Blog Tour: View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 
Date of publication: May 2016; Reprint edition (May 16, 2017)

The New York Times bestselling non-fiction collection, now in paperback, from the author of American Gods, now a STARZ Original Series.

An enthralling collection of nonfiction essays on a myriad of topics—from art and artists to dreams, myths, and memories—observed in #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman’s probing, amusing, and distinctive style.

An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his bestselling fiction. Now, The View from the Cheap Seats brings together for the first time ever more than sixty pieces of his outstanding nonfiction. Analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, this cornucopia explores a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to): authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts the author’s experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Insightful, incisive, witty, and wise, The View from the Cheap Seats explores the issues and subjects that matter most to Neil Gaiman—offering a glimpse into the head and heart of one of the most acclaimed, beloved, and influential artists of our time.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

View From the Cheap Seats was recently re-issued by the publisher.  It's a collection of essays and speeches written by Neil Gaiman over the years.  He wrote one of my favorite books of all time, Neverwhere. I am a fan in general.  So I was looking forward to reading this collection.

Now this really isn't a book I would say you can really read in one go.  I feel like it's a book best savored a little at a time.  I found that after a while of reading straight though, the writings began to blend together as some of his anecdotes were reused.  That is not to say I didn't enjoy this book.  I always love to hear what author's have to say about books, writing and the world in general.  It makes the more human to me.  I enjoyed this collection and found I liked better as I read it a little at a time.

I have to say that my favorite works were the ones toward the beginning.  I love that he lead off with his lecture,  "Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming".  I loved every thing he had to say in this lecture as I firmly agree with his sentiment that all children should be encouraged to read what they like, even if we as adults don't like what they are reading.  I also loved his lecture, "What the [Very Bad Swear Word} is a Children's Book Anyway?".  That one really made me think.  His insights into his fellow authors were enlightening in the section: Some People I have Known. I could go on...

I believe there is something here for everyone.  I definitely recommend this for anyone's bookshelf. It's a great collection to get lost in.

 

About Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains; the Sandman series of graphic novels; and the story collections Smoke and Mirrors, Fragile Things, and Trigger Warning. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. Originally from England, he now lives in the United States. He is Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

Find out more about Neil at his website, find all his books at his online bookstore, and follow him on Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and his blog.

Tour Dates:

Tuesday, May 16th: G. Jacks Writes

Wednesday, May 17th: Vox Libris

Thursday, May 18th: Based on a True Story

Friday, May 19th: A Splendidly Messy Life

Monday, May 22nd: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Tuesday, May 23rd: Sapphire Ng

Wednesday, May 24th: Book Snob

Wednesday, May 24th: Man of La Book

Thursday, May 25th: guiltless reading

Friday, May 26th: Lit and Life

Tuesday, May 30th: In Bed with Books

Wednesday, May 31st: Real Life Reading

Thursday, June 1st: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, June 1st: Bibliotica

Friday, June 2nd: Bibliophiliac

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: February 3, 2015

In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well "Black Dog," a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In "Adventure Story"--a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane--Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience "A Calendar of Tales" are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year--stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother's Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale "The Case of Death and Honey". And "Click-Clack the Rattlebag" explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we're all alone in the darkness.

Trigger Warning is the latest anthology out by Neil Gaiman. The book is made up of older stories that have been previously published as well as some new content.  Die hard fans will probably recognize most of them.  There is also a special treat for Doctor Who fans and fans of his American Gods series. I do recommend reading the introduction by the author.  In it, he includes background behind each story. I found that really interesting and it was glad I took the time to read it.

Personally, this author has always been a hit or miss for me.  I can't say that I have loved everything I have read by him.  That is how I felt about this anthology.  I will be honest, I didn't love everything in this book.  Some of the pieces I just didn't understand and actually re-read one to see if I missed something.  Despite that, there were a couple that stood out to me.  I liked the creepy story, "Click-Clack the Rattlebag".  I would have to say that one was my favorite.  I also liked "The Thing about Cassandra".  That has a cool interesting twist to it.  

I would recommend picking this up.  There is definitely something for everyone in here.  That is the great thing about anthologies.  You can always find something to fit your mood.

Throwback Thursday: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
First published in 2008 by Bloomsbury

Nobody Owens, know to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead.

There are danger and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: The strange and terrible menace of The Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.

But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

I know I am going to be in the minority when I say that I didn't care for this book.  I am a fan of Mr. Gaiman's.  Neverwhere is my all time favorite book by him with Coraline a close second.  The Graveyard Book started out promising with the murder of a family and the escape of a 18 month old boy into a graveyard. The ghosts living there decide to raise him to keep him safe from the man "Jack" who wants to kill him.  I was all set to settle into a good ghost story.  But, I got to the second disc and was wondering where it was.  Not even the wonderful narration by the author himself could make me want to keep going.  

One of the biggest problems I had was the characters acting and sounding older than they were.  When Bod is 5, he meets Scarlet who is also around 5. The problem was that  they acted and sounded like they are 8 or 9.  That really bothers me in any book that I read.  I also felt like the story wasn't moving along fast enough for me.  It was just kind of "meh" and I didn't care enough to see where it went.  

I think this is one of those that you have to try for yourself.  Who knows, maybe you will like it more than me.

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: June 2013

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Let me start by saying that I think to properly experience The Ocean at the End of the Lane, you should listen to the audio version.  It is narrated by the author himself and he does a fantastic job of pulling you into the magic of the tale.  

That being said, I wanted something more out of the story.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it.  It would make a cool movie.  At the surface, the story is about a man who returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral.  While he is there, he visits the home of his childhood friend, Lettie.  He begins to remember the summer that changed his life. It's a fantastical tale told through the eyes of an avid reader. Witches, black magic, and spells make such  an unbelievable story that you have to wonder if it was all a child's dream. 

I was left with questions in the end.  Was it real or fantasy?  But, isn't that the funny thing about childhood memories as seen through the eyes of an adult?  How much of what we remember happened that way it actually did?  The book is really short so it can be read or listened to in a couple of hours.  I think fans of Mr. Gaiman will enjoy this one.  My favorite is still Neverwhere, but this one would be in my top 5 of his.

Throwback Thursday: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
First published in 1996 by BBC Books

Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart - and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed - a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city - a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known...

Normally, I am ahead in my Throwback Thursday reading, but real life got in my way and I had nothing for today.  I was looking back through my Goodreads list and thought I would highlight one of my favorite books.  Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read.  I remember when I first read the book.  I was sucked in right away. I loved the characters.  I loved the world of London Below.  Throughout the entire book, I was rooting for Richard to find his way home. Out of it all, I think my favorite part of the book was the end.  I loved Richard's ultimate decision. If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman, definitely pick this one up. I hope it will be come a favorite for you as well!

Banned Books Week:Throwback Thursday Edition Coraline by Neil Gaiman

While preparing for Banned Books Week, I was trolling the internet and came across The University of Connecticut's banned books page.  In the "youth" tab, they listed Coraline (2002, HarperCollins)as a challenged book.  It has been challenged for age appropriateness and is thought to be scary for younger children.  I wonder how many of those younger children have seen the movie Coraline.  In my house, Coraline is a family favorite.  I, for one, had seen the movie but never read the book. I picked up the audiobook version at the library and dug right in. Honestly, compared to Henry Selick's movie interpretation, the book is pretty mild.  I would think that seeing Coraline on the big screen would frighten children more than the book. 

Coraline is a great character!  She is precocious, smart and very brave.  The book has an important lesson.  Things may seem better on the other side, but you always pay a price.  So, you better be careful what you wish for.  It is also a great commentary on parents of today who are too caught up in their own lives to realize they aren't paying enough attention to their children.  Are there some scary scenes in the book? Yes, probably for some kids they would be scary.  I believe it all comes down to parental responsibility and knowing what your child is reading.  As well as, knowing what your child can handle at his or her age.  I, for one, know my 6YO will love this book. He is a huge fan of the movie.

I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman. I can't wait to share this book with my kids.   My favorite book, by far, from him is Neverwhere.  If you haven't read that one, definitely try it out.