HARUKI MURAKAMI – What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

20 Apr 2009 – Amazon Christmas vouchers (I think)

Interestingly, a book about running which seemed more aimed at the non-runner than the runner – a lot of explanation about what a lot of us take for granted. Which is no bad thing of course.  I really enjoyed this book where you get a real feel for how he runs, trains, how he started running, why he does it…. Loosely based around a sort of memoir and a look at a couple of marathons and a triathlon, there’s a fair bit about how he writes too.  I’ve only read one of Murakami’s novels, I think, but I enjoyed this insight, too.  The bliss, the zoning out and the pain of the long distance runner is evoked beautifully with none of the yucky, my-injury-trumps-yours stuff which often creeps into the subject.  Murakami runs to be alone, and runs because it’s a thing to do alone; he bonds with other competitors in his annual marathon and triathlon, but is very much his own person.

Happy points: he wears Mizuno trainers like me! and I liked a mantra he mentioned: "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional".  I really like that.  He also has one about being a machine which I like.

So, a memoir, a book about writing and a book about running.  Not too long, always interesting and I will definitely re-read this.

PAULO QUAGLIO – Television Dialogue: The Sitcom “Friends” vs. Natural Conversation

Library

One for the reader versed in corpus linguistics, this interesting study compares various linguistic features across transcripts (not scripts) of Friends episodes and a similar number of words from a corpus of American conversation.  The aim was to see if Friends talk was similar to natural conversational language, and to examine whether sitcoms would be a suitable resource for English as a Second Language students.  The outcomes were interesting (heck, none of you regular readers are going to read this and not want me to spoil it, are you!).  Friends has less vague language (the interlocutors include the audience, so things must be made that bit clearer), more emotional language (possibly due to the situation), more slang and expletives (missing out the f and s words by being on the telly means they use more slightly less contentious words) and more informal language – this last possibly an over-compensation on the part of the writers.

Interesting stuff, showing that sitcom writers and actors have a grasp of the rules of natural language without having studied them in the depth that some of us go to.

JOHN SAUMAREZ SMITH (ed.) – The Bookshop At 10 Curzon Street

Acquired via BookCrossing 08 Jul 2009 – bookring

Letters between Nancy Mitford and Heywood Hill, who ran the bookshop at which she worked in the 1940s – they maintained a correspondance up until her death in the 1970s.  As jolly but not as inpenetrable as some of the letters between the Mitford sisters, these give a lovely flavour of a close and supportive friendship.

A delightful set of letters that I’ve devoured over a few days (I thought I should get it read, lest it disappear into the TBR’s yawning chasm) – I am having a bit of a Mitford Fest at the moment as also working my way through the complete letters, but this filled in some gaps and it was lovely having Heywood Hill’s letters too.  Intriguing how the editor of the book gets into its latter stages himself. Oh, and I’ll definitely have a look into the bookshop, as it’s still going apparently!

ANGELA BRAZIL – The Nicest Girl in the School

Bought at the Methodist Book Sale 28 Feb 2009

A rather battered but still readable classic girls’ school story.  Dear Patty is a delight to all, although she secretly struggles with the effects of her cousin Muriel’s blanking of her, even though they’re at the same school.  In between improving her own self through patience and a stiff upper lip, and helping others do what is right rather than what is fun, will she get a chance to improve relations with Muriel? A classic seaside theme brings us to an inescapable conclusion – but it’s fun getting there and a jolly and escapist read.

LORNA BARRETT – Murder Is Binding

Acquired via BookCrossing 06 Jul 2009 – on a BookSpiral

A new cosy mystery series, this time set in a Book Town in NE America.  The usual quirky characters and a mystery to solve that’s not too gruesome for me.  I felt this was a little slow to start off with, maybe there’s not as much to bookselling as to my usual needlecraft mysteries, but it certainly picked up in the second part of the book, and I didn’t guess whodunnit.  Looking forward to the next one!

Oh – knowing I’d finish this today, another bookring of Ali’s appeared on my front door mat this morning!!

ROSE TREMAIN – The Road Home

Acquired via BookCrossing 25 Apr 2009 – at the Birmingham BookCrossers’ meetup

It seems everyone has read this except me. In fact, I think I had the author mixed up with Rosie Thomas.  Anyway, this is a meticulously researched, affecting and engaging novel about a man from an unnamed Eastern European country trying to make it in the UK.  The descriptions of London life are both familiar and skewed, as we look at them from an outsider’s point of view, and as heartbreaking as I found it to live there.  The book seems bleak, and there are indeed dark moments both in the UK and back home, but redemption is possible if you look in perhaps a different place, and the kindness of strangers is a slim, true strand. Excellent stuff.

Picked it up to read and release at Uncon, ended up finishing it on the train journey home and leaving it on the train – thanks for the emergency postit, Jen!

ALEXANDER MCCALL-SMITH – The Miracle at Speedy Motors

Acquired via BookCrossing 27 Jun 2009 – picked up at Mozfest

Read out of order so I could read it on the way to Edinburgh and release it there (it actually came back to the Midlands with another happy reader, but that’s fine!). More No 1 Ladies’ fun and more of a satisfying read than recent ones, I feel.  Lots of lovely detail, a heartbreaking moment for romance, and a good train read.

ANNE GEORGE – Murder on a Bad Hair Day

Acquired via BookCrossing 4 Apr 2009 – Shrewsbury meetup

I really enjoyed this cosy mystery set in Birmingham, Alabama! Having ascertained that the jokes about the statue of Vulcan’s backless apron are indeed based in reality, I settled down to a jolly tale about mismatched sisters and their wider community, trying to track down a killer who has struck at a local art gallery.  Light stuff but well done and I will look out for more by this author.

MICHAEL FOOT – Aneurin Bevan Vol 1: 1897-1945

Bought at the Methodist Book Sale 28 Feb 2009

An excellent biography; Foot writes extremely well with a touch of the Andrew Marr about his style (obviously the influence would have run the other way really) and, although it is admiring, with Foot admitting to being a hero-worshipper, it’s not hagiographical.  Fascinating background detail about the strikes and WW2 makes this required reading, and I’m already searching for Vol 2!