Kylie

Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time series Vladimir Nabokov: Speak, Memory Thomas Pynchon: Vineland Alan Weisman: The World Without Us

I'm hoping to start this in the next few days. I hadn't realised it was more aimed at young adults so I'll keep that in mind. I really, really hope I'm not disappointed by this book with all the rave reviews I've read. I'll try to lower my expectations a great deal before I start it.

Ooh, I'm glad you brought up this thread Renius. I was standing in a sci-fi/fantasy bookshop the other day trying to remember the name of the series or author but failed. Thanks for reminding me! Off to add the series to my wish list before I forget again.

Hi Lizzybee and welcome to the forum!

Hello and Rishikesh!

I've heard of this trilogy but haven't read it. The books have been on my wishlist for a little while. I heard about them from a book club TV show here a few months ago. It's good to get another recommendation.

I read 4 books last month - back to my usual reading rate. My total for the year now stands at 28. With regards to my various challenges, my running totals stand at (completed challenges in orange): CL: Classics Challenge (16/25) +4 1K: 1001 Books Challenge (11/20) +2 RD: Reading through the Decades Challenge (10/11) +1 BF: Book Club Forum Reading Circle Challenge (5/10) +2 YA: Young Adults Challenge (5/10) +1 SF: Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge (9/8) +1 AU: Australian Literature Challenge (4/6) +0 DY: Dystopian Challenge (5/5) BB: Banned Books Challenge (5/5) +1 I completed 1 challenge in May (the Banned Books Challenge) and I only bought 2 books - I can't remember the last time I bought so few books in one month! I have 3 book credits at the moment, and I've just started my next lot of 3 with Prince Caspian by CS Lewis.

I thought Frankenstein was terrific! A perfect 10/10 for me, and it goes straight to my 'favourite books' list. My review here.

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus Mary Shelley Rating: 10/10 Published: 1818 Number of pages: 279 Summary (taken from blurb): Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the secret of resurrecting the dead. But when he makes a new 'man' out of plundered corpses, his hideous creation fills him with disgust. Rejected by all humanity, the creature sets out to destroy Frankenstein and everyone he loves. And as the monster gets ever closer to his maker, hunter becomes prey in a lethal chase that carries them to the very end of the earth. Comments (possible spoilers): I loved this book. It took me a while to get into it (through no fault of the book's), but once I did I thought it was a terrific read, and not at all what I had expected. I thought the story would dwell a lot more on the creation of the monster itself, but in fact it was more concerned with the consequences of Frankenstein's actions. Speaking of which, Victor's actions often baffled me (for example, when he turned his back on the monster without trying to find out where he went and without considering what he might have unleashed on the world). I saw a theatre production of The Phantom of the Opera a few nights ago and I couldn't help but make comparisons between the Phantom and Frankenstein's monster. Both are shunned by the people who created them, and by society as a whole, through no fault of their own. They yearn to be loved by good people but ultimately their unhappiness consumes them and they turn to a life of violence in the misguided hope of getting what they want. I found it interesting that the people who rejected them were good people, but they ultimately suffered greatly because they were unable or unwilling to look beyond the surface of what they were faced with. They are both truly tragic tales and I found them to be really heart-rending. Some of what Frankenstein's monster said really struck a chord with me, and I sympathsised with him a great deal (well, until he became violent). Very, very highly recommended. Started: 23 May 2008 Finished: 2 June 2008

I've never seen the Disney version of The Jungle Book (how remiss of me!), nor any other version for that matter. (I've somehow managed to learn the 'Bare Necessities' song, though, which I love ) My knowledge of The Jungle Book is limited to a computer game that I played somewhere, at some time. I don't even recall much of that. I have The Jungle Book on my TBR pile, so I'll probably start it a little later in the month.

Yes, I did a search for Pynchon to see what other people thought, but it just returned a whole lot of posts by you! Thanks for the tip. I will give it a bit of thought.

Sounds very interesting. If I've never read Pynchon before, would you recommend this as a good starting point, or should I try something else first? It sounds a bit daunting.

Oh how frustrating! I hope they can replace it for you. I also look at the last page first to see how many pages there are

That pretty much sums up the experience for me!

Most people would think 15 is a brilliant effort I'm happy if I manage 4. Shhh, don't tell Blossom about the Little Black Dress books - she just got a couple of them in a competition win.

I never really warmed to Edmund - I thought Fanny could have done better too. I also liked Susan, and her brother, William, was one of my favourite characters. I liked Henry for the most part, and was sorry it turned out the way it did. I'll be interested in your thoughts on After You'd Gone. I have this on my TBR pile, along with The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.

to the forum Mrs C!

to the forum, Elizabeth!

Burritos!

The Bridge of San Luis Rey Thornton Wilder Rating: 6/10 Published: 1927 Number of pages: 127 Summary (taken from blurb): An ancient bridge collapses over a gorge in Peru, hurling five people into the abyss. It seems a meaningless human tragedy. But one witness, a Franciscan monk, believes the deaths might not be as random as they appear. Convinced that the disaster is a punishment sent from Heaven, the monk sets out to discover all he can about the travellers. The five strangers were connected in some way, he thinks. There must be a purpose behind their deaths. But are their lost lives the result of sin?...Or of love? Comments: The story is a philosophical look at why bad things happen to people. I suppose we've all wondered at one time or another why bad things happen to other people while we escape unscathed. I like that . An interesting story. I didn't love it, but there's nothing I didn't like about it really. It was just a bit...meh. As in other reviews I've read, I think the book suffers a little from detachment. The characters are given thorough and interesting backstories but I never really felt close to them. That said, there were some lovely quotes on human nature and love, and I liked the interconnectedness of the characters and their lives. A good read, and nice and short. Recommended. Started: 21 May 2008 Finished: 23 May 2008

I think our May rainfall is the lowest on record. We haven't had much lately but we had enough last year to stock up our dams (which were getting dangerously low) so we should be right for a while. Sydney is getting temps of around 10-21 degrees at the moment. The minimum temp is about 5 degrees cooler where I live. A bit brisk, but not too bad. We've been getting fog but no frost as yet. I suppose I'll have to start covering my car to keep the ice off the windscreens soon. One excellent thing about me moving out of home soon is that my car will finally have a garage of its very own. Awww I don't envy your weather though . Oh wait, yes I do. I wanna live where it snows (pardon my ignorance, but does it snow everywhere in NZ?)