NANOWRIMO - November

November is (Inter)National Novel Writing Month!

A month of sitting down and doing a whole lot of writing and trying to have enough words for a novel! It doesn't have to make sense, or be very good. The idea is to try. 

This is the 3rd year that I've given it ago, and I haven't made it passed 10 000 words. Maybe this year is the year. I just need to spend more time writing than checking the word count!! 

Wish me luck!

If you're interested in what NaNoWriMo is all about you should check out the NaNoWriMo website

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Agnes Grey

Anne Bronte

Penguin 1988

About the Book
Agnes Grey is a Pastor's daughter. When the family falls on hard times she decides she had to go out to work to earn money to support the family. She becomes a governess first for the Bloomfield family then for the Murray family.

My Thoughts
This was the book club book for the 1st Wednesday group for September. 

I haven't read anything else by Anne Bronte, but I did watch some of the TV series of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my favourite books and so sets a high standard for books by the other Bronte sisters.

I quite liked Agnes Grey. Although, I was a bit annoyed at her naivety at the start of the book. Did she really think she could just start governing children like that? There was something else that annoyed me about her,  but it's been a while since I started the book that I don't remember what it was. 

Agnes Grey draws on Anne's experience as a governess and the plans of the sisters to set up a school of their own.

I think what I really enjoyed about this book is the subtle romance of the novel. We don't really get to know any of the other characters, which could be because we only see them from Agnes' point of view. I'm not sure that we get to know Agnes' true feelings about things either. However, we do get to know her feelings for Mr Weston and the awkwardness she feels when ever she sees him. I think what I like is that unlike modern romances told in the first person, such as Twilight, she doesn't over analyse Mr Weston's actions. In fact, she seems oblivious to his regard for her! 

The bulk of the story though is about her experiences as a governess. I'm not sure that she really had the disposition to be a teacher. She couldn't control her students, and in fact ended up doing some of the work she had assigned her students herself!! The parents in the families she worked for took advantage of her, and set her impossible limits when dealing with the children. Such as not discipling them. 

I am glad to have finished it, even if that was a month after we discussed it. The other members of the group really enjoyed it.

Superstars & Supergroups

Last night I went to a show at South's Juniors League Club with a friend. She had free tickets from her parents who weren't able to attend. Neither of us knew anything about the show, and I was a little worried that it might be a bit cheesy.

It turned out the show was The Williams Brothers doing songs they sang growing up. And ok, there was a little bit of cheese when one of the brothers sang Tom Jones and Elvis songs and he did some weird moves (I think they were supposed to be sexy moves) hehe. 

But overall it was a fun night!! It's funny how many of the songs they sang have been covered by different artists for the soundtrack of some of my favourite movies! The ones I can remember are:

I'm A Beliver  from Shrek
Twist & Shout from Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Unchained Melody from Ghost (This actually isn't one of my favourite movies)
How Do You Mend A Broken Heart from Notting Hill (This is my favourite soundtrack!)

I think there was another one, but I forget it now. Just after I told my friend that I'm not a Bee Gees fan, they sang How Do You Mend A Broken Heart as part of their Bee Gees set. *Sigh* who knew!!

Oh I remember another one
Mrs Robinson from The Graduate (I haven't actually seen this movie)

Between The Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

Between The Assassination
Aravind Adiga
Free Press, 2008
368p

1st Wednesday book for October 2012

About the book
This is a collection of short stories tied together by the location Kittur a fictional city in India. The book is set out like a travel guide for Kittur with information about the city's highlights followed by a story set near it.

My Thoughts
I started this book before I went on holidays and was making good progress when I thought I should stop reading it because I didn't want to finish it too quickly. I didn't read it while I was away and so with 2 days until book club I had 250 pages to go. EEK!


Luckily, the book was quite easy to read and even with my excellent skills at procrastination I only had 10 pages to go at book club!! I think the fact that none of us knew much about the book had an effect on how the bookclubbers responded to the book.

I liked it... well I liked the concept of it. To have each story set around the "touristy" landmarks of a fictional city in India. It was like we were on a guided tour of the city, and then got up close with the locals... and isn't that what the best thing about travelling is? It was like the book was about the city rather than the characters.

I liked some of the stories, but over all I felt like everyone was in a hopeless situation. It may well be like that but surely there is always some hope that a situation can be improved. In some of the stories, such as the mosquito sprayer, he lost his hope through his own actions, but... surely not everyone is discontent? Although I guess the book does show how easily the good things gained can be lost, such as the story of the man who wanted to be a conductor on the buses. He achieved his goal, but is injured and can no longer work. I think that's what I really didn't like about the book, was that there was no happiness... or even a glimmer of a happy ending. Is life really like that for people?

I guess I am talking from an extremely privileged point of view. I have a good job, a roof over my head, food to eat and a wonderful group of friends. Sure I'm not married and I would like to be, but being single means that I am freer to catch up with people more often than married people might be. I admit I do get a bit frustrated when people I know focus on what they don't have instead of being thankful for all the good things they do have. When I compare my life to the lives of the characters in Between the Assassinations, I feel amazingly blessed. It was an accident that I was born in such a lucky country. The characters in this book have don't always have a place to sleep or food to eat. I can see why they would long for something more. 

I think this differs a lot from the other Indian literature I've read - namely Q & A (aka Slumdog Millionaire) by Vikas Swarup and Family Matters and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is that there is hope that the characters will be able to get things that will make their lives easier. In A Fine Balance, there are two characters that suffer horribly but they continue to persevere in the hope that things will get better, while the more well of character can't take it as well. Now that was an amazing book, I highly recommend it. 

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

Allen & Unwin, 2009 

About The Book

Late on a hot summer night in the tail end of 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress.
Jasper takes him through town and to his secret glade in the bush, and it's here that Charlie bears witness to Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion as he locks horns with his tempestuous mother; falls nervously in love and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend, Jeffrey Lu. 
And in vainly attempting to restore the parts that have been shaken loose, Charlie learns to discern the truth from the myth, and why white lies creep like a curse. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart.

My Thoughts

I read Rhubarb by Craig Silvey a couple of years ago and I loved it. So I was torn about reading Jasper Jones. Could he follow Rhubarb with something just as good? I got a taste of what the book would be like when I saw Craig speak at the Sydney Writer's festival in 2009. He spoke about the Batman question and the hypothetical "would you rathers" that appear in the book. I still resisted reading it. 

What is it about these Western Australian writers that they have such a command of language? Tim Winton, Randolph Stow and Craig Silvey to name but three, all have an amazing way with words.

So what did I think of Jasper Jones?...

I LOVED IT!!! I just don't have the vocabulary to describe how great I think this book is. Actually I'm feeling a bit sorry for everyone around me because for the past couple of days I've been like "You have to read this book!!" I can't wait to talk about it in book club!

So, why do I like it so much? Do you know, I'm not even sure how to describe it. I just finished the book and thought it was awesome.  I think it was just the combination of engaging characters, tension and a good story. 

I really liked Jeffrey Lu who is Charlie's best friend. He is Vietnamese, a cricket tragic and has a quirky sense of humour. I really liked the rapport between him and Charlie. I think what most impressed me was that he was tenacious. He loved cricket and knew that he was good at it, but the town's team wouldn't let him join. They pushed and shoved him when he joined in training. They hit his ball across the oval even if they missed, so he would have to go and get it. He would go and get his ball, and wouldn't complain or shove back when they pushed him. Then they hit his ball out of the oval into a paddock that they can't get to.

Jeffrey remains unperturbed. As though he were simply undone by fair play. And they're still spitting words at him as he hoists his bag, but I don't want to listen anymore. I just want to go. Jeffrey walks towards me. There are grass clippings in his hair.
His head is bowed as he approaches. But when he gets closer to me, his face lifts and splits into a smile.
'Did you see that first ball? Drifted in, spun out. Bang! Top of off! Thanks very much.' He spreads his hands like the ball actually exploded off the pitch.p 64

 What an example is that!! Of course I got frustrated at the blatant racism of it... but he didn't. I'm not sure how many 13 year old boys would behave like he did.

I really liked the way that Corrigan, the town where the book is set, seems like a character in the story. It's the way the tension of the missing girl, and the economic trouble at the mine, and the racial tension that it causes, affects the community. How the street comes together to look after the Lu family when things go to far, or the fear that the Bucktin's felt when Charlie was missing from his room. 

There was also a touch of romance with the blossoming of the relationship between Charlie and Eliza Wishart, sister of the missing girl Laura. It is a sweet story, but tinged by the fact that Charlie knows something that he can't tell Eliza, or Jeffrey for that matter. 

Then there's the enigmatic Jasper Jones. 

I'm not sure that I've said enough about it to convince you to read it... But please do and let me know what you think about it.

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy
Directed by Tony Gilroy
2012

About The Movie
With their secret projects under threat, the CIA works to shut down several projects which involved the enhancing of a group of field operatives. One operative escapes and sets out to find the source of his chems. Only he comes to the attention of those who seek to eliminate him.

My Thoughts
I had a weird sense of deja vu through out The Bourne Legacy. It's been a while since I watched the rest of the Bourne movies but I must have remembered enough for some of the scenes to be familiar. This movie takes place at the same time as The Bourne Ultimatum and some of the action crosses over into this one. I have to admit that it was kind of odd to have Jason Bourne looming throughout the movie, but not actually being in it.

I have to admit I really enjoyed this movie! What's more my friend Jen who I saw it with enjoyed it too! There was a lot of action which kept the movie going. Although I have to admit the bike chase did go on for a little too long. I found the story of Marta and the work she does really interesting. We both had a giggle when Shane Jacobson aka Kenny turned up in it too!

Looking forward to the next one!

Calling Invisible Women - Jeanne Ray

Calling Invisible Women
By Jeanne Ray
Crown, 2012


About The Book
One day Clover looked in the mirror and she wasn't there. The first time she noticed she was invisible was temporary, but the next time it wasn't. It takes a while for her to come to terms with invisibility and to realise she isn't losing her mind but once she does there is no stopping her. With the help of her neighbour and best friend Gilda, Clover sets about living as an invisible woman. The trouble is her husband and son take a long time to notice and that's when she realises they haven't looked at her for years.

My Thoughts
As the book chatters know I am drawn to anything with a quirky title. Sometimes this pays off, some times is doesn't. In this case it does. I really liked Clover. She took becoming invisible in her stride and saw how she and the other invisible women could be valuable members of the community. She also finds a freedom in being invisible and not only in being free not to wear clothes, but being able to get to know herself and her family. Clover feels undervalued by society and her family. Her role as a reporter had been reduced to articles about gardening and her family take her for granted. After becoming invisible, Clover makes new friends and gets a bigger role as a reporter.

I think this book deals with issues of invisibility for people of any age and gender. I think it is especially felt by women of a certain stage of life, like Clover. But it can happen to anyone. 

I think I sometimes feel like I'm a bit invisible when people assume I will act or respond a certain way. I often tell people that I don't always respond in the most appropriate or expected way. Is it because we are lazy? Is it easier to put a box around someone rather than understanding we don't always stay the same? I guess I am guilty of the same thing. I have a friend who isn't at all into AFL and I know that so I don't ask her to come to the games. If I asked her she could say yes, which would surprise me greatly!! (Although I have to admit she has stated that she isn't interested in going without me having to ask)

I guess it doesn't even have to be as superficial as this. There are many areas in society where people become invisible. But I guess the point of this book is that we can be visible when we least expect it.