kelly2008 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I've only ever read The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe Thats my favourite so far, my least favourite is 'The Magicians Nephew' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 I think you and I are reading the books in a different order. I decided to go for the publication order and I think you're reading in chronological order (I believe there's no right or wrong way of reading them.) This means The Magician's Nephew will be the second to last book I'll read and The Horse and His Boy is third last! My book (I have them all in one volume) has them in chronological order, so I'm jumping all over the place to read them. I'm trying to read one every couple of months; that way I can draw them out and enjoy them longer, and at the same time it won't take me forever to read. It would be nice to have all the books as separate volumes. It just so happens I got a voucher for 50% off the boxed set at Borders, but even with that I think it's a little pricey. I'll just stick with my chunky book and read it at home when I get a chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly2008 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I thought it was weird what it says in The Magicians Nephew, I think I would have rather read them in the publishing order, even though my way makes sense it doesnt quite fit, hard to explain lol So whats the publishing order? and where are you upto? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 The order they were published: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician's Nephew The Last Battle The next one on my list is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly2008 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 That makes more sense My favourite 2 are 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'Prince Caspian' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I'm downloading The Chronicles of Narnia, yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly2008 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 What order will you listen to them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Well I guess the publishing order would make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly2008 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Well I guess the publishing order would make sense? I'm reading them in the chronological order and it makes sense that way too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 (edited) Kell is a bit of a Narnia expert, and she recommends reading/listening to them in the order they're numbered on the spines... 1. The Magicians Nephew 2. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe 3. The Horse and His Boy 4. Prince Caspian 5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 6. The Silver Chair 7. The Last Battle She also says one can miss out number 3 and then read it at the end without mucking up the overall story! I've read 1, 2 and 3 in that order. I must get round to reading some more. Edited June 27, 2008 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eschulenburg Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I've actually read them both ways, and didn't feel like I missed out either way, since the books are all about different characters. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Library Nook Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 I've only ever read The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe Shamefully I have never read any of them, I really must! Especially as my class keep mentioning them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 The Book Thief Markus Zusak Rating: 10/10 Published: 2005 Number of pages: 584 Summary (taken from blurb): It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. And will become busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time. Comments: What a beautiful piece of work. One of those books that tugs at the heartstrings and reminds you why you love reading so much: for the chance to come across a gem like this every now and then. The characterisation is brilliant. The characters are so real - they're unique, flawed and beautiful, and I came to love every single one of them. The narration by Death and all the little asides that came with it is very well done. And it's interesting how Zusak uses Death to tell us what is going to happen, but manages to do so without lessening the impact of the story in any way. I could rave about the characters until the cows come home, but I'll try to restrict myself to a few short points. Liesel is a beautifully charming young girl, and her foster father, Hans Hubermann, is such a wonderful person - the type you wish you knew in real life. I enjoyed the infrequent but invaluable insights into Rosa Hubermann's real character and my heart broke for Rudy over and over throughout the entire book. Max Vandenburg's artwork also lent a lot to the book - much more insight is given into his character through his stories and art, all of which was very touching. I haven't read a lot in the way of WWII literature so I don't have much to compare The Book Thief to, but I love that Zusak gives the reader a German perspective of what was happening in their lives. This is one of the most powerful books I have read in a while and has definitely been added to my list of absolute favourites. A brilliant and very emotional read (I recommend having a lot of tissues handy). Having shamelessly gushed over this book, all that is left to say is that I very highly recommended it! Started: 10 June 2008 Finished: 16 June 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Library Nook Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 What a lovely review and I agree with all of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 Thanks Sometimes I really struggle when writing reviews, even when I really enjoyed the book. And then sometimes it all just clicks into place (well, it still took me a long time to write, but at least I could think of something to write!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Library Nook Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 lol! I am rubbish at reviews. When I am telling someone about a book I am fine but when I try and write it down I just can't think of a good way to say it, daft eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Yeah, great review. This got a 10/10 from me (and my Mum when she read it) too. It's definitely a book that will stay with one for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyanddandy Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Succint review and I agree. Struggled at the beginning though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 (edited) lol! I am rubbish at reviews. When I am telling someone about a book I am fine but when I try and write it down I just can't think of a good way to say it, daft eh! I'm the opposite. I'm a terrible talker; I can never think of what to say. If I was to tell someone about The Book Thief I'd probably just end up saying 'it was a brilliant book' and leave it at that. Maybe I should send them a link to my reivew I much prefer writing - that way I have time to get my thoughts in order and set it out just right. Edited July 14, 2008 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 I read 5 books last month. My total for the year now stands at 33, which is quite impressive for me. I usually average 1 book per week, so I'm about 7 books ahead of where I would have expected or hoped to be at this time of the year. I have a lot going on this coming month though, so I might not have much time for reading at all! With regards to my various challenges, my running totals stand at (completed challenges in orange): CL: Classics Challenge (20/25) +4 1K: 1001 Books Challenge (13/20) +2 RD: Reading through the Decades Challenge (10/11) +0 BF: Book Club Forum Reading Circle Challenge (6/10) +1 YA: Young Adults Challenge (9/10) +3 SF: Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge (9/8) AU: Australian Literature Challenge (5/6) +1 DY: Dystopian Challenge (5/5) BB: Banned Books Challenge (5/5) Again, I managed to restrict by book-buying to only 2 books! I have 2 book credits at the moment, and I've just started my next lot of 3 with Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl, following which will be The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 (edited) I want to keep better track of my 'read 3, buy 1' progress from when I joined, so I'm going to shamelessly copy what Kell did here. Original TBR pile: 312 Current TBR pile: 291 (woohoo, under 300!) Total credits earned: 7 Total credits to spend: 0 Books read since joining 'read 3, buy 1' (books in bold represent an obtained credit. The book in blue is what I'm currently reading): 1. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 3. The Garden of Rama by Arthur C Clarke and Gentry Lee 4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis 5. Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park 6. Breath by Tim Winton 7. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 8. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 9. The Bridge on San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder 10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 11. The Graduate by Charles Webb 12. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote 13. Prince Caspian by CS Lewis 14. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 15. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling 16. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl 17. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 18. Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut 19. EB White: Charlotte's Web 20. EB White: Stuart Litte 21. EB White: The Trumpet of the Swan 22. Thank You, Jeeves 23. Pnin 24. The Memory Keeper's Daughter Books bought since joining 'read 3, buy 1': Daphne du Maurier: Julius Raven Hart: The Vampire's Kiss Raven Hart: The Vampire's Secret Aldous Huxley: Brave New World Revisited Kathryn Kenny: Trixie Belden #19 Gregory Maguire: Wicked PG Wodehouse: Thank You, Jeeves Edited August 15, 2008 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 (edited) The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling Rating: 5/10 Published: 1894-1895 Number of pages: 383 Summary (taken from blurb): A naked baby is abandoned deep in the jungle and is taken in by a she-wolf to be raised as one of her own. Soon Mowgli the man-cub becomes a wise and feared hunter, learning the Law of the jungle from Baloo the bear, and the skills of the hunt from mighty Bagheera, the black panther, and Kaa, the stealthy rock python. At once an outsider in these wilds and a unique bridge between the species that inhabit them, Mowgli evolves in the shadow of a dramatic mortal encounter that is fated to take place between himself and Shere Khan, the man-eating Bengal tiger under whose fiery gaze the whole jungle trembles with fear. The characters and stories that comprise Kipling's Jungle Books are a microcosm of life as he saw it, but like most great literature, Kipling's words speak to us on many levels, blending fantasy and philosophy in a work that continues to delight generation after generation of adults and children alike. Comments: For a book of children's stories, The Jungle Book certainly took me a long time to read! I can't quite put my finger on what was wrong with the stories; perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for them. The style of writing was OK but there was nothing exceptional or even slightly above average that pulled me into the stories and made me want to pick up the book at every available opportunity. I didn't really enjoy the poems that began and ended every story, either. The stories in both Jungle Books focus on different animals (not all from the jungle), which was interesting, and some of the characters, such as Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo and Kaa appeared in multiple stories. There's not much else to add, I'm afraid. I highly doubt I'll ever read it again. It was a bit of a slog and I was glad to be done with it! Started: 16 June 2008 Finished: 3 July 2008 Edited July 11, 2008 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 I received the following book in the mail today (won on an ebay auction recently). Kathryn Kenny: Trixie Belden #19: The Secret of the Unseen Treasure I finally plugged in the gap in my Trixie Belden collection! I now have #1-#34 inclusive and only need 3 more to complete my entire collection. Unfortunately two of those are the last two in the series and hence quite expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 (edited) I've not heard of these. I had a look on Fantastic Fiction which bizarrely lists numbers 7 to 39! Which titles do you have left to get? Edited July 15, 2008 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Trixie Belden is a teen sleuth who solves mysteries with the help of her brothers and friends. Think of her as a younger version of Nancy Drew. They're for younger readers but still enjoyable as an adult I'm missing numbers 35, 38 and 39. Probably the last four or five are the hardest to get a hold of, and they tend to be fairly expensive. Of course, I've spent even more than I had to because I bought a second copy of #36 without realising I already had it Actually I've managed to acquire several doubles of the Trixie Belden books The books are currently being reissued but I don't have high hopes of the entire series being re-released. In the meantime I'll just have to fork out the big bucks, then pass them on when I'm done. 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.