Her first novel.

Posted to me by Clairemagnolia and arrived on Friday. Enjoying starting to read it. Many Thanks!

20th July 2007
Have now finished reading this wonderful book and feel like starting it all over again. I'll try to find a good home for it or perhaps bookring it.

This copy is now being offered as an international bookring



1 Please journal the book as soon as you get it so I know it's arrived safely.

2 Only keep the book for a maximum of two months. If you need longer please let orange-platypus know.

3 When you've almost finished PM the next person on the list for their mailing address so you can send it on its way to them.

4 Please write a new journal entry with your comments about the book and say who you're sending it onto.


Participants (as of 22/08/07):

chelseagirl

wordsnark

wilksie

PurpleElephant

MrsDanvers <--- book is here at the moment

veganknitter


... and back to orange-platypus

This arrived a couple of days ago, sorry I haven't journalled it before now. I've just started reading the 6th Harry Potter book but this is next in line. I loved Ali Smith's Hotel World, it was one of my best reads of 2005, and I'm really looking forward to this.

Incidentally, I've got another of her books, The Accidental, on my shelf - I haven't got round to it yet. if anyone would like to read it let me know and maybe that could do a ring too!

Finally got round to reading and finishing this and I don't think I've been as frustrated by a book for a long time.

I really enjoyed about 80% of it - the stream of consciousness style might be disconcerting for some but I found it flowed well and was really easy to read and visualise the characters, locations and situations. I liked Amy and Kate but by the end of their section I found I had lost of questions about them that needed answers - that hoped would come further in the novel.

I liked Ash less, no particular reason except she didn't interest me as much as Amy, though there were parts of her story that shocked and surprised me and kept me reading. I was waiting for the two stories to overlap and answer the questions I had in the first part of the book - but that never happened. About two or three chapters from the end I realised that actually I wasn't going to get the tidy conclusion I yearned for and I ended up skimming through the last few pages in desperation, looking for the answers I so needed - but they weren't there and eventually I read the final page and put the book down feeling incredibly disappointed.

Maybe I've missed something here. While this explores well the emotions of unrequited love, insecurity, growing up and being different, there were more basic questions - I won't go into details as they might be spoilers - that were left unaddressed and I came away feeling like I'd just wasted a few hours of my life.

Really sorry - I've read another of Ali Smith's books, Hotel World, and loved that and I so much wanted to like this one too, I almost DID like it, but ultimately it failed to deliver for me.

I'll contact wordsnark and get this moving on asap.

How annoying ... I posted this off in November and it seemed to have disappeared ... but has just arrived back with me, minus the original jiffy bag .....I had put a return address label on the original wrapping but something must have happened in transit. Anyway, fortunately the book is intact, so I'll post it out again today and hope it has more luck this time!!

Yes! Received in Niagara. Sadly, either the Royal Mail or Canada Post selected the package for reprocessing in the Mangle-O-Matic Bookannihilator (TM). But, as the poet has said: scars make your body more interesting.

Like, by Ali Smith. An autobiographical novel, I would say. A story of sexual identity and discovery, but thankfully not just another coming out account. A story of the destructive, traumatizing power of love, and also its transforming power. I found it ragged and withholding at times, much like its two principal characters. It helps to keep in mind the significance of names, and the painting that figures so importantly between Amy and Aisling.

[Sent off today to wilksie in the UK, from Lewiston NY. Expect it in about 10 days.]

Arrived this morning. Thank you Wordsnark :-)
I'll start it as soon as I have finished my current read.

I very much enjoyed reading this. It was a wonderful account of friendship and love between two people who were like each other but very different. I liked the first part of the book much more than the second; I loved Amy and Kate’s relationship and missed them when reading about Ash. And somehow I found it hard to reconcile the Amy we had come to know with the Amy that Ash was writing about. In some ways I appreciated that the story was a bit messy, like real life, but in other ways I missed having any sort of resolution to the book. Great writing though :-)

I have PMed PurpleElephant for address details and will send the book on as soon as I hear from her.

Posted on to PurpleElephant this morning.

Just started this book and realised that I haven't let everyone know I've received it! Sorry guys. I'm taking this away on holiday with me tomorrow.

I'm so sorry everyone. I have kept this book for so long. It somehow ended up in my TBR box, even though I finished it ages ago. I've PMed MrsDanvers and this book will be on its way as soon as I have her address.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted today. Sorry for delay.

Received in yesterday's post from purple-elephant with a delightful postcard.

I really enjoyed this first novel and its story of love and friendship seen from different angles. Typically of Ali Smith the story leaves bits out which adds to the feeling of a story told from differing points of view.

I PM'd veganknitter a week or so ago for an address but no response yet.

Sory it has taken me so long to pass this back. It is going in the post tomorrow.

Arrived safely back in Scotland. Thanks.