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Your Book Activity - October 2016


Athena

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Hi. I'm still reading Beautiful Darkness. I'm getting married at the end of the month so haven't had much time for reading!

Congratulations :)

 

I have put myself on a book buying ban again for the next three months so I gave written myself a list of books I want to read from what I have at home. Then when I have read them I can tick them off. I plan to try and read 25-40 books in that time. I really am going to have to read a lot more than I am to achieve that.

 

I am going to read To Kill A Mockingbird next to finally be able to say I have read it.

Good luck!

 

I hope you enjoy To Kill A Mockingbird. I thought it was an impressive book when I read it for my English class in secondary / high school.

 

Yesterday I read Jenny Han - The Summer I Turned Pretty 1: The Summer I Turned Pretty. Today I plan to continue with the trilogy (I have it as an omnibus edition) by starting It's Not Summer Without You. I wouldn't call it great literature or anything of the sort, but I enjoyed reading the first book. It was a nice, light, summery read.

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Thanks Athena. Very excited now!

 

I think a book buying ban sounds like both a very sensible but sad decision! I don't think I'll ever read all the books I currently own unless I win the lottery and decide to make it my full time occupation !! However, I seem to have a compulsion. Perhaps we need a book buying equivalent of AA?!

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Wow! That's wonderful, to get so far with Proust!  :clapping:

Haha, thanks. I do think it is worth it though - the man is a genius.

 

I'm not sure if you're speaking sarcastically or not, but some of those things you list are things I'm personally not quite so keen on.

I'm being entirely serious. I know all of these factors make the series sound like an awful ordeal, yet bizarrely these books are some of the best I've ever read. They give you an insight into humanity and makes you question your own thoughts and behaviour.

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I've finished A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Meh. I mean, the man can write. But the story was disappointing, and just not for me. I think others may well appreciate it though - it's not bad, just not my thing.

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I'd forgotten all about it! :D I've just downloaded the Kindle book as it's free! Thanks. :)

 

Is it your first Kindle Paperwhite, or a replacement? If the former then I'm sure you'll love it - and if the latter then you'll already know how wonderful they are! :wub:

I think this is Kindle number seven :D. Primarily, I use an 8 inch Fire as a computer (my Surface died) and I've been reading on a 6 inch Fire, which I hate and battle with every day!

 

I hope you like The Swiss Family Robinson, it's only around 160 pages, no more than 200.

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I'm reading a serial Kindle Single series. It's called Coma Girl and there are six parts, part one came out in July, parts five and six will be out November and December 1st. The chapters are each day of the month, like I'm reading part one from July and am on July 9th. It's about a woman in a coma who can hear what is going on around her. It's not upsetting or disturbing, it's ok but interesting. They range from 90 to 150 pages.

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Most of the way through Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes, another meh 'thriller' that consists mostly of sex and making tea. Wish I was as non-selective as all these people who keep raving about all these thrillers I think are bad!

 

Also just over halfway through The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, by first foray into the world of Lovecraft. For the most part, I'm finding the stories likeable or dull, with the odd exception I love. His writing is spectacular and his descriptions of place are stunning, but the actual plots can be underwhelming and there's nothing scary or disturbing about any of them. I can see how they might have been, a hundred years ago, but these days not so much. Happily, the title story about Cthulhu was one of my four-star ratings in the book, so maybe I'll enjoy reading other Cthulhu stuff. I've jumped around a lot, and left the longer stories til last, but I think his longer stories may actually be where he shines. Either way, I'm glad I finally gave him a go.

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Most of the way through Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes, another meh 'thriller' that consists mostly of sex and making tea. Wish I was as non-selective as all these people who keep raving about all these thrillers I think are bad!

 

Also just over halfway through The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, by first foray into the world of Lovecraft. For the most part, I'm finding the stories likeable or dull, with the odd exception I love. His writing is spectacular and his descriptions of place are stunning, but the actual plots can be underwhelming and there's nothing scary or disturbing about any of them. I can see how they might have been, a hundred years ago, but these days not so much. Happily, the title story about Cthulhu was one of my four-star ratings in the book, so maybe I'll enjoy reading other Cthulhu stuff. I've jumped around a lot, and left the longer stories til last, but I think his longer stories may actually be where he shines. Either way, I'm glad I finally gave him a go.

Interesting to hear your perspective. Lovecraft is one of those writers who I have been meaning to read for a long, long time. I have heard so much about his writing, and as a Fantasy fan I've been told that his stories are a must-read.

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Interesting to hear your perspective. Lovecraft is one of those writers who I have been meaning to read for a long, long time. I have heard so much about his writing, and as a Fantasy fan I've been told that his stories are a must-read.

 

I would say they should be read, yes - just because my appreciation of horror/fantasy is so heavily influenced by modern writing and the modern world, and maybe therefore Lovecraft loses some of his impact for me, doesn't mean I don't think he's important. He focuses a lot on the mind, and dreams, and even moreso most of his characters refuse to describe the most shocking stuff they perceive because it would drive most people mad. There's tons of 'implying' and 'alluding' and less actual description, and as someone who likes dark, graphic, descriptive stuff, it's kind of at the opposite end of the spectrum for me. But again, he wrote in the days before space exploration, before satellites had even been launched, let alone setting foot on the moon, and he's talking about creatures from beyond the stars. Before the internet, and information at our fingertips, and an easily accessible, technology driven world, and he's talking about artifacts from unknown corners of the world. I can absolutely see how his work would have been extremely scary back when it was written.

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I think this is Kindle number seven :D. Primarily, I use an 8 inch Fire as a computer (my Surface died) and I've been reading on a 6 inch Fire, which I hate and battle with every day!

 

I hope you like The Swiss Family Robinson, it's only around 160 pages, no more than 200.

I've never tried reading on my tablet. I have the app but just have never got round to it. I love how the Kindle really does look like a proper book. :)

 

Thanks - I'm not sure when I'll get round to it, but soon, maybe?!

 

I'm reading Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher :)

I don't think she writes stuff that is to my taste, but I follow her and Tom Fletcher on Instagram and they come across as lovely people! Have you seen Tom's wedding 'speech'? If not, I recommend it - it's on YouTube. :wub:

 

I'm currently reading Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy.   It's good!  :D

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Also just over halfway through The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, by first foray into the world of Lovecraft. For the most part, I'm finding the stories likeable or dull, with the odd exception I love. His writing is spectacular and his descriptions of place are stunning, but the actual plots can be underwhelming and there's nothing scary or disturbing about any of them. I can see how they might have been, a hundred years ago, but these days not so much. Happily, the title story about Cthulhu was one of my four-star ratings in the book, so maybe I'll enjoy reading other Cthulhu stuff. I've jumped around a lot, and left the longer stories til last, but I think his longer stories may actually be where he shines. Either way, I'm glad I finally gave him a go.

 

I read The Call of Cthulhu some years ago and liked it (I also gave it four stars). Shame some of the other stories aren't as nice.

 

I'm reading Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher :)

I hope this is good! I followed her and her husband Tom for a while on YouTube. 

 

I started reading Marieke Nijkamp - 54 Minuten (This Is Where It Ends), a book about a school shooting. I've heard some good reviews and I know someone who really didn't like it, so when I saw the library had it, I thought I should find out for myself. I was spoiled for a certain plot twist though by reading a review, so that's not nice. I've only read 31 pages in the book so far, I'm not sure yet if I like it or not, I'm a bit confused who's who. I read those 31 pages last night though, and I was tired. Maybe when I read in the book today, it will become clearer. I was very tired yesterday.

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I'm back from an extended honeymoon absence, with a million reviews to catch up on!

 

Latest book finished is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Incredible piece of work, but one I am glad to reach the end of. 700 pages of misery.

 

Not sure what is next, maybe a return to the counties challenge.

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Incredible piece of work, but one I am glad to reach the end of. 700 pages of misery.

 

 

 

Hahah glad you enjoyed it :)

 

Finished Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes. Really not very good.

 

Just three stories left in my Lovecraft collection, and I've also started We Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson.

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I don't think she writes stuff that is to my taste, but I follow her and Tom Fletcher on Instagram and they come across as lovely people! Have you seen Tom's wedding 'speech'? If not, I recommend it - it's on YouTube. :wub:

 

 

Its definitely chick-lit but I dont mind it every now and again but the book is good :) I loved Tom's wedding speech I think ive watched it about 10 times - so amazing! I also follow them both on Instagram/Youtube :)

 

 

I hope this is good! I followed her and her husband Tom for a while on YouTube. 

 

 

This is very good - I follow them both on Youtube/Instagram and they both come across as so lovely. They also have the two kids that are around the same age as my little one so it feels very releivent to me :)

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I'm back from an extended honeymoon absence, with a million reviews to catch up on!

 

Latest book finished is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Incredible piece of work, but one I am glad to reach the end of. 700 pages of misery.

Welcome back.  :hug:  You made a gorgeous bride.  :wub:

 

I think I might avoid the book you mention!  :giggle2:

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Finished reading Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Excellent writing but... that's it? I mean there are no interesting characters, not a story in the traditional sense and the ending was simply disappointing. The Sun Also Rises at least had these elements besides the writing but this book seemed to go nowhere. Is this what they call modernist literature? 

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I'm currently reading Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.  It's the first book of his that I've tried.  There's a lot of puff blurb on the back cover.  "America's foremost humorist" -- seriously?  The book has made me chuckle aloud a couple of times, and I'm enjoying his style, but, uh.  

 

I'd like to finish it by the end of this week, so I can start on Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie.  I need my Poirot fix!

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I'm back from an extended honeymoon absence, with a million reviews to catch up on!

 

Latest book finished is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Incredible piece of work, but one I am glad to reach the end of. 700 pages of misery.

 

Not sure what is next, maybe a return to the counties challenge.

 

I loved A Little Life but I was quite glad to read something happier and easier after. 

 

---

I'm still very slowly making my way through American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It's not that I'm not enjoying it, it just feels a bit long-winded. I did accidentally pick up the special long edition so that probably doesn't help! 

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