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Frankie reads 2017


frankie

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It's the last day of May, and I can say this month was better for me reading-wise! :exc:   For the first time this year, I managed to read more than 3 books per month! I read 5 books altogether. This makes me very happy! :smile2: And even though my latest read was a 2/5, it at least made me more interested in reading again. I would not watch TV or be online as much, because I'd read instead! :)  Hurrah! 

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Thanks Little Pixie! :D   Can't wait to get to my next read! :D

 

 

I almost forgot.... I ordered these cute magnetic bookmarks a few weeks ago and now they've arrived. Here's one of them: 

 

 

 

cassette bookmark.jpg

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I'm currently reading the horror book that was self-published by a man I met at a work-related function (he's a colleague). There are no page numbers but I'd say there are maybe 200 pages and I'm well over half of it. It's been a pretty interesting read, quite far out there, but enjoyable! I think I will able to finish it tomorrow at the latest, and that means I'll have read one book in June already on the third day! :D   Might seem very little to some, but for me it's pretty amaze-balls! I hope to keep it up. 

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Hi Frankie, I'm so sorry the book was a disappointment for you too :(. I was hoping you'd like it more than I did. On the minor bright side, I'm also glad because it means it was perhaps not just me who felt that way about the book and I feel less alone now.

 

About your spoiler:

 

Spoiler

I totally agree with you, the whole week seemed stupid to me. Angelina seemed very selfish, and I didn't understand why Adam liked her. And how could Charlie just let Adam and Angelina sleep together.. and it was just.. totally weird. It kind of freaked me out in a way lol.

 

The only thing was that the book wasn't a slow read. I have to admit I didn't know most of the songs either. Perhaps most songs were before our time(s). I did like the importance of music for Adam, but yes.. definitely not a book I'd ever want to re-read. I did think about giving up on the book halfway through, but decided to persist.

 

I hope your next reads will be much more enjoyable!

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Whoops, I totally forgot to check if the thread had another page!

 

On 31/05/2017 at 5:56 PM, frankie said:

It's the last day of May, and I can say this month was better for me reading-wise! :exc:   For the first time this year, I managed to read more than 3 books per month! I read 5 books altogether. This makes me very happy! :smile2: And even though my latest read was a 2/5, it at least made me more interested in reading again. I would not watch TV or be online as much, because I'd read instead! :)  Hurrah! 

 

Well done, I'm glad you had a great reading month :)!

 

On 31/05/2017 at 6:30 PM, frankie said:

I almost forgot.... I ordered these cute magnetic bookmarks a few weeks ago and now they've arrived. Here's one of them: 

 

That's so cute :)!

 

On 01/06/2017 at 9:08 PM, frankie said:

I'm currently reading the horror book that was self-published by a man I met at a work-related function (he's a colleague). There are no page numbers but I'd say there are maybe 200 pages and I'm well over half of it. It's been a pretty interesting read, quite far out there, but enjoyable! I think I will able to finish it tomorrow at the latest, and that means I'll have read one book in June already on the third day! :D   Might seem very little to some, but for me it's pretty amaze-balls! I hope to keep it up. 

 

How nice you are reading a book by someone you've met! I'm glad you're liking it and that your reading is going well :).

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Sorry to hear your most recent reads didn't turn out the best. The Dawkins one seems like a very odd book for someone to have written, to be honest...

 

Also, that bookmark is adorable! Where did you get it, if you don't mind me asking?

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On 3.6.2017 at 11:47 AM, Athena said:

Hi Frankie, I'm so sorry the book was a disappointment for you too :(. I was hoping you'd like it more than I did.

 

Aww, that's so nice of you, but it wasn't meant to be with me and the book... :(:D   Let's keep our fingers crossed someone else will come along and love it! 

On 3.6.2017 at 11:47 AM, Athena said:

 

On the minor bright side, I'm also glad because it means it was perhaps not just me who felt that way about the book and I feel less alone now.

 

About your spoiler:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I totally agree with you, the whole week seemed stupid to me. Angelina seemed very selfish, and I didn't understand why Adam liked her. And how could Charlie just let Adam and Angelina sleep together.. and it was just.. totally weird. It kind of freaked me out in a way lol.

 

The only thing was that the book wasn't a slow read. I have to admit I didn't know most of the songs either. Perhaps most songs were before our time(s). I did like the importance of music for Adam, but yes.. definitely not a book I'd ever want to re-read. I did think about giving up on the book halfway through, but decided to persist.

 

 

I agree, it's nicer to know that it wasn't just you who felt odd about the book in some ways. I would've found it curious if I hadn't liked it first and someone else would've then come along and really loved it. I mean, they are of course welcome to like books more than I do, but you know what I mean :)  I totally agree with you re: your spoiler. Rather unbelievable stuff! 

 

On 3.6.2017 at 11:49 AM, Athena said:

Well done, I'm glad you had a great reading month :)!

 

Thanks! :)   I hope to continue with it, and read more than 3 books this month :)

 

On 6.6.2017 at 2:03 PM, Nollaig said:

Sorry to hear your most recent reads didn't turn out the best. The Dawkins one seems like a very odd book for someone to have written, to be honest...

 

It does sound odd, doesn't it!  But I can't really say more on the subject, in defence or offence, because I'd be spoiling the book for you... There's something to the book that one doesn't know about before one's read the whole thing. And that's true to all books, of course, to some extent, but with this book it's so different. It's more key to this book. But I can't say any more about it! :unsure:

 

Actually, even though I have read it, I still don't know what to make of it. And it's been a while since I've read it! 

 

On 6.6.2017 at 2:03 PM, Nollaig said:

 

Also, that bookmark is adorable! Where did you get it, if you don't mind me asking?

 

I got it from aliexpress. I've only known about the place for a while, but I already know I have to stay away from them, as they have all kinds of cute stuff! :unsure::D

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19. The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling 

 

 

Blurb: Once upon a time in a crumbling London bookshop, Posy Morland spends her life lost in the pages of her favourite romantic novels. 

 

So when Bookend's eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn't just inherited an ailing business, but also the unwelcome attentions of Lavinia's grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London. 

 

As Posy and her friends fight to save their beloved bookshop, Posy's drawn into a battle of wills with the infuriating Sebastian, about whom she's started to have some rather feverish fantasies... 

 

 

Thoughts: An enjoyable read, but nothing to write home about. Not awfully original, but a likable read all the same. 

 

3/5

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9 minutes ago, frankie said:

19. The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling 

 

 

Blurb: Once upon a time in a crumbling London bookshop, Posy Morland spends her life lost in the pages of her favourite romantic novels. 

 

So when Bookend's eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn't just inherited an ailing business, but also the unwelcome attentions of Lavinia's grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London. 

 

As Posy and her friends fight to save their beloved bookshop, Posy's drawn into a battle of wills with the infuriating Sebastian, about whom she's started to have some rather feverish fantasies... 

 

 

Thoughts: An enjoyable read, but nothing to write home about. Not awfully original, but a likable read all the same. 

 

3/5

 

I love books where the story is set in a bookshop!  Sounds like a nice, gentle read - ideal when too stressed or tired to tackle anything requiring lots of thinking; I love to keep a few books like that on my TBR pile.

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5 minutes ago, Ooshie said:

 

I love books where the story is set in a bookshop! 

 

This is exactly why I picked this book to read :yes:  :D 

 

5 minutes ago, Ooshie said:

 

Sounds like a nice, gentle read - ideal when too stressed or tired to tackle anything requiring lots of thinking; I love to keep a few books like that on my TBR pile.

 

And again, you've hit the nail! I've been unable to read anything other than romantic novels and thrillers for quite a few months now, for some reason. Maybe work tires me too much. Anyhow, there's another book set in a bookshop I read earlier this year and I would recommend it over the one I've just reviewed. It's name is How to Find Love in a Book Shop and it's by Veronica Henry.

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32 minutes ago, frankie said:

 

This is exactly why I picked this book to read :yes:  :D 

 

 

And again, you've hit the nail! I've been unable to read anything other than romantic novels and thrillers for quite a few months now, for some reason. Maybe work tires me too much. Anyhow, there's another book set in a bookshop I read earlier this year and I would recommend it over the one I've just reviewed. It's name is How to Find Love in a Book Shop and it's by Veronica Henry.

 

 

Thanks, frankie, that's my next two purchases sorted! :readingtwo:

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I've been on a holiday this week. (I'll have the second part of my holiday later in the summer) It's been so nice and envigorating!  The first two days I was at a rock festival and saw Rammstein and Guano Apes, which was and is the highlight of the year for me! :wub:  I also had a massage appointment, which is always nice. Then I spent a few days just lazying about (the weather was not nice and so I was able to do the laundry and just stay indoors with a good conscience!), doing not much at all. And then I went on a 22 hour cruise to Tallinn, Estonia, which was a whole lot of fun. :) 

 

I only have the weekend off and then it's back to work. I do wish I'd read more this week. I've started reading The Crime Writer by Jill Dawson (it's about Patricia Highsmith), and Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler. I thought the latter might just be an interesting read, but now that I've read 40 pages of it, it kind of hits home. I actually do suffer from social anxiety, at times, and in certain ways. It's not fun, but at least now I have realized it and so it's a relief to know that I'm not some sort of weirdo, but have bouts of social anxiety. More importantly, many people suffer from it and it's not as common as one might think! I hope to learn stuff from the book. Maybe try and make some things easier for myself. 

 

Like I said, I've only read 40 pages of it, but it seems like a really readable and educational book, and would probably help people who suffer from social anxiety and/or shyness. If anyone's interested! 

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12 hours ago, frankie said:

Aww, that's so nice of you, but it wasn't meant to be with me and the book... :(:D   Let's keep our fingers crossed someone else will come along and love it! 

 

I agree, it's nicer to know that it wasn't just you who felt odd about the book in some ways. I would've found it curious if I hadn't liked it first and someone else would've then come along and really loved it. I mean, they are of course welcome to like books more than I do, but you know what I mean :)  I totally agree with you re: your spoiler. Rather unbelievable stuff!

 

I hope someone else will like it instead :). I know what you mean :).

 

I'm glad you liked the concert you went to :).

 

I hope you have a nice weekend and that you enjoyed your holiday :).

 

 

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Hi Frankie, just a heads-up about another book you might enjoy - The Dandelion Years by Erica James.  The main character restores antique books, her father runs a second-hand bookshop, and there are quite a few mentions of a large house with a big library...  my mother passed it on to me just the other day, and it is quite a light, easy read for when you are in the mood for that. 

 

The blurb on the back is:

 

'Someone had made a perfect job of creating a place in which to hide a notebook... there was no address, only a date: September 1932...'

 

Ashcombe was the most beautiful house Saskia had ever seen as a little girl.  A rambling cottage on the edge of a Suffolk village, it provided a perfect sanctuary to hide from the tragedy which shattered her childhood.

 

Now an adult, Saskia is still living at Ashcombe and as a book restorer devotes her days to tending to broken and battered books, daydreaming about the people who had once turned their pages.  When she discovers a hidden notebook  and realises someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to hide a story of their own - Saskia finds herself drawn into a heart-rending tale of wartime love.

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5 minutes ago, Athena said:

I haven't read The Dandelion Years myself (it's on my TBR), but I have read 3 other books by Erica James and liked those. The Dandelion Years does sound like something Frankie might like :).

 

I think I had read another two books by her quite a few years ago and enjoyed those two, so as well as the bookshop/books/library theme appealing to me very much I did think I should enjoy it.  It was nice to be proved right! :)

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On 20.6.2017 at 4:13 PM, Ooshie said:

Hi Frankie, just a heads-up about another book you might enjoy - The Dandelion Years by Erica James.  The main character restores antique books, her father runs a second-hand bookshop, and there are quite a few mentions of a large house with a big library...  my mother passed it on to me just the other day, and it is quite a light, easy read for when you are in the mood for that. 

 

 

Oooh, thanks Ooshie for the recommendation! :smile2: I checked the library if they had copies of it, and the cover of the book looked suspiciously familiar. I think they only recently acquired their copy at the library and I've seen the book in the new acquired books -online list. The title doesn't mention anything about books so I didn't inspect the book more closely. I reserved a copy and it's already arrived :D  I hope I will get to it soon. 

 

Another book related book that I reserved a few months ago has also arrived, so I don't know which one I'll read first. But as you are into these books, too, I'll reveal the title and blurb for your advantage, should you like to read it, too :D

 

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 

 

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion ... and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more. 

 

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.

 

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there's plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that's beginning to feel home ... a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending. 

 

(I think chesilbeach recommended the author to me, and when I checked her work, I thought the best book to start with would obviously be the one about books :D ) 

 

On 20.6.2017 at 4:19 PM, Athena said:

I haven't read The Dandelion Years myself (it's on my TBR), but I have read 3 other books by Erica James and liked those. The Dandelion Years does sound like something Frankie might like :).

 

I've never even heard of Erica James myself, I don't think! :) I'm glad to hear you've liked her other books at least. I hope this one will be fun, too! :)

 

On 20.6.2017 at 4:26 PM, Ooshie said:

 

I think I had read another two books by her quite a few years ago and enjoyed those two, so as well as the bookshop/books/library theme appealing to me very much I did think I should enjoy it.  It was nice to be proved right! :)

 

Other books in the genre that I would recommend off the top of my head are The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Lovely reads :wub:   My most favorite ones in this genre, off the top of my head. 

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Hi frankie, I read The Dandelion Years 18 months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so I gave it a 5/5 star rating! I have a couple of her other books on my shelves so I may give one of them a go now as I have just finished my latest read. :) 

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7 minutes ago, chaliepud said:

Hi frankie, I read The Dandelion Years 18 months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so I gave it a 5/5 star rating! I have a couple of her other books on my shelves so I may give one of them a go now as I have just finished my latest read. :) 

 

Yay, another glowing recommendation! :) Did you review the book back when you finished it? 

 

I was writing down my priority reads -list in my new bujo, having Human Traces on the list. Made me think of you. :D  I hope you've not lost all hope in me! :blush::unsure::D

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