frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 What a great review, Sari - worth the wait! Thank you, but I can't take that with face value, as I can't see your face Whacky business I think those books all count as fantasy. I'm guessing by 'true fantasy' you mean High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, swords and sorcery stuff, so yeah, I know what you mean I was being sarcastic I was underlining the fact how prejudiced I've been towards the whole genre. Edit: And maybe the fact that I always thought that fantasy novels have the word 'fantasy' written all over them. That a book I might find easy to read can't be fantasy. Which means I've been underestimating myself. Do you know, I never look at the character lists. I guess it just doesn't occur to me that it could put someone off, but I can totally see what you mean now. Maybe the character list is a very common thing in fantasy novels and so you're used to them and therefore don't have to mind? I don't usually come across with character lists in the books I normally read. You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it I suppose I still can't believe I actually read it, and so soon after receiving it, and that I really loved it, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Thank you, but I can't take that with face value, as I can't see your face Maybe the character list is a very common thing in fantasy novels and so you're used to them and therefore don't have to mind? I don't usually come across with character lists in the books I normally read. Yeah, I can see what you mean And, yeah, I am totally used to them, not just in sf and fantasy, but in historical novels too. I'm always kind of disappointed when a book doesn't have one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yeah, I can see what you mean And, yeah, I am totally used to them, not just in sf and fantasy, but in historical novels too. I'm always kind of disappointed when a book doesn't have one Which basically means that I have a point, and that I'm right. Again. (Notice how I referred to you as 'SF & fantasy fan'. Be pleased, it's the last time!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Which basically means that I have a point, and that I'm right. Again. (Notice how I referred to you as 'SF & fantasy fan'. Be pleased, it's the last time!) Yeah, but then you said 'sci-fi' in the same sentence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yeah, but then you said 'sci-fi' in the same sentence! Of course, because at that point I was talking like a normal person! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Of course, because at that point I was talking like a normal person! Makes a change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 OI! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Great reviews, Frankie. So can I just copy and paste your TCV review to my thread, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Great reviews, Frankie. So can I just copy and paste your TCV review to my thread, then? I think the deal was that you wrote one and that I would copy+paste it on my thread I'm still waiting for your review, I shall replace mine with yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I made no such deal! Trust me: when you see my review, you won't be wanting to replace yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 I made no such deal! Trust me: when you see my review, you won't be wanting to replace yours! Yes, because I will go into such despair that I'll throw the whole thread in the bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Frankie's reading in 2012 ~ memoirs I read 83 books this year, which I'm pretty pleased with. Before I joined the forum the most books I read in a year was 59 books and that was back in 2003. I joined the forum in 2008, making a new record of read books, 77. The next year I read 118 books, and the year after that 120 books. Since then I've come down in the number, but I'm still doing very good in my opinion. I tend to set myself the target of 100 books a year, but I'm not bothered if I don't make the target, it's just something to set my eyes on and to keep me going and motivated. * What's more important, as far as it comes to my Mount TBR, I've come down a lot in books acquired. This year I was being very good compared to the previous years: I only acquired 99 books! Of these: 16 were presents 2 were bookswap books 13 were free (mostly from the free book trolley at the library) 59 were secondhand purchases 1 was a review book 4 books were bought in a bookstore from a sale 4 books were bought from online bookshops I think I did very well considering that the amount of books I acquire in the previous years: 2008: at least 116 (I don't have the exact number) 2009: 160 2010: 321 (this was the mad year when I met Kylie and did a lot of shopping down under ) 2011: 309 I'm going to be even more strict this year, I'm definitely going to keep under 100 books, and would love it if for the first time in years I would actually read more books (from TBR pile, at that!) than I actually acquire. For me this is very ambitious. * Last year I started keeping statistics of the books I read (books written by female/male authors, books read in Finnish/English, books written by familiar/new-to-me authors, read books by Finnish/foreign authors, the amount of books read based on recommendations by BCF members, amount of fictional/non-fictional/(auto)biographical books read, and the how I rated books). I don't know where and how the idea occurred to me, but I had a lot of fun doing it and I was able to look back on some interesting things at the end of the year and it also helped me to write my 2011 reading year memoirs. I wanted to continue doing this and here are some of the things I've found out about the year 2012 and how it's been different from the previous year: - Eventhough I noticed in 2011 how few Finnish novels I read, and eventhough I picked up a lot of books by Finnish authors when I was working at the library in 2012, the situation didn't improve from last year at all: during both years I read only 12 Finnish books. - In 2012 I read 31 novels in English which is only one book more than in 2011. But as I read less books this year, the ratio between English/Finnish titles is better (as I want to read as much as possible in the original language): 31/51 and one Swedish title. That means 37,3% of the books were read in English, in 2011 it was 33,3%. In 2011: " My goodreads account shows that (if I calculated it right) overall 32,2% of the books I've read have been in English, and 67,7% have been in Finnish." My goodreads account (23.1.2013) says 35,5%. (Can that be right? Have I made such a huge difference just in one year?) - In 2011 I read a lot more books by new-to-me authors than by familiar authors: the former beat the later by 22 titles. This year it was a bit closer run: I read 13 more books by new-to-me authors than by familiar authors. - Just as in 2011, this year fictional books won by a landslide: I read 61 novels, only 6 non-fiction books and 10 (auto)biographies/novels based on true stories. Ratings-wise it was a great year: 1/5: 4 2/5: 7 3/5: 16 4/5: 38 5/5: 17 Let's take a look at the poorest reads (1/1) this year, luckily there were only four of them: The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James The Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell The Bat by Jo Nesbø Moving on to the numerous great reads that got 5/5: The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt Dead Simple by Peter James Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years by Sue Townsend Pied Piper by Nevil Shute Man, Woman, And Child by Erich Segal Tiputanssi by Ingvar Ambjørnsen Veriveljet by Ingvar Ambjørnsen Sister by Rosamund Lupton Literary Trivia - Over 300 Curious Lists for Bookworms by Aubrey Malone Marathon Man by William Goldman The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff Tassuterapeutti by Anna-Liisa Suni Dog On It by Spencer Quinn Mielensäpahoittaja ja ruskeakastike by Tuomas Kyrö The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay The ones that are in bold turquoise are the ones that really stood out for me, books that I want to re-read in the future and that I would recommend to anyone. - Reading challenges took a backseat this year, unfortunately. I only read 3 books off the 1001 Books list and 6 books off the Rory list. This is how they fared ratings-wise: 1001 Books: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett 2/5 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 4/5 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 2/5 Rory Gilmore reading challenge: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie 5/5 Marathon Man by William Goldman 5/5 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 4/5 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee 4/5 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 2/5 The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty 1/5 - I didn't do very well on reading books off the TBR pile, either: only 31 books this year! I'm determined to do better in 2013 and as I have already mentioned in my new reading log, I'm going to try and reduce my current TBR pile to 499 TBR and not buy any books before June, or so. Depending on when I get to 499 TBR. I will allow myself to buy book for Reading Circles if I don't find any copies at the library, but that is it. - New authors I discovered in 2012 and whom I want to read more by: Siri Hustvedt Rosamund Lupton William Goldman Tobias Wolff Inna Patravoka S. J. Watson Jonathan Tropper Guy Gavriel Kay * That's it, all the reviews are done and all the reminiscing is reminisced Thanks everyone for all your comments and recommendations and thoughts in my log throughout the year, it's been a pleasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Ah, how I love reading statistics! And, what a good year 2012 was for you, frankie. (Although the number of books in your ratings add up to 82 books, but your reading totals are 83? Sorry ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 That's a really nice write up you've done frankie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Ah, how I love reading statistics! And, what a good year 2012 was for you, frankie. Thanks chesil, I love statistics, too, and I just had to write the memoirs because I had so much fun doing it the last time for the 2011 thread (that was the first time I did it). (Although the number of books in your ratings add up to 82 books, but your reading totals are 83? Sorry ) No worries! I did notice while I was going through the statistics that they all didn't add up (meaning I'd forgotten to mark down all the details of some books I'd read and listed), but when I started going through the books one by one, to do the adding again to get it right, I sighed and saw how much work it would be and thought, one book there, one book here, who's gonna notice? I don't mind that you did, but I'm just not gonna be bothered That's a really nice write up you've done frankie! Thanks Athena! It was fun doing that, but it takes a bit of time so I'm also happy that one has to do it only once a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Now that's detail. Fascinating post, frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thank you Steve When can we expect your memoirs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 No worries! I did notice while I was going through the statistics that they all didn't add up (meaning I'd forgotten to mark down all the details of some books I'd read and listed), but when I started going through the books one by one, to do the adding again to get it right, I sighed and saw how much work it would be and thought, one book there, one book here, who's gonna notice? I don't mind that you did, but I'm just not gonna be bothered Typical. There's always one irritating, pedantic geek who spots inconsistencies in statistics, isn't there. Oh, that would be me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Typical. There's always one irritating, pedantic geek who spots inconsistencies in statistics, isn't there. Oh, that would be me. Don't say that You love statistics, numbers and math, and it's a great characteristic about you You wouldn't be you if you weren't you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thank you Steve When can we expect your memoirs? I already posted them. Thanks for paying attention Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 I already posted them. Thanks for paying attention Shut up Must've slipped my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 What a great idea frankie I'll be writing mine up around July when I've finished my reviews I am hopeless at adding up so will probably just give Claire the job (I'll make it worth your while Claire .. coffee and cake suit you? ) I love the way that you named and shamed your poorest books frankie What have you got to say for yourself Welty, James, Cornwell and Nesbø? (Nesbø!?! I haven't started on him yet but I thought it was a sure thing that I would like him ... so many trumpets .. oh, now I'm having doubts .. Nesbø is sinking *waves hankie* ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Looks like you had a great 2012 frankie, and it's lovely to see how much pleasure you get from buying and reading and making all your bookie lists... Looks like I may have a few more books to add to my wish list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Aaargh, can't get the quote function to work properly, but that Nikki Catsouras case is horrific! I haven't googled her name for fear of any images that will show up, as according to Wiki they are still out there. It's very disturbing that these officers chose to distribute the pictures - one of them said they sent it to their personal email address for 'viewing at a later time'. Really???? I mean, REALLY? Ugh, the state of mind of some people are so disturbing. And the fact that some people chose to caption the pictures and send them to Nikki's parents!! I do wonder what is wrong with some people! There was a recent case (last year) where a woman was hit and killed by a lorry (I think here in England), and apparently within minutes pictures of her dismembered body were posted onto twitter. I don't think they ever named and shamed the culprits, which is unfortunate. I think if people knew their actions would be made public it would make them think twice (unfortunately, their own moral conscience isn't deterrent enough!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay 5/5 What a beautiful review frankie I've only read Tolkien and the Potter books - and you make me what to read this one. Thank you frankie - and thank you Karsa for getting her to read this - which led to this brilliant review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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