willoyd Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) when I first had my kindle I thought it would replace books for me. .....So I think it will be about 60/40 for me this year. I thought so too, but over the last year, 17/60 books were read entirely on the Kindle, with another 7 using a bit of both. So, not even 50%, although I think the pace is picking up. Like you vodkafan, quite a few books I want to read have been either cheaper in hardcopy, or not available in e-form at all. I reckon it'll probably go up to about half and half this year, but I've still got quite a backlog of hardcopies I want to read, so might not. I'm also finding that the stimulus of being able to read at times and in places previously unavailable to me (or a bit limited) as a result of the Kindle is leading me to buying more books than before, not less! Edited January 10, 2013 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I'm reading more on my kindle as time goes on as I'm running out of space for paper books! I do still see which is cheaper for me to buy and go that way about it though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I read some of it on Kindle too, but the book was a birthday present so I read some of it in book form as it would have felt wrong to read it all on Kindle when someone was kind enough to buy it for me! Aw, that's really sweet of you. I'm glad I have it, but I still don't see it replacing books in my life! Glad to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Hello Jänet, here's hoping you have a brilliant reading year in 2013! Very much looking forward to seeing which titles you pick up and which titles you'll enjoy the most Like many others, I really like it how you've arranged your TBR list according to the year of purchase! I'm tempted to now go and do the same, but it would be way too much work and I enjoy my alphabetical order too much. So I'm just going to live vicariously through you, if you don't mind Before I forget: Have you had the time and the opportunity to watch Fried Green Tomatoes yet? I'd love to know what you think of it when you've seen it Jonas Jonasson The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared Stephen Fry The Fry Chronicles Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island These are great reads, I hope you enjoy them! I'm reading 'Tess' at the moment. I'm just under a third of the way through it and am enjoying it so far! You're the second person (the first being frankie) who didn't enjoy it though! I know you've already finished Tess, and I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Eventhough it's one of my most despised novels, I'd hate it if others had to read it through and dislike it as much as I did. It's better they enjoyed it, I don't want people to hate the books they read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Hello Jänet, here's hoping you have a brilliant reading year in 2013! Very much looking forward to seeing which titles you pick up and which titles you'll enjoy the most Thanks, Frankie. I look forward to discussing books with you throughout the coming year. Like many others, I really like it how you've arranged your TBR list according to the year of purchase! I'm tempted to now go and do the same, but it would be way too much work and I enjoy my alphabetical order too much. So I'm just going to live vicariously through you, if you don't mind It was easy for me as I’d kept previous spreadsheets of purchased books – and I don’t have too many compared to other people. Of course I don’t mind if you live it through me. Before I forget: Have you had the time and the opportunity to watch Fried Green Tomatoes yet? I'd love to know what you think of it when you've seen it No, I haven’t managed to watch it yet. Actually, as soon as I’ve clicked on ‘add reply’ I’m going to go and find it (for some reason it’s upstairs in my bedside cabinet) and put it on the DVD shelf so I don’t forget all about it. Jonas Jonasson The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared Stephen Fry The Fry Chronicles Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island These are great reads, I hope you enjoy them! Thanks. I’ve actually downloaded Treasure Island onto my Kindle now as I can’t find the book! I know you've already finished Tess, and I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Eventhough it's one of my most despised novels, I'd hate it if others had to read it through and dislike it as much as I did. It's better they enjoyed it, I don't want people to hate the books they read Wouldn’t life be boring if we all liked the same things?! Differences of opinion can make for good discussion, can’t they?! I must get on with writing my review of it. Thanks for posting, frankie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy The ‘blurb’ Set in Hardy's Wessex, Tess is a moving novel of hypocrisy and double standards. Its challenging sub-title, A Pure Woman, infuriated critics when the book was first published in 1891, and it was condemned as immoral and pessimistic. It tells of Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of a poor and dissipated villager, who learns that she may be descended from the ancient family of d'Urbeville. In her search for respectability her fortunes fluctuate wildly, and the story assumes the proportions of a Greek tragedy. It explores Tess's relationships with two very different men, her struggle against the social mores of the rural Victorian world which she inhabits and the hypocrisy of the age. In addressing the double standards of the time, Hardy's masterly evocation of a world which we have lost, provides one of the most compelling stories in the canon of English literature, whose appeal today defies the judgement of Hardy's contemporary critics. I had always thought that Hardy would be difficult to read (in terms of language, not content) but when my husband’s choir went on tour to Dorset in 2011 we added on an overnight stay on the way home in Dorchester, so it seemed to me to make sense to read The Mayor of Casterbridge whilst there and I found that I loved it. The language, far from being difficult was simply poetical and beautiful. Tess is a similarly tragic novel to ‘Casterbridge’. Tess Durbeyfield takes part in a May Day celebration with the girls of the village, whilst they wait for the men to finish work. A young stranger appears and dances with many of the girls, but not with Tess, although she wills him to and she feels rather slighted by him. Meanwhile, her ne'er-do-well father is told by the village priest that he is descended from the wealthy but extinct d’Urberville family. The idea of this goes to his head, and Tess is sent to ‘claim kin’ with a family of that name in the vicinity, little realising that the family had bought the surname as a pretension. But Tess comes to rue the day she meet Alec d’Urberville as he treats her deplorably and her fortunes change for the worse. Eventually she meets up with the man from May Day all those years ago, Angel Clare. She initially resists him but soon falls in love with him and prepares to spend her life with him. However, against her mother’s advice, Tess makes a confession to Angel which will send her life back on a downward spiral until she hits rock bottom. I expect many of you know the story so I won’t go into detail and I don’t want to give it away, but suffice it to say that despite the fact that Tess is not an uplifting novel I really, really enjoyed it – it’s such a great story. Hardy addresses the terrible double-standards of Victorian society in telling Tess’s tale and I can’t wait to try some more of his novels. Hardy’s grave at Stinsford, Dorset (His heart is buried here – his ashes in Westminster Abbey) The Hardy Monument, Dorchester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper The ‘blurb’ After the city suffered such terrible losses during the Plague, London is recovering and Hannah convinces her parents that, with her younger sister Anne's help, she can return to the city and manage the sweetmeats shop on her own. The girls are thrilled to be back in London, and Hannah starts to look for her old beau, Tom. But before long her newfound happiness is short-lived as fires begin to spring up around the city and quickly move closer to their shop. I thoroughly enjoyed the prequel to this book and this picks up where that left off. Sarah and Hannah have fled from London by using a health certificate belonging to a dying woman and her servant, taking with them a baby girl in order to deliver her to her Aunt’s house in far away Dorchester after her family have perished in the plague. But Hannah has left behind her sweetheart Tom and can’t wait to get back to London. After visiting their family in Chertsey, it is decided that Sarah will stay on to help her mother who is expecting a baby, and so Hannah persuades her mother and father to let her take her younger sister, Anne, to help out in the shop. However, disaster strikes when a fire takes hold in the city, and starts to spread. As the Londoners try in vain to contain the fire, Hannah and Anne find themselves in grave danger, and Hannah once again risks losing all that is dear to her. This was as good as, if not better than, At the Sign of the Sugared Plum. Once again Hooper writes in a way that captivates the reader and draws them in. Her descriptions are excellent and one can almost feel the heat and fear of the terrible events of 1666. A great read for children and adults alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper The ‘blurb’ After the city suffered such terrible losses during the Plague, London is recovering and Hannah convinces her parents that, with her younger sister Anne's help, she can return to the city and manage the sweetmeats shop on her own. The girls are thrilled to be back in London, and Hannah starts to look for her old beau, Tom. But before long her newfound happiness is short-lived as fires begin to spring up around the city and quickly move closer to their shop. I thoroughly enjoyed the prequel to this book and this picks up where that left off. Sarah and Hannah have fled from London by using a health certificate belonging to a dying woman and her servant, taking with them a baby girl in order to deliver her to her Aunt’s house in far away Dorchester after her family have perished in the plague. But Hannah has left behind her sweetheart Tom and can’t wait to get back to London. After visiting their family in Chertsey, it is decided that Sarah will stay on to help her mother who is expecting a baby, and so Hannah persuades her mother and father to let her take her younger sister, Anne, to help out in the shop. However, disaster strikes when a fire takes hold in the city, and starts to spread. As the Londoners try in vain to contain the fire, Hannah and Anne find themselves in grave danger, and Hannah once again risks losing all that is dear to her. This was as good as, if not better than, At the Sign of the Sugared Plum. Once again Hooper writes in a way that captivates the reader and draws them in. Her descriptions are excellent and one can almost feel the heat and fear of the terrible events of 1666. A great read for children and adults alike. You said that so much better than I did Janet! Great review, I really enjoyed it too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann The ‘blurb’ A diary for her innermost thoughts, a china ornament, a ten-shilling note, and a roll of flame-coloured silk for her first evening dress: these are the gifts Olivia Curtis receives for her seventeenth birthday. She anticipates her first dance, the greatest yet most terrifying event of her restricted social life, with tremulous uncertainty and excitement. For her pretty, charming elder sister Kate, the dance is certain to be a triumph, but what will it be for shy, awkward Olivia? Exploring the daydreams and miseries attendant upon even the most innocent of social events, Rosamond Lehmann perfectly captures the emotions of a girl standing poised on the threshold of womanhood. Invitation to the Waltz is a gentle coming-of-age novel, set in the 1920s, about a young girl called Olivia who has been invited to her first ball just after her seventeenth birthday. Neither she nor her sister, Kate, is worldly-wise and both worry that they will be wallflowers – left standing at the side of the room, hoping that at least some of the slots on their invitation cards might be filled in. They had invited their mother’s Godson so that they would have someone to dance with but he doesn’t turn out to be the godsend they’d hoped for. As the evening wears on, Kate finds her dance card full and so Olivia is left somewhat to her own devices and, as the evening wears on, she dances with all kinds of different people and tries her best to enjoy her first proper evening out. I enjoy social commentary books – most of those I’ve read have been about people from the lower end of the social scale from Olivia and Kate – people whose lives are lived in abject poverty. Olivia’s life is different. Although the family aren’t as well-off since their father returned from the First World War, their slightly reduced circumstances simply mean that Kate has had to give up horse riding lessons! Despite the very different social scale I did enjoy the class aspect of this book. It’s difficult to imagine today going to a dance and having to have an invitation card with you and to wait for someone to fill in a vacant slot! I’m not sure who I’d recommend this book to – it’s a very gentle story and I enjoyed the characterisation but some might feel the story unsatisfactory but I enjoyed it despite the slow pace – I think Lehmann’s characters are all believable and enjoyable and Rosamond Lehmann is an author whom I will definitely try again and I will definitely be reading the sequel. The Weather in the Streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 You said that so much better than I did Janet! Great review, I really enjoyed it too! I'm sure that's not true! Thanks though. I must have a catch up on your and other people's Reading Blogs tomorrow - I have loads of unread posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Me too, but I'm reading cautiously when I do as I'm trying so so hard not to buy any more books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Ah yes, it's definitely very dangerous reading other members' blogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 .... Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy ... I loved reading that review and seeing those pictures. Thank you for sharing Janet. I'll definitely pick up Tess... this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It was easy for me as I’d kept previous spreadsheets of purchased books – and I don’t have too many compared to other people. Of course I don’t mind if you live it through me. Yes, I suppose it's easy if you have spreadsheets of acquired books already on your computer, I suspect you keep them for general purposes, too, and not just so you can copy+paste them on here. I mean from the lists you can probably count how much money you've spent on books per year etc. And if you have started the spreadsheets in the way that you add books to the bottom or the top in the chronological order, then it's no pain at all I started my word document in an alphabetical order and I'm happy with that, it would be too much of a hassle to now go and change it No, I haven’t managed to watch it yet. Actually, as soon as I’ve clicked on ‘add reply’ I’m going to go and find it (for some reason it’s upstairs in my bedside cabinet) and put it on the DVD shelf so I don’t forget all about it. Cool! Wouldn’t life be boring if we all liked the same things?! Differences of opinion can make for good discussion, can’t they?! I must get on with writing my review of it. It would be very boring indeed Sometimes it's more fun to disagree with someone on a book because you then get to rant a bit (in good humour) but so does the other person, and you'll have to be able to back up your thoughts with something concrete and this in turn might help you with your writing a review on the book, and to see more clearly why you enjoyed the book in the first place. And you'll learn more about the other person who's read the book, and maybe something of the book itself. Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy Great review of the novel! Eventhough I didn't like the book, I had to read through your thoughts on it I expect many of you know the story so I won’t go into detail and I don’t want to give it away, but suffice it to say that despite the fact that Tess is not an uplifting novel I really, really enjoyed it – it’s such a great story. For me, because I disliked the book in general, it was all the more 'heavy', if you will, to carry on with it because it was so depressing. I wanted to shake every character in the novel and maybe even slap them a little and tell them to get a grip I have a few times thought about re-reading the book: I had to read it for uni, and because it was a mandatory read, maybe I hated it more than I would've had I read it for pleasure. Maybe if it had simply been on my recreational TBR, I wouldn't have picked it up until I was in the right mood for it, and would've thought quite differently of it in the end. Your review has made me think about re-reading Tess, once again. I'm not saying I will, but it's out there in the open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 I loved reading that review and seeing those pictures. Thank you for sharing Janet. I'll definitely pick up Tess... this year. I hope you enjoy it when you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Yes, I suppose it's easy if you have spreadsheets of acquired books already on your computer, I suspect you keep them for general purposes, too, and not just so you can copy+paste them on here. I mean from the lists you can probably count how much money you've spent on books per year etc. And if you have started the spreadsheets in the way that you add books to the bottom or the top in the chronological order, then it's no pain at all I started my word document in an alphabetical order and I'm happy with that, it would be too much of a hassle to now go and change it I love lists and spreadsheets! As the years have gone on they’ve evolved – I started keeping them when I joined the forum in 2006. It’s interesting to look back on them. It would be very boring indeed Sometimes it's more fun to disagree with someone on a book because you then get to rant a bit (in good humour) but so does the other person, and you'll have to be able to back up your thoughts with something concrete and this in turn might help you with your writing a review on the book, and to see more clearly why you enjoyed the book in the first place. And you'll learn more about the other person who's read the book, and maybe something of the book itself. Discussing a book definitely helps with reviewing it! Sometimes, especially after book club, discussing a book has made me revise my feelings towards it! Great review of the novel! Eventhough I didn't like the book, I had to read through your thoughts on it Thanks. For me, because I disliked the book in general, it was all the more 'heavy', if you will, to carry on with it because it was so depressing. I wanted to shake every character in the novel and maybe even slap them a little and tell them to get a grip I hated Angel Clare - almost more than I disliked Alec d'Urberville! He needed a good slap! I know what you mean! I’ve waded through books that I haven’t been enjoying and it’s hard going. Reading stops being a pleasure and becomes a chore! That’s why I’ve pretty much stopped reading bad books to the end – I used to hate the thought of giving up on a book ‘in case it got better’ or because it was a ‘waste of words’ but a few years ago I decided life was too short to read bad books and so the only time I plod on is if it’s for my book club or for my World Challenge! I have a few times thought about re-reading the book: I had to read it for uni, and because it was a mandatory read, maybe I hated it more than I would've had I read it for pleasure. Maybe if it had simply been on my recreational TBR, I wouldn't have picked it up until I was in the right mood for it, and would've thought quite differently of it in the end. Your review has made me think about re-reading Tess, once again. I'm not saying I will, but it's out there in the open Similarly I have been considering re-reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith! When I read it back in 2006 it was for book club, and at that time I was only reading crime books or chick-lit, which I no longer enjoy. It would be interesting to see if reading now would change my opinion. On the other hand there are so many books I would like to read that I doubt I’ll ever get round to trying it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 So glad you enjoyed Tess, Janet. I loved it. And it's good to know, finally, I'm not alone in this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks, Andrea. I'm hoping to read some more unknown (to me) classics this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) I have a few times thought about re-reading the book: I had to read it for uni, and because it was a mandatory read, maybe I hated it more than I would've had I read it for pleasure. Maybe if it had simply been on my recreational TBR, I wouldn't have picked it up until I was in the right mood for it, and would've thought quite differently of it in the end. Your review has made me think about re-reading Tess, once again. I'm not saying I will, but it's out there in the open I've had a go at rereading several books I really disliked from my teenage/young adult years (rather longer ago than I'd care to detail!). Every time, I have enjoyed the book a whole lot more than I did at the time. I think that's because almost all of them have been 'classics' of some sort, and I've grown up a lot over the last thirty to forty years (thank goodness!). One or two (e.g. Lord of the Flies) originally ranked amongst my most hated books. They are the ones I think I enjoyed the most! All I'm saying is that re-reading can be worthwhile. We change a lot more than we think (or would like to acknowledge!). Thanks, Andrea. I'm hoping to read some more unknown (to me) classics this year. Intriguing - any particular ones? Edited January 15, 2013 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Gosh, I've downloaded loads to my Kindle! Definitely some more Austen (I've only read Pride and Prejudice so far), some Dickens (starting with The Pickwick Papers which I believe was his first?), Lorna Doone (a children's book, I think? But anyway, now classed as a classic as far as I know), Treasure Island, Fanny Hill, some more Hardy... All pretty mainstream stuff really. I hadn't really read any classics until a few years ago and I've only read a few. I loved P&P (it took me a while to get going with it), I loved The Mayor of Casterbridge. I loved The War of the Worlds. I really enjoyed Candide! Gulliver's Travels less so. A Christmas Carol, of course (not your favourite, I know!), Jane Eyre was really good... I wish I'd been more adventurous years ago! ETA: Why 'intriguing'? Edited January 15, 2013 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Sadly I gave up on I Do Not Come To You By Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani - it just wasn't engaging me. I'm about 10% of the way through The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. I knew nothing of what this book was about before I started but it's a really easy read and I'm enjoying it. I hope to get stuck into it a bit today when I get in from work. I received my copy of The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings from Amazon yesterday, which is my February book club book. I managed to find an edition without George Clooney on the front cover, so it's all good! Right, I'd better trudge to work in the dark and the snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I received my copy of The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings from Amazon yesterday, which is my February book club book. I managed to find an edition without George Clooney on the front cover, so it's all good! I hope you like it! I thought it was a pretty good book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I've had a go at rereading several books I really disliked from my teenage/young adult years (rather longer ago than I'd care to detail!). Every time, I have enjoyed the book a whole lot more than I did at the time. I think that's because almost all of them have been 'classics' of some sort, and I've grown up a lot over the last thirty to forty years (thank goodness!). One or two (e.g. Lord of the Flies) originally ranked amongst my most hated books. They are the ones I think I enjoyed the most! All I'm saying is that re-reading can be worthwhile. I LOATHED Lord of the Flies, but I did read it for English Lit GCSE, which was the course which put me off studying English ever again. I was good at both Lang and Lit, but the combined classes at GCSE level left me with a total detest of the subject, so I trotted off to do history instead. Maybe I should give it another go one day Like you J I would like to attempt more classics and I've downloaded quite a few also. I'm hoping that the 1001 book list challenge will also encourage me to tick a few off. I'd definitely like to try another Dickens this year, or maybe attempt my first Austen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I really enjoyed Tess too. Glad you liked it too great review!!! Looking forward to what you make of Wildfell Hall. I‘ve not read that one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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