Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir
For some reasons, each one of them having a name and a loved face, I am in retrospective year and reading books about AIDS I could not have read 20 or even 15 years ago, they would have been too painful. Not that is easy now reading them, but I am getting old, and my long gone friends visit me more often in my dreams. I wish the new generations will not make our mistakes, and I wish that intolerance and its sister indifference will never again let millions of young people die aimlessly, just because of their sexual orientation.
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1)
Once I got used to the use of "he" to designate almost exclusively Cromwell, I was enthralled by this book. The writing is indeed peculiar, but I had been warned beforehand, it is special but not disagreeable, just something that needs to be said. Historically this book is faultless, and Mantel succeeds very well in making Cromwell, which in other books on this episode of history often comes out as brute, loveable.
Now to start "bring up the bodies" immediately, or to make a pause.....
Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars
Really, really bad, but I was expecting it anyway.
The Testament of Jessie Lamb
If you enjoy those kinds of themes (dystopian and philosophical) then you should read "never let me go" which is beautifully written. This book here seams a pale copy of it, so don't bother. The story is Ok, the prosa is not, it feels as if it was a poorly written YA book that has been converted into something a bit more in the end, fo fear of being read only by teenagers.
A Cupboard Full of Coats
A good storyline, an interesting characters study. Some characters could have been developped a bit more, and the end was a bit too easy for me, but all in all, I really enjoyed this books and am looking forward to reading Ms Edwards next one.
On Canaan's Side
It was a slow and difficult read. Slow because the prose was so beautiful that I kept re-reading some sentences over and over, difficult because on many instances, I felt so touched I had to have a break from reading.I do hope that On Canaan's Side wins the Booker Prize this year, it absolutely deserves it.
Before I Go To Sleep
very addictive, but.... the ending was very disappointing, as if there was no energy left to do better. The style is promising though, so I will try the next one.
Vanity Fair
It is difficult to elect a favorite book, I think this one makes the top of the list though (together with little women for obviously completely different reasons). I love it not only because of the excellent style, of the period which is inspiring to say the least, but foremost because of its actuality and timelessness, as well as its irony of course, that never turns into sarcasm although more then once the bitterness can be felt.Like "Little Women", and that is the sole parallel I want to make, this book has been more than once a pleasure, a rest, or even a refuge, and always a reference point in my reading history.
If you have not tried it yet, do. And tell me what you think, I am amazed at every new facet I discover when discussing it with other readers.