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August #bookadayuk on BCF


Michelle

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The following is from Claire's book thread, introducing #bookadayuk

 

 

 

I've been taking part in a Twitter book thing for the last couple of months called #BookADayUK. It was started by the publishers Borough Press in June, then Doubleday Books took the helm in July, and this month the Sibhan Dowd Trust have taken over. Each month the host has set a list of categories, one for each day, and asked people to tweet their choices of books for each category.

 

Claire has started to expand her own thoughts within her thread, but she mentioned a thread for everyone to take part in, and as this is something I considered myself, here it is! We can start off by catching up with the past few days, and then keep it going through August.

 

The following link takes you to the twitter post showing all upcoming categories.. https://twitter.com/sdowdtrust/status/495307673400016896 but here are the first 9 to get us going...

 

1. Most interesting opening line

 

2. Best pairing of words and pictures

 

3. Favourite collection of short stories

 

4. Best graphic novel

 

5. Classic hero/ine or anti-hero/ine

 

6. Best for a bedtime story

 

7. Enjoyed by several generations

 

8. Never fails to cheer me up

 

9. Most powerful storytelling

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Ok, August 4th - Best graphic novel - I haven't read many graphic novels at all, but I loved Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story. I've just looked at the mixed reviews on amazon, but most of the low ones are because the buyer didn't realise it was a graphic novel. They've either called it a comic, or complained that it didn't work on the paperwhite. Also, some say it added nothing to the original.

 

However, I haven't read the original, and I knew what I was getting. I felt the artwork was excellent, and it conveyed the story well. 

 

I can see that reading a graphic novel after the actual book may not be so rewarding. I love The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, and was very excited to read the graphic novel. Whilst I enjoyed the artwork, I did feel much was missing from the story. 

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August 9th - Most powerful storytelling - There are probably quite a few if I think about it, but the one which comes to mind is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It works on so many levels, and it's the only book which had me crying by the end. Not just a bit choked up, but proper crying! (I think my signed copy is one of my most prized possessions!)

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I'll just copy across my first few entries from my blog before I get on to the rest of the week.

 

It started on the 1st August with The most arresting opening line, for which I chose Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith.  The opening line is "Let me tell you about when I was a girl, our grandfather says."  How could you NOT want to read on?  I adore this book, it's probably my favourite book ever, and this opening sentence gives you a sense of what you can expect, to be told a story, but an unusual one that will make you think. The story for me was incredibly moving, and by the end I cried tears, but tears of joy, seriously the most joyous book I've ever read. 

 

The 2nd August was The best pairing of words and pictures and my choice is Raoul Taburin Keeps A Secret by Jean-Jacques Sempé. It's a whimsical tale of a bicycle repair man who keeps a secret from everyone he knows, and the consequences it has on his life. It's a very traditional style of illustration with a nostalgic tone, and the story itself is utterly charming, amusing and affectionate, and has that classic small French town feel with an almost timeless quality about it. I completely loved it.

 

On the 3rd August, it was Your favourite collection of short stories. I do love Ali Smith's short stories, but I suspect I could pick her books in almost all categories, so for the sake of variety, I've gone with the sublime Love Begins In Winter by Simon Van Booy. Here is an extract from my original review, and I still stand by it!

 

 

Exquisite. There really isn't a better word to describe the latest collection of short stories by Simon Van Booy from Beautiful Books. Tales of love and loss are beautifully written, with the emotions flowing off the page and into your heart.

 

I am in complete awe of the mastery of a writer who can express the depth of a love between a man and woman, and the heartbreaking sadness of loss within the confines of a story that is only a few pages long, but Simon Van Booy achieves just this.

Edited by chesilbeach
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For the 4th August - best graphic novel, I chose Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds.  I've always had the impression that graphic novels were sci-fi, fantasy or thriller/noir style books, and they've never interested me but I have to say, this was completely different and a fantastic reading experience.  I can't deny, it did feel like I was ten years old again, reading the comic strips in my teen mags. :D The difference was that this was a grown up reading experience. Sprinkled through the pictures is the text telling a bit more of the story from a particular characters point of view.  As an alternative to the traditional novel, I thought it was very entertaining and a very satisfying reading experience.
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For the 5th August - Classic hero/ine or anti-hero/ine was always going to come from Jane Austen, and in the end I had to chose Anne Elliot, the patient, thoughtful woman who eventually gets her chance to shine. In an age where 27 years old is over the hill for a woman, Anne has resigned herself to a life governed by her family, but in her heart she still loves the dashing young sailor whom she was convinced to reject when younger. I love that when Wentworth returns years later, the spark of life in her is reignited, and she proves that she and Wentworth have far more class than her family, who had thought him below them, and unworthy of marrying Anne.

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The 6th August - Best for a bedtime story is a tricky one for me - I don't read at bedtime now, and I don't remember my parents reading to me at bedtime when I was small, as I always preferred to read on my own, but I do remember there would always be Enid Blyton books on my bedside cabinet, so in the end, I chose The Faraway Tree series.  I fondly remember these, and if I remember correctly, the chapters worked well as little stories on their own, so would have been perfect for bedtime.  I think I've read somewhere that they're not considered politically correct any more, but I don't think I ever noticed that as an innocent child.  I guess I'd have to re-read them to see what the problems are, as it's probably been over 35 years since I've picked one up.  I do still have them on my shelf upstairs, so maybe one day, I'll do just that!

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So the 7th August is Enjoyed by several generations.  None of my family were big readers, and our tastes rarely met, but I do remember lending both my mum and my nan the Fairacre and Thrush Green series of books by Miss Read.  Gentle social commentary based in a quintessentially English village.

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On to the 8th August and Never fails to cheer me up, and I had to pick Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson.  I was a latecomer to the books, but since discovering them a few years ago, I've read this particular one quite a few times, and even just typing the title in brings a smile to my face.  

 

It's funny and warm, totally engrossing. I love the period of the between the wars years, and the village setting, when the distinction between the classes was still evident and people could live comfortably without having to work.  It makes for a very funny read, as those with nothing to do have to find things to fill their time and an unhealthy obsession with their neighbours and the one-upmanship!  It's an absolute joy to read, with so much humour in the language and the attitudes of the characters, and still an amount of affection with an almost caricaturish feel to the people.  I think I've read it four or five times since I first found it in 2009, and it definitely always cheers me up. :smile2:

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Going back to 1st August - Most interesting opening line - One which comes to mind is from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve:

 

 

It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.”
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Now that's an opening line to grab you! I've just looked the book up, and it sounds very interesting, so it's gone on my ever expanding wish list. :D  This is one of the things I've loved about the #bookadayuk on Twitter - I've picked up a whole bunch of recommendations. :)

 

Edit: Oops, clicked on the wrong button, and I seem to have purchased it :blush:

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Ok, I'll play.

 

August 9th Most powerful storytelling.

I'd have to go with Laura Hillenbrand's  Unbroken: a WWII story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, my favorite read of last year.

Can I do two past ones too?

 

August 2nd, Best pariring of words and pictures

I'd pick Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, with illustrations by Ralph SteadmanSteadman does all the unusually strange acid trip-like illustrations in Thompson's books (and for Flying Dog beer).  Story is about a Rolling Stone columnist traveling to Las Vegas with his lawyer and a trunk full of drugs (to take, not sell).

 

August 4th- Best Graphic novel

Yattering and Jack by Clive Barker (Illustrations by Barker).  Barker does all his own art in his books, be it graphic novel or not and his work is mind blowing.  YAJ is about a demon tormenting a man who had a family member make a pact with the devil.

Edited by Anna Begins
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August 4th- Best Graphic novel

Yattering and Jack by Clive Barker (Illustrations by Barker).  Barker does all his own art in his books, be it graphic novel or not and his work is mind blowing.

Now that looks interesting - something to look out for. Does he have many graphic novels?

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Now that looks interesting - something to look out for. Does he have many graphic novels?

Yes, he has a series called Tapping the Vein.  I have Volumes 2-5.  Although #2 looks worse for wear, my dog ate it as a puppy :banghead:   The Thief of Always (YA) is illustrated wonderfully too, but it's not a graphic novel.  I love my Barker collection, joke is, if there's a fire, pack up the Barker's and flee :giggle2:

Edit- I have just found out there is a graphic novel edition of The Great and Secret Show.  It's only $7.  I might have to buy it.  Ugh- the BCF is killing me  :P At just 300 pages, I can't imagine what it could be like.

Edited by Anna Begins
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The 10th August is the Best written bestseller, and I've chosen Chocolat by Joanne Harris. It's always difficult to pick this sort of category, because I never really look at book charts, and I'm not sure how many books sold indicates a best seller, but I found this list from 2012 of the Top 100 best selling books of all time (UK only) and looking through it, there were a few that jumped out at me, but in the end, I thought Chocolat pipped it for me.

 

Separate the book from the film, if you've seen it, and what you get is a modern fairy tale for adults, and the alchemy of making perfect chocolates is beguiling.  The tension builds throughout Lent, between the mysterious, mystical Vianne, and the religious, righteous Father Reynaud, as the priest preaches abstinence, while the heathen chocolatier tempts the village with confections to die for.  Funny, poignant and brilliant storytelling, it is my best written bestseller.

 

What would you pick? You don't have to use this list of bestsellers, as these are UK only, but do you think there's a best seller out there that is well written?

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From the top 20 of what Chesil linked I'm going to go with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon as I loved this book. The book involves a boy with Asperger's who gets curious after a dog in his street is found dead. The book is about him and his life and I really loved the way it was written and the way he thought. The book also has little illustrations throughout the text. But there are several good books on that list really.

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Hmm.... I don't look up or watch best selling lists, so I'll use the link above. Memoirs of a Geisha and A Thousand Splendid Suns stand out for me.  But then I saw To Kill a Mockingbird, and I just HAVE to go with that.  It just speaks for so much (unfortunately) of my country's history.  But the way Harper Lee tells the story, about mans treatment of man... it's universal.  It's like she gave her all, just for that one story...her only one.

(And oddly, I just added The Alchemist to my Kindle sample pile before I read the list- didn't know it was so short)

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Tomorrow's theme looks good too- can't wait to see what you all have to say.  I'm already thinking...

Plus, I wanted to bump this up a bit :smile: Maybe some might want to post for past days.

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Today, I chose The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness for the ideal for a book group category.  I'd been trying to find a YA book that would have enough copies in the library for us to be able to reserve them, and after I read this one, I knew it would be a good one to chose.  It's unusual depiction of thoughts, the society without females, and the various themes of morality that occur, all added up to what I thought would make a good book to discuss.  What was great, was that in a group of mostly retired elderly women (obviously not me :D) who never read YA, those who persevered past the first few pages, found it a gripping and rewarding read, and we had such a lively discussion, that the few who'd originally given up thinking it wasn't for them, were tempted to try again after our meeting. :)

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August 11th- Ideal for a book group

I pick Dawn by Elie Wiesel, a short story that changed my life and I have never forgotten.

 

Elisha is a young Jewish man, a Holocaust survivor, and an Israeli freedom fighter in British-controlled Palestine; John Dawson is the captured English officer he will murder at dawn in retribution for the British execution of a fellow freedom fighter. The night-long wait for morning, with its harrowingly taut, hour-by-hour narrative, Elisha wrestles with guilt, ghosts, and ultimately God as he waits for the appointed hour and his act of assassination. Dawn is an eloquent meditation on the compromises, justifications, and sacrifices that human beings make when they murder other human beings. 81 pages.

 

I can't wait to see what everyone picks for August 18th- I read it to impress (and did it?).

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We tend to stick to full length novels with the odd non-fiction mixed in, as the only time we tried a collection of short stories, it didn't go down well, as lots of people didn't read the book because they "don't like short stories".  And also, because we only meet once a month, and for some people, they only read the chosen book, unfortunately, I don't think they'd go for this one, even if it was included in an anthology or collection of short stories.

 

It's an interesting category, as I think it's quite difficult to pick selections for book groups.  Books have to have enough depth to have something to discuss, but not be too long or too short, and you have to take into account the vagaries of the group, such as with the one I go to, where short stories are not popular.  You also almost don't want something that is universally enjoyed either, as if everyone just praises a book, the discussion is over very quickly.  Lots of books I read and enjoy, I know wouldn't work for our group for whatever reason, so it's quite tricky to find something to get the discussion going and get our teeth into! :D

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It is a stand alone book, fiction.

But, yes, unfortunately, I have never been part of a book group.  It's too bad short stories don't get much discussion... I almost picked The Lottery.  I really wanted to say Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but everyone is already sick of hearing about it :giggle2:

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