Ooshie
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Posts posted by Ooshie
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It's fun, you girls should do it! I miss the BCF group reads
Me too - I read lots of books I would never have tried otherwise, and enjoyed reading everyone's different point of view on each month's book.
I seem to have spent most of the time since 1st January sleeping, so only managed a very mini readathon, but did get through the following so far:
- The last 64 pages of Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (been waiting to finish that since it was a group read!)
- The last 152 pages of Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker (tried 3 times to finish this book, I usually love Clive Barker but I just found this one dull)
- 42 pages of The Darkest Day by Tom Wood
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I finished The Maze Runner the other day and moved straight onto The Scorch trials, which I am maybe about a third of the way through now. I am enjoying them fine, quite fast moving and easy reading; I have had the feeling that they would have been as well being one book rather than split into two, though. I bought the trilogy from The Book People, and had been wondering whether to buy the prequel to make the full set, but probably won't bother based on other comments on the thread!
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Ya know, I knew that while recommending it, but it just seemed to fit the idea of the posters want. It was SO hard for me to get through (although you and Alexi might not think so! I hope you weren't offended
).Oh no, not offended at all - I speak Scots, but I don't read it! :-)
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Trainspotting. Irvine Welsh. And good luck, I needed the audiobook for that one.
I think the language in Trainspotting is Scots (or a dialect of Scots) rather than broken English, Anna; although it shares some common roots with English it is widely regarded as a separate language - particularly in Scotland :-D
There is a page on Wikipedia titled 'Scots language' that looks interesting, although I haven't read the whole thing.
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I have read about them but haven't tried them - I will be really interested to hear how you get on with them.
I am naturally shortsighted so have worn glasses/contact lenses for distance since my teens, I now should use reading glasses too, but I use a distance lens for my right eye and a close work lens for my left eye (for both glasses and contact lenses). That has worked really well for me so far :-)
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1) Who was your favourite character and why?
Germanicus stood out for me, as a man who tried to be genuinely good while surrounded by intrigue.
2) Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
I really enjoyed most of the book. A few things that aroused my curiosity were the quite astounding amounts of adopting children who already had quite adequate parents, divorce, and suicide (and the very matter of fact way in which they were presented). I found the surprised comments on the high regard the German men had for their wives and mothers amusing, and the idea of "grandmother hunger" was a new one to me! I don't remember any parts I disliked terribly, although I thought the end of the book seemed a bit rushed somehow.
3) Was this the first book you've read in this this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
I had read both I, Claudius and Claudius the God a very long time ago. I have gone straight on to reading Claudius the God; so far, good but too many Herods :-( even if they are all known by different names, I can't keep them separated.
4) Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
Linked to my last answer, the fact that lots of the characters seemed to have the same names but in a different order or form quite confusing!
5) Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?
Yes, I found it entertaining, interesting and very enjoyable.
6) Have you read anything else in which the story is narrated by a historical figure? How did I, Claudius compare?
I'm not actually sure, I can't think of one offhand.
7) How was your knowledge of the period the book covered before reading? Has it improved at all?
It was quite basic. I feel I have a better feel for what life in that time was like, but I probably couldn't answer any more historical questions than before.
8) Do you feel the book was well researched beforehand and presented an accurate picture of the time?
I do believe it was well researched and before my reread I had thought of it as quite accurate, but the writer of the foreward to the edition I read suggested that there is a lot of Robert Graves' mother in Claudius' mother Antonia, and of a very dominant woman he was involved with in the portrayal of Livia as something of a monster (he says that contemporaries "complained of Livia's virtue rather than her vice", and that "the figure of Livia in the novel is a compound of venomous and unhistorical slanders"). The presentations of Augustus and Tiberius come in for some criticism too.
9) How did you cope with all the Roman names and terms?
I coped with the terms quite well, but as mentioned above found the names confusing.
10) How did you feel about the representation of women in the book?
I can't say it troubled me in any way, either positive or negative. Should it have? I can't think of anything!
11) Do you think the autobiographical style worked? If not, what style would have been better?
I enjoyed the autobiographical style, and thought it brought the characters and way of living to life well.
12) The sequel, Claudius the God, covers his reign as Emperor, will you be reading it?
Yes, I already am
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Hello Timstar, I am over 75% of the way through the book and should finish in the next few days.
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I have Mister B Gone waiting to be read too...
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When I was younger I remember reading some books by Sven Hassel. They were set in World War II and were fairly brutal depictions of men in very much a man's world; I don't remember whether they were witty, but they must have been fairly good reading for me to have bought more than one.
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Oh wow, that's amazing! :-)
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I knew I ordered the book in time for the reading circle, I knew it had been delivered, but when it came time to read it could I find it? No, not anywhere! However, last week I discovered it under my bed, where I had obviously carefully placed it to be read next... So, very very late indeed, here are my thoughts!
Did you like the book? What was it that you enjoyed? If you didn't like the book, what were your reasons for disliking it?
I enjoyed the writing style of the book very much indeed and thought he evoked the feelings and emotions involved in various situations very well indeed. One particular part stayed with me:
"Now I've shocked you," Paul said unapologetically.
"Not at all," said Nick, to whom life was a series of shocks, more or less well mastered.
I just loved that bit, I feel pretty much like that myself most of the time!
2. Did you have any expectations about the book before you started reading it, and if so, were they correct?
I didn't have any particular expectations about the book, and don't think I had heard of the author before it was nominated.
3. Who was your favourite character...?
I did actually like Nick, and I enjoyed the characters of Rachel and Toby too.
4. ...and your least favourite?
There were so many unlikeable characters that I can't really choose!
5. Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?
Like others, I enjoyed the last part of the book the most.
6. Was this the first book you've read in this genre / by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
I enjoyed the style of writing so much that I probably will read something else by the author.
7. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
The sheer amount of casual sex/fantasy/lusting got a bit boring for me.
8. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?
Overall, yes, it was. I enjoyed it more and more as it went on, and I think I might read it again just kind of skipping over the sex bits and concentrating on the rest of the writing.
9. Would you recommend the book and if so to whom?
Much though I enjoyed it, I can't actually think of anyone I know to whom I could recommend it.
10. Was Nick made a scapegoat or did he deserve his treatment by the Feddens at the end of the book?
I certainly thought he was made a scapegoat, but I didn't find it surprising; I expected the family/social group to close ranks when things went wrong, and think that was quite realistic.
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Whoops, sorry, I had checked the fast finder and had managed to miss it somehow *blush*
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Riot Van - Arctic Monkeys
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I haven't heard of The Maze Runner, but really enjoyed Insurgent when I read it a couple of weeks ago. I will need to look out for The Maze Runner, it sounds good.
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Oh my, spoilt for choice already! Could I please second all of the nominations so far, please? They all look great!
And I would like to nominate:
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Synopsis - from Amazon
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?
In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall is "a darkly brilliant reimagining of life under Henry VIII. . . . Magnificent." (The Boston Globe).
Why I think it would be good for the reading group:
Set in a very interesting period of history, its main character (Thomas Cromwell) is shown in a different light to that in which he is usually portrayed. I don't actually remember having heard of him before reading the book - in fact I very memorably had him confused with Oliver Cromwell until I actually read it! (Poor knowledge of history? Me??
) The book seems to arouse quite strong feelings in people one way or another, and should be good for discussing because of that. In addition, I regard it as one of the best books I have ever read in terms of pure enjoyment as well as awakening my interest in this period of history. -
1. Did you like the book? What was it that you enjoyed? If you didn't like the book, what were your reasons for disliking it?
Although it took me a very long time to finish, I did enjoy the book overall; I liked the poetic feel of the use of language.
2. Did you have any expectations about the book before you started reading it, and if so, were they correct?
I expected it to be quite a difficult read, but I found it more engaging than I had expected.
3. Who was your favourite character...?
Hm, overall I found them a pretty unlikeable bunch and I didn't feel particularly engaged by any of them, but my favourite was probably Padma; despite her outburts she stuck around to listen to Saleem - I'm not sure that I would have!
4. ...and your least favourite?
There wasn't any character who stood as being
5. Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?
My favourite part of the whole book was when Saleem had a fever at the beginning of the chapter 'At the Pioneer Cafe', from "No colours except green and black the walls are green the sky is black..." to "...I am rolling into little balls the balls are green and out into the night the night is black..." I just loved the rhythm of the words.
6. Was this the first book you've read in this genre / by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
It was the first book I have read by Salman Rushie; I have had The Gound Beneath Her Feet on my shelf to read for over 10 years now and while I still think I will read it, I won't be rushing to do so.
7. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
The whole business about the nose and knees, and the snot. I found those references, sprinkled throughout the whole book, very irritating indeed. And the part where Saleem was in the jungle with Ayooba, Shaheed and Farooq nearly made me give up the book completely; I don't know just why I disliked that part so much, and I can't bear to go back and look again to try and work it out!
8. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?
Despite the length of time it took me to get through the book, as I could only read 10 or so pages at a time, I did find it an enjoyable experience overall. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that I might read it again one day, either!
9. Would you recommend the book and if so to whom?
I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone, but if I heard someone was planning to read it I would let them know that I had found it worth persevering with and did enjoy it.
10. If you were born at the stroke of midnight on the independence of your country what supernatural power would you like to be granted?
Given that the referendum on Scottish Independence is coming up later this year, this is quite an appropriate question! I think I would choose the power to seamlessly relocate elsewhere...
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I'll be the odd (wo)man out who actually liked 50 Shades of Grey. They were easy, fast reads for me. Oh and I liked Twilight too so
I liked the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy too, Anna, so that makes two of us
Like you, I found them fast, easy reads. I thought they were more like slightly overheated Danielle Steele books than anything else, and as I have confessed elsewhere, Danielle Steele is my "guilty pleasure" author!From the list, I have read works by:
William Shakespeare
Agatha Christie
Barbara Cartland
Danielle Steel
Harold Robbins
Sidney Sheldon
Enid Blyton
Dr. Seuss
J. K. Rowling
Leo Tolstoy
Jackie Collins
Dean Koontz
Alexander Pushkin
Stephen King
Robert Ludlum
James Patterson
Jeffrey Archer
John Grisham
J. R. R. Tolkien
C. S. Lewis
Dan Brown
Arthur Hailey
Beatrix Potter
Michael Crichton
Richard Scarry
Clive Cussler
Alistair MacLean
Paulo Coelho
Catherine Cookson
David Baldacci
Roald Dahl
Anne Rice
Wilbur Smith
Lewis Carroll
Ian Fleming
Edgar Rice Burroughs
James Michener
Mary Higgins Clark
Patricia Cornwell
Tom Clancy
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Kidsmum, on 27 Jun 2014 - 09:48 AM, said:
Ooshie, i think we all struggled with the end of the book. For me, although i enjoyed the book it was a bit like rich food, after consuming two thirds of it i felt i'd had enough
Having said that i did feel a great sense of achievement when i got to the end so i hope that encourages you Haha i didn't think of doing that
I loved Gormenghast, are you reading the first one or the whole trilogy? I really enjoyed the first two books but i couldn't finish the last one it was so awful
I think I have got my second wind now, and just have 70 pages still to read, so I'm definitely aiming to finish it (although maybe a few days into next month)!
It's the first book I'm still kind of reading, Titus Groan; again, I don't dislike the book at all but keep being led astray by quick easy stories (Hunger Games, anyone? :-) ) that I really enjoy and can't wait to get back to... I do have the other two of the Ghormenghast trilogy on my shelf, but goodness knows when I will get to them!
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Ha, I might well end up doing that too, bobblybear! I actually think that the mistake I made was in not starting sooner - usually I'm such a quick reader it never occurred to me I might have trouble getting through it. If I was just able to read my ten pages a day and not starting to feel stressed about finishing it and posting my thoughts I could probably just have taken a couple of months over it (yeah, ok, maybe more, I am still reading a couple of pages a month of Ghormenghast :-D) and not been so bothered by it!
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Kidsmum, I am still reading and still hoping to finish the book! Although I am about 80% through, like bobblybear got to, and could give up on it without feeling sad. It's not that I don't like the book or don't enjoy it, and it's not destroying my mojo (so far...), but I don't find myself looking forward to getting back to it, or looking forward to finding out what happens next, and can only seem to read about 10 pages a day so it is just taking forever!
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It's taking me much longer to get through than I had expected, even though I am really enjoying it - I will be back as soon as I have finished with my comments! :-)
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Thanks very much saintmark :-)
Read-a-thon - 2016
in Group Reads
Posted
I have read The Thief of Always - it must have been about 20 years ago so I don't remember anything about it, just that I enjoyed it! My favourite is Weaveworld, which was the first one I read, I just loved it. I have only read Imajica once, and it's on my re-read list, so I'm looking forward to getting back to it some time.