Janet Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 You are all bad great influences me I fixed that for you ^ Haha - you're so funny! It's March already and I haven't picked a single title from the book box I have 19 books borrowed from the library at the moment (well after I've taken some back ) and I have 16 reservations. Crap! I think I should be more strict... Okay I'll try and read 10 books from the library books first and then it's 1 TBR book per 1 library book that I read. I'll have to try! Edit: And no borrowing books from the library!! Except for the reserved books. Got to be more strict about this. Just be careful. In my experience if a person puts too much pressure on themselves it can have the opposite effect. Try not to stress too much. Although I hope the book that's bubbling under comes to the boil before too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Yes .. don't worry about picking from the box .. it's there for when you want to. With your reading mojo you have to go with the flow .. it obviously wants to read other books at the mo' so that's fine. It's a very good and noble thing to borrow books from a library .. you are doing so much to help the community as well as reading some awesome books xx There's plenty of time to read your own books .. the whole of your life. If you're still on here aged 80 and haven't read those books then we promise we'll nag (I will be at least 100 by then and so will be speaking my mind, being rude and up to my limit on warning points ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I've also come away from my book jar for the moment. I've been having a children's and YA fest, reading through the Waterstone's prize shortlists, but I know that jar is there waiting for me when I'm ready. As Janet and Kay said, don't worry about it, and if you've got books you want to read now, just go with the flow. You'll know when it's time to use it … perhaps next time you're dithering about which book to read, the box can help you then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Thanks for the comments. You guys are right, I should go with the flow and read what mojo wants me to read... I guess I'd already forgotten that my mojo was having some issues just a short while ago and I should not make it cross I guess when things settle down for me what with a few things in my life and mojo felt safer around me, I could try with the book box. It's just that I've been curious about the book box for so long, and I want to know what it would pick out for me! And I want to reduce my TBR pile. And I'm jealous of those who've been so successful with their book jars. There, I said it, I'm jealous I'm only human! Although I hope the book that's bubbling under comes to the boil before too long! Haha! Unfortunately I've tried starting the book maybe three times and have never gotten further than the first few pages. For some reason I find it difficult If you're still on here aged 80 and haven't read those books then we promise we'll nag (I will be at least 100 by then and so will be speaking my mind, being rude and up to my limit on warning points) I hope we get discounts on the incontinence pads by then! Surely we will, what with having to buy in bulk I've also come away from my book jar for the moment. I've been having a children's and YA fest, reading through the Waterstone's prize shortlists, but I know that jar is there waiting for me when I'm ready. As Janet and Kay said, don't worry about it, and if you've got books you want to read now, just go with the flow. You'll know when it's time to use it … perhaps next time you're dithering about which book to read, the box can help you then. That's good advice, going for the book box when I can't make up my mind the next time. I haven't had that sort of a problem in a while, what with the great library selection of books... Let's just say that I will try, but I won't stress it. And there's nothing wrong with borrowing books from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) I went to see a doctor today, it was my first time visiting the local health care center. It's only a kilometer way, I'm so lucky with the location. Anyway, I went in to show a mole that's gone a bit funny. The doctor took a look at it and said that it seems like it's most likely benign but as it's in a tricky place (my clothes tear into it sometimes) she agreed that they'd remove it. Thank goodness! The doc was really nice and helpful on other things I wanted to ask about as well. We scheduled the operation for next month and I'm so happy I've had two weird moles removed before so I know the procedure and anyways, things like that don't faze me, when I know that they don't hurt. I'm actually a bit excited about it. At least I'll be happy when it's gone and I don't have to worry about it anymore! Well, when it was over, and even though it had gone well, I thought I deserved a bit of a treat and as the health care center is almost next to the charity shop I sometimes go to, I thought I'd pop in. The selection there isn't all that interesting usually, so I thought it would be great: I'd get to browse books but I wouldn't have to spend any money. I was wrong! I noticed a copy of Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe and I had to buy it. I've only read A Man in Full by him but I absolutely loved it. This copy is a paperback in pristine condition (I don't think anyone's read the copy), and it's an English original. And a beautiful cover it is! 2e for that, not too shabby, thank you very much. But then I noticed a copy of Purge by Sofi Oksanen... She's one of my favorite Finnish authors and I already have the two previous novels by her and I've been wanting to buy a copy of Purge for years now... There's a small crease on the front page but otherwise it's in great condition. 3,5e, so not the cheapest, but I will never find the novel at a cheaper price, so I had to buy it. Oh and the doctor also renewed my allergy prescriptions so now I can start using a nasal spray for my hay fever and it will make my life a lot easier and better. It's a good day Edited March 11, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I'm glad you had a good visit to the doctor and I hope you enjoy your new books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 #13. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion I don't want to write down the blurb so I won't spoil things for you who've read the first novel in the series, The Rosie Project. I know how you felt, as any blurb was full of spoilers. TRE was a hoo! I have 19 books borrowed from the library at the moment (well after I've taken some back ) and I have 16 reservations. Crap! I think I should be more strict... Okay I'll try and read 10 books from the library books first and then it's 1 TBR book per 1 library book that I read. I'll have to try! Edit: And no borrowing books from the library!! Except for the reserved books. Got to be more strict about this. :friends3:My library reserve list is 7 books, 2 ebooks and I have treebooks on loan at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 I know how you felt, as any blurb was full of spoilers. TRE was a hoo! It really was. I'm actually missing Don :friends3:My library reserve list is 7 books, 2 ebooks and I have treebooks on loan at the moment. I think it's good to have a load of reserved books because one can't get to them without reserving them. And then it's like a surprise Christmas when you get a notice that a book is waiting for you at the library It would be pretty horrid, though, if all the reserved books arrived at the same time... Unmanageable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) 15. My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl Blurb: It's 1989, and Rae is a fat, boy-mad 17-year-old girl, living in Stamford, Lincolnshire with her mum and their deaf white cat in a council house with a mint off-green bath suite and a larder Rae can't keep away from. This is the hilarious and touching real-life diary she kept during that fateful year. My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary evokes a vanished time when Charles and Di are still together, the Berlin wall is up, Kylie is expected to disappear from the charts at any moment and it's £1,30 for a Snakebite and Black down at the Vaults pub. It will speak to anyone who's ever been a confused, lonely teenager who clashes with their Mother, takes themselves VERY seriously and has no idea how hilarious they are. Thoughts: A massive shout-out and huge thanks to Chrissy who was reading / had read this book a few years ago and mentioned it (reviewed it?) in some thread or another. I got curious. Coincidentally only a few months after that I noticed they were airing the TV show based on the diary on a Finnish TV website and decided to give it a go even though I hadn't yet read the book. I watched the first episode and wasn't sure if I should continue. After the second episode, I was hooked I recommended the series to a few friends and they loved the show, too. When I moved to Espoo, I went through the books on my wishlist to see which ones can be found in the libraries here and was thrilled to see that they had copies of MFMTD. I borrowed a copy in the fall and started reading it but couldn't get into it. The names were different or they referred to different characters in the book and I felt like I was just too close to the TV series and needed to separate it from the book. I felt like I couldn't do it at the time. I left the idea of reading the book on the backburner... A few weeks ago I stumbled on a copy again and decided to borrow it. No pressure! And then when I picked it up, the time felt right I was ready! When Rae mentioned she was going to be 28 in 2000, I thought that's funny, I was 18 at the time. Then I found out Rae's birthday is on 13.12., so only five days before me. She's a decade and 5 days older than me, to be exact. A fellow Sagittarius It's a silly little thing but I found it a nice coincidence. About the book... I'm a decade younger but I still got most of the music references and there were quite a few songs I listened to myself as a kid. Even though I was just a clueless kid when Rae was a teenager, I can still relate to the music scene. And boy, could I relate to her emotions... I never had a boyfriend in (junior) high school and I was desperate to find true love I wasn't as brave as Rae was, though. Apparently she was loud and liked to be the center of attention. She liked having a laugh and liked making people laugh. It's her softer side she didn't show. Having seen the show first and reading the book second, I could hear Sharon Rooney's voice when I was reading the diary. And all the other characters were there, too. I wish I owned the DVDs so I could re-watch the show It's a must-purchase in the future. There's also a sequel and I've already sent the library a request that they order a copy! If that doesn't happen, I might just have to cough up some money and buy my own. Even if you don't feel like reading the book, I would highly recommend the TV series. It's brilliant! Edit: Quite oddly, I don't think Oasis was mentioned at all in the book. It was mentioned loads in the TV series. It was always Blur against Oasis and of course Oasis was the band one ought to listen to, not Blur 5/5 Edit: Here's Rae Earl's interview from 2013 in case anyone's interested. Edit 2: The TV series is set in a slightly different period of time, in 1996. Edited March 15, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 That sounds really interesting Frankie! However I don't know if I would enjoy it because I would probably understand about 1% of the references to pop culture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 That sounds really interesting Frankie! However I don't know if I would enjoy it because I would probably understand about 1% of the references to pop culture I'm sure you must have heard of The New Kids on the Block, at least, even if they were waayyyyy before your time Here's one that was mentioned. I got an LP record as a Christmas present one year, it was one of those song collections by different artists/bands, and this was one of the songs on the album: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Great review Frankie I've never seen the TV series so will look out for it or seek it out and the accompanying books .. even though I was more of a Blurite .. than an Oasisite It's not my era but I'd know all the references etc I'm sure. It sounds a little like How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran and I loved that so I'm pretty confident I'll like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Great review Frankie I've never seen the TV series so will look out for it or seek it out and the accompanying books .. even though I was more of a Blurite .. than an Oasisite It's not my era but I'd know all the references etc I'm sure. It sounds a little like How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran and I loved that so I'm pretty confident I'll like it. Haha, I will make an exception with you and not hassle you about being a Blurite I'm sure you'll know the references, and all the British stuff will of course be familiar to you. Not sure where Stamford is... in Lincolnshire I think... Was Adrian Mole from Lincolnshire? It said on the book cover that 'If Adrian Mole had a sister...', meaning Rae would be it. That's a bold statement and quite inaccurate in my opinion, even though I love both books. The TV series is just so brilliant... The actors do such a fine job, everyone, and it's not a series that sugar coats things. It makes you sad and mad sometimes. But there are also great times... wub wub wub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 I found an interesting interview re: Rae Earl and what she's up to now (she's living in Tasmania!) and what she has to say about her diaries. I'll add the link to my review post of the book, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Haha, I will make an exception with you and not hassle you about being a Blurite I'm sure you'll know the references, and all the British stuff will of course be familiar to you. Not sure where Stamford is... in Lincolnshire I think... Was Adrian Mole from Lincolnshire? It said on the book cover that 'If Adrian Mole had a sister...', meaning Rae would be it. That's a bold statement and quite inaccurate in my opinion, even though I love both books. The TV series is just so brilliant... The actors do such a fine job, everyone, and it's not a series that sugar coats things. It makes you sad and mad sometimes. But there are also great times... wub wub wub! Adrian was from Leicestershire wasn't he? Still .. not a million miles away They do love to make these comparisons .. the next Harry Potter or Wodehouse meets Fleming or whatever. Love Nina had something about Mary Poppins on it .. though apart from her being a London nanny there was no similarity. They like to try and catch people Will definitely look out for the TV series I remember when it was first on because I saw the trailers but like everything .. I missed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Adrian was from Leicestershire wasn't he? Ah yes. Well it started with an L and there was a shire at the end Why all the shires... Very unimaginative! Still .. not a million miles away They do love to make these comparisons .. the next Harry Potter or Wodehouse meets Fleming or whatever. Love Nina had something about Mary Poppins on it .. though apart from her being a London nanny there was no similarity. They like to try and catch people I guess I don't usually pay much attention to book covers, I might only read the blurb but skip all the reviewy parts and the marketing oneliners. The Adrian Mole just caught my eye for some reason. Like Rae said, Adrian Mole is a humorous character but Rae is real Will definitely look out for the TV series I remember when it was first on because I saw the trailers but like everything .. I missed it I'm sure they'll do re-runs at some point, I have a feeling it's a popular show. At least it's been well-received. They are actually just filming the third and final series. For some reason I'd thought that the second season was the final one and there's no more, so I was really giddy when I heard about the third season (I've liked the TV series on FB so I get these info bits every now and then ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Having problems with my current book, and it's another Mobile Library novel... I was enjoying it when I was reading it the last two nights but by the next time I picked the book up, I had no idea where I was and what had happened. I've started to think that as the book is not as plot driven and fast paced as perhaps the books I normally read, I am not able to concentrate on it. I think at the moment I need clear cut, going-somewhere-and-not-taking-too-many-sideroads-to-get-there sort of books So I've put the book down (I will read it later!) and will start some other one. Luckily I got a notice saying that the fifth Malory Towers book is waiting for me at the library, and I also got a copy of OMG! Is This Actually My Life? Hattie Moore's Unbelievable Year! by Rae Earl. (As I wasn't able to get a copy of the Rae Earl diary sequel, I opted for her fictitious novel which is also in the form of a diary.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 .. even though I was more of a Blurite .. than an Oasisite Oooh, me too! Maybe it comes from being a Sarf Eastener rather than an Ooop Northerner?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Could that be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Oooh, me too! Maybe it comes from being a Sarf Eastener rather than an Ooop Northerner?! Could that be? Yes I believe you're right Janet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) Now that I think about it, I was an Ooop Northener so that's three out of three! Edit: And Lincolnshire is up in north, innit? So that would explain Rae Earl and her gang, too Edited March 19, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 15. My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl ut I found it a nice coincidence. .... There's also a sequel and I've already sent the library a request that they order a copy! If that doesn't happen, I might just have to cough up some money and buy my own. I finished reading Rae Earl's OMG! Is This Actually My Life? Hattie Moore's Unbelievable Year! last night and I just went to check if the library has a copy of the possible sequel. No, they didn't, but I noticed that they had already ordered a copy of My Madder, Fatter Diary Vol 2.! :exc: I'm so excited! And talk about customer service... I immediately reserved a copy of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I went to the library to get a reserved book that had arrived for me. It's one of the new books in my library's collection and I found out about it when I was checking out the library's website for their recently acquired books. The title caught my eye It's called Galina Petrovna's Three-Legged Dog Story, it's by Andrea Bennett. Then I checked the book swap shelves and found a copy of Lassie Come-Home and couldn't resist And third dog's the charm: when I was heading out, this really cute dog was trying to get in through the revolving door. They'd stopped moving for some reason and the dog was puzzled. Well maybe not as puzzled as the people ... The dog was of an unsual breed, possibly a brown Australian cattle dog but I'm not absolutely sure. It seemed a bit slimmer and not as heavy built as chaliepud's Obi and Jojo. A very good visit I think I'm going to do a little read-a-thon of my own this weekend. I had plans to go home and visit folks this weekend but due to some unexpected stuff, the plans are now cancelled and I have a free weekend and I feel like I really need it to recharge my batteries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I went to the library to get a reserved book that had arrived for me. It's one of the new books in my library's collection and I found out about it when I was checking out the library's website for their recently acquired books. The title caught my eye It's called Galina Petrovna's Three-Legged Dog Story, it's by Andrea Bennett. I've seen this book mentioned a few times on Twitter, and read an article about the author who was signed directly by the publisher without an agent after they held an open submission for writers to submit their manuscripts. It's got some great reviews, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of it, especially as although it's only out in hardback at the moment, the Kindle version is very reasonably priced, so I could be tempted by a good review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) I've seen this book mentioned a few times on Twitter, and read an article about the author who was signed directly by the publisher without an agent after they held an open submission for writers to submit their manuscripts. It's got some great reviews, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of it, especially as although it's only out in hardback at the moment, the Kindle version is very reasonably priced, so I could be tempted by a good review! Wow, don't you just love these open submission things, it can really get someone talented going and big! I warn you, though: I have probably 20 books from the library as a loan at the moment so I don't know when I will get to the book. And even though I always have good intentions to read all the books I borrow, ... well you can imagine how tricky it is to read so many books This certain book is one of the most tempting loans I have at the moment so that will be in your favor Edited March 21, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.