Kylie Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 The Colour of Magic Terry Pratchett Rating: 7/10 Published: 1983 Number of pages: 285 Summary (taken from blurb): On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet... Comments: After eyeing off Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for many years, I have finally gotten around to starting it! I was actually putting it off because I knew I'd like them and I really couldn't afford to get sucked into reading such a big series, but you've gotta give in sooner or later. I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book because I'd read a few reviews stating that it wasn't as good as his later works. It turned out to be pretty much what I was expecting; not overwhelmingly brilliant but a good read that has got me interested in continuing with the rest of the series. I liked the characters, particularly Rincewind and Death, and look forward to seeing them more in future books. My one minor gripe was that it seemed a bit repetitive: Rincewind would get himself into one similar life-threatening predicament after another. I feel a bit lousy criticising this book when it's a nice, light read, but there you have it. Ultimately, it's fun and enjoyable and I'm looking forward to reading The Light Fantastic to find out what happens after that, er, cliff-hanger ending! Started: 21 December 2007 Finished: 5 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 You've got such a great ride ahead of you - they get better from here on in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 No-Balls and Googlies: A Cricket Companion Geoff Tibballs Rating: 8/10 Published: 2006 Number of pages: 192 Summary (taken from blurb): Cricket, or 'the elegant game', occupies a long-established and distinguished position in the annals of sporting history. Skilful and graceful, technical and tactical, the intricacies and multi-faceted nature of the sport have enthralled and baffled spectators in equal measure over the centuries. Delving into its rich and varied history, No-Balls and Googlies uncovers the origins of this captivating game, and explores its traditions, records, milestones and memorable moments through a fascinating array of facts and figures, anecdotes and curiosities. ... For cricket fanatics the world over, No-Balls and Googlies also provides an amusing insight into the sport's many quirky characters, and presents a wealth of facts, trivia, quotations and stories taken from this great sport's illustrious history. Comments: This is a charming little book full of fun facts and trivia regarding the long history of cricket. It's not a book one would usually read straight through; rather, it's one that can be dipped into occasionally. That said, I read the entire thing while watching (what else?) the cricket. Some of the stories and incidents mentioned in the book make the current spat between Australia and India seem not so bad. Just another colourful event in the long history of the game. It's really given me a greater appreciation for the sport, its rules, its origins, and the people who have represented their teams over the year. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the sport (and if you're not, it might help you see the game in a new light!) Started: 5 January 2008 Finished: 6 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 I am Legend Richard Matheson Rating: 9/10 Published: 1954 Number of pages: 176 Summary (taken from Dymocks website): Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth, but he is not alone, for every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is hunter; by night, the prey. How long can one man survive like this? Comments: Often the shortest books can pack the biggest punch, and I am Legend is no exception. It's quite fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat several times. I thought Matheson did a great job of exploring the psyche of Robert Neville and a world without people. I found the medical descriptions dull, but knew they were necessary in order for the author to logically explain the appearance of vampires. An ending to a story like this has the potential to be hugely disappointing, but happily this wasn't the case with I am Legend: the ending was simply brilliant. An excellent read. Started: 7 January 2008 Finished: 8 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 I've updated my various posts at the beginning of this blog to reflect the reading I've done so far this year. I'm off to a good start with my challenges. I hope I can keep up this level of reading for the rest of the year! Yesterday I bought a few books with some Christmas money: Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita Iain Pears: An Instance of the Fingerpost Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray I'm currently reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Enjoying it so far; I've learnt a few things about animals and religion There have been a couple of interesting sections that have given me food for thought. I don't necessarily agree with everything Pi says, but I respect his different viewpoints. I'll make further comments in the reading circle thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 Life of Pi Yann Martel Rating: 7/10 Published: 2002 Number of pages: 319 Summary (taken from blurb): After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years. Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a transformative novel, a dazzling work of imagination that will delight and astound readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. Can a reader reasonably ask for anything more? Comments: I thought Life of Pi was a pretty entertaining read, but there was nothing that really knocked my socks off or that will stand in my memory for a long time (other than a few slightly gruesome scenes). There was quite a bit of background story leading up to the lifeboat section, which got a little tiresome, but mostly I found Pi's comments on animals and religion to be quite interesting, even if I didn't completely agree with what he was saying. Like others have said before me, the whole island part was most puzzling - it seemed very out of place! (Although probably not as out-of-place as the short incident with the Frenchman that preceded it!) I know the ending has come as a disappointment to some people but luckily I knew beforehand how it would end so I wasn't disappointed. Which story do I believe? Well, of course we'd all like to believe the version with the animals, but I'm inclined to think his second story was true. If you had spent 227 days at sea, it would certainly give you ample time to think up a story to explain away your actions (which in other circumstances would be atrocious), and perhaps it would also help you to maintain your sanity. Perhaps I enjoyed it more than some people because I didn't try to read too much into it and find symbolism everywhere. I took it at face value and enjoyed it as a good story, well told. Started: 8 January 2008 Finished: 17 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'm so excited today I did a search on ebay earlier for Anthony Burgess (author of the brilliant A Clockwork Orange) in the remote hope that I would find one of his more obscure works that I've been dying to get my hands on, and there it was! The book has been out of print for I-don't-know-how-long and I've never seen it in secondhand bookshops or heard much discussion of it anywhere. I've had it on my wishlist for a while but I didn't really have any hopes of being able to track it down! I am so terribly excited! The book is called 1985 and it was originally published in 1978 as a tribute to George Orwell's 1984. From my understanding, it's published in two parts: the first is a collection of essays and interviews discussing aspects of 1984; and the second part is a novella set in 1985. It should make for some very interesting reading. I am just so thrilled at finding this book! And it wasn't too expensive either! This is one happy little book-lover! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've added the following books to my wish list. I've been wanting some of them for a while now but just hadn't formally added them to the list. Dante Alighieri: The Divine Comedy Richard Bach: Jonathan Livingston Seagull Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales Michael Crichton: Jurassic Park Jared Diamond: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs, and Steel Umberto Eco: Foucault's Pendulum Umberto Eco: The Island of the Day Before Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose Homer: The Iliad Homer: The Odyssey Aldous Huxley: The Doors of Perception Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City Ovid: Metamorphoses Dorothy Parker: The Portable Dorothy Parker Shel Silverstein: The Light in the Attic Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk Ends Like I really need all these extra books (Actually I do need them. They keep me happy! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen Rating: 9/10 Published: 1811 Number of pages: 407 Summary (taken from blurb): Sisters Marianne and Elinor couldn't be more different. Marianne is desperately romantic and longing to meet the man of her dreams, while Elinor takes a far more cautious approach to love. When the two of them move to the country with their family, miles away from London, there is little prospect of them finding anyone at all. But then they meet their new neighbours - including kind Edward Ferrers and the good-looking, dangerous Willoughby - and it seems happiness may be just round the corner after all. Things aren't always as they appear to be, though. Soon, both sisters will need to decide who to trust in their search for love: their family, their new friends, their heads - or their hearts? Comments: Another beautiful work by Jane Austen. No-one can capture romance and heartache quite like she can and, as always, her writing is a joy to read. I didn't find myself particularly liking Elinor and Marianne until near the end of the book, which is unusual for me when reading Austen because I usually love all of her heroines (even Emma, with all of her flaws!). That didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book though. There are also some great quotes in there reminding us that some issues are timeless. I prefer Pride and Prejudice and Emma, but Sense and Sensibility is still a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended. Started: 17 January 2008 Finished: 25 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Snugglepot and Cuddlepie May Gibbs Rating: 7/10 Published: 1918 Number of pages: 220 Summary (taken from blurb): May Gibbs' enchanting bush world, peopled with gumnut heroes and heroines, solid friends like Mr Lizard and Mrs Bear, and, of course, the villainous Banksia men, has played as important a part in the imaginative background of Australian children as The Wind in the Willows or Alice in Wonderland...It includes most of the original illustrations, which contribute as much as the stories to the charm, humour and character of May Gibbs' classic. Comments: Along with Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is one of the greatest children's novels in Australian literature. My hardback copy consists of the complete adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Little Ragged Blossom, and Little Obelia, and comes complete with the original gorgeous black and white illustrations. I loved this book as a kid and this has been the first time in many years that I've read it (I rashly decided to give away most of my childhood books years ago, but this was one of the few I kept). As a discerning adult, I can now spot obvious flaws that I never noticed before. There are gaping plot holes and unbelievable coincidences that are never satisfactorily explained, but ultimately it's a charming and fast-paced story of the adventures of the engaging Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and all of their friends. The illustrations are plentiful and gorgeous (examples can be seen here). May Gibbs has created a beautiful world full of bush creatures inspired by Australia's flora and fauna, and she displays her passion for them by sprinkling subtle messages throughout the book about being kind to all plants and animals. Well worth a look, if only for the beautiful illustrations. Started: 26 January 2008 Finished: 27 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 The Day of the Locust Nathanael West Rating: 7/10 Published: 1939 Number of pages: 215 Summary (taken from Amazon.com): Novel by Nathanael West about the savagery lurking beneath the Hollywood dream. Published in 1939, it is one of the most striking examples of the "Hollywood novel" in American fiction. Tod Hackett, a set designer, becomes involved in the lives of several individuals who have been warped by their proximity to the artificial world of Hollywood. Hackett's completion of his painting "The Burning of Los Angeles" coincides with the explosion of the other characters' unfulfilled dreams in a conflagration of riot and murder. Comments: This is an interesting story, full of vividly written archetypal Hollywood characters. There's the wannabe star with platinum hair, the vicious dwarf, the big-shot producer, the child star and his stage mother, etc. The characters, scenes and settings are all very nicely written: West does some lovely descriptive writing, and he takes his time in setting up each scene so that the reader has a clear image of it in their minds before he continues on with the story. There's not really much of a plot happening here; it's mostly a series of interactions involving one or more characters. There are several funny moments and the story builds up at the end into a frightening scene of mob hysteria...and then it ends very abruptly, leaving the reader curious as to the fate of several characters. It's not a book that I would necessarily recommend to everyone, but it's an interesting read nevertheless. My edition also came with a second, shorter story called The Dream Life of Balso Snell. I wasn't very impressed with this one - it was bizarre and difficult to follow. Lots of ramblings from random characters on religion, art and love. I didn't take this story into consideration when deciding my rating, otherwise the rating would have gone down a point or two! Started: 27 January 2008 Finished: 30 January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 A few books have recently come into my possession: ER Braithwaite: To Sir, With Love Anthony Burgess: 1985 Vladimir Nabokov: Nabokov's Dozen And a few more books have been added to my wish list (all are dystopians except for Hell's Angels): Patrick Califia: Doc and Fluff Andrew Keogh: Twentytwelve China Mieville: Perdido Street Station Hunter S Thompson: Hell's Angels Jack Womack: Elvissey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 I thought I'd keep a running tally via a monthly post showing where I'm up to with my various challenges. I read 7 books in January, which is pretty good by my standards, and when I put these books towards my reading challenges I end up with the following figures: CL: Classics Challenge (4/25) 1K: 1001 Books Challenge (2/20) RD: Reading through the Decades Challenge (5/11) BF: Book Club Forum Reading Circle Challenge (2/10) YA: Young Adults Challenge (1/10) SF: Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge (2/8) AU: Australian Literature Challenge (1/6) DY: Dystopian Challenge (1/5) I managed to read something from each challenge during January (it helps that a lot of the books count towards multiple challenges). I think February will be a much slower month though if the beginning is anything to go by. I've been so busy and tired that I've been averaging about 10 pages a day; I need to lift my game! Most importantly, I only bought 6 new (or secondhand) books last month. For the first time in quite a few months my reading actually outstripped my buying! A very rare event indeed and one that I don't expect I'll be repeating too often this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Snugglepot and CuddlepieMay Gibbs Rating: 7/10 Published: 1918 Number of pages: 220 I had one of her books as a child and absolutely loved the illustrations. It's left me with an abiding love for gum trees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 8, 2008 Author Share Posted February 8, 2008 I bought the following books recently: Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game Jonathan Safran Foer: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Matthew Pearl: The Poe Shadow Marisha Pessl: Special Topics in Calamity Physics Peter Temple: The Broken Shore Hunter S Thompson: Hell's Angels And I added a few more books to my wish list: Lois Lowry: The Giver Lois Lowry: Number the Stars Jacqueline Susann: The Valley of the Dolls Oh dear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 Nine more books added to the teetering TBR pile today! Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart Albert Camus: The Outsider Albert Camus: The Plague Truman Capote: Breakfast at Tiffany's Cervantes: Don Quixote Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings John Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea Patrick Suskind: Perfume Lynne Truss: The Lynne Truss Treasury (With One Lousy Free Packet of Seed, Tennyson's Gift, Going Loco, Making the Cat Laugh) In Cold Blood is going very slowly, although I'm loving every minute of it. Unfortunately I've had a lot on lately and as a result I've been so tired I could barely read a few sentences without falling asleep. Things are looking up a bit now so I'm hoping to get much more reading done in the next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 I've finally decided on another good challenge to do...reading books that have been banned at one time or another. The issue of book censorship is something that's close to my heart so I think this will be a worthwhile challenge. I'm going to base my choices on a list I found at a Canadian public library's website (here's the pdf file). I've updated this post with the new challenge details. It seems I have quite a lot of banned books on my TBR pile already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I am quite sure that Flowers In The Attic is on our book sales list. I will have to find the list and start pricing things up. You can have it if it is there, and you want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 15, 2008 Author Share Posted February 15, 2008 Thanks for the offer Icecream! I've seen a copy of it in our staff library at work so I might just borrow that when I get around to it. Goodness knows I should start borrowing books instead of buying more! Thanks anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Well it turns out it was a different one I was thinking of anyway! The Flowers in The Attic was the favouite film if my Dad's ex-girlfriend, so i saw it quite a few times. I didn't know at the time it was a book. I will have to get it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 In Cold Blood Truman Capote Rating: 10/10 Published: 1966 Number of pages: 336 Summary (taken from blurb): Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote's comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, who, vividly drawn by Capote, are shown to be reprehensible, yet entirely and frighteningly human. The book that made Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative. Comments: In Cold Blood is a terrific blend of journalistic skill and creative writing. Capote begins the story by introducing the reader to all of the main players: the Clutter family (the victims), and Perry Smith and Dick Hickock (the killers). We get to know them very well - their personality traits and quirks, their views on life, and basically all of their background stories. Other characters, ranging from local gossips to detectives, are introduced equally vividly. Although the reader knows what's going to happen, Capote masterfully builds up the story and draws out the suspense, leaving the reader with numerous questions as to the 'why's and 'wherefore's of what's about to happen. Of course, they're all answered in time, but it's an intriguing journey and well worth the read. The story is never dull, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a work of fiction. Truman Capote worked tirelessly to gather his information (along with the aid of his friend, Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird) and put it together meticulously to create this incredible, true story. It's chilling and scary, but absolutely terrific! Highly recommended! Started: 31 January 2008 Finished: 17 February 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renniemist Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 That Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 The strangest thing happened when I was travelling home on the train last night. I was reading Z for Zachariah and came across the following: ...so I brought an anthology from my room and read Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'. I thought this was a bit strange as it seemed, from the context of the passage, that the character was introducing this text to the reader for the first time. I was sure she had already been reading it earlier on. But then I cast my mind back a few days and recalled that I had read a reference to the exact same elegy in the last book I read, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. ...Andrews's farewell message turned out to be the ninth stanza of Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'... How bizarre! I'd never heard of this elegy before, and then to read two references to it in two books in a row, in the space of a few days! I've found the text of it here and intend to read it when I get a chance. A smaller coincidence happened on Monday. I went to my orthodontist appointment and was laying down looking up at the light overhead. The name written on the light was 'Faro', the same as the name of the dog in Z for Zachariah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 That is a strange list of banned books.. is it a religious list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 I think a lot of them were probably banned for religious reasons and probably others are due to parents of school-age children not wanting their kids exposed to certain materials. This website explains the reasons behind some of the book bannings. Pretty ridiculous reasons too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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