Bobblybear's Book List - 2013

[Athena]

I'm not sure how many I bought, I added all my children's books and quite some Kindle freebies too to my database, it'd be difficult trying to not select those and then count it all up (I'm not sure I want to, in fact). I know it's a lot, though.. .

 

Janet, good luck with restraining yourself!

 

EDIT: I've worked out it's too much to post here.. I'd be too embarrased .

Edited September 26, 2013 by Athena

[bobblybear]

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on The Tommyknockers, Athena. You may like it a lot more than I did.

 

I'm not brave enough to check how many books I bought in 2012, but I suspect it's about the 50-odd mark, so I think I'm probably doing worse as well, Janet. In fairness to myself though, I don't really spend much money on other 'luxuries' (not saying books are a luxury, of course they aren't, but hopefully you get what I mean ), so I shouldn't feel too bad.

[Athena]

I'll be sure to post a review when I read it .

 

That's not too bad then , it really depends on how much money one has, how much time to read, how much space in the house, how much TBR you feel comfortable with, etc. It's a personal thing and if you feel you've bought too many books then you could try to not buy so many for a while. I know some people who go on a 'book buying ban', personally I don't think I could do this! I could try not to buy any full-price books but if I see something I want really cheap..

[bobblybear]

The problem with me is that I buy books faster than I can read them, so my TBR pile seems to be ever expanding. And I'm not even counting those on my wishlist that I haven't bought yet.

Edited September 27, 2013 by bobblybear

[Athena]

Ah! I do the same , I think a lot of us here do that. My wishlist contains a lot of books, too. If you decide you want to try to buy less books, I'm sure we all here will be supportive of you . I want to try and buy a bit less too, at least less than I bought in the first half of 2013. It's a bit difficult though because we like talking about books and recommending books to each other, and we also like buying books. What about giving some of the books away, that you're no longer interested in? (or aren't there any?) That way you make physical space for new ones (you won't gain any money back though unless you sell or swap them, and your TBR will only decrease if you give away a book that was on your TBR). I plan to do this at some point, though it'll only be a minor part of my collection (I plan to give them to the charity shop). Sorry if all that was rambly, just trying to help. Good luck, anyway, with trying to buy less books. I do think it's good to keep an eye on how many one buys, how much one spends, how many books one owns, how big is the TBR, etc. Do you often re-read books? I find that in the past few years I haven't re-read a lot of books because I wanted to get my TBR down.

[Devi]

I'm in the same boat. I am trying to save for a holiday in the next few months, but i do so enjoy the hunt and like athena, book buying is a stress relief. I am trying to stick to just preloved and kindle books, but idealy i would rather stop completely. Least till i saved some cash.

 

Its not easy as at the moment i am pretty stressed out.

[bobblybear]

What about giving some of the books away, that you're no longer interested in? (or aren't there any?)

 

I had a massive clearout a couple of years ago, when I shifted a lot of books that I'd read once and knew I would never read again. I still have quite a few on my shelf though, but these are ones I have owned for many, many years (probably over 10 - 15 years) and do intend to read at some point. Honest!

 

Most books I have bought in the last few years have been Kindle books. In fact, I can only think of one paperbook I have bought in the last couple of years; the rest have been e-books.

 

 

I do think it's good to keep an eye on how many one buys, how much one spends, how many books one owns, how big is the TBR, etc. Do you often re-read books? I find that in the past few years I haven't re-read a lot of books because I wanted to get my TBR down.

 

I re-read quite a bit, but not as much as I used to. Mostly it's because I want to get through all the other books I own. It's not the buying that's a problem, it's the panic that I will never have time to read them. I try to tell myself to not buy so many, but there are just too many good ones out there demanding to be read!

 

 

I'm in the same boat. I am trying to save for a holiday in the next few months, but i do so enjoy the hunt and like athena, book buying is a stress relief. I am trying to stick to just preloved and kindle books, but idealy i would rather stop completely. Least till i saved some cash.

 

Most of the books I buy are Kindle cheapies, but there have been a few full-price ones. It could be worse - think of what it would be like if you bought handbags or shoes all the time! Now that would be costly!

[Devi]

 

Most of the books I buy are Kindle cheapies, but there have been a few full-price ones. It could be worse - think of what it would be like if you bought handbags or shoes all the time! Now that would be costly!

My mum says that she likes I spend my money on books, says I could be spending it on worse things like alcohol, smokes or drugs.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Devi

[Athena]

I had a massive clearout a couple of years ago, when I shifted a lot of books that I'd read once and knew I would never read again. I still have quite a few on my shelf though, but these are ones I have owned for many, many years (probably over 10 - 15 years) and do intend to read at some point. Honest!

x

I believe you! I also have books from many years ago that I want to read (which I haven't read yet).

x

Most books I have bought in the last few years have been Kindle books. In fact, I can only think of one paperbook I have bought in the last couple of years; the rest have been e-books.

x

Ah, I guess in the case of ebooks, you can't really give them away to make more physical space (since they don't take up much space).

x

I re-read quite a bit, but not as much as I used to. Mostly it's because I want to get through all the other books I own. It's not the buying that's a problem, it's the panic that I will never have time to read them. I try to tell myself to not buy so many, but there are just too many good ones out there demanding to be read!

x

I agree! 

x 

Most of the books I buy are Kindle cheapies, but there have been a few full-price ones. It could be worse - think of what it would be like if you bought handbags or shoes all the time! Now that would be costly!

x

That's very true! My brother's girlfriend really likes shoes. I don't think she has that many, but if she'd win a lot of money I'm sure she'd buy more shoes (and books, too).

x

My mum says that she likes I spend my money on books, says. I could be spending it on worse things like alcohol, smokes or drugs.

x

That makes sense! I suppose spending it on books is much healthier than spending it on those kind of things .

[bobblybear]

The Crime of Julian Wells - Thomas H Cook

The book opens with Julian Wells (a true crime writer) taking his boat to the middle of the lake by his family home and slitting his wrists. His best friend, Philip, along with Julian’s sister Loretta, try to find the reasons behind his suicide, and soon realise that there were many parts of his life that they were not aware of. They both follow the breadcrumbs that Julian had left, which take them to several countries and mixes them up with some unsavoury characters.

This was well-written but ultimately hard to follow. I’m not sure if it’s due to the complexity and the various characters, but I found it difficult to read more than a few pages at a time. It felt very drawn out, and hard to keep track of the time-scales. There was a lot of reminiscing by Philip, of his memories and experiences with Julian, and the story goes off on various tangents depending what has come to his mind. He's a very indulgent thinker, and his character is constantly spelling out his thoughts in very cold and precise detail, which makes it feel a bit sterile. I think that's what the problem was - the book (or rather the main character) doesn't have much warmth or personality. Everything is told in a very detatched manner so it is difficult to connect with characters and events. Quite hard to categorise the book – part mystery, part literary fiction I suppose.

I liked the way the book ended, but the journey there was a bit of a slog I’m afraid.

 

2.5/6

[Karsa Orlong]

The Tommyknockers - Stephen King

 

Bobbi (Roberta) Anderson stumbles over a bit of metal whilst out in the woods in Haven, Maine. Intrigued, she begins to dig it up and slowly starts to fall under it’s influence. Before long, this mysterious object starts to affect the other townspeople - physically (their teeth fall out) and also their technological/engineering capabilities. Bobbi’s alcoholic friend, Jim Gardener gets a sense that she is in trouble and comes to Haven, in an attempt to save her.

 

Now I’m a huge Stephen King fan, but crikey this book didn't half go on with itself. It could have easily been whittled down to half it’s length, without any real loss of the core story. Apparently King was heavily in the throes of addition while this one was being written and I guess it shows. It is very manic in many parts and often just rambles on seemingly endlessly. No economy of words here! Why use one word when you can use 20? Why have one plot line, when you can have 50? It was a struggle to finish it. The first hundred or so pages are quite interesting when Bobbi and Jim are introduced and we aren't quite told what this mysterious object in the ground is, but there is a section in the middle that must be well over 100 pages long that is pure filler. It is essentially backstory on half the townspeople and doesn't take the story anywhere or tell us anything relevant. It picks up again in the end, but after trudging through the middle section, it's a book that I was relieved to finish, rather than being able to take the time to enjoy the ending.

 

2/6

 

 

Totally agree with you on this bb.  This was the book that began the end of my real interest in King.  I'd read all of his books prior to this (except Carrie, for some reason, which I've still not read).  Although I did read a few of his later books, I don't think I've really enjoyed one since Misery, which just happened to be the book he published before The Tommyknockers.  I thought Insomnia (as in 'it was a cure for . . ') and Desperation were very appropriately named

[bobblybear]

Yeah, although I consider myself a huge King fan, there are many of his books that I don't particularly enjoy. I think it's because two of my favorite books of all time happen to be ones he has written. I would say his writing has definitely changed, perhaps matured, and I have enjoyed his recent few. But there are many that I struggled with (Gerald's Game, Salems Lot, Desperation, The Regulators). He is pretty hit and miss, but I'm always willing to give him a go.

[Michelle]

I think King's back on form recently though - Full Dark, No Stars, 11/22/63 and Doctor Sleep have all been great.

[bobblybear]

Yes, I have really enjoyed his most recent releases. I haven't read Doctor Sleep yet though; I need to re-read The Shining as the only thing I can remember from it are the topiary animals, but nothing from the plot.

[bobblybear]

Under The Dome - Stephen King

An invisible and virtually impenetrable dome has come down over the smallish town of Chester’s Mill, Maine. It is made of unknown material, came into existence in an instant and seals the inhabitants from the rest of the world.

After various attempts by the army to destroy the dome, the towns people begin to engage in a power struggle with each other, as they start to realise that the dome may be here for the long term. One group is headed up by Chester Mill’s second selectman, Jim Rennie and his numerous supporters. The other main group is reluctantly led by Dale Barbara – an ex-army turned short order cook, who is relatively new to the town (in fact, he was on his way out of the town when the dome came down).

It’s a very long book (over 800 pages), and some parts could probably have been edited out, and there were definitely sections I enjoyed more than others (but when isn't that the case?). There are many characters, and even minor ones keep popping up throughout the book. It takes a while to remember them all, but there is a map and character list at the front of the book (at least the Kindle version) which helps a bit. The ending was a tad weak, but I can't really think of any other alternative endings.

Don’t be put off by the TV series, this is much better.

4/6

[Athena]

Nice review, bobblybear! It's on my TBR (currently reading IT, will probably be a little while before I read another Stephen King book, I like to mix up my authors and not read lots of books by one author in one go).

[bobblybear]

Thanks Athena. I know what you mean - I like to mix authors/genres up too otherwise I get a bit sick of them.

[bobblybear]

Walden on Wheels: On The Open Road From Debt To Freedom - Ken Ilgunas

This was (another) Kindle Daily Deal impulse buy, and I’m glad I bought it as it was a good read. I didn’t necessarily find it inspiring but I did find myself nodding along with what the author was saying.

Basically, he graduated from university with $32,000 of student debt. This burden terrified him, and it became his first priority to pay it off as quickly as possible. Hence he went to Alaska, to work in a holiday lodge as a tour guide (amongst a few other sundry jobs). The free board and food, combined with living extremely frugally meant he was able to put a huge chunk of his wages towards his debt. Once his debt was cleared (and it didn’t take him very long) his goal was to enrol in a liberal arts degree at Duke University, whilst remaining debt free. He does this by covertly living out of his van during his time at the university.

He has quite a few strong viewpoints, such as the importance of wilderness and nature and not falling into the consumerism trap that drowns so many people. He basically forsakes ‘normal life’ for an alternative lifestyle, though he did struggle in a lot of areas - mostly around maintaining decent human contact. Some of his adventures sound very exciting, but to be honest I'd rather read them than live them.

The title is inspired by Thoreau's experiences in Walden, which I can't comment on as I haven't read it. His admiration of Thoreau throughout the book is very high, but towards the end he has a bit more of a cynical and critical view.

I don't think his way of life is sustainable, and he admits as much. Regardless, it was great to read and it gave me quite a positive feeling for him, that he has been able to live his dream and have so many unique experiences.

 

4.5/6
 

[Karsa Orlong]

I need to re-read The Shining as the only thing I can remember from it are the topiary animals, but nothing from the plot.

 

  It happens!  I remember reading that book quite vividly - it's one of my faves.  There was one particular scene I remember reading whilst I was on the tube on my way to work, and it was so scary, even on a crowded train - just shows how involved in it I was, I suppose   

 

I was intending to re-read several of the older Kings last year but I never go around to it.  Might have to think again about doing that at some point 

[bobblybear]

I plan to re-read his older books, but I just have so many newly acquired books to get through. It makes it kind of difficult. I'd like to see if his books that I didn't like 10 years ago, will grow on me this time around. It wasn't the case with 'Salem's Lot, and I'm sure there will probably be quite a few that I still feel the same way about.

[Karsa Orlong]

I really liked Salem's Lot when I read it, but that was about 30 years ago.  I wonder if I'd like it so much now  It always makes me a bit wary of re-reading novels I liked so much when I was young, in case it tarnishes the memories of them.

[bobblybear]

I've re-read some of my teenage favorites and fortunately enjoyed them just as much 20 odd years later. It would be so disappointing though if that wasn't the case, as I do have many fond memories of those books.

 

Right, I think I'm ditching my reading plan. The ones I have left on it aren't inspiring me much, so I'm going to go off-plan for a while as there are so many others I want to read.

[frankie]

Case Histories - Kate Atkinson

 

What I really love in books like this is how the stories are all subtly weaved together. When the case histories were introduced at the beginning, I thought they were all going to be completely separate stories and I did wonder how the book would be structured. However they are tenuously (sometimes via a single seemingly insignificant character) linked together, and the links between them are slowly revealed over the course of the book. Atkinson does a brilliant job of keeping you guessing, and there were some real surprises in there.

 

5/6

 

I am so happy you enjoyed this! And I agree with what you said above Wohoo! I haven't read any of the sequels, but I have a feeling they will be as great as this one

 

NW - Zadie Smith

 

1/6

 

Oh dear! It's so ood to hear you think her books are a bit of a hit-and-miss... For some reason I'd thought her books are supposed to be great. Overall, I mean. Interesting...

 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple

5.5/6

 

Hehe, another fan of the book... I was in the shops today, and I actually happened to see the Finnish translation of this book in one of the department stores... So I suppose it must be pretty good!

[bobblybear]

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is brilliant. You should really give it a go at some point. Don't just take my word for it though, other forum members love it too!   I've found Zadie Smith's books seem to average 3.5 star reviews on Amazon, with many people giving them 5 stars and nearly just as many giving them 1 star. I really enjoyed White Teeth, but was so disappointed in NW. I haven't given up on reading her other books though - it just means I will borrow them rather than buy them.

 

Finished The Kraken Wakes, and will be starting Divergent in a little while. I'm also still going on The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth. Good read - short snappy chapters to great for diving into when I only have a few minutes spare.

[bobblybear]

A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby

Four people intent on committing suicide go (separately) to a high-rise building on New Years Eve, to carry out their plans. However their plans are scuppered when they run into each other, waiting on the rooftop for the same purpose. From that night, a somewhat grudging friendship develops between the four of them, as they struggle to find some reason that give their lives a purpose.

The four characters are from very different walks of life:

Martin – a fallen from grace TV star who slept with a 15 year old girl and has just been released from prison for his misdeeds

Maureen – a fifty something woman whose life has been devoted to caring for her profoundly disabled son

JJ – an American who nearly made it in a band, but somehow has ended up delivering pizzas

Jess – an irritating, spoiled 18 year old, rude and obnoxious brat, somewhat haunted by her sister's disappearance several years ago

The characters were all pretty hideous, aside from Maureen who really did have a rough deal in life. Quite frankly the rest of them could have jumped, and they wouldn’t be much missed in the world. My patience for their self-indulgent whitterings slowly eroded over time, and I just got fed up with them. The book attempts to be profound but didn’t succeed very often. Aside from a few witty and insightful paragraphs, it's mostly boring, but that's more down to the characters rather than the book itself (if there's even a distinction?). I just didn't care whether any of them found their purpose in life - they were miserable and revelled in their misery, as though it made them 'deep' and important (aside from Maureen, who I actually had a lot of sympathy for).

 

I'm not too surprised that I felt this way as I've never understood the hype around Nick Hornby. I don't think I've enjoyed any of his books - perhaps that's a clue that I should stop reading them?

 

2/6