vodkafan

Yes I am pleased I only targetted myself for 72

Doing really good. I have polished off another 3 books since finishing the genre challenge and am now starting into my 2013 TBR pile already....so I am thinking about officially cutting off my 2012 reading log as it stands now at 85 books and anything else will go onto my 2013 total.

This is an interesting question, I don't know what many authors look like though, I will put some names in google and see what images come up!

It's that Mayan Calender thing. The world is supposed to end today 21st december. I am wondering if it happens before 5pm I might not have to go to work tonight

Good review bree . I still haven't read S &S but will very soon in the new year.

LOL . I will save my nerdgasm for a space film or possibly the next instalment of The Raid

I recently picked up The Family Stone in a charity shop for £1. I quite forgot it is a Christmas film thanks for reminding me Claire I will watch that over Chrimbo

Like you bree I don't do facebook. But this sounds like taking a liberty. But there is a precedent in physical delivered mail. Royal Mail does exactly the same thing. They are paid by companies to push unwanted junk mail through everybodies letterboxes. Royal Mail has no choice , it is only junk mail and Amazon which is keeping us going as a business.

Thanks Sofia. You must be having shock waves from it all being so close to it. He seemed fairly nomal, under the radar kind of guy. Link didn't work by the way.

No sorry am not familiar with Azevedo at all. I would probably want to read his short stories first to see if I liked him.

Hi Michelle that's a good username. Welcome. Always great to have another sci fi reader. What sort of training do you do for rowing?

Hi Alayne welcome! I have already noticed you participating on a lot of topics.

Completely shocked about yet another school shooting in America 20 children and 8? adults I think so sad

That's so cool having mysterious book presents Poppyshake. Sadly I can tell you one is not from me as I didn't think of it. Had the idea occurred to me in time you might have had another Jack Vance

Android Karenina Leo Tolstoy and Ben H Winters I had already read one mash-up book (P &P with Zombies) and although I enjoyed it, I didn't really want to read another one, so I looked at everything in this small genre before picking this book. I had not read the original which I hoped would be an advantage, I could just read it as it came with out any prejudgement. There are not a huge number of characters, but even so their names became confusing at times because Russians have 3 names apparently which get used interchangably . The book is set in an alternative Russia in the very early 20th century, (ie how it would have been before the communist revolution?) . A new miracle metal named Groznium has put Mother Russia at the very forefront of technological advancement . Space cruises, , magnetic super trains, anti-gravity dancing, a colony on the moon and robots for every conceivable purpose. There is no middle class , just peasants and the fashionable upper class. Every person of worth has their own personal class 3 robot, which is attuned to their own personality and needs. The peasants do not have companion robots, but even so it is not too bad being a peasant in these days as robots have taken over all the hard dirty jobs. Government control is stringent however (this is Russia after all) as the country is threatened from within by a terrorist organisation called UnConSciya (Union of Concerned Scientists). Don't look for any explanation of how the robots and other stuff work- there isn't any. You just have to enjoy the idea. There are also a cult of people who believe in the imminent arrival of benificient aliens (the so-called Honoured Guests, who when they arrive are anything but benign) Anna Karanina is the beautiful wife of a high government official . Almost against her will she is sucked into a love affair with dashing Count Vronsky, which causes him to jilt Kitty, the young girl he has been seeing. The descriptions of the emotional turmoil of all the characters are quite remarkable to me in their intensity and truth. I am guessing that this is the pure Tolstoy. It was worth reading. So how about the mash up part? Not having read the original novel, I at first I found the SF elements quite natural. It was like reading a 1940s or 50s novel from the golden age of pulp SF. Also quite humourous. For instance Anna's robot Android Karenina does not speak but is set to glow in complementary colours according to Anna's mood and clothing to make her look good. Kitty's robot is dressed in a tutu and leaps about doing ballet. Levin's serious robot Socrates has useful tools hanging from his chin like a beard. After a while though, as the central love story developed , the SF side of the story didn't seem to be going anywhere. The motivations of UnConSciya remained mysterious. The various terrorist acts had no purpose. The appearance of the aliens seemed pointless. But then, about 10 pages before the end, it all suddenly does have a point. And it is not bad. I have read many worse SF novels.

Graphic Novel Woman's World Graham Rawles This book was nothing I expected. It was collaged by the author over five years , the sentences constructed from printed words cut out of thousands of 1960's women's magazines. That fits completely with the story in more than one way. It is amazingly clever. Norma has led a sheltered life at home with Mary, her mother who she likes to pretend is her housekeeper. She has always stayed in, as Mother doesn't like Norma to go out. Norma's world view is totally constructed around the women's magazines she reads, a world of glamour and fashion and wonderful home decor . Then one day Norma makes a momentous decision: she thinks the world is changing and she must step outside the front door and get a job.... This is really the funniest book I have ever read.

Ah, good luck. I haven't planned any reading yet for january, Christmas seems like a big barrier to anything at the moment. Next year can wait till it gets here! I will pick something willy-nilly from the TBR pile New Years Day.

I agree totally with what you have written here Steve. I read at the most, two of the Amber books when I was a teenager . They are not his best stuff at all. Is that the big one we went in Steve?

Hi Julie thanks, coincidentally I wrote a long reply on your reading blog the other night about the mormon book you read and all the other recent ones but just when I posted it the internet connection went and it got lost and I felt too tired to write it all out again so sorry about that. 50 is very good going a good score to be proud of.

I finished Woman's World a couple of hours ago. There were times when I had to stop reading for a bit it was so funny it was painful. Well that is my mega Genre Challenge all done, 24 books of 24 different genres. I just have to write the last 2 reviews.on saturday. Or I may do them a bit later tonight just to get them done. It's back to the doorstop Berlin 1945 history book , that may well be my last for this year.

I will give According To Queenie a miss then thanks for the warning. Glad you liked Lighthousekeeping I loved that too so surreal. I agree that reading JW's autobiography helped a lot to understand her writing style and view of the world. If you liked JW then Sexing The Cherry is worth a read too. I like the way she mixes Time up. I found both in the charity shops so only a small outlay for me for a lot of enjoyment.

Hi kidsmum, well I am pretty eclectic in my reading anyway but I needed a graphic novel for my Genre Challenge. It was one of the first that came up on Amazon . It came down to this one or Black Hole (which I still might get) but the reviews on this were all brilliant so that's what swayed me in the end. Go for it you won't regret it. It just keeps getting funnier the author is a genius.

Hi spud, I think the author is a woman but I could be wrong....this book already caused a big bust up on here so I lost any interest in reading it I might have had. I just heard too much about it. I will read the JK Rowling book instead

Honestly it is so hilarious. I twigged what was going on at the end of chapter 2. I have almost wet myself and only on chapter 4.

I have almost got this out from blockbusters so many times but the appearance of Mr Rochester on the cover stopped me . He is supposed to be large and ugly and much senior in years to Jane Eyre. Is the film any good Laura? Hey Ben you and I should go out. Unless you don't really look like your avatar in which case forget it.