1. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - 05.01.08

Title of book: Anansi Boys

Author of book: Neil Gaiman

Synopsis:

Fat Charlie Nancy is not actually fat. He was fat once but he is definitely not fat now. No, right now Fat Charlie Nancy is angry, confused and more than a little scared - right now his life is spinning out of control, and it is all his dad's fault. If his rotter of an estranged father hadn't dropped dead at a karaoke night, Charlie would still be blissfully unaware that his dad was Anansi, the spider god. He would have no idea that he has a brother called Spider, who is also a god. And there would be no chance that said brother would be trying to take over his life, flat and fiancee, or, to make matters worse, be doing a much better job of it than him. Desperate to reclaim his life, Charlie enlists the help of four more-than-slightly eccentric old ladies and their unique brand of voodoo - and between them they unleash a bitter and twisted force to get rid of Spider. But as darkness descends and badness begins, is Fat Charlie Nancy going to get his life back in one piece or is he about to enter a whole netherworld of pain?

'Anansi Boys' is the sequel to 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman, but you can read them separately, so I am planning on reading 'American Gods' real soon.

'Anansi Boys' tells the story of Fat Charlie Nancy, who is in fact not fat but has been labelled with the name since his Dad called him that. Fat Charlie's life has consisted of being continually embarrassed by his Dad, who we eventually find out is the Spider God, Anansi. To make matters worse, Fat Charlie is shy, quiet and very unassuming, then his Dad died and everything changes.
Suddenly Fat Charlie finds himself in the realm of the Gods and the adventure really begins.

I thought 'Anansi Boys' was brilliant, I loved all the characters especially Fat Charlie, there was some moments that Fat Charlie experienced which you could relate to (i.e the wrath of embarrassing parents), his relationship with his future mother in law and being stuck in a job that he does not necessary like but feels he must to do it. Fat Charlie was a lovely character.

Read 'Anansi Boys' as soon as you get an opportunity, you will not be disappointed. I for one will be reading a lot more of Neil Gaiman's work.

Rating: 10/10

Title of book: Where were you, Robert?

Name of author: Hans Magnus Enzensberger

ISBN: 014028625X

Number of pages: 272 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New Ed edition (10 April 2001)

Synopsis:

An enchanting journey through time and through history, this phenomenal European bestseller is a magically evocative novel for readers of all ages. Fifteen-year-old Robert is a dreamer and one evening while he is watching television his eyes blur over and he quite literally disappears from his kitchen. He has become a time traveller. Each journey takes him further from his home and further back through the centuries, and soon he no longer holds any hope of returning...until he becomes a painter's apprentice in 17th century Amsterdam, where at last his photographic memory may help him to return to the future.

‘Where were you, Robert?’ tells the story of Robert, a fifteen year old boy who daydreams and is often forgetful, so forgetful in fact that he has a habit of picking up random items and putting them into his pocket, a small screwdriver, a calculator, a toy Porsche and the list goes on as the story continues.

At the beginning of the story we find Robert experiencing problems with his eyes, blurry visions, the constant urge to rub his eyes and when he does he sees ‘films’ behind his eyelids, (but he does not tell the doctor that part) etc, to resolve this Robert is given eye drops which he promptly pours out and fills the bottle with water. Robert’s story really begins when whilst watching a film on television he begins to rub his eyes and before he knows it, he is in the film on the television, but it is no longer television, it is reality, Robert has found himself in Russia.

As the story progresses Robert is transported to different places, every place he ends up in, he is going back slowly in time, becoming confidant to a spoilt princess, a highwayman and so on.

‘Where were you, Robert?’ is a book I like to call ‘a hidden treasure’ because I actually found it by accident in Fopp (I was looking for something else). ‘Where were you Robert?’ is very much a hidden treasure, it’s been compared to Harry Potter but I do not see the similarities at all.

The only thing that was put me off the book was Robert’s arrogance.

All in all, a good read (apart from an arrogant Robert).

Rating: 8/10

So far, so good, I finally got to part 2! which is an achievement in itself.

A new year, a new reading adventure. I have put all the titles under different headings.

Currently reading:

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Autobiography:

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Contemporary:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

How to talk to a widower by Jonathan Tropper

JPod by Douglas Coupland

Naked Lunch by William Burroughs

Notes on a scandal by Zoe Heller

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde

The Other side of the bridge by Mary Lawson

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Classics:

Emma by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

Fantasy:

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass.

Horror:

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Margaret Atwood:

Curious Pursuits - Occasional Writing

Life Before Man

Moral Disorder

Surfacing

Thriller:

Catch me when I fall by Nicci French