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Your Book Activity - July 2019


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On 7/12/2019 at 6:28 AM, poppy said:

As well as reading Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Armin, I have been reading old diaries of my mother, father and grandfather of their travels within New Zealand in the 50's. My parents hitch-hiked round the South Island and worked on various orchards and farms ( several which many years later we ended up living near, which is quite strange.) My grandparents did a trip in an Austin 10 which boiled on steep climbs and most of the roads were loose metal. I would love to retrace the journey my grandparents did sometime and even stay in the places they did, if they still exist.

It sounds like a special read. I bet you are really enjoying the Diaries.

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Just finished The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey.  Beautifully written, but ultimately unsatisfying - 3/6.  Moving on to one of my group reads, probably I See You by Clare Mackintosh.

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s it self-published?  There's more of that around now too.  I tend to find that these are the most vulnerable.

 

On a different tack - just 'finished' I See You by Clare Mackintosh for one of my book groups.  It's a psychological thriller.  I read the first 80 or so pages conventionally, then skimmed the rest.  Predictable, but then they usually are (not so much over whodunnit, although the culprit wasn't a suprise, but in the general direction and structure of the plot, the characterisations, techniques used etc etc.).    2/6.

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12 hours ago, Madeleine said:

I've often wondered if proof readers are actually used now, my current read is also littered with mis prints and other errors, and it seems to be a regular thing now.

 

11 minutes ago, willoyd said:

 

Is it self-published?  There's more of that around now too.  I tend to find that these are the most vulnerable.

 

I've just finished the Kindle version of John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes and there were several errors that I am sure are not in the print version.

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15 hours ago, Raven said:

 

 

I've just finished the Kindle version of John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes and there were several errors that I am sure are not in the print version.

 

Yes, I think a lot of Kindle versions are just OCRed across, with little checking.

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1 hour ago, willoyd said:

 

Yes, I think a lot of Kindle versions are just OCRed across, with little checking.

 

Had to look up OCR there, but that would make sense. 

 

Some of the errors just looked like typos, but a couple were a completely wrong (but similar looking) word.

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On 11/7/2019 at 3:21 AM, poppy said:

Hi Luis and welcome. :) I found the characters in Wuthering Heights intensely annoying, but I loved The Reader, both the book and film. Have you seen The English Patient with Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes? Excellent film.

Hi Poppy and thanks. Sorry by my late reply.  Yes, I have seen it but only one time even when I recorded it in my hard disk. Beautiful love story. After that I started to see the desert with  "other eyes". Could it be beauty without love? Sun and sand, sand and sun, nothing more... What you think? I follow Binoche's films because I see in her performances something as "woman of today" in different circumstances.
And I think Fiennes is a very special dramatic actor. "The Reader" bring some questions: Is she innocent or guilty? She participated in some crimes (war crimes, under war pressure) but she was illiterate. Is the Literature like a safe place to live? In these days I'm enjoying the film about The Bronte sisters, delicious film!! Stormy Emily, relaxed Anne but Charlotte, she was adorable...  Someone has a Time-Machine?  There are some differences between the film and Wikipedia articles.

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On ‎19‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 11:29 AM, Luis said:

Hi Poppy and thanks. Sorry by my late reply.  Yes, I have seen it but only one time even when I recorded it in my hard disk. Beautiful love story. After that I started to see the desert with  "other eyes". Could it be beauty without love? Sun and sand, sand and sun, nothing more... What you think? I follow Binoche's films because I see in her performances something as "woman of today" in different circumstances.
And I think Fiennes is a very special dramatic actor. "The Reader" bring some questions: Is she innocent or guilty? She participated in some crimes (war crimes, under war pressure) but she was illiterate. Is the Literature like a safe place to live? In these days I'm enjoying the film about The Bronte sisters, delicious film!! Stormy Emily, relaxed Anne but Charlotte, she was adorable...  Someone has a Time-Machine?  There are some differences between the film and Wikipedia articles.

 

I find photos of the Sahara Desert captivating and quite beautiful. The shadows and shades of colour and the play of light on the dunes are amazing. Unfortunately, I don't like the heat so it's not somewhere I'll ever go. I loved the time in Italy with Hana, Almasy and Kip, particularly.

I film I've watched several times. I agree, Binoche and Fiennes are very fine actors.

 

As for The English Patient, although Hanna was guilty, she was no more guilty than the other guards, and I was sad that Michael didn't write or visit her in prison apart from sending her the tapes.

 

What is the Bronte sisters film you've been watching? A fascinating family.

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On 16/07/2019 at 11:05 PM, willoyd said:

On a different tack - just 'finished' I See You by Clare Mackintosh for one of my book groups.  It's a psychological thriller.  I read the first 80 or so pages conventionally, then skimmed the rest.  Predictable, but then they usually are (not so much over whodunnit, although the culprit wasn't a suprise, but in the general direction and structure of the plot, the characterisations, techniques used etc etc.).    2/6.

 

On reflection (preparing review for book group), dropped to one star.  Will cover in review on blog thread when I get round to it (soon!)

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On 11/7/2019 at 3:21 AM, poppy said:

Hi Luis and welcome. :) I found the characters in Wuthering Heights intensely annoying, but I loved The Reader, both the book and film. Have you seen The English Patient with Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes? Excellent film.

Hi Poppy and thanks. Sorry by my late reply.  Yes, I have seen it (The English Patient) but only one time even when I recorded it in my hard disk. Beautiful love story. After that I started to see the desert with "other eyes". Could it be beauty without love? Sun and sand, sand and sun, nothing more... What you think? I follow Binoche's films because I see in her performances something as "woman of today" in different circumstances.  And I think Fiennes is a very special dramatic actor. "The Reader" bring some questions: Is she innocent or guilty? She has participated in some crimes (war crimes, under war pressure) but she was illiterate. Is the Literature like a safe place to live? In these days I'm enjoying the film about the Bronte sisters, delicious film!! Stormy Emily, relaxed Anne but Charlotte, she was adorable...  Someone has a Time-Machine?  There are some differences between the film and Wikipedia articles.

Wuthering Heights.  The films go and come but the book remains the same.  Maybe because I’m from a non-European culture, see this film with eyes wide open and hearings wide shut.  Only one love in life is a good story anywhere.

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On 23/7/2019 at 6:05 PM, Luis said:

Hi Poppy and thanks. Sorry by my late reply.  Yes, I have seen it (The English Patient) but only one time even when I recorded it in my hard disk. Beautiful love story. After that I started to see the desert with "other eyes". Could it be beauty without love? Sun and sand, sand and sun, nothing more... What you think? I follow Binoche's films because I see in her performances something as "woman of today" in different circumstances.  And I think Fiennes is a very special dramatic actor. "The Reader" bring some questions: Is she innocent or guilty? She has participated in some crimes (war crimes, under war pressure) but she was illiterate. Is the Literature like a safe place to live? In these days I'm enjoying the film about the Bronte sisters, delicious film!! Stormy Emily, relaxed Anne but Charlotte, she was adorable...  Someone has a Time-Machine?  There are some differences between the film and Wikipedia articles.

 

Wuthering Heights.  The films go and come but the book remains the same.  Maybe because I’m from a non-European culture, see this film with eyes wide open and hearings wide shut.  Only one love in life is a good story anywhere.

 

On 19/7/2019 at 9:09 PM, poppy said:

 

I find photos of the Sahara Desert captivating and quite beautiful. The shadows and shades of colour and the play of light on the dunes are amazing. Unfortunately, I don't like the heat so it's not somewhere I'll ever go. I loved the time in Italy with Hana, Almasy and Kip, particularly.

I film I've watched several times. I agree, Binoche and Fiennes are very fine actors.

 

As for The English Patient, although Hanna was guilty, she was no more guilty than the other guards, and I was sad that Michael didn't write or visit her in prison apart from sending her the tapes.

 

What is the Bronte sisters film you've been watching? A fascinating family.

(Sorry, I have repeated my words. I need to sort better my writes.) The English Patient:  The heat in the deserts is very   dangerous, it requests passion to live there. I would like to visit some for a month.  (Who’s Kip?)

The Reader: Yes, I had wanted that he took more risk.  In the film, Hanna has a strong personality.  For this reason, Michael didn’t decide to help her or emotional close.  Seem, that Hanna was the only Michael love, but he doesn’t take the risk.  Then, is he guilty of allowing her to die? Philosophical question for our days.

Bronte sisters:  I don’t know the title at this moment, because when I started the film had begun.  In some days I’ll give you more details.

Could you tell me a little about your favorite books?  And Where are you from?

 

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1 hour ago, Luis said:

(Sorry, I have repeated my words. I need to sort better my writes.) The English Patient:  The heat in the deserts is very   dangerous, it requests passion to live there. I would like to visit some for a month.  (Who’s Kip?)

 

The Reader: Yes, I had wanted that he took more risk.  In the film, Hanna has a strong personality.  For this reason, Michael didn’t decide to help her or emotional close.  Seem, that Hanna was the only Michael love, but he doesn’t take the risk.  Then, is he guilty of allowing her to die? Philosophical question for our days.

 

Bronte sisters:  I don’t know the title at this moment, because when I started the film had begun.  In some days I’ll give you more details.

 

Could you tell me a little about your favorite books?  And Where are you from?

 

 

 

 

Kip Singh is the Indian Sikh who worked as a bomb disposal sapper for the British where Hana was looking after Almasy. You may remember he stopped Hana playing the piano because he suspected it contained hidden bombs.

 

I felt the other Hanna's suicide was more to do with her fear of living in the outside world after all those years in prison.

 

(I am from New Zealand Luis :) And you?
Favourite books include To Kill A Mockingbird and recently read Where the Crawdads Sing.

Also a big fan of Gerald Durrell and PG Wodehouse and many more, but I better not get too off topic here :blush: )

 

Currently reading Mrs Tim of the Regiment by R.E. Stevenson. Am enjoying  her wry sense of humour.  Working my way through some of the Bloomsbury Group books.

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I finished Good Omens.  It didn't make me laugh out loud, but it was still fun, and I wanted to know what happened next, so got through it fairly quickly.  Now I'm going to watch the TV series!

 

My next read will be Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie.

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I'm in one of those 'I don't know what I feel like reading next' ruts at the moment.

 

I decided to read the next story in my Penguin Book of English Short Stories last night, which was An Outpost of Progress by Joseph Conrad. I think I'd been putting it off a bit because I have read the story before and remember it being quite difficult to read (as in it deals with some not very nice themes in quite a blunt way). It was worth re-reading but my original feelings about it were still valid!  

 

Now I'm stuck again... might just spread all my books out and do 'eeny, meeny, miny, mo' :lol:

 

 

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Two books finished in one morning:  I Claudius by Robert Graves and, a very quick but delightful read, Six Lives of Fankle the Cat by George Mackay Brown.  Both 5/6 stars (comfortably).

 

Now on to Mrs Moreau's Warbler by Stephen Moss, but must soon turn to Tom Holland's Dynasty to read the history to go with Robert Graves's ficitional take on the early Roman Empire, whilst the latter is still fresh in the mind.

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On 28/07/2019 at 4:18 PM, Hayley said:

I'm in one of those 'I don't know what I feel like reading next' ruts at the moment.

 

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets like that at times. Earlier this year I must have read the first 20 pages of more than 10 books before I managed to settle on one of them.

 

13 hours ago, bookmonkey said:

I just finished Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  Now reading Fatherland by Robert Harris.  

 

I hope you enjoy Fatherland, it was my first delve into Robert Harris and I really enjoyed it when I read it.

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44 minutes ago, Brian. said:

 

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets like that at times. Earlier this year I must have read the first 20 pages of more than 10 books before I managed to settle on one of them.

 

 

I hope you enjoy Fatherland, it was my first delve into Robert Harris and I really enjoyed it when I read it.

 

I've read a couple of other Robert Harris books and really enjoyed them, so I'm looking forward to this.  I've heard a lot about it.  My library didn't have it initially so I put in a request for purchase and they got it pretty quick.  :)

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On 25/7/2019 at 8:03 PM, poppy said:

 

Kip Singh is the Indian Sikh who worked as a bomb disposal sapper for the British where Hana was looking after Almasy. You may remember he stopped Hana playing the piano because he suspected it contained hidden bombs.

 

I felt the other Hanna's suicide was more to do with her fear of living in the outside world after all those years in prison.

 

(I am from New Zealand Luis :) And you?
Favourite books include To Kill A Mockingbird and recently read Where the Crawdads Sing.

Also a big fan of Gerald Durrell and PG Wodehouse and many more, but I better not get too off topic here :blush: )

 

Currently reading Mrs Tim of the Regiment by R.E. Stevenson. Am enjoying  her wry sense of humour.  Working my way through some of the Bloomsbury Group books.

I need to see again "The English Patient".  I owe you my opinion.

"The Reader": Is hard to make a conclusion because the main characters are broken in their lives. But you know, love is the only 'thing' that  can save or help in our lives. Her fear was only the visible part of an iceberg. She was in some situation of which could not scape, I mean, the war's crimes and the changes in her life (moved to another city and the prison). But he always had the possibility to take decisions and I do not think that he took good decisions.

New Zealand. Wow!, beatiful country. (Have you ever seen 'The Piano', with Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel???? wonderful soundtrack). I am from Cuba, is an island too. I live in a small city named 'Sancti-Spiritus' (name in Latin).

Is Durrell the naturalist? I am reading "Wuthering...", "Brave..." also a Saramago's book about Jesus Christ's life. I don't know how translate the title because I am reading it in Spanish. JC is one of my favorites historical characters.

Bronte Sisters' Film: I dont know the title. Performed by Charlotte-Finn Atkins, Anne-Charlie Murphy and Emily-Chloe Pirrie.

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7 hours ago, Luis said:

 

New Zealand. Wow!, beatiful country. (Have you ever seen 'The Piano', with Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel???? wonderful soundtrack). I am from Cuba, is an island too. I live in a small city named 'Sancti-Spiritus' (name in Latin).

Is Durrell the naturalist? I am reading "Wuthering...", "Brave..." also a Saramago's book about Jesus Christ's life. I don't know how translate the title because I am reading it in Spanish. JC is one of my favorites historical characters.

Bronte Sisters' Film: I dont know the title. Performed by Charlotte-Finn Atkins, Anne-Charlie Murphy and Emily-Chloe Pirrie.

 

I have seen 'The Piano'! Absolutely love it and watched it several times (have the DVD). The music is wonderful, my favourite piece is 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First' which I've tried to play on the piano with little success :blush:

Cuba looks and sounds a fascinating country. Do you have a favourite Cuban author?

And yes, Gerald Durrell was the naturalist, I particularly loved his books about his childhood on  the Greek Island of Corfu.

I don't think any person has ever had such an impact on the world as Jesus Christ.

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The Bronte Sisters film is called To Walk Invisible, and was shown in the UK a couple of Christmases ago.  I enjoyed it, thought it was well cast and looked convincing (unlike some costume dramas where everyone looks too "modern"!).

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