TRAVEL MONTH REVIEW - 'Jessie Hearts NYC' , Keris Stainton (Orchard Books, 2011)

Jessie is all set to enjoy a summer with her friend, Emma, staying with her estranged playwright mother in NYC. However, the Manchester teen finds herself enjoying a serious of almost encounters with the equally confused and conflicted Finn. The fact that Finn is in love with her best friend's girl makes things even more complicated.

It was very refreshing to pick up a book (I say pick up a book, what I really mean is raise aloft my Kindle in all it's convenient glory) that isn't too laden with angst ridden drama and tearing-their-hair-out teens. Ok, Jessie.. does have a little bit of this, but this neat little twist on the classic New York love story is a generally sweet and happy affair, and all the better for it.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Jessie and Finn, both our progtagonists are likeable without straying into goody-two-shoes territory and mis-guided enough to make them ring true. Perfect YA main characters then. I particularly liked Finn. We've all been there, falling in love with someone we can't have and spending most of our time banging our head against a brick wall trying to figure out why we insist on staying in self-destruct mode...Sorry, bit too much overshare there. ANNNYWAY... Yes, Finn, loved him.

Jessie seemed remarkably well-adjusted for a girl with such an unconventional family set-up. Have to say, I never really warmed to her mother, Natalie, even towards the end, although I liked the fact the author has highlighted how, for some, nuturing does not come naturally. But some of her actions were a bit on the reprehensible side, so BOO to Natalie on the whole from me.

I adored the summer setting. When I think New York love story, and I automatically think romantic snowfall, crunching along the sidewalk, rugged up in snuggly winter gear, pretty, pretty, pretty. But the long, hot summer thing really worked for me here.

The pace of the writing was brisk and lively and there were no points where I felt the book drag. The only downside for me was that I hoped the story could have taken a few more risks and maybe have some snappier exchanges between the characters, but other than that, this is a great, light-hearted, refreshingly up beat read for those who get a bit teary when watching Sleepless in Seattle.

TRAVEL TIPS?

As much as I enjoyed reading about New York in the summer, I think I'll pass if/when I ever actually get the opportunity to go there myself. It will be a spring time sojourn methinks. Too sweaty for my liking. And I hope a visit to the Empire State Building lives up to these expectations and won't just be full of annoying tourists bumping into each other. But, yes, New York, our paths will cross one day, I can be sure of that.

TRAVEL MONTH REVIEW - 'Are You Experienced?', William Sutcliffe, (Penguin, 1998)

Liz travels to India because she wants to find herself. Dave travels to India because he wants to get Liz into bed. Liz loves India, hugs the beggars, and is well on her way to finding her tantric center. Dave, however, realizes he hates Liz, and has bad karma toward his fellow travelers: Jeremy, whose spiritual journey is aided by checks from Dad; Jonah, who hasn't worn shoes for a decade; and Fee and Caz, fresh from leper-washing in Udalpur. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Ok, warning firsts. I've had a bit of a think about this and I've decided it's impossible to write a review of this without giving away a few spoilery spoilers in the process. Which I usually try to avoid doing, but hey-ho, there you go. So, BIG OLD (sort of) SPOILERS BELOW. If you're interested in that sort of thing.

Well, even though our protagonist, Dave, is technically a teenager, I'm not sure I would class this in a strict young adult fiction category. I'm going to try and avoid a big analysis of what constitutes YA etc etc. -  I should imagine a lot of older teenagers would enjoy reading this, but there is something about the tone and humour that screams 'adults looking back in nostalgic/mocking fashion' if this makes any sense whatsoever.

Well, I was in a bit of a conundrum about this one. On the one hand, the writing is VERY good, very sharp, witty, to the point. And this book is extremely funny. They was one particular scene that had me weeping. I make no apologies, I'm British and will therefore find toilet humour hilarious. I dog-eared so many pages with sublime quotes that this is yet another book I have left in tatters.

Seeing these fresh-faced scared little bunnies about to head off around India reminded me how pleased I was that I'd got the whole thing over with. In the end, I was glad I'd done it, but I had to admit that the having done it was more fun than the doing it. Crapping your pants, for example, is a dire and miserable experience; but having crapped your pants - I mean, that's a pretty good conversational party-piece.


HOWEVER, mmmmm, this is an out and out satire and is so full of vitriol, it oozes from every page. Most of the characters have no redeeming features - they are either clueless, trust-fund, sloany-ponies, or faux-hippy snarky, uppity madams. Even our narrator is far from lovable. Yes, he manages to cut through the bullshit with his cynical barbs, but he is whiny and sex-obsessed and you can't really blame most people he comes into contact with for trying to get as far away from him as possible.These people don't learn any lessons, they don't get their comeuppance, they don't kiss and make up. Which is kind of the point. As a satire it works really well. In showcasing the more unpleasant aspects of the backpackers' relations with their host country, it touches on issues of racism and colonialism. In terms of plot, it doesn't work quite so well -  characters are dropped at the, er, drop of a hat, and certain scenes are ridiculously contrived, which just doesn't fit with the honesty of the tone.

So a funny, intelligent read, yes. Maybe I'm getting a bit soft in my old(er) age, but after I finished this, I wanted to read something light and fluffy and heart warming to compensate for the slightly unpleasant aftertaste it left me with.

Oh, and just a quick note about he cover of this particular edition - AWFUL. Penguin, what were you thinking?

(told you it was a quick note).

TRAVEL TIPS?

I don't think you'll find a better book that depicts the horrors, boredom and therefore the truth about the backpacking experience. But if you're a backpacker, don't expect any sympathy. The main thing I think you get get from this one is don't eat burgers in India. Seriously, don't. And don't expect to remain on good terms with you travelling companion by the end of you trip.

LETS GO TO....BRISBANE!

Well, this is my first little literary travel tour, And, yes, I have chosen a rather odd location, agreed. But I have my reasons...

Over the years, I have had a bit of a like/love/really love/miss/get-slightly-annoyed-with/resent/sort-of love-from-a-distance-kind of relationship with this city. Let me explain...When I was eighteen (lets just say this was a while back) I decided to go to Australia on a gap year. About a week after arriving in the Land Down Under I, along with some other fellow fresh-faced backpacking types, decided Sydney wasn't quite doing it for us and we bought bus tickets up the coast. The plan was to find work on the Gold Coast or Brisbane and work out what we were going to to from there.

Well, in short, this decision changed my life. A few days after hoping off the bus in Brissy, I applied for a boring sales job, met a boy and, well, several years and two children later, he's still sitting next to me on the sofa watching a film on his phone whilst I veg out in front of Britain's Got Talent (the Australian in him just doesn't get it) (and before you say it, Australia's Got Talent just isn't the same - no Cowell, no Walliams, ok, get back to matter in hand Anna...). A lot of key decisions I have made in my life, I have made in this city. The most recent one was deciding I wanted to be a writer. So when I think of writing YA, I think of Brisbane.

A house, not an old person. Romantic...Sort of

Over the years we have flitted back and forth to the place they call BrisVegas (I've never been entirely sure why it is called this - irony? It's not that laid back). This place has a very strange hold over me. When I think of Australia, I think of Brisbane. It doesn't have the obvious WOW factor of Sydney or Melbourne, but when I was a little traveller person, shacked up with my Aussie fella in the a slowly falling apart little wooden shack in the suburbs (ok, not quite a shack, but pretty close, looking back *shudders thinking about size of mahoosive cockroaches*), I remember thinking I was experiencing much more of the real Australia than in any backpackers hostel in Kings Cross. It's this strange mix of city and country and there's something about a rickety old Queenslander than conjures up dusky, laid back, romantic images (that's a HOUSE by the way, not an old native Queensland person. That would be weird.).

So, literary Brisbane. Well, in the whole YA genre, the man man here is Nick Earls. Resident Brisbanite and Aussie YA champion. I, personally, am not a massive fan of his writing - he has a very unique style, that I get you either love, or not-love-very much-at-all. Anyway, as an introduction, I would go with 48 Shades of Brown. I remember catching the film adaptation late one night, and getting all excited spotting places we drove past on the way to do the shopping etc. As much as I found fault with some of the book, I love the way he captures this place and the feeling of being young and in love here. Sorry, sorry, feel free to vom. Cheeszoid mushy stuff is over now.

Another Brisbane author worth checking out is Rebecca Sparrow. It is a real regret that I never got a chance to read more of her stuff while I was there, (hopefully I will in the future when funds permit me to ship vast amounts of Aussie books to London) but The Girl Most Likely is a great, very funny depiction of a woman having a mid-20s crisis and not knowing what the blooming heck to do about it. With sexy neighbour thrown in for good measure. What's not to love?

Probably my favourite Brisbane-based author is Belinda Jeffrey. Ok, so none of books so far have actually been set in Brisbane, but I urge you to check out Brown Skin Blue. One of the most affecting YA books I've ever read. That's all you need to know.

Two other things I have to mention that are literary and Brisbane related -

1) Annerley Community Bookshop on the south side. I used to work here one day a week last year and it is one of my absolute favourite places in the whole of the city. If I could live there, then I would, well, live there and just smell the books all day (what? come on, it can't be just me..)

2) One Book Many Brisbanes. This is an annual short story competition run by Brisbane City Council, with the winners being published in an anthology. You can't find a better literary-shaped depiction of this unique place anywhere else. Oh, and one Belinda Jeffrey was a winner back in the day. You can't get better pedigree than that. So if you can find a copy of one of them then, read it, obvs.

So, that concludes my mini-literary tour of Brisbane. Hope you've enjoyed it. I've only really scratched the surface here. Wonder where we'll be going next? *drums fingers on chin and looks of into distance with misty-eyes expression*

TRAVEL MONTH REVIEW - 'Are We Nearly There Yet?', Ben Hatch (Summersdale, 2011)

The story of a madcap five-month family trip to write a travel guide—embracing the freedom of the open road with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes (Synopsis from Goodreads)


A bit of a departure from my current reading habits, this one. I'd noted a fair amount of Twitter buzz surrounding this book, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Twitter buzz (because most of the time, it turns out to be justified). Plus, having two kids that are on the minuscule side myself, I was pretty intrigued by the motivation of a couple who would willingly travel the length and breath of the UK with their offspring over an extended period. I figured a full-frontal lobotomy might occur at some point in the narrative, either that or some bouts of hysteria.

Ok, ok, I exaggerate (slightly). Travelling with kids can, on occasion, be, er, quite pleasant with occasional glimpses of gushing pride at cuteness of offspring, but on the whole, one gargantuan headache.

Ben Hatch and his wife, Dinah, are commisioned to write a guidebook assessing family friendly-hotels and attractions across the country.  Swiftly moving on from each spot, Hatch documents the inevitable disasters, arguments, accidents and humour that you can imagine would stem from the scenario.

This book is EXTREMELY funny. I had preconcieved notion of it being a bit twee but it was anything but. I nearly wet myself twice in mild hysterics (the good kind) - never will I be able to recall my own fond memories of Liverpool without thinking about the 'submarine' in the Albert Dock. Trust me, you will have to be a very cold-hearted curmudgeon not to giggle at this. Kudos to Hatch for his frankness and honesty - nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is glossed over. I'm not quite sure I would like so much graphic detail on the author's bowel movements for every book I pick up, but I can forgive it here, because, again, it made me laugh like a mad-woman.

What is surprising is that the day-to-day goings on are accompanied by a very personal account of Hatch's attempts to come to terms with his father's serious illness. His accounts of his trip are interdispersed with tales of his short visits to  his dad. One side is steeped in humour, the other in sadness but the two never jar and both strands compliment each other perfectly.

Biographies can be a bit hit-and-miss for me. They can often end up being self-indulgent ramblings that mean very little to anyone but the subject. I always like them with a healthy dose of humour and a brisk pace, and this works on both these points.


Even if you don't usually go for travel biographies, I really recommend this one, especially if you have kids. It definitely served to remind me why we only attempt a family holiday, once a year, if that. 


TRAVEL TIPS?


Well, the main here one is never, I repeat, NEVER leave to go on the open road without a mammouth supply of chocolate buttons to use for bribery etc.
Also, another thing I loved about this was that it reminded me how little I have seen of the UK and the colossal amount of cool stuff on my my own doorstep. On the other side of the coin, it did flag up the sheer amount of boring crap to avoid, which is just as useful. And put me off going to the Lake District any time soon.

TRAVEL MONTH REVIEW - '13 Little Blue Envelopes', Maureen Johnson (Harper Collins UK EPub Edition, 2010)

When Ginny receives 13 little blue envelopes with instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she's soon on an adventure that will change her in more ways than one. (Synopsis from Goodreads)


I have to admit, this was my first Maureen Johnson. Ok, this isn't strictly true. The woman is a twitter maestro and I have long been addicted to her consistently witty and amusing stream of tweets for a while now. When I decided to commit to a travel themed month, I guess this was the perfect opportunity to give a Maureen classic a whirl.

Right, I really, REALLY wanted to love this, but, for me, I'm afraid it didn't quite hit the mark on a few things. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with dear Ginny. I can completely relate to the shy awkward teenager torn between a desire to come out of her shell and a need to stay cocooned within it. I just felt there was always a barrier between me as the reader and her as the storyteller. Maybe it was the third person narrative, but she really only seemed to come alive for me in the intermittent letters to her friend Miriam, back in New Jersey.

I also had my reservations about Keith. I found his dialogue convincing, and on the whole, I thought he was a valuable and uplifting addition....APART FROM THE FACT HE WAS CALLED KEITH.... KEITH. I'm sorry, but you say Keith, I automatically think Chegwin. Not the image I want conjured up when imagining a romantic lead.

NOT ROMANTIC

Anyway, I digress. I just never really got any chemistry between him and Ginny. I know, opposites attract and all, but I just didn't really get why they were attracted to each other. Just too much of a jarring clash of personalities for me.
And also, for a romantic subplot, it was a bit light on the, well, romance. I got a bit excited when they had a cheeky snog in the graveyard, but then, that was it. Short-changed!

There were too many supporting characters that seemed to drift in and out of the story, having very little impact on Ginny as the protagonist and me as the reader. OK, this is true to life, especially when on the road, but just not what I wanted from a gripping read.

However, the biggest reason why I think I was left feeling a little 'meh' was the fact that I was missing one humongous chunk of back story. For someone with Ginny's personality, surely being left such a task by her aunt would leave her agonising over whether to go, but she just gets the envelopes then up sticks. And what about her parents? She's only seventeen, which, for even those most liberal of 'rents, is a bit of push, but her overprotective mum, is, apparently, quite happy to let her daughter zip across the Atlantic solo with no promise of contact. Really? REALLY?

BUT, it was funny, and the author made great use of her varied location, despite the canvas being a little wide and varied. And what I loved best was the fact that we have a main character who doesn't necessarily get swept away with wanderlust. It's becomes a bit predictable when every book about travel involves someone 'finding themselves'. Ginny, even though she learns some life lessons along the way, is sometimes baffled by her experiences, is homesick, is fed up with her aunt's strange requests (don't even get me started on Aunt Peg, or I'll be here for hours...*shakes fist*) and this made me love her a little bit more. It was refreshing to have her dig her heels in and do things her own way occasionally.

I will say that I want to read the sequel. Am I right on this one? Is it better? Worse? I don't like leaving a story unfinished, I just hope the conclusion is a satisfying one.

TRAVEL TIPS?

Like I said before, Maureen Johnson uses the locations well. I've always wanted to go to Paris, and reading this just made me wonder why I've I still haven't been. Also, I really, really, really, want to go to Copenhagen. Right now. I want to live on a boat surrounded by folk art, sipping my coffee and nibbling on a Danish pastry. However, I fear I may not be trendy enough for such a lifestyle. Oh well, a girl can dream...

TRAVELLING TALES MONTH STARTS HERE!

Yes, I'm cutting it a bit fine here peeps...

I now declare April to be Travelling Tales Month at Anna Scott Jots!

So, I usually blog about YA. Well, this isn't going to change TOO much this month. I'll have a fair sprinkling of travel-themed YA reviews to keep you YA loving folk happy. But, sticking to just this mini-genre does seem to be limiting myself somewhat, and not really in the spirit of the whole TRAVELLING, CROSSING BORDERS, EXPANDING HORIZONS thing I've got going on here. Sooooooo, I'm going to be reviewing some travel biographies, some good old fashioned travel fiction, some old classics, basically, anything that I can link to the words TRAVEL and BOOK that isn't a Lonely Planet guide, might well be here.

In addition to some soul-enriching book reviews, I'll be throwing in some guest posts (oooh, 'citing!) and some little posts by me about my travel experiences and how they've had a bit of influence on myself. I promise I won't bore you senseless. Oh, and I may throw in a few literary-themed travel guides too. From Brighton to Bangkok and beyond...

So why a month about travel? Well, it was originally supposed to be in February - my idea was to liven up a traditionally rather gloomy period of the year (well, if you're in the northern hemisphere, anyway), but, well, I'm a bit disorganised (SHOCKER), and I've had to postpone it for several months to coincide with the not-so-gloomy month of April. Oh well.

So dig out your backpack, strap on that fetching money belt and try and to unsuccessfully blend in with the locals. And if in doubt, follow that group of Swedish exchange students who look like they know where they're going...

Oh, and it's my first theme month, so be nice!

My YA Confessions #1 - I've never read The Hunger Games

Yes, contain that shriek. I'm afraid it's time to 'fess up folks. With all the pandemonium surrounding the film everywhere I turn, I feel it is necessary to admit that I, Anna Scott, have never read The Hunger Games. Phew, I feel much better now. *wipes brow*

Yes, I'm sure there are many YA must-reads out there that many of us have never gotten around to picking up. Actually, I've just thought of ANOTHER major series that I haven't read that I won't mention here (although I have no desire to read the unmentionable one, as opposed to the overwhelming desire I have to read The Hunger Games).

Well the question I'm pondering now is WHEN to read it. Many a film viewing experience has been tarnished for me by reading the book beforehand. Sometimes it's the natural course of things (Harry Potter), but with the case of Submarine, the reading of the excellent source material did just slightly ruin my watching of the really-rather-good-but-nowhere-near-as-great-as-the-book adaptation.

Chances are I'm not going to get to see Hunger Games on the big screen (children, time, children blah blah blah), so I have a bit of time before a potential viewing opportunity materialises.

So, what do you reckon, read first or watch first?

Also, I'm think of making My YA Confessions a regular feature, as I find I have much I want to confess. Why not join me? You know you want to...