Athena's Reading List 2015

[pontalba]

Agree with Sarah, your buying habits have really improved greatly!     I know how difficult that is to achieve. 

 

Thank goodness for Library Sales and Estate Sales!!   

[Athena]

Agree with Sarah, your buying habits have really improved greatly!     I know how difficult that is to achieve. 

 

Thank goodness for Library Sales and Estate Sales!!   

Thanks Kate, that means a lot to me .

 

I agree!

[muggle not]

Thank goodness for the library for me. I have downloaded 17 books to my kindle so far this year from the library. I also got Oliver Twist free from Amazon for the kindle. I think I have only bought 3 or 4 books this year.

[Athena]

Thank goodness for the library for me. I have downloaded 17 books to my kindle so far this year from the library. I also got Oliver Twist free from Amazon for the kindle. I think I have only bought 3 or 4 books this year.

That's very nice !

 

I have read about 60% library books and 40% owned books (roughly) (84 library books and 55 owned ones (includes free Kindle books), 4 books read for free from author's websites). I did buy some books, but I didn't spend as much money nor did I buy as many books as last year. There is still room for improvement for me (though I do like buying and owning some books heh). There will be a (n extra) book fair next month, in a city nearby here. I hope to go there and find some nice books, but to not spend too much money. I'm going to have to be very strict with myself. I'll be visiting the library next week, and hopefully find some nice reads for the upcoming read-a-thon.

[Athena]

Barbara Ann Kipfer - 1001 Manieren om te Genieten van het Leven: Vind / Ervaar de Kracht van het Moment (1001 Ways to Live in the Moment)

 

 

Genre: Information

Age-range: Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Date read: 18-04-2015 <-> 25-04-2015

ISBN: 9789044324365

Synopsis (GoodReads, a bit different from the Dutch synopsis): The newest title in Chronicle's best-selling 1,001 series offers readers a rare gift: the chance to stop right here, right now and truly celebrate the present moment. Packaged in our signature chunky format, this uplifting volume is filled with enlightening activities, poignant observations, and affirming quotations that highlight the simple joys that surround us every moment of every day. Whether it's handwriting a letter to an old friend or taking the time to admire the first flowers of spring, this simple and motivating guide will help anyone discover, or rediscover, the countless reasons why a life worth living is a life worth enjoying.

 

My thoughts:

 

I bought this book at the book fair just over a year ago. I started to read it alongside Peter F. Hamilton - The Void Trilogy 1: The Dreaming Void (a long, epic science-fiction book) and a few other information books. I don't normally read multiple books at once, and hardly ever this many. However a book like this one is not so suitable to read it in the same way as I read a full-length fiction work, so I thought it would be good to read it alongside other books.

 

The book is split up into 8 chapters (and an introduction and a 'register / index' at the end with words in alphabetical order (why does English not have a good word for this other than 'back-of-the-book' index? ), with subchapters, consisting in total of 1001 numbered 'entries' / bits. One entry can be one sentence long, up to almost a page (the book is quite small), pretty much one paragraph.

 

I really liked the illustrations and colours used in the book. The whole thing looks very colourful and this was one of the things that attracted me to buy this book.

 

Some of the entries are very interesting, others I found less intersting. Some of them are quotes from 'famous' people from earlier times. Sometimes the entries contain information about something or a tip about something. I found there was a bit too much focus on spirituality and while I think it would have appealed to me more when I was a teenager and was more exploring this kind of thing, now I found I didn't agree with some of it, or found it less interesting. Some tips were good, though many were familiar to me from elsewhere (ie. another book etc.).

 

Some tips were no good to me at all, such as the ones on concentration. Because with ADD (which I've been diagnosed with) you sometimes can't concentrate, no matter how hard you try, that's why it's called Attention Deficit Disorder (both my psychiatrist and my nurse have told me so).

 

Some of the ones about mindfullness were also not really for me, with my autism (my psychologist has said he thinks mindfullness isn't something for me) I already think a lot about what I'm doing and what's ahppening aournd me, and I need routines to make my life bearable. Unexpectedness is very difficult for someone with autism, and I have a lot of my routines for a good reason (or good reasons.).

 

I didn't quite agree with a few entries about belief, either.

 

That said, the book was nice to read when the entries were interesting (even if I didn't always agree). I have four more books by the author on my TBR, on my Kindle this time.

 

The book contained quite a few errors, mainly in spelling or typing / printing errors. I was still able to understand the text, but some errors repeated themselves throughout the book. For example, very often there was no comma between two verbs in a sentence, something which isn't needed in English but which is a must in Dutch (at least, according to my knowledge of it and my memories of Dutch classes). Sometimes letters in a word were missing or misspelled. Quite a few times there was no dot at the end of the last sentence of the entry, and once there was a dot in the middle of the sentence of the entry, making it seem as if it'd finished, to then continue on the next page following the same sentence. The country United States was designated, with quotes displaying the country of origin of the quoted person, as 'VS' which is the Dutch abbreviation (Verenigde Staten), but one time it was written as 'USA' (English abbreviation). These errors were a bit annoying and tiresome sometimes. I feel a lot of them could have been avoided with better editing and proofreading.

 

Overall then I liked the book but found not all of it as good as I had hoped it would be. There were some errors in the book which bothered me. I really liked the illustrations and colours used in the book, and the format / layout of it. Some of the 1001 entries were interesting and / or useful, others less so. There was a focus sometimes on spirtuality that I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed reading the book for the most part but unfortunately it wasn't brilliant.

 

Rating: (***) (6/10)

[Athena]

Jenny Hare - Het 1000 Vragenboekje over Liefde (Ask the 1000 Most Asked Questions About Love)

 

 

Genre: Information

Age-range: Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 443

Date read: 18-04-2015 <-> 25-04-2015

ISBN: 9789048301461

Synopsis (GoodReads): Have you ever wondered how to avoid being attracted to the same personality type; how to find the perfect partner; add sparkle to your marriage, deal with mixed feelings and disloyalties; get out of an unhappy relationship? Consult and keep Ask: Love handy for solving those perennial problems of the heart.

 

Jenny, using her experiences as an advice columnist addresses all those questions of love which have troubled her many readers over the years.

 

Learn how to tell your partner that you aren't satisfied with your sex together, why your Mr. Right always turns into Mr. Wrong, why you never seem to find a potential Mr. Right and why, when you do, you won't allow yourself to be loved. Turn your love life around, for the better, with Ask: Love.

 

My thoughts:

 

I bought this book at the book fair about half a year ago. I started to read it alongside a few other books, because it's not something that's well suited for reading it like a novel on its own.

 

This book contains ~10 chapters, divided into subcatagories. It contains in total 1000 questions and answers (I didn't count this though of course ) about love. Eacg Q&A bit was relatively brief, yet in total the book gave some nice insight and tips for a loving relationship.

 

The book contained some nice illustrations and colours. The illustrations in the chapters and the backgrounds were usually based on one of these, grey, white and one colour such as red, pink, green and blue. It differed per section of the book which colour was used in the colour scheme, but always white and grey.

 

I liked reading the book, it was an interesting format and it contained some nice information and tips.

 

Overall then I enjoyed reading this book. It contained some nice tips and I liked the design of the book.

 

Rating: (****) (8/10)

[Athena]

Richard Carlson and Kris Carlson - Maak van een Mug Geen Olifant in de Liefde: 100 Nuttige Tips om Hartzeer te Voorkomen (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love)

 

 

Genre: Information

Age-range: Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 304

Date read: 18-04-2015 <-> 25-04-2015

ISBN: 9789021038650

Synopsis (GoodReads): Heartache, anger, insecurities, and just the daily hassles of living together can cause friction in even the most happy couples. And for people who’ve been together for years, there’s the problem of simply taking each other for granted, and not putting enough energy into keeping the relationship vivid and alive. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love shows couples how to live together with revived passion, how not to let the little everyday irritations get to them, and how to appreciate each other in new and exciting ways.

 

In one hundred beautifully written but very practical essays, Richard and Kris Carlson show readers how not to overreact to a loved one’s criticism, how to get past old angers, how to let go of your top three pet peeves, and how to choose peace over irritation. They include such helpful advice as thinking before you speak, learning to cast away jealousy, avoiding one-upping, and not confusing your own frustration with a problem in the relationship. Essays such as “Try Not to Treat Ordinary Stuff Like Front-Page News” and “Become a Low-Maintenance Partner” will spur discussion with your spouse that will shed new light on even the longest-term relationships.

 

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love is the book that will help make you and your partner’s life together more peaceful, less stressful and more fun.

 

In Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love, readers learn how to improve their relationships by following Richard’s and Kris Carlson’s best personal advice:

Learn to Laugh at Yourself

Don’t Come Home Frazzled

Don’t Make Your Partner Walk on Eggshells

Be Sensitive When You Use Sarcasm

Don’t Sweat the Occasional Criticism

Become a World-Class Listener

Look Out for Each Other

- and much more.

 

My thoughts:

 

I bought this book at the book fair about half a year ago. I read it alongside some other books.

 

This books contains 100 tips about love and how to not sweat the small stuff in love (as it's called in the original English version). Each tip takes up about 2-4 pages. The book is written by a husband and wife, though most of the chapters are written from his point of view. The husband has written quite a few other books, such as Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work, the latter of which I've seen at the book fair, when I bought this book. Unfortunately the husband passed away a few years ago. The book was originally published in 1999 and this Dutch edition is from 2010.

 

One thing that really bothered me about this book is the writing style. I am sure this is in part due to the translation. The language use is very formal. In English, there is just 'you'. In Dutch, we have 'je' (informal) and 'u' (formal). By using 'u' as well as other very formal and awkward words, the text felt dry and impersonal. It wasn't that easy to read it, it didn't flow very well sometimes. I also didn't like the overuse of the phrase "maak van een mug geen olifant" or I presume it was "don't sweat the small stuff" in English. The phrase seemed too overused, normally in Dutch this expression "don't make a mosquito out of an eliphant" isn't used that often, and it felt weird to see it being used so often. Sometimes it felt it was just thrown it for the sake of it, I felt different wordings could have been used instead sometimes.

 

What I did like though were the contents of the book. The book contained plenty of good tips and good advice. Some i had heard of or used before myself. I liked how the authors used people they knew as an example, or things they experienced in their own life. This made the story seem more personal.

 

Overall then I enjoyed the contents of the book a lot, but I didn't like the writing style of this translation. It was way too formal and dry and it didn't read that easily. It is possible the original Enlgish version is less formal, due to the 'you' issue among other things. I read a sample / excerpt of the English version online, where the text certainly seemed to flow better. I thought the book had some nice tips and good content, but unfortunately the text was too formal and try so I didn't enjoy reading the book as much as I would have if I had liked the writing style.

 

Rating: (***) (6/10)

[Athena]

Reader's Digest - Doe Meer met Minder: Praktische Gids Met Geldbesparende Ideeën (Belgian version) (based on How to Pay Less for Just About Anything)

 

 

Genre: Information

Age-range: Adult

Format: Hardback (no flappy bits)

Pages: 328

Date read: 18-04-2015 <-> 25-04-2015

ISBN: 9789064078583

Synopsis (GoodReads):

 

My thoughts:

 

I bought this book at the book fair about a year ago. I read it alongside some other books. Unfortunately when I bought the book I hadn't seen this was the Belgian edition of the book (I bought at the book fair in the Netherlands). This edition was published in 2009.

 

The book contains quite a few chapters, with different subjects / catagories in which you could save money. Unfortunately because it's the Belgian edition, not all of the information works for the Netherlands. Our laws are different sometimes, and a lot of the weblinks given are for example of Belgian shops or sites. Because the book was published in 2009, some of the information is outdated, such as certain prices given (of course, I don't know what the prices are like in Belgium nowadays, but they are certainly higher here in the Netherlands). Also, videotapes aren't sold anymore for example, and DVD is widespread with Blu-rays taking the role that DVDs had back then I suppose.

 

I didn't completely read all of the information. I skipped a few bits that applied to Belgium but that I think are different here, and some bits that are currently of less interest to me.

 

The book contains some nice ideas and while not all of them are interesting for me, some of them are. I liked the illustrations, design of the pages, tables and photos.

 

Overall then I enjoyed reading this book and am glad it contains smoe nice tips. I liked less that this was the Belgian edition so not all of the information was applicable to the Netherlands, and that it was a bit older so some bits of information were outdated. This is of course not a fault with the book, but my bad for not checking it (then again, it's not said on the cover or anything). To be honest, I never check those things, it's never been a problem until now. Either way, the book does contain some nice tips though I thought not all of the tips were interesting or practical.

 

Rating: (****) (7/10)

[Athena]

Peter F. Hamilton - The Void Trilogy 1: The Dreaming Void

 

 

Genre: Science-fiction

Age-range: Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 796

Date read: 18-04-2015 <-> 26-04-2015

ISBN: 9780330443029

Synopsis (GoodReads): AD 3580. The Intersolar Commonwealth has spread through the galaxy to over a thousand star systems. It is a culture of rich diversity with a place for everyone. A powerful navy protects it from any hostile species that may lurk among the stars. For Commonwealth citizens, even death has been overcome. At its centre is a massive black hole. This Void is not a natural artefact. Inside there is a strange universe where the laws of physics are very different to those we know. It is slowly consuming the other stars of the galactic core - one day it will have devoured the entire galaxy.

 

Inigo, a human, has started to dream of a wonderful existence of the Void. He has a following of millions of believers. They now clamour to make a pilgrimage into the Void to live the life they have been shown. Other starfaring species fear their migration will cause the Void to expand again. They are prepared to stop them no matter what the cost.

 

And so the pilgrimage begins...

 

My thoughts:

 

I bought this book more than five years ago, along with some other books by the author, after I read and loved the book The Night's Dawn Trilogy 1: The Reality Dysfunction. The author was recommended to me by my boyfriend's brother. After reading Penny Vincenzi - A Perfect Heritage and Philip K. Dick - A Scanner Darkly, I felt in the mood for an epic long detailed space opera science-fiction story. I read the Commonwealth Saga last year and this trilogy takes place in the same universe, about ~1500 years after the Commonwealth Saga, according to the timeline at the end of The Dreaming Void.

 

The book consists of seven numbered chapters, with in between them chapters with Inigo's dreams. Within the numbered chapters there are several viewpoints / characters the book follows. At first I was a bit disappointed that up to then all of these somewhat important characters were male, but gladly after that it turned out there were some female important characters too. There are some references to events that happened in the Commonwealth Saga, but to go into more detail might be seen as spoiling some things. I can say though that I think you get more out of this book if you've read the Commonwealth Saga and are familiar with the universe, the people, planets, places and events in it.

 

I really liked the writing style. I also really liked the science-fiction elements. Like the Night's Dawn and the Commonwealth Saga, the universe in this book contains not just one science-fiction element different from our current world, but quite a few of them. The book takes place around 3580 AD. I really liked all these science-fiction concepts in the book, and their implications on the people's lives in the story. I loved how the author described all these concepts.

 

I really liked the various aliens too. Though the story is mainly about human characters and from their point of view, there are aliens and I found the various species interesting, they were quite different from humans (ie. in looks). I really liked the characters in the book, they were very interesting.

 

The book contains some really actionpacked scenes and also scenes that are more slower paced. I thought this was nice. A few plot twists I guessed, most however were unexpected twists. I really liked the plot twists and the story.

 

Overall then I really enjoyed reading this book. I have fond memories of the Night's Dawn trilogy, but they were also the first epic space oepra books I read, so part of loving them might also come because I'd never read anything like it before (of course, the books are probably also just brilliant). Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book, if not entirely as much as the Night's Dawn books. I loved the science-fiction ideas, the characters, the plot twists and the writing style. The story is not finished, because this is book one in a trilogy. I really look forward to reading the next two book and finding out what happens next and how it ends.

 

Rating: (*****) (10/10)

[Anna Begins]

Wow- TDV review was great!  What an epic and all those series you've read  

I also really love the cover for 1001 Ways to Live in the Moment.

[Athena]

Thanks !

 

Me too! The cover was one of the things that made me buy the book .

[Signor Finzione]

Wow, that's a lot of tips and advice you've been reading! I can see how the first one wouldn't be good to sit down and read all in one go. And how annoying about the errors.

 

I liked your review of the Hamilton book. In your opinion which of his books would be the best to start with for someone new to the author?

[ian]

Wow, that's a lot of tips and advice you've been reading! I can see how the first one wouldn't be good to sit down and read all in one go. And how annoying about the errors.

 

I liked your review of the Hamilton book. In your opinion which of his books would be the best to start with for someone new to the author?

 

Same question from me! Great review!!

[frankie]

The book is split up into 8 chapters (and an introduction and a 'register / index' at the end with words in alphabetical order (why does English not have a good word for this other than 'back-of-the-book' index? ), with subchapters, consisting in total of 1001 numbered 'entries' / bits. One entry can be one sentence long, up to almost a page (the book is quite small), pretty much one paragraph.

 

 

Do you mean a glossary?

[Athena]

Wow, that's a lot of tips and advice you've been reading! I can see how the first one wouldn't be good to sit down and read all in one go. And how annoying about the errors.

 

I liked your review of the Hamilton book. In your opinion which of his books would be the best to start with for someone new to the author?

Thanks . Yes, it was annoying .

 

Thanks ! (see below for answer)

 

Same question from me! Great review!!

Well, some of Peter F. Hamilton's books are related to one another, so it definitely can matter. I will outlay the different 'universes' below and give you some starting points .

 

So there is:

 

Confederation universe:

Night's Dawn 1: The Reality Dysfunction (you'll want to read these three in order)

Night's Dawn 2: The Neutronium Alchemist

Night's Dawn 3: The Naked God

A Second Chance at Eden (short story collection)

So a good starting point could be The Reality Dysfunction, which is what I started with. However, it is a big epic science-fiction book, so it's not for everyone (just like epic high fantasy isn't for everyone). If you're not boggled by books that involve multiple characters and storylines and usage of new concepts and words, you could give it a try. I absolutely love Night's Dawn. Steve (KarsaOrlong) also loves these books, but he liked less other books by the author.

 

Commonwealth universe:

Commonwealth Saga 1: Pandora's Star

Commonwealth Saga 2: Judas Unchained

Void 1: The Dreaming Void

Void 2: The Temporal Void

Void 3: The Evolutionary Void

NewSeries (according to Wikipedia called The Chronicle of the Fallers, the author's website doesn't have a link to it yet) 1: The Abyss Beyond Dreams

Misspent Youth (I read this one before reading any of the other novels, and while that's doable, I think you might get more out of the story if you don't read it before the Commonwealth Saga, also I didn't like this book as much as the other ones I've read, but maybe I'd like it more now that I've actually read the Commonwealth Saga books.).

If you want to start with this universe, Pandora's Star would be best.

 

Greg Mandel:

Greg Mandel 1: Mindstar Rising

Greg Mandel 2: A Quantum Murder

Greg Mandel 3: The Nano Flower

I've only read the first one so far, they are not as epic as the bigger books, and they are a bit more thriller like. However if you enjoy that, then Mindstar Rising could be a nice starting point.

 

Standalone books:

Fallen Dragon

The Great North Road

I haven't read these yet but since they are standalone, I presume they can be read on their own.

 

Manhattan in Reverse (short story collection) contains some standalone short stories but also one connected to the Commonwealth universe. I haven't read it yet. Alternatively, the short story If At First..., featured in Manhattan in Reverse, is available for free on Kindle. However, while I liked the story, it was nowhere near as good as the Night's Dawn books, the Commonwealth Saga or the one I just finished, The Dreaming Void.

 

In short, I'd personally recommend starting with Night's Dawn 1: The Reality Dysfunction, or Commonwealth Saga 1: Pandora's Star. If you like shorter, more thriller like books, you could read Greg Mandel 1: Mindstar Rising, and of course you could also read a standalone book, but I haven't read those yet myself.

 

Do you mean a glossary?

No, a glossary contains definitions of words or terms, thanks though . What I mean is an alphabetical list of words ('trefwoorden' in Dutch, but English doesn't seem to have a word for this) with page numbers, so one can see where a certain subject is discussed in a book? Ie. "yoga, p. 24, 98, 100".

[frankie]

No, a glossary contains definitions of words or terms, thanks though . What I mean is an alphabetical list of words ('trefwoorden' in Dutch, but English doesn't seem to have a word for this) with page numbers, so one can see where a certain subject is discussed in a book? Ie. "yoga, p. 24, 98, 100".

 

Oh sorry, my mistake! I completely misunderstood what you meant  

[Signor Finzione]

Well, some of Peter F. Hamilton's books are related to one another, so it definitely can matter. I will outlay the different 'universes' below and give you some starting points . 

 

Wow, thanks for such a detailed and thoughtful response! I'll probably steer towards Night's Dawn if I ever decide to read him in the future, then.

 

No, a glossary contains definitions of words or terms, thanks though  . What I mean is an alphabetical list of words ('trefwoorden' in Dutch, but English doesn't seem to have a word for this) with page numbers, so one can see where a certain subject is discussed in a book? Ie. "yoga, p. 24, 98, 100".

 

Index?

[Timstar]

Glad you liked The Dreaming Void! I enjoyed the Commonwealth Saga but the start of the Void trilogy was highly superior, much more tightly paced with better characters and plot. I did enjoy the references to the previous books though.

[Athena]

Oh sorry, my mistake! I completely misunderstood what you meant

Don't worry !

 

Wow, thanks for such a detailed and thoughtful response! I'll probably steer towards Night's Dawn if I ever decide to read him in the future, then.

 

Index?

If you do, I hope you enjoy it .

 

Yes, that could be it, I just thought that sounded too 'generic', but I guess it's the best word for it .

 

Glad you liked The Dreaming Void! I enjoyed the Commonwealth Saga but the start of the Void trilogy was highly superior, much more tightly paced with better characters and plot. I did enjoy the references to the previous books though.

I liked it better too, and I also enjoyed the references. I can hardly wait to read the other two books in the trilogy, which I will do after the read-a-thon the upcoming weekend (because I can't read the epic books the whole day long). I must show patience, it will be rewarded (hopefully) .

[Karsa Orlong]

So a good starting point could be The Reality Dysfunction, which is what I started with. However, it is a big epic science-fiction book, so it's not for everyone (just like epic high fantasy isn't for everyone). If you're not boggled by books that involve multiple characters and storylines and usage of new concepts and words, you could give it a try. I absolutely love Night's Dawn. Steve (KarsaOrlong) also loves these books, but he liked less other books by the author.

 

 

Tis true, tis true.  The Night's Dawn trilogy is head and shoulders above anything else I've read by him.  I love it's blend of SF and horror.  I did really enjoy the Greg Mandel books, though - especially A Quantum Murder (which was the very first of his books I read) and The Nano Flower.  I enjoyed Fallen Dragon and Manhattan in Reverse, too, although I wouldn't say either was a particularly good place to start.  

 

The Commonwealth Saga I thought started well with Pandora's Star but Judas Unchained was so bad it pretty much made we want to start breaking things.  It - so far - has put me off reading the Void trilogy, although yours and Tim's reviews have made me toy with the idea again - not enough to actually read it, but enough to pick them up for £1.99 each on Kindle 

 

So, yeah, I'd go for Night's Dawn all the way.  IMO, it's got his best story, his best ideas, his best characters (apart from Paula Myo, the one bright spot in the Commonwealth books), best everything really.  Plus it was back in the day when his writing was fresh and exciting and the story content justified the length of the books.  

[Michelle]

Tis true, tis true.  The Night's Dawn trilogy is head and shoulders above anything else I've read by him.  I love it's blend of SF and horror. 

well that got my attention! Has gone on the wish-list!

[Karsa Orlong]

well that got my attention! Has gone on the wish-list!

 

The first book, The Reality Dysfunction, is 99p on Kindle at the moment 

 

ETA:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reality-Dysfunction-Nights-Dawn-trilogy-ebook/dp/B003GK21DA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1430303672&sr=1-1&keywords=the+reality+dysfunction

 

Might be worth trying the sample first, just to see if you like it, though 

Edited April 29, 2015 by Karsa Orlong

[Michelle]

I don't use my kindle much - but I have just sent the sample through to try.

[Athena]

Tis true, tis true.  The Night's Dawn trilogy is head and shoulders above anything else I've read by him.  I love it's blend of SF and horror.  I did really enjoy the Greg Mandel books, though - especially A Quantum Murder (which was the very first of his books I read) and The Nano Flower.  I enjoyed Fallen Dragon and Manhattan in Reverse, too, although I wouldn't say either was a particularly good place to start.  

 

The Commonwealth Saga I thought started well with Pandora's Star but Judas Unchained was so bad it pretty much made we want to start breaking things.  It - so far - has put me off reading the Void trilogy, although yours and Tim's reviews have made me toy with the idea again - not enough to actually read it, but enough to pick them up for £1.99 each on Kindle 

 

So, yeah, I'd go for Night's Dawn all the way.  IMO, it's got his best story, his best ideas, his best characters (apart from Paula Myo, the one bright spot in the Commonwealth books), best everything really.  Plus it was back in the day when his writing was fresh and exciting and the story content justified the length of the books.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts . 

 

I don't use my kindle much - but I have just sent the sample through to try.

I hope you like it .

 

I went into town yesterday and went to the charity shop and to the library (and some other shops, but they didn't involve books so ).

 

I bought four books at Terre Des Hommes:

 

N. Schuttevaêr-Velthuys, Anke de Graaf, Gerda van Wageningen, Mien van 't Sant and Kathinka Lannoy - Gouden Vijf 16: N. Schuttevaêr-Velthuys - Dwalingen, Anke de Graaf - Karins Kinderen, Gerda van Wageningen - Grazige Weiden, Mien van 't Sant - Geluk Vraagt Moed, Kathinka Lannoy - Cirkel van Geluk

Richard Bachman - De Ontvoering (Blaze) (this is a book written by Stephen King, before he named himself Stephen King)

Tatiana de Rosnay - Die Laatste Zomer (Boomerang) (from the same author as Her Name Was Sarah)

Virginia Andrews - Stralende Sterren 2: Ice (I read this at the library when I was a teenager)

 

I also bought a few books at the library:

 

Geronimo Stilton - Een Reis Door De Tijd 7: Op Naar De Prehistorie! (Dinosauri in Azione!) (a comic book)

Francine Oomen - De Computerheks 1: De Computerheks (I am sure I read this when I was a child)

Chris Lauwers - Gewoon Een Jongen Met Autisme

Peter Vermeulen and Christoph Fink - Dialogica: Autisme < = > Kunst

 

And I loaned some books from the library (most are read-a-thon reads, I'm not sure I'll get around to all of these books from the library, but we'll see. It's just hard to resist borrowing them, especially when you find something you haven't seen there yet before.):

 

Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton 30: Vier Knagers in het Wilde Westen (Quattro Topi Nel Far West)

Joe Carrot - Joe Carrot 2: De Vuurpijl (La Freccia Di Fuoco)

Joe Carrot - Joe Carrot 3: De Ongrijpbare Rode Klauw (Il Mistero Di Artiglio Rosso)

Liz Pichon - Tom Gates 1: The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

Rachel Renée Russel - Dork Diaries 7: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star

Francine Oomen - Hoe Overleef Ik... 4: Hoe Overleef Ik Mijn Eerste Zoen?

Eric Clavie - Benno 1: Benno en de Griezelfabriek

Eric Clavie - Benno 2: Benno en het Drakengeld

Hilde E. Gerard and Eric Bouwens - Heinrich Ooooh 2: Heinrich Ooooh & De Vraatzuchtige Vampiers

Hilde E. Gerard and Eric Bouwens - Heinrich Ooooh 3: Heinrich Ooooh & De Zeurderige Zombies

Diane Wynne Jones - The Game

Natasha Farrant - The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby 2: Flora in Love

Do van Ranst - Dit Is Dina! Omnibus 1-4: Zeven Zinnen en een Zoen, Een Pruik en Paarse Lippen, Hoge Hakken en een Hoed, Lieve Lachjes en een Leugen

John Flanagan - Ranger's Apprentice 1: The Ruins of Gorlan

H. G. Wells - The War of the Worlds

Agatha Christie - Miss Marple Omnibus 3: Nemesis, Sleeping Murder, At Bertram's Hotel, The Murder at the Vicarage

 

Here's a photo of all the books:

 

 

I have also read a couple of short books during the past week, but I haven't yet typed out the reviews (I wrote these with pen and paper). I will do so, after the read-a-thon this weekend, and type out all the reviews in one go and then post them.

[Signor Finzione]

Lovely books Gaia! Well done for loaning a lot more than you bought.