Brian.
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Great review of The Martian Chronicles. I wasn't particularly stirred by Fahrenheit 451 but this seems more like my thing so I'll have to check it our when I get a chance.
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If I am reading something that is literary, especially a classic, I avoid reading about it on the net until after I have finished the book. I do often feel as though I have missed some of what the author intended but I don't let this spoil my enjoyment.
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I've now read 50000 pages
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That's amazing.
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I started a new book last night, The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis. I'm about a third of the way through it already and I have really enjoyed it so far.
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One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Synopsis
An acknowledged masterpiece, this is the story of seven generations of the Buendia family and of Macondo, the town they have built. Though little more than a settlement surrounded by mountains, Macondo has its wars and disasters, even its wonders and miracles. A microcosm of Columbian life, its secrets lie hidden, encoded in a book and only Aureliano Buendia can fathom its mysteries and reveal its shrouded destiny. Blending political reality with magic realism, fantasy with comic invention, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is one of the most daringly original works of the twentieth century.
(taken from Goodreads)
My ThoughtsI've had this book on my book shelves for as long as I can remember as its one of those book that always pops up in conversations about the best books. I have to confess, anything that is considered as literature and more than 300 pages tends to scare me a bit but slowly I am getting over this. Just before I went on a short break to Barcelona I decided I needed something new to read, and instead of taking my Kindle I opted for a tree book, and this found its way into my hands.
I don't really know where to start with the book as my head is still swimming a bit after finishing it. It is crammed full of magic realism and the story switches a lot between fantasy and reality. I found the book fairly enjoyable but I needed quiet to read it, I certainly couldn't concentrate enough to read it in noisy environments. It helped a lot that I read the majority of it while I was on holiday as I found it a little heavy going in places.
Even though I have marked it as 3/5 it lies between 3 and 4 for me. I found that fact that the same names as used for many characters across the generations hard to follow at times and I had to keep checked back to the family tree at the front of the book.
3/5 (I liked it).
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I don't get anxious for birthdays or Christmas but I think most people experience some kind of anxiety about events that are outside their routine. Over the years I have got better in situations that would make me anxious in the past by knowing from experience that they will be fine. Worrying about what could go wrong is something I used to do all the time and it took me years to get out of the habit of doing it.
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One chapter of One Hundred Years of Solitude to go but I think it will have to wait until the morning. I dropped off a few books to the charity shop this morning and ended up buying a few which I'll post about tomorrow.
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I enjoyed A Handmaid's Tale when I read it, I think I gave it 4/5.
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1. Read only trilogies or stand alones?
Although I enjoy book series I have to go with stand alone books for this. My reading mood varies all the time so having a wide range of genres to choose from. I also tend to leave large gaps between reading books in series and tend to forget things from the earlier books.
2. Read only female or male authors?
I have no overall preference but I do tend to read mostly male authors to I will opt for that option.
3. Shop at a book shop or online?
Book shops. Just like probably everyone on here I adore book shops and can spend all day in one just browsing the shelves.
4. All books become movies or tv shows?
Ummm, movies I guess.
5. Read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?
As much as I like reading I don't think I could cope with 5 books a week, I need breaks from reading.
6. Be a professional reviewer or author?
I really like the idea of being an author even though I don't write, I'm not sure I would want to make reading something I had to do as a job.
7. Only read your top 20 favorite books over and over or always read new ones that you haven't read before?
Always reading new books. I don't tend to re-read books.
8. Be a librarian or book seller?
This is a tough one as they are both pretty appealing. If I had to choose one I would go for being a librarian.
9. Only read your favorite genre, or every genre except your favorite?
Every genre except my favorite, variety is the spice of life.
10. Only read physical books or eBooks?
I read both, but if I had to give one up I would give up the ebook option.
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I managed to spend a fair chunk of time reading at the beach when I was in Barcelona so I'm almost done with One Hundred Years of Solitude.
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I ought to study in a faster pace. I have a hand-in assignment for Monday. But for some reason, I can't get working unless I have some pressure on.
I do the same thing. I get a rough idea what I want to write or cover in my assignments but it doesn't get put together until close to the due date.
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I'm off to get a few days more sun in Barcelona this weekend before the winter fully kicks in.
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In the UK, well England at least, GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is the qualification taught in high schools in a variety of subjects and are graded from F (lowest) to A* (highest). When I was at school during the late 90's we generally took 10 different subject which were all GCSE's but now there are some more vocational qualifications that can be taken called NVQ (National Vocational Qualification).
First and second form are the same as first and second grade in the USA. Basically age group class sets.
A CV is a curriculum vitae which I think is known as a resume in the USA. It is a brief collection of qualifications, work history and other pertinent information submitted to a prospective employer when searching for a job.
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Thanks for the review, I have a copy of this and one of his other books, It's Only a Movie. I really must get round to reading one of them soon as I often agree with his opinions and I love his radio show with Simon Mayo.
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After the story there were a few pages about the author which I enjoyed reading as well. I have 1984 by him on my TBR, which I hope will be good too.
I think if you liked Animal Farm you will also like 1984. Its obviously quite a different story but the writing is as witty and thought provoking.
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Very quiet day at work today so along with about 3hrs of studying I managed to read 82 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude. Not sure what to make of it so far but I am finding it quite easy to read. Hopefully I'll manage another chapter or two before bed.
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Those puppies are so cute.
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Thanks bobblybear, I allowed my self to get completely snowed under with my degree. It still as manic but I've decided that I have to read and post more because I miss it too much.
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Brian, I don't know if you can get it over there, but chicory added to coffee kills the acidity. As strong as I make our coffee, if I didn't mix extra chicory into it, it'd give me agita as well. http://www.cafedumonde.com/coffee
I didn't know that, I'll have to give that a go and see if I like it.
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I like Teapigs but it is pretty expensive. I have settled on either Pukka three mint tea or Twinings pure peppermint when it is on special offer. I did make my own blend for a while using peppermint leaves and Chinese gunpowder green tea but bags are so much more convenient at work.
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Taking a quick look back at my Goodreads account, I never finished Airframe for some reason, no idea why. I won't do proper reviews about the books I've read as I can't recall too much about them but I'll post up a few thoughts.
Run - Dean Karnazes
I read this while I was still running a lot and considering the insane idea of running 50km ultra marathon. The book was a light and easy read even if it omits a lot of much better ultra runners out there. I picked up quite a bad injury so my running had to take a back seat and the ultra marathon will have to wait until next year at the earliest. I also got rejected for the London marathon again.
Eat and Run - Scott Jurek
Scott Jurek is a runner that really interests me as he is a vegan and won many races while being fueled by a plant based diet. His achievements are pretty amazing but the book did get a little preachy at times. None the less this was another light and easy read.
Bounce - Matthew Syed
I have been a fan of Matthew Syed's articles for a long time now and this book is just as good. In it he covers the notion of natural talent and looks into what makes a virtuoso. He argues that it is not talent but years of dedicated and directed practice that is required. This is a very good book which I enjoyed greatly.
An Epic Swindle - Brian Reade
This book covers the period of time where Liverpool Football Club was owned by Hicks & Gillett. Being a Liverpool supporter I assumed that I would know the story well but there were many things that I was unaware of. I never realised just how close the club came to being closed and how much of an effect fan protest groups had.
The Dirtiest Race in History - Richard Moore
The 1988 Seoul Olympic 100m final will forever be associated with Ben Johnson but the true story behind the race is much murkier. All but one of the finalist has since been connected to drug use in some way. This was a good book and it raises a lot of questions about USOC.
How I Lived on Just a Pound a Day - Kath Kelly
I found this on a shelf in my local library and thought it had to be some kind of wind up. It wasn't the best book in the world but it kept me relatively entertained for a while. I have to admit that living on a pound a day anywhere in the UK is a crazy achievement even if there are some caveats to the title.
Monkey House Blues - Dominic Stevenson
I can't recall anything about this book but I gave it 3/5 on goodreads.
The True Story of Acid House - Luke Bainbridge
I was born to late of experience the birth of acid house in the UK but I do recall the outcry from the government etc at the time. I liked the music and was a part of the rave scene for many years in the mid to late 90's. This is a really good history of the acid house scene and brought back quite a few memories of my nights out in warehouses dancing all night.
Amsterdam - Russell Shorto
This is a non-fiction book about the history of the city of Amsterdam and how it came to be. It was an ok read but I would liked it to have included a little more of the more recent history of the city. Nonetheless I did learn somethings from the book and it prompted me to re-visit the city and check out some of the historical sites that are not immediately obvious to tourists.
Sniper in Helmand - Jamie Cartwright
A pretty standard run of the mill account of a British Army sniper in Afghanistan. One thing that this book does cover which is a little outside the norm is the author detailing his experience with PTSD.
The Nowhere Men - Michael Calvin
I have previously really enjoyed books that have won the 'Times Sports Book of the Year' award so I decided to give this a go. I thought that it was ok but didn't meet the level of previous winners. It is about the world of football scouts and how they are being replaced by data analysts. I didn't particularly get on with this book and it was a bit of an effort to finish.
Occupy - Noam Chomsky
A very small book which is a collection of interviews about the Occupy movement. It is interesting enough and raises a lot of good political points but I am not sure that it needed to be turned into a book. I have read on the net that it started life as a political pamphlet and perhaps it should have stayed that way.
Change - Richard Gerver
A book about change and how we should see things differently than we actually do. I tend to enjoy books like this even if I don't agree with the approach taken by the author. I didn't particularly enjoy this however, and I felt as though the author spent a lot time telling me how great he was.
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I am going to make a start on One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's been on my TBR for a long time and most people seem to have good things to say about it.
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Sadly, I can't stand the taste of coffee despite many attempts to. I do drink a lot of tea and like to try different types of tea depending on my mood. I drink both usual tea in bags and loose leaf teas. I always have a cup of mint tea after my main meal of the day as it's said to aid digestion. My favourite blend of mint tea was discontinued by The Tea Palace and it has taken me quite a bit of searching to find a suitable replacement. I never expected there to be such a taste variation with something as simple as mint tea but there is and some of them are horrid.
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I finally managed to watch Moneyball and despite knowing nothing about baseball I really enjoyed it. I was a little disappointed to read afterwards that the character portrayed by Jonah Hill was a composite rather that an accurate depiction of the real person but it didn't spoil it for me.
Brian's Book Log 2014
in Past Book Logs
Posted
The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis
Synopsis
In his uproarious first novel Martin Amis, author of the bestselling London Fields, gave us one of the most noxiously believable -- and curiously touching -- adolescents ever to sniffle and lust his way through the pages of contemporary fiction. On the brink of twenty, Charles High-way preps desultorily for Oxford, cheerfully loathes his father, and meticulously plots the seduction of a girl named Rachel -- a girl who sorely tests the mettle of his cynicism when he finds himself falling in love with her.
(taken from Goodreads)
My Thoughts
I was given this book as a freebie by a cashier at Waterstones a few years ago as I had bought quite a few books (I feel a return trip happening soon). It was part of a promotion. Those who purchased Lionel Asbo got it for free and it is marked up as not for resale. I didn't buy Lionel Asbo but it was chucked into my bag with a cheeky wink. I had previous read Money which I enjoyed and so I grabbed this off the bookcase the other night.
The book focuses around Charles Highway and his attempts at seducing a girl called Rachel who is older than him. He is quite a snotty nosed character but endearing in a really odd way. I wouldn't say he is pleasant at all but there is a certain charm about him. 'The Rachel Papers' are a collection of reports he compiles along the way on his successes and failures in his seduction. It turns out that he has a similar dossier on all of his potential and successful conquests.
At about 220 pages this isn't a long book and I could easily have read it in a day had I been so inclined. I found myself laughing out loud at a few parts but I must warn potential readers that the language is very vulgar at points. This didn't bother me and I found the language actually fitted the character perfectly, unlike similar attempts by authors such as Bret Easton Ellis.
4/5 (I really liked it).