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Your Book Activity - May 2020


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Whoa... it's May already!

 

So.. what are you currently reading or what book have you just finished? Or any other bookish activity you want to share. I know a lot of people can't go book shopping atm or go to the library, but some countries do still do online delivery. I miss book shopping and going to the library.

 

Anyway..

 

I started reading Artemis Fowl (book 1) by Eoin Colfer today, I'm reading it as a buddy read with someone. I don't know a lot about the series, but so far I'm liking it.

 

 

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How on earth is it May?!  The days are zipping by.  (I wish it was warmer here.)

 

I just finished Journey of Souls by Michael Newton, Ph.D., and it was phenomenally, life-changingly good.  I sent a copy of it to my father for his birthday; he was a mite perturbed.  He'll love it when he reads it (said confidently)!

 

Now back to reading The Longest Journey by E.M. Forster, which I've sorely neglected.

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The time is whizzing past! :o

 

Still reading Nevil Shute's Pied Piper - and I've only managed the first chapter over the last 3 weeks......Thankfully, I have get in to the style of the book today.

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Listening to Audible version of What Could Possibility Go Wrong (Chronicles of St Mary’s #6) by Jodi Taylor. 

Loving it. 

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Took a short break from reading A Tale of Two Cities (which I'm loving) to read Stella Tillyard's contribution on George IV to the Penguin Monarchs series.  These are a bit like the royal biographical equivalent of Oxford Press's Very Short Introductions. It was decently informative and flowed well enough, but never really reached beyond the competently functional.  I've read much better from this author, but it was OK and served the purpose (brushing up on my early nineteenth century history for some tutoring).

 

Also, currently listening to Ned Boulting's How I Won The Yellow Jumper. One of those readers/authors I can listen to for hours.

Edited by willoyd
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On 5/2/2020 at 3:07 AM, Marie H said:

 

Still reading Nevil Shute's Pied Piper - and I've only managed the first chapter over the last 3 weeks......Thankfully, I have get in to the style of the book today.

 

I absolutely loved this book, my favourite of Nevil Shute's. Have read it about three times over the years and was thinking it was about time for a re-read :)

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8 hours ago, poppy said:

 

I absolutely loved this book, my favourite of Nevil Shute's. Have read it about three times over the years and was thinking it was about time for a re-read :)

That's good! I was finding it hard going for the first 2 chapters, but I'm getting into it now.

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For a class project i am reading up on articles on deductive reasoning for philosophy. I am interspersing it with the re-reading of Harry Potter series because in this overwhelming time, HP is a safe space to return to. The other books i am hoping to read this month are American Gods (i know, i know, late to the party) and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. 

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Finished A Tale of Two Cities today, for a book group meeting tomorrow.  Absolutely stonking!  Less humour than previous books I've read, but a narrative that, whilst in outline culturally familiar, contained so much more when I came to read it properly (as has happened with other Dickens).  Found the last few pages profoundly moving.  Initial 5/6 - one of those that I can see getting promoted to a full 6.

 

Not sure next - I've been dipping into a couple of history books to revise my early 19th century social history (Jenny Uglow's In Our Times and Robert Morrison's Regency Revolution) and might read one of those properly, as they're both really well written.

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I've started reading The Afterlife Unveiled by Stafford Betty, and am loving it.  It offers a slightly different perspective to Newton's Journey of Souls.  It's a short book (~120 pages), so I'm already halfway through.

 

A hundred pages left to go with E.M. Forster.  The writing is beautiful, and so I don't mind that there's not much of a plot.  

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I've got 3 books on the go at the moment which I am reading at different times. First up is Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari which I am listening on audiobook and tend to listen to it when I am on long bike rides, so far it's absolutely fascinating. Next up is Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian which I am about a quarter of the way through, it's a very dense and slow moving book and I'm reading about 10-30 pages a night before bed. Lastly up is Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton which is shaping up to be a 5 star book so far, I'm hoping I will get time to finish it today.

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On 09/05/2020 at 8:35 AM, Brian. said:

Next up is Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian which I am about a quarter of the way through, it's a very dense and slow moving book and I'm reading about 10-30 pages a night before bed.

 

I absolutely adore the Aubrey-Maturin series, but always think that M&C isn't the greatest opener - I much preferred HMS Surprise and The Mauritius Command amongst his earlier books (I'm just over halfway through the series, so haven't read any of the latest ones yet), although it does lay some essential groundwork out.  A lot of people get put off, as well, by the amount and complexity of the technical sailing language.  I did actually get to grips with some of it later on (there's a couple of really good companion volumes written by other authors), but found the best way to start was to just let it flow over me, treat it as atmosphere, and gradually I would pick some of it up, but it didn't overly matter if I didn't - that did work until curiosity got the better of me!

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Just finished Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt.  Really fun read, lots of character and atmosphere, all with a deftly light touch.  Haven't read much Greene, but need to read more on this outing.  5/6.

Edited by willoyd
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I'm currently reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, book 3 in the His Dark Materials trilogy, as a buddy read. I'm also reading Stim, an autism anthology, edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones.

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Currently listening What could possibly go wrong? (Chronicles of St Mary's #6) by Jodi Taylor, approx 40%. And as usually, something very bad will happen, very soon...:mellow:. There has been one already...:lol:

Edited by Marie H
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20 hours ago, willoyd said:

 

I absolutely adore the Aubrey-Maturin series, but always think that M&C isn't the greatest opener - I much preferred HMS Surprise and The Mauritius Command amongst his earlier books (I'm just over halfway through the series, so haven't read any of the latest ones yet), although it does lay some essential groundwork out.  A lot of people get put off, as well, by the amount and complexity of the technical sailing language.  I did actually get to grips with some of it later on (there's a couple of really good companion volumes written by other authors), but found the best way to start was to just let it flow over me, treat it as atmosphere, and gradually I would pick some of it up, but it didn't overly matter if I didn't - that did work until curiosity got the better of me!

 

Thanks for the heads up. I knew the series is well regarded and now I've read your post I will be sure to not give up on it once I am finished the first book. I'm about 160 pages into it now and last night I realised I had settled into it much better than I had initially.

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Finished reading manga of Laid-Back Camp # 8.

Very predictable, and after 8 episode of this series I think this will be the last for me.

I did enjoy the fun of winter camping in Japan, but there is so many time that I was interested in outdoor cooking and buying equipment.....But the artwork for the manga is still simple and beautiful.

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On 5/11/2020 at 12:00 AM, willoyd said:

Just finished Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt.  Really fun read, lots of character and atmosphere, all with a deftly light touch.  Haven't read much Greene, but need to read more on this outing.  5/6.

 

Loved this book. Reminds me of Around the World With Auntie Mame, another really funny book.

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Reading Pied Piper by Nevil Shute, and the shock of the beginning of  WW2 in France, as Mr. Howard and the three children try to escape to the coast, and then to England. And the shock was sudden too! :o.

 

But at the same time, Shute’s narrative is so subtle as well. This is a wonderful book. 

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I'm currently reading 3 books:

 

Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials 3: The Amber Spyglass (buddy read)

Gail Honeyman - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Emma Smith-Barton - The Million Pieces of Neena Gill

 

So far enjoying all three, though not all to the same extent.

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