Weave Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'm another fan of A Confederacy of Dunces. Like Frankie, I want to read it again one day. Even though I really enjoyed it, I don't feel as though I got as much out of it as I could. I think if I read it again Kylie, I would get more from it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 (edited) The 13/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers ~ Started: 21.09.09 ~ Finished: 01.10.09 Synopsis ~ A unique novel set in a magnificently rendered imaginary country. Bluebear is a bear with blue fur and 27 lives, 13 1/2 of which he uses up by the end of the book, in a world as far removed from our own as can possibly be imagined - mysterious Zamonia. Captain Bluebear is a German cartoon hero, part sci-fi, part fairy-tale. ‘Life is too precious to be left to chance’ ~ Deus X. Machina And so begins the amazing the story of Captain Bluebear and his many adventures during his 13/2 lives. ‘The 13/2 lives of Captain Bluebear’ has been compared to various books but I feel that the book can hold its ground in one of most original tales I have read, the twists, the characters, everything in the book was just a delight to read, from the mini pirates at the beginning to the ultimate ending (which I will not give it away). The main character Captain Bluebear is nothing short of a hero despite his strange start in life (he was found in a walnut shell floating in the sea by the mini pirates), he faces each one of his lives with optimism and wonderment, he does not know what to expect and neither does the reader. A funny, lovely read that has been well thought out by the author, everything comes together at the right point, which I loved and I am sure everyone who has read this book has felt the same (well I hope so). Well worth a read, and then you can say you have met a certain Captain Bluebear. A random moment from me, all through the book I kept thinking about Captain Bluebear as ‘the little bear that could’ and he did, in so many ways. Highly recommended. Edited October 1, 2009 by Weave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I'm not usually one to choose a book based on the cover, but this cover is just adorable! I want it! Another excellent review, Gyre. Looks like I'll be adding this to my wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 I'm not usually one to choose a book based on the cover, but this cover is just adorable! I want it! Another excellent review, Gyre. Looks like I'll be adding this to my wish list. Thanks Kylie, I like the cover too, I hope you get to read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I already knew I wanted this, and now you've gone and made me want it even more! Will you be reading Rumo and The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonia 2 & 3), do you think? They're not related to Capt. Bluebear as far as I can tell, just set in the same world; but I can vouch for the first hundred pages of The City of Dreaming Books being rather magnificent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Great review - glad you enjoyed it! Definitely go and read both Rumo & City Of Dreaming Books, I think you'll like them even more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Oh no! I really need to stay away from this forum a bit because you're all tempting me with too many wonderful books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Thanks everyone I have 'Rumo' & 'The City of Dreaming Books' waiting to be read, I am looking forward to them both of them, thanks to everyone's recommendations, thank you x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Great review Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Great review Paula Thanks Lexie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirinrob Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Having read 'The City of Dreaming Books' I've now acquired 'Rumo' and from what I've read so far its just as fun and inventive as the other books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Having read 'The City of Dreaming Books' I've now acquired 'Rumo' and from what I've read so far its just as fun and inventive as the other books. Brilliant , thanks sirinrob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
page turner Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 you should check out Moers The Alchemaster's Apprentice which has just been released too - it looks like it'll be a cracker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirinrob Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 you should check out Moers The Alchemaster's Apprentice which has just been released too - it looks like it'll be a cracker. Yes thats on my wishlist too hehe guess I like Moers books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 you should check out Moers The Alchemaster's Apprentice which has just been released too - it looks like it'll be a cracker. Thanks page turner, I just added it to my endless wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah ~ Started: 01.10.09 ~ Finished: 02.10.09 Synopsis ~ The story of an unwanted Chinese daughter growing up during the Communist Revolution, blamed for her mother's death, ignored by her millionaire father and unwanted by her Eurasian step mother. A story of greed, hatred and jealousy; a domestic drama is played against the extraordinary political events in China and Hong Kong. Written with the emotional force of a novel but with a vividness drawn from a personal and political background. ‘Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots’ is the true story of Adeline Yen Mah (her birth name is Yen Jun-ling). The story begins with a brief history of Adeline’s family, her Great Aunt, a strong, confident woman who rebels against foot binding as the girls surrounding her succumb to it, this shows the reader the strength of character which runs through certain members of Adeline’s family. Adeline is the fifth child of her parents, shortly after her birth, Adeline’s mother dies, because of this, Adeline is call the ‘bad luck’ of the family and ignored by her father, her only allies are her grandparents Nai Nai and YeYe, and her beloved Aunt Baba. Adeline’s father’s indifference to his daughter grows when he marries Jeanne Prosperi (who they call Ni Edited October 8, 2009 by Weave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I'm so so glad you enjoyed it and I'm thrilled I picked a good book I can't wait to start it as soon as I finish Her Fearful Symmetry Great review! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 I'm so so glad you enjoyed it and I'm thrilled I picked a good book I can't wait to start it as soon as I finish Her Fearful Symmetry Great review! x It was really good Lexie, thanks again for the great recommendation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami ~ Started: 02.10.09 ~ Finished: 05.10.09 Synopsis ~ In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and - even more important - on his writing. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvellous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running. Firstly the title of the book is inspired by the Raymond Carver's collection of short stories entitled What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. I have had ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’ on my bookshelf for awhile now and I finally got around to reading it, what I can say? I am glad I did. ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’ I found to be a very interesting insight into of my favourite authors, Haruki Murakami writing as always is excellent, it flows easily, you find out more about him, the reason he started running and the reason he became an writer, he shares his disappointments and positives in both fields, the people he meets, the respect he has for his fans and the pleasure he gets from giving talks at university and how much enjoys running. A great read for fans and non fans alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Great review hun, glad you enjoyed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Great review hun, glad you enjoyed it Thanks hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami ~ Started: 05.10.09 ~ Finished: 10.10.09 Synopsis ~ In these haunting, hilarious stories Murakami once again makes a determined assault on the normal. A man's favourite elephant simply vanishes; a couple suffering midnight hunger pangs hold up a McDonalds; and a woman finds she is irresistible to a green monster that burrows through her garden. ‘The Elephant Vanishes’ starts with the story ‘The Wind-up Bird And Tuesday's Women’ which was updated and became the first chapter of ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicle’ (one of my favourite books by Haruki Murakami), so it was a nice beginning to a great collections of stories, All of the stories were different in their own way and as always with Haruki Murakami very open to interpretation, the beauty of his writing is what you take from it, I am still thinking about the story ‘Sleep’, maybe because I experience bouts of insomnia but the story struck a chord. I also enjoyed the fact that one of the characters Noboru Watanabe from ‘The Wind-up Bird And Tuesday's Women’ and ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicle’ appeared, and is also in two other stories in the book, given the fact he is not the nicest of characters in ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicle’, it was nice to read about him in a different light. All in all a great collection of stories, some of the endings to the stories are not memorable but very much open to interpretation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 You must be running out of Murakami books to read now, Paula! I keep thinking I should try another but was rather turned off by The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - I just didn't get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 You must be running out of Murakami books to read now, Paula! I keep thinking I should try another but was rather turned off by The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - I just didn't get it. Hi Janet, how are you? I only have one book left to read 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' which is on my shelf, and I am always looking for copies of 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973'. Sometimes I don't get Haruki Murakami Janet x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Clearly they must be difficult to get hold of, and therefore collectible - there is a copy of Pinball 1973 on Amazon Marketplace for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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