Book Review – Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

October 31, 2018October 31, 2018 / Eleanor Jane / Leave a comment

I have been meaning to read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for a good while now – ever since I read Maggie Harcourt’s Unconventional, where it is mentioned as the main character’s favourite book. Somehow I have never got round to it.

However, I was browsing the bookshop at Cheltenham Literature Festival and it was just sitting on the shelf waiting for me. It was clearly a sign so I bought it.

Publisher’s Blurb

The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very opposite of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms the one between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.

I started this book with very little knowledge of its content, beyond the fact that it is about two magicians. I was expecting a very fast paced, exciting read and was somewhat surprised to find that it is in fact quite slow and gentle. There is of course plenty of magic – which is inherently exciting – but the book isn’t really a page-turner.

That being said, I loved reading it. I enjoy long (1006 pages), slow books – especially at this time of year. For me it was the perfect accompaniment to an evening spent curled up in front of the fire. The characters are engaging – a must for me – and I genuinely cared about what happened to them. I also felt at a loss when i had finished it which is always a sign that I have been truly involved in a book.

This is a perfect read for long winter evenings and I will definitely be recommending it.

Book Details

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

ISBN: 9780747579885

Publisher: Bloomsbury

RRP: £10.99

Seasonal Reading

October 24, 2018 / Eleanor Jane / 2 Comments

This last week I have realised that my reading habits are changing with the season. I spent the last few months doing as much of this as possible.

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I especially love sitting by the sea but reading outside anywhere is something which gives me a huge amount of joy.

It has suddenly got much colder though and although I am still reading outside when I can – I hope to do so tomorrow as it is meant to be sunny – I am also tending to spend much more time curled up inside with a blanket and a book. Cats are optional.

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I love autumn and this has to be one of the best bits!

The actual books I read are changing too – I have read many lighter books over the summer but I am now definitely craving some more serious books. I am currently in the middle (almost exactly!) of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which I have been meaning to read for simply ages. After that I have three classics already lined up – Frankenstein, Sylvia’s Lovers and Framley Parsonage. At least, that is my plan at the moment. I will almost certainly feel a desperate need to read something different in between!

Book Review – Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 / Eleanor Jane / Leave a comment

For the past year my friend has been telling me how fantastic Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend is but it was only when I booked my Cheltenham tickets that I finally got round to reading it.

Oh my word, I loved it so much! I actually felt a bit bereft after I finished it and not really sure what to do with myself. Imagine how excited I was when a few days later I received a reading copy of book two from Hachette! By the time I met Jessica at Cheltenham (she was so lovely) I had already devoured this book too.

Publisher’s Blurb

Imagination, discovery and friendship await Morrigan Crow when she escapes her deadly curse and joins the Wundrous Society. It promises her protection and belonging for life – but then Morrigan doesn’t receive the welcome she hoped for…

Has Morrigan’s dream of escaping her cursed life ended before it truly began?

I loved this book. I was having a stressful week and this was everything I needed to relax. I could completely immerse myself in Morrigan’s world and not worry about anything else. It is so wonderful to find a book which will do that.

I very much enjoyed finding out more about Nevermoor and the people within it. When I saw Jessica Townsend at Cheltenham she suggested this might be a nine book series which was fantastic news and I am already looking forward to book three – although as this one isn’t officially published until 31st October I might have a rather long wait!

Book Details

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

ISBN: 9781510104440

Publisher: Orion Children’s Books

RRP: £12.99

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2018

October 10, 2018 / Eleanor Jane / 2 Comments

I am just back from my first ever visit to the Cheltenham Literature Festival where I had the best time. The whole festival village was amazing and there were three separate festival bookshops – one of them dedicated to children’s books. I was in heaven.

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I was there for a long weekend and in that time managed to fit in ten events. It was wonderful to find so many fascinating talks – Sarah Dunant’s on the Borgias was especially interesting (and entertaining, as all the best talks should be).

My favourite events were on the Saturday afternoon. Two talks about children’s books which were brilliant and after which I got to meet Anna James – author of Tilly and the Book Wanderers – and Jessica Townsend – author of Nevermoor. They were both lovely people (and their books are wonderful too – go and read them!).

To round off the evening we went along to the lit crawl to take part in the quiz. It had a classics theme which I obviously loved and we managed to come third which made me very proud, especially as we were the smallest team there. We received some fabulous prizes too, including two books – Frankenstein and La Belle Sauvage – and four tickets to festival events. I practically danced my way back to the hotel!

One of the best things about any festival is the amount of reading time. There were plenty of lovely places to sit and my favourite was the Book Stand – a cosy sitting room set up on the band stand. I spent some very happy hours there with my book and a cup of tea.

It was a brilliant weekend and I would definitely love to visit again.

In Praise and Celebration of Book Clubs

October 3, 2018October 3, 2018 / Eleanor Jane / Leave a comment

For many years I wanted to join a book club. The idea of meeting a lot of like minded people to talk about books was wonderful but I was hampered by two things. Firstly, there weren’t any near me and secondly I was hesitant about committing myself to reading books I didn’t like. Not that I expected to hate them all – I just knew there would be some I didn’t.

However, when there was an opportunity to set one up at work I jumped at the chance. I am so glad I did! Yes, there have been books I really did not like but there have been others that I loved – even some that I would not have picked up if left to myself.

I have also genuinely enjoyed the discussions and it is great to be able to have them with a group of people who love books just as much as me. Besides, I’ve learnt that if I really hate a book I don’t have to finish it. That makes an interesting discussion too.

Side note: this is neither a book I hated, nor one I didn’t want to read. I suggested the group read it for our meeting next week and I am gripped by it. Hopefully they have been enjoying it too!