Driving Clouds Into Nostalgic Territory

Hello!

I'm back!  Officially this time, rather than the half-hearted and rather manic attempt last time, this blog post is actually about something.  Hooray!  This is partly/completely due to my dissertation being completed, handed in, submitted online, and all piles of paper relating to its creation burnt in a cleansing ritual.  Hooray indeed!  So I feel like I have a bit of my brain back, which is nice.

The range of my intelligence: The Oxford Classical Dictionary
next to A Simple Life, written by a meerkat

In order to finish The Evil That Took Over My Life, I retired to the country, as I thought that's what intelligent people do, at least that's what Oscar Wilde has led me to believe.  This tactic worked pretty well, mainly due to my dad's system of 'no wine until you've written 1,000 words', but it also made me feel particularly 16 again.  This not being an age I would like to be again, it was somewhat unnerving at times.  My bedroom has grown up at least.  Apparently if we ever have visitors they can't be allowed to stay in a purple and white stripy room, even if the turtle and fish were painted onto the wall lovingly by yours truly.  So, at least I didn't wake up in the morning in the exact same room and momentarily panic that I had gone back in time, too terrifying - school, 16 year-old boys, not knowing how to dress myself or apply make up, having no idea where my life is heading...mmm so maybe only school and the age of the boys has changed then.  Anyway, the one thing that hasn't changed much, that I don't mind one bit, is the books.

When I go home, one of the best things is that all the books from my childhood are still there on the shelves, waiting for me, welcoming me back.  I've read them all, and blimey it's a weird collection, but there is something unequivocally comforting about the books you loved as a child.

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith, as I may have mentioned before, is my ultimate favourite book, and I love the cover of this addition because the Cassandra on the front looks exactly how I want her to look.

Then we have Pride and Prejudice, because it's a truth universally acknowledged, that sometimes you just need the witticisms and romance of Miss Austen to brighten your day. The Runaways by Elizabeth Goudge is very much a country read; as a child who spent most of her time outside, the freedom of these children who escape to their Uncle Ambrose' magical country house seemed like the perfect adventure to me. It's so nostalgic of summer days, playing in fields and picking blackberries that I notice when reading it that in various parts of my memory, I've confused my childhood with theirs.

Can you spot my book angel?

Fred the Angel, an absolutely amazing book by Martin Waddell. Fred is an angel in training, but gets into so many scrapes that it seems unlikely he'll ever earn his wings. It's such a funny and clever idea for a story, I always loved the idea of driving clouds around heaven.

Finally, Fifteen looks very old school, and that's because it is. It belonged to my mum and she read it when she was 15. Occasionally it feels a bit dated, and sometimes a bit American, but the feelings and dramas of Jane are so relatable that you soon forget about dates and geography. She just wants to be taken seriously, she's embarrassed by her clothes and she really, really wants to meet a boy. I remember reading it for the first time and being thoroughly surprised that girls in the 'olden days' (sorry Mum) felt the exact same things as me. That in itself is a really comforting feeling, that the world can change as much as it likes but the inner concerns of teenage girls are timeless.

I can't help but wonder if my own children will have bedrooms like mine, full of books and memories. I

Here he is!
A playmobile pirate,
complete with giant compass!

think one of the main arguments for books in a time of digital advancement, is that we do get emotionally attached to them. Yes the nostalgia comes from the content, but we rely on the physical books to keep those stories safe. The smells, pictures and texture of the pages, they all stay with us and fill us with comfort. Can an ereader do the same? I think not. I'm all for digital technology, especially for children, I think digital products can promote creativity and imagination in new and exciting ways.

But books are the perfect things for initiating a love affair with reading, and for those great moments when you remember the joy of driving clouds.

Solidifying!

Hi, Howdy, Yo, How're doing?

Wow, so June....I would love to say I've been busy. I'd love to give you a justifiable reason why I've not written anything in two months...I'd love to.

Instead, I'll explain it through metaphor. This Happened.

But just imagine I'm the witch and the water is LIFE, OK? That's basically what happened.

There are three things that are important when you're 24 (in a really superficial-1st world kinda way) and they are:
1) Your job 
2) Your social life
3) Men


Me at 24

1) Can't get a job
2) Can't leave the library due to The Evil Thing (dissertation)
3) Spend my time imagining legitimate ways I will bump into Henry Cavil. I know Henry, it would be magical


So that's why the melting happened.





BUT, I've decided to solidify (hence name of post, amazing link there I think you'll agree...because I melted...yeah?) and start writing again. 

"PHEW" I hear you all silently cry! 
And I can promise that the next few blog posts will be extra silly, extra bookish and extra existent...which I feel is a good step forward. I may even experiment with some fiction, or dabble in some prose, but only if you're very, very good.

Here's a hint at some things I might write about, just to wet those tastebuds, or tease those eyes or whatever it is that happens.

• CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND WHY THEY'RE AWESOME (in no way connected to the fact that I would really, really, really like a job in children's books)

• ME AND WHY I'M AWESOME (joke....or is it? *employ me*)

• ON DISCOVERING FEMINISM AT LATITUDE

• ummmm COWS, HENRY CAVIL, FLOWERS, LEMURS....OTHER THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME

• ON OVER-USING THE WORD AWESOME

Yeah, that should keep us going for a bit. 

I'll write again once I've thought of something funny/interesting/to pass the time.

See you in another two months then.

Book Review: Sky Song by Sharon Sant

I was recently caught staring into the bathroom mirror trying to see if my eyes change colour…they don’t. Two green eyes continued to stare unsympathetically back at me so I’ve concluded I’m nothing like Jacob Lightfoot, though it’s fair to say, not many people are. 

Jacob Lightfoot is the slightly strange protagonist of Sharon Sant’s debut novel Sky Song. This is the first in a trilogy that sees young Jacob discover his true identity and the huge amount of responsibility that comes with being different. 

The story starts in a recognisable manner; it opens with a scenario that evokes thousands of questions, and then relaxes into a setting of the scene that leads to a dramatic but comfortable read. This is not necessarily a criticism, this method is a tried and tested formula for young adult novels that works well, and is not to say that the plot is predictable. From poor Jacob’s rude awakening one morning by a creepy individual in his bedroom telling him that he, Jacob, does not exist, the plot hurtles around corners and loops the loops at alarming speed. It is brilliantly surprising with every chapter and Sant manages to include many themes without the plot feeling cluttered. Jacob, in essence, is a normal teenage boy; he finds it difficult to fit in, he loves his best friends, bickers with his parents and has girl problems. He also, however, has eyes that change colour, a photographic memory and a feeling that something inside him is waking up. 

One of my favourite things about this story is Sant’s characterisation. Unlike many young adult novels where the main characters seem much wiser and articulate that normal teenagers, Sant’s characters feel very real. I can easily hear their interactions and especially like how the intimacy and affection between Jacob and his friends and with his parents is always apparent without having to be spelled out. Sant obviously has skill at portraying her characters so it is somewhat disappointing that this talent doesn’t stretch to all areas of the book. I never really felt like I knew Dae at all. I would have loved more interaction between him and Jacob so that when (SPOILER ALERT) Dae dies I feel some of that harrowing sadness that envelopes Jacob when he finds out. But I didn’t pity Dae at all and it’s such a pivotal moment for Jacob that I knew I must be missing something. I think the problem I had is that a lot has to be explained to the reader; who Makash is for example, and why he is angry. The revelations about Dae have to be awkwardly communicated, which is why I think they lose their significance, and I don’t feel the reader ever quite understands who the watcher is or why this is such an important position. This may sound ridiculous but I didn’t really realise that Astrae was another physical planet until the very end, I thought it was a sort of state of mind, which obviously makes it quite different! 

It would have been great if Sant could have developed these issues further so that readers can figure out more by themselves. I, personally, would have appreciated more description and detail about Jacob’s time on/in Astrae and truly what is expected of him so I could fully understand the weight of his decision. We heard so much about Jacob hearing and feeling his home inside his head but I felt that we didn’t get to hear or feel it ourselves. 

Sky Song is the first in a trilogy so I am hopeful that many of my questions will be answered in the second and third books, which I would still very much like to read.  Sant is a talented writer and there are obviously so many excellent and creative ideas inside her head, I would just more of them on paper.

@SharonSant 

http://sharonsant.com/