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I currently indulging in JR Ward's 'Lover awakened'. A friend gave it to me...to be honest...It's been sat on my reading pile for ages...the title put me off. The i picked it up Monday night...and...good grief. What's not to like!!! 6foot 6 Vampire warriors clad in leather and rescuing randy damsels in distress!
I know it's shallow of me...sexist even...*sigh* pass me another ferrero roche someone.
started and finished reading HOLES last night... its one of the books we have to read for prose...pretty surprised i finished it in one night... it was pretty good... not the best book i've read but still fun. this copy had a few typos in it tho...
now i can continue reading Here Be Dragons by Sharon Penman for the umpteenth time :D the story of Llewelyn Fawr and Joanna (Joan)
I was reading chapter four of Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield' over the weekend, and it made me cry!! The only book that has ever made me cry is 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and that was at the end. I am only on chapter four of David Copperfield! I have a feeling I will be crying more later on too! :o)
I just read Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I so wanted to hate it, with it being the same theme as the book I'm trying to get an agent for (and with one of my rejections siting that similarities to this book in particular and the market in general as one of the reasons they were rejecting mine), but actually I thought it was pretty fantastic, especially for a first novel. It was delivered yesterday, so was on my doorstep when I got home at 11.30pm last night. I thought I'd read a couple of pages before I went to bed. I finished it at 5am!! Crawling out of my pit for work at 7.30am was fun.
The storyline is completely different to mine; the angel theme is the only similarity. I'm hoping that the other agents I'm waiting to hear from will see the differences, and give my book a chance, because I still think my book is something unique. We'll see what happens.
It's 'None of this ever really happened' by Peter Perry, and it's strange, kind of bordering the line between autobiography and fiction - but is it true? ;)
Just finished The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith, read it in 24 hours. Mixed feelings about this after loving Child 44. It has its moments but has editorial mistakes, a plot that dashes off all over the place and underdeveloped characters. Still, it's the best thing I've read in awhile. Now, I'm about a quarter way through The Outcast by Sadie Jones and the jury is still out on this one.
i have to read Red Dragon by Thomas Harris for prose... i can't really put it down... which is helpful since i have to read it by the 18th Jan and it's really thick
NB
Denis M. MacEoin (b. Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1949) is a novelist and a former lecturer in Islamic studies and is, at present, chief editor of the Middle East Quarterly. His academic specializations are Shiism, Shaykhism, Bábism, and the Bahá'í Faith, on all of which he has written extensively. His novels are written under the pen names Daniel Easterman and Jonathan Aycliffe.
I loved Tristram Shandy when we had to read it at Uni, Nutmeg. Got an A for my essay, and the comment: "You obviously enjoyed reading this book".
I just bought How Not to Write a Novel, Dora, and will start it tonight. Also got the Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction. Looks good.
Just finished Malarkey by Keith Grey, a YA novel which I read because KG is represented by the lady I want to be my agent. Great imagery, interesting narration and voice. My only criticism would be that the book was slight (about survival in a comprehensive school - the sort of thing everyone does every day). I like themes to be world changing with at least the danger of death hanging over the protagonist.
not really enjoying Red Dragon anymore... we know who the killer is... oh well... will manage to finish it time i think...
mom and i went around some charity shops today and i got quite a few books... only 2 of which i haven't ever read!! firstly The Sisterhood Of Travelling Pants; Arthur, The Seeing Stone; The Silver Sword (this was the first "historical novel" i suppose i'm gonna call it, i read as a child... i read this before i read I Am David i think...or maybe just after... really good tho)... I have Harry Potter's 1-4 in American Editions and have been wanting to get rid of them for a while (so if anyone wants to buy them off me pls let me know!! ;) ) and i've been wanting to get 1-4 in Brit edition but Hard Cover... i found 1, 3 and 4 today... when we sat down to eat after searching thru all the shops i looked in the books out of curiosity to see if they were first editions or anything... 4 was! sadly 1 and 3 weren't...but still pretty cool to have another 1st edition to add to the pile...
have no idea when i will be able to read any of these... but oh well...
Currently reading Alan Bennett's 'Untold Stories' I'm dipping in and out, it's that type of book. Just finished 'Time Traveller's Wife' didn't fancy it originally as it didn't seem to tick any of my boxes,but someone bought it as a gift so I gave it a go, thoroughly enjoyed it. Which goes to show sometimes you need to read stuff 'outside the box'.
Had 'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave and 'Guernica' by Dave Boling for Christmas but haven't decided which to start with yet. Trying to be more organised about both writing and reading as a bit of a New Year resolution as I've already got a pile of stuff that I haven't read yet, which seems to grow by the day!!
well all three inkheart books arrived in the post at 8 this morning...i'm already a third of the way thru inkheart...love the writing style. Of course i am meant to be reading red dragon but inkheart is just so much better and more inspiring. After watching the film again yesterday i was able to write the scene in my book i have been struggling with...
Anyway...back to inkheart :D
Just started the first of three books by one of my favourite writers- JAK. This new set of 3 books is being done under each of her writing names- they are set in the past, the present and the future. She has been drawing together her historical and present day stories in her last few books with the central family involved.
Fired Up is the 'present' version.
I've read a couple of chapters so far and it looks good so far.
I am reading Dorothys War by Ruth Hamilton (I think that what it's called but it's upstairs and I can't be bothered to run upstairs at the moment). I'm not enthralled. It's one of a pile of books we were given to sell but aren't worth the postage costs so I thought I'd read them. I've also got a pile of Charlotte Bingham to have a go at next. I did re read a Tami Hoag over christmas and just for comfort value a Oz Blackstone mystery by Quintine Jardine (Can't remember which one but I've got all of them).
halfway thru Inkdeath yesterday i wondered what more Cornelia Funke could do... but wow... its pretty good...i few things that annoyed me but otherwise its a good series... you can see she understands the art of writing and story telling and understands people very well. Not the best example of excellent writing tho... but still good fun.
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
I read his book The City Of Dreaming Books a while back and loved it for it's unbridled imagination and the surprises on every page. Captain Bluebear has all its charm and vivacity. Although Moers' narrative can be lacking sometimes, his books are just so much fun, and easy to read, I've hardly put Bluebear down. In fact, it was only today I remembered the book I'd interrupted it for - Wolf Hall, an excellent book which had my nose firmly stuck between its pages.
Reading Moers is like taking your brain on holiday.
i've just ordered a book called Dragon's Ring by Dave Freer who is a good friend's father. Can't wait to read it coz it really looks like a lot of fun and probably a bit different to his usual sci fi stuff.
I'm reading Inkheart again coz i just couldn't get those characters out of my head. Dustfinger is such a nice character...and i can't remember if i said dthis before but i think its a bit of a flaw that the reader likes Dustfinger more than the main characters, meggie and mo... Dustfinger in a way is a main character but Meggie is the main main character because it is a kids books... if that makes sense..its still early... :D
'The Death of Marco Pantani', by Matt Rendell. An account of the events that led to the suicide ot this Italian Tour de France and Giro d'Italia winner. Hard going in places, even for a cycling enthusiast! My 'bedside books', which I dip in to as the whim takes me are: The Complete Sherlock Holmes, a collection of stories by Collette, a P G Wodehouse 'Jeeves' collection and Alan Bennett's 'Untold Stories'. Enough reading there to send me to sleep, nightly, for a year or so
I've recently read 'A stranger is watching' - Mary Higgins Clark. I found this hard to put down. Last night I finished re-reading 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' - very enjoyable.
I got bored of Murakami's 'Norwegian Wood' so I've started 'The Princess Bride' for the 5th time. Read 80 pages and not enjoying it as much as I usually do, thinking I may start 'Hound of the Baskervilles' as that Sherlock Holmes movie really put me in the mood for Conan Doyle.
Never read it before, but had this book sitting on my shelf for a couple years, and the film has prompted me to bring it to the front of the line. Hope I enjoy it!
Yeah I always loved the Hound of the Baskervilles film even when I was a kid, and I'm already addicted to the story since I last talked to you. So much so that after reading 7 pages I'm now seriously considering doing my dissertation on Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps contrasting him to modern detectives. I'll definately try 'The Sign of Four' next.
Comments
I know it's shallow of me...sexist even...*sigh* pass me another ferrero roche someone.
I do so love this parody.
now i can continue reading Here Be Dragons by Sharon Penman for the umpteenth time :D the story of Llewelyn Fawr and Joanna (Joan)
The storyline is completely different to mine; the angel theme is the only similarity. I'm hoping that the other agents I'm waiting to hear from will see the differences, and give my book a chance, because I still think my book is something unique. We'll see what happens.
*SA*
Blimey, it must have been good! I think I'd sack myself if I tried to do my job on just a couple of hours sleep.
It really was. I'll definitely be getting the sequel when that comes out.
*SA*
It's 'None of this ever really happened' by Peter Perry, and it's strange, kind of bordering the line between autobiography and fiction - but is it true? ;)
I will resurrect this thread [resurrect being the word as it is way past resuscitation that is needed! ;)]
I am currently reading 'Emma' by Jane Austen - although I like reading Austen it does take me some time to get through it!
NB
Denis M. MacEoin (b. Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1949) is a novelist and a former lecturer in Islamic studies and is, at present, chief editor of the Middle East Quarterly. His academic specializations are Shiism, Shaykhism, Bábism, and the Bahá'í Faith, on all of which he has written extensively. His novels are written under the pen names Daniel Easterman and Jonathan Aycliffe.
Finished Stephen Fry's 'Moab Is My Washpot' yesterday. Very funny and very interesting, I highly recommend it.
Currently (literally) listening to 'The DaVinci Code'. I have found it enthralling initially but I am getting a bit bored of it now...
I just bought How Not to Write a Novel, Dora, and will start it tonight. Also got the Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction. Looks good.
Just finished Malarkey by Keith Grey, a YA novel which I read because KG is represented by the lady I want to be my agent. Great imagery, interesting narration and voice. My only criticism would be that the book was slight (about survival in a comprehensive school - the sort of thing everyone does every day). I like themes to be world changing with at least the danger of death hanging over the protagonist.
mom and i went around some charity shops today and i got quite a few books... only 2 of which i haven't ever read!! firstly The Sisterhood Of Travelling Pants; Arthur, The Seeing Stone; The Silver Sword (this was the first "historical novel" i suppose i'm gonna call it, i read as a child... i read this before i read I Am David i think...or maybe just after... really good tho)... I have Harry Potter's 1-4 in American Editions and have been wanting to get rid of them for a while (so if anyone wants to buy them off me pls let me know!! ;) ) and i've been wanting to get 1-4 in Brit edition but Hard Cover... i found 1, 3 and 4 today... when we sat down to eat after searching thru all the shops i looked in the books out of curiosity to see if they were first editions or anything... 4 was! sadly 1 and 3 weren't...but still pretty cool to have another 1st edition to add to the pile...
have no idea when i will be able to read any of these... but oh well...
Had 'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave and 'Guernica' by Dave Boling for Christmas but haven't decided which to start with yet. Trying to be more organised about both writing and reading as a bit of a New Year resolution as I've already got a pile of stuff that I haven't read yet, which seems to grow by the day!!
Anyway...back to inkheart :D
Fired Up is the 'present' version.
I've read a couple of chapters so far and it looks good so far.
very good
halfway thru Inkdeath yesterday i wondered what more Cornelia Funke could do... but wow... its pretty good...i few things that annoyed me but otherwise its a good series... you can see she understands the art of writing and story telling and understands people very well. Not the best example of excellent writing tho... but still good fun.
I read his book The City Of Dreaming Books a while back and loved it for it's unbridled imagination and the surprises on every page. Captain Bluebear has all its charm and vivacity. Although Moers' narrative can be lacking sometimes, his books are just so much fun, and easy to read, I've hardly put Bluebear down. In fact, it was only today I remembered the book I'd interrupted it for - Wolf Hall, an excellent book which had my nose firmly stuck between its pages.
Reading Moers is like taking your brain on holiday.
I'm reading Inkheart again coz i just couldn't get those characters out of my head. Dustfinger is such a nice character...and i can't remember if i said dthis before but i think its a bit of a flaw that the reader likes Dustfinger more than the main characters, meggie and mo... Dustfinger in a way is a main character but Meggie is the main main character because it is a kids books... if that makes sense..its still early... :D