a bought pastry base. Yes, they had done that too in the past, but the tone of that part was just dripping with judgement and disapproval.

Four: The writing was bland and disjointed. The descriptions of the scenes in general felt particularly choppy as the author would jump from one item to the next. Perhaps this would have improved with a bit of fleshing out, or completely being omitted. And then there was the repetitive car in the background that they could hear driving by. That happened multiple times.

Did not like. Do not recommend - especially to fans of Jane Austen's work.

It is the 69th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this one 2 stars on Goodreads, because, although it was bad, I did not find anything offensive in it (besides manipulating me into buying it because of the who Jane Austen thing).

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

There is very little I can say that will ever do this book justice.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to set fires - to set fire to books. In this world, books are banned. They are dangerous things. They could potentially make people unhappy. And happiness is the only thing that counts.

“With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be.”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Before I get into anything else, I have to discuss the energy in the writing in this book. It was mind-blowing. It was powerful. Not a word was unnecessary, and I speedily turned the pages, half horrified at what this world would mean to my library, half captivated at what would happen next. I think the writing itself added to everything that I felt while reading this. Detailed descriptions were used for fire, books burning. My nightmare had come true! I was horrified, intrigued and caught in this ride from minute I opened to the first page.

“The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us.”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

There are other things that are scary in this book too. How close Bradbury came to envisioning our world, for starters.  How we would have massive, wall-sized television sets. How it would be people who chose not to read first - not governments. (Teach English for a few days, and you will see what I mean.) How the relevance of the superficial emotion, happiness, becomes all important; and things one has to work through and put effort into become sidelined. It does not seem a stretch to believe that intelligence could become feared and then hated. And then the thought of being prosecuted for owning books. After all, it has happened in the past...

“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door...Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

I would put this in the category of must-reads for books lovers. Guard your libraries, protect your books, bask in the knowledge that you can read whatever you can get your hands on. Promote books!

It is the 68th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads, because they don't allow you to give it 10.

PS: Once you have finished this, read Neil Gaiman's short story, The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury. Another exceptional piece of writing.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I actually wanted to read Everything Is Illuminated by this author, but this is the book that I could find, so I read it. I knew nothing about what would be within these pages, and if I had, I probably would not have picked it up next. Aren't I lucky I didn't know, because this has to be one of the most stunning books I have read in a long time.

This story is set shortly after 9/11, and it is about dealing with loss. But it is also about living. I think one of the themes is that if you don't take risks, and if you don't allow yourself to feel love for fear of losing it, you will not get to live.

I have always considered myself a rather cold reader. I will acknowledge that something is sad, but I won't feel it to my core. This book is one of the few that made it through. Maybe it is because I too have lost my father, or maybe it is because I witnessed the events of 9/11 from the safe shores of Africa. Maybe it is all of the above and a lot more that I can't even think of. This book has left me feeling - everything.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is constructed in such a different way. There are pictures and strewn throughout, text that is actually edited in red, random collections of things that Oskar finds. And that leads me to Oskar, an interesting character who is both really intelligent but also so young. It is through Oskar's eyes that most of this story is told. At one point, his father tells him that there is a difference between being intelligent and knowledgeable. Oskar is both, although I would like to state that wisdom comes later in life. (He is a character that I would like to see as an adult in the future. I think it could be interesting to see how he turned out.) He had a fascinating mind.

The other characters in the story are also quite fascinating. The tale of his grandparents was devastating, not because of World War 2 (although that one letter written about the time was enough to make me need to take a long breath before continuing the read), but because of the the possibilities that were never taken. One feels for Oskar's mother too - even though she comes across as indifferent.

It is the 67th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads. One of the best books I have read this year.

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

I needed a break from Literary Fiction and from books pretending to be Literary Fiction (like the one I am trying to read, but is only frustrating me). So I picked up a guilty pleasure read - a crime thriller!

Faith is on the run. Someone is trying to kill her. She has changed her name, quit her job, sold everything she had left after the apartment block she was living in burnt down, and returned to her grandmother's house - a place that scares her almost as much as her stalker does. But something dreadful is happening in the basement. Enqueue drum roll!

The plot was good. Crime novels are usually very formulaic, as in, when you have read enough of them, you can pick up the most subtle of clues. This one keep me juggling my suspect list. I enjoyed that. It was also exceptionally suspenseful in the beginning. I read until sparrow-fart in the morning. Always a good sign.

I liked Novac because, for some reason, he looked like Erik Skarsgard in my mind, and that was going to give him browny points. But... I can't say he did anything special to deserve the ranking of superhero. His decisions were not based solely on logic but 'gut' which, let's face it, is just a mucho term for 'emotionally based guess work'. But, what the hell. I will let him off the hook. Now, I know I am meaner with female characters and that is because I am tired of my gender being reduced to the 'damsel in distress role'. So, let me talk about Faith. She sounded strong. When you heard about everything that happened to this female, you have to give her credit. But that is mostly where it stops. For a huge chunk of the book she became a gravitationally impaired being. Granted, I have never had a psychopath try and bump me off, but I am sure that my knees would not keep caving in like that. The other characters did make up a lot though. There were definitely some more believably strong ladies on that task force.

Gripe: I am soooooooo glad that I am not relying on these two to rescue my ass. If they had put enough time into trying to find the missing girl as they did in trying to shag, the plot would have been solved in 200 pages, max. Oh, and don't please get me started on the 'it's true love and we have only known each other less than a day' thing. Did nobody learn from Romeo and Juliet?

Ok, this review is starting to sound mean. Oddly enough I actually enjoyed reading it. It has been a looong time since a crime thriller had me so undecided. And the pacing, in the beginning especially, was really fast. This was just what I was after actually. I wanted a break from books that need Eng Lit degrees to understand (or pretending to be such books). Fun, fast and, for a crime thriller, well constructed plot-wise.

This was the 66th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads, One star was knocked because of the instant love and gravity issues.