Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I'm going to come clean - I have only ever read one book by Neil Gaiman prior to The Ocean at the End of the Lane. As a lover of the fantasy genre I realise how shocking this is, but I have been somewhat preoccupied with my paranormal romance for the last few years and when I was a teenager it was all chick lit and classics that I read. So, when I picked up Gaiman's new book my only point of reference was Stardust, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and a couple of episodes of Doctor Who (I know lots of people had issues with 'Nightmare in Silver' but I quite liked it).

I must admit the blurb on the inside flap did pique my curiosity. Everything was so vague - 'our narrator' (what's his name?), 'dark forces' (ooh, what are they?) - it made me want to start reading right away to discover what the heck this was all about. We never do actually learn what the name of the narrator is, which could have had an alienating effect, but actually didn't. In fact, I'd say that the anonymity of the narrator actually makes the narrative seem more real and immediate because you feel as if you are the narrator (barring, of course, the fact that I am not a seven-year-old boy). It adds a strangely personal feel to the whole book, which makes the events in it all the more potent.

The narrator may be recalling his childhood, but do not make the mistake of thinking this is a children's book. This is definitely an adult novel. Actually reading it while writing my dissertation and researching crossover fiction was a bit of a lucky coincidence because this book made me question the whole idea of adulthood and childhood. I think it's probably a standard trope in fiction by now, but seeing the events through a child's eyes you realise that children see things much more clearly than adults do. This novel does make you question the idea of reality and of memory - how much of what we recall from childhood is true and how much is fantasy constructed through snippets of memories? This is the question at the heart of The Ocean at the End of the Lane and it left me pondering my own memories of childhood.

"Everything whispered inside me. Everything spoke to everything, and I knew it all."

Gaiman's writing is subtle but effective. I was honestly terrified at certain points in this book. Ursula Monkton is quite possibly one of the scariest villains I've ever come across in fiction. Perhaps it was because we saw her through a child's eyes and children see horrors in much starker terms than adults do, but every time she appeared I shuddered with fear and revulsion. Without giving too much away, I have never been a big fan of birds, especially crows and their ilk, and after reading this book I like them even less. There is plenty in here to provide your imagination with fodder for nightmares! As well as being scary, the narrative has emotional heart too. The friendship between the narrator and Lettie Hempstock is both sweet and touching. The Hempstock women make a wonderful family unit and demonstrate that female characters in fantasy can be strong and resilient.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a mesmerizing tale, one that captures your imagination and sweeps you along. To be honest, I didn't think initially I was going to enjoy it, but as I kept reading on it started to enthrall me. Gaiman plays on the notion of imagination and fantasy in an expert way, and while the action is resolved, like our narrator, the conclusion leaves us with some unanswered questions. Far from leaving us unsatisfied, however, you are left with a sense of contentment, accepting that, much like in life, we will never hold all the answers. Truth is a hazy concept and each individual will have a different perception if what is true and what is false. In essence, this is a novel about fantasy itself. Neil Gaiman, you are something of a genius. I promise to find time to read the rest of your work now!

Charlaine Harris Book Signing

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the Dead Ever After book signing with Charlaine Harris at Ghillie Dhu in Edinburgh. When I first found out that Charlaine was coming to my city I was over the moon. One of the drawbacks of living in Scotland and having favourite authors that are all American is that they very rarely venture to these shores. Usually when they come to the UK it's just London they visit. My excitement at learning that, finally, one of them was headed my way was therefore immense.

I'm probably not alone in coming to the Sookie Stackhouse books through the TV show True Blood. Ironically when the first series aired here in Britain we were having a very hot, humid summer, much like we are now. I remember sitting up in my room every Friday night at 10pm, sweltering away in the heat, feeling like I was actually in Louisiana. It took all of one episode to get me hooked and the next again week I had ordered the first three books online. The rest of that year was dedicated to reading the first ten books in the series and I quickly fell in love with a certain Eric Northman, who is even more amazing in the books than he is in the TV show (where, let's face it, he is pretty damn awesome!)

Admittedly I haven't read any of the books since the 10th. This is partly down to the poor reviews they received and also partly due to being caught up reading other series. All the same, I was determined that I wasn't going to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Charlaine face-to-face and to hear her discuss the Sookie books.

Book Review: Dreams & Tide, Books 1 & 2 in the Sarah Midnight Trilogy

Today I'm reviewing not one, but two books - Dreams and Tide, the first two instalments in the Sarah Midnight trilogy written by Daniela Sacerdoti. Set in Edinburgh and Islay, these books are a YA fantasy series about a girl who belongs to a world of demon-hunting Secret Families. So far, so very Mortal Instruments, but that is where the similarities end. These books are original and establish their own intriguing mythology which sets them apart from the other YA series out there.

The first book in the series, Dreams, begins with Sarah, the heroine, standing at her parents' graves. We learn they have been murdered and that they are hunters, but at this point we are not told what exactly they hunt. This quite clever tease left me curious and eager to discover what was going to unfold over the course of the story. The first chapter then drops you straight into the middle of the action. We see Sarah on her first hunt and we learn about her supernatural power, the blackwater, which allows her to dissolve demons. I quite liked this idea as it's not a power I've come across in any of the other books I've read. One other thing I found refreshing was that using the power was not as simple as putting her hands out and dissolving the demon. The blackwater leaves Sarah soaked and feeling drained, which gives it a more real and frightening edge. It reminds me of Rumplestiltskin's warning in Once Upon A Time - 'all magic comes with a price'. In these books it really does!

'Sleep. Her own private torture.

She was too tired to stop it.

If I dream again, I swear, it'll kill me. For real.' (Dreams)

Spotlight on Gullane

View across the main green to the Mallard Hotel

Next week my little town is going to be overrun with people when the 2013 British Golf Open comes to Muirfield. Before images of it get beamed all over the country I decided now would be a nice opportunity to do a blog post all about Gullane.

First of all let me get one thing straight. It is pronounced Gull-ane. Not 'Gillin'. It's only pronounced 'Gillin' if you live on the north side of the main road and you're a posh twat. Us ordinary folk know it as Gullane. Quite why it's called this, I have no idea, but don't let the name put you off.

Gullane is officially big enough to be a town (we figured this out ten years back in geography), but it's a small town. The main high street boasts the essential Co-op, butchers, hairdressers, chip shop and two cafes. For such a small place we have an abundance of golf courses: 5 to be exact. We also have 4 pubs, all of them of the 'old man' variety. I used to work at the Golf Inn on the main high street. It's a beautiful old building, covered in ivy and it used to have a warm, cosy bar area with a great menu. Unfortunately, it was taken over last winter and the reports I have heard have not been positive. I do recommend a trip to the Auld Clubhoose round by the main green. They have quite a small menu, but their sticky toffee pudding is amazing and the inside decor is pretty quirky.

Goose Green

Gullane is a pretty little place. Goose Green is located to the north of the main street and it's like a village scene from a period drama with all the old houses and cottages. It's a great place to sit and soak up the sun. We also have a lovely beach, which is very popular on hot, sunny days. If you're looking to cool down after that, both the German cafe and the little sweet shop on the main street sell gorgeous ice cream.

As well as this, Gullane is home to the fire training school, where students train to become firefighters. It's actually at the top of my road and sometimes you can watch them carrying out exercises from my room window. Thursday night is fireman night in the village, so ladies, if you have a thing for firemen, get down to Gullane on a Thursday night!

A picture can convey so much more than words, so I'll leave you with some snaps I've taken over the last few years. Look out for some of these landmarks on your TV screens next week, or better still, come visit it for yourself. We're an hour away from Edinburgh by bus.

Little church just over from Goose Green

View across to Gullane No 1 Course and my dream house (the one with the round tower)

A World of Books

It's all starting to get very busy what with dissertation and placement, and from next week I am working four days instead of  just two. I am sorry for not updating my blog as often as I should, but finding time is an issue, as is finding things to blog about. Unfortunately there's not much other than dissertation and work going on at the moment, and I don't want to bore those brave souls amongst you who venture here to read my blog. You may be thinking, well, then, update us on your book project and on Publishers Inc. Alas, there is nothing to report. They are both currently being proofed for the millionth time, but hopefully one day soon I will be able to bring you news on them.

So, in the midst of all this, you would think that I would not be adding yet more books to my reading list. I honestly don't have as much time for reading as I would like right now. Whenever I can, I snatch some hours, but I am not getting through my books as quickly as I would like. A sensible person would realise that adding to the list right now would be rather stupid. A sensible person would focus on completing the books in the 'To Read' pile before adding more. I, however, am not a sensible person.

My current reading pile

This is my current 'To Read' pile. That doesn't include the books I still want to buy. In the last few weeks so many good books have been published, many of them additions to series I've already started. It pains me that I have yet to buy Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane, but as soon as I actually have money again I'm rushing out to get it. Since reading the first two pages of The Humans and being told how brilliant it is by my friend Lauren (who does have an eye for a good book), I now want to get a copy of that. I also discovered that the same author wrote a children's book called To Be a Cat. I cannot resist stories about cats. Moreover, I've been promising myself to read Looking for Alaska and the rest of the Game of Throne books (which will likely take a whole year), and as if that was not enough to make your head spin, I have been enjoying Daniela Sacerdoti's Dreams so much that I am definitely going to read Watch Over Me.

Let the Work Experience Commence!

Goal #3 for the year (and arguably the most important) - Take my first steps in getting a job in publishing. Last Thursday I made some progress on this front when I begun a work experience placement at Black & White Publishing in Leith, Edinburgh. This is my second work experience placement (I spent two weeks at Luath Press, also in Edinburgh, last March) and I was eager to get started and gain a further insight into the publishing world.

This placement is part of my MSc Publishing course, although I organised it myself. After a speculative email, I was answered almost immediately and luckily there was an opening which I gladly seized upon. A few people on my course had already been to Black & White and they all had seemed to have enjoyed it, so I looked them up and discovered they have quite a varied and exciting list. As well as many non-fiction titles, they also publish crime and mystery fiction, romance fiction and even (to my delight) a couple of young adult titles. Having discovered this I was excited for my first day.

Based on Ocean Drive, Black & White are a simple bus journey from Edinburgh city centre. I've not been to Leith too often (apart from one horrible interview/assessment with a recruitment company) but armed with Google maps I soon found my way to the office. It is a lovely, bright, airy office, and I even have my own intern desk, complete with stationary and Mac. My first impression when I walked in was one of wonderment. There are so many bookcases and so many books; I felt like a child in a candy shop. I probably came across as a little over-enthusiastic!

Book Review: Goddess

I bought Starcrossed, the first in Josephine Angelini’s trilogy, mainly because I loved the cover art so much. It also sounded like quite a good story. Once I started reading it, I quickly became hooked. I did fall ever-so-slightly in love with the hero, Lucas, and I loved the way the relationship between him and Helen was set up. It was the ultimate forbidden love and based on Paris and Helen of Troy no less. The concept was different to anything I’d ever read before: offspring of Gods and mortals, or scions, divided into four houses, tormented by the Furies so that they were driven to kill one another on sight. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to read the others.

Goddess is the conclusion to the trilogy. It was released back in May and though I must confess I hadn’t enjoyed the second installment, Dreamless, as much, I was still eager to find out how the series would wrap up.