Kate's comments (member since Mar 09, 2009)

Kate's comments from the The Next Best Book Club group.

Susanna wrote: Exactly, you pinpointed what exactly bothers me in YA: it's that some things are just way too simple for me. I just don't know how to read without asking certain questions when reading YA.."

If you have access to iTunes, you can preview most audiobooks to hear the reader before you make any sort of committment as some can be quite irritating or boring.. Neil Gaiman was a very entertaining reader and made the characters stand out and a lot of fun. Giving them a voice seemed to make it more real and most of the distractions were lost on me as a result.
If you have access to audiobooks, they're defintitely worth thinking about as another avenue if you don't think the book would work for you, rather than miss out on the story completely! Susanna.

I think certain things distract me in young adult books even though I try not to let it, especially if some of it can be quite simple(as they can be for that age group), or if it has larger font. But if the audiobook has a great reader, you can be swept away with the performance and the characters take on a life of their own. They don't have some of the distractions that reading the actual book might present.
If anyone finds YA books hard to get into, check out the audiobook version.

Susanna wrote: "Finally reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It's okay but I'm not really into it, it's not a page-turner for me." I listened to the Graveyard Book as an audiobook, read by Neil Gaiman.
Young Adult being not something I read regularly, I'm not sure how it would have read for me as an actual book or whether it would have still kept my interest, but I found the audiobook version highly entertaining.

I finished the last couple of essays in Ex Libris Confessions of a Common Reader this morning and enjoyed it as much as I'd hoped. A light, fun read.
Then I flew through the short The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and afterwards, I ordered myself to take The Shadow of the Wind off my shelf and start reading (I've had a library addiction for months that has prevented me from reading books I own) and the last few hours have disappeared without much thought. I love lazy weekends.....

I had read A Dirty Job too Elena, and I just thought it was ok so I was a bit hesitant in reading this one, but I'm glad I did. Compared to A Dirty Job, the humour and silly in this one appealed more to me.
My personal favourites were Molly, Raziel, Mavis and her fruitcakes and the Zombies. "Brainnnnns"
A fun read!

http://www.optuszoo.com.au/news/59065/co...

Saw this today as I logged on. Poor Colleen, hope all goes well.

*Lori, couldn't find a General Author Related Banter folder, so hope this is ok here.

Lori wrote: "Oh Kate, I adore the Odd Thomas series.... The first is the best in my opinion, however, each book is def worth a read!!!"

I really liked the first one! Your comments made me want to read it and I'm glad I got around to it =)

Started
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, have to get these library books out of the way, and I've been listening toEric by Terry Pratchett, in Audiobook form for something light and fun.

carol (akittykat) wrote: "SHUTTER ISLAND oh yeah you must read it. Plan on reading the whole night through.hahahhahahahahaaha"

lol, this is very true.. I stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning to knock over that one. Such a good book.

I've been reading like crazy this year, and generally its been because of Goodreads. I loved reading as a child but going out of my comfort zone with books was always a challenge. I always stuck to the same authors and never branched out much which made reading material limited and as a teen I didn't read a great deal.
Since joining Goodreads in March this year, I've branched out, my would-like-to-read list has grown rapidly and my to-read list (books I've purchased or borrowed currently) has meant that my bookshelf is bursting at the seams (of which I blame the 'your latest splurge' thread for encouraging me to expand my library). I've been spending more and more time at the local library too and come home with a large stack of books each time.

I set myself a goal of 100 books for 2009 not long after joining Goodreads and am now at 98 and 2/3 of the way through 99, so I'll definitely get there.


Highlights this year:

Finnikin of the Rock - Melina Marchetta
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (which sparked an interest in books set in Asia)
Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
The City of Dreaming Books - Walter Moers
and several more
I've also added several classics to my read list this year.
Disappointments included:

Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia - Elizabeth Gilbert (not really my thing and I struggled to get through it)
Takeover- Lisa Black (Exciting storyline but poorly presented and irritating)
and a couple of others


I've also picked up some new authors to follow, including Lisa See, Kirsten Cashore, Patricia Cornwell, Agatha Christie and Audrey Niffenegger.

Unfortunately, my reading time is going to be cut down significantly at the beginning of next month as I'm going to start studying at home for a degree, so next year wont be as successful. Perhaps I should cut up my library card so that I'm not tempted to request a stack of books online!!

After a little bit of a slow start, I've been immersed in Odd Thomas all day and am about 2 thirds of the way through.
Something a little different to my usual reads but I'm enjoying it and will pick up the sequals.

I finished Fire and I enjoyed it. Different concepts to Graceling, though some aspects do mingle into it.

Still working on A Tale of Two Cities and also opened Odd Thomas. I've heard some good things about it here so thought I'd give it a go.

Maureen wrote: I just recently read that book, Kate, and found it to be very enjoyable. I love books about books and reading. :-p


Me too!
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I heard a small preview of its audiobook and it sounds like a light, fun read. Can't wait :D

I've been eyeing Ex Libris Confessions of a Common Reader for a while now and finally caved when a bookstore chain here offered 20% off last week. Waiting for it to arrive in the next few days =D

Fire by Kristen Cashore has to go back to the library, so started reading that last night and am almost half way through. I'm enjoying it and I actually think I prefer it to Graceling.

I finished My Enemy's Cradle last night. It wasn't bad, but a bit too much focus on the love and romance feelings for me.
There were times where I wanted to dive in the book, shake the main character by the shoulders and scream "Come on, You're in the MIDDLE OF A WAR"...


Now I've started A Tale of Two Cities, I really need to get moving on my classics.. Enjoying it so far.

I'm about 100 pages into My Enemy's Cradle with mixed feelings..
I think I'm finding it difficult because usually I read non-fiction on this topic and some fiction elements are kind of distracting...
Its not bad though, and I'm imagining that it will pick up as the story moves forward.

I love the personalised touch to their e-mails too, the letter from your books at time of purchase made me smile.
Brand new hardcovers can cost from $25- $50 over here, I don't have any second hand stores close by.
$8-10 including overseas postage and currency exchange rates, for a Hardcover in really nice condition is excellent.

Just got my first ever order in from Better World Books, which, living in Australia, means that I can find cheap hard covers and cheap postage =D
Hardcovers cost a fortune in Australia.
I received a paperback Geisha - Liza Dalby
a slightly damaged Hard Cover Big Trouble -Dave Barry
and a very nice Hard Cover 1st American edition Ressurection Man - Ian Rankin that appears to be signed by the author with a personal message to the previous owner. (which was unknown to me at the time of ordering)

I think I'm gonna like better world books...

Thanks for the positive comments! I'm looking forward to it even more :) Hadn't seen much of it until people started mentioning it here, so good to hear some positive reviews!

Stayed up all night to finish Shutter Island after I picked it up because I couldn't put it down.. sleep, who needs sleep anyway!

Thinking of starting My Enemy's Cradle next