frankie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) Does that include my list as well? It looks like it, but you know what they say about people who assume... '3/3'. That would in my opinion suggest 3 people, and poppyshake and me only make two and we can't tango like that, it takes three! So yes, that's your list included! Edit: Actually, I don't know what they say about people who assume. At least I can't come up with any phrase along those lines at the moment. Edited February 1, 2012 by frankie Quote
Kylie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) People who 'assume' make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Lorelai makes a joke about it in one GG episode and Emily doesn't know what she's talking about either, but Lorelai doesn't elaborate. Edited February 1, 2012 by Kylie Quote
frankie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 People who 'assume' make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Lorelai makes a joke about it in one GG episode and Emily doesn't know what she's talking about either, but Lorelai doesn't elaborate. Hahahah brilliant! I hope that's in the Luke book. Quote
chesilbeach Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Reading Goals for February 2012 Participate in the Feb reading circle (Mistress Masham's Repose - T.H. White) Non-fiction from the TBR (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou/The Queen of Whale Cay - Kate Summerscale Sci-fi (The Blue World - Jack Vance - Thanks VF ... I think ) Romance .. well it IS February (Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith/Love Story - Erich Segal) You are in for a great month! I'm going to be reading Mistress Masham's Repose next, so I'll be able to discuss that with you and everyone else later in the reading circle. I read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings when I was in my teens, and it's a fantastic read. I've got The Queen of Whale Cay on my wishlist, so will be interested to hear what you think of that one. And finally, Girl Meets Boy I really, really, really hope you like it - it's one of my favourite books ever - no pressure on you to love it as I know we all have different tastes, but I just love it and hope you do too Quote
poppyshake Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 Why not? Well I suppose it would be weird because you'd still have to see him on a daily basis... Someday he might leave a package of his own in your letter box... Ewwww. 'Yes as you can see, I'm not wearing my undies anymore either, as you can see they are enclosed in this letter to you, you beautiful lady!'. This will give me nightmares .. I don't want him posting any of his private parcels in my letterbox What's my favorite smell... well, it might be too dangerous for you. I've always loved the smell of gasoline. I don't know why. No, I'm not a dangerous arsonist!!! But whenever I walk past a gas station, I do a little sniffing. Eventhough I know it's not good for me. Perhaps that's why I am this way. If you are not ready to dab a little gasoline behind your ear, and don't worry I won't be mad if you're not, I'd say my other favorite smells are... wow this is hard, I'm not a very smelly person. Hm, that doesn't sound right. Well I do like hyacints! And recently cut grass. Whichever suits you better Alan has a petrol can in his car .. I'll dab a bit of that on .. better not sit too near the fire though Waffle? That's a first! You Brits use your words in such weird ways. I'd eat a waffle. waffle2 Informal chiefly Brit vb (Linguistics) (intr; often foll by on) to speak or write in a vague and wordy manner he waffled on for hours We do use it for the pancake thing as well .. we're waffly versatile Quote
poppyshake Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 You are in for a great month! I'm going to be reading Mistress Masham's Repose next, so I'll be able to discuss that with you and everyone else later in the reading circle. I read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings when I was in my teens, and it's a fantastic read. I've got The Queen of Whale Cay on my wishlist, so will be interested to hear what you think of that one. And finally, Girl Meets Boy I really, really, really hope you like it - it's one of my favourite books ever - no pressure on you to love it as I know we all have different tastes, but I just love it and hope you do too Thanks Claire I'm looking forward to the Ali Smith. Jeanette Winterson put a good word in for her the other day and I remembered that I had it on the shelf. It seems just the right time to read it. The thing is February is such a short month ... I mean it's not really .. and this year even less so .. but because it's Valentines day and then my birthday I lose a lot of it by being drunk/disorderly/over indulged/sick and cross etc ... which means I'll be lucky to achieve my Feb goals but I'll be sure to achieve that one because Jeanette, and more importantly YOU, recommend it I should be more encouraged because I've actually achieved one of them already but it's a slight cheat because I started it last week. I finished Mistress Masham's Repose today People who 'assume' make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Lorelai makes a joke about it in one GG episode and Emily doesn't know what she's talking about either, but Lorelai doesn't elaborate. I didn't know it either till David Brent said it in 'The Office' Quote
poppyshake Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 Edit: It goes without saying that I'm copying your list and posting it on my reading blog's page 1 along with Kylie's list! Bless you thanks .. I should perhaps have put lickable ratings next to them but suffice it to say that they are all extremely lickalicious Quote
poppyshake Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 I've read 19/50 of your fiction books (deleted from below list to shorten the post), I have 22 on my TBR pile (listed below) and I've added the other 9 to my wish list (marked as 'Wish' below). Combined read/TBR = 41, which is a pretty good statistic, I think. It's a very good statistic .. and it's just as I thought .. we lick like the same books Quote
poppyshake Posted February 3, 2012 Author Posted February 3, 2012 The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham Waterstones Synopsis: In the sleepy English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and all the inhabitants fall unconscious. A day later the object is gone and everyone awakens unharmed - except that all the women in the village are discovered to be pregnant. The resultant children of Midwich do not belong to their parents: all are blonde, all are golden eyed. They grow up too fast and their minds exhibit frightening abilities that give them control over others and brings them into conflict with the villagers just as a chilling realisation dawns on the world outside. "The Midwich Cuckoos" is the classic tale of aliens in our midst, exploring how we respond when confronted by those who are innately superior to us in every conceivable way. Review: I'm so glad this was on my reading list for January (and thanks again Janet for the suggestion ) January wasn't a good month for me and I found I couldn't focus on the stories I was reading. I needed something more gripping and this was definitely it. From the word go (or more correctly .. from the word 'one') I was hooked. Something weird has happened in the village of Midwich which is odd because it's a place where absolutely nothing happens usually. Nobody can enter the village, if they do they lose consciousness. Everyone already there is unconscious including all the animals .. what can be the cause? ... gas poisoning maybe? On looking at photographic evidence it would seem to be linked to a mysterious object seen encircling the whole town. A day later the object disappears and the village returns to normal with hardly any ill effects (there were a few fatalities ... it depended on what they were doing before they fell unconscious .. you wouldn't have wanted to be up a ladder for instance ) It's unnerving for sure but there's no harm done .. or is there? A few weeks later all the women of child bearing age, present at Midwich during the 'Dayout', discover they are pregnant. It doesn't take Einstein to work out that the fathers of these children are not the husbands/boyfriends/next door neighbours or milkmen of the village but rather an unknown source .. but .. perhaps more shockingly ... it's believed that the mothers too are merely hosts. Credit where credit's due, these woman for the most part seem to take it in their stride, some of them freak out but most are bracing up. 31 boys are born and 30 girls ... all looking very much alike each other with striking pale silvery skin and golden eyes. The villagers are relieved .. their imaginations had run away with them and most were imagining mutants at the very least. You may think that all of this would put Midwich very firmly on the map but no, very early on the villagers make the decision to keep it all quiet .. as if it had never happened. Now it's very difficult for a mother not to feel maternal towards their child .. even if that child is somehow alien born. And it's this maternal bond that stops them from doing .. what I think would have been best .. which is putting them all in the deep freeze or baking them at 220°C No, most of them still live in hope that these babies, though slightly strange, will grow up to be normal, regular, Disney watching, nursery rhyme singing children. It's not long though before the babies are asserting their will ... the mothers find they cannot leave the village or not at least when they have the babies in tow. As they grow older it's discovered that the Children (and they are now such an entity that they are deserving of capitalisation) have a telepathic connection to each other, only one boy and one girl need to be taught or told anything for them all to know it. They also look and act much older than their true age and though not entirely rejected by their parents prefer to live communally together in The Grange, which is a sort of school and welfare centre for them. By the time the villagers realise they're in danger and start marching with pitchforks and flaming torches it's too late. The Children have the ability to use their willpower not only to avoid getting hurt themselves but also to work against any potential foes .. anyone attempting to deal them a fatal blow is fatally struck or injured themselves. Nobody can leave the village or even walk where they like .. their movements are monitored by the Children. The question is, now that they have the power .. what will they do with it? What you're needing at a time like this is a hero, someone who can watch and learn, listen and act. Strangely it's not the narrator who seems somewhat disconnected from events (he and his wife were out of town during the Dayout.) It's Gordon Zellaby, an eccentric and intelligent professor from Midwich who is also teacher to the Children. He's one of the few people, perhaps the only person, to have formed a bond with them. It's a lovely vintage read. Yes the dialogue and attitudes are a little outdated but if I can still enjoy Enid (and I can ) I can still enjoy this. I thought the story built admirably and although the hints dropped during the final chapters meant that I guessed the ending ahead of time .. it still made me shiver like a jelly. 9/10 Quote
Janet Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 Review: I'm so glad this was on my reading list for January (and thanks again Janet for the suggestion ) What an amazing review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. My resolution went out the window - I haven't written a single review yet this year and I've read 8 books. Oh dear... Quote
poppyshake Posted February 3, 2012 Author Posted February 3, 2012 What an amazing review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks Janet .. and thanks for recommending it to me. Sci-fi isn't one of my preferred genre's but so far I'm really liking John Wyndham's stories. My resolution went out the window - I haven't written a single review yet this year and I've read 8 books. Oh dear... I'm almost up to date with Januarys reviews but it's all hokum because there are loads still left to do for last year. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. I will have to do them because I read some amazing books at the end of last year but I will practically have to speed read them again Quote
shelley.s Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 I've got/read a few of the books on your YA list. I've read The hobbit, LOTR, Inheart, Harry Potter, The Bartimaeus Trilogy and I have Wintersmith but havent read that one yet. I'm sure you will enjoy all of the above, I definatly did. Quote
poppyshake Posted February 3, 2012 Author Posted February 3, 2012 I've got/read a few of the books on your YA list. I've read The hobbit, LOTR, Inheart, Harry Potter, The Bartimaeus Trilogy and I have Wintersmith but havent read that one yet. I'm sure you will enjoy all of the above, I definatly did. Hi shelley .. you obviously love fantasy books The Bartimaeus trilogy are among my favourite YA books ever .. I don't know why they're not more widely known .. I tell everyone I meet (well book lovers .. and more specifically book lovers that are happy to read YA) to read them, they're brilliant Quote
shelley.s Posted February 4, 2012 Posted February 4, 2012 Hi shelley .. you obviously love fantasy books The Bartimaeus trilogy are among my favourite YA books ever .. I don't know why they're not more widely known .. I tell everyone I meet (well book lovers .. and more specifically book lovers that are happy to read YA) to read them, they're brilliant Yes they are brilliant. No one I know has read them either and one of my friends is quite and avid fantasy reader. Have you read The Ring of Soloman? I didnt enjoy that as much for some reason Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 4, 2012 Posted February 4, 2012 Great review of The Midwich Cuckoos, poppy, it's such a great book. Glad to see you liked The Sisters Brothers, too! Sci-fi isn't one of my preferred genre's but so far I'm really liking John Wyndham's stories. Ooh, you shouldn't say things like that, you'll become my latest 'mission to get people to read more sf' Quote
poppyshake Posted February 4, 2012 Author Posted February 4, 2012 Yes they are brilliant. No one I know has read them either and one of my friends is quite and avid fantasy reader. Have you read The Ring of Soloman? I didnt enjoy that as much for some reason I haven't read The Ring of Solomon though I will. It got mixed reviews .. I can't imagine anything being as good as the trilogy though so my hopes for it aren't sky high. I read one of his other books ... Heroes of the Valley and it was ok but nowhere near as good as the others. Great review of The Midwich Cuckoos, poppy, it's such a great book. Glad to see you liked The Sisters Brothers, too! Thanks Steve Both books were quite brilliant and Dracula too, I've been very lucky with my reads so far which probably means I haven't been straying off-piste enough Ooh, you shouldn't say things like that, you'll become my latest 'mission to get people to read more sf' You must have forgotten about my terrible experience with Steven Erikson and the Malazan Book of the Fallen series .. I read to page 137 of book one but it was so far over my head that I couldn't even see it with a telescope It scared me half to death. I'm finding I'm ok with vintage sci-fi .. they're still speaking the same language as me Perhaps it will all click with me one day. I've still got Gardens of the Moon somewhere .. it's my first ever failure. I've abandoned books before but because I was bored by them not because I couldn't understand them .. I might dig it out again one day .. when I'm feeling particularly resilient Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 You must have forgotten about my terrible experience with Steven Erikson and the Malazan Book of the Fallen series .. I read to page 137 of book one but it was so far over my head that I couldn't even see it with a telescope It scared me half to death. I'm finding I'm ok with vintage sci-fi .. they're still speaking the same language as me Perhaps it will all click with me one day. I've still got Gardens of the Moon somewhere .. it's my first ever failure. I've abandoned books before but because I was bored by them not because I couldn't understand them .. I might dig it out again one day .. when I'm feeling particularly resilient Ah, but you've got me here to help you now Page 137 - by that time I was already a fan The trick with GotM is not to try and understand everything straight away. Everything gets explained as the series goes along. If you go with the flow you might just get swept along for the ride - like I did. If you try and understand every word from the get-go you'll sink, guaranteed Anyway, Malazan is fantasy, we're talking sf. And, if we're talking vintage sf, then I'm going to start banging the drum ... Quote
poppyshake Posted February 5, 2012 Author Posted February 5, 2012 Anyway, Malazan is fantasy, we're talking sf. And, if we're talking vintage sf, then I'm going to start banging the drum ... oh yes .. many apologies I do get the two mixed up .. anyway .. bang away Quote
poppyshake Posted February 5, 2012 Author Posted February 5, 2012 Mistress Masham's Repose - T.H. White Waterstones Synopsis: Ten-year-old orphan Maria lives in her ancestors' crumbling mansion, with warm-hearted Cook and the eccentric Professor as her only friends. Exploring the grounds one day, Maria discovers a wild, half-forgotten island in the middle of a neglected lake - and an extraordinary secret. For the island is home to a community of tiny people - the Lilliputians that Gulliver first met on his famous travels. But as Maria grows closer to her new friends, her own life is in grave danger. Her wicked governess and the cruel vicar are plotting to steal her rightful inheritance - and they will stop at nothing. How can Maria keep the Lilliputians safe, while protecting herself? This is a timeless classic from the author of "The Sword in the Stone", with an introduction by Anne Fine. Review: The February Reading Circle book. Not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I definitely struggled in places and you don't expect that with a childrens book. Once I'd got into it though I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hilariously bonkers. Written in the days when authors treated children like little adults .. the book is peppered with historical and literary references and latin words and phrases by the bucketload. I prefered the action when it was taking place in Malplaquet (Maria's home) .. I loved the cast of characters there .. they were all either ridiculously batty or plottingly evil. The Lilliputians were a bit of a trial to me and so were all the references to Gulliver and his blooming travels (I do wish he'd stayed at home ) and these were the bits that tripped me up and made me lose the thread. Nearly everything else I loved. It was a book that made me smile constantly and laugh plenty, I read some bits twice because they amused me so much. This is what Captain thinks about Cook (and you have to bear in mind that Captain is Cook's dog ) 'Poor Cook, thought Captain, I must be kinder to her. She makes a splendid pet. How faithful she is! I always say you can't get the same love from a dog, not like you can from a human. So clever too. I believe she understands every word I say. I believe they have souls, just like dogs, only of course you can't smell them. It is uncanny how canine a human can be, if you are kind to them and treat them well. I know for a fact that when some dogs in history had died, their humans lay down on the grave and howled all night and refused food and pined away. It was just instinct of course, not real intelligence, but all the same it makes you think. I believe that when a human dies it goes to a special heaven for humans, with kind dogs to look after it. It may be sentimental of me, but there it is. Poor things, why shouldn't they? For that matter, I dare say there are humans in our own heaven even, for the dogs to make pets of. It would scarcely be heaven to some dogs, if they couldn't take their humans with them. I know I should want to take Cook' :smile: More thoughts can be read here but only of course if you don't mind some plot spoiling. February 2012 Reading Circle - Mistress Masham's Repose 8/10 Quote
vodkafan Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 Hi Poppy I think it is quite funny that we liked and disliked the exact opposite parts of the book. Quote
poppyshake Posted February 5, 2012 Author Posted February 5, 2012 Hi Poppy I think it is quite funny that we liked and disliked the exact opposite parts of the book. Isn't it though :D bet you're wishing The Blue World was in safer hands Quote
vodkafan Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 Poppy you wouldn't believe how excited I am that you are reading The Blue World. At least a couple of times a day I think about what you will make of it. I have had to stop myself Pm ing you to pester you. And you probably haven't even started it yet. Quote
poppyshake Posted February 5, 2012 Author Posted February 5, 2012 Poppy you wouldn't believe how excited I am that you are reading The Blue World. At least a couple of times a day I think about what you will make of it. I have had to stop myself Pm ing you to pester you. And you probably haven't even started it yet. I haven't but it is a February goal and as such I will definitely be reading it soon I'm only a little scared of it .. I'm not the full 'Iain M Banks' scared but you know, edging that way. I may need things explained Quote
vodkafan Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 nah it's really self explanatory you won't have any trouble I promise. Hopefully the story will grip you like it does me! Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 oh yes .. many apologies I do get the two mixed up .. anyway .. bang away Bang bang. I'm going to regret this, aren't I? Of course, I don't actually know what sf you've read ... Can I just refer you to the list I've already written (yes, I'm being lazy! )? http://www.bookclubf...post__p__283614 I'm not the full 'Iain M Banks' scared but you know, edging that way. I may need things explained Waaaaaait a minute ... What's wrong with Iain M Banks now? Quote
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