Three Bots in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Lurkers)

[Jaya]

I am omnipresent in GR... no chance of this thread being less active ;)
how goes the vacation?
Question: fave sidney sheldon?
i haven't read many but Sands of Time and If Tomorrow Comes are my fave. have read them countless times.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

High Five for Sands of Time :D :D :D
Master of the Game was my other favorite.

But I don't remember the plots of any of them. Only slight recollections....
Sands of Time - Nuns running away...
Master of the Game - A long family saga, diamond mining, twins....

[Jaya]

Gorab wrote: "High Five for Sands of Time :D :D :D
Master of the Game was my other favorite.

But I don't remember the plots of any of them. Only slight recollections....
Sands of Time - Nuns running away...
Mas..."
ohhh yes Master of the game was very soap opera-ish... I too barely recall...
Sands of Time had multiple stories interlinked with a Spanish civil war/coup, nuns, lost heir etc

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Gorab wrote: "yours?"

I too read Nagraj, Captain Dhruv and chacha chaudhri. 👐

In novels, my first book was Jane Austen's Sense and sensibility ( see I started with the best). Never knew that there are so many genres. Initially I stuck with classics. Read S&S, Emma, LoTR, and Anna Karenina. Then one day I saw Ian Somerhalder playing Damon Salvatore in Zee Cafe's Vampire Diaries. Thus started my obsession with Paranormal Fantasy. After that I joined GR and rest is history. ;)

Sidney Sheldon, buddy reco'ed it to me 2-3 years back and yet to read a book.:(

Loved Day of the jackal.

5 books a year! Now look at you, you're a royalty reading 100 books last year, and setting a goal of 200 books this year.;)

Will you be able to read 200 or planning to lower it down to 150?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

And I see that you're reading CoT! Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Rebecca]

Read Sands of time last year I think. Did not enjoy it as much as expected. I think I wanted the old magic of Sheldon and well we all grow up. Windmill of the gods was one of the best I loved. And Master of the game as well as The other side of midnight.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Manju wrote: "In novels, my first book was Jane Austen's Sense and sensibility ( see I started with the best)."

:O :O
I wouldn't be a reader had I started with classics! I still have this mental block and DNF most of the classics. The ones I read because of a group or some reco are like bad medicines :(
Somehoe enjoy contemporary and new experiments more than classics.

Manju wrote: "Sidney Sheldon, buddy reco'ed it to me 2-3 years back and yet to read a book.:( "
I read Sheldons from a library... and the librarian highly recommended that I am wasting my time and should try some sensible literature. He kept pointing to the classics shelf :P :P

Manju wrote: "you're a royalty reading 100 books last year, and setting a goal of 200 books this year.;)

Will you be able to read 200 or planning to lower it down to 150?"
I read 84 last year. Have never reached a century before. 200 looks highly improbable but I'm not going to change it. [If I do, I'll come back and edit this ;)]

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Manju wrote: "And I see that you're reading CoT! Keeping my fingers crossed."

Read initial few pages and the writing looks crisp and good. Thanks for reco, First impression says I'm going to like it.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Rebecca wrote: "Read Sands of time last year I think. Did not enjoy it as much as expected. I think I wanted the old magic of Sheldon and well we all grow up. Windmill of the gods was one of the best I loved. And ..."

Windmill of God was about that lady who becomes a high class politician no? Husband dies, she joins politics but is not aware of the ways and etiquettes of high class society.
Confused whether this story was in windmills or best laid plans....

If I read any Sheldons now, not sure whether I'll still like them as much as I did initially. Or even like them at all. Should try it sometime. They were comfort reads and will be comfortable reads only I guess.....

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Gorab wrote: "I wouldn't be a reader had I started with classics!."

I didn't read a classic after S&S, Anna, and Emma. it's only this year that i am trying classics. hope i won't be proved an idiot in the end. ;)

I read Sheldons from a library... and the librarian highly recommended that I am wasting my time and should try some sensible literature. He kept pointing to the classics shelf :P :P

lolss... most of the times when a book come highly recommended chances are that I take a long time reading them, sometimes I don't even pick them. >_<

I read 84 last year. Have never reached a century before. 200 looks highly improbable but I'm not going to change it. [If I do, I'll come back and edit this ;)]

Once again all the best! :D

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Gorab wrote: "Manju wrote: "And I see that you're reading CoT! Keeping my fingers crossed."

Read initial few pages and the writing looks crisp and good. Thanks for reco, First impression says I'm going to like it."

hope first impression remains last impression. ;)

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Fingers crossed on that :D

[Gorab, TheGunman]

ANd all the best to you too for the classics journey. I know you'll need best wishes :P

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

thank u. thank u. I am very much in need of these wishes and prayers. ;)

[Ahtims]

which book is CoT?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

city of thieves.

[Ahtims]

Oh!

[Gorab, TheGunman]

You've read it? If not lets do a BR :)

[Ahtims]

Have read it and given 4 . But now if I am asked to rate, it'd be 3 🙃

[Gorab, TheGunman]

ha ha :D why so? read better books on same theme?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Mab wrote: "Have read it and given 4 . But now if I am asked to rate, it'd be 3 🙃"

same here. ;)

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Gorab wrote: "ha ha :D why so? read better books on same theme?"

I think I have grown as a reader, and i haven't read any other book on this theme but i guess i am more demanding now.

[Ahtims]

Gorab wrote: "ha ha :D why so? read better books on same theme?"

Not exactly. But retrospectively, the story seems a bit contrived and silly. :D

[Gorab, TheGunman]

I'm at 35% of City of Thieves. The plot is indeed silly, but the dialogues are fun. Some conversations are hilarious :D
Enjoying it overall.

[Jaya]

iv been listening to its audiobook since time immemorial, just can't make myself to finish it...

[Gorab, TheGunman]

why? the narrator voice is not good or you not liking the book and its theme?

[Jaya]

Gorab wrote: "why? the narrator voice is not good or you not liking the book and its theme?"

can't really pinpoint exactly what's bothering me, just can't gather enough enthusiasm

[Gorab, TheGunman]

I would have suggested a BR, but don't want to lower your already dipped enthu :P :P

[Jaya]

Gorab wrote: "I would have suggested a BR, but don't want to lower your already dipped enthu :P :P"
I'v been a horrible BR-der this year. So won't suggest that :(

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Lately I've been following your footsteps even in this :D

[Jaya]

LOL am a bad example

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Ha ha. I don't think so.
Did you read any interesting comic book recently? Transmetropolitan or some such name you were planning to....

[Jaya]

arey iv been planning to but keep getting distracted by something or the other (books ie)
lets read transmetropolitan sometime soon, what say?

[Gorab, TheGunman]

okie dokie. My recent BR tracks have not been so good. Time to mend it :)

[Jaya]

I can't even promise that ;P
But will definitely try
Lemme know when is a good time

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Somewhere middle of next week? Will tell you if it can be picked before that. Sounds okay to you?

[Jaya]

Sure! Let me know

[Ahtims]

Me and Gorab are reading and discussing this fantabulous bookAn Equal Music

Vikram Seth is a personal favorite, his having impressed me much, to the extent of reading it thrice. Hence was keen to start this, and boy, werent I impressed!


BLURB
Michael Holme is a talented violinist. He is part of a successful quartet and has a beautiful girlfriend but he cannot let go of the past especially of Julia, a pianist he loved and left ten years ago. Now Julia, married and the mother of a small child, unexpectedly re enters his life and their romance lights up once again. Against the magical backdrop of Venice and Vienna, the two confront the truth about themselves and their feelings, about the music that both unites and divides them and about a devastating secret that Julia must finally reveal. An intense, lyrical, deeply stirring love story and one of the great novels on music, An Equal Music is another masterpiece from Vikram Seth.


Anyone interested, do give your inputs. :)

[Ahtims]

Book Trivia:
Paperback, 488 pages
Published January 1st 2015 by PENGUIN UK (first published 1999)

Literary Awards
Crossword Book Award for Fiction (1999), Premi Llibreter de narrativa Nominee (2000)
It seems the musician in it was based on the author's long term paramor, Phillippe Honore.
No wonder, that it is so intense and seems from the bottom of his heart.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Awards???
Ahem ahem.... Slightly scared now.

Trivia: we're reading from the same edition with a beautiful cover featuring a piano :)

[Gorab, TheGunman]

And good to see the thread coming alive after ages.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

I'm at the beginning of part 4.
The chapter structure 4.1 to 4.20 reminds of similar structure of suitable boy chapters.
Lots of situational dilemma.... With apparently no fault of any particular character.
Loving it so far.

[Ahtims]

Have reached the last part.
Part 7 was tumultuous.
Am eager to see the closure.
After you too finish we will discuss the circumstances

[Ahtims]

Any progress in an Equal Music?
Started Sits on a whim just now. Loving the story telling, especially the cute illustrations. Wonder why I found it boring the first time round.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Finished it yesterday night.
Didn't like the plot much for this one. Only magical part was the writing style. And for that, will read all of his books.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Syl wrote: "It seems the musician in it was based on the author's long term paramor, Phillippe Honore. "

Shocked to see in the Acknowledgements that the deafness experience is Seth's personal!!!

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Syl wrote: "Have reached the last part.
Part 7 was tumultuous.
Am eager to see the closure.
After you too finish we will discuss the circumstances"

My heart wrenched for James. I knew it would happen to me the moment they met again :(
Generally the authors justify it by tossing in an illicit affair from the husband's front also..... And there were traces of it here too.
Still, he was such a gentleman!

[Ahtims]

I too was shocked at the deafness info
Illicit nature of extramarital relations make an interesting observation as most auhtoes tend to partly justify it by showing out some flaw or other of existing partner. Seth at least tried to keep James sane.
No words to describe the anguish of Julia and Michael. I pity both, but if they lived together ditching James and Luke, I.wouldmpity them more.
Perhaps peaceful polygamy is their only option which again sounds far fetched.
so perhaps that was the best ending. Mike reclaimed his lost love , at least for a few weema

[[deleted user]]

SURPRISE!!
Hello Buddy!!😀
How are you?
Will update you soon on rest of stuff..
Hoping that our "buddy contract" isn't expired yet :P
PS: You people didn't finish Gene yet? @_@
PPS: what are you reading? Planned books? Can I join in any of them, or can we plan any BR?
PPPS: I just started Into the Wild. Read Author's Note only and I'm sure this is gonna be one of my fav books :)

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Hellooooo! *Joy Dance*
Our buddy contract has unfortunately expired :(
Will renew it on new year
[that's my excuse to stay away from BRs till then :P]

Gene is going to take another year! Sad that I lost momentum due to reading time constraints.

Nothing planned. Reading all kinda short stories and poems. Anything that allows me to go without context. Or whatever wife picks for herself and I curiously sneak in.

Into the Wild is a very good choice.
So glad to see you're back. Now that you're here.... our reading will come back on track.
Cheers bro!