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Your Book Activity - July 2015


Kylie

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Finished Frankenstein late last night. A much easier read than I anticipated (don't quite know why I expected it to be harder), and very enjoyable, although there were a lot of holes, odd coincidences, and questions unanswered.

I had a major spending spree yesterday in Blackwell's, Leeds, yesterday, where there were various enticing offers, including a 'Buy One Get One Free' offer! I've listed books on my thread, but just to say that I've now moved on to one of those purchases, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, which is already proving to be very different to what I had expected (my prejudices do seem to be catching up with me!).

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I'm taking a break from The Hound of the Baskervilles and reading Nana by Emile Zola. I'm really enjoying it so far! :)

 

I've been wanting to read Nana for ages. Glad to hear it's going well. :)

 

I started reading Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J. Mann. I've been intimidated by its size but because I need to return it to the library in a week I thought I must give it a go now. And it's been very readable! :smile2: Very interesting, too. 

 

Ooh, this sounds like an interesting read! Can't wait to read your review. :)

 

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, which is already proving to be very different to what I had expected (my prejudices do seem to be catching up with me!).

 

Is it different in a good way or a bad way? Or perhaps neither? What I'm trying to ask is, are you enjoying it? :)

 

 

Not too much bookish activity for me, unfortunately. Unless you count the fact that I bought a new desk and it has two bookshelves in it. :D

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I did read half of the short stories in Endangered Species by Gene Wolfe, and they were excellent, but you have to take his short stories in small doses, as they and his novels are always puzzles to be solved.

 

Almost done reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. It's not one of my favorites. She has done much better, although I do find elephants fascinating.

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and have gone with Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Whoa.....what a brilliant opening couple of chapters. I'm hooked!! :readingtwo:

Oh cool, I've been wondering about that book for awhile!

 

I am headed to bed with the sample to Alice Munro's Selected Stories 1968- 1994...and of course Gregory's The Red Queen. Ok, ok and BBC History magazine :D

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I finished The Girls from Corona Del Mar by Rufi Thorpe, it wasn't really what I expected, it was much deeper and darker, which actually made it a better book for me. It was recommended by Vanessa Diffenbaugh who wrote one of my favourite books, which was also deep and dark in places so I suppose it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise.

 

New bookcase arriving soon! :)

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BTW, Anna.....I really enjoyed the Cousins War series, and The Red Queen was probably my favorite. :)  Glad you're enjoying it!

I must be in for a treat then, because The White Queen was awesome :)

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Whoa.....what a brilliant opening couple of chapters. I'm hooked!! :readingtwo:

 

That looks interesting.  £1.79 on Kindle.  Hmmm . . .

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That looks interesting.  £1.79 on Kindle.  Hmmm . . .

 

It's on my TBR and a few folk have recommended it both off and online. Keep looking at it on the shelf... 

 

So many books, so little time. 

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That looks interesting.  £1.79 on Kindle.  Hmmm . . .

 

Go on! You know you want to.....!  :giggle2:

 

Finished 'The Forgotten Garden' by Kate Morton and going to start 'Instructions for a Heatwave' by Maggie O'Farrell

 

I really enjoyed Instructions for a Heatwave. I wouldn't say it was my favourite O'Farrell, but it's up near the top.

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Go on! You know you want to.....!  :giggle2:

 

:lol:  I might have . . .  :D

 

Something completely different next: making a start on Alistair MacLean's HMS Ulysses.  Haven't read one of his books in . . .  well, probably not since the early 80s :lol:

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Is it different in a good way or a bad way? Or perhaps neither? What I'm trying to ask is, are you enjoying it? :)

Different in a good way: I expected it to hardish going and with its feet firmly placed in the mis-lit genre. In fact, I've ripped through it, and finished it this morning. A superb read - quirky, humorous, whilst still not ducking some darker moments.  Her intercutting with fairy stories was interestingly challenging - not sure quite how they were all meant to work, but they got me thinking.  In fact, a complete revelation! Following that is going to be difficult, but I'm going to start with The Shipping News, and see how that goes.

 

Something completely different next: making a start on Alistair MacLean's HMS Ulysses.  Haven't read one of his books in . . .  well, probably not since the early 80s :lol:

Well, that's a real blast from the past. Like you, it must be at least the early 80s since I read any Maclean, but I remember thinking that HMS Ulysses was one of his best, if not the best, and I read a fair few of them at the time! Hope time hasn't told!

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Different in a good way: I expected it to hardish going and with its feet firmly placed in the mis-lit genre. In fact, I've ripped through it, and finished it this morning. A superb read - quirky, humorous, whilst still not ducking some darker moments.  Her intercutting with fairy stories was interestingly challenging - not sure quite how they were all meant to work, but they got me thinking.  In fact, a complete revelation! Following that is going to be difficult, but I'm going to start with The Shipping News, and see how that goes.

 

Great! Thanks for letting me know.

 

I've read a chapter or two of my Alan Bradley book, but I haven't had much time for reading lately. :(

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I'm reading enjoying Station Eleven. I'm meant to be studying put I keep picking it up instead. It's very multi-layered and has more depth than I original assumed.

Oh man, I hear this.  My final is Monday and I keep picking up Philippa Gregory.  I'm glad you are enjoying it, might push it up on my TBR.

 

I'm moving along nicely in The Red Queen, and read the Sample/ first short story in Alice Munro's Selected Stories 1968- 1994.  Gotta wait til payday for it!  And it's pricey too, I've been noticing lately Kindle books are not the cheap bargains they used to be.  Now it's nothing for a book to be $10 or more.

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