frankie Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Poppyshake, I'll get back to your post later, right now I'm reading On the Road and I want to make a comment while I remember it. It was such a good choice to start this after reading The Sun Also Rises because Hemingway is mentioned on a number of occasions and what's more, a bit from TSAR is quoted in the book. Someone actually quotes a scene where Jake, the narrator of TSAR, is talking to his fishing buddy, to remind him to check if the bottles of wine they've put in the lake have cooled and if they're drinkable. Such is the life of literature: No book is an island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 >>>True, I've read 'The Moomins' .. so I'm definitely not going to heaven (or has that theory been disproved now?) having said that I'm not sure Goethe is there anyways .. he might be roasting elsewhere .. and if we all meet up down there .. . well, there's nothing like being barbecued to make you forget the last crap book you read Perhaps the book may give us an insight into what or who he may have been re-incarnated as .. but it'd be a nightmare task, I mean he may have lived a further two lives .. more if he's been careless. As you say, we have no option but to enjoy it for all it's miserableness. I don't know if the theory has been further analysed but yes, I did find out that the forum in question was a rather elaborate hoax, and thus the Moomins have been redeemed. Do you mean to say Goethe has joined the place where BBQ is a daily pleasure? I think I need to bump the book up on my soon to be read list, just to make sure I like it. Oh I hope I do! >>>Well done, that's a result. I loved 'The Poisonwood Bible' .. bit of a tome but well worth it .. though why I should be worrying about the size of books I don't know, it's a terrible reason to buy or not buy/read or not read a book .. Alan says that sometimes I read books as if I have to rid the world of their evil and get them read and done with as soon as possible ergo .. thin books are more desirable .. and the competetive freak in me has to acknowledge that he's right but I do try and fight against it and have read three monsters recently (Moby Dick, A House for Mr Biswas and currently Crime & Punishment.) Also Alan is reading 'The Book of Lost Things' by John Connolly but he does like to be read to (men!! .. they like everything done for them!) so, despite having read it recentlyish, I've read at least half of it to him as well. I am eying the bookshelf now with trepidation and am definitely going to pick a thinnish book next .. bother!! I've just remembered a neighbour has lent me a book and I feel like I have to read it asap .. I looked at it and my first thought was (weighed down by having being aboard the Pequod for a while and worrying about whether Mr Biswas was ever going to be able to have his own house) .. it's a lot bigger than I would like .. still it's not the sort of thing that I would normally read and that makes it intriguing. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible! I already bought a copy of it in Australia but left it to Kylie's good care because there was just too many great books to choose from and I couldn't have them all. I'm a bit disappointed it was a Finnish translation but because it's a tome it's also a relief in a way. Will take me less time to read Hahaha, a good comment from Alan! Although I have to say I completely understand where you are coming from. If one has multiple reading challenges and a huge TBR pile, it might sometimes seem to an unsuspecting eye as a task where the reader is all about quantity, not quality. When I sometimes start reading a novel, one that's part of a challenge, I hope that it's good but not good enough to make it to my 'will keep for good' pile, because I do need more space in my bookshelves Oh you're so good, to oblige Alan and read to him. I wish I could make BF do that. I don't know why he won't, he's every bit as good as I am at English and his pronunciation is marvellous. Alan is blessed! By the way, how did you like The Book of Lost Things? I bought it ages ago, due to multiple recommendations from BCF, but haven't picked it up yet. Which book did you finally choose to start reading? The borrowed book? Which one is it? >>>I bet the biography about Einstein will be fascinating, such a genius and I like the sound of the Finnish linguist who had 'loads to do with stuff' ... much better to read his letters than to read the letters of people who had nothing whatsoever to do with stuff. I love letters anyway and would read practically anyone's. I used to think that it gave you a real insight into someone's mind if you read their letters but then I read Virginia Woolf say that when you write letters you are acting a part and 'spraying an atmosphere around one' which is obviously true .. we seldom write the exact truth in letters we flower it up a bit, but I still love letters anyway, there's always bits of truth that leak out and, unless the person is a complete dolt, they're always engrossing. I'm actually a bit annoyed that I didn't buy the Einstein for myself But I need to be selfless, I'm sure BF will enjoy it more and make more of it, and he's nice enough to let me borrow it when he's done. I don't think I've ever actually read anyone's letters, eventhough I'm incredibly fascinated by anything autobiographical, so it'll be a first for me. I do own Sylvia Plath's Letters and some other books but haven't yet picked them up. I'm sure you would have loads of great recommendations... >>>This is another sign of how horribly competetive I can be .. I won't be happy until I've read the 1001 and then of course I shall die and be sent to some awful place where the only access to a library is across a river of burning sulphur (actually in this respect thank God for Julian Barnes's 'Flaubert's Parrot' which I have tried to read and abandoned (wasn't a happy subject for me anyways) .. as long as this remains on the 1001 I think I'm safe. Rest assured, it'll take you ages to finish the list no matter how fast a reader you are! And in the meantime there will be new editions with omissions and additions, so it might just well be that you'll never really make it! Also, if you're able to make it, you can leave the last book til you're about 110 years or when you're feeling like it's your time. Then boom bang, just read Flaubert's Parrot and off you go! Oh how macabre I am. Why could you not finish it? Was it truly awful? I bought the book in Australia (I don't think there are books in the world that I didn't buy in Australia...), tried reading the first two pages but couldn't get on with it and left it to Kylie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 (edited) I found this on another book forum, where someone had found it on a reading blog by a Finnish goodreads member. I thought it was interesting and I thought I'd try it myself. The idea is simple, there's a title for each day in a month and you just go ahead and write. I'm not sure if I'll start this today, or if I'll write everyday, but I'd like to complete this at some point Day 01 – Best book you read last year Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times Day 03 – Your favourite series Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series Day 05 – A book that makes you happy Day 06 – A book that makes you sad Day 07 – Most underrated book Day 08 – Most overrated book Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving Day 10 – Favourite classic book Day 11 – A book you hated Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore Day 13 – Your favourite writer Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer Day 15 – Favourite male character Day 16 – Favourite female character Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book Day 18 – A book that disappointed you Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie Day 20 – Favourite romance book Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood Day 22 – Favourite book you own Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending Day 28 – Favourite title Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time NB: The questionnaire is free for you all to copy and use if you wish! Edited May 11, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I found this on another book forum, where someone had found it on a reading blog by a Finnish goodreads member. I thought it was interesting and I thought I'd try it myself. The idea is simple, there's a title for each day in a month and you just go ahead and write. I'm not sure if I'll start this today, or if I'll write everyday, but I'd like to complete this at some point Day 01 – Best book you read last year Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times Day 03 – Your favourite series Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series Day 05 – A book that makes you happy Day 06 – A book that makes you sad Day 07 – Most underrated book Day 08 – Most overrated book Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving Day 10 – Favourite classic book Day 11 – A book you hated Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore Day 13 – Your favourite writer Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer Day 15 – Favourite male character Day 16 – Favourite female character Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book Day 18 – A book that disappointed you Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie Day 20 – Favourite romance book Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood Day 22 – Favourite book you own Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending Day 28 – Favourite title Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time ^This is a great list Frankie, do you mind if I take a copy?, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 I don't mind at all, I've 'stolen' it from someone myself Have fun with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I don't mind at all, I've 'stolen' it from someone myself Have fun with it! Thanks hen Looking forward to reading yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 I'm looking forward to reading yours as well I think the original version was in English so actually I have know idea where the list comes from, it's seems to have been copied from one person to another for goodness knows how long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I love that list Frankie, thanks for posting it, I'll borrow it from you if I may. Like everyone else I'm looking forward to your answers I liked 'The Book of Lost Things' a lot, it was a bit predictable in places (no, that's not the right word ... it was just that at times I couldn't help second guessing the plot .. not always successfully though) but it had some nice twisted fairytale re-tellings. I liked it enough to buy another John Connolly book ... 'Nocturnes' but I haven't read it yet. I am reading the book my neighbour lent me and enjoying it which is a relief .. it's called 'Burnt Shadows' by Kamila Shamsie and I've since seen (on one of my interminable booklists) that it was shortlisted for the Orange prize in 2009. It has a big melting pot plotline which so far has encompassed the Nagasaki atomic bomb, Partition in India and I'm pretty sure it's heading towards 9/11 and the Afghanistan war. The writing is good though and it hasn't turned out to be a monster after all .. it's just that it's one of those dreaded large format paperbacks. I borrowed 'Flaubert's Parrot' from the library but he may as well of been writing in Greek for all I understood it. I like Julian's books normally so it was a bit of a surprise to me that I found it unreadable. I think it's pretty well documented that I didn't get on with 'Madame Bovary' and maybe that made it even more of a puzzle, perhaps you have to love Flaubert to get the most out of it. I may try it again in the future ... I might listen to it being read which has long been my cure for impossible books. I could not get on with either 'Wuthering Heights' or 'Northanger Abbey' until I heard them being read then voilà I was able to go back and read and enjoy them. I've never been in the least bit tempted to try this cure on 'Madame Bovary' though .. I've a feeling I might do myself a mischief if forced to share brainspace with it one more time How are you getting on with 'On the Road'?, hope you're enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I found this on another book forum, where someone had found it on a reading blog by a Finnish goodreads member. I thought it was interesting and I thought I'd try it myself. The idea is simple, there's a title for each day in a month and you just go ahead and write. I'm not sure if I'll start this today, or if I'll write everyday, but I'd like to complete this at some point Day 01 – Best book you read last year Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times Day 03 – Your favourite series Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series Day 05 – A book that makes you happy Day 06 – A book that makes you sad Day 07 – Most underrated book Day 08 – Most overrated book Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving Day 10 – Favourite classic book Day 11 – A book you hated Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore Day 13 – Your favourite writer Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer Day 15 – Favourite male character Day 16 – Favourite female character Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book Day 18 – A book that disappointed you Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie Day 20 – Favourite romance book Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood Day 22 – Favourite book you own Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending Day 28 – Favourite title Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time Ooh I like this Frankie. Looking forward to reading your answers, and I'm also going to nick this for myself if that's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 29, 2011 Author Share Posted April 29, 2011 (edited) I love that list Frankie, thanks for posting it, I'll borrow it from you if I may. Like everyone else I'm looking forward to your answers You're welcome to it! I noticed that you've already started on the list, it's so interesting to read what other people come up with. I'm soon on my way to pop in on your thread to comment! I liked 'The Book of Lost Things' a lot, it was a bit predictable in places (no, that's not the right word ... it was just that at times I couldn't help second guessing the plot .. not always successfully though) but it had some nice twisted fairytale re-tellings. I liked it enough to buy another John Connolly book ... 'Nocturnes' but I haven't read it yet. I'm glad to hear you liked it, I don't think I've read any negative reviews of the book. I'm not very keen on the idea of fairytale re-tellings, though, for some reason, maybe because I think I've overgrown fairytales. I'm sure it'll be great when I actually get to read it but I just have these slight prejudices. I am reading the book my neighbour lent me and enjoying it which is a relief .. it's called 'Burnt Shadows' by Kamila Shamsie and I've since seen (on one of my interminable booklists) that it was shortlisted for the Orange prize in 2009. It has a big melting pot plotline which so far has encompassed the Nagasaki atomic bomb, Partition in India and I'm pretty sure it's heading towards 9/11 and the Afghanistan war. The writing is good though and it hasn't turned out to be a monster after all .. it's just that it's one of those dreaded large format paperbacks. I've never heard of the book or the author, but it sounds interesting though. For a while now I've wanted to read something that deals with the Nagasaki bombing, I think it started when I read A Pale View of Hills (what a great book!) which was my first real encounter with the event, I'm so bad at history. I wikied atomic bombs after that and read how utterly devastating it was to the people and to the city and the whole country. It's just horrifying how people can build these things that can ruin so many lives in a second. I borrowed 'Flaubert's Parrot' from the library but he may as well of been writing in Greek for all I understood it. I like Julian's books normally so it was a bit of a surprise to me that I found it unreadable. I think it's pretty well documented that I didn't get on with 'Madame Bovary' and maybe that made it even more of a puzzle, perhaps you have to love Flaubert to get the most out of it. I may try it again in the future ... I might listen to it being read which has long been my cure for impossible books. I could not get on with either 'Wuthering Heights' or 'Northanger Abbey' until I heard them being read then voilà I was able to go back and read and enjoy them. I've never been in the least bit tempted to try this cure on 'Madame Bovary' though .. I've a feeling I might do myself a mischief if forced to share brainspace with it one more time So Flaubert's Parrot does have something to do with Gustave, I always wondered but never investigated the matter. Very disappointing that his most unreadable book (at least in your opinion) is the one that's on the bloody list Yes it is well documented. How very diplomatically put I'm very surprised to hear you didn't enjoy Northanger Abbey or couldn't get into it on your first try, I thought it's one of Austen's best, although it is a bit different from the rest of her novels. It was a mandatory reading in one of our English lit courses but I never felt it as a chore. Although I have to admit that I missed all the fine subtleties during my first read, because I did read it with the mindset of 'read page, turn page, read page, turn page, and make sure you finish the book'. I've read it a couple of times after that, for my own amusement, and each time I've found myself giggling at times, and trying to get my head around some of the characters, they're so utterly self-absorbed and very see-through in my opinion but the poor heroine is too unassuming, too naive and too gullible to realise that at first. A wonderful read! (I even had to buy The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Monk because they were mentioned in the novel. Haven't yet read them though.) How are you getting on with 'On the Road'?, hope you're enjoying it. I was getting on fine with it at first, then it started feeling a bit too repetitive. I think I had expected more of it, depthwise. I thought it would be a lot more philosophical, and in a way I was relieved that it was so easily approachable, and then on the other hand I felt like I wasn't challenged as a reader, or as a 'thinker' the way I had expected to be challenged. Towards the end I got over myself and started enjoying it again. Dean Moriarty is like no other character I've ever met, that I can tell you for sure! Ooh I like this Frankie. Looking forward to reading your answers, and I'm also going to nick this for myself if that's okay. You're quite welcome to it, naturally! Can't wait to read your answers as well. I really like the list, I don't think it's one of those very ordinary lists with just the usual questions of 'which book is your favorite' and 'which book do you hate', there's a lot more meat to it Edited April 29, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I'm glad to hear you liked it, I don't think I've read any negative reviews of the book. I'm not very keen on the idea of fairytale re-tellings, though, for some reason, maybe because I think I've overgrown fairytales. I'm sure it'll be great when I actually get to read it but I just have these slight prejudices. Aww, don't think like that! It's quite a unique story and the fairytale re-tellings aren't really obvious or anything (well, they weren't that obvious to me ). I was getting on fine with it at first, then it started feeling a bit too repetitive. I think I had expected more of it, depthwise. I thought it would be a lot more philosophical, and in a way I was relieved that it was so easily approachable, and then on the other hand I felt like I wasn't challenged as a reader, or as a 'thinker' the way I had expected to be challenged. Towards the end I got over myself and started enjoying it again. Dean Moriarty is like no other character I've ever met, that I can tell you for sure! Phew! Glad you enjoyed it more in the end. That first sentence had me worried! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 29, 2011 Author Share Posted April 29, 2011 Aww, don't think like that! It's quite a unique story and the fairytale re-tellings aren't really obvious or anything (well, they weren't that obvious to me ). I suppose I should just go with it. But I think reading Wicked and not liking it that much is affecting my opinion. Phew! Glad you enjoyed it more in the end. That first sentence had me worried! I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would once I had read a few negative reviews on it on here very recently, but I did enjoy it less than I originally thought I would. So I'm still kind of trying to come to terms with how much I liked it in the end. I was having a hard time rating it, for example. Anyways, I thought I'd give you an update on the book club sort of thing I was going to arrange with this other person from the Internet, here in Joensuu, some of you might remember me talking about it earlier. We've been e-mailing now, back and forth, a couple of times to arrange a date which suits both of us, and now it's final, I have a 'date'! I'm going to meet this person for drinks next Friday, and we're going to talk books and whatever we fancy, and see if we tolerate each other enough to have a second meeting. I'm going to ask her if she's read A Confederacy of Dunces or To Kill a Mockingbird, and if not, whether she'd like to have my copies, which I'm going to take to the free book trolley in the library if she decides they're not her cup of tee (the ACoD is in Finnish and I now own an English copy, and TKaM is also in Finnish and I want to buy an English copy for myself. Nothing wrong with the books per se, as you see!). I'm pretty excited!! It really feels like going on a real date: "What if she hates the books I read, and what if she only reads books I really dislike? What if she only reads classics and thinks I'm dumb?" That sort of thing But don't worry about me, I'm nervous but in a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I'm glad to hear you liked it, I don't think I've read any negative reviews of the book. I'm not very keen on the idea of fairytale re-tellings, though, for some reason, maybe because I think I've overgrown fairytales. I'm sure it'll be great when I actually get to read it but I just have these slight prejudices. I think you'll like it, it's not at all like 'Wicked' (though I did love 'Wicked' personally) because that was solely a retelling of a fairytale, this isn't, it's more about a boy's journey to adulthood and the fairytale retellings are just a part of that and there's a great mixture of stories, some of them a bit creepy and some hilarious. I've never heard of the book or the author, but it sounds interesting though. For a while now I've wanted to read something that deals with the Nagasaki bombing, I think it started when I read A Pale View of Hills (what a great book!) which was my first real encounter with the event, I'm so bad at history. I wikied atomic bombs after that and read how utterly devastating it was to the people and to the city and the whole country. It's just horrifying how people can build these things that can ruin so many lives in a second. I shall look out for 'A Pale View of Hills', I too want to read more. 'Burnt Shadows' did start with the Nagasaki bomb, and the main character was affected deeply by it but she emigrates shortly afterwards and so I didn't get to read much about the impact of the bomb on the country itself .. just the effect it had on her emotionally and physically. I think the most shocking thing I read was that it reduced some people to mere smears of fat, no bones left or anything (though that was probably preferable to the fate of those not so near the epicentre ... those poor people, in the hours/minutes it took for them to die, were almost reptilian .. naked, hairless, crawling and scaly.) I was also shocked to read that the Nagasaki bomb came just a couple of days after the Hiroshima one, surely that was unnecessary. I know there were difficulties, and ultimatums were given and ignored, but there must have been a more humane option. Too often in war the victims are innocent civilians and this, along with the flipside of the coin .. the holocaust ... are just the worst, worst examples of that. I'm with you I don't think that such destructive devices should exist or ever have been invented. So Flaubert's Parrot does have something to do with Gustave, I always wondered but never investigated the matter. Very disappointing that his most unreadable book (at least in your opinion) is the one that's on the bloody list Given the subject matter no wonder it's unreadable. Having said that lots of people admire it so I'm annoyed with myself for not 'getting it', I will try again .. when hell freezes over I'm very surprised to hear you didn't enjoy Northanger Abbey or couldn't get into it on your first try, I thought it's one of Austen's best, although it is a bit different from the rest of her novels. It was a mandatory reading in one of our English lit courses but I never felt it as a chore. Although I have to admit that I missed all the fine subtleties during my first read, because I did read it with the mindset of 'read page, turn page, read page, turn page, and make sure you finish the book'. I've read it a couple of times after that, for my own amusement, and each time I've found myself giggling at times, and trying to get my head around some of the characters, they're so utterly self-absorbed and very see-through in my opinion but the poor heroine is too unassuming, too naive and too gullible to realise that at first. A wonderful read! (I even had to buy The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Monk because they were mentioned in the novel. Haven't yet read them though.) I didn't get as much humour out of it when I read it but then when I went back and re-read it I loved it and I would put it down now as my second favourite Austen (btw .. I'm outraged that it has disappeared off of the 2008 1001) The depiction of the selfish grasping Thorpe's is just sublime .. (I live quite near Bath and whenever I see the 'Lansdown Road' I think of poor Catherine and that ill fated journey she had to take with John Thorpe in his carriage.) I also bought 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' because I needed to know what lay beyond the black veil but alas I haven't read it yet though I have started it a couple of times. I was getting on fine with it at first, then it started feeling a bit too repetitive. I think I had expected more of it, depthwise. I thought it would be a lot more philosophical, and in a way I was relieved that it was so easily approachable, and then on the other hand I felt like I wasn't challenged as a reader, or as a 'thinker' the way I had expected to be challenged. Towards the end I got over myself and started enjoying it again. Dean Moriarty is like no other character I've ever met, that I can tell you for sure! I'm glad you enjoyed it, it had peaks and troughs for me too. I couldn't believe at one point that I was bored by it .. this is one of the most talked about books ever ... it sucked me back in though and I'm glad I persevered with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Have fun on your 'date', Frankie! I'm so jealous that she gets to sit and talk books with you. I know we do the same here, but it's not quite the same as chatting in real life is it? I would have second thoughts about meeting up with her again if she turns down TKaM and OFOtCN. I mean, if she already has them and likes them, then that's OK, but if she doesn't like those two brilliant novels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Have a good time Frankie, I'm sure it will be okay, I mean what's not to like about ACOD and TKAMB, have fun, you will be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Hope you have a good date Frankie & I wouldn't worry I'm sure she's just as nervous as you & is probably worrying about the same kind of things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Enjoy your book-date Frankie, hope it turns out well and that you're both on the same wavelength. Thanks to you I got another book today We went to town just to browse about and went into one of those antique/bric-a-brac shops with all sorts of junk and stuff in. I looked at their books but they seemed to deal mostly in old hardbacks etc and I didn't think they had anything .. Alan picked up a book and said 'this looks like a new one' .. and it was a paperback of Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Pale View of Hills' .. I nearly fell over I did a jig and said Frankie recommended that to me a few days ago. It was a lucky find of course but Alan says it was more than that and that he'd 'used the force' to find it and it's true he does seem to be able to find books I'm looking for even when I haven't told him I'm looking for them! Anyways I'm delighted to have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Haha. Nice story, Poppyshake. What is it with men and 'the force'? My ex used to use it too (only it rarely, if ever, worked ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Haha. Nice story, Poppyshake. What is it with men and 'the force'? My ex used to use it too (only it rarely, if ever, worked ). I don't know, they all think they're :super: As I said mine's pretty good on books but ask him to pick out clothes for me .. oh man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I don't know, they all think they're :super: As I said mine's pretty good on books but ask him to pick out clothes for me .. oh man Haha The Force always fails me at these moments also Poppyshake. However I have learned always to keep the receipt so she can take my gifts back to the shop. Hi Frankie I stole your questionnaire too but I can't remember where I stashed it. I was half way through answering the questions..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Haha The Force always fails me at these moments also Poppyshake. However I have learned always to keep the receipt so she can take my gifts back to the shop. Ah bless ... you've tried and you've kept the receipt .. that's love in my book but my OH seems to think that I'd look good in those tiny cut off white denim shorts with frayed edging and trust me .. I wouldn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I was just having fun looking through your first page. I love all the stats you've added about how many male/female authors etc that you've read. And I'm so jealous that you've read over 40 books. I decided to go through your TBR pile and add up how many TBR books we have in common. I may have lost count a little and forgot a few things about my own TBR pile, but I managed to calculate that we have around 76 books in common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 So many messages to reply to, yay! Unfortunately BF is hogging the computer this week, and instead of me moping around, I've been studying That's why I've been pretty silent on the forum lately. I don't even have the time to now go and reply to all your posts, I just came here to let you know I'm still alive and such and such. And, I also got my copy of The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas in the mail today. Good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 BF's doing the dishes so I've now had some time for forum stuff: I think you'll like it, it's not at all like 'Wicked' (though I did love 'Wicked' personally) because that was solely a retelling of a fairytale, this isn't, it's more about a boy's journey to adulthood and the fairytale retellings are just a part of that and there's a great mixture of stories, some of them a bit creepy and some hilarious. I'm glad to hear it's nothing like Wicked, because personally I had real problems with it. I'd actually forgotten all the other stuff The Book of Lost Things was about, so I'm happy that you've taken your time to remind me of the other aspects of it, I'm definitely more intrigued now. I shall look out for 'A Pale View of Hills', I too want to read more. 'Burnt Shadows' did start with the Nagasaki bomb, and the main character was affected deeply by it but she emigrates shortly afterwards and so I didn't get to read much about the impact of the bomb on the country itself .. just the effect it had on her emotionally and physically. I think the most shocking thing I read was that it reduced some people to mere smears of fat, no bones left or anything (though that was probably preferable to the fate of those not so near the epicentre ... those poor people, in the hours/minutes it took for them to die, were almost reptilian .. naked, hairless, crawling and scaly.) I was also shocked to read that the Nagasaki bomb came just a couple of days after the Hiroshima one, surely that was unnecessary. I know there were difficulties, and ultimatums were given and ignored, but there must have been a more humane option. Too often in war the victims are innocent civilians and this, along with the flipside of the coin .. the holocaust ... are just the worst, worst examples of that.I'm with you I don't think that such destructive devices should exist or ever have been invented. Hehe you don't have to look out for APVoH anymore, but more about that later I have to say, APVoH doesn't really deal with the actual bombing either, but rather some of the after effects of it, on a smaller scale. But it made me really curious about the whole thing. I think you'll enjoy the novel. Well I truly hope so! Given the subject matter no wonder it's unreadable. Having said that lots of people admire it so I'm annoyed with myself for not 'getting it', I will try again .. when hell freezes over Hahaha, poor Flaubert, poor book! Naaah, I'm not really all that sympathetic. I think Flaubert should get the Goethe treatment I didn't get as much humour out of it when I read it but then when I went back and re-read it I loved it and I would put it down now as my second favourite Austen (btw .. I'm outraged that it has disappeared off of the 2008 1001) The depiction of the selfish grasping Thorpe's is just sublime .. (I live quite near Bath and whenever I see the 'Lansdown Road' I think of poor Catherine and that ill fated journey she had to take with John Thorpe in his carriage.) I also bought 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' because I needed to know what lay beyond the black veil but alas I haven't read it yet though I have started it a couple of times. I found some of the dialogue incredible hilarious. Maybe it's a nervous kind of laughter. Some of the characters are so conceited and manipulative, that I have to laugh, otherwise I might cry! I'm soooo jealous you live near Bath! To be able to go and see all the familiar places depicted in the story... Sometimes I wonder if you Brits know how lucky you are. I now must ask, what's your favorite Austen then? I'll say go with the reliable, 2006 version. No surprises there! I think we could do a mini group reading of Mysteries of Udolpho at some point, personally I'd find that very reassuring. I might not make it on my own. I really want to read the book, and I think it'll be good, but the style of the writing is so difficult, I really have to be in the mood or at least make up my mind to read it, otherwise I'll just give up again after a couple of pages. I'll come back to the other posts later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Have fun on your 'date', Frankie! I'm so jealous that she gets to sit and talk books with you. I know we do the same here, but it's not quite the same as chatting in real life is it? I would have second thoughts about meeting up with her again if she turns down TKaM and OFOtCN. I mean, if she already has them and likes them, then that's OK, but if she doesn't like those two brilliant novels... We have loads of great conversations here but no, it's not the same as having someone to talk about book in real life. I do hope she's nice and we have same tastes, but I'll have to wait and see. Hehe Kylie, I will be a bit disappointed if she turns down TkaM, but then again, it might come down to how well I'm able to 'sell' the book to her, and I don't know if I want to seem too pushy. What's OFOtCN? The other book I mentioned was A Confederacy of Dunces Have a good time Frankie, I'm sure it will be okay, I mean what's not to like about ACOD and TKAMB, have fun, you will be great. Thanks Weave, I'm sure it'll be great. I'm only wondering, if she'll want to discuss book we read and want to read, or whether she'll want us to start a mini reading circle, to compare our thoughts on some particular books. I'd like that but I'll see what she has in mind. Hope you have a good date Frankie & I wouldn't worry I'm sure she's just as nervous as you & is probably worrying about the same kind of things Thanks Kidsmum! We just e-mailed each other yesterday about the arrangements and I confessed I'm a bit nervous. She e-mailed me back and said she's a bit nervous too, but that she thinks it'll go fine because she thinks I sound nice. I know her real name and she told me to look her up on FB and I did, and it seems she's also into Zumba, so at least we have one other thing in common. Thanks to you I got another book today We went to town just to browse about and went into one of those antique/bric-a-brac shops with all sorts of junk and stuff in. I looked at their books but they seemed to deal mostly in old hardbacks etc and I didn't think they had anything .. Alan picked up a book and said 'this looks like a new one' .. and it was a paperback of Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Pale View of Hills' .. I nearly fell over I did a jig and said Frankie recommended that to me a few days ago. It was a lucky find of course but Alan says it was more than that and that he'd 'used the force' to find it and it's true he does seem to be able to find books I'm looking for even when I haven't told him I'm looking for them! Anyways I'm delighted to have it. Yay for finding APVoH! And how awesome is Alan, AGAIN. Where did he graduate, the Skillful College of Book Finders? It seems too much of a coincidence to me, it must be his bookish powers. It would be chilling if it wasn't such a nice power to have! I don't know, they all think they're As I said mine's pretty good on books but ask him to pick out clothes for me .. oh man Don't worry poppyshake, I'd rather have a man who knows which books I'll like, than one who knows how to dress me. Haha The Force always fails me at these moments also Poppyshake. However I have learned always to keep the receipt so she can take my gifts back to the shop. Hi Frankie I stole your questionnaire too but I can't remember where I stashed it. I was half way through answering the questions..... The sense to keep the receipt will do Way to go, VF! And you're welcome to the list. Too bad you lost the document though, couldn't you do a bit of searching with your computer? Ah bless ... you've tried and you've kept the receipt .. that's love in my book but my OH seems to think that I'd look good in those tiny cut off white denim shorts with frayed edging and trust me .. I wouldn't Maybe your OH knows best and you'd look smashing, but you just don't know it! I was just having fun looking through your first page. I love all the stats you've added about how many male/female authors etc that you've read. And I'm so jealous that you've read over 40 books. I decided to go through your TBR pile and add up how many TBR books we have in common. I may have lost count a little and forgot a few things about my own TBR pile, but I managed to calculate that we have around 76 books in common. Ah, you noticed the stats! Thanks, I like them too. It'll be so interesting to see the stats at the end of the year. Yesterday after reading your post I also added a stats regarding the nationality of the author: Finns vs. foreign. I know how that'll go, though. I can't believe we only have 76 TBR books in common! That's only like ¼ of my books. I'm rather shocked. Maybe it's the case that the ones I have on my TBR you've already read, and vice versa. 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.