Hyzenthlay

Rushing through the chapters of 'A clash of kings'... getting sucked back into this world is just too easy.

Cod! And mashed potatoes

Hey all, First off, a disclaimer. I've looked through a few of the topics here, and I know by now that you people read. A lot. A lot a lot. And first I didn't really want to make a book list, because, well, I can't compete. But then I thought I was missing the point. So here is my list, humble as though it may be. 2011: Vigil by Cecilia Samartin Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (only a re-read) Currently reading: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (also a re-read) Book I'm most excited for: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (ordered on amazon!) So. I read Vigil because my mum recommended it, and as expected it was moving and felt very real. She knows how to play heartstrings, that Cecilia Samartin. Surface Detail was great, but not Banks's most impressive work. The five people you meet in heaven moved me to tears in a public place, and is my favourite so far. "Perks" is always good.

Tyrion is really good - and his character in the book, too, is so complicated and conflicted. Since I don't have A game of thrones available, I've started re-reading A clash of kings. I found new sympathy for Sansa only a few chapters in. Very very excited for the next episode, possibly even more excited than I am for Doctor Who! And to my surprise and pleasure, my OH is also really enjoying the show He's never been one for fantasy outside of LOTR and Harry Potter.

Karsa,

Ordered the Eyre Affair, because not a single bookstore has it. Can expect it on 21st of June.. whoop.

I've been having a looksee through here, and I have to say I'm really intrigued by Emily Dickinson. I'm not so well versed in poetry. I've read a lot of Shakespeare's plays and sonnetts, and I had John Donne in school. Beyond this, knowledge is very limited (the exception being Andre Bjerke, a Norwegian poet whom I adore). But, I have one I like, kind of a classic to the point of being a cliche. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening BY ROBERT FROST Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. And another one, that I learned in a movie: Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods; For nothing now can ever come to any good. W.H. Auden Performed with such grace and emotion by the amazing John Hannah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMX2svFVcXM&feature=player_embedded

This just in: I'm at my brother's house and leafed through his library for his copy of A Game of Thrones. Imagine my disappointment when I can't find it on his shelves or in his book logging system on his pc. Doesn't he understand that I want to read the stupid book? There was a gaping hole between two other George R R Martin books, too, just to taunt me. It obviously used to be there.

Good review. This book is well-written and captivating, and well worth the time.

Hahah. By saying quantitude I meant you need to read a big amount of books. It doesn't matter if they are considered "bad" books. It really doesn't. Read erotic novels, if that's your thing. Kiosk literature, Stephen King, anything that will hook your attention is a-ok with me. Once you find something you like, read more of it. And the rest will come. Good luck and let us know how it goes - what you buy, when you read it, what you think of it. And don't let anyone play elitist with you, we all have a starting point and they are starting points for a reason. Again, my suggestions would be something like the Da Vinci Code. If that works, he luckily has four other books of exactly the same recipe.

Hmm, I have a slightly different approach. Studies show a positive correlation, actually, between reading speed and comprehension of text. (http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/bell/article.pdf). They also show that the thing that improves reading speed is amount of reading done rather than techniques on how to read. I agree that reading and people's skills at reading is massively important to their academic life. So, here is some advice. You cannot start off reading with Chemistry 101. To someone who doesn't feel like they can read, this would be intensively dull and difficult to maintain an interest in. You need to get some books under your belt, so to speak. Go for the exciting things. I'd recommend something fast-paced and exciting that still maintains a good quality of writing, like Dan Brown or Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The stories are good and the writing technique pulls you in, which makes them perfect starter books for adults. And then once you can devour books, you can move on to less conventional books that require a little more focus. Eventually you will have obtained a level of skill that you can (with some difficulty of course) apply to non-fictious literature. Even the time you spend reading fiction in the meantime is hardly a waste - fiction teaches us many wonderful things. So, pick The Da Vinci code up. Buy a decent copy if available, with slightly bigger writing and nice pages (not stamp-sized pocket editions). Make some tea, sit down with proper light, put on some background noise (or not, optional) and start on page one and see what happens. And remember: quantitude.

It's impossible to say one way or the other. Accidents happen. Two year olds sometimes play with toy guns, especially if they have role models that show them how. Seems like there would have been evidence to charge him if he'd done it, and seems unlikely he should plan on murdering his ex or whatever in front of his child.

Liked it. Dark. Enjoyable. Tho the - super annoying. Was there something at the end credits about a Dr Who writing competition?

Animorphs used to get me in a right state. I paced and paced, put it down, picked it up again. I had palpitations and I would interrupt my reading to inform my mother what was going on with the characters. There was another book as well; Fevre Dream by George RR Martin. Towards the end I just got so nervous!

Not so much a review-reader. I take recommendations, obviously, especially from people whose tastes I trust. But what I do if a book is completely new, is something I like to think of as the one-page test. I open the book at random, and read a full page. If I'm intrigued, I buy. If it seems shitty, I put it back.

Hei Nali! Så hyggelig med flere skandinaviere! Welcome.

I don't see how making a tv series out of an already written fantasy book series makes the book cheesy. A song of ice and fire is certainly some of the best fantasy I've read, and I try to recommend it to everyone. I can also highly recommend "Magician" by Raymond E. Feist; one of the first fantasy series I really loved.

Probably a book called "The perks of being a wallflower".. it isn't anything spectacular, it's just about this kid who writes letters about his life to a stranger. In the book he's very messed up, and very quiet (a wallflower). But I was a young teen when I read it, and I was shy and impressionable and I looked to that book for strength when it came to being social and taking social risks, ie befriending people and learning to pull attention to myself without feeling horrible.

My other half had the exact same reaction, only with a few exclamation points behind it I massively enjoyed the first episode. I'm especially impressed with Daenerys, who is one of my favourite characters on the show. And the Imp. And Jaime, for some reason he is exactly how I pictured. Can't wait for the next installment!

She might have been. She was just an example off the top of my head. But she didnt have a movie deal during the first few books did she? But....actually, though, I'm reconsidering a lot of my post. I'll let it stand the way it is for argument's sake, but I've given it some thought and I think I've come to the conclusion that I was wrong. And not just because of the tv show, but because ... well, I don't know. George RR Martin must certainly care about his book series as much as, or actually a lot more than, his fans. So he'd want it to be the best it can be. That's probably why it takes time. I guess if I think about it, I consider books to be art - kind of - and you can't rush art, can you? So I'm reeling in my anger. Sorry, George. It was misplaced.