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 In the county of Basque, in northern Spain, three men stop at a bar before a wedding. In the bar resides Maria Antonia Etxarri, a teenager whose life is due to be intimately, if reluctantly, intertwined with the bride’s, Isabel Cruces. Told alternately through flashbacks to the past, including the war which occurred shortly after the wedding, and from a doctor’s viewpoint in the present day, The Wrong Blood slowly reveals to us a story of love and need. Two women, lives irrevocably altered by the war, find something that they need in one another, and find some degree of fulfilment even if their lives don’t turn out as they’d originally planned.
This is one book that demonstrates beautifully the reason I rarely stop reading books – I almost always finish them, and whether you agree that’s a good idea or not, it does mean I discover some gems I’d otherwise have stuck on the DNF pile. I have a history of disliking historical fiction set in Spain, but this sounded so appealing I just had to give it a try. At first I thought this was going to be another book I didn’t really like that much – I didn’t really understand what the three men were doing in the bar, the language felt distant and peculiar, and I just didn’t like the doctor. While I never really liked the doctor, I eventually grew to find the language poetic as I got further into the story and treasured the connections made in the rather strange beginning, as it all came together amazingly well by the end.
It was when the war began that things got interesting, because those events set off the huge changes that beset Maria Antonia and Isabel. When the novel starts, we know that Maria Antonia has inherited Isabel’s house in the present, even though Isabel has a grandson who is coming to stay there and Maria Antonia appears to have been the housekeeper. This immediately made me wonder what had happened, what connection bound these two women that Maria Antonia would be favored over Isabel’s own progeny? It took the whole novel to get there, but I finally found out, and it all made sense in the end, even the title. And along the way we’re treated to lovely prose (the translator did an excellent job here) and a very atmospheric story. I even loved that the time flipped from the past to the present because the contrast between the earlier Spain and the current Spain was marked and fascinating.
This particular novel fits perfectly the type of historical fiction that’s occupying me these days; set in a slightly unusual (for me) location and time with a compelling story to tell and great writing to back it up. It was such a wonderful read that I’m still thinking about it, and I am enthusiastically recommending The Wrong Blood to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I don’t think you’ll be sorry if you give it a shot.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book for free through Netgalley for review.
 Anchee Min grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution. She was virtually responsible for her younger siblings since the age of six, as her parents both had to work all day and thus had no time to actually provide for the family. Min grew up an ardent supporter and worshipper of Chairman Mao, even going off to become a peasant in relatively good spirits. It was only love that made her realize there was something wrong with the way her society worked, and which would eventually propel her to leave China and make her home in the West instead.
Since I’ve enjoyed a few fiction books by Anchee Min, I thought I’d read her memoir and see what really happened to her in the midst of Mao’s China. It was certainly a rewarding read, but since I’ve been quite obsessed with the period lately not much about it was actually new – it was just a new perspective on a similar story. It’s always vastly interesting to realize how completely people bought into the Communist mindset, if hard to believe – Min freely admits that she fell a victim to the craziness of the culture as much as anyone else did. It took her a long, long time to realize that life might be better elsewhere – so long that it’s not even in the scope of this book.
At the center of the book is a love story between Min and one of her Communist leaders. While the details are never totally explicit, the eroticism of this bit startled me and a love affair wasn’t quite what I was expecting in the midst of all the strict farming and regulations. She very eloquently demonstrates the fact that only this intense love can inspire minds – at least her mind – to break free of all the conditioning that had been forced into them throughout the years. Anchee Min seized not only on this relationship but on others, feeling them all the more intensely for their forbidden nature.
What was most incredible to me is the fact that Min is precisely the same age as my parents, and that really brought home to me how recent this was. Her life is so vastly different from my parents’ that it’s almost impossible to believe they lived in the same century. Shortly after this I read Chinese Whispers by Jan Wong, which also gave wonderful perspective on this in the light of modern China and how everything has become vastly different again. Min’s own story is set just in the right period to be an absolutely fascinating portrait of all that China was, no matter how brief that period was in their history.
This may not be my favorite account of life in China during the Cultural Revolution, but it was certainly an interesting one. I’d recommend Red Azalea to anyone interested in the period or looking for more on Anchee Min’s life in comparison to her fiction.
I am an Amazon Associate. I borrowed this book from my local library.
 The world has been more or less overtaken by zombies, groaning swaying creatures who exist mainly to feast on the remaining humans’ flesh. “R” is one such, but he occasionally has dreams about what it’s like to be human, and he thinks about who he was even though he can’t quite figure it out. On a raid one day, R sees a girl, Julie, and instead of eating her, decides to save her. He masks her with zombie blood and brings her back to the airport where the zombies live, somehow changed because of her brightness, vivacity, and humanness. Despite the fact that R is a zombie and Julie is a human, things begin to change between them, and R begins to wonder if there might be more to life than his zombie self realised.
I doubt my summary above conveyed this book properly, and I hope you haven’t clicked away, because I loved this book. I mean well and truly loved it, was completely drawn in by it, found passages in it that I liked and actually marked to remember. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll probably know by the lack of quotes around here that I simply don’t take note of it very often. I’m rarely struck by a particular passage to such an extent that I’ll specifically mark it out – I see them, but I generally just keep on reading. Not here.
What most struck me about the book was the fact that Marion used death in order to define life. It was somehow funny and profound at the exact same time – I knew that this guy was an arm-waving, moaning zombie, Marion cracks jokes regularly about how they try to recapture certain elements of their humanness – but at the same time he’s reminding his readers, reminding me, how actually amazing it is to be alive. And now I’ll shut up and just quote the book:
Sex, once a law as undisputed as gravity, has been disproved. The equation erased, the backboard broken.
Sometimes it’s a relief. I remember the need, the insatiable hunger that ruled my life and the lives of everyone around me. Sometimes I’m glad to be free of it. There’s less trouble now. But our loss of this, the most basic of all human passions, might sum up our loss of everything else. It’s made things quieter. Simpler. And it’s one of the surest signs that we’re dead. (p 25)
It just struck me as so poignant – life, messy as it is, is something that is precious, and now that R has lost it, he realises this.
Of course, this is also something of a love story, if one of the most unusual ones that I’ve ever read. I was doubtful at first, I’ll be honest, because who can imagine a zombie as a hero? I’m already not the world’s biggest fan of paranormal romances. But, rather astonishingly, it works, and it’s not because we forget R is a zombie, either, as we’re reminded of this very often. Instead, it’s because we can see inside his head, and we see how he changes as Julie enters his life. It’s quite a remarkable book. And despite the author’s intro amusingly citing his lack of qualifications, it’s beautifully written, and I was pulled into this post-apocalyptic world without any effort on my part.
Warm Bodies is an astonishingly beautiful book – a reminder of what it is to be human and a touching romance wrapped up in a zombie novel, of all things. It’s also wildly funny at times and even disgusting at others, which also makes it one of the most peculiar books I’ve ever read, but it’s oh so worth it. You truly won’t be sorry you picked this gem up.
One last quote, on this post-apocalyptic world:
What is left of us? the ghosts moan, drifting back into the shadows of my subconscious. No countries, no cultures, no wars but still no peace. What’s at our core, then? What’s still squirming in our bones when everything else is stripped? (p 148)
I am an Amazon Associate. I won this book from the publisher on Twitter.
 Thursday has decided to return to Swindon, although she enjoys her job in the book world. When her son Friday starts speaking Lorem Ipsum she knows she has to return to the real world to raise him. Beyond that, she also wants to find a way to uneradicate her husband, Landen, who has never met his son, and she finds herself in charge of protecting Hamlet. There’s also an all-important croquet match to be won, some time travelling of course, and a few discoveries along the way that make this installment a must-read for fans of the series so far.
I’ve always enjoyed this series, but I think I liked this book better than the rest. I found it a little hard to get into – it’s that adjustment period fitting myself back into Fforde’s world – but once I was in I was hooked, and a bit sorry it had taken me so long to actually get to this particular book. Once I remembered where I was, all those emotional connections came back, and I was really wrapped up in the story, particularly Thursday’s quest to get her husband back. Being apart from the one you love is pretty terrible, and even in a fictional world, the fact that no one remembered him was just heartbreaking.
The story for itself was quite a good one, too, and I just love the huge number of literary references scattered throughout. Hamlet was pretty obviously the big one for this book, although there is quite a memorable scene with the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Fforde pulls in some historical references too with Thursday’s time traveling father, which obviously just pulled me in even further; there isn’t much I like better than fantasy AND history in one book! Especially when the book has an ending as wonderful as this one did – I’m almost not sure I want to go to the next one, but I’m also very curious about what happens next.
This is a bit of a short review as I’m never sure where to go with series books that I’ve already reviewed some of, so I’ll just leave you by saying I enjoyed Something Rotten very much. The whole Thursday Next series is wonderful for those who enjoy fantasy or science fiction and, of course, books.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 It’s not so early morning here, and I’ve been back and reading for a little over an hour now! I stayed up until about 1, then woke up at 8:30 to keep on going with Neither Here Nor There. I do expect to finish it before the end of the Read-a-thon, but I’ll be having a quick break for breakfast and possibly lunch, so I doubt I’ll get anything else finished. I bet I will finish a fifth book before the end of Sunday, so though I haven’t quite achieved my objective, I’ll say that’s close enough.
Strangely, I have discovered that non-fiction is definitely slower than fiction. I thought I was getting close to the same speed, but I’m really not! I don’t mind, I just think it’s bit funny, as I don’t note these things in my normal reading life. I suspect it’s because I have no real feeling of urgency to find out what happened, as I would with a book based more on plot, so I slow down a bit to enjoy.
Books Read From: 4
Pages Read: 794
Time Spent Reading: 10:15
Books Read:
- The Passport, Herta Muller
- The Lost City of Z, David Grann
- A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby
How is everyone else doing? Still awake or up again?
I’m pretty impressed that I’ve managed to stay up this late! I’ve finished three books now. A Long Way Down took me a bit longer than it should have, but mainly because I took a break to stretch and eat some cheese and crackers and forgot to note it. Silly me! I’m also reading quite slowly as I think my husband is feeling the pinch and keeps talking to me, which definitely slows things down, but I think I’ll forgive him. 
I still haven’t participated in any of the mini-challenges and I’m not sure I’m going to! I’m enjoying just reading and to be honest, I’m not really looking to win any books. I’m trying to cut down on my TBR pile, not add to it, although I wouldn’t protest if I got lucky.
My next book will be Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson. I’m switching between fiction and non-fiction and while it’s made me read a bit less, I think it’s a nice change from the usual overdose of lighter fiction books I choose for the Read-a-thon. Anyway, here’s how I’m doing:
Number of Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 624
Time Spent Reading: 8:08
Time Spent Blogging: 1:58
Ooh, I nearly missed the mid-event survey!
1. What are you reading right now?
I’m just about to start Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
2. How many books have you read so far?
3 so far.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I think this one, actually; I really like Bill Bryson and I’ve saved this one for a month or so now.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
No, I just didn’t make any plans!
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes, I have had a few interruptions, and mostly I’ve just rolled with them. Luckily they haven’t lasted too long, so I’ve been able to get back to reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Not too much really, I’m just surprised I’m still awake. I’ve been asleep at this time in the first three, I’m pretty sure. I’m not good at staying up.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Not yet!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing yet; I might make more concrete plans in terms of meals and snacks like others do, but I just wasn’t organized this time around.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
I am, but hopefully I can still read a bit before dropping off.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I don’t right now, but if or when I do I will share. =)
How’s everyone else doing now? Still good I hope!
I’ve been distracted quite a bit this evening – my husband managed to upgrade my Android phone from 1.5 to 2.1 and it’s like having a whole new phone! As a result I haven’t really put in the reading time that I wanted, although I did manage to finish The Lost City of Z, putting my total books read up to 2 so far. Not that impressive, but at least I enjoyed that one! I’m now reading A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, which seems pretty good so far. I’m about to go leave some comments, then I’ll be back to it.
Number of books read from: 3
Titles: The Lost City of Z by David Grann, The Passport by Herta Muller, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
Pages read: 412
Time spent reading: 5:23
Time spent blogging: 1:28
I’ve made some good progress so far I think – I’ve managed to read one, very small (92 page) book, which I really disliked, called The Passport by Herta Muller. It just felt very scattered to me in terms of story and was completely fixated on imagery and allegory. I would prefer a coherent narrative to surreal phrases full of meaning every time – but never mind, it’s out of the way! I’ve moved on The Lost City of Z by David Grann and I’ve read 50 pages so far; it’s excellent and I think I’m finally about to feel pleased about the fact that I’ve signed myself up to read all day! And I can’t forget that I have an excellent pile awaiting me when I’ve finished this one, too.
Without further ado, I’ll answer the questions for the first meme and then get back to reading.
Where are you reading from today?
I’m currently in Beverley, in East Yorkshire, England.
3 facts about me …
I can’t remember what I used last time. I’ll think up some new ones.
- I am probably the world’s newest SEO (search engine optimizer). I help Google find the sites people want to see. But I’m a historian at heart and in my spare time.
- I’ve been married for almost a year now.
- I’m going to be in Paris in two weeks for my anniversary.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I think it was 14. No, I’m not going to read 14 books – I’d like to read at least five though.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
I’d like to read five books and do some blog commenting, probably after I’ve finished my next book. I want to get out and cheer a bit, although I haven’t signed up for an hour. Mainly because I’m unpredictable and can’t stay awake too late.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Just enjoy yourself and be happy with what you read! Don’t spend too much time on the challenges, because they *will* suck up your time, although they can be fun. Go out and visit people, but remember to read as well. And get on Twitter (I’m @mbookworm) – it’s a lot of fun when you’re looking to stop reading print for a bit.
Good luck everyone!
It’s time for Dewey’s 24 hour Read-a-thon, and even though I’ve only just completed my preparation for it, I’m now ready to go and looking forward to it. I’m trying to read short books because my TBR pile seriously needs cutting down, and I’ve requested too many books from the library so I need to return some before they’re due. Here’s the pile of books I’ve put together, along with my Kindle which also has a few options for fast reads:
 I’m not really going into this Read-a-thon with defined goals. This is my fourth Read-a-thon, so I think I know what to expect. What I would like to do differently this time is create a draft post after each book, so I have some basis for reviewing them later. I’m still five reviews behind despite my attempts to catch up, so if I write some thoughts down when they’re fresh in my mind it may be better than just leaving each book and coming back to them a week from now when I’ve read tons more.
I also know I’m not going to stay up for 24 hours – in fact, I will probably be asleep by 10! But I should have a few hours tomorrow to fit some more reading in before the official end. I’m actually trying not to snack, but instead making a huge batch of baked ziti to see us through this afternoon and tomorrow. It will be different, that’s for sure!
Are you participating in the Read-a-thon? If you are, good luck! If you’re not, do you have any advice for which book I should read first?
 Bartholomew Fortuno is one of several regular acts at P T Barnum’s American Museum in New York City. He is the stereotypical thin man; he eats virtually nothing to the point where his bones and organs are clearly delineated beneath his skin. He doesn’t see his act as mere human fascination with the grotesque; instead he hopes to connect with those in the audience by showing them their true nature. When a mysterious new act, a woman with a beard, arrives at the museum, Bartholomew finds himself enthralled and abandons his old friends in favor of the new woman. When he discovers that she isn’t what she seems, he’s forced to reevaluate his entire life and career.
Unfortunately this is a book I just felt rather “meh” about. It’s made it very difficult to write this review. I was quite excited by the prospect of it at first. I’m really interested in the history of the circus and just read quite an interesting non-fiction YA book on Tom Thumb, who was a figure at the American Museum, so I was eager to enjoy this exciting era through fiction. I wasn’t quite as enthralled as I’d hoped, but I did enjoy the book overall.
In some ways, it did live up to what I expected of it. I was fascinated by the way that Bartholomew defines himself through his physical self, the way his thinness and unnatural lack of hunger has changed the way he’s lived his life. He almost gets arrogant about his body, convinced that he’s truly something special, rather than a man who starves himself to become a freak that is gawked at by countless people every day. It led me to wonder if that was how I’d cope, should this have been my life. Would I too ascribe such importance to my physical dimensions and give myself airs because I exposed some part of human nature others couldn’t see in themselves? I don’t know, but it was quite fascinating.
As a result of his arrogance, though, I didn’t really ever come to like Fortuno. I hated his fixation with the bearded lady, his refusal to see the world as it really was. He truly gets airs about himself and neglects his friends – people who genuinely care about him – in favor of this woman who really doesn’t care what happens to him. He is completely out of touch with reality, which is an essential facet of his character but made him so hard to like.
There isn’t much else to this novel beyond Fortuno’s slow reevaluation of the world around him, which makes it a bit of a slow read, but it is nevertheless interesting. I particularly enjoyed the thorough imagining of the American Museum. It really helped me picture what it might have been to live there, especially as one of the exhibits. I felt for many of those who weren’t Bartholomew, and I wished for their lives to get better and for them to escape the exploitation.
Though I think The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno could have been more, it was still an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone else who is interested in thinking about the origins of the circus or New York City in the mid 19th century.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book for free from the publisher for review.
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