Kylie's Literary Adventures In 2010

[Kylie]

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

 

*Warning: massive rant ahead. If you can't be bothered reading it all, at least please read the section about Tomorrow, When the War Began.*

 

How this book won so many awards is beyond me. It's all good and well for an author to bring their own writing style to a book, but when it's at the cost of being able to read the text properly and comes across as try-hard and pretentious, it distracts and subtracts significantly from the text.

 

The author likes to use Initial Capitals to emphasise Things of Importance. See how distracting it is? And she does it a lot. There are also no quotation marks to signify when a character is speaking (I'm getting a little bored with this style) and there are too few commas, making it so difficult to read that I sometimes had to read a sentence a couple of times to understand it. That is not a good writing style.

 

The main character, whose name I have already forgotten even though I only finished the book a couple of days ago, is so shallow and ignorant as to be completely unbelievable. It's just not possible that anybody, selfish teenager or not, could care so little about such significant events and changes in their lives. I don't buy Rosoff's portrayal of the angsty teenager at all. I may be an adult, but it hasn't been that long since I was a teenager. I still remember what it was like.

 

The telepathic connection between characters is likewise unbelievable, as is the love that springs up between two of the characters. There's no spark there at all to make me believe there is anything at all between them. I didn't care at all what happened to any of them.

 

The plot itself is pretty boring considering all the places Rosoff could have gone with it. The war is also unbelievable. I'm expected to believe that nobody knows who invaded? They don't seem to be able to tell the difference between French and Japanese or whatever nationalities were mentioned. In Marsden's series (more info below) the teenagers don't know who has invaded, but they were living in the bush with no means of contacting anyone for goodness' sake. Rosoff had a whole village with open communication channels and they still had no idea.

 

The characters are pathetic and sit around waiting for everyone else to look after them. Maybe all this wouldn't seem so bad if it hadn't been dealt with before, brilliantly and believably, by John Marsden (see further gushing below).

 

All I can do is point readers instead towards John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began. If you want a truly horrifying and utterly believable story about the invasion of one country by another and how teenagers cope with it, this is the series you must read.

 

The first book must be about 20 years old by now, but the teenagers are far more real than the mere shadows concocted by Rosoff. It's ridiculous to even have to compare these two books, but it's the only way I can think to steer unwitting readers away from Rosoff's book and towards a work of real brilliance. I can promise you that the plot will have you gripped from start to finish and the relationships between the characters and their development throughout the series is something special to behold. It will make you laugh and cry, and most importantly it will make you believe that the events described are very plausible.

 

I give this book a great big and an even bigger . Avoid it at all costs.

 

3/10 (As you can see, I'm quite generous when it comes to ratings. I don't know why. I also don't know why it's so much easier to write a bad review than it is to write a good one.)

[frankie]

I get that

Bill was having an affair - but I never understood why, or how this woman came back into his life and how he ended up with her again. I was quite puzzled.

 

Just woke up so I'm only gonna quickly comment on this one: If I remember correctly,

that woman was his 'maker', she was the one who'd made him a vampire, and those people have an incredible amount of power over the people they've made into vampires. So Bill couldn't resist her calling him over. He would've tried not going to her if there was any way.

 

[Kylie]

Oh, OK.

I think I got that she was his maker, but I guess I forgot about the power she held over him. Still, even if he couldn't help it, I like Bill a lot less now.

 

Thanks Frankie

 

Today I received another non-fiction book in the mail (buying non-fiction books is a very guilt-free pleasure because I don't have to add them to my TBR pile ). It's called The Editor's Companion by Janet Mackenzie. I have so much fun reading to look forward to!

[Readwine]

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

 

After being a bit disappointed in Winton's Breath, I was a little wary of reading Cloudstreet, said to be Winton's masterpiece and a great Australian novel. I can happily report that it is a great Australian novel, if not the great Australian novel.

 

The story follows the lives of two rural families who are thrown together in an Australian city to cope after various family tragedies. The novel is epic in scope, traversing several decades from the Depression on, and this alone was bound to win me over because I appreciate and love novels that show such great character development over a period of time.

 

Winton's writing style is beautiful. He captures the Australian spirit and language wonderfully (he was almost in danger of using every slang phrase ever known, but he managed to stop just short of going overboard).

 

It's quite humorous in some places, and heartbreaking in many others. These families did it so tough, but they still managed to hold their heads up and soldier on, using the typical Aussie humour and mateship to get through it all. Very highly recommended.

 

10/10

 

Great review. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Sounds just up my alley.

[Kylie]

Thanks Readwine. I really hope you enjoy it!

[frankie]

I fortunately found a copy of Howl and Other Poems recently, so as far as I'm concerned it will be a book I can cross off all my lists. Maybe you'll be able to find a cheap copy secondhand, or available from the library.

 

I understand There's a copy of it in the library, my main concern is that if I only read that one poem and not the whole collection, my conscience won't let me mark it as a read book even if I can cross it off the Rory list. So maybe if I like Howl I might as well try the rest of the poems in that book. If I remember correctly, Allen Gingsburg was quite a character alright.

 

We'll work out a plan of attack and synchronise our watches (which will be difficult with us being in different time zones and all!)

 

That'll be difficult indeed I was thinking, if plan A doesn't work, I should introduce a nice young bachelor to his daughter who'd then not want to go down under and there'd be this spare ticket

 

78?! I don't think there's any way I'll catch up to you this weekend (actually I just found out we'll have to put the trip back another week). Maybe I'll catch up at the book fair though.

 

I'm quite positive you'll catch up by the end of the book fair, for sure!!

 

I haven't yet had a chance to more closely investigate your latest book reviews but I'm gonna do that now. So far it seems you really did not like that certain book! Is it wrong that I just loved perusing your rant over it, because to me it showed how you were getting rid of all the negative thoughts and emotions concerning the book out of your head just by writing about it?

 

Edit: About liking Bill less? I totally agree. Hmph!!!

Edited March 10, 2010 by frankie

[Kylie]

That'll be difficult indeed I was thinking, if plan A doesn't work, I should introduce a nice young bachelor to his daughter who'd then not want to go down under and there'd be this spare ticket

 

Wait...how are you going to get his spare ticket? Won't he want to come along with his girlfriend? Or are you planning to break them up? Either way, I like the plan.

 

So far it seems you really did not like that certain book! Is it wrong that I just loved perusing your rant over it, because to me it showed how you were getting rid of all the negative thoughts and emotions concerning the book out of your head just by writing about it?

 

It's not at all wrong. I was a little worried that people would think I was too harsh. And yes, I really needed to get it out of my head. It was very cathartic!

[frankie]

Wait...how are you going to get his spare ticket? Won't he want to come along with his girlfriend? Or are you planning to break them up? Either way, I like the plan.

 

Oh no, you must have a very low opinion of me I'm not that cruel! The person has recently divorced. (I know you were only kidding, don't worry ) I'll just ask him for his spare ticket. I'll say I will be witty company during the flight and I can teach him more Finnish, and assist him with the rebounding phase by helping him find nice attractive ladies I wonder if Kylie Minogue is on the market. Or

Kylie Booby, the good ole stick tit

Oh dear I'm off, don't want to mess up your reading log completely!

[Weave]

Thanks Weave! I remember that you're a fan of Winton too. My memory could be a bit hazy here, but have you also read That Eye, the Sky?

 

Hi Kylie, how are you? sorry I took so long to reply, I have read 'That Eye, the Sky', I enjoyed it but not as much as 'Cloud street', the characters were much stronger in 'Cloud street', more likeable, people you would care about.

 

Have you read 'The Riders', its really good

[Kylie]

Oh no, you must have a very low opinion of me I'm not that cruel! The person has recently divorced.

 

Oh, I thought I was missing something somewhere along the line!

 

I wonder if Kylie Minogue is on the market. Or

Kylie Booby, the good ole stick tit

Oh dear I'm off, don't want to mess up your reading log completely!

 

He'll be disappointed about meeting Kylie Minogue if he comes here because I believe she's based in the UK now! I'd forgotten about stick tit! You just gave me a much-needed laugh.

 

Oh, don't be off! You can talk about anything you like here.

 

Today I got another non-fiction book in the mail: Penguin Guide to Punctuation. Punctuation's never really been a problem for me, but it's nice to have more reference tools handy.

 

I also just finished Wuthering Heights. I thought it was pretty terrific and I'll hopefully most a little review within a few days.

[frankie]

He'll be disappointed about meeting Kylie Minogue if he comes here because I believe she's based in the UK now!

 

What!! Well I can't blame him, I'm disappointed myself And Dannii won't do, don't even bother suggesting her.

 

I also just finished Wuthering Heights. I thought it was pretty terrific and I'll hopefully most a little review within a few days.

 

Yay for getting that Punctuation book Hm, do you know if you could deduce taxes from those books since they are guide books for your up-coming business? (don't know if I got the tax terms right but you get my drift)

 

And congrats on finishing Wuthering Heights! I'm mighty pleased that you liked it so much

[Kylie]

Yes, I can absolutely claim them as deductions! Yay for getting money back for buying books!

 

Are you back on the English translation of WH yet?

[frankie]

Yes, I can absolutely claim them as deductions! Yay for getting money back for buying books!

 

It really makes sense to buy a lot of books, doesn't it?

 

Are you back on the English translation of WH yet?

 

Yup, thank goodness. But there's still long ways to go for me

[Kylie]

It does make sense to buy a lot of books. Hmm, I'm only waiting to receive one book in the mail at the moment, and the Aussie dollar is going pretty well against the US, so maybe now is a good time to order more books.

 

As long as you're enjoying WH it doesn't matter how long it takes to read it. I'm trying to concentrate on Sylvia Plath a little more now. It's not exactly a quick read. There are lots of quotable quotes in there, but I've only bookmarked one particularly brilliant one so far. And I'm not even 50 pages in.

[Kylie]

I've bought eight books over the past few days:

 

Kerry Biram, Diane Brown & Jenny Craig: Editors in Conversation

Cory Doctorow: Little Brother

Jasper Fforde: Shades of Grey

Cornelia Funke: Inkheart

Robin Klein: Penny Pollard's Diary

Robin Klein: Penny Pollard's Passport

Ursula Le Guin: Tehanu

Margaret McKenzie: Australian Handbook for Writers and Editors

[Kylie]

There are less than 3 weeks to go until the twice-yearly bookfair. Both times that I've been before, I've found myself a bit unprepared so I've started making lists in the last couple of days of all the books I want to look out for. I'll fine-tune them over the next few weeks.

 

The first list is of all the books I am missing from various series. I didn't realise I was reading so many! I just added them up: I need 91 books from around 20 series (Terry Pratchett, Janet Evanovich and Alexander McCall Smith make up a large portion of these). I don't expect to find them all, of course, but a few would be nice.

 

I have another list for all the dystopians I still need (several dozen, at least).

 

I've also started a list of all the books I want from the 1001 books list, and the 1001 children's books (the combined total is 133, but there are a few duplicates).

 

The next thing to do is to add the books I want from the Rory List. Then I'll sort it into alphabetical order by author. When I see a book that I think might be on one or more of the lists I'll look it up.

 

Then I'll have to make a list of the other books on my wishlist. That's pretty much endless.

 

Oh, and I have to take along a list of all the books already on my TBR pile so I don't buy doubles.

[AbielleRose]

Look at you, List Queen Kylie! You're a beast!

 

I hope you come home with a good haul. This book fair sounds so awesome! Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series is one of my favorites (Joe Morelli *drools*)

[frankie]

I love how organised you're going to be! I can't wait for you to go to the fair and post what you bought!!!

 

I wonder if you're doing spontaneous buying as well? A title that looks inviting or pretty book covers... And snap, you read the blurb and must have it. Oh I'm so jealous

[Kylie]

Thanks Frankie

 

I'm not usually one to pick up a random book due to a title or cover. I figure there are enough books on my wish list without buying extras like that.

 

As it is, I'm going to try to be very strict with myself at the book fair. I plan on going through all the books before I buy them and asking myself if I really need/want that particular book. I've been able to put a few back before by doing that.

 

I have a tendency to grab everything by a particular author that I have read before or want to read in the future. It becomes a problem when, for example, I end up with 9 books by John Brunner (sci-fi author) on my TBR pile and I haven't read any of them yet.

[frankie]

I hope you come home with a good haul. This book fair sounds so awesome! Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series is one of my favorites (Joe Morelli *drools*)

 

I do remember there were certain characteristics in Joe Morelli that I did enjoy, yes I read the first novel in the series this winter, it was pretty entertaining and I'm hoping to read the rest of it at some point.

 

Kylie, I cannot recall if you've read any novels of the Plum series? I was just wondering this because of the dilemma you have when it comes to series and such:

 

I have a tendency to grab everything by a particular author that I have read before or want to read in the future. It becomes a problem when, for example, I end up with 9 books by John Brunner (sci-fi author) on my TBR pile and I haven't read any of them yet.

 

I do get your problem though. What if you're just certain that you'll like an author or a certain series and you've been recommended to read them but you just haven't had the time to do it yet, and then there you are in a bookfair and have this opportunity to buy the books at a very cheap price? That's definitely problematic! I've collected Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli/Isles -series for over a year now because I've heard so many great things about it, and I managed to buy 6 books before I read the first one in the series this weekend What was more problematic is that I was expecting a lot from the novel and it didn't deliver. I think I've read too amazing crime thrillers and have quite high standards for thrillers nowadays I'm gonna read the other novels though, I'll just lower my expectations

 

I'm not usually one to pick up a random book due to a title or cover. I figure there are enough books on my wish list without buying extras like that.

 

As it is, I'm going to try to be very strict with myself at the book fair. I plan on going through all the books before I buy them and asking myself if I really need/want that particular book. I've been able to put a few back before by doing that.

 

I'm very proud of you for being able to go on a stricter mode if necesssary I think the last check of needing/wanting a book or not before going to pay for them is a very good way of going about it.

 

I also understand your not wanting to go for random novels when you have so many other great books to find and purchase. But if there are familiar titles from the Rory or the 1001 Books list that you haven't listed as must-buys, do you think you'll at least check those out, blurbwise?

[Kylie]

Look at you, List Queen Kylie! You're a beast!

 

I hope you come home with a good haul. This book fair sounds so awesome! Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series is one of my favorites (Joe Morelli *drools*)

 

Oops, I was going to reply earlier but I got called away to do work (how rude! )

 

Joe Morelli is pretty good, and I like Ranger too.

 

Frankie, I've read the first 4 books in the Stephanie Plum series, and I'll start on the 5th one soon. I've also got 6, 7 and 9 on my TBR pile, so you can bet that I'm hoping to find at least number 8 at the fair.

 

One thing I haven't mentioned about the fair is that book sellers also go there and get books by the truckload. I was once sitting down to rest for a few minutes next to a huge mountain of books and a woman came and dumped a huge armload on top of the mountain. Then she went off again and came back just a few minutes later with another huge armload! Part of me thinks that it's not very fair that professional booksellers come along and indiscriminately buy up everything to resell when there are people there (like me!) who might want those books, but oh well.

[Kylie]

What if you're just certain that you'll like an author or a certain series and you've been recommended to read them but you just haven't had the time to do it yet, and then there you are in a bookfair and have this opportunity to buy the books at a very cheap price? That's definitely problematic! I've collected Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli/Isles -series for over a year now because I've heard so many great things about it, and I managed to buy 6 books before I read the first one in the series this weekend What was more problematic is that I was expecting a lot from the novel and it didn't deliver.

 

Yes, it's very hard to resist when the books are so cheap!

 

Aw, I remember you saying that you had bought a lot of Gerritsen. I'm sorry it didn't live up to the hype. Maybe the next book will be better.

 

I'm very proud of you for being able to go on a stricter mode if necesssary I think the last check of needing/wanting a book or not before going to pay for them is a very good way of going about it.

 

I'm not always very strong. I usually need someone who is more unbiased to help me. Usually I sit down with my ex and we go through them together. The conversation will go something like:

 

Me: I really want this book, but I hate this edition and it's a bit tatty-looking.

Him: Put it back.

Me: But I might not find it so cheap anywhere else.

Him: Put it back.

Me: But-

Him: Put it back.

 

Then I sulk for a few seconds before putting it to the side (unless he has taken it off me and put it out of reach). Rinse and repeat.

 

 

But if there are familiar titles from the Rory or the 1001 Books list that you haven't listed as must-buys, do you think you'll at least check those out, blurbwise?

 

I probably will check them out if I recognise them as being from the list.

[frankie]

Oops, I was going to reply earlier but I got called away to do work (how rude!)

 

How rude indeed! Didn't they stop to think that you might have BCF things to handle first, and you were in the middle of chatting with Abby?? How dare they!

 

Frankie, I've read the first 4 books in the Stephanie Plum series, and I'll start on the 5th one soon. I've also got 6, 7 and 9 on my TBR pile, so you can bet that I'm hoping to find at least number 8 at the fair.

 

Well alright, I guess you know by now that you like the series for real and can buy more books in the series I have to say, the first novel was really entertaining but I don't remember anything of the plot =S Or the characters, except for Stephanie and Morelli. I think. =S

 

One thing I haven't mentioned about the fair is that book sellers also go there and get books by the truckload. I was once sitting down to rest for a few minutes next to a huge mountain of books and a woman came and dumped a huge armload on top of the mountain. Then she went off again and came back just a few minutes later with another huge armload! Part of me thinks that it's not very fair that professional booksellers come along and indiscriminately buy up everything to resell when there are people there (like me!) who might want those books, but oh well.

 

Hm, I'm not sure I got it right. Do they go around buying their books from other people and then go and resell them at their own section at a higher price? If so, that's real nasty!! How could this be prevented? Next time you go there, bring along 'professional bookseller here, trying to resell books, avoid this section and this person right here!!' banner with you!!

 

I'm not always very strong. I usually need someone who is more unbiased to help me. Usually I sit down with my ex and we go through them together. The conversation will go something like:

 

Me: I really want this book, but I hate this edition and it's a bit tatty-looking.

Him: Put it back.

Me: But I might not find it so cheap anywhere else.

Him: Put it back.

Me: But-

Him: Put it back.

 

Then I sulk for a few seconds before putting it to the side (unless he has taken it off me and put it out of reach). Rinse and repeat.

 

hat made me LOL out loud!! "Rinse and repeat." "Rinse, wince, and repeat". You know you could try and do it by yourself sometime because there are the odd moments when you don't have anyone to accompany you. Just think the other person saying those things to you, and repeat your regular discussion. Preferrebly in your head, not out loud ;D

 

You know I think your ex is right if the book is a really ugly looking version. See, I'm still a student and I can't really afford buying the prettiest looking editions. I usually think to myself, "I really want this, and I can't find this book this cheap anywhere else, and as long as the pages are all there I can buy it and read it. When I'm working full-time I can go and buy a better edition." You on the other hand are working and are left with more money on your hands than I am, so I think that in the long run you'll benefit if you buy a copy you'll be happy to own for the rest of your life. It's not a really cheap deal if you go and buy a cheap tatty edition only knowing that one day you'll be wanting to have a prettier edition.

 

Argh that sounded like I was coming down real hard on you, sorry. I hope you know that's not the case, I'm just looking out for your book connoisseurship

[Kylie]

Hm, I'm not sure I got it right. Do they go around buying their books from other people and then go and resell them at their own section at a higher price? If so, that's real nasty!! How could this be prevented? Next time you go there, bring along 'professional bookseller here, trying to resell books, avoid this section and this person right here!!' banner with you!!

 

Sorry, I didn't explain it properly. They are booksellers from other places (presumably secondhand bookshops, libraries etc) who buy large amounts of books to take back to their shops or whatever so they can sell them again.

 

It's actively encouraged too, because they have a special section where bulk purchases can be stored before paying.

 

You know you could try and do it by yourself sometime because there are the odd moments when you don't have anyone to accompany you. Just think the other person saying those things to you, and repeat your regular discussion. Preferrebly in your head, not out loud

 

I can just imagine how crazy I would look having that conversation out loud. Hey, maybe I should do that while I'm looking at the books. It would probably drive everyone away and then I could browse at my leisure! <evil laugh>

 

You know I think your ex is right if the book is a really ugly looking version.

 

I'm pretty good now at bypassing editions with bad covers. No matter how much I want a book, if it has a movie tie-in cover, I will put it back down in disgust. I've also learnt from experience to bypass tatty editions. I bought a horrible edition of Wuthering Heights years ago, but I couldn't bring myself to read it. I finally bought a nice, new edition for reading (I don't know what I did with the old one). It makes the reading experience much more pleasurable.

 

And you weren't coming down hard on me at all! I appreciate your concern for my book connoisseurship.

[Kylie]

A few little updates:

 

I have about seven reviews to catch up on, and I'll be finishing two more books in the next couple of days as well.

 

I bought a few books in the last couple of weeks:

 

Jared Diamond: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

E Nesbit: Five Children and It

John Seely: Everyday Grammar

 

I'll probably ease up on buying books until the book fair in a couple of weeks. In the meantime I'm concentrating on getting my TBR pile down a bit.

 

Today I finished reading The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis and I hope to read another chapter of The Editor's Companion.

 

I started reading another Trixie Belden book from my TBR pile but I thought it sounded familiar so I read the end to try and confirm if I've read it before. That didn't help so I looked up the plot on the internet and realised I haven't read this one before, so now I've ruined the ending for myself. I don't care too much because it's just a bit of light reading.