You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Monthly
>
March 2017 - Bubble and Squeak
I picked The Historian back up today. I can see why I stopped. It's written like a classic without the substance or cleverness. Here's hoping it picks up. I can very much see why I abandoned it when I first read it though. I can vividly remember putting it down to not pick up again, and it was while I was sleeping on the other side of the bed. I don't think I've slept on that side for nearly 7 years.
What a great challenge and I have just the book for it but I'm afraid I'll be left hanging again with it since it's such a chunkster - Shantaram unless I don't read anything else the rest of the month - groan!
Rusalka wrote: "I picked The Historian back up today. I can see why I stopped. It's written like a classic without the substance or cleverness. Here's hoping it picks up. I can very much see why I aba..."I listened to it on audiobook and both narrators were excellent. Perhaps that is what influenced me the most.
Lilisa wrote: "What a great challenge and I have just the book for it but I'm afraid I'll be left hanging again with it since it's such a chunkster - Shantaram unless I don't read anything else the r..."I abandoned that one too. The size is daunting.
Janice wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "What a great challenge and I have just the book for it but I'm afraid I'll be left hanging again with it since it's such a chunkster - Shantaram unless I don't read anyt..."Every year it stares at me from my bookshelf - I have never known a book that's made me feel guilty :-)
I am really enjoying Lab Girl this time around. The author is telling her life story--how she came to love science--interspersed with talking about plants as though they were people. The courage it takes for a seed to pick a place to root. The life cycle of trees. The author is so excited about them and for them that I have started looking at things in my yard in a new light.This is not the first time than one of Rusalka's challenges has pushed me to read something really good that had previously sat on my shelf because it looked like a little too much work. Thanks, Rusalka.
Rusalka wrote: "I picked The Historian back up today. I can see why I stopped. It's written like a classic without the substance or cleverness. Here's hoping it picks up. I can very much see why I aba..."I read The Swan Thieves which had a similar feel. Did not like but finished. Should have been right up my alley but was SO not!
Fun! I've got a bunch of these kicking around!
Casceil wrote: "This is not the first time than one of Rusalka's challenges has pushed me to read something really good that had previously sat on my shelf because it looked like a little too much work. Thanks, Rusalka. "Naww no worries!!! That is really what I hope when thinking through these challenges. Get some of those things that are sitting there off our shelves. Really glad you're enjoying your read!
Deborah wrote: "I read The Swan Thieves which had a similar feel. Did not like but finished. Should have been right up my alley but was SO not! "I'm hoping she picks up in pace. Hoping. I have backups.
I am just annoyed it's the 1970s but it feels like the 1820s from how she's describing things.
Beth wrote: "Fun! I've got a bunch of these kicking around!"Yay! Hope you join us!
Lilisa wrote: "What a great challenge and I have just the book for it but I'm afraid I'll be left hanging again with it since it's such a chunkster - Shantaram unless I don't read anything else the r..."That is a massive book. I haven't bought it because I know of the mammoth guilt it will bring. The Count of Monte Cristo is enough for one house
lol, Rusalka. The Count of Monte Cristo, Gone with the Wind and Les Misérables are my mammoth guilt right now...
Rusalka wrote: "I am just annoyed it's the 1970s but it feels like the 1820s from how she's describing things."That is annoying! The 1970s is a great setting when done well.
The Count of Monte Cristo is my mammoth guilt as well. I've had that on my TBR forever. I'm not a classics lover though and it's sooo long...
Maybe we should think in a buddy read in, let's say, 2020?
Sandra wrote: "Maybe we should think in a buddy read in, let's say, 2020?"HAH! Sounds like a plan.
I picked up The Language of Threads from my stack of books set aside for the annual challenge, and discovered one of my bookmarks in it, so I'll use it for his challenge instead. I only vaguely recall starting it, and don't remember any of the story, so will begin at the beginning. The bookmark is at page 46.
I started reading Tipping the Velvet from where I left off before. I did not have to go back and re-read from the beginning although it has been so long. I have completed over 30 pages and it is just like I put it down yesterday.
Rusalka wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I read The Swan Thieves which had a similar feel. Did not like but finished. Should have been right up my alley but was SO not! "I'm hoping she picks up in pace. Hoping. I have ba..."
I'm now happy to stick with my decision to avoid this author in future!
Cherie wrote: "I started reading Tipping the Velvet from where I left off before. I did not have to go back and re-read from the beginning although it has been so long. I have completed over 30 pa..."I really enjoyed that one, Cherie - unfortunately, I could not say the same for everything else I read by Sarah Waters. I kept buying her new novels for about 5 after that one and never recaptured the magic. Then I gave up!
Oh I loved Fingersmith and enjoyed Affinity as well. One of my good friends threw my copy of Fingersmith across the room though.I'm going to read either The Paying Guests or The Night Watch for the annual challenge this year.
I also loved Fingersmith. Rusalka, you have made me curious as to what point in the book inspired your friend to throw the book across the room. A while back I picked up cheap used copies of both The Paying Guests and The Night Watch, but have not started reading either one. Their chunkiness is intimidating. Maybe we could get together a buddy read for one of them later in the year.
Casceil wrote: "I also loved Fingersmith. Rusalka, you have made me curious as to what point in the book inspired your friend to throw the book across the room. A while back I picked up cheap used c..."I'd be up for a buddy read on either one of them Casceil.
Deborah wrote: " really enjoyed that one, Cherie - unfortunately, I could not say the same for everything else I read by Sarah Waters. I kept buying her new novels for about 5 after that one and never recaptured the magic. Then I gave up! ..."This is my first read by her. I have Fingersmith and The Little Stranger on my TBR. I have seen lots of reviews of her books. She seems to be another of those love it or hate it book authors. When I started it before, as part of the buddy read in 2015, I had other things on my mind and too many books started to get into it. I am in "a better place" to enjoy it now - and I am, so far.
Janice wrote: "I'd be up for a buddy read on either one of them Casceil. "Me too! As long as not August.
Casceil wrote: "I also loved Fingersmith. Rusalka, you have made me curious as to what point in the book inspired your friend to throw the book across the room. A while back I picked up cheap used c..."She hated the things I loved about it. Here's the storyline and an almost resolution, but TWIST! I love her to bits, but there are very fundamental things we differ on. This is possibly why we work as friends, but is incredibly frustrating at other times.
Some people do not like to have their expectations confounded. Like you, I loved the twists.
Rusalka wrote: "Janice wrote: "I'd be up for a buddy read on either one of them Casceil. "Me too! As long as not August."
August doesn't work for me either. I'm in a bit of a rush this morning, so will set up a buddy read thread tonight, if I don't forget. We can figure out which of the two books listed we are going to read and when we'll read it there instead of hijacking this thread. If anyone wants to do it for me, I won't be offended. *hint*
I just realized that the book I was going to read for this challenge I had started for my year long challenge. I chose it over the one I am currently reading (also an unfinished & restarted book) because the one I'm reading is for my year long challenge! So, now I have to decide, do I use one of them for this challenge or choose a third unfinished book to restart.
Kristie wrote: "I just realized that the book I was going to read for this challenge I had started for my year long challenge. I chose it over the one I am currently reading (also an unfinished & restarted book) b..."Don't you hate when that happens?
Heh good luck Kristie with your decision making. Glad it's not me :P
Cherie wrote: "Don't read unless you have read Tipping the Velvet [spoilers removed]."Keep going, Cherie.
Janice wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Don't read unless you have read Tipping the Velvet [spoilers removed]."Keep going, Cherie."
Agree!
LOL! I will be back as soon as I am finished with Irene Adler. I needed a humor break.
Janice wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Don't read unless you have read Tipping the Velvet [spoilers removed]."Keep going, Cherie."
Back to reading today. Oh, yeah - I did not expect that! I need to go find the Buddy Read thread...
Yippee - I found one I never did finish - Dragon House by John Shors. I owned it at one time, read quite a bit, put it down because I wasn't enjoying it and never did finish it since it disappeared. Just downloaded it from the library.
Yay! Glad you can join us!
Rusalka wrote: "Yay! Glad you can join us!":-)
I made it past my bookmark. What the Body Remembers is a slow read and may take me the rest of the month to get through it. I can see why I abandoned it at the time. If I was trying to cram it into a toppler, I may not have been slowing down enough to digest it fully. Consequently, it wouldn't have made much sense.
There have been some intense things happen already, and I'm only 50+ pages in.
I'm still waiting for a copy of Howl's Moving Castle so have decided to read another DNF instead... Black Swan Green
I think I read it to cover 'green' in a challenge but it didn't hold my interest. It's a collection of short stories about a year in the life of a boy growing up in small town 80s England (Worcestershire). There's a chapter for each month.
The prose is excellent, as is the insight into the era ( I grew up in the 80s and the book brings back memories I'd long forgotten, which is pretty cool). Not much happens though... it's about growing up...
I was obviously under pressure of time first time round and completely missed the point... I hadn't even realised these were short stories : 0 It's more enjoyable this time round
Am currently nearly half way through and determined to finish.
Oh... and the author is David Mitchell who also wrote The Bone Clocks
Annerlee wrote: "I'm still waiting for a copy of Howl's Moving Castle so have decided to read another DNF instead..."Ohh... I just worked out why I didn't finish... I was starting with flu and the narrative wasn't gripping enough to hold my interest. When I recovered (3 weeks later), I read some Stephen King instead - had more bite ( lol )
Janice wrote: "I made it past my bookmark. What the Body Remembers is a slow read and may take me the rest of the month to get through it. I can see why I abandoned it at the time. If I was trying ..."
I'm with you there.. some books need you to relax into them. Doesn't always happen for me either.
Bloody flu, ruins everything.
Oh! Oh! I'm flagging. Must persevere.
Rusalka wrote: "Heh good luck Kristie with your decision making. Glad it's not me :P"Haha...no kidding! I decided to go with Bitterblue for this challenge. It was the easiest to replace in my yearly challenge. I read up to page 86 in 2013 and have made it to 402 this month. It's actually really good. I put it aside to read something else, I forget what, a group read or challenge book, and never picked it up again. I'm glad I'm finally getting around to it.
I still haven't gotten back to the other one, which I will have to finish for the yearly challenge.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Essex Serpent (other topics)The Essex Serpent (other topics)
Bitterblue (other topics)
What the Body Remembers (other topics)
Howl’s Moving Castle (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
David Mitchell (other topics)John Shors (other topics)
J.R.R. Tolkien (other topics)
Diana Wynne Jones (other topics)
Susanna Clarke (other topics)
More...
Casceil, I hope you enjoy it this time around!