Nollaig

I considered Picture Of Dorian Gray just to include a novel, but I figured meh, it's not my favourite Oscar story, Earnest is. So meh!

171 pages in! 121 to go, so about 2 hours reading. Need to pick out my next read to continue my readathon... ETA: Finished reading An Unwelcome Quest. Every bit as clever and hilarious as the first book - I was unsure, because I had liked the second book less than the first, but nope. This one was another 5* read. Being as I am, a gamer, I absolutely loved all the little 'tropes' for lack of a better word, associated with a typical quest in a classic video game. It's the kind of book you're only going to find funny if you are a gaming nerd, in the same way that the first one is largely only funny if you're a gamer and a computer/coding nerd. I'm not going to write a full review because, as I've decided before now, reviewing separate titles in the same series is going to result in a lot of repetition about characters and style. Absolutely worth reading though, specially if you the second leaves you in a little doubt as to whether the series is only gonna get worse. It doesn't.

I can't honestly say I've ever recommended to anyone to join this forum... mostly because most of my friends are unruly mad people who would not be dedicated anyway (I went looking for a book forum because most of my friends don't read). They'd probably just be loud, embarrass me and themselves, and leave. No, I don't know why I'm friends with them either. I want to know who that banned person was! I probably wouldn't know them as it was before my time though. In terms of old members, I miss Chimera, Bookbee and Charm. I really miss Charm, I considered her a friend, and she left here and deleted me off Facebook. Don't think it was personal, think she was just moving on. Still have Bookbee on Facebook, though we never talk. And god only knows what happened to Chimera!

Bridget Jones, coz I was just in that sort of mood!

It rained all day today I couldn't go to town!

I'm definitely intrigued, I'll try pick up a copy on my tablet Bookmarked that link too, in case I like it.

Having a chat with the author of the horror novel I just finished (a great read). Love things like that.

Well its definitely piqued my interest, so I shall stick it on the aul wishlist

I struggle hugely with sci-fi, but I gave Hyperion a go after my brother swore it was amazing. Honestly I only read the first story, couldn't get through the second - but I did absolutely love that first story. Can't for the life of me remember why, now, but there you go

Hrmmm that doesn't sound like my usual fare but I like the premise - I'll be looking out for your thoughts on it Enjoy!

I'm not keeping track of my time, but generally my pace averages out to a page a minute or so, (allowing for distractions and breathers!) - so I'm guessing around 5 hours 15 minutes so far. I've upgraded my goal to: finish my current read and get started on a another one, before the weekend is out.

I finished The Cipher and am now over 70 pages into An Unwelcome Quest. Since my weekend has been washed out, I'm joining in the BCF Readathon for the first time ever! I've also added reviews for The Cipher and Burial Rites to my book thread.

Not much up with me this weekend, any potential plans have been washed out by rain. Shame, as normally I'm fine with rain but given that its my last weekend before I start my new-old job, I'd have liked to do something in the sun. Oh well!

It really is a fantastic read. Took me months the first time, but I think with a three-volume set I could do it fairly quickly.

Hmmm book plates is something that hadn't occurred to me... I might design my own YALC ones and use those maybe! Speaking of directly signed books, there was a load of Sally Green's Half Wild sitting about signed in Waterstones last week. Isn't often I see signed books in my local Waterstones! I saw you mention Sleepless on Twitter - it is actually a full horror story? The synopsis initially makes it sound a bit drama-y.

I have only read The Girl On The Train (which I LOVED) and Only Ever Yours which I initially read in ebook form, and didn't realise it was nearly as long as it is. It flies by, but it is very dark subject matter. I did love it, however.

Yes it was, I developed an immediate crush on him but it's very complicated and we haven't talked much in the last few days so I think he's drifting away... oh well! The Cipher didn't scare me, I found it more unsettling and... well... gross. But very good! My review is now posted above along with Burial Rites if you want to read it. And yes, Holly does mostly YA books Thanks Gaia! I'm over 70 pages into An Unwelcome Quest and so far it's just like the others - regularly making me properly laugh out loud. Gonna have to re-read the first one at some point I think, because I feel its going to become a firm favourite.

Burial Rites - Hannah Kent Synopsis: A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829. Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes' death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. *** Review: I became interested in reading Burial Rites after learning it is set in Iceland, a country in which I have had a passing, but constant, interest in for some years now (largely as a result of making friends with an Icelander.) All of my knowledge relates to the modern state of the country however; so it was immensely fascinating to read a novel set in historic Iceland. Based on the true story of the last execution to ever take place in the country, Kent does a superb job of eliciting a stunning, rugged land in its historical context and the harsh state of living for people in that demanding landscape. Although overly lyrical at times, bordering on unnecessary poetry rather than relevant prose, Burial Rites is an accomplished debut novel. Featuring myriad documents surrounding the historical event of Agnes trial, wait, and execution, the author takes clearly defined liberties for the purpose of telling an enjoyable story, but not without regard for the known facts of the affair - imposing what she calls 'fictional liklihoods' in order to create a largely accurate but captivating tale. Although I can't honestly say I found myself overly invested in any of the characters, I did like pretty much all of them for one reason or another (except, unsurprisingly, the villains of the piece, Natan and Fredrik). That said, they were largely credible characters, and sufficiently varying in their attitudes to create a complex set of perspectives and raise many questions - pertaining to housing a murderer, or that she might not be a murderer, or that she remains a human being in either context, a person who has nothing but time to contemplate her death, and the consequences for her soul. A gently paced novel driven by contemplation of people and perspectives, and the result of a clear passion for the subject matter. Definitely recommended. Rating: 4.5/5

The Cipher - Kathe Koja Synopsis: Nicholas is a would-be poet and video-store clerk with a weeping hole in his hand - weeping not blood, but a plasma of tears... It began with Nakota and her crooked grin. She had to see the dark hole in the storage room down the hall. She had to make love to Nicholas beside it, then began her experiments: First, she put an insect in...Then a mouse... Now from down the hall, the black hole calls out to Nicholas every day and every night. And he will go to it. Because it has already seared his flesh, infected his soul, and started him on a journey of obsession - through its soothing, blank darkness into the blinding core of terror... *** Review: This was my first Koja novel, picked up purely by chance from Amazon on my tablet when I glimpsed it for a fair price. A very fair price, actually, given how thoroughly satisfying a read it is. It suggested something dark and gritty on its cover and in its synopsis and boy did it deliver! I zoomed through it in less than 24 hours, despite the repulsive, repellant things I was reading. The characters range from unlikeable to utterly detestable - all apart from poor Randy, the only relatively-sane person in the entire novel and for whom I felt so bad when he got sucked in so far. Ultimately, I must concede every character got as good an ending as I would have wished for them based on their varying degrees of stupidity or innocence - this fact being one of many satisfying aspects of the novel. Others include the writing - oh the writing. The distinctive voice of our would-be hero; would-be, had he any will to life at all beyond the magnetic draw of the vile Nakota, (yeah). In anothers hands I think this book would be crass and crude and wholly unenjoyable, but there is something in the writing that makes it so enticing and human, the style bordering on stream-of-consciousness at times, really soaking the reader in Nicholas' confusion and fear. The content is regularly lurid and shocking, but compelling - I wanted to know where it was all going to go, how weird it was going to get. There is little or no plot at all in this novel - a point which might be off-putting for some readers (definitely not one for those of you who wants answers to everything!) - the strange phenomenon in the storage room is a process, a vehicle which drives an intense study of several people, some already venturing beyond the boundaries of sanity when they encounter it, as they react to something that is fundamentally and mind-bogglingly unknowable. The point of the book is the journey they go on, the transformation of their minds and lives brought about by exposure to the Funhole, like a metaphysical representation of the physical rearrangement it performs on minor living things; and in this sense, it is entirely rewarding. Absolutely sold on Koja as an author, and cannot wait to pick up more of her books. Rating: 4/5

Wow it's a week since I've posted anything in here! My reading mojo was combatted a bit by stuff going on with my upcoming job and.... a boy. But I've stopped stressing and have come to my senses respectively, so I'm catching up a bit. I have three reviews to finish/post - Don't Let Me Go (I've kept you all in such suspense! ) Burial Rites and now The Cipher which I just finished today. I'll work on all three of those over the weekend, and I'm also starting An Unwelcome Quest, the third Magic 2.0 book by Scott Meyer. I also re-read Inkheart, which I won't review because I've reviewed it before (I just managed to pick up a copy second-hand for 3 quid in a charity shop, so I re-read it.) ALSO, planning to go back to that same charity shop and pick up a three-volume box set of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell for 8 quid After that I think I might pop back and carry on with Holly Black's Curse Workers series, as well as the next Lauren DeStefano Internment book, as I don't want to stray too far from those or I'll never finish the series. The other thing I'm going doing is checking on all the authors attending this year's YALC, because there are a lot of names I don't know, and it seems like a good way to find new YA fiction. I don't think I'll be able to attend this year - it will depend on my finances and flight/ticket availability when I finally get paid at the end of June (don't even ask), but I'll definitely go next year if not, so I wanna get working on familiarizing myself with the frequenters of current YA events.

Finished The Cipher and my mathmatically-deduced total pages read is 245. Not bad! If I even read one more full book over the next two days, I'll be happy.

Hehehe. I think my plan for YALC (whether I manage to swing it this year, or have to wait til next), is going to be to buy a little notebook and have all the authors sign the pages of it. (My excuse being I can't very well carry a ton of books back and forth between Ireland and England!) Then, as I acquire the relevant books, I may tear out the notepages and put them into their books. 25 books is great going, specially considering your mojo hasn't been the kindest this year. I'm looking forward to reading about your YA discoveries over the next couple of months

I joined in December 2008, which is still a time of very fond memories for me. I clearly remember the forum when I joined, creating my first book log for 2009, befriending a load of members, some of whom have wandered away but many others who are still here and who I consider genuine friends (though sadly I've not yet had the opportunity to meet any of them). I have far too many memories of this place to list. I came across the forum when I was searching for book forums in general - I joined another at the same time, the name of which I don't recall, and I really didn't like the other one, and quickly drifted away from it. This one just became an online home immediately, and honestly, before I joined my reading consisted of a couple of books a year because I had no idea where to find out about books. The absolute wealth of reading suggestions and new directions I have taken from this place over the years is immense. Though life still gets in the way sometimes, I'm more in love with reading than I had been for most of my life before finding the BCF and this forum is always going to be the heart of that.

Ehhh the Bank of Noll is already broken, I don't think 8 quid is going to make a monumental difference I plan to pick it up over the weekend!

This is what I'm thinking of picking up for 8 quid: