Janet Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Bless you - that's sweet of you but I'm happy to pay the postage costs. It probably won't be until the middle of next week that I can get to the post office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 No worries, there's no rush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I pronounce your name 'guy-a', as in rhymes with 'bye'. Is that wrong? That sounds about right ! A lot of Dutch people tend to pronounce the 'g' in the somewhat 'Dutch' way, as most words in Dutch that start with a g are pronounced differently from the 'g' in English. The 'g' in my name is pronounced like the 'g' in 'goal' one of the English words sometimes used in Dutch when people are excited about sports. Particularly people in the south of my country tend to pronounce the 'g' as a 'zachte g' or a 'soft g'. I'd tell you how that sounds, but there is no way to tell you in English as the English language doesn't have words with it. My boyfriend tries to pronounce some Dutch words, such as 'graag' or 'gezellig' but he doesn't get the 'g' in them quite right, yet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 That sounds about right ! A lot of Dutch people tend to pronounce the 'g' in the somewhat 'Dutch' way, as most words in Dutch that start with a g are pronounced differently from the 'g' in English. The 'g' in my name is pronounced like the 'g' in 'goal' one of the English words sometimes used in Dutch when people are excited about sports. Particularly people in the south of my country tend to pronounce the 'g' as a 'zachte g' or a 'soft g'. I'd tell you how that sounds, but there is no way to tell you in English as the English language doesn't have words with it. My boyfriend tries to pronounce some Dutch words, such as 'graag' or 'gezellig' but he doesn't get the 'g' in them quite right, yet . Hmm I think I'm probably as close as I can be in my native tongue so! I'm not great with the sounds from other languages (I've learned a bit of Norwegian, and my god, it's like they just never learned to enunciate! I love the language, but I just can't be that gutteral sometimes!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) Two new reviews! Where The Trains Turn - Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen Synopsis: Emma Nightingale prefers to remain grounded in reality as much as possible. Yet she’s willing to indulge her nine year-old son Rupert’s fascination with trains, as it brings him closer to his father, Gunnar, from whom she is separated. Once a month, Gunnar and Rupert venture out to follow the rails and watch the trains pass. Their trips have been pleasant, if uneventful, until one afternoon Rupert returns in tears. “The train tried to kill us,” he tells her. Rupert’s terror strikes Emma as merely the product of an overactive imagination. After all, his fears could not be based in reality, could they? Review: Where The Trains Turn is written from the perspective of Rupert's mother, Emma, a woman who has little or no tolerance for anything that encourages the imagination or creative mind. This short novel documents the progression of her son through life, and the effects of imagination on his well-being... or does it? An extremely unusual novel, it's very difficult to review or to talk about the characters without spoiling anything, as it is much more the experience of how events unfold, than the events themselves, that make this a story worth reading.I found it impossible to relate to the mother, and disliked her for a good portion of the early novel, but have to admit that I did come to later understand, if not like her towards the middle and end. Rupert is a very easy character to like, and even if the narrative at times drags and may leave the reader unsure where it is all going, the question of Rupert's fate and the nature of the trains that run outside their timetables are compelling enough to pull you forward - and it is worth it.The end of the novel is what it is all about - while there is more than one twist that caught me by surprise throughout the story, the ending was utterly unexpected, superbly written (allowing for the translation to English from Finnish) and absolutely makes it worth reading. Part of me would have liked to read a full novel, but such is the nature of the story, I think, that it would only work as a short.Very unusual.Rating: 4/5 *** Attachments - Rainbow Rowell Synopsis: Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. But they go on sending each other endless hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives. Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ?Review: I went into this book, somewhat skeptical of the quality of this author's books (never read one before, heard mixed reviews), and only looking for something light. Light, I definitely got. The quality of the author's books... my jury is still out.The basic premise is a fantastic one, it quite possibly supersedes my beloved You've Got Mail in terms of ridiculous, electronic romance stories. But I don't feel Rowell did her concept justice. Some elements of the book are very good - for instance, every time I read a conversation between the female leads Beth and Jennifer, I giggled, smiled, or at the very least saw so much of myself in Jennifer that I couldn't but like her. I could take or leave pretty much all the other characters, though.Things I didn't like included the sheer volume of popular culture references. I felt like I was reading an entertainment magazine at times, or at the very least a Hipster-level attempt at name-dropping for the sake of making oneself look cool, which is a shame, because Rowell does have a knack for writing without needing that. I also found Lincoln as a character to be wholly unlikely, and the ending to be a tad ridiculous. Which, I suppose, was inevitable, but I do feel the whole concept could have been done justice in another author's hands.All in all, a fun, and at times amusing, read, but also not one that will do your brain cells any degree of good.Rating: 3/5 Edited January 25, 2015 by Nollaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'm glad you liked both books. Great reviews! It's a shame Attachments wasn't as enjoyable for you as it was for me. I didn't get some of the references so I kind of just skipped past them.. I did get others though. I hope your next read will be more enjoyable . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 I got every single reference, which is probably why it bothered me so much. It was just too much. Pick two or three things that capture your character well, and refer back to those regularly - like Quantum Leap, that was the only one that didn't feel forced coz she used it a bit. Last night I read over 150 pages of The Half Blood Prince, and have about 200 left to go. It's much funnier than Order Of The Phoenix, and I am actually really enjoying it. I snorted/giggled out loud a couple of times last night at like 3am The bit about Harry wanting to pass over (the topic of) Fred's left buttock, just as Fred walks in and says 'Excuse me?' I do love those twins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 It's much funnier than Order Of The Phoenix, and I am actually really enjoying it. I snorted/giggled out loud a couple of times last night at like 3am The bit about Harry wanting to pass over (the topic of) Fred's left buttock, just as Fred walks in and says 'Excuse me?' I do love those twins! That was a great bit , the twins really are great characters . What did you think of them in the movies, I thought those actors did a great job of portraying them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 I totally fancy them in the films I prefer George, in both the films and the books he's always come across as less snarky and a bit more kind than Fred - quicker to say please and thanks outright, and less quick to mock people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I prefer George too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Finished The Half-Blood Prince today - definitely enjoyed it a LOT more than Order of the Phoenix - wasn't nearly as long-winded and while the romance aspect is undesireable (in both the film and book) - it's still among the better and darker of the stories, so I really liked it. There were some hilarious laugh out loud moments, and aside from the lack of funeral, the film was very true to the book's ending, so naturally I enjoyed how it was written. One book to go, my word! I might take my time a little with Deathly Hallows, as I do adore the films. I think I might also skim back over book three, to revist Lupin, having seen more of him now in the later books. Still feel he was horribly underutilized, much like Sirius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I think you've stolen my reading mojo Noll, I can't get into anything! Enjoy that last HP book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 I think you've stolen my reading mojo Noll, I can't get into anything! Enjoy that last HP book! Awww I'm sorry I actually kind of feel like that between books, I spent a while last night really unsure what to pick up, not feeling like I wanted to read anything that I have. Fortunately last night, I made an apparently great decision - I got The Martian by Andy Weir on my tablet's Kindle and I'm already 120ish pages in because I'm loving it! Nice change from all the fiction and fantasy - bit of uncomplicated, easy to read sci-fi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I have quite a few books which should really be appealing to me, but they just aren't. Which is my fault rather than the books', I'm sure. I've just ordered a psychological thriller from amazon vine, and I'm looking forward to that one arriving. I listened to The Martian a while ago, and loved it.. the ending is like a tense film! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Oooh excellent to hear! See, we don't always disagree, I think you're just a bit more tolerant than me when it comes to YA! I read somewhere the film rights were snapped up and a film version is due out the end of this year. If they do it, I really hope it's understated, and a minimal dialogue film, helmed almost entirely by one actor (for the most part, anyway, go all cinematic with the rescue if there is a rescue for sure, but maximize the feeling of isolation with a one-man, minimal dialogue setup). When that is done well (as in the film Moon, for instance), it's brilliant. Edited January 29, 2015 by Nollaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Ah, but there are parts of the book set back on earth, as they try to help him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 They could easily move all that stuff to later in the film, rather than switching back and forth. Either way, as long as its a good film, I don't mind. I'm just so wary of films having their blockbuster status prioritized over actually being good films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Finished The Half-Blood Prince today - definitely enjoyed it a LOT more than Order of the Phoenix - wasn't nearly as long-winded and while the romance aspect is undesireable (in both the film and book) - it's still among the better and darker of the stories, so I really liked it. There were some hilarious laugh out loud moments, and aside from the lack of funeral, the film was very true to the book's ending, so naturally I enjoyed how it was written. One book to go, my word! I might take my time a little with Deathly Hallows, as I do adore the films. I think I might also skim back over book three, to revist Lupin, having seen more of him now in the later books. Still feel he was horribly underutilized, much like Sirius. I'm so glad you enjoyed the sixth book, Noll ! I hope you enjoy the last book too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 I don't think I'm acknowledging how sad I'm going to be when there's no more Harry Potter to read haha, but it'll be nice to have them all read. I've seen so many references since I started that I now understand and it makes me so happy. Hoping to finish The Martian today or tomorrow as well, to hit 12 books in January. Then, if I were to manage 2 books a week for the rest of the year, I could read 100 books by the end of the year I've always wanted to hit that goal, but have never come close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Bit late to the party, but I love the Weasley twins too! The thing that saves The Order of the Phoenix for me, is their taunting of Umbridge with their inventions, starting with the little things like those puking pastilles, but especially the portable swamp They were my favourite part of that whole book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 No worries! Still one more book to go, so all Harry Potter discussion is welcome for a while! Yes, I did love that, the twins had a rather excellent exit in the books. I'm very much getting the feeling now that it's easier to get more out of the films if you've read the books - whether intentionally or unintentionally, some things just aren't made clear in the films that would be clear if you had already read the books. That was long-winded, if it made no sense, never mind I've finished reading The Martian, it changed quite drastically in feel once Earth got involved, but I still enjoyed it. I feel it may only get 4.5 stars though. I'm being very harsh this year! I'll write a review for it over the next couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I personally think it needed the Earth aspect, to break it up a bit. The audio version was good, he read it with real feeling, especially the swear words! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I've finished reading The Martian, it changed quite drastically in feel once Earth got involved, but I still enjoyed it. I feel it may only get 4.5 stars though. I'm being very harsh this year! I'll write a review for it over the next couple of days. You made your goal!! Congrats! Looking forward to the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I personally think it needed the Earth aspect, to break it up a bit. The audio version was good, he read it with real feeling, especially the swear words! I agree. The Earth part came quite late in the book (well, quite a few chapters in) and I remember feeling a bit relieved to get a different part of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 I personally think it needed the Earth aspect, to break it up a bit. The audio version was good, he read it with real feeling, especially the swear words! A bit of earth aspect, and the communication stuff, was good. I just think if he was always going to include that much earth stuff, then he should have done it from the start. Also, way too many characters with not enough time to get to know any of them imo. I still loved it though! Looking forward to the film. You made your goal!! Congrats! Looking forward to the review. I did haha! Wahey! Now just 2 books a week to hit my other goal of 100 in a year I agree. The Earth part came quite late in the book (well, quite a few chapters in) and I remember feeling a bit relieved to get a different part of the story. See top of this post for my reply to Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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