Journal of Whispering Stories

February 2022 - Book #2

Thin Air by Michelle Paver:- 

Ok, so I actually started reading this book back on the 4th November 2020. I remember I took my mum to a hair dressing appointment and rather than sit in the salon and wait I went for a wonder. I decided that I fancied a coffee and a read, but didn’t have anything with me. Coming across The Works shop, and knowing how you can often find a respectable book and a reasonable price I had a browse around. With what felt like a rummage around, I was about to give up hope of finding a book and would turn to grab a magazine, gazing down at the very bottom shelf at the back of the shop stood Thin Air with its deep blue cover enticing me in. 

Now, I have read Michelle Paver before. I absolutely loved Dark Matter; A Ghost Story. Michelle is able to build atmosphere and suspense in such a way that you don’t need to see a ghost or ghoul, you know its there. It looms large in the background and you’re driven to place yourself in the shoes of the character, to feel the void which comes with being left alone in a desolate environment which we know is frightening enough in itself. But then you’re made to feel that lurking in that void is a faceless foe, a presence of unnerving fear, disbandment and desolation. She has a way of putting a unique twist of the ghost story franchise. It took me a while to find an author I could connect with when it comes to a classic ghost story. 

Thin Air kept my admiration strong for this author. It is chilling in both the sense that you’d get when strap to the side of a mountain thousands of feet in the air and that which you’d feel if you were left alone with a malevolent spirit. Combine the two and you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride. What I like most though about Michelle’s ghost stories is that you get an explanation. We discover why these spirits haven’t moved on, why they continue to suffer their own torment and subject those un-expecting travellers to the despair as well.  

This was a strong five star review from me. I am just hopeful that one can expect more chilling tales from this author. She appears once again on my to read list in the form of Wakenhyrst which I am keen to move on to. 

So, here was a blog I had decided to put together at the beginning of the year as a way of tracking my reading progress. A new years resolution to try and commit to reading more books and reflecting on my thoughts about the new worlds and lives I would encounter as a consequence. 

Having a quick look through the previous posts would give one a good idea as to how successful I have been in this endeavour. With the last post bordering the Jan/Feb mark it is clear to see that I haven’t been as proactive as I probably would have liked. 

Nonetheless! I am confident that with my masters degree now having reached a successful conclusion (back in September) I can now begin to revisit my leisure reading with a renewed sense of determination and commitment. I do feel that the more I write about what I read the better my skills at both writing and analysis will become. 

I have also been playing around with my own story ideas recently, which of course had to grow with great interest at a time when much of my attention ought to have been on my dissertation. I enlisted the assistance of my brother who showed enthusiasm for the project, and we agreed that when the time was right we would begin to work on it together. Of course, it is always a lovely thought but the business of life often pulls one away from those more enjoyable pursuits. 

It has certainly been a busy year as well, both in terms of academic progression, work and personal life. I definitely feel like my life has gone through a transition this year, for the better no doubt, but the adaptation has been something to grapple with. I feel that as the world slips into the stillness of winter now is a time to try and reignite the passion for writing, stories, discovery of new books and writers, but also to ensure that I take time for the enjoyable solo pursuits that I can get lost in. 

This blog was intended to be my go to for logging what I was reading, my thoughts and feelings on the books, and potentially discover new adventures. I had set myself the goal of reading one book per month. This, given the aforementioned transitions that have taken place this year, has not been as successful as one would have liked. Nevertheless, I have managed to complete and enjoy several books this year. For those which have been completed I’ll post about today and display the current book. 

January 2022 - Book #1

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton:-

So to add to all the numerous “new year, new me” posts that I’m seeing a lot of, I thought I’d throw myself into that ring and see if I can actually stick to something this time around. 

I’d like to set myself a couple of goals this year but I’m going to change it up a bit. Normally, I tell myself that “this year I’m going to document my life a bit more”. So I wonder down to the shops to pick out a lavish A5 day-to-a-page diary to pop my thoughts and activities in for each day of the year. It starts out great, but then I lose to momentum and the diary just sits for the rest of the year. SO, not only am I saving myself some money and going digital (thanks Tumblr), I’m going to set a theme to keep me motivated this year. 

This blog is going to focus on allowing me a few times a month to post some thoughts and updates while keeping track of a reading challenge. A simple one but will give me the theme I need to keep writing (I hope!). One book a month seems like a good starting point. I will aim to get one book started and finished in a given month. If this proves easy, maybe I could increase it to 2 books, one fiction and one non-fiction. I’ve got an abundance of unread books around me, so I think now is a good a time as any to get through them.

I’ll also aim to maintain my fitness (rather than start, which was one success to come out of ‘21). Drink more water, and try to be in the moment more - forgetfulness is a slight problem of mine! 

This blog is for me, I’ll update as I go and fingers crossed I can keep it up.