Here is to wishing a great reading-year!
Here is to wishing a great reading-year!
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"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
~
So far I've read -
1. Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman and Yo****aka Amano - 10/10 - Great book to start off the new year. I thought it was a graphic novel but turns out to be a regular tale, beautifully told, and Yo****aka Amano's illustrations are absolutely lovely. A wonderful reading experience.
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 3/10 - An insipid 'follow your dreams' self-help sort of book. When I came to the part where the protagonist starts talking to the wind, I knew I was wasting my time but finished it anyway.
Gosh, part of Yo s h i t aka's name got edited out!
Last edited by mona amon; 01-13-2014 at 12:48 AM.
Exit, pursued by a bear.
Mona> I cannot agree with you more regarding The Alchemist. It was one of the biggest disappointments of my reading history and now I get very annoyed and frustrated that this kind of sugar-coated, pseudo self-help and empowerment books get to be published even.
Willing to give Atwood's Maddaddam a try soon?
~
"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
~
Finished the first book of the New Year.
1) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke Avery good, hard science read chronicling the appearance of a mysterious, gigantic cylinder in the solar system which is explored by a nearby spaceship. A good tale, well told. 8/10
Scher, I'm ready whenever you are. I'll be buying it for Kindle as I couldn't find it in my library, so that will take only a few seconds.Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Exit, pursued by a bear.
My list so far:
1. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (N1/W1) ~ 7/10
2. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (N2/W2/SO1) ~ 8/10
3. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (N3/W3) ~ 8/10
4. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers (W4) ~ 9/10
5. The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter by Ambrose Bierce (N4) ~ 7/10
6. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (W5) ~ 4/10
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"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
~
Reading log. 2014
Following on from last year's...
Road to Nab End by William Woodruff.
A true story of growing up in Blackburn between the Wars, by a man who can write fluently and interestingly. These people had absolutely nothing, unyet managed to get by. I found it facinating - it brought back memories of my Grandma's stories of her childhood. 8/10
Why be Happy When You Can be Normal by Jeanette Winterson.
It goes over the same ground as Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. This time she is not so concerned with narrative and humour but jumps around from place to place and thought to thought. The story is still the same, an orphan brought up in extraordinary and loveless surroundings by a dominating religious mother, somehow educates herself and breaks free.
Then she jumps 25 years and tries to track, explain and describe the causes of a horrendous breakdown. This is couragous stuff I was genuinely moved. My admiration of this woman has gone up to a whole new level. 9/10
ay up
Winterson has been on my list ever since I read 'Weight', her autobiography has been on the top of that list, just the name makes it worth while I think
I have read 8 books so far (almost finished number 9)
Mánasteinn (Moonstone, it will be translated soon I think) by Sjón, an amazing story about a difficult year in Iceland's history, 1918. He is a brilliant writer 10/10
The Dogs of Babel- my friend told me to read it because it's about a dog. It's not a good book, not very well written, has some interesting ideas and shows grief in a new light but very disappointing. 3/10 (and I'm being nice)
Gangsta Granny- yes this was for my son but I loved it, just one of the best children's book I have read. funny, silly but about subjects that can be hard to discuss. 9/10
Aðgát skal höfð- by a woman from the ice, Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir, about a women on the ice at the beginning of the second world war 8/10
The Good Shepherd- by Gunnar Gunnarsson a very cold and symbolic book about kindness and equality (to me at least, some people say it's about god, maybe it is a bit) it's based on a true story of a man who travelled in the cold and snow every year to find sheep that got lost from the group. 9/10
The Monster and the critics by Tolkien for my BA, a great piece of work.
Íslenskur Aðall- it's hard to translate that title cause it might be misunderstood, I think it has been translated into English a few times but they always make a new title for it. Really it would be The Icelandic Elite, and that gives the wrong impression. Very good book by Þórbergur Þórðarson about young men who want to be poets but only drink and waste time thinking they are great. 8/10 after reading this book 2x2 isn't always 4.
The Spanish Tragedy - Kyd. yes it is a play but with introduction in 25 pages and additions, it's a book! enjoyed it a lot 7/10
My plan is to read at least 52 books this year, I think I'll read a bit more though
Last edited by Helga; 01-27-2014 at 04:46 PM.
I hope death is joyful, and I hope I'll never return -Frida Khalo
If I seem insensitive to what you are going through, understand it's the way I am- Mr. Spock
Personally, I think that the unique and supreme delight lies in the certainty of doing 'evil'–and men and women know from birth that all pleasure lies in evil. - Baudelaire
1) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke Avery good, hard science read chronicling the appearance of a mysterious, gigantic cylinder in the solar system which is explored by a nearby spaceship. A good tale, well told. 8/10
2) The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell A pagan Lord's Hall is burned down whilst he is blamed for the kidnapping of a Danish leader's wife and children. His ensuing struggle and travels make for interesting reading as Cornwell expands upon the historical detail in a swords and shields thriller. 6.5/10
1) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke Avery good, hard science read chronicling the appearance of a mysterious, gigantic cylinder in the solar system which is explored by a nearby spaceship. A good tale, well told. 8/10
2) The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell A pagan Lord's Hall is burned down whilst he is blamed for the kidnapping of a Danish leader's wife and children. His ensuing struggle and travels make for interesting reading as Cornwell expands upon the historical detail in a swords and shields thriller. 6.5/10
3) Cosmopolis by Don Delillo A successful currency dealer's every need is taken care of as he engages with experiences which will provide insight, feeling and meaning. A very interesting novel which asks big questions in an atheistic, corporate world. What do the riches we can acquire really mean for individuals?
1) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke Avery good, hard science read chronicling the appearance of a mysterious, gigantic cylinder in the solar system which is explored by a nearby spaceship. A good tale, well told. 8/10
2) The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell A pagan Lord's Hall is burned down whilst he is blamed for the kidnapping of a Danish leader's wife and children. His ensuing struggle and travels make for interesting reading as Cornwell expands upon the historical detail in a swords and shields thriller. 6.5/10
3) Cosmopolis by Don Delillo A successful currency dealer's every need is taken care of as he engages with experiences which will provide insight, feeling and meaning. A very interesting novel which asks big questions in an atheistic, corporate world. What do the riches we can acquire really mean for individuals? 8.5/10
4) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling A suicide is investigated by Private Detective Cormoran Strike in London. The plot twists and turns offering a number of plausible suspects and scenarios to murder before the final denoument. An enjoyable read. 7.5/10
Paul, I'm glad to see your good rating for The Cuckoo's Calling. I too thought it was a really good detective novel, and a huge improvement on the Casual Vacancy.
3. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood - 4/10
Exit, pursued by a bear.
This year has been an extremely slow one for reading so far. I usually read my list strictly in order, and next on that list is The Plum in the Golden Vase, but it's taking so long to get my hands on a copy that I've caved in and started reading Palm-of-the-Hand stories by Yasunari Kawabata. His Snow Country is a favorite of mine, so I was really looking forward to this. I'm not enjoying these short, 2-5 page stories as much as Snow Country (so far) but they are still very, very good. They seem slight and unsatisfying initially, but they really hold a wealth of emotion and reflection. I will post a score once I have finished.
Last edited by Lykren; 02-15-2014 at 03:20 PM.
Yes. I didn't fancy A Casual Vacancy. I bought The Cuckoo's calling for my wife and she recommended it.
1) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke Avery good, hard science read chronicling the appearance of a mysterious, gigantic cylinder in the solar system which is explored by a nearby spaceship. A good tale, well told. 8/10
2) The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell A pagan Lord's Hall is burned down whilst he is blamed for the kidnapping of a Danish leader's wife and children. His ensuing struggle and travels make for interesting reading as Cornwell expands upon the historical detail in a swords and shields thriller. 6.5/10
3) Cosmopolis by Don Delillo A successful currency dealer's every need is taken care of as he engages with experiences which will provide insight, feeling and meaning. A very interesting novel which asks big questions in an atheistic, corporate world. What do the riches we can acquire really mean for individuals? 8.5/10
4) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling A suicide is investigated by Private Detective Cormoran Strike in London. The plot twists and turns offering a number of plausible suspects and scenarios to murder before the final denoument. An enjoyable read. 7.5/10
5) The Player of Games by Iain M Banks Jernau Gurgeh is a human game player in the Culture - an advanced, liberal, super-duper computer run civilisation set many years in the future. He is enlsted to play a game by the super computers - minds who reside in advanced spaceships - against players who live in a highly stratified and despotic Empire. An early culture sci-fi, and a rare re-read for me, Banks has written an engrossing book packed with ideas and speculations. Excellent. 9/10
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