Bout of Books 7.0: Saturday and Sunday

Books I've read from:  

Inferno by Dan Brown 

Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz

Pages read today:

  409 pages from Inferno 

147 from Bloody Valentine

Books finished today:

2 

Running total:

  1095 pages, 5 books   

Today #insixwords: 

Why does May hate me so?

So the full-fledged wrath of Measles hit me yesterday and I've pretty much been in bed ever since. I feel pretty appalling, but I can at least think clearly so I've been able to read and churn out this post.

Not only that, but I got a review out too! I know, I know, but do try and with-hold your applause for a few moments. I finished Inferno at lunchtime today and wanted to talk about it so badly that I bypassed all my other outstanding reviews (of which there are many) and typed it up straight away. Read it here - it's actually pretty damn good. I was more than a little impressed. The novel, I mean, not my review.

Clearly I'm not going to reach my target of five reviews, but in my defence it's been a pretty crap week. I have exceeded my reading goal of finishing three books though, and I'm well into my fourth so it's not a complete loss.

I may have gotten distracted by Eurovision last night. I've never seen it before, but clearly I've been missing out! I was flicking back and forth for a few songs, but then Greece came on and I was hooked. They so should have won. Apparently there's a Thing that I had no idea about - that the UK is usually in the bottom three and most countries vote in their own little cliques. God, you could write a fascinating dissertation on it.

 

Of course it helped that Ellie and Hannah amused me nearly the entire way through and Graham Norton's little snide comments were almost better than the thing itself. Gotta love the British interjections of sarcasm :)

EDIT: I don't know what I've done to the month of May to make it fuck me over so much, but there are literally no areas of my life left for it to ruin.

My Dad was carted off in an ambulance a few hours ago and I have nobody to talk about it to, as my go-to person broke up with me last week. Ditto a few days ago when I contracted measles and all my pupillage applications were invalidated. What am I meant to do!?

EVEN LATER: So my Dad is being kept over night, but it stable. He's on a respirator, but he should be able to breathe on his own.

Thank you for the text messages and Tweets, everyone. I thought I didn't have a support system, but I very clearly do. And now I'm tearing up again, but the point is that I love you all.

Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this - I adored The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, but was less than impressed with Dan Brown's other works. Where was Inferno going to fall on the widely-varying scale of the author's works? Well, let me tell you. Inferno is amazing, very possibly actually better than The Da Vinci Code, although they're so different it's quite hard to compare them. I was actually genuinely surprised at how good this book is - it's a perfect balance of intelligent symbolism and a racing, twisty plot. Amazing.

Plot summary:
'Seek and ye shall find.'

With these words echoing in his head, eminent Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon awakes in a hospital bed with no recollection of where he is or how he got there. Nor can he explain the origin of the macabre object that is found hidden in his belongings.

A threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a breakneck chase across the city of Florence. Only Langdon's knowledge of hidden passageways and ancient secrets that lie behind its historic facade can save them from the clutches of their unknown pursuers.

With only a few lines from Dante's dark and epic masterpiece, The Inferno, to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the most celebrated artefacts of the Renaissance - sculptures, paintings, buildings - to find the answers to a puzzle which may, or may not, help them save the world from a terrifying threat.

Where to begin... Obviously comparisons with The Da Vinci Code are unavoidable, so we may as well start there. It's different, very different, which was perhaps a wise idea on Dan Brown's part. The basic concept is the same, of course - deciphering clues based on symbols hidden in art and literature, in an attempt to thwart whichever secret organisation is threatening the world this time. The tone has changed this time round, however, and the threat is a completely unique one that I wouldn't have expected from Dan Brown.

While the references to history and art are still intact (as you can probably guess from the title) they play a smaller part than in Dan Brown's previous books. I still spent a huge amount of time looking up various statues and churches, but they don't really seem as integral to the plot. The story itself could stand on its own feet without the references to Dante Alighieri, but the literature twist does give it a nice... sparkle.

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.

It's a fascinating idea and raises some wonderful ethical questions, the like of which just aren't present in his previous novels. The quote above isn't one of Dan Brown's; it's actually from Inferno itself but it's quoted several times and sums up the entire focus of the novel. Several times I caught myself seriously considering the moral conundrums raised, and I don't doubt most other readers have done the same. It's as if the author has matured a little, or perhaps just wants to show the world that his writing isn't as trivial as the media seems to claim.

Speaking of... this book definitely doesn't deserve the widespread criticism heaped upon the author's writing, especially by those who haven't actually read it. The list of quotes published online that prompt people to snigger at the prose is actually very misleading. A large portion of them are taken from passages that are meant to sound stilted and a little odd, and it's unfair to base the quality of his work on these excerpts.

While I'm not claiming Dan Brown is the next Shakespeare, his writing is far from bad. I'm the first one to point out when the text is 'clunky' or doesn't flow, but here I never once shuddered inwardly at a poorly thought-out sentence. As Hannah pointed out, if Dan Brown published his next work under a pseudonym, would his writing still be slated?

I do have one complaint, but only one. I'm not sure how specific I can be without being spoiler-y, but there are small aspects of the ending that just don't make sense. There's a huge twist that's absolutely brilliant and makes perfect sense, but the way it's dealt with is completely unrealistic. And yes, I do realise the irony of complaining about non-realism in a book based on saving the world via a copy of Dante's Inferno.

But there's no way That would be met with a reaction as calmly as That, especially when the leader of the World Health Organisation basically just nods and smiles. It's a huge thing, and yet despite the massive build-up throughout the book, it's not really met with the panic it deserves. Zobrist and his ladyfriend aren't really treated as having done what they did; I really think there should have been some ramifications.

Was that suitably cryptic? :p You'll see what I mean when you read it, which you absolutely should do. This book is great, which isn't an easy feat when it's following The Da Vinci Code. I can't recommend this enough - it's a unique action-packed, intelligent thriller with enough twists to satisfy even the most dubious reader.

Visit Dan Brown's website here, or find him on Twitter.

Bout of Books 7.0 - Thursday and Friday

Books I've read from:  

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley

Inferno by Dan Brown

Pages read today:

41 from Don't Kill the Birthday Girl

55 from Inferno

Books finished today:

1 

Running total:

  539 pages, 3 books   

Today #insixwords: 

Alcohol and chicken pox don't mix.

So this is actually a combination post for Thursday and Friday, as last night I was at the BPTC Summer Ball. I'll post a photo as soon as I find one that doesn't make me look like a scrawny boy (although someone told me I looked like a Nordic princess, and I'll admit that pretty much made my night). I actually had a good time - it's rare we're all together while not frantically scrawling statute numbers on an exam paper, so it was fun to mess about and drink for an evening.

EDIT: I found some non-boy photographs. I had my hair pinned-up that fell down the second I started dancing. It appears that was the cause of my male-to-female transformation, thankfully.

I like this one for the simple reason that I look like a ghost.

 

In addition, I do so love dancing in my heels long after everybody else has kicked theirs off :) "Well Hanna, you're used to them!"

*smugness*

Only the exertion does seem to have kicked off my chickenpox today. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it made an appearance after the Ball, but I really do not feel well one tiny little bit. It's getting quite bad now, so it's clearly going to be a few days in bed. I should still be able to post updates though, so you haven't got away with it just yet!

Reading-wise... I finished Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life yesterday and then started Inferno by Dan Brown. Despite all the vehement hatred I've seen, it's actually pretty good. His writing isn't that bad - taking a few sentences out of context to snigger at them doesn't really give you the feel of the book at all and you wouldn't think twice if you saw them in another book. 

I even managed to post a review! My target was five over this week, so completing one is hardly an accomplishment but it's a start. I should be able to do one tomorrow and one Sunday though, so I guess I'll have to be happy with three!

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I tend to have a strange relationship with the second books in dystopian trilogies. I love them when the main character is part of whichever messed-up society is the theme of the moment, but by the second book they've usually joined the inevitable rebellion and I lose interest a little. Combined with this and my unenthusiastic response to Delirium, reading Pandemonium wasn't on the top of my looking-forward-to list. But you know what? I loved it. It's rare that a sequel can beat the first book, but I read Pandemonium in a day and can't wait to get my hands on the final book.

Plot summary: Lena's been to the very edge. She's questioned love and the life-changing and agonising choices that come with it. She's made her decision, but can she survive the consequences?

It begins well; very slowly, much like Delirium, and we jump in immediately where we left off. It takes its time to establish the new world Lena has found herself in, which is clearly very different to the world in the first book. I've read a few reviews that complain about the pace, but I really like Lauren Oliver's attention to detail. I raved about her world-building skills in my earlier review, so I'm hardly going to start complaining about them now.

The chapters alternate between Lena right after we left her in Delirium and Lena six months down the line. It actually works really well; it's interesting to watch as she makes the choices that will lead her down that path eventually. It's a different take on the usual alternating character POV.

Romance-wise... I definitely prefer Julian. I'm not really into the whole Team Whoever thing, but I do have a definite preference here. He just seems like a better fit for Lena; he's more innocent than Alex and Lena herself is still vulnerable underneath her newly-gained toughness. I do have a theory about who she will end up with, but I've actually managed to avoid spoilers so far so I don't know the answer just yet.

Pandemonium is less gushy than Delirium. There are fewer metaphors about the meaning of love and the relationship is more subtle. I think it's now accepted that love is A Good Thing (because apparently it needed to be spelled out before), so the focus is more on the plot and the characters. I know opinions will vary on this, but I definitely prefer it this way.

Some aspects are slightly predictable, but I won't mention them in case anybody reading this didn't predict them. That said, there are also some interesting twists that I didn't see coming, so I'm content for a tad of pre-empting. The 'shock' ending I saw coming from a mile off, though. I knew it was coming and I wasn't thrilled.

Actually, that's pretty much my only issue with Pandemonium. If you're a good writer (and by this point I'm willing to state that Lauren Oliver is), then you shouldn't need to resort to dramatic cliff-hangers to get people to read your next book. If you've hooked them in by your plot, your characters and your prose, then they'll buy the sequel regardless. It just seems cheap.

After a rocky start with Delirium, I ended up really liking Pandemonium. Like I said above, it's rare for me to enjoy a second book in a series more than the first, but I read this in a day and enjoyed every minute. Well, minus the ending. To conclude, my advice is that even if you read Delirium and didn't think it was for you, give Pandemonium a chance anyway. You might be surprised.

Read my review of Delirium or visit Lauren Oliver here.

Bout of Books 7.0: Wednesday

Books I've read from:  

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley

Pages read today:

185

Books finished today:

0 

Running total:

  443 pages, 2 books   

Today #insixwords: 

Book buying madness = a chipper Hanna

And now, a break from you regularly scheduled angry programming...

Why yes, this is actually going to be a cheerful post. I know, I know, I'm as shocked as you. If you are desperate for my whining though (or just find my depressive gifs amusing), you can find my previous Bout of Books updates here and here.

So this morning, I woke up and decided to be happy. Possibly temporarily, but I'll take what I can get. I got up, put make-up on and wore an outfit containing my three favourite fashion points - stripes, pencil skirt and heels. Then I pranced off into the sunrise and had myself a good ol' day.

It's amazing how good you can feel despite running around Leeds in six-inch stiletto heels...

It may also have something to do with the fact that I allowed myself a book splurge today. A very special kind of splurge... the kind with no limits. A very dangerous beast. I haven't spent a lot of money lately or had a whole lot of time so I figured I'd treat myself.

I went into Waterstones and let myself buy whatever books I wanted. I did not check the price, I did not count them and I did not even particularly think twice. Honestly, I don't think I've ever enjoyed buying books so much. It was guilt-free and I'm now sat looking at my book pile and smiling.

Hell, I spent all afternoon in the Court office pulling them out of their bags one by one, stroking them (literally), reading a paragraph from each and then putting them back. And repeat. It was so liberating. It's not something I would do often because a) it would lose its appeal and b) I can't afford it, but... argh. So good.

I don't think six books all that unreasonable really. Not considering I imposed literally no limits on myself.

But apparently this is a read-a-thon, not a buy-lots-of-books-a-thon. So what have I actually read? Quite a bit actually.

Well. Kind of. I had a class this morning and then I was working at the Court this afternoon (again), so I haven't had a whole lot of time. Thankfully I didn't have any work to do for tomorrow though, so I was able to curl up and relax without feeling that guilty pressure that I should be studying.

I've been reading Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley. It's actually very good and quite different from what I was expecting. It's not a memoir as such; it's more a look at the implications of food allergies from several perspectives, including the individual, society, restaurants, farmers, etc. It's accessible and not at all self-pitying.

Speaking of... I did have a bit of a cry, but it was during a rational conversation. You know, where you're crying a bit but you're still capable of talking around it? And it helped that I could see my Waterstones bags on the sofa and they cheered me up. True story.

Bout of Books 7.0: Tuesday

Books I've read from:  

The Pirates! in an Adventure with Napoleon by Gideon Defoe

Pages read today:

162

Books finished today:

1   

Running total:

  258 pages, 2 books   

Today #insixwords: 

A cheaty book; I've earned it.

So today I've read the fourth book in the hilarious series by Gideon Defoe. You can read my review of The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists for a more thorough introduction, but they're tiny books full of dry British humour.

It does feel slightly McCheatery classing this as a whole book read in the counter thing above, but in my defence I did kick off with a reasonably heavy non-fiction so I won't feel too bad about it.

Another busy day for me today though, so I would like to have read more. I've been working at the Court today and ended up running the office on my own until 12pm. Cue a slightly frazzled Hanna.

Then after getting home, I had a legal Opinion to write for tomorrow whilst getting distracted by a vaguely psychotic Twitter conversation with Hannah, Charlotte and Ellie.   

I might get a little more reading done tonight, but I doubt it. I'm up early tomorrow and I'm super tired tonight.

Once again, I haven't got any reviews written. The plan was to write one when I'd finished this post but I've just ripped the emotional plaster off my current Drama and it hurt more than I expected, so I might postpone than until tomorrow.

Bout of Books 7.0: Monday

Books I've read from:  

The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman

Pages read today:

79 of The Secret Life of Houdini and 17 of The Pirates! in an Adventure with Napoleon

Books finished today:

1   

Running total:

  96 pages, 1 book   

Today #insixwords: 

One small blip, but otherwise acceptable.

Non-reading progress:  

Umm... I wrote this post, didn't I?

Today has been a busy day with not a whole lot of time for reading. I had to get up fairly early to head for a hospital check-up, where I was informed by my rather sour doctor that I've somehow managed to contract chickenpox.

For those without the benefit of having read my frequent medical whiny posts, here is the basic gist:

Lupus = Lack of Immune System = Bad Things

So I can catch everything. I'm single-handedly keeping Purell in business, I swear. Then obviously when I do catch something, even something simple, it can have really bad consequences.

So, yes. Chicken pox.

 Except I don't actually have it, as such. As in, I'm not all spotty or contagious. The virus is just looming dangerously in the background, likely to hit at any minute. Honestly I'm not actually that concerned though (famous last words?). I have regular check-ups so they can catch these things in time and whilst I am likely to be ill shortly, I will be less ill than if they hadn't caught it at all.

So that was my morning.

In the afternoon I was attending meetings with the Social Events Committee to try and plan our Summer Ball, which isn't exactly going well. The hotel we/they had chosen required a minimum number of 100 people and if we didn't reach that amount, we personally would be liable for the amount. I've said from the beginning that 100 people is an ambitious number and that this is actually an incredibly horrendous idea, but it's taken until today, until actual seeing the contract in print, that they finally listened.

But it's okay. We found another hotel with a minimum number of 50 people, which is much more doable and much less scary. Problem (probably temporarily) solved.

Then I got home, did some work, had a little cry. I know one of my Bout of Books goals was to become a rational human being again, but it was only a little cry...

 Had a short conversation with my ex/current/who-the-fuck-knows boyfriend and then I remembered that I miss him and then I cried. It's up in the air in the minute. To be fair, I haven't actually cried all that much this week and it was a rare moment of weakness.

Blame the chickenpox.

I swear I will actually talk about books tomorrow.