A Brief History of Seven Killings

Book 61 of 2015 is A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.

This is the first time that I have read a Man Booker Prize winner as soon as it won and I don't think I'll be doing that ever again.

This book was written in an interesting way. The voices were distinct and I've not see that done this well in a while.

The problem is that I was sick of the rape and killings in the fifth chapter. The rest was awful.

Was I supposed to me shocked and challenged by that? If so, I was just bored.

Just because the words are strung together well, does not mean this is a good book to read.

3 confronting black references out of 5.

Should I read this? If you like literature for the sake of it then maybe.
What did I learn? Literature should still offer something to people who aren't snobby book types.

Writing Again

The writing stopped when the reading started. The chaotic reading that consumed every alternative hour. The balance was lost. The loss was missed.

And so it paused and was parked and was mute. I was mute.

It is odd that we have a finite amount of time. Some days that hits me and other days it feels like we have forever. It seems only to be a hard limit when the wall appears in my face while I'm moving at light speed.

It is time for more balance. For some damn balance. For a semblance of balance at the very least.

Lets do that then.

Love, only love

The Mermaid's Sister

Book 58 of 2015 is The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble.

These are the kinds of fantasy books that make me remember why I used to dislike fantasy.

Instead of there being an exciting adventure with magical creatures and fantastical characters, this book gave me a pathetic little girl in love with her sister's boyfriend and all the childish rubbish that goes with this.

Having discovered after reading this that this is a children's book, I'm still unimpressed. Can we teach young women to respect strong female characters and not just love boys?

3 pearl tears out of 5.

Should I read this? No.
What did I learn? Mermaids tears turn in to pearls.

Daring Greatly

Book 57 of 2015 is Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown.

I can't say enough positive things about book. It could be because it validates the opinions I have on vulnerability or because Brown articulates those opinions better than I am able to.

This sums it up for me:

1. Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think
2. Cultivating Self‐Compassion: Letting Go of Perfectionism
3. Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness
4. Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark
5. Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty
6. Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison
7. Cultivating Play and Rest: Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self‐Worth
8. Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle
9. Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting Go of Self‐Doubt and “Supposed To”
10. Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting Go of Being Cool and “Always in Control”

5 bouts of shame resilience out of 5.

Should I read this? If you respect vulnerability in others and are working on your own authenticity then yes..
What did I learn? I'm on the right path. Now I have more tools.

The Gone-Away World

Book 56 of 2015 is The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway.

Harkaway is the son of John le Carré so no pressure. I didn't find this out until more than half way through the book but then it made a lot of sense. Some online critic described this Le Carré with ninjas but that is unfair and overly simplistic. Harkaway is a great writer independently of his great writer father.

This is an original story which I'd say is closest to Fight Club than most other books I can compare to.

I can't talk too much about the story because there are too many spoilers and you must take the journey yourself.

5 ninjas out of 5.

Should I read this? Without a doubt, yes.

What did I learn? There are very few writers who write this well. This is an adventure in writing and is so well executed that I sometimes felt dirty.

Edgar Allan Poe: The Fever Called Living

Book 55 of 2015 is Edgar Allan Poe: The Fever Called Living by Paul Collins.

One of the better biographies of Poe. He doesn't condemn him, celebrate him nor pretend to understand him. These are the kind of books about authors I like. A story. A context. A human being.
presented as they are without influence,

Unfortunately, as a short book, this felt too long and I wanted more of Poe's great quotes written in context. Give me context!

3 ravens out of 5.

Should I read this? If you like Edgar Allen Poe then yes.
What did I learn? I need to read more about authors.