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Your Book Activity - November 2019


Onion Budgie

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It's November, so what's everyone reading this month?  Bought any good books?

 

I'm over a third of the way through Notes From an Exhibition by Patrick Gale.  It's a thoughtful read so far, and I'm quite enjoying it. 

 

I suddenly have an absolute hankering to re-read Dracula, so let's see if I still feel the same after I've finished Notes.  Whatever I read next it has to be finished by December, as I have my festive books all lined up and waiting!

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I do love reading some festive books in November/December too!

 

I'm reading Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton, book 2 in The Commonwealth Saga duology. It's a re-read for me.

 

I'm taking a break from it this weekend however, to read some graphic novels & manga for the BCF read-a-thon. I read Natsuki Tayaka - Fruits Basket Volume 13 yesterday, today I plan on reading Fruits Basket Volume 14.

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@Onion Budgie you should re-read Dracula, its one of my all time favourite books. I am about halfway through The Girl with the Pearl Earring and I expect to finish that up today. Not sure what I will pick up next but I'm leaning toward a non-fiction book about Chernobyl and for fiction maybe The Silmarillion.

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Sounds like you guys are reading some interesting books (apart from The Silmarillion :P ).

 

I'm about half way through Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman. I've received several comments on how big the book is but it's actually very easy to read. Would recommend.

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2 hours ago, Angury said:

I'm about half way through Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman. I've received several comments on how big the book is but it's actually very easy to read. Would recommend.

Did you see the article the publisher of Ducks, Newburyport wrote about it being nominated for the Booker prize? It was really interesting, I'll have to find the link for you if you haven't!

 

I'm very near the end of both Tales of Unease and The Woman in Black. I am starting to think that my copy of The Woman in Black is haunted though... I read a chapter of it before I went to bed on Halloween, put it down next to my bed and fell asleep. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a weird noise next to my bed. My laptop had turned itself on and, even though it was shut, the fan was whirring noisily. Then, this morning,  just as I finished the chapter titled 'Spider,' I reached for my bag and there was a spider on it! The last chapter is called 'The Woman in Black,' so I'll let you all know if I see any suspicious women in dark clothing later :giggle2:

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4 hours ago, Angury said:

Sounds like you guys are reading some interesting books (apart from The Silmarillion :P ).

 

 

After saying I might read it I read what it was about online and that coupled with your comment now I'm not so sure :D

 

I still haven't decided what I will pick up, I always decide at the last minute, usually as I'm heading out the door to work.

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17 hours ago, Hayley said:

I'm very near the end of both Tales of Unease and The Woman in Black. I am starting to think that my copy of The Woman in Black is haunted though... I read a chapter of it before I went to bed on Halloween, put it down next to my bed and fell asleep. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a weird noise next to my bed. My laptop had turned itself on and, even though it was shut, the fan was whirring noisily. Then, this morning,  just as I finished the chapter titled 'Spider,' I reached for my bag and there was a spider on it! The last chapter is called 'The Woman in Black,' so I'll let you all know if I see any suspicious women in dark clothing later :giggle2:

 

:o! I hope you won't see anyone suspicious :giggle2:.

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On 01/11/2019 at 2:55 PM, Onion Budgie said:

It's November, so what's everyone reading this month?  Bought any good books?

 

 

Just finished (having bought) Girl, Woman, Other.  One of the rare instances where I've taken note of the Booker Prize press coverage, and investigated the winning novel. Not sure quite why, but having browsed it in the shop, had to buy it, and have been reading it every spare moment for the past few days.  All I can say is....wow!  Loved it from cover to cover.

 

Not sure if other purchases are good books, but last couple of weeks have acquired the following for reading:

 

Fiction

A Lost Lady by Willa Cather

Tombland by CJ Sansom

Non-fiction

Apollo 11, The Inside Story by David Whitehouse

A Cycling Year by Heather Dawe

Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins

The Novel of the Century by David Bellos

The Long Summer by Brian Fagan

The Long Spring by Laurence Rose

A Political History of the World by Jonathan Holslag
 

 

Quote

 

I suddenly have an absolute hankering to re-read Dracula, so let's see if I still feel the same after I've finished Notes.  Whatever I read next it has to be finished by December, as I have my festive books all lined up and waiting!

 

So, what festive books do you have lined up? Looking for ideas as well as just curious - nothing much has appealed so far!. (BTW, I found Dracula much better first time round!)

Edited by willoyd
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12 hours ago, willoyd said:

So, what festive books do you have lined up? Looking for ideas as well as just curious - nothing much has appealed so far!. (BTW, I found Dracula much better first time round!)

 

I have two murder mysteries: An English Murder by Cyril Hare (old country house, family gathered for Christmas, and MURDER); and a re-read of A Christmas Malice by John Bainbridge, as I found it so delightfully festive (albeit with a sinister bent) the first time around.  I'll likely add others to the list as I go!

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On 11/2/2019 at 4:02 PM, Brian. said:

 

After saying I might read it I read what it was about online and that coupled with your comment now I'm not so sure :D

 

I still haven't decided what I will pick up, I always decide at the last minute, usually as I'm heading out the door to work.

 

Ah, don't let me change your decision. I've always struggled with Tolkien so for me The Silmarillion is a difficult (and dry) book to read. But I know plenty of people who really enjoyed it - if you're a fan of Tolkien you should give it a go.

 

(And then tell me afterwards that I was right.. ;) )

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Hi

I have the taste for Thomas Hardy at present. Just begun 'The Woodlanders' - has anyone read it? 

I just love escaping into that Hardy world of a time gone by. Beautiful sublime writing from such a master storyteller who knows human character so deeply. 

Edited by Munipenny55
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On 11/2/2019 at 2:09 PM, Hayley said:

Did you see the article the publisher of Ducks, Newburyport wrote about it being nominated for the Booker prize? It was really interesting, I'll have to find the link for you if you haven't!

 

Ooh, no I didn't - just had a google and couldn't find anything. Would be interesting to read if you still have the link.

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2 hours ago, Angury said:

 

Ah, don't let me change your decision. I've always struggled with Tolkien so for me The Silmarillion is a difficult (and dry) book to read. But I know plenty of people who really enjoyed it - if you're a fan of Tolkien you should give it a go.

 

(And then tell me afterwards that I was right.. ;) )


I’m yet to read any Tolkien so perhaps one of the more popular books would be a better starting point.

 

 

I’ve finished Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham, fantastic book which gets 5/5 from me. Something very different next, The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden.

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Ghost Train to the Northern Star.

Paul Theroux revisits Europe and Asia, started London, ended China.

Excellent book.

Kowloon Tong, a novel by same author, is interesting in a kind of William Trevor way; oddly one dimensional, sad characters living with life's challenges.

 

Edited by itsmeagain
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On 09/11/2019 at 7:32 AM, Angury said:

 

Ah, don't let me change your decision. I've always struggled with Tolkien so for me The Silmarillion is a difficult (and dry) book to read. But I know plenty of people who really enjoyed it - if you're a fan of Tolkien you should give it a go.

(And then tell me afterwards that I was right.. ;) )

 

 

On 09/11/2019 at 10:12 AM, Brian. said:


I’m yet to read any Tolkien so perhaps one of the more popular books would be a better starting point.

 

I loved Lord of the Rings, mildly enjoyed The Hobbit (too much of a children's book for my taste), but found The Silmarillion dry as dust, and gave up after some pages (can't remember how many!).  I definitely wouldn't start with it - it's one for the committed Middle-Earth fan.

Edited by willoyd
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Currently reading Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, interspersed with chapters from Steve Richards's The Prime Ministers, so am in for the long haul (about a quarter of the way through the former)!  Both thoroughly engrossing.  I've borrowed the latter from the library, but I can see that I will want to go back and dip into it again - there's a lot to absorb, and I feel I'm gaining a lot insight into recent British political history - so may be after my own copy.  The former is 'just' a really great read, everything it's cracked up to be in the numerous very positive reviews.

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5 hours ago, willoyd said:

Currently reading Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, interspersed with chapters from Steve Richards's The Prime Ministers, so am in for the long haul (about a quarter of the way through the former)!  Both thoroughly engrossing.  I've borrowed the latter from the library, but I can see that I will want to go back and dip into it again - there's a lot to absorb, and I feel I'm gaining a lot insight into recent British political history - so may be after my own copy.  The former is 'just' a really great read, everything it's cracked up to be in the numerous very positive reviews.

 

The Steve Richard's book sounds interesting Willoyd.  I have an interest in political history so I'll have to see if my library has this. 

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On 09/11/2019 at 10:12 AM, Brian. said:

I’m yet to read any Tolkien so perhaps one of the more popular books would be a better starting point.

 

21 hours ago, willoyd said:

I loved Lord of the Rings, mildly enjoyed The Hobbit (too much of a children's book for my taste), but found The Silmarillion dry as dust, and gave up after some pages (can't remember how many!).  I definitely wouldn't start with it - it's one for the committed Middle-Earth fan.

 

I agree with @willoyd on the first two books; if you are going to start anywhere start with The Lord of the Rings.

 

I found The Hobbit to be a little Tolkien-lite, as you might say, when I tried to read it directly after LotR, and I put it down, but I went back to it several years later and didn't find it so bad (indeed, the last half of the book is quite a good read, but you have to get through the Dwarf singing in the first half first!).

 

I have a friend who has read The Silmarillion and he described it as trying to read the biblical book of Numbers! (from what I understand it's one for the fans - if you really enjoy the detail of Middle Earth - more than an enjoyable read in its own right).

 

In my book news, I picked up a free* copy of Haruki Murakami's latest, Killing Commendatore at the weekend.

 

*Points from my Waterstones card!

 

Edited by Raven
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