A few weekends back, during a particularly wet and rainy Sunday in London, I took a long stroll over to the lovely Daunt Books in Chelsea. They have an amazing teenage section, as well as an well stocked children’s book area. For those looking for a place to browse in regards to art and travel, this is the Daunt Books location! Sadly the heating in this building has a lot to be desired (which isn’t unusual for such a lovely building). Regardless of this fact the gentleman that served me was charming, polite and full of smiles even on such a dreary day!
I made my purchases:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
I’ve been wanting to read The Neverending Story for ages! I grew up on the film adapation – I’ve named my car Falkor – and the second I learned this was based on a book I knew I had to give a read!
I actually bought this book for my friend’s boyfriend for Christmas last year. I loved the sound of it so much I was thrilled to have an excuse to get a copy for myself! It was in the teenage section but I’m not too sure if it’s really YA or not. Either way I’m excited to dive back into another one of Gaiman’s worlds.
I was not disappointed with my purchases from last month and I can’t wait to get started on these! Although I originally started my journey dead set on buying Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, I was so disappointed to see it wasn’t in stock! Oh well, there’s always next month.
Happy reading!
Ashley xx
Through a Seattle Looking Glass 
You, my wild London girl, will love Neverwhere. I read it before my first visit to London in 2005 and it was magical.
Thank you lovely! I’ve been seeing all kinds of stuff on Tumblr and I’m excited to get a chance to read it finally!
Do you follow Neil Gaiman on tumblr? He’s really been inspiring lately when it comes to writing. His whole “Just Keep Moving” thing has helped me to just keep writing until a project is done, no matter what. (I’m pretty bad about obsessing over word choice and it gets me no where fast.)
As for books, his American Gods is still my favorite, but Neverwhere is second. I like it better than Stardust, and much more than Good Omens.
xoxo
I do! I follow him on Tumblr and Twitter. I totally agree, I’m always amazed at how he kindly responds to so many people. I also love him and Amanda’s posts about each other, so adorable! I can’t wait to get reading, I did enjoy Stardust. I’ve bought Neverwhere for others and I’m so happy I finally got it for myself!
I actually teach Gaiman’s children’s book, ‘Wolves in the Walls’ to Middle School Age children when we look at using imagery to tell a story and it’s pretty fun and I loved his Doctor Who episode which managed to be touching and frightening in the same hour, but, much as I hate to disagree with either of you wonderfully insightful fellow bloggers, I hated Neverwhere. Really, really hated it. To the last page.
Perhaps partly because I was expecting so much of it and partly because it was a very London book, I wanted desperately to love it, but the more I read the worse I found it. I’d like to read other Gaiman novels because there must be something to him if so many intelligent readers like him, but it surely can’t be his best effort since it reads to me so like an indulgent hard-done-by male fantasy. Feel free to disagree (obviously) Any recommendations to redeem Gaiman in my eyes?
Ooohhh! I love this! Two very conflicting thoughts! I smell a book battle! =)
I’m now even more excited to read it and can’t wait to get started. I’ve read Stardust, The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Gaiman. I really, really loved Coraline. I’d reccommend any of those really. Coraline’s quick and easy, but I loved the unexpected bits in Stardust. The Graveyard Book is a bit long, but once it ended I wanted more! They’re all really different as well. It’s a gamble, but Gaiman’s worth betting on.
I’m also a huge fan of Stephen King, but I don’t always like all of his books either and that’s just another reason why I enjoy his writing.
Did some research on Neverwhere which helps it to make more sense in my mind. Didn’t raise the quality of the book any, but did explain why it feels disjointed to me. The Wikipedia entry seems to say it was TV series FIRST, which is interesting. If it’s a novelization of a show, it’s got to be the best one I’ve ever read (mind you, I think the only other novelization I’ve ever read was The Karate Kid. Never thought I’d have occasion to admit that). There is a general episodic, making it up as he goes along sort of feeling to the narrative, but It’s still a step too cobbled together for me. But I’m thinking I’ll have to pick up a copy of Coraline to get the proper measure of Gaiman as a novelist. Bizarrely, I haven’t read a Stephen King book that I haven’t enjoyed.
Neverwhere came to me at a special time, so my praise does have a sentimental footnote!
Have either of you given American Gods a go? It’s got a bit of grit to it, and a Stephen King-esque subplot that you may enjoy. It took a few chapters to get into, but once it hits its stride and I fell into the world, I couldn’t put it down. The characters are mythical rather than fantasy, and include representations of the new gods we worship (the Internet, for one) in ways that were completely out of left field, but work for the novel. Religious myths hanging out in middle America appealed to the Religion major in me!
I enjoyed Coraline the book, but didn’t particularly care for the film, even though it was lovely to look at.
The idea sounds intriguing. I’ll definitely have to give American Gods a whirl!