eschulenburg Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 You've got some great challenges going - good luck with them! I'm always too scared to actually make a list of my TBR pile - it would just be depressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 I needed a break from Far from the Madding Crowd, even though I haven't gotten that far into it, so I turned to The Code of the Woosters by PG Wodehouse. Man that guy can write! Every single book of his is terrific: very funny and a nice light read to go with the heavier classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Isn't PG great. I keep wishing I could remember more of his funny sayings to use in everyday conversation I've probably asked you this before Kylie, but have you seen any of the TV series featuring Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry? Absolutely first class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 I wish I could remember them too! I'll have to start writing them down I think, although I'll probably fill my notebook pretty quickly because there are so many great lines! No I haven't seen Fry and Laurie, but I'm dying to! And you've just given me a great idea. My birthday is coming up and I'm supposed to be thinking of things I want. I see the complete Jeeves and Wooster on DVD on the horizon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Oh, you won't regret asking for Jeeves and Wooster on DVD as a present, Kylie - it's brilliant! Laurie is so funny as bumbling Wooster but it's Fry who steals the show with his sublime portrayal of Jeeves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Janet! It's definitely going on the list. I'm practically drooling now. I'm really enjoying The Code of the Woosters. Classic Wodehouse. It's hard to bring myself to pick up Far from the Madding Crowd now that I've started this second read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) I hope you get to read 'Instance of the Fingerpost' this year, Kylie! I got very excited when I saw it on your list . It's one of my all-time favorite books by Pears and if you do get to it, I really, really, REALLY hope you like it!!! Oh! And I just saw a Matthew Pearl on your list too. Have you read his first book 'The Dante Club?' I just saw tonight that he has a third book coming out in March (Feb in the UK) called 'The Last Dickens,' so I went ahead and pre-ordered it, lol. Edited January 14, 2009 by peacefield Forgot to add Matthew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 I haven't read The Dante Club but it sounds like an interesting read. I hadn't heard about The Last Dickens. I better get reading if I want to catch up! I bought An Instance of the Fingerpost on recommendations that I read here, but in all reality it's not particularly high on my list for this year (it doesn't help that it seems quite long!) But I'll try to bump it up now that I've got another recommendation. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Oh, you won't regret asking for Jeeves and Wooster on DVD as a present, Kylie - it's brilliant! Laurie is so funny as bumbling Wooster but it's Fry who steals the show with his sublime portrayal of Jeeves! So true Janet. And he manages it all with a mere twitch of the mouth, slight raising of the eyebrow or intonation of voice The other characters are all extremely well acted too ..... love Gussie Fink-Nottle and Madeleine Bassett. You won't regret it Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Kylie - The Dante Club was a favorite book of mine from that year and I highly recommend it! To tell you the truth, I liked it more than the Poe Shadow, but that's just my personal taste. Longfellow and the other authors featured really appeal to me, and combine that with Boston just after the American Civil War and I was in love . I also spent some time in Boston and Cambridge just after reading it so it makes it even more appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Gee Poppy and Janet, maybe I shouldn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Good luck with the challenges Kylie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Haas Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I just finished a book on your list: THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bleak, depressing, but beautifully written. Some of the character work is pitch-perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 I bought Maskerade by Terry Pratchett on the weekend, thus breaking my 'no books in January' rule. Oh well. I'm pleased that I managed almost 4 weeks without buying a book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Ooh. that's a good'un, Kylie - I LOVE Agnes Nitt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's not a bad effort! I don't think I could manage that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 I just finished a book on your list: THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bleak, depressing, but beautifully written. Some of the character work is pitch-perfect. Thanks for letting me know! F Scott Fitzgerald is working his way into my list of favourite authors. I'd really like to re-read The Great Gatsby but I'd feel so guilty with so many other books on my TBR pile. Then again, it's only a short read... That's not a bad effort! I don't think I could manage that. I usually can't manage that...not by a long shot. But I think I've finally reached a point where I've decided enough is enough. I can't continue to buy so many books anymore. My TBR pile is driving me nuts (but in a good way ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Thought I'd give a brief review of some of the short stories I've read in recent weeks: F Scott Fitzgerald: The Jelly-Bean 7/10 In the context of this story, a Jelly-Bean is an 'idler'. Jim, the Jelly-Bean, is a bit of a loner in town but decides to change when he falls for the local bad girl. A very well-written short story. Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Birth-Mark 9/10 For a story written a couple of hundred years ago, it has quite a lot of relevance to society today. The story is about a beautiful woman who has only one physical flaw: a birth-mark on her cheek. She marries a scientist who begins to resent her flaw and tries to talk her into letting him remove it. She eventually agrees to his wishes. But what price do you place on happiness? A brilliant story that reminded me a lot of Edgar Allan Poe. Very highly recommended. Leo Tolstoy: Ivan the Fool 7/10 A fable about three brothers who seeking their fortunes, while devils try to wreak havoc on their lives. Not at all what I was expecting of my first Leo Tolstoy read. If his writing is this accessible, I should have no trouble with War and Peace! I wasn't overwhelmed by the greatness of it (it is a fable, after all), but it wasn't a bad little read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 F Scott Fitzgerald is working his way into my list of favourite authors. Have you read The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button? Sorry if you've already mentioned it, I've not read all of the posts. I've got it on my TBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 I sure have! I wrote a couple of lines about it here. I liked it quite a lot. Have you seen the movie? I haven't seen it yet but I really want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Oh right, I'm looking forward to it! No, I haven't seen the movie but I saw the advert and it looks pretty good. I didn't realise it was a short story until I spotted it in Waterstones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 I've seen a nicely illustrated version in the shops, but I decided just to read an online version I found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 I finished The Code of the Woosters yesterday. Another thoroughly enjoyable book by PG Wodehouse. I'm wavering between giving it a 9 or 10 out of 10. I'll stick with 9 for now, but I reserve the right to change my mind at any moment (I am a woman after all ) And I've put in my 'wish' to receive the Complete Jeeves & Wooster DVDs for my birthday I've started reading The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson, and am enjoying the story so far. This is one of those classics that I've only known the vague story of (mostly through a Looney Tunes cartoon), so it'll be interesting to see how it compares to what I think I know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) I'm having a week off work in a week or so (my first break in such a long time). I've vowed to spend most of the time reading. Usually I get side-tracked and don't read as much as I'd like, but I'm going to be strict with myself this time. I'd like to knock a couple of books off my TBR pile (yes, only a couple...I'm a slow reader). Here's the list I'm contemplating. As you can see, I'm going for short and/or light reads to help me in my quest. My top priorities are (at this stage) to read the next book in the Chronicles of Narnia, and then the Connolly and Blyton books. Enid Blyton: The Magic Faraway Tree John Connolly: The Book of Lost Things Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet the Spy William Goldman: The Princess Bride Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms CS Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia (x 5) Norman Lindsay: The Magic Pudding John Marsden: The Great Gatenby John Marsden: The Journey John Marsden: Letters from the Inside John Marsden: Out of Time Terry Pratchett: The Light Fantastic (Discworld #2) Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front Scott Westerfeld: Uglies Edited February 1, 2009 by Kylie Fixed the Discworld title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 From your list I would pick Terry Pratchett and Enid Blyton The Magic Faraway Tree (my Mum used to read those to me when I was small and I loved them!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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