Catégorie : Livres – Books

Book of the week ​: I feel bad about my neck and other thoughts about being a woman

Most of the time, great books finds me more then I find them.

Sometimes, they find me ahead of time, when I’m not entirely ready to read them. A great example would be the excellent The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. How do I know its an excellent book if I haven’t read it yet, yet again that its a perfect book for me, you ask?

Well, because in this novel, everything is there to love! Well, for me to love anyway. Goldrush in New Zealand in the 1860′, murder and mystery, now we’re talkin’!

Fateful books

Sometimes though, thrown my way by this mysterious blow of fate, books find me at the right time. That’s what happened with this book by Nora Ephron.

I swear, I’ve been trying to remember how this non-fiction book, written by a filmmaker I otherwise adored heart&soul, in short, how I came to buy this book at the end.

It was through writing research, for sure. I spent way too much time doing writing research. Its not good to constantly researching, since it slow the writing down; plus, its sparks many story ideas.

Now you might think I’m a heartless reader when you hear what I’m about to tell you, but I will be brave.

What I like the most about non-fiction is the freedom it gives me as a reader; by freedom, I mean the freedom to skip a chapter or two without feeling a smidgen of guilt.

I feel bad about my neck and other things

After reading that book, I stopped thinking me and Nora could have written a movie together.

Her writing is quick, witty, yet thoughtful, more so, soulful. Her love of New-York makes you want to drop everything and move there. Well, move in her beautiful apartment in the East side anyway.

I did skip some chapters, since I already knew I would go back to the book in one, five, ten years.

I feel bad about my neck, by Nora Ephron, is a must have in the Want-to-read pile

Book of the week: The Castle of Otranto

Thanks to my endless writing research, I got my hands on one the first, if not THE first gothic novel ever written. And I loved it !

Actually, truth to be told, a novel that is said to have inspired other writers, like Ann Radcliffe, to name the only one that I can think of right now (how can one who loves books as much as I do can forget the authors names so easily, I don’t know), and therefore the genre.

Now, it was written in 1764 and it set in the first Crusade era, so if you’re looking for creeping haunted mansion, you’ll be disappointed. 

I was a bit surprise to see where the novel was going, probably as much as the writer did himself, by the feel of it!

However a real good reading experience, at least if thou shall endure old english, that is.

It was a bit of a difficult challenge for me at first, since french is my native language and I’ve learned much of my english reading Harry Potter and watching Friends (on DVD; yep, I’m that old). 

Nevertheless, I truly enjoy the thrilling series of eerie events, like the back cover of my 2006 edition says. 

The knight and the haunted castle

That novel was a true find.

I was doing some research for a ghost story (which I abandoned because I got way too scared, honest to heavens!) and came across that intriguing claim : the first gothic novel ever written.

I had to check it out !

I’m so glad I did. The novel was such a fun read, a real page turner. Also the source of all literature cliché you can find.

You have to love it, if nothing else then for those tears shed by the women at the faintest kind words bestowed by a men, and vice-versa.

Plus, well, I have a little something for fugitive princess’s and devoted knights. That brings in mind, I’ve you seen one the earliest of all the wonderful Miyazaki movies, The castle of Cagliostro. With such a title, hard to not make some connections, you’ll say.

When a strange accident kills the son of the Prince of Otranto, a series of eerie events are set in motion. Oh dear, flying giant swords, lost fathers, peasant made knight, most passionate love triangle, perfectly odious vilain, name it, you got it !

Since it’s a classic, a lot of publisher’s have it and it’s easy to find.

Enjoy !