Book highlights of 2013

2013 was the year I prioritised writing over reading, but there was no way I could cut out reading entirely! As if!

An incredible debut which caught my attention was the first of a series by young writer Samantha Shannon. The book, The Bone Season, is a clever and captivating tale about clairvoyants who have been ostracised and forced into a life of crime. It creates that world within a world that will keep the reader hooked throughout and there is also a strong female lead and the fascinating Warden who takes her on.

 

One of the most sophisticated and classy novels I had the pleasure of reading this year was Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures by Emma Straub, a story of one woman's battle with both her private and public personas, as she moves from a rural upbringing to the bright lights of Hollywood's golden era.

Though the books are not new to 2013, film adaptations released this year have sent me to some incredible novels, including the complex and fascinating study of human behaviour, World War Z by Max Brooks and the delightfully dark and romantic Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. There was also the superb memoir 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup and the delightful Austenland by Shannon Hale (which led to a rather entertaining and heated debate at the book vs film club!).

There were lots of great bookish events to enjoy this year too, including meeting the lovely Victoria Fox at the launch of her new book Wicked Ambition and the glamorous RNA winter party. The highlight, though, has to be a trip to the BBC to see Sarah Alexander record the vocals for The Wedding Knight by Sophie Kinsella as it was prepared for their Books at Beachtime series.

Of course 2013 was also the year the fantastic Kirsty Greenwood launched her book Yours Truly in paperback!

What have your book highlights been this year?

Austenland: Book vs Film Club

Shannon Hale’s 'Austenland' is about one woman’s obsession with Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice and – to be precise – Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr Darcy.

This short and easy-to-read novel is an absolute delight to read (and easy to carry on the commute!). The characters are hilarious, especially Jane herself, and the comedy in throwing a modern day American woman into an Austenesque retreat in the English countryside is non-stop. Jane is endearing, despite her ridiculously outdated ideas of love and romance, and it’s easy to warm to her.

It really is the perfect, enjoyable read for any Austen fan – especially anyone who fell in love with Firth's Mr Darcy. Your face will ache from smiling.

The film adaptation takes a much more slapstick approach to the story and takes the whole setting to more theatrical depths, with the emphasis more on gags than witty banter. 

It does provide plenty of laughs but the Austenland story is very specific in its appeal. If you love Austen and are in the mood for something silly it might just work for you. It is, though, incredibly indulgent and the humour (especially in the film) is very tongue in cheek – so much so that many may find it more patronising and insulting than clever and witty. It is a story designed to be taken as it was intended: silly escapist fun. 

Ultimately, as the subject of the book vs film club, there were mixed – and extreme – reactions to Austenland in both formats but the difference in opinion certainly made for a more fun discussion than Gatsby, which everyone seemed in agreement over.

Film - 3/5
Book - 4/5