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Kylie

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    Kylie's Literary Adventures in 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    I finished Insurgent tonight. It was pretty good, but I felt like I floundered my way through parts of it. I'm not sure if it was because it has been a couple of years since I read Divergent, but I felt like I was a step behind the plot most of the time. I didn't understand the decisions that Tris was making. Or maybe there really were plot holes and too much vagueness.  :shrug:

     

    I couldn't help but compare it to my favourite YA series of all time, John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began. They're only similar in that young adults have to step up and fight back against others, but I just feel that Marsden does it so much better. His characterisation is wonderful, whereas the characters in the Divergent trilogy all seem a bit samey, and I often had to pause to have a think about which character was which, and which faction they were from, etc.

     

    That said, it was still enjoyable. I'll probably continue straight on with Allegiant.

    The Maze Runner - James Dashner

    in Group Reads

    Posted

    I was just looking up this trilogy on Wikipedia to remind myself of the plot of the third book (I've forgotten it already!) and I noticed that James Dashner is bringing out another prequel in 2016, to be called The Fever Code. It looks like it will be about the rest of the Gladers and their time there before Thomas arrived.

     

    Needless to say, I have no interest in reading it. What about you, Athena?

    Athena's Reading List 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    ETA: Wow, you added like a billion reviews while I was composing this reply. Someone's been busy this weekend! Well done. :D

     

    It's hard to keep up with her, isn't it? :D

     

    I'm glad to see that you've now read and enjoyed more of Jacqueline Wilson's books. :)

    Your Book Activity - March 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    I completely understand, Gaia. :friends3:  I hate it when BCFer's leave me hanging about books they've bought (like when you go to the book fair!). I didn't mean to be a tease, really! :D

     

    Yes, I think I'll read Allegiant as soon as I finish Insurgent. I left it too long between the first and second books and I'm having a bit of trouble telling the characters apart and remembering who comes from what faction.

    It was easy when they were all split into factions, but now that they're mingling and moving from place to place...!

     

    Ransom Riggs Explores Abandoned Houses

    in General Chat

    Posted

    You're right, Chalie. What could have caused them to leave so suddenly, and to leave their possessions behind?

     

    The rumour is correct! The first movie, at least, is being made into a movie to be released next year. A couple of weeks ago they had only cast a few people, but I just checked IMDB again and it looks like they've now cast most or all of the characters!

    Jasper Fforde

    in Horror / Fantasy / SF

    Posted

    There's been a bit of chatter in Muggle's thread recently about upcoming Jasper Fforde books, and I was just searching around and found this interesting information, which Jasper Fforde himself wrote about his plans in a Reddit discussion in September 2014:
     

    I was immensely proud of 'SoG' and had high hopes for it, but initial sales were tepid, despite generous reviews, hence the lack of a sequel. It's selling better these days, so perhaps it's time to revisit them. 

     

    My current schedule (printed on rubber paper, like all good schedules) is as follows: 

     

    2015: The book I'm currently writing: A Crime thriller set in a world where humans have always hibernated. John Fugue works for the Dormicide squad, and is investigated an inexplicably high incidence of 'Hibernational Narcosis', which may be linked to a dream that seems to have gone viral.

     

    After that:
    Possibly another standalone, something I got really 5000-words-a-day-excited about at the beginning of the year and wrote half before going back to 'Early Riser'. More details anon.

     

    After that:
    Last Dragonslayer 4: 'The Troll Wars' which will conclude the Dragonslayer series. Follow Jennifer, the Princess, Addie the tour guide and Once Magnificent Boo as they try to recapture the UnUnited Kingdoms from the increasingly psychotic Shandar, aided by the always psychotic Trolls, and legions of hollow men.

     

    After that:
    A prequel to 'Shades of Grey' that is essentially a standalone set in the Shades of Grey world, two weeks before the Something that Happened, referred to in Shades of Grey. Jane and Eddie won't be born for another seven hundred years, but there's still a lot of fun to be had.

     

    After that:
    Thursday Next eight: Dark Reading Matter. A direct sequel to 'The woman who died a lot'. More fun with Thursday, this time in the place where forgotten and deleted texts, thoughts and ideas end up: The Dark Reading Matter. Fun and hi-jinks with Thursday and the team.

     

    After that:
    Nursery Crime 3: The Last Great Tortoise Race. Jack Spratt and Mary Mary return to investigate the annual Tortoise V Hare race, the unexpected ending of which, every year, has the bookmakers in a tizzy. Is a sinister underground crime boos something to do with it?

     

    Or something. Put it this way, I'll always be writing something, so if the book you favour isn't up next, they'll be something for you to read while you're waiting!

     

    If you want to read all of the questions he answered during the discussion, you can find the whole thing here.

    Muggle Not - Books Read - 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    So, it seems then that he is writing a "Prequel" to Shades of Grey. I was hoping for book #2 but a Prequel is better than none. :)

     

    I wonder what Early Riser is, a new series?

     

    I think I will have to break down and actually "buy" one of the kindle  Nursery Crimes since our library doesn't have them. :) Of course I will request the library to buy it first. :)

     

    btw, I am about 55% into Gathering Blue and loving the book so far.

     

    I'm glad you're enjoying Gathering Blue, Muggles! :)

     

    Early Riser certainly sounds like it could be the start of a new series, doesn't it?

     

    I found some more info about Jasper Fforde's writing plans. I'm going to post it in the Jasper Fforde thread shortly. :)

    Live Theatre (Musicals and Plays)

    in Music / TV / Films

    Posted

    There's a theatre group in my area that puts on a Shakespeare play outdoors every year, under a lovely big tree on the banks of the local river. I saw Macbeth there one year, but wasn't able to make it for the past couple of years for various reasons. This year they put on a play called Mucedorus (pronounced Mewch-a-dorus). I hadn't heard of it before so I Googled it and found out that it's a disputed Shakespeare play. Here's the info on Wikipedia:

     
    Mucedorus is an Elizabethan play, performed up until the Restoration and surviving in seventeen quartos, making it the most widely printed extant play from the time. It has been attributed in whole or in part to William Shakespeare, but this theory is generally not accepted by Shakespeare scholars and Mucedorus is generally classified as apocryphal and not part of the main Shakespearean canon. The play was performed in front of both Queen Elizabeth and King James I. A revised and expanded version with additional scenes dates from 1610.
     

    At any rate, the local theatre group thought it was worth putting on. Apparently it's the first time the play has been performed in Australia. I have to say, it was pretty enjoyable! I kept trying to work out whether it actually sounded like Shakespeare wrote it, but I'm afraid I only know a few of his plays, so it was a bit difficult to tell. Some parts certainly sounded Shakespearean, but others really didn't. Not knowing anything about the plot beforehand, it was a bit difficult at first (it takes me a while to settle into that style of language), but I picked it up eventually, and it was rather funny in places. :)

    Your Book Activity - March 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    Oh goody.  How long has it been since you read Divergent?  Have you seen the movie and do you plan on seeing Insurgent?  It's out here on the 20th.

     

    It's been two years since I read Divergent. I just watched the movie a couple of nights ago, which is what inspired me to start Insurgent. :) I'm really glad I watched the movie because it refreshed my memory nicely for Insurgent. I definitely plan to see Insurgent, but I might wait until it's on DVD or TV. Going to the cinema is so expensive these days, and I need to save my dollars.

    Janet's Log - Stardate 2015

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    Emoticons culled.

     

    but then Kylie has names like Wollongong and Mullumbimby so it’s not just us! :giggle:

     

    I was going to remind you that you English people were the ones who settled in this country and named our places...and then I realised that both of the names you mentioned are Aboriginal names.  :doh: Most of our cool names are Aboriginal names, and the more conventional ones tend to be copies of your own towns (Liverpool, Gloucester etc.)

     

    My Mum moved to a different area of the state recently, and when she was looking for a place to buy, I begged her to move to the suburb of Watanobbi (yes, what-a-knobby) or Kangy Angy, but she bought in a boringly named area instead. :( But still, every time I visit her now, we drive past the signs to those suburbs and I always have to point them out and laugh, like the mature person I am. :blush2: Come to think of it, Mum and Dad and I often used to play around with place names when we went on driving trips. I'm sure people would think we were nuts if they had overheard us.  :blush2:

     

    My ex and I once went camping on New Year's Eve to some place in the middle of nowhere just because we liked its name (Wantabadgery). Places with interesting names simply must be explored.

     

    Still, I think your towns with multiple hyphenated names beat all! What about that 'Elephant and Castle' place?! Not hyphenated, I know, but it's so random (and therefore cool). I love it!

     

    I'm really trying to be good this year. I say that every year, but this year might be the year I read more books than I buy.

     

    And I bet you say that every year too. ;)

     

    But yeah, Kylie's really one to talk, she got some crazy names going there, down under! 

     

    I'm one to talk? But I didn't say anything until just now! :o

     

    Yeah! Trouble for Kylie!!

     

     

    Y U pickin' on me, woman? :P You were the first to say how excited you were. I was just backing you up! :P

    The Last Film You Saw - 2015

    in Music / TV / Films

    Posted

    I watched The Maze Runner last night. It was an OK movie, and so much better than the book. The characters were mostly likeable and didn't keep getting angry at each other for no reason. The Grievers weren't quite as bad as I was expecting either.

     

    I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 tonight. I don't think I've seen the movie or read the book since they were initially released, so I had forgotten some parts of the plot.

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