Kylie
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Posts posted by Kylie
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I guess I enjoy reading about all types of supernatural creatures, but I wouldn't read, say, everything about a particular supernatural being if I enjoyed one book on the subject. For me, they must be well written (in my opinion, anyway). I love books like Dracula, Frankenstein and The Woman in Black, but I'm not interested in reading Twilight.
I don't read much in the way of crime, but I wouldn't necessarily say I don't like reading about evil humans—it's just that there are many other books I want to read first.
I avoid horror movies with evil humans but love TV shows and movies with supernatural elements (especially vampires) and I've recently become very taken with zombie movies.
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Interstellar. Wow. Absolutely incredible film, quite possibly my new favourite film of ever!
I went to see this last night and was left stunned and pretty lost for words by the end. There is no denying that there are plot holes and one scene bothered me, but numerous times during the movie my heart was racing and that rarely happens to me. I am very tempted to go and see it again, something I have never done with a movie before.
Wow, high praise indeed! I might be going to see this on the weekend. Can't wait now!
I watched Saving Mr Banks with my Mum last night. I've seen it before but she hadn't and I knew she'd like it (I was right
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Oh I do like it, but the last two episodes (5x04 and 5x05) have been incredibly boring. They're concentrating on characters I'm not the least bit interested in
Still better than season 2, though. God, that was dull! Get off the bloody farm already!!
Aw, I must admit that I'm not as invested in Eugene in co, but I wouldn't call them 'yawn' episodes! Even the worst episodes of TWD are awesome, IMO.
I do kind of hate that they keep breaking everyone up though.
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I don't know, but I don't see any reason for them not to have. I mean it's basically just a book trolley and the librarians do not have to manage it in any way. People will bring books and take books, and it's as easy as that. Even my hometown library now has one
The Espoo book swap section doesn't differ from the Joensuu one in any way except for the fact that in the Joensuu main library they have a book trolley, and in the Sello library they have a bookcase sort of thing. I would say that Espoo doesn't have more books on offer at any given time than Joensuu, when you take into account the number of inhabitants.
Ah, OK. I wondered about the selection because I picked up on the fact that you mentioned a 'bookcase' in Espoo but I remembered the 'trolley' from Joensuu, and I was picturing two very different-sized selections.
You Finns must be very honest people for the libraries to set out books to swap and not worry about people just pinching all the books without leaving anything behind.
Oh man
Where did I say bleh? It's weird how you sometimes think more highly of a book after it's been a while after you read it... Because I nowadays have very fond notions of the book Oh no, you didn't say 'bleh' about The Elegance of the Hedgehog! I was referring to the 'bleh' in the post I quoted, where you referred to books in general that one might own and then change their mind about reading. I was saying that that was how I felt about TEotH. Sorry for being confusing.
You really liked the book, didn't you!Maybe a little.
I wouldn't give it 10/10, but it was pretty enjoyable. -
I've been quite a few months behind on your reviews. Had lots of fun catching up.
You seem to be reading a real mix of books this year in terms of ratings, from 0 to 6! Here's hoping the rest of your reading this year (and into the future, of course) is at the top end of the scale. So far behind in reviews......trying to catch up!
The World Without Us - Alan Weisman
What would happen to our world if humans vanished? As in, not killed off by something which would also affect other organisms, but if we all just disappeared in the blink of an eye?I was expecting a very broad brush approach, with a lot of talk about how the greenery would fight back and cover everything before long, but instead it focused on some very specific areas and scenarios.
Among things discussed are how (obviously) nature would start to claim back the infrastructure of cities, etc, and how so much of the infrastructure is reliant on constant human intervention. For example, water would overrun underground trainlines in a matter of hours without people there to monitor and control pumps etc. Would our disappearance would have a strong impact on evolution, and could formerly extinct animals return in our absence? With no humans there would be no war - what impact would this have?
A lot is covered about the impact people have had on the planet as we have evolved and developed. What about all the plastic we have left behind in the ocean which will be there many centuries after we are gone, or petrochemical and nuclear plants – if we just vanished, what would happen to the surviving animals and would it take evolution or mutation of the remaining species to survive it?
All in all a very interesting read, and one I would like to refer back to at some point. There was simply too much detail to absorb all at once, but it's very clear that the author has done a lot of research. He did go off on some tangents which weren't initally straightforward to connect to the core topic, but I really liked the uniqueness of subjects covered. It can come across quite stern about what damage we are doing. However, it is told in a relatively non-preachy manner, which made it more enjoyable to read.5/6
I'm still in the middle of reading this, but I agree with absolutely everything you've written (I may just copy and paste your review in my blog when I'm done
). Excellent review!The Secret River - Kate Grenville
Set in the early 19th century, the book tells the story of William Maitland (fictional, but I have read he was based on Grenville's grandfather), who was one of the first convicts to be sent to Australia. The beginning of the book details Maitland's working life on the Thames, and the overwhelming weight of poverty. Eventually when it becomes too much, he begins stealing and running some rackets in order to keep his head above water. Soon, he is caught by his employer, found guilty of theft, and sent to Australia as a convict, with his wife, Sarah (Sal) designated as the person responsible for him.
After he serves his time as a convict, he takes on some work in New South Wales in order to earn some money with the aim that he and his wife can return to London for a better life. However he finds himself getting more attached to the land, and on one of his trips up the Hawkesbury River, he spots an outcrop in the shape of his thumb that he feels was destined to be his. He and his wife set up camp there in order to begin growing crops so that they can claim the land as their own. The land bordering his camp is lived on by Aborigines and Thornhill begins to feel they are encroaching on his territory, and vice versa. There are some clumsy attempts at communication and trade between the two groups, but you know (through history, and also the building tension in the book) that things aren’t going to end well.
On the whole I enjoyed it, but I did find the first half a bit slow, and it felt like there was a lot of waiting for things to unfold. I particularly enjoyed the details of his life on the Thames, and his post-convict times in Australia, but the section in between those two parts seemed to drag a bit.It's pretty obvious that there is going to be a strong climax through the tension build up and I had a sense of dread reading it, because you just know it will be violent and unpleasant. So, although it was a good read, I wouldn't necessarily call it an enjoyable one, due to the subject matter.
4/6
I have this on my TBR pile. I'm particularly interested to read it because I live very close to the Hawkesbury area. Great review!
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That just means you've been my friend for a long time, Kylie.
Aw, you're so sweet.
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Don't I know it
When you see a book on your bookshelf and go 'bleh....' and sigh at the thought of having to read it, it's best to let go Poor book, though! But I will give them to the library, as donations if they'll take them, or then I will leave them at the bookswap bookcase they have there. I've already snatched one book from there (I can't believe I forgot what it was.... Oh yes!! The Elegance of the Hedgehog! I remember when I read it and liked it (it was an RC book, I was the host) but then gave it to a friend, thinking I wouldn't probably re-read it. I've regretted giving it away ever since and was so happy to find a free copy at the library!), so I'm going to need to bring something back So do all libraries in Finland have a book swap section? How does the one in Espoo compare to the one in Joensuu?
Ha, funnily enough, I believe I recently added The Elegance of the Hedgehog to my pile of books I've decided not to read (in your words, a 'bleh...' book
). The RC reviews kind of put me off reading it. But at the same time, I think it's on at least a couple of my lists, so I feel like I should read it. I have the ebook version though, so I won't be totally lost if I get rid of my hard copy. If only I could have given it to you!I finished Mr. Monk Gets On Board last night in bed and have thus read 1,000 books according to my Goodreads account
It was one of the challenges I set for myself for this year am I'm happy to have down it now On to the next read... Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham.
Yay for 1,000 books! And even more yays for Lena Dunham!
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For the life of me, I can't remember the bad joke in the BSC book. The cover reminded me that it's the book where Claudia breaks her leg, but how did she break it?
Do you watch The Walking Dead? I absolutely love it.
I'll be interested to see how the book compares to the show. I noticed you have #5. Do you have the earlier books?Yay for The Secret History! It was such as awesome book.
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I noticed the 2014 thread has switched to chatter about 2015 movies, so here's a shiny new thread! I've moved the posts about 2015 movies to this thread.
What movies are you looking forward to seeing in 2015? I'll have to do some research because I don't know of many at the moment!
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I agree, Pont. It's so sad. We don't like to think of ourselves dying young, but having a will is such a sensible thing to do! I'm surprised his partner didn't have more rights. Even though they were unmarried, they had been together for such a long time (indeed, longer than many marriages last!)
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I'll obviously be rooting for my fellow Australian, Richard Flanagan.
I bought The Narrow Road to the Deep North recently and hope to start it soon. -
Yay! I hope you get to read it soon.
I don't often write reviews anymore, but I really want to write one for The Devil in the White City. It's definitely still fresh in my mind, even though I read it several months ago. That's the mark of a really brilliant book, I think! (Although unfortunately the really bad books tend to stick in my mind too.)
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I originally had a slightly different name (just my surname with my first initial), but when I realised others used their first names here, I changed mine. A somewhat little-known fact is that Kylie is an Aboriginal word for 'boomerang'.
I used to be so grateful that kids weren't generally aware of this fact because I'm sure I would have been teased a lot if they knew! Emelee. I agree with Anna. You have a lovely name.
Janet, I remember when you were Bagpuss! I feel so old...
A little off-topic.
I would like to change my name. I think it has run-it's course.
I think the Admins can change your name for you if you want. It's certainly do-able. It's just recommended that you add something to your signature for a while so we all know that the 'new' person is really good ol' muggles. (Personally, I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to stop calling you muggles!)
I don't remember why I decided to go with 'frankie' in the end, I guess I thought that this being an English forum, I should probably choose something English, and thought of frankie.
In hindsight, I'm very happy with it 
I've always loved your name here.
(And I love your real name too, of course! Even if I can't even pronounce it. 
)That was the same with my name - there were 3 Ian's in my primary school class. Then my first girlfriend had an older brother called Ian, and he had named his son Ian. They were known as Big Ian and little Ian. So I came on the scene, I was known as middle Ian. Very confusing!
Haha. We used to have a next-door neighbour named Tom, and he named his son Tom, so we called them Big Tom and Little Tom (not to their faces—just when we were talking among ourselves).
Raven: From the Poe, via The Simpsons.
I think I once asked you about this and you didn't give me a straight answer (what a shock!) Glad to finally know. The Raven is probably my favourite-ever Simpsons thing (along with the tribute episode to The Beatles).
I wanted to use a name that was in tune with my geographical location, and one that embodied the traits I admire. The name comes from the Baroness Pontalba, a woman from the early days of New Orleans. I'd read her biography and was impressed with both her many accomplishments, and her survival skills. Not to mention her entrepreneurial skills. Her apartment buildings still stand in our French Quarter, gorgeous and occupied to this day. Here is a link http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micaela_Almonester,_Baroness_de_Pontalba
Very interesting! Glad to finally know the story behind your name. I'm not sure why I never thought to ask before!
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I didn't end up reading Rebecca. In fact, I completely forgot (and my Dad got sick soon after I posted that, so I probably wouldn't have read it anyway).
However, without specifically setting out to read books from the list, I have read a few in the past few months:
Mitch Albom The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Mitch Albom Tuesdays with Morrie
Erik Larsson The Devil in the White City
The first two were reasonably enjoyable, and The Devil in the White City was utterly brilliant—probably my favourite book of the year!
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I agree with everyone else.
I'm very curious to know where Larsson's partner stands in all of this. I had the impression that she had helped him with the previous books, and that Stieg had outlined most (or all?) of the rest of the series and had a good start on the fourth book before he passed away. I wonder if Sanderson will be using Stieg's notes or going in a different direction.
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YAY! I'm sooooo happy!
It's always scary recommending something to someone in case they don't like it, and when you love something so much, you really, really want others to enjoy it just as much. I can tell you that it gets much better after the pilot. I mean, the pilot is quite good, but as you watch more episodes you'll see the characters develop more etc. Oh man, you're in for a treat!! Enjoy!! -
Excellent! Sounds like a great shop. I live in a fairly large city but we really only have one second-hand bookshop, which is 'just OK', and a couple of shops that sell new books, but generally just best-sellers.
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Have you not tasted it? I promise, it's very good. I think it's an acquired taste and I didn't like it as a kid, but I do like it now
I seriously need to tell my Mom to make some the next time I'm visiting, it's been ages!Indeed! You made it all happen
No, never tried to. I would be too scared/grossed out to ever try it, I think!
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Dearie me, I've been so far behind on your reading list!
I think I've pretty much caught up now. Great reviews, as always, and I loved reading about your book shopping trips. How is the new local bookshop going? I was reading things out of order, so I read that they didn't have much stock on opening day, but I don't know if I missed a follow-up post about your next visit. -
How many did you get, and did you get a copy of Gold?
I get so confused when people change their avatars. I read this and was like, 'who's the new red-headed person randomly talking about Gold'? Then I realised it was you (and yes, I know you changed your avatar a while ago, but it takes me ages to get used to it!
)I really really want to read this! Reading your post made me think of 3rd Rock from the Sun, I wonder if it's anything like that? That was a great show
I started re-watching 3rd Rock recently! I must admit that I didn't enjoy it as much as I used to.
I want to read The Humans too (on TBR pile), but I've had The Last Family in England on my TBR pile since you left it behind in 2010, so I think I should read that one first.
ETA: Oh wait, I have The Radleys on my TBR pile, not The Humans.
ETA: Oh, I was just about to excitedly ask you if you knew that Haig wrote a book called The Labrador Pact, and then I realised it's the same book as The Last Family in England.
That's a great novel, very thought provoking. I love Lois Lowry
I'm still in awe that she wrote back to you!
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I finished reading The Maze Runner a couple of days ago and have started on The Scorch Trials.
My only other book activity has involved repeatedly shooing my cat off the top of my new bookcase. (He goes up there when I have the ceiling fan on, and then I worry that he'll do something silly and get hurt!)
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And besides, chopped liver is good!! Very tasty, with potatoes and sauce. MMmmmh.
I'll take your word for it.Kylie, the idea of this Halloween read-a-thon only came to me after I'd asked you to do a mini group reading of the Lena Dunham book with me on the weekend and you said you didn't have the time. If you had said yes, I may not have started this general, public for all thread!
In that case...yay me!
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And I'm also going to beat last year's book acquiring total! I acquired 66 books, and so far this year I've acquired only 33 books. Which reminds me, I went to take a look at the first page of your reading log, and girl, you've been really good this year, too!!
Well done!! 
I'm so proud of you!! Yay! Good for you. Can't wait to see what books you'll be reading over the next couple of months.
Yep, I've been much, much better than in previous years, but I haven't updated the list with my books from the book fair yet, so don't be too proud of me.
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I've seen this book popping up everywhere lately. It's definitely going on my wish list. It sounds great! Is this the author's first book?
The Maze Runner - James Dashner
in Group Reads
Posted
I'm just a little ahead of you on Chapter 42.
I think I'm enjoying this one better than the first. The characters' reactions to things seem to be getting more 'normal' (or maybe I'm finally getting used to the writing) and the 'horror' element in this book is more impressive to me (the Cranks compared to the Grievers).
I'll post more thoughts on The Maze Runner later.