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Your Book Activity - July 2022


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Just finished Daniel Kehlmann's Measuring the World, a book group choice (we've been reading a variety of books in translation).  It also counts as my book for Germany in my Reading Round the World challenge. 

 

I've not read a huge amount of German literature before, but what I have read has usually been fairly hard work.  This was a welcome contrast!  Focusing on the lives of two of the greatest German speaking scientists, Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Gauss, it imagines a (fictional I believe) meeting and relationship.  Absolutely loved it: a lightness and a humour, and an empathy with the characters, that I've found rather lacking in that German literature I've read.  A book I already want to revisit.  5 stars out of 6 (excellent).

 

Am going to read Andrea Wulf's The Invention of Nature next as a follow up - subtitled The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, The Lost Hero of Science, it's her biography of what looks like an amazing life.

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I am now the proud owner of a Kindle Paperwhite. I looked at the total Kindle e-books that I own and given that it's more than 100 (I was shocked!) decided to take advantage of the Prime Day sale and put my Christmas gift certificates to good use and acquired one. It didn't take long to set up and didn't take long to charge and now it goes to sleep with the cover of the book I'm reading. I'll see how far the battery lasts but so far it's great

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4 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

Just bought Zastrozzi and St. Irvyne: Two Gothic Novels (Thrift Editions) on Paperback by Percy Bysshe Shelley, because it says it's complete and unabridged.

Oooh, I'm going to look out for this! 

 

I'm currently reading The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

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1 hour ago, Hayley said:

Oooh, I'm going to look out for this! 

 

I'm currently reading The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

Just finished Zastrozzi and it was as Gothic and romantic as you'd expect. It was all dark towers and fainting.  Loved it!

 

Not got The Old Curiosity Shop yet and haven't had my annual read of Dickens so will ponder that awhile.

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16 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

Just finished Zastrozzi and it was as Gothic and romantic as you'd expect. It was all dark towers and fainting.  Loved it!

 

Not got The Old Curiosity Shop yet and haven't had my annual read of Dickens so will ponder that awhile.

I knew Shelley wouldn't let us down with the ultra-Gothic :lol:. I'm really enjoying The Old Curiosity Shop so far. I know it's going to be very sad but the characters are typically brilliant (in the very Dickensian over-the-top way). He really outdid himself with the names in this one too...

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2 hours ago, Hayley said:

I knew Shelley wouldn't let us down with the ultra-Gothic :lol:. I'm really enjoying The Old Curiosity Shop so far. I know it's going to be very sad but the characters are typically brilliant (in the very Dickensian over-the-top way). He really outdid himself with the names in this one too...

I have checked my e-book collection and I have The Complete Charles Dickens Novels and they are unabridged (my personal bugbear) and illustrated so I'll be joining you on that.

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21 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

I have checked my e-book collection and I have The Complete Charles Dickens Novels and they are unabridged (my personal bugbear) and illustrated so I'll be joining you on that.

Ooh yay! :lol: 

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On 7/17/2022 at 7:33 AM, Hayley said:

I knew Shelley wouldn't let us down with the ultra-Gothic :lol:. I'm really enjoying The Old Curiosity Shop so far. I know it's going to be very sad but the characters are typically brilliant (in the very Dickensian over-the-top way). He really outdid himself with the names in this one too...

 

21 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

I have checked my e-book collection and I have The Complete Charles Dickens Novels and they are unabridged (my personal bugbear) and illustrated so I'll be joining you on that.

Charles Dickens has become one of my favorite writers of all time. I just love his writing.

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I've got 4 books on the go at the moment.

 

The Man from Barbarossa by John Gardner

2666 by Roberto Bolano

A Storm of Steel by George R.R. Martin

 

and inspired by comments on this forum I am about to start

 

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

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I've been stuttering rather a lot lately with my reading - not quite sure why, but do seem busy otherwise!  Anyway, it's taken me a week or two, but just finished Simon Armitage's Walking Home during an extended late night (early morning!) read.  As one would expect from the Poet Laureate, his writing of place is evocative and lyrical, but I didn't quite warm to him or the book in the way that I did with Walking Away. On more than one occasion I thought he came across as all too instantly judgemental, and prone to stereotyping. Read for a book group.  3/6 (4/6?)

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Currently reading a bit slower than I had expected so I'm about 30% of the way through 2666 by Roberto Bolano and about 35 pages into The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. 2666 was written as 5 interlinked books which Bolano wanted to be released separately. However, upon his death his family opted to publish as one complete work. I'm not one to judge on the merits or otherwise of this decision but each time a new book starts it's fairly jarring as most of the characters change completely. It takes a while to adjust to the new characters each time but once it gets going there is definitely something of interest there.

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I finished The Sweetness At The Bottom of The Pie. A wonderful read, with a terrific lead character. The second book of the series is lined up for me to read soon. 

A book I have owned for a long time was my next read,  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  It was an enjoyable tale to settle down with, and I can understand why it was so popular when it was first published.

 

Meanwhile I have bought Signs & Symbols - An illustrated Guide To Their Origins and Meanings. About 30 years ago I borrowed a fascinating book on signs and symbols from my local library. It was the only time I have ever considered declaring a book lost, paying a small fee, and keeping the book. I didn't do that, but neither did I make note of the author or ISBN. So, over the years I have rummaged in second hand book stores, gazed at the bookshelves of others, and purchased books on the subject. One day I hope to find that book, but until then I am happy to keep looking in a haphazard way, and leave it up to the Gods of Reading..

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