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sadya

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Everything posted by sadya

  1. Both work for me, depending on how well the story is written.
  2. I haven't read all his books, but he certainly writes about thought provoking topics. I mostly remember the impact his books 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Idiot' had on me. I find that most of his characters are difficult to define, they have many aspects, sometimes contradictory, as people often are in real life too.
  3. ^ Makes me want to read it all now. Which one is your favourite in the series?
  4. I only recently discovered this great author. I found a book in our local library with short stories and 'The Haunting of Hill House' as well 'We have always lived in the Castle'. I was so surprised to find 'The Haunting of Hill House amongst the stories. I'm ashamed to say I saw two versions of the movie based on the book and yet have never heard of Jackson before until recently when I read about her creepy and 'uneasy' stories online which made me curious enough to look for her books here. The stories she wrote are quite diverse. I thought the short stories would be scary and 'ghosty', but there was a lot of interesting social commentary behind them and psychology.Very intelligent storytelling really. Same goes for her novels THoHH and WHALitC. I've become a new admirer of the writing of Shirley Jackson. I like these kind of scary stories much more where the real suspense and even horror is in the psychological instead of weird creatures and gore. Looking for more about her as a person brought me to articles describing her as psychic even. She was quite interested in the occult. Unfortunately her life wasn't happy and reading about what she went through, we really are lucky she continued writing and publishing.
  5. A few years ago I began a reading diary. I note every book I read in it, unless it's a reread. It also reminds me why I loved a certain book, which sometimes I tend to forget after reading so many books. (or perhaps it's an excuse for my age, just kidding, still in my thirties)
  6. I've only read on of his books, the famous 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'. It was enough to admire him for the rest of my life. May he rest in peace.
  7. Yes, depending on my mood. I can read almost anywhere I am. (only obstacle sometimes are my eyes, nowadays they start hurting if I read too much, I don't have reading glasses, yet when I use my normal glasses the pain lessens, guess my eyes are tired then)
  8. 2014 now, and this is how long I waited before reading part 2. I'm in chapter 20, so almost done now. It's still exciting and funny, as well as tragic. Has anyone read the third book? What did you think about it? I'm planning to read it sooner now. That is a challenge since there is an ever growing list of books I'm equally interested in reading.
  9. Yes, those people are definitely rude. I like the name too and googled the origins and meaning. Very interesting: http://www.behindthename.com/name/aoife
  10. That's one of the great aspects of these books. When well written, you will still appreciate them as an adult. In many of them you discover and understand something you couldn't or didn't when reading as a child.
  11. My daughter (16) loves his work. She was quite offended that I had no idea who she was talking about when she mentioned him. So I'm here to learn more about his work. If he's interesting for me too I might add him to my own reading list, I'm trying not to add to much now. I'd like to finish the books I already have. I've been saying this for years of course and eventually end up adding more books.
  12. sadya

    Sarah Waters

    I only read 'Affinity' and was pleasantly surprised. It took a different route to the ending than I had imagined. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last sentence.
  13. Most novels by Kafka.
  14. I hope you will reread it. When I reread it, it was for my children. I wanted them to get to know some of her work and in the process I rediscovered the books myself. They were still very readable, if that is a word, I even understood jokes and parts which I didn't notice so many years ago, when a younger me first saw them in the library. There is always something nice to discover and rediscover in the Adrian Mole series for every age and time. Wishing you a happy experience rereading if you decide to do it.
  15. Very sad to read this morning that one of my favourite authors, Sue Townsend, has passed away. Her books always made me laugh out loud. Loved her work. I read some of her books to my children. She will be missed. http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26982680
  16. A very late reply, but I'm reading this book now. Enjoying it so far. It's a book which takes it time to tell a story, could have been easily boring, but the story telling of Tartt is marvelous. You really feel the atmosphere and get to know the characters. I'm still in the second chapter, but can't wait to read more. Ivo Stourton's 'The night climbers' is named somewhere online as a book the fans of Tartt might enjoy. I haven't read it yet, but one of the descriptions on it's cover is 'The Secret History' meets Ian McEwan. (haven't read McEwan either btw) Both books were mentioned somewhere as possible reads for people who enjoyed reading 'The Hidden' of Tobias Hill, I was comparing my opinion of that 'The Hidden' with others online when it's review brought me to Tartt and Stourton. Other than that you might try Proust. His life work examines in detail and excellent use of language every sort of dynamics when people interact with each other, it doesn't have much of a plot though, but his writing is mesmerizing. Btw, I was hoping to find a thread with an interesting discussion about 'The Secret History' when I came on this forum, surely there has to be one and I just didn't find it?
  17. It's one of the great books one enjoys reading despite not liking all the principal characters.
  18. I hope this helps: http://biblioklept.org/2010/06/16/how-to-read-james-joyces-ulysses-and-why-you-should-avoid-how-to-guides-like-this-one/
  19. My daughter read that one, also before wanting to read it before watching the movie. I'm still hesitating to read the book myself though, she says she didn't really like the ending. (and is refusing to tell me what it is, since we're both going to watch the movie when it's available here) Will you let me know after finishing it wether you liked the ending or not? You don't necessarily have to tell me what happens, just if it really is sad or horrible in your opinion or as a fact. ---------------- I'm reading 'The wasted virgil' by Nadeem Aslam right now. I'm still in the first chapters and so far it's interesting and even poetic at times. I like the way he's introducing new characters, it's getting a little crowded now, but I haven't mixed them and their story lines up yet.
  20. A tv adaptation? Great news! Can't wait to watch it. First time I read it in Dutch, but I bought an English one and am re-reading it now.I stop for a few days or weeks and then pick it up again where I left it and enjoy every sentence.
  21. I really loved 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' by Alan Bradley. Flavia de Luce has become one of my favourite fictional characters. I'm looking forward to reading more of that world. Just realised I wrote and said this a trillion times 'It's on my reading list' 'I'm looking forward to reading that' etc. I'm never done reading and don't mind it.
  22. I've only read '100 Names' and loved it from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to reading more.
  23. I voted two, but sometimes I read one book or three if I'm too curious about the other books or I'm in for something with a different mood.
  24. Mine are mostly Dutch. I still have nostalgia about Dik Trom, De Drieling series, etc. I still have and collect some of these.
  25. Love the ideas in this thread and love the topic. And I read and bought the interesting book of Talisman. One of my friends owns it now. I always loved writing, as a child and teenager. I still write. I took a writing course. I mostly write short stories, but now I've been working on and off for a long while now about someone who goes to a Safe House for females who have troubled relationships with their partner and/of family, I've been describing how life is in those Safe Houses and what it feels like to be there and in such a situation. I try to put humour in it too and I try to make it a novel, it's not a documentary type book, it's not non-fiction, it's supposed to be fiction based on real experiences.
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