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Kylie's Literary Adventures in 2011


Kylie

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I'm a bit late, but here are my responses to Frankie's comments on my book buys. My comments are in green, Frankie's are in red.

 

And frankie's new comments are in a different shade of red.

Muriel Barbery: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (1001)

I've also got this one, I hear it's supposed to be excellent! It's not on my edition of 1001 Books though, you have the later edition

Well, I only have the spreadsheet, not the actual book.

Yep but you have all the different editions, I only have the 2006. So you always win!

 

Richard Brautigan: Sombrero Fallout

Hehe Brautigan, a quirky hippie author

I don't know if you noticed, but I also bought a book by Richard Flanagan. I must admit that I got the two authors confused and bought the Flanagan thinking it was Brautigan. It was only the next day when I found the Brautigan that I realised my mistake. Never mind! I'm happy to try the Flanagan book too.

:lol: What an unhappy mistake! I checked the title of the Flanagan book and I can't really blame you, because it has a fish in it, and goodness knows how many problems we had with the fish titles on all the different lists, do you remember? :lol: However, I come bearing good news. I found out that Richard Flanagan is a Tasmanian author, and his novel The Unknown Terrorist has been discussed on FTBC. So all in all I think you should definitely give it a go, I think it might turn out to be a great read!

 

Italo Calvino

I'm so happy you found so many Calvinos, I know how you've taken a fancy to his book lately!

I was sooo thrilled! I found them all very close together and I was grabbing them and squealing internally and going 'OMG!' each time I found one.

Hehe, I can totally relate to that! I remember being so thrilled about finding a Murakami novel on one of the book fair sections, grabbing it and cuddling it, then moving forward and finding another one, and yet another one! One of the greatest feelings :cool: Good on you, missie!

 

Peter Carey: Bliss

Yay for finding Peter Carey novels!!

I know! I was especially glad to find Bliss because I think that's what Marieke recommended on the FTBC.

Peter Cary: Illywhacker

Ditto!

I've heard good things about Illywhacker too.

I'm absolutely positive Marieke was also raving about Illywhacker at the same time, because I remember her mentioning this book with a very weird title which I couldn't grasp at all. I don't know if 'illywhacker' is a word in English but I've certainly not come across it ever so I couldn't tell what she was talking about or how to write or pronounce the title. That's why I remember it so vividly.

Pearl Cleage: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (Rory)

This must be on the latest Rory list found? I can't remember having ever seen the title.

Yep. I'm pretty sure this is on the list as one of Oprah's Book Club selections.

I took a look and yes it's there. It's weird having a new Rory list that isn't so new anymore, I've had it for a while now, and still I can't remember all of the titles on it... :huh:

 

Esther Freud: Hideous Kinky (1001)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this, I don't know what it's about but the title's stuck in my mind and I can never find a copy anywhere

I always get this confused with Kinky Boots, a quirky little movie about the reinvention of a shoe factory.

Hehe! I always get it confused with Kinky Friedman, who's of course an author and not a title.

 

Tove Jansson: Finn Family Moomintroll

Yay, I know you've been wanting to read these for a while now.

I know you don't like them much, but I reckon I will. They're so adorable!

But what about their Satanic associations?? Well it's probably too late for you already, you live so close to Satan's hands anyway :giggle2:

 

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

I'm totally biased but I'm sooo excited you found so many Anastasia! Woooo!!

I'm so lucky that I found the first 3! Now I can finally start reading the series.

I just hope that they're okay in your opinion too, I think I've been raving about them a bit too much. I should play it down a bit. I should de-hype!

 

Norman Mailer: The Naked and the Dead

Good find, I remember you wanted to find this when I mentioned I'd bought it at a charityshop

Yep, I was thrilled to find it. And didn't you just read it and love it?

Nope, I bought it at a secondhand bookshop but haven't read it yet.

 

Mary McCarthy: The Group

Awesome, it's on the Rory list, I remember Rory reading this. I hope it's good, I also have it on my TBR

I really can't wait to read this. I have no idea what it's about, but I have high expectations for some reason!

I know, I have high expectations on it as well! I don't know why. Maybe because it's one of those book on the list that I've actually seen Rory read.

 

Irene Nemirovsky: Le Bal

Hehe I recognise this one!

This was the one you read recently and loved, wasn't it? I really hope so, because that's the main reason I bought it.

Yep! I wasn't sure if that's why you bought it so didn't comment on it further but now I can. I'd definitely like to read more of Némirovsky. I hope you enjoy Le Bal.

 

David Nicholls: One Day

I'm curious to hear how you like this one, I've heard some great things about this one but also some negative reviews, I'm interested in reading it

I don't know if those negative reviews have come from me, but I remember it was rated pretty badly on the FTBC and I mentioned it here. Still, I can't help but be intrigued, especially when I've read several good reviews here.

I think the reviews come from this forum, in general, not just you. I'm sure I know at least 2-3 people who've read it. I wish I could remember who they were.

 

Francois Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel

Wow, that's one of the really old ones in the 1001 Books list, I don't know if it's on your edition. Jealous!! (Just remembered you have all the editions)

I can't wait to read this. I first found out about it from Alberto Manguel's The Reading Library; he made it sound so intriguing. In a bizarre twist, the other night I was flicking through another book fair book - Walter Moers' A Wilde Ride through the Night - and I noticed that the book is based around some brilliant artwork done by a 17th century artist named Gustave Dore. It turns out he also did the artwork for Gargantua and Pantagruel. I've checked out some of his work online and I'm totally in awe of him.

Now it sounds all the better! I'm jealous :cool:

 

WG Sebald: Austerlitz

Also on my edition of 1001 Books, I keep seeing this in the library and think I should read it. I think I've heard some good things about it, and I think it must be on some other reading list as well

I just did a quick search and it only appears to be on my 1001 list. I could have sworn it was on another list as well.

I could've sworn as well. Ah, just checked and it's also on the 501 list. But I still think it should be on some other lists. Hmph!

 

Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger

An excellent find!!

I was sooo happy to find this. Fingersmith and The Little Stranger are the 2 books of Waters' that I most want to read. The edition also matches my other books by her.

Matching editions, awesome! I think you have a bad(/good) influence on me, I'm becoming more and more critical and aware of different editions, and I have this new desire to get all my books matched. I mean the ones that can be matched. It would cost me a pretty penny to do so, though....

 

Irvine Welsh: Porno

I'm so jealous!

I now have 3 books by Welsh, including Trainspotting (which you will recall recommending to me) and Filth.

Yes I remember, I practically made you buy it at the bookshop with the nice friendly metropolitan owner who's travelled such cultured places as Turku, Finland, for example :cool:

 

Scott Westerfeld: Peeps

This author rings a bell, isn't he the one who's written the Uglies series? Is it one of the novels or a stand alone?

Yes, he wrote the Uglies series. I just had to Wiki this, because I knew that Peeps was a book I wanted to read, but I couldn't remember if it was part of a series. It turns out that there are 2 books, and the best news is that I already have the second book!

Good stuff, a new series by an author you really like, and having now two of the books in the series!

 

Non-Fiction

Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking

I'm happy you found this, I know you've wanted it

Yep. I know you didn't enjoy it, but it's on the list. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a different reaction.

Who knows and who cares! I definitely think you should just pick it up sometime and read it without paying attention to the things I've said about the book. Just go with it :yes:

 

Dr Spencer Johnson: Who Moved My Cheese?

A Rory title!

I bought it solely because it was on the list.

A good enough reason IMO :lol:

 

 

Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

Oh bloody hell Kylie, I'm soooo jealous

I thought you might be!

I'm practically fuming over here!!! :irked:

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ht two and ate half of one in Canberra, and the rest at home. Mum had one also and liked it very much, but not quite as much as the Dome Cake.

 

Hehehe when I re

What happened to the rest of the sentence? :( I bet it was a good cake story. Lemme have it, will you?

 

Hehe. I'm glad you're so pleased about Mum buying books. I've told Dad that he's next.

 

Hehehe, what did he think of that prospect :giggle:

 

I can't find it.

 

The evil preposition fib was when I said that the moth was in your pants. It was probably on your pants but who knows what you have going inside your pants :D

 

Haha Frankie! You can comment on the below pile when you're rewriting your comments.

 

Hell yeah :D Must've been The Basement Books? Man that story is awesome.

 

Margaret Atwood: The Year of the Flood – I'm glad you got it because as you said, you've been wanting it for so long!

John Boyne: Noah Barleywater Runs Away – I'm curious about this because I've read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and loved it, and would like to read his other novels to see if TbitSP was just a one off.

Ben Elton: Meltdown – I've only read Dead Famous and eventhough it was good, I thought I'd be happy just to have read that one book by Elton. However, having read The Fry Chronicles, I'm rather curious about Elton now. Fry seems to esteem him rather high.

Rebecca Hunt: Mr Chartwell – Dog dang it, I'm soooo jealous!! I want this book.

Paul Murray: Skippy Dies – Awesome! I hope you like it, I haven't read it yet but want to asap.

Kathryn Stockett: The Help – All the people on the forum seem to have read this and like it, so we must jump on the bandwagon asap!

John Wyndham: Plan for Chaos – I know you have a couple of Wyndhams already so you were probably very pleased to buy this :)

 

Non-Fiction

Gary Dexter: Poisoned Pens: Literary Invective from Amis to Zola – The title sounds intriguing.

Daniel Hahn et al: The Ultimate Teen Book Guide – Hehe! A good find.

George Orwell: Diaries – Oh man this is probably good. I don't think I've read anything by Orwell yet but I think he's supposed to be good, and don't we just love (auto)biographies, diaries and letters!

 

I thought you'd like to give me a hand, Frankie. wink.gif I can't wait to see your list.

 

Always happy to lend a hand! :D

 

I don't expect anyone to go through my TBR pile and pick out books, but if anyone has general book suggestions, just throw them my way. There's probably I good chance I have it on my TBR pile anyway. rolleyes.gif

 

What do you mean you don't expect people to go through your TBR pile to pick books?! What fun is the task otherwise?! :giggle:

 

Now commenting on the Vintage books covers:

These are absolutely amazing, where the hell do you find these things?? I love the following: Wuthering Heights, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, The Sound and the Fury, The Woman in Black, Darkness at Noon, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Anna Karenina, War and Peace (I love it how they have those cyrillic letters in them!), The Age of Innocence, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and all the Yates ones. I love it how the Yates ones have all a shared theme, a particular kind of look.

 

And the John Lennon one is great as well, not exactly beautiful but very groovy, funky, nostalgic and retro in the true sense of the meaning :)

 

 

 

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I've now gone through your TBR pile and I have to say the task was a lot harder than I'd thought. Too many choices! So I thought I'd go with a theme of music, travel/journey, life, mind/body. And came up with these (in no particular order):

 

*William McKeen: Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S Thompson (Thompson should know about journeys)

*Robert M Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (you can camp Zen style!)

Charles Mackay: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds(so you'll know how/why others go crazy, and how to avoid doing anything you don't want to do)

Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat Pray Love (travel, maybe helpful words of wisdom)

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations (to keep your mind pure, simple, and receiving)

Augusten Burroughs: Running with Scissors (well you need to read this soon anyways)

Tom Wolfe: The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (same as Thompson)

Tom Wolfe: The Pump House Gang (ditto)

Sue Townsend: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (some fun easy reading in the form of a diary)

Hunter S Thompson: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (same as Thompson, hehehe)

David Sedaris: When You Are Engulfed in Flames (easy reading, short stories)

David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (ditto)

Nick Hornby: Juliet, Naked (a great book that has to do with a music celeb)

Jack Kerouac: Lonesome Traveler (same as Thompson and Wolfe)

 

I think The Dirt, A Series of Unfortunate Events and Gogol are also great ideas. In addition, you could pack the first novel in the Anastasia series if you like.

 

Which books should you ABSOLUTELY NOT take with you: All true crime books. Trust me.

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exc.gif Yay! Lots of fun and exciting comments! I'll have to reply tomorrow though because it's bed time now. (Ha! Now you can see what it's like to wait. :P)

 

Kylie!!!! :badmood: I bet you're not even tired! :banghead: Fine, have it your way. :drama:

 

:roll2:

 

:cry2:

 

:coffee1: The coffee will keep me up. I'll be waiting!

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If it makes you feel any better, I just made a nice long post on your thread. My eyelids have been literally drooping for a long while now, but I stayed up just to comment on your book purchases. friends0.gif

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If it makes you feel any better, I just made a nice long post on your thread. My eyelids have been literally drooping for a long while now, but I stayed up just to comment on your book purchases. :friends0:

 

Awwww :hug: I did notice! I hope I didn't make you feel guilty by my use of multiple emoticons :blush: It truly was a nice long post, thank you! :friends0:

 

Edit: I feel a bit bad now. I hope you know the post was supposed to be humorous, not guilt-inducing :blush::friends0:

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Kylie's new comments are in blue. I hope we don't run out of colours!

Muriel Barbery: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (1001)

I've also got this one, I hear it's supposed to be excellent! It's not on my edition of 1001 Books though, you have the later edition

Well, I only have the spreadsheet, not the actual book.

Yep but you have all the different editions, I only have the 2006. So you always win!

I can send you the spreadsheet if you like? Then we can be equal.

 

Richard Brautigan: Sombrero Fallout

Hehe Brautigan, a quirky hippie author

I don't know if you noticed, but I also bought a book by Richard Flanagan. I must admit that I got the two authors confused and bought the Flanagan thinking it was Brautigan. It was only the next day when I found the Brautigan that I realised my mistake. Never mind! I'm happy to try the Flanagan book too.

What an unhappy mistake! I checked the title of the Flanagan book and I can't really blame you, because it has a fish in it, and goodness knows how many problems we had with the fish titles on all the different lists, do you remember? However, I come bearing good news. I found out that Richard Flanagan is a Tasmanian author, and his novel The Unknown Terrorist has been discussed on FTBC. So all in all I think you should definitely give it a go, I think it might turn out to be a great read!

Ah, well I knew the name was familiar in some way!

Italo Calvino

I'm so happy you found so many Calvinos, I know how you've taken a fancy to his book lately!

I was sooo thrilled! I found them all very close together and I was grabbing them and squealing internally and going 'OMG!' each time I found one.

Hehe, I can totally relate to that! I remember being so thrilled about finding a Murakami novel on one of the book fair sections, grabbing it and cuddling it, then moving forward and finding another one, and yet another one! One of the greatest feelings. Good on you, missie!

I think I must have actually squeaked out loud in excitement when I found the Walter Moers book, because someone looked up and towards me. I tried to keep a poker face when I was most excited about my great finds, but on the inside I was almost hyperventilating, if that makes sense.

Peter Carey: Bliss

Yay for finding Peter Carey novels!!

I know! I was especially glad to find Bliss because I think that's what Marieke recommended on the FTBC.

Peter Cary: Illywhacker

Ditto!

I've heard good things about Illywhacker too.

I'm absolutely positive Marieke was also raving about Illywhacker at the same time, because I remember her mentioning this book with a very weird title which I couldn't grasp at all. I don't know if 'illywhacker' is a word in English but I've certainly not come across it ever so I couldn't tell what she was talking about or how to write or pronounce the title. That's why I remember it so vividly.

Great; I couldn't remember the other one she had recommended. I have no idea what Illywhacker means, but I hope to find out when I read the book!

Pearl Cleage: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (Rory)

This must be on the latest Rory list found? I can't remember having ever seen the title.

Yep. I'm pretty sure this is on the list as one of Oprah's Book Club selections.

I took a look and yes it's there. It's weird having a new Rory list that isn't so new anymore, I've had it for a while now, and still I can't remember all of the titles on it...

But you can remember more than me!

 

Esther Freud: Hideous Kinky (1001)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this, I don't know what it's about but the title's stuck in my mind and I can never find a copy anywhere

I always get this confused with Kinky Boots, a quirky little movie about the reinvention of a shoe factory.

Hehe! I always get it confused with Kinky Friedman, who's of course an author and not a title.

The name sounds familiar but I'm not familiar with any of his (?) works.

Tove Jansson: Finn Family Moomintroll

Yay, I know you've been wanting to read these for a while now.

I know you don't like them much, but I reckon I will. They're so adorable!

But what about their Satanic associations?? Well it's probably too late for you already, you live so close to Satan's hands anyway

Haha! Yes, I guess there's never been any hope for me, so I may as well get on with reading the Moomins. I think I've added this book to my pile to take on holidays.

 

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

I'm totally biased but I'm sooo excited you found so many Anastasia! Woooo!!

I'm so lucky that I found the first 3! Now I can finally start reading the series.

I just hope that they're okay in your opinion too, I think I've been raving about them a bit too much. I should play it down a bit. I should de-hype!

No need to de-hype! Haven't I told you that I've read at least one of the Anastasia books before? I can't remember which one/s and I've been curious about reading them again, perhaps since before you started raving about them. :) I'm taking the first 3 on holidays with me.

Norman Mailer: The Naked and the Dead

Good find, I remember you wanted to find this when I mentioned I'd bought it at a charityshop

Yep, I was thrilled to find it. And didn't you just read it and love it?

Nope, I bought it at a secondhand bookshop but haven't read it yet.

Oh, oops. blush.gif I could have sworn you'd read it. Maybe I was confusing it with Charles Bukowski. Remember the GG episode that Norman Mailer appeared in?

Mary McCarthy: The Group

Awesome, it's on the Rory list, I remember Rory reading this. I hope it's good, I also have it on my TBR

I really can't wait to read this. I have no idea what it's about, but I have high expectations for some reason!

I know, I have high expectations on it as well! I don't know why. Maybe because it's one of those book on the list that I've actually seen Rory read.

Maybe we could read this one together one day. It's been a while since we've all read a Rory book...

Irene Nemirovsky: Le Bal

Hehe I recognise this one!

This was the one you read recently and loved, wasn't it? I really hope so, because that's the main reason I bought it.

Yep! I wasn't sure if that's why you bought it so didn't comment on it further but now I can. I'd definitely like to read more of Némirovsky. I hope you enjoy Le Bal.

Me too!

David Nicholls: One Day

I'm curious to hear how you like this one, I've heard some great things about this one but also some negative reviews, I'm interested in reading it

I don't know if those negative reviews have come from me, but I remember it was rated pretty badly on the FTBC and I mentioned it here. Still, I can't help but be intrigued, especially when I've read several good reviews here.

I think the reviews come from this forum, in general, not just you. I'm sure I know at least 2-3 people who've read it. I wish I could remember who they were.

All the positive reviews I've read were here on the forum. There's a thread somewhere around.

Francois Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel

Wow, that's one of the really old ones in the 1001 Books list, I don't know if it's on your edition. Jealous!! (Just remembered you have all the editions)

I can't wait to read this. I first found out about it from Alberto Manguel's The Reading Library; he made it sound so intriguing. In a bizarre twist, the other night I was flicking through another book fair book - Walter Moers' A Wilde Ride through the Night - and I noticed that the book is based around some brilliant artwork done by a 17th century artist named Gustave Dore. It turns out he also did the artwork for Gargantua and Pantagruel. I've checked out some of his work online and I'm totally in awe of him.

Now it sounds all the better! I'm jealous

Well, you'd better buy it then. tongue.gif

 

WG Sebald: Austerlitz

Also on my edition of 1001 Books, I keep seeing this in the library and think I should read it. I think I've heard some good things about it, and I think it must be on some other reading list as well

I just did a quick search and it only appears to be on my 1001 list. I could have sworn it was on another list as well.

I could've sworn as well. Ah, just checked and it's also on the 501 list. But I still think it should be on some other lists. Hmph!

I'm sure if we hunt around we'll find it on other lists!

Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger

An excellent find!!

I was sooo happy to find this. Fingersmith and The Little Stranger are the 2 books of Waters' that I most want to read. The edition also matches my other books by her.

Matching editions, awesome! I think you have a bad(/good) influence on me, I'm becoming more and more critical and aware of different editions, and I have this new desire to get all my books matched. I mean the ones that can be matched. It would cost me a pretty penny to do so, though....

Heeheehee!

Irvine Welsh: Porno

I'm so jealous!

I now have 3 books by Welsh, including Trainspotting (which you will recall recommending to me) and Filth.

Yes I remember, I practically made you buy it at the bookshop with the nice friendly metropolitan owner who's travelled such cultured places as Turku, Finland, for example

Yes, you really talked me into getting Trainspotting, I remember!

 

Scott Westerfeld: Peeps

This author rings a bell, isn't he the one who's written the Uglies series? Is it one of the novels or a stand alone?

Yes, he wrote the Uglies series. I just had to Wiki this, because I knew that Peeps was a book I wanted to read, but I couldn't remember if it was part of a series. It turns out that there are 2 books, and the best news is that I already have the second book!

Good stuff, a new series by an author you really like, and having now two of the books in the series!

I had also thought that Peeps was dystopian, but I think I was mistaken about that. Not to worry; I reckon I'll still enjoy them!

Non-Fiction

Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking

I'm happy you found this, I know you've wanted it

Yep. I know you didn't enjoy it, but it's on the list. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a different reaction.

Who knows and who cares! I definitely think you should just pick it up sometime and read it without paying attention to the things I've said about the book. Just go with it

I can't even remember what you said about it; just that you didn't like it.

Dr Spencer Johnson: Who Moved My Cheese?

A Rory title!

I bought it solely because it was on the list.

A good enough reason IMO

I concur!

 

Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

Oh bloody hell Kylie, I'm soooo jealous

I thought you might be!

I'm practically fuming over here!!!

mocking.gif I have something to send you that might cheer you up (but no, it's not this book).

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Edit: I feel a bit bad now. I hope you know the post was supposed to be humorous, not guilt-inducing

 

Aw, don't feed bad. I was only joking. friends0.gif I didn't have time to reply to all your posts today (I had to do actual work at work!), and now I'm really tired again so I'll have to ask you to wait just a few more hours for the rest of my replies. lurker.gif

 

What happened to the rest of the sentence? :( I bet it was a good cake story. Lemme have it, will you?

 

Sorry, I have no idea what I had been about to write. :(

 

Hehehe, what did he think of that prospect

 

He didn't think very much of it at all!

 

The evil preposition fib was when I said that the moth was in your pants. It was probably on your pants but who knows what you have going inside your pants

 

ohmy.gif

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I probably wouldn't have considered Gogol, Brida, but only because I would have thought it to be a difficult read. But you've set my mind at ease, and between your recommendation and a snippet I read about The Diary of a Madman today, I'm definitely interested in taking Gogol along. Thanks. :)

 

Np. That's why I mentioned it (bold) :) It's not difficult, but has many layers. There are lots of puns and symbolical things, for example names. Also, a lot of humour, even if it is rather grim, and very insigthful as far as creating interesting (and eccentric) characters goes. That's what I meant by saying it might not be festival-reading material :D you just might want to give it more attention (though just reading without analyzing it would be fun enough).

 

I realised I kept thinking of a specific story while writing this^^, so I thought I'd post a link to see more info if you're interested ;)

(I hope your book contains that story :D)

LINK

 

Have fun at the festival.

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John Boyne: Noah Barleywater Runs Away – I'm curious about this because I've read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and loved it, and would like to read his other novels to see if TbitSP was just a one off.

That's pretty much why I bought it; to see if TBitSP was a one off. :)

 

Ben Elton: Meltdown – I've only read Dead Famous and eventhough it was good, I thought I'd be happy just to have read that one book by Elton. However, having read The Fry Chronicles, I'm rather curious about Elton now. Fry seems to esteem him rather high.

Ben Elton recently started up a live general entertainment show in Australia and it bombed pretty badly. It was only on for 2 or 3 weeks. I expect I'll like his books quite a lot though.

 

Rebecca Hunt: Mr Chartwell – Dog dang it, I'm soooo jealous!! I want this book.

wink.gif

 

Paul Murray: Skippy Dies – Awesome! I hope you like it, I haven't read it yet but want to asap.

Me too! But that's the problem with most of my TBR pile: I want to read them all asap. :(

 

Kathryn Stockett: The Help – All the people on the forum seem to have read this and like it, so we must jump on the bandwagon asap!

I'll have to search out the comments on this book, because I think I've just been glossing over them.

 

John Wyndham: Plan for Chaos – I know you have a couple of Wyndhams already so you were probably very pleased to buy this :)

Yep! I hadn't even heard of this one before and the blurb sounds really interesting. I think Wyndham is one of those authors you can't go wrong with.

 

Gary Dexter: Poisoned Pens: Literary Invective from Amis to Zola – The title sounds intriguing.

It'll be interesting to read what authors say about each other, but I know I'll get sad whenever one author I love says bad things about another author I love.

 

George Orwell: Diaries – Oh man this is probably good. I don't think I've read anything by Orwell yet but I think he's supposed to be good, and don't we just love (auto)biographies, diaries and letters!

You should definitely read 1984! Just for starters.

 

Now commenting on the Vintage books covers:

These are absolutely amazing, where the hell do you find these things?? I love the following: Wuthering Heights, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, The Sound and the Fury, The Woman in Black, Darkness at Noon, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Anna Karenina, War and Peace (I love it how they have those cyrillic letters in them!), The Age of Innocence, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and all the Yates ones. I love it how the Yates ones have all a shared theme, a particular kind of look.

 

And the John Lennon one is great as well, not exactly beautiful but very groovy, funky, nostalgic and retro in the true sense of the meaning :)

 

Most bookshops sell them and they're usually found in the classics section. :) I'm glad you like 'em! They're just so beautiful and it looks like Vintage have really put a lot of thought into these covers.

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*William McKeen: Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S Thompson (Thompson should know about journeys)

*Robert M Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (you can camp Zen style!)

Charles Mackay: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds(so you'll know how/why others go crazy, and how to avoid doing anything you don't want to do)

Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat Pray Love (travel, maybe helpful words of wisdom)

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations (to keep your mind pure, simple, and receiving)

Augusten Burroughs: Running with Scissors (well you need to read this soon anyways)

Tom Wolfe: The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (same as Thompson)

Tom Wolfe: The Pump House Gang (ditto)

Sue Townsend: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (some fun easy reading in the form of a diary)

Hunter S Thompson: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (same as Thompson, hehehe)

David Sedaris: When You Are Engulfed in Flames (easy reading, short stories)

David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (ditto)

Nick Hornby: Juliet, Naked (a great book that has to do with a music celeb)

Jack Kerouac: Lonesome Traveler (same as Thompson and Wolfe)

 

I think The Dirt, A Series of Unfortunate Events and Gogol are also great ideas. In addition, you could pack the first novel in the Anastasia series if you like.

 

Which books should you ABSOLUTELY NOT take with you: All true crime books. Trust me.

 

 

I'm one step ahead of you with the Anastasia books. :) I've already pulled out the first three. Hehe, I agree on the true crime books. The last thing I need is to be scared witless that some crazy person in the camp is after me!

 

I hadn't thought about taking any calm, zen-like books with me. I love the idea of that, so I might add the Pirsig and Aurelius. And Kerouac.

 

Townsend and Sedaris also sound good for light, funny reads. I wish I could add them all but I already have a huge pile and I have a feeling I'll be bringing them all back unread. :(

 

Thanks Frankie for going through my list. friends0.gif

 

Np. That's why I mentioned it (bold) :) It's not difficult, but has many layers. There are lots of puns and symbolical things, for example names. Also, a lot of humour, even if it is rather grim, and very insigthful as far as creating interesting (and eccentric) characters goes. That's what I meant by saying it might not be festival-reading material :D you just might want to give it more attention (though just reading without analyzing it would be fun enough).

 

I realised I kept thinking of a specific story while writing this^^, so I thought I'd post a link to see more info if you're interested ;)

(I hope your book contains that story :D)

LINK

 

Have fun at the festival.

 

I checked my edition, and yes, that's one of the stories I have! You've made Gogol sound so interesting, Brida. I can't wait to read him. :)

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... and don't we just love (auto)biographies, diaries and letters!

Yes we do, we definitely do :D(and I know you didn't say this at 2.27pm on 14 April 2011 Frankie, but I got lost and found myself in a Kylie/Frankie sandwich :D )

 

Most bookshops sell them and they're usually found in the classics section. :) I'm glad you like 'em! They're just so beautiful and it looks like Vintage have really put a lot of thought into these covers.

I get so excited by the Vintage covers (bet you didn't know that :wink: ) ... when I was in Hay on Wye, I saw some interesting artwork in a cafe, that someone had made using book covers (with the books still intact I'm glad to say) ... and it would work wonderfully well with some of the Vintage covers .. though not a great idea if you want to re-read them :D and I think they'd have to be more or less the same size (as in depth) so that might limit me too much, because I have fatties and skinnies amongst my favourites :lol:

 

I heard an adaptation of Gogol's 'The Nose' on the radio the other day and it was bizarre but hilarious. Must look out for his stories. Whatever books you take with you Kylie, hope you enjoy them and that they're good, mojo enhancing, well behaved books.

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Kylie, I'm going to start 'butchering' some of our previous ones so as not to create monstrous posts with mostly already-read material.

 

Muriel Barbery: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (1001)

Yep but you have all the different editions, I only have the 2006. So you always win! I can send you the spreadsheet if you like? Then we can be equal.

That's very nice of you but I think I'll try and stick to my 2006 version. Otherwise the whole thing will just get out of hand, seriously.

 

Richard Brautigan: Sombrero Fallout Ah, well I knew the name was familiar in some way!

Jason will be proud!

 

Italo Calvino

I think I must have actually squeaked out loud in excitement when I found the Walter Moers book, because someone looked up and towards me. I tried to keep a poker face when I was most excited about my great finds, but on the inside I was almost hyperventilating, if that makes sense.

Hehehe! I bet they were only too happy to see some genuine reactions to finding great books. I know I would've smiled at someone squeaking over a book!

Pearl Cleage: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (Rory)

But you can remember more than me!

Na'ah. You remembered this one, I didn't!

 

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik No need to de-hype! Haven't I told you that I've read at least one of the Anastasia books before? I can't remember which one/s and I've been curious about reading them again, perhaps since before you started raving about them. I'm taking the first 3 on holidays with me.

Yes I remember you having told me that but you weren't truly ecstatic about the book, otherwise you would've read the whole series in your childhood/teens. So maybe it was just an okay book for you and now I've raised your expectations.

Anyways, I'm happy you're taking the 3 first books along, but don't worry and don't feel pressured, I'm not expecting you to read them. I know you'll be busy so you read what you read if you read.

 

Norman Mailer: The Naked and the Dead Oh, oops. I could have sworn you'd read it. Maybe I was confusing it with Charles Bukowski. Remember the GG episode that Norman Mailer appeared in?

Hehe, no worries! Yeah I remember the episode, I think it was during the last season? Sookie was so pissed because he didn't order any food!

Mary McCarthy: The Group Maybe we could read this one together one day. It's been a while since we've all read a Rory book...

I'm definitely down for that!! And yep it's been a while. We could suggest this as a group reading.

David Nicholls: One Day All the positive reviews I've read were here on the forum. There's a thread somewhere around.

I'm sure someone said something negative about the book on here, but it might've been like a teeny tiny thing they criticized. Who knows.

 

Francois Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel Well, you'd better buy it then.

I suppose! Funny, Gargantua was mentioned in a book I was reading yesterday, either A Home at the End of the World or First, Second by Daniil Harms. Small world.

 

WG Sebald: Austerlitz I could've sworn as well. Ah, just checked and it's also on the 501 list. But I still think it should be on some other lists. Hmph! I'm sure if we hunt around we'll find it on other lists!

I already tried the search-app on my reading blog page, the one where I have all my reading challenges. I can't imagine where else it could be. I'm starting to think maybe I've been confusing it with Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Because in my library, the Sebald book is right next to Sebold, and Lovely Bones is on the list. Don't ask. I'm not giving up though!

Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger Matching editions, awesome! I think you have a bad(/good) influence on me, I'm becoming more and more critical and aware of different editions, and I have this new desire to get all my books matched. I mean the ones that can be matched. It would cost me a pretty penny to do so, though.... Heeheehee!

It's easy for you to laugh, being over there across various ponds...!!

 

Scott Westerfeld: Peeps I had also thought that Peeps was dystopian, but I think I was mistaken about that. Not to worry; I reckon I'll still enjoy them!

I reckon so too!

 

Non-Fiction

Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking I can't even remember what you said about it; just that you didn't like it.

Well that's good then, your slate will be cleaner than I expected. I won't remind you.

Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife Oh bloody hell Kylie, I'm soooo jealous I thought you might be! I'm practically fuming over here!!! I have something to send you that might cheer you up (but no, it's not this book).

I was like 'wooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is it!' when I read this line. It must be the thing you confessed in your PM? You're just too sweet!

 

He didn't think very much of it at all

It's nice to have an easy target for once! ;)

 

Ben Elton: Meltdown – Ben Elton recently started up a live general entertainment show in Australia and it bombed pretty badly. It was only on for 2 or 3 weeks. I expect I'll like his books quite a lot though.

Aww, that's a shame! It must be through no fault of his or the Aussies. Maybe just wrong time. I'm sure you'll like his books. I might go for Popcorn next, having recently found it.

 

Rebecca Hunt: Mr Chartwell – Dog dang it, I'm soooo jealous!! I want this book.

wink.gif

Hehehehhe!! :giggle:

 

Paul Murray: Skippy Dies – Awesome! I hope you like it, I haven't read it yet but want to asap. Me too! But that's the problem with most of my TBR pile: I want to read them all asap.

I know... Maybe you should do what someone (unfortunately can't remember who it was) suggested to Janet when she was going through her book pile and was going to discard some books: In order to feel like you're making progress with the books you've had the longest on your TBR, you could alternate between reading an old TBR book, a recently bought one, and maybe something in the middle. You don't need to do it religiously if the mood doesn't strike you sometimes, but it might give you some sort of sense of progress. I think I might try that someday myself. It was such an excellent advise. I'm also thinking I really need to take all my borrowed books back to the library because at the moment I just want to read my own books!!

 

John Wyndham: Plan for Chaos – Yep! I hadn't even heard of this one before and the blurb sounds really interesting. I think Wyndham is one of those authors you can't go wrong with.

Oooh great job finding a Wyndham you hadn't even heard of before, what a treasure! I think he's on a lot of lists, with a lot of books. I think I should definitely start reading dystopian novels, it would get me thinking more.

 

Gary Dexter: Poisoned Pens: Literary Invective from Amis to Zola – It'll be interesting to read what authors say about each other, but I know I'll get sad whenever one author I love says bad things about another author I love.

It's not pleasant :(

 

George Orwell: Diaries – You should definitely read 1984! Just for starters.

Maybe I should just buy the book, I always keep borrowing it but never read it. Coincidentally, Valtteri downloaded this British documentary series called The Beauty of Books, and we watched a few episodes and one was called Paperback writer, which featured the novel 1984 (as well as Clockwork Orange). Lots of beautiful paperback editions... :P

 

Most bookshops sell them and they're usually found in the classics section. I'm glad you like 'em! They're just so beautiful and it looks like Vintage have really put a lot of thought into these covers.

 

I definitely wouldn't mind investing on some of these books if we had such a variety of them. I don't think I've seen any of those editions except for maybe two over here, which of course is sadness multiplied by the world.

 

I hadn't thought about taking any calm, zen-like books with me. I love the idea of that, so I might add the Pirsig and Aurelius. And Kerouac.

 

Hee, I'm glad you liked the idea. And you're very welcome, going through the list was a lot of fun! Would I be too intruding if I asked you to list all the books you're taking with you? I'm really curious.

 

Yes we do, we definitely do (and I know you didn't say this at 2.27pm on 14 April 2011 Frankie, but I got lost and found myself in a Kylie/Frankie sandwich )

 

Heheheh laugh.gif What a bookish nook, you must feel quite safe, pleased and content there!

I heard an adaptation of Gogol's 'The Nose' on the radio the other day and it was bizarre but hilarious. Must look out for his stories. Whatever books you take with you Kylie, hope you enjoy them and that they're good, mojo enhancing, well behaved books.

 

I had the pleasure of reading The Nose some time ago and it was quite hilarious, I agree! I'm getting quite fond of all the bizarre Russian authors.

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I get so excited by the Vintage covers (bet you didn't know that :wink: ) ... when I was in Hay on Wye, I saw some interesting artwork in a cafe, that someone had made using book covers (with the books still intact I'm glad to say) ... and it would work wonderfully well with some of the Vintage covers .. though not a great idea if you want to re-read them :D and I think they'd have to be more or less the same size (as in depth) so that might limit me too much, because I have fatties and skinnies amongst my favourites :lol:

 

I heard an adaptation of Gogol's 'The Nose' on the radio the other day and it was bizarre but hilarious. Must look out for his stories. Whatever books you take with you Kylie, hope you enjoy them and that they're good, mojo enhancing, well behaved books.

 

Thanks Poppyshake. I have a bag filled with books and I really hope I get time to enjoy at least a couple of them.

 

That sounds like some interesting artwork you saw! I've seen some awesome things around the internet that I'd love to try out. :)

 

 

***

 

Frankie

Kylie

 

That's very nice of you but I think I'll try and stick to my 2006 version. Otherwise the whole thing will just get out of hand, seriously.

That's probably a good idea. At this rate there'll be another edition next year, and it will just go on and on...

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

Anyways, I'm happy you're taking the 3 first books along, but don't worry and don't feel pressured, I'm not expecting you to read them. I know you'll be busy so you read what you read if you read.

The Anastasia books are so short that I really hope to read at least one while I'm away.

 

Matching editions, awesome! I think you have a bad(/good) influence on me, I'm becoming more and more critical and aware of different editions, and I have this new desire to get all my books matched. I mean the ones that can be matched. It would cost me a pretty penny to do so, though.... Heeheehee!

It's easy for you to laugh, being over there across various ponds...!!

But can't you at least get them cheaply on play.com?

 

Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

I was like 'wooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is it!' when I read this line. It must be the thing you confessed in your PM? You're just too sweet!

Wrong! It's something else altogether, and I think you will rather like it. :D

Ben Elton: Meltdown

I might go for Popcorn next, having recently found it.

I should really read Blind Faith first. It's the first one I received and it's dystopian!

In order to feel like you're making progress with the books you've had the longest on your TBR, you could alternate between reading an old TBR book, a recently bought one, and maybe something in the middle.

That's definitely an interesting idea. I think my reading probably works out that way simply because of the sheer number of books on my TBR pile. Although possibly my older books do get neglected.

 

George Orwell: Diaries – Lots of beautiful paperback editions...

I bet! I have 2 editions myself and will probably find more. rolleyes.gif

Hee, I'm glad you liked the idea. And you're very welcome, going through the list was a lot of fun! Would I be too intruding if I asked you to list all the books you're taking with you? I'm really curious.

Of course you can ask! Here's what I'm taking: 3x Anastasia

4x A Series of Unfortunate Events

1x Trixie Belden

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince

Mark Dunn: Ibid

Jeffrey Eugenides: The Virgin Suicides

Stephen Fry: Moab is My Washpot

Nikolai Gogol: Diary of a Madman and Other Stories

Rebecca Hunt: Mr Chartwell

Tove Jansson: Finn Family Moomintroll

Jack Kerouac: Lonesome Traveler

Tommy Lee: The Dirt

Steven D Levitt: Freakonomics

Astrid Lindgren: The Brothers Lionheart

Walter Moers: A Wild Ride through the Night

Phillip Pullman: Northern Lights

David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Sue Townsend: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4

 

 

<sigh> That's ridiculous. It's inevitable that I'm going to be disappointed in my reading when I take so many books with me! With a bit of luck I'll get stranded somewhere and be unable to get home so I'll have no choice but to sit around and read. wink.gif

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That's very nice of you but I think I'll try and stick to my 2006 version. Otherwise the whole thing will just get out of hand, seriously.

That's probably a good idea. At this rate there'll be another edition next year, and it will just go on and on...

I know, and that's another reason why I'll be sticking to the 2006 version. Although I'd love to maybe do the books they've revised from the 90s and 00s. But later.

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

Anyways, I'm happy you're taking the 3 first books along, but don't worry and don't feel pressured, I'm not expecting you to read them. I know you'll be busy so you read what you read if you read.

The Anastasia books are so short that I really hope to read at least one while I'm away.

They're really quick reads, I'm sure you'll get one read if you choose to.

It's easy for you to laugh, being over there across various ponds...!!

But can't you at least get them cheaply on play.com?

The problem with buying secondhand books from play.com is that you have no idea which edition will be coming your way. So it's very random.

 

Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

I was like 'wooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is it!' when I read this line. It must be the thing you confessed in your PM? You're just too sweet!

Wrong! It's something else altogether, and I think you will rather like it. :D

What???? Seriously?? OMG Kylie!!!!! :o:giggle:

 

George Orwell: Diaries – Lots of beautiful paperback editions...

I bet! I have 2 editions myself and will probably find more. rolleyes.gif

Is this the kind of book that if you find a cheap, beautiful copy you'll buy it eventhough you already have copies of it, and will keep them all? And don't fear, I understand. Whenever I see The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer I feel like this overbearing urge to buy it, eventhough I already own one copy in Finnish and two in English. :blush:

][/color] <sigh> That's ridiculous. It's inevitable that I'm going to be disappointed in my reading when I take so many books with me! With a bit of luck I'll get stranded somewhere and be unable to get home so I'll have no choice but to sit around and read. wink.gif

 

First things first: It is NOT, I repeat, NOT, ridiculous. You are going for a long road trip and you'll have no idea which mood you'll be in at certain times, so you need to be prepared for all possible moods. Seriously, since you have a car and room in it, why not take advantage of it?

Second: Do not set yourself expectations about how many books you might be able to read. You'll only feel pressured. Just read when you feel like reading. Reading is supposed to be pleasurable, not a chore!

 

][/color]

3x Anastasia

4x A Series of Unfortunate Events

1x Trixie Belden

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince

Mark Dunn: Ibid

Jeffrey Eugenides: The Virgin Suicides

Stephen Fry: Moab is My Washpot

Nikolai Gogol: Diary of a Madman and Other Stories

Rebecca Hunt: Mr Chartwell

Tove Jansson: Finn Family Moomintroll

Jack Kerouac: Lonesome Traveler

Tommy Lee: The Dirt

Steven D Levitt: Freakonomics

Astrid Lindgren: The Brothers Lionheart

Walter Moers: A Wild Ride through the Night

Phillip Pullman: Northern Lights

David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Sue Townsend: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4

 

I think you've made excellent choices. I almost suggested The Little Prince myself, so I'm happy to see it's there. Oooh and Mr Chartwell :smile2: And Freakonomics! And The Brothers Lionheart (yes, I'm biased!).

 

You're going to have such an amazing trip, I can't wait to hear all about it! :exc:

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  • 2 weeks later...

George Orwell: Diaries Is this the kind of book that if you find a cheap, beautiful copy you'll buy it eventhough you already have copies of it, and will keep them all? And don't fear, I understand. Whenever I see The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer I feel like this overbearing urge to buy it, eventhough I already own one copy in Finnish and two in English. :blush:

 

Yes, it's definitely that type of book!

 

I go even further and sometimes I have an urge to buy the exact same edition of a book I already own, especially if it's cheap. rolleyes.gif I'll be like 'Oh, pretty cover, and it's so cheap! Oh, but I already have it so I suppose I shouldn't buy it again.'

 

First things first: It is NOT, I repeat, NOT, ridiculous. You are going for a long road trip and you'll have no idea which mood you'll be in at certain times, so you need to be prepared for all possible moods. Seriously, since you have a car and room in it, why not take advantage of it?

Second: Do not set yourself expectations about how many books you might be able to read. You'll only feel pressured. Just read when you feel like reading. Reading is supposed to be pleasurable, not a chore!

 

I managed to read this post before I left, but didn't have time to reply. Thanks for making me feel better about taking so many books. It was really nice to have so many choices to pick from. :)

 

I think you've made excellent choices. I almost suggested The Little Prince myself, so I'm happy to see it's there. Oooh and Mr Chartwell :smile2: And Freakonomics! And The Brothers Lionheart (yes, I'm biased!).

 

I started reading The Little Prince and Freakonomics and they're both excellent so far. :D I knew you'd be happy to see The Brothers Lionheart on the list, seeing as you gave it to me! I didn't get time to read it while I was away, but it's still high on my TBR pile.

 

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Books I bought while I was away:

 

Fiction

Clare Allan: Poppy Shakespeare (thanks to Poppyshake!)

Frank Baker: Miss Hargreaves

Jorge Luis Borges: A Universal History of Infamy

Cassandra Clare: City of Ashes

John Connolly: The Gates

Philip Jose Farmer: Dayworld Breakup (the third book in a dystopian trilogy)

Neil Gaiman: M is for Magic

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher #3: Murder on the Ballarat Train

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher #13: The Castlemaine Murders

Susan Hill: The Risk of Darkness

Susan Hill: The Small Hand (the gorgeous hardcover edition!)

AA Milne: Now We Are Six

Ayn Rand: Night of January 16th

Salman Rushdie: The Moor's Last Sigh

Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (happy, Frankie?)

Gary Shteyngart: Super Sad True Love Story

Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell: The Winter Knights (Book 2, Quint Saga)

William Styron: Sophie's Choice

Jacqueline Wilson: Best Friends

 

Non-Fiction

JA Cuddon (ed): Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory

Alberto Manguel: A History of Reading (I couldn't believe my luck when I found this!)

Hilary Mantel: Giving Up the Ghost (thanks to Poppyshake!)

Vicki Myron: Dewey (happy, Frankie?)

Marcel Proust: Days of Reading (a Penguin Great Ideas book; I love the covers of these books - have you seen them, Poppyshake?)

 

 

A couple of books also came in the mail for me while I was away:

David Crystal: The Fight for English

David Crystal: Words Words Words

 

I managed to read a few books as well:

EM Forster: The Machine Stops

Kathryn Kenny: Trixie Belden #35: The Memorial Day Fire

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

Walter Moers: A Wild Ride through the Night

Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning

 

And I'm currently reading:

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince

Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner: Freakonomics

 

:)

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Books I bought while I was away:

 

Fiction

Clare Allan: Poppy Shakespeare (thanks to Poppyshake!) oh dear, I did warn you it's a bit out there didn't I?

Frank Baker: Miss Hargreaves I love all the Bloomsbury titles and covers, hope it's a good read

John Connolly: The Gates ... ooh what's this? must go and look it up

Neil Gaiman: M is for Magic ... yay for Gaiman

Susan Hill: The Small Hand (the gorgeous hardcover edition!) I love that edition, so lovely to hold and I enjoyed the story too

AA Milne: Now We Are Six ... ahh how sweet, I love Winnie the Pooh

Salman Rushdie: The Moor's Last Sigh I want to read some Rushdie .. is this your first Kylie?

Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (happy, Frankie?) ... great story, you'll love it

 

Non-Fiction

Alberto Manguel: A History of Reading (I couldn't believe my luck when I found this!) .. again I want to read some Manguel, this sounds great

Hilary Mantel: Giving Up the Ghost (thanks to Poppyshake!) ... great memoir I loved it, it was sad though

Marcel Proust: Days of Reading (a Penguin Great Ideas book; I love the covers of these books - have you seen them, Poppyshake?) .. yes, I love them but I'm trying to avoid getting involved :lol: (it won't last because they're simply stunning ... I love all the different colours.) I've just looked up the Marcel Proust one and it's gorgeous *very, very envious*

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I go even further and sometimes I have an urge to buy the exact same edition of a book I already own, especially if it's cheap. rolleyes.gif I'll be like 'Oh, pretty cover, and it's so cheap! Oh, but I already have it so I suppose I shouldn't buy it again.'

 

Have you ever given in to the urge? I did, just a month ago. I got the exact same edition of the Palmer Diary that I already had, but it was only for 1e and the money went towards my home-home town's library. So I consider it an act of charity and goodness of heart. :P

 

I started reading The Little Prince and Freakonomics and they're both excellent so far. biggrin.gif I knew you'd be happy to see The Brothers Lionheart on the list, seeing as you gave it to me! I didn't get time to read it while I was away, but it's still high on my TBR pile.

 

Good to hear you are enjoying both! Can't wait for your review on TLP in particular.

 

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher #3: Murder on the Ballarat Train - wohoo for Phryne Fisher!

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher #13: The Castlemaine Murders - ditto!

Susan Hill: The Small Hand (the gorgeous hardcover edition!) - when I was going through your TBR to see which books I'd recommend to take with you on your trip, I also browsed your wishlist for fun and I noticed that this one was on the list, so I'm very happy you found it, and as a nice edition as well! :)

Ayn Rand: Night of January 16th - wohoo for finding Ayn Rand!! You certainly have a knack for it. Or is that even a phrase. Well I mean that you seem to always be able to find a Rand anywhere you go :D

Salman Rushdie: The Moor's Last Sigh – I'm very curious about this, you'll have to let me know how you liked it

Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (happy, Frankie?) - Frankie happy, frankie beaming! :D And see, even poppyshake approves!

Gary Shteyngart: Super Sad True Love Story – Have already said this, but yay for FTBC!

William Styron: Sophie's Choice – A great find reading challenge -wise, and I also think it might turn out to be a great read.

Alberto Manguel: A History of Reading (I couldn't believe my luck when I found this!) - This one sounds like a really great one!

Vicki Myron: Dewey (happy, Frankie?) - Frankie happy, frankie beaming! And Jasper curious :D

Marcel Proust: Days of Reading (a Penguin Great Ideas book; I love the covers of these books - have you seen them, Poppyshake?) - Oooh Marcel Proust! Is it an autobiographical book?

I managed to read a few books as well:

Lois Lowry: Anastasia Krupnik

 

Yay! No pressure (I swear!), but did you like it? Be honest, I can take it like a woman. :cool:

 

And I'm currently reading:

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince

Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner: Freakonomics

 

I read your post about TLP somewhere on the forum and you said you're enjoying it so far, good stuff! :smile2:

 

 

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A cool list pinched from Frankie. I'll probably start this tomorrow. :D

 

Day 01 – Best book you read last year

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

Day 03 – Your favourite series

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy

Day 06 – A book that makes you sad

Day 07 – Most underrated book

Day 08 – Most overrated book

Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

Day 10 – Favourite classic book

Day 11 – A book you hated

Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore

Day 13 – Your favourite writer

Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer

Day 15 – Favourite male character

Day 16 – Favourite female character

Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book

Day 18 – A book that disappointed you

Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie

Day 20 – Favourite romance book

Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood

Day 22 – Favourite book you own

Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

Day 28 – Favourite title

Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

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Clare Allan: Poppy Shakespeare (thanks to Poppyshake!) oh dear, I did warn you it's a bit out there didn't I? Yes, you did warn me, but I think it sounds really interesting and right up my alley.

The blurb on my copy suggests it is 'Catch-22 meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. If that's true, then I'm in for a great read, because those are two of my favourite books. :D Besides, I'm very curious about the book that gave you your name!

Frank Baker: Miss Hargreaves I love all the Bloomsbury titles and covers, hope it's a good read

I know you enjoyed Bloomsbury's Let's Kill Uncle, so let's hope they're all of the same quality. :)

 

John Connolly: The Gates ... ooh what's this? must go and look it up

In case you haven't had a chance to look it up yet, here's the blurb:

Samuel Johnson has a number of problems. Samuel's dad cares more about his car than his family, Samuel's mother is lonely, and only Samuel's dog, Boswell, truly understands him. Oh, and as if things couldn't get any worse, Samuel's neighbours, led by the villainous Mrs Abernathy, are trying to open the gates of hell. It's up to Samuel to stop them, except nobody will believe him, and time is running out...Now the fate of humanity lies in the hands of one small boy, an even smaller dog, and a very unlucky demon named Nurd...

Salman Rushdie: The Moor's Last Sigh I want to read some Rushdie .. is this your first Kylie?

I also have The Satanic Verses and Fury on my TBR pile, but I haven't read anything by Rushdie as yet.

Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (happy, Frankie?) ... great story, you'll love it

Thanks! I've heard only great things about it.

 

Greenpeace could save a lot of time and effort in trying to save the rain forest simply by buying you a Kindle!

 

:P But they're nearly all secondhand books, so in fact I'm just recycling the books and saving them from being thrown out. Isn't that admirable?

Edited by Kylie
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