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A Casual Vacancy is certainly very different from her Harry Potter books, and it took me a short while to get into it. In the end I found it was well worth reading, but am not sure if I'll read it again. By contrast, I've re-read the HP books no less than five times.
I finished The Moth Diaries sometime last week, or the week before. Not quite sure when. It was a very interesting read. It just didn't end the way I'd have expected it to.
I'm planning on reading The Chronicles of Narnia at some point, since I didn't as a child. But I need to do some reading for my modules first, so I'm hoping I can read ee cumming's The Enormous Room this weekend. It's only 128 pages according to my Kindle so it shouldn't take too long.
[quote=JohnWho63]I've re-read the HP books no less than five times. [/quote]
In our house HP is on a constant loop of talking books in the bathroom! Everyone is listening to a different book at any one time so there's a pad and pencil to keep note of who is on what book/track :) High time she gave us another series though I don't see me tiring of this one anytime soon!
Currently reading some John Cheever short stories - if you have never read him, I would highly recommend 'The Swimmer' as a perfect example of how to make a metaphor into a truly memorable tale.
Eddy Mercxx -The Cannibal, by Daniel Friebe. The career of he who is generally acknowledged as the greatest ever bike rider. (I still have a sneaking regard for Fausto Coppi) Of no interest to anyone but me, I should think.
I've decided to abandon my planned reading I decided the other day in favour for a biography called Young Romantics by Daisy Hay. The Romantic period has fascinated me greatly, so it'll be interesting to read about the social circles of Keats, Shelley and Byron.
Not to mention reading poetry by Irish poets for my anthology assignment, and focussing on Seamus Heaney's poems too for another assignment.
[quote=snailmale](I still have a sneaking regard for Fausto Coppi) Of no interest to anyone but me, I should think.[/quote]
Coppi was a legend, such a shame about the Armstrong debacle,he would have been one of the greatest had he been clean.
In my opinion though I think Wiggins is up there. He has achieved great things so far and is still young enough to do more.
Peace and Disquiet, the collection of stories by Helen Laycock, our very own Tiny Nell. About halfway through at the moment. Absolutely excellent stories.
The Erotic Spirit Edited by Sam Hamill. In an effort to master the art of writing romance, which I think is the most difficult genre of all, I am reading around the subject, learning how to say it without saying it. This book is as romantic as it is erotic. Examples:
Late evening finally comes:
I unlatch the door
And quietly await
The one
Who greets me in my dreams.
(Otomo No Yakamochi 718 - 785)
Blue Water
He drifts on blue water
under a clear moon,
picking white lilies on South Lake.
Every lotus blossom
speaks of love
until his heart will break.
[quote=JohnWho63]Peace and Disquiet, the collection of stories by Helen Laycock, our very own Tiny Nell. About halfway through at the moment. Absolutely excellent stories.[/quote]
Oh, thank you, John. I did a double take then. Thought the title looked familiar!
[quote=JohnWho63]Have just finished reading "Peace and Disquiet" by our very own Tiny Nell. I can thoroughly recommend this collection. An absolutely excellent read.[/quote]
Hmm, I just looked and they are all for Kindle. Can I read these any other way?
[quote=jimholmes6]Hmm, I just looked and they are all for Kindle. Can I read these any other way?[/quote]
I think you can download any kindle books straight onto your PC or tablet, Jim.Thanks for the interest! If you do manage it, I hope you will enjoy the stories.
[quote=Tiny Nell]I think you can download any kindle books straight onto your PC or tablet, Jim.Thanks for the interest! If you do manage it, I hope you will enjoy the stories. [/quote]
Thanks, its okay I'm in work and the youngsters here have put me right, apparently I get read them on my Iphone through a Kindle app. I'll give it a go later.
[quote=Tiny Nell]I think you can download any kindle books straight onto your PC or tablet, Jim.Thanks for the interest! If you do manage it, I hope you will enjoy the stories.[/quote]
Just downloaded the Kindle app for my phone and am now the proud owner of "Peace and Disquiet". Review to follow!
[quote=Tiny Nell]Won't the screen be a bit small, Jim?[/quote]
Seems fine at the moment, not sure how I would cope after a long reading session, I may resort to some of the suggestions in the Ante Mortem story!!
My eyes are pretty good close up it's the distance I struggle with.
My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes, by Gary Imlach
Great read, Gary Imlach the host of cycling and American Fottball on ITV talks about his father's career in the days of maximum wage and being tied to clubs.
The clubs wouldn't allow players to move and if they fell out with the manager they were just pushed into the reserves with minimum wage and couldn't move on due to the league rules, many lived in the clubs houses so couldn't move on if they wanted.
The spectators earned more then the players and most of them had other jobs to supplement their meagre earnings.
Very different to today's millionaire superstar spoilt brats!
Generation X Box (How Video Games Invaded Hollywood) by Jamie Russell pub Yellow Ant
An account of the development of video games and how they influence Hollywood, and ultimately, how they are influencing the form of the novel and other fiction forms. Interactive books are producing (I think) a wonderful "reader" experience and have yet to show their potential.
Snuff by Terry Pratchett.
I put off reading this because his "Unseen Academicals" was such a disappointment, and I'm afraid the same applies to this one.
His illness seems to have turned him from a snappy writer into a garrulous one. Such a shame.
I thought about a fifth of it edited out would have made it a much punchier book - and there was some repetition that seemed to have bypassed editing altogether. That said, I didn't dislike it, just thought a firmer editorial hand would have improved it.
I loved The Casual Vacancy. I thought at first that it wouldn't be up to much, as it seems a big departure from Harry Potter. However, it proved to be 'unputdownable'.
[quote=Libby]I thought about a fifth of it edited out would have made it a much punchier book [/quote]
Yes, I finished it, thanks Libby. TBH I'm not a very good judge on structural editing, and for my own work, I always seek professional structural editing.
I absolutely loved her good sharp digs at the hypocrisy in British society. Many of her themes are close to my heart, the closest being how we seem to be failing our vulnerable young women, and not protecting them from predators and rapists.
I know the stories about the area she grew up in taking umbrage, but that's too narrow-minded, her observations apply to British society right across the board.
My favourite characters were Krystal, Suhkvinder and dear Andrew Price and young Gaia, all of whom demonstrated the vulnerabilities of young people trying to grow up in society today. And the way JKR picked apart those smug types, well I was laughing all the way through it.
The usual wonderful JKR turns of phrase and metaphor. Can only remember one at the moment - "lacking in workaday morals".
I bought a couple of hardback thrillers from our old library stock and didn't read the blurbs properly. I started one (can't remember the title or author - maybe Kathy Reichs) but didn't like the way the author kept interrupting to tell me facts about the city in which it was set, so I've put it on Hubby's bedside cabinet, in much the same way as I leave half-eaten chocolates for him if they are not to my taste. I feel it's more suited to male readership. He probably won't even look at it as he prefers scientific non-fiction or the classics.
The second book, which I think is called 'Lost Souls' has a blinking vampire in it. I NEVER read vampire books! It's alright though as a time-filler. I'm racing through it. I think it's more for the teen market, so I'm just a year or two too old :D
I just realised I was half way through a book and just didn't care what happened next. So I picked up Illusion by Frank Peretti instead, which seems to be a vast improvement. In fact, now I've mentioned it, I want to go and read a chapter or two now...
Hmmm, they don't usually blink. Anne Rice is Queen of the Vampires. If you read hers, you don't need to read any other contemporary stuff. Having said that, I shall give Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series a go. They're in my paper pile (as opposed to my Kindle pile).
When I look on various reading sites, and I see people have stacked up two or three thousand books to read, I think to myself "You'll wear out yer eyeballs, luv, before you close the last back cover on that lot."
Now I've escaped the clutches of Nell's vampire, I remember I meant to say I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I like the FMC, Tris. So far, so good.
Comments
I studied those at university. Loved them.
I love Neil Gaiman's books. American Gods is one of the best. Enjoy pbw.
I have to say, it's not a page turner. One chapter a night is all I can yawn my way through.
FIVE times John - wow!
I'm planning on reading The Chronicles of Narnia at some point, since I didn't as a child. But I need to do some reading for my modules first, so I'm hoping I can read ee cumming's The Enormous Room this weekend. It's only 128 pages according to my Kindle so it shouldn't take too long.
In our house HP is on a constant loop of talking books in the bathroom! Everyone is listening to a different book at any one time so there's a pad and pencil to keep note of who is on what book/track :) High time she gave us another series though I don't see me tiring of this one anytime soon!
Currently reading some John Cheever short stories - if you have never read him, I would highly recommend 'The Swimmer' as a perfect example of how to make a metaphor into a truly memorable tale.
Is that him or you with the sick bag? ;)
Not to mention reading poetry by Irish poets for my anthology assignment, and focussing on Seamus Heaney's poems too for another assignment.
Coppi was a legend, such a shame about the Armstrong debacle,he would have been one of the greatest had he been clean.
In my opinion though I think Wiggins is up there. He has achieved great things so far and is still young enough to do more.
Late evening finally comes:
I unlatch the door
And quietly await
The one
Who greets me in my dreams.
(Otomo No Yakamochi 718 - 785)
Blue Water
He drifts on blue water
under a clear moon,
picking white lilies on South Lake.
Every lotus blossom
speaks of love
until his heart will break.
(Li Po 701 - 762)
Oh, thank you, John. I did a double take then. Thought the title looked familiar!
Hmm, I just looked and they are all for Kindle. Can I read these any other way?
[quote=jimholmes6]Hmm, I just looked and they are all for Kindle. Can I read these any other way?[/quote]
I think you can download any kindle books straight onto your PC or tablet, Jim.Thanks for the interest! If you do manage it, I hope you will enjoy the stories.
I must now go and share it with the world :D
Thanks, its okay I'm in work and the youngsters here have put me right, apparently I get read them on my Iphone through a Kindle app. I'll give it a go later.
Just downloaded the Kindle app for my phone and am now the proud owner of "Peace and Disquiet". Review to follow!
Won't the screen be a bit small, Jim?
Please don't sue me for the cost of an opthamological (underlined by spellcheck, but I don't know any other way) procedure.
There should be an L before the M but it still gets underlined - spellcheck is not foolproof!
Seems fine at the moment, not sure how I would cope after a long reading session, I may resort to some of the suggestions in the Ante Mortem story!!
My eyes are pretty good close up it's the distance I struggle with.
Eeek!
Disclaimer: do not try this at home.
Great read, Gary Imlach the host of cycling and American Fottball on ITV talks about his father's career in the days of maximum wage and being tied to clubs.
The clubs wouldn't allow players to move and if they fell out with the manager they were just pushed into the reserves with minimum wage and couldn't move on due to the league rules, many lived in the clubs houses so couldn't move on if they wanted.
The spectators earned more then the players and most of them had other jobs to supplement their meagre earnings.
Very different to today's millionaire superstar spoilt brats!
An account of the development of video games and how they influence Hollywood, and ultimately, how they are influencing the form of the novel and other fiction forms. Interactive books are producing (I think) a wonderful "reader" experience and have yet to show their potential.
I put off reading this because his "Unseen Academicals" was such a disappointment, and I'm afraid the same applies to this one.
His illness seems to have turned him from a snappy writer into a garrulous one. Such a shame.
Masterly.
I thought about a fifth of it edited out would have made it a much punchier book - and there was some repetition that seemed to have bypassed editing altogether. That said, I didn't dislike it, just thought a firmer editorial hand would have improved it.
The trouble when I do that is that I've forgotten the story.
Yes, I finished it, thanks Libby. TBH I'm not a very good judge on structural editing, and for my own work, I always seek professional structural editing.
I absolutely loved her good sharp digs at the hypocrisy in British society. Many of her themes are close to my heart, the closest being how we seem to be failing our vulnerable young women, and not protecting them from predators and rapists.
I know the stories about the area she grew up in taking umbrage, but that's too narrow-minded, her observations apply to British society right across the board.
My favourite characters were Krystal, Suhkvinder and dear Andrew Price and young Gaia, all of whom demonstrated the vulnerabilities of young people trying to grow up in society today. And the way JKR picked apart those smug types, well I was laughing all the way through it.
The usual wonderful JKR turns of phrase and metaphor. Can only remember one at the moment - "lacking in workaday morals".
Totally brilliant.
The second book, which I think is called 'Lost Souls' has a blinking vampire in it. I NEVER read vampire books! It's alright though as a time-filler. I'm racing through it. I think it's more for the teen market, so I'm just a year or two too old :D
Hmmm, they don't usually blink. Anne Rice is Queen of the Vampires. If you read hers, you don't need to read any other contemporary stuff. Having said that, I shall give Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series a go. They're in my paper pile (as opposed to my Kindle pile).
When I look on various reading sites, and I see people have stacked up two or three thousand books to read, I think to myself "You'll wear out yer eyeballs, luv, before you close the last back cover on that lot."
Now I've escaped the clutches of Nell's vampire, I remember I meant to say I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I like the FMC, Tris. So far, so good.
That and Insurgent are my daughter's absolute favourite books.
Loving it. Again.
That writing duo sure know how to put a great thriller together. No messing about. A short first chapter that ends in such a way that you're hooked.