Date: January 5th, 2012

The Compulsive Reader News
maggieball@compulsivereader.com
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html

Volume 13, Issue 1, 6th January 2012
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IN THIS ISSUE

New Reviews
Literary News
Survey News
Competition News
Coming soon

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NEW REVIEWS AT THE COMPULSIVE READER

A review of Two Princesses by Vladimir Odoevsky

There is a sense in this story of how Russia was changing; and it is clear as well that Odoevsky approved of the change and trusted the younger generation. What’s noteworthy also, besides a fetchingly emphatic eulogy to wine, is the artistic way in which the story is told: through an assemblage of letters and conversations. Not entirely an epistolary tale, but close. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/73sblsm

A review of The Man Who Collected Psychos Critical Essays on Robert Bloch edited by Benjamin Szumskyj

And this novel, Bloch’s most famous, encapsulates what is certainly his main theme: human beings’ capacity for violence, the inexplicable nature of evil. Bloch wrote about this with black humour, an acute grasp of abnormal psychology, a storyteller’s art. And he entertained, as all good writers do. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/7eg397x

A review of The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carre

Let me come clean and admit that I didn’t quite follow the plot; indeed, in places I found it quite perplexing. But I read on because I was held by le Carre’s world, precarious and peril-ridden. He writes at one point that ‘silence, not gunfire, was the natural element of the approaching enemy’ and he uses this element too. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/7bfko83

A review of The Philosophers’ Madonna Eclectics & Heteroclites 8 by Carlo Emilio Gadda

A couple of reasons for gratitude, to end. Firstly to Antony Melville for a superb translation, at once joyfully idiomatic and full of delightfully complex syntax. The second Thank You is because The Philosophers’ Madonna has been a jaunty stimulus to seek out the work, and explore the worlds, of Carlo Emilio Gadda, a writer hitherto unknown to me. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/7p9lcew

A review of Prayers waiting for God by David Barnes

The blurb on the back says it all: “This is David Barnes’ first and last book.” That David ever came to be a poet is a kind of miracle in itself. He’s an unlikely candidate. A ward of the state, placed in institutions and physically and sexually abused - there was little likelihood that he would become a functioning adult, let alone a loving one who could have a happy relationship, a much-loved son a self-deprecating sense of humour – or a writing career. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/7q3nyza

A review of Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet by Nadia Janice Brown

Subjects such as your purpose in life, planning and preparing for change, living your dream, procrastination, and overcoming the author’s blues come alive under this author’s pen. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/73f3tp6

An Interview with Nadia Janice Brown

The author of Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet and Unscrambled Eggs talks about her books, about being published and self-publishing, the impact that being published has had on her life, and lots more. For the full interview visit: http://tinyurl.com/77jv7d4

A reviw of Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein

In our busy world where achivement and ticking boxes seems to take priority over everything else, the message is a critically important one, however it's delivered. Call it "ego", or fear, or self-sabotage, and talk about God, spirit, '-ing', or simply our own inner, innate capabilities. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that Bernstein's book is powerful and effective, infused with extraordinary energy and passion. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/6qkrqkr

A review of The Lost Stories (Ranger's Apprentice #11) by John Flanagan

The stories read quickly, and are very easy to follow and get into, which speaks to the appeal these books have for reluctant readers. There is a good mix between action, reflection, and dialogue, and the stories are well written, with the wholesome theme of good conquering evil in a variety of forms keeping everything positive without descending into corniness. For the full review visit: http://tinyurl.com/6urz4cn

Interview with John Flanagan

John Flanagan talks about his 11th Ranger's Apprentice book, The Lost Stories, the 12th book and its potential setting, his characters, the upcoming film, his new series Brotherband, and lots more. For the full interview visit: http://tinyurl.com/7zf5yy9

All of the reviews listed above are on the front page, so if you have any problems getting directly through to them, or if you want to browse, just drop by. Older reviews (all 2,933 of them, including film and theatre reviews, the best collection of chess books reviews on the internet, an extensive and eclectic music review section, and more) are kept indefinitely in our categorized archives, which can be visited here: http://tinyurl.com/eex

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LITERARY NEWS

Hello everyone, happy new year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that 2012 brings you all the reading you could hope for. In the literary news this month, Author Catherine Hall has been named the winner of the Green Carnation literary prize 2011 for her second book, The Proof of Love. Chair of the judges, Simon Savidge, said: “I am thrilled, along with all the other judges, that Catherine Hall has won this year's Green Carnation prize with her extraordinary second novel The Proof of Love. Winner Catherine Hall said “I’m utterly delighted to have won the Green Carnation Prize – a completely unexpected pleasure, especially given the calibre of the other writers on the shortlist. It’s a great way of raising the profile of LGBT writing, which I think can only be a good thing.”

The announcement of the finalists for the Booktrust Blue Peter Book of the Year Award, which recognizes and celebrates "the best children's authors, the most fascinating fact books and the greatest reads for children," has been overshadowed, the Guardian wrote, "by news that Andy Mulligan's Trash, initially selected by judges, was dropped from the finalists on the grounds that it was unsuitable for the BBC programme's younger fans." The 2012 shortlist includes: Discover the Extreme World by Camilla de la Bedoyere, Clive Gifford, John Farndon, Steve Parker, Stewart Ross and Philip Steele, The Official Countdown to the London 2012 Games by Simon Hart, The Considine Curse by Gareth P. Jones, A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler. The shortlisted books will be judged by more than 200 young Blue Peter viewers drawn from 10 schools across the U.K., with the winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year announced March 1, 2012, to coincide with World Book Day.

Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman has won the Galaxy book of the year award. A public vote crowned the journalist's semi-autobiographical tome the winner ahead of titles by Dawn French, Claire Tomalin and seven others. Moran's title was named most popular non-fiction book at the National Book Awards last month.

The Booker Prize winner Penelope Lively has been made a Dame, with artists, musicians and members of the fashion industry also honoured. Lively, 78, was also recognised for services to literature. Her first successful book was Astercote, written for children in 1970. She published her first novel for adults, The Road To Lichfield, seven years later. It was the first of three works shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She won in 1987 for Moon Tiger, the story of a dying woman looking back over her life. Lively was appointed OBE in 1989, and created CBE 12 years later. Lady Rachel Billington, who started writing in 1968 and is the author of 24 novels, was appointed OBE for services to literature. She is the daughter of the prisons reform campaigner Lord Longford and one of seven brothers and sisters who include the writers Lady Antonia Fraser and Thomas Pakenham. Poet Geoffrey Hill, elected last year as Oxford's professor of poetry as also been knighted. For the full list of the new year honour list for the arts, visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/31/new-year-honours-art-awards.

Copyright on James Joyce’s works in the European Union expired at midnight. From today, writings published during Joyce’s lifetime – Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake – are available for publication and quotation without reference or payment to the Irish author's estate. Joyce died on January 13th, 1941; originally, copyright in these works in Britain and Ireland extended for 50 years, until 1991. However, some two years after that date, EU copyright law was harmonised to bring it into line with German practice and the period was extended to 70 years. The end of copyright protection will enable creative artists and theatre companies to stage adaptations and re-enactments. Public broadcast will also be possible. Joyce’s solitary play, Exiles, can also be freely staged, and productions are likely.

The Costa Book Awards 2011 winners in the Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book categories have been announced. Originally established in 1971 by Whitbread PLC, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's popular and prestigious book prize in 2006. 2011 marks the 40th year of the Book Awards. The five successful authors who will now compete for the 2011 Costa Book of the Year are: Poet and debut biographer Matthew Hollis, who won the Costa Biography Award for his first work of prose, Now All Roads Leads to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, Andrew Miller won the Costa Novel Award with his sixth novel, Pure. Debut novelist and former Great Ormond Street nurse, Christie Watson, won the Costa First Novel Award for Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, set in the Niger Delta. Carol Ann Duffy won the Costa Poetry Award for The Bees, her first collection since being appointed Poet Laureate in 2009, and debut children's writer, Moira Young won the Cos ta Children's Book Award for Blood Red Road, currently being adapted for film by Scott Free, Ridley Scott's production company. The five Costa Book Award winners, each of whom will receive £5,000, were selected from 568 entries. The five books are now eligible for the ultimate prize - the 2011 Costa Book of the Year. For additional information go to www.costabookawards.com

Finally, Jo Shapcott, was named the latest recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry for her body of work, including Of Mutability, which won the Costa book of the year prize in 2011. She was chosen by a committee of "eminent men and women of letters" selected by British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the Guardian reported.

Have a great month. Maggie
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SURVEY NEWS

Our current survey picks up on the literary controversy caused by new Booker Judge (and former MI5 Chief and spy thriller author) Stella Rimington, who decided to add the criteria of "readibility" to the judging criteria. What do you think? Should prizes take into account readibility? The poll is on the front page. Just tick your answer, press enter, and results will appear instantly. Please send me comments directly, and if anyone wants to suggest topics for our poll, please drop me a line anytime.

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COMPETITION NEWS

Congratulations to Robin Rabie, Donna Dorothy, and Cate Sparks, who each won a copy of Home Front by Kristin Hannah.

Our new monthly giveaway is for one of 3 copies of The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi. If you’d like to win, send me an email (maggieball@compulsivereader.com) with the subject line Whisperer and your postal address. I’ll choose a winner at random from all entries that reach me by the end of January.

Good luck everybody!

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COMING SOON

We will shortly be featuring reviews of Letters to Stanley Chapman by Boris Vian, Stealing Faces by Michael Prescott, The Confessions of Becky Sharp by David James, The Fate of Pryde by Mary Martin, Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank, and lots more reviews, interviews, and giveaways.


Don’t forget to drop by our all new revised Compulsive Reader talks (see widget on upper left hand side of the site - now ad free) or at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/compulsivereader to listen an interview with Lesley Singe, author of Mountains Belong to the People Who Love Them, If you use iTunes, you can also subscribe to the show and get updates automatically. Just find us under podcasts by searching for Compulsive Reader – we’re the first result that will appear, and then click subscribe. Then you’ll never miss a show.