Random Chit Chat Showing 1,101-1,150 of 1,191

[Penny]

For me it just has to be a good read as I live a novel

[Em]

I also read for enjoyment and I think over-analysis does sometimes kill the joy of a book. I love to reflect upon and talk about books and in doing so, I would consider the themes, structure, plot devises and characters but in an informal observation "book group" way rather than anything resembling an English Literature essay.

[Paulfozz]

Rather a mixed day today - took the day off work to look at repairing my fence but realised I needed a workmate type thing to hold the wood to cut and shape it. However the only ones in my local shops (reachable on foot) were rubbish and it started raining while I was looking so that rather put me off so I postponed that (which I suspected I'd end up doing anyway given the forecast) and caught the bus to Maldon instead to look for a birthday present for my Mum. I failed in that too but did find a nice painting to hang over my fireplace and four books in the charity shops on the high street.

[James]

Listening to Radio 5 on the way to work this morning. heard about two very brave young ladies,Hannah Lawton and Lauren Morton. There are completing in the Talisker Whisky Transatlantic Challenge rowing from the Azores to Jamacia. So far they have suffered 4 major catastrophes. They have been capsized, lost the keel, lost the rudder and had oars break. They are currently waiting for a support boat to deliver a new rudder.
Many crews have given up or finished the challenge but they have 1,000 miles to go.
These ladies are either brave or foolhardy, but they are doing this for a friend.

[Helen]

Bless them!

Paul, I'm in the lead because I've bought mum's birthday present and ordered flowers to be delivered. Taking her for posh lunch too next week. Her birthday is on the 1st.

[Paulfozz]

You're clearly more organised than I am Helen! :-) Still have plenty of time though.

[Paulfozz]

Well I managed to get out after work and cut some wood and repair the first part of my fence but I need to make up more chocks and screw them on other panels that are a bit loose. I felt pretty shattered after work and a long walk home though so just did the first one (the panel that was pushed out by the strong winds last week) and was really fading near the end, I struggled to put in the screws as I was feeling so tired. I'll do the others when I get my energy back. I think I really need a cordless drill though, I use one at work and it makes jobs like this SO much easier.

Order of business for this evening: dinner and a long soak in the bath with my book.

[Helen]

Left school at 6, have a huge pile of work to do but at least I don't have to get up early!

[Helen]

Just donated all my Marion Zimmer Bradley books. The morning room (I don't need a dining room, there is only me here) was painted with the kitchen as they connect so I had to empty all the book cases. I found that I couldn't put her books back not knowing what I now know about her. They were such lovely reads.

[Ian, Moderator]

Don't blame you H. Can't say I'd ever heard of her or the furore about her daughter's accusations of abuse, as your fave genre nmcot. The additional circumstantial evidence in this case seems pretty compelling.

[Helen]

That's what I thought. If everyone thinks this way then the daughter will have lost a lot of royalty inheritance, that in itself is convincing. Very unpleasant.

[Lizzie]

Hello, haven't been on here for a while.

[Helen]

We have a theme at book group this month; a short book, as in no more than 200. I need good suggestions, preferably no war and if it covers one of my challenges even better. I'm in need of letter I T Y Z...
Come on people, I know you can do this.

[Tori]

Helen wrote: "We have a theme at book group this month; a short book, as in no more than 200. I need good suggestions, preferably no war and if it covers one of my challenges even better. I'm in need of letter I..."

Have you read On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan? Short book. On my birthday last year, I read it in an afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very memorable and it will give you tons to talk about.

It doesn't cover any of your letters I'm afraid. The only plus on your list is that it's short and it's quality. A good short book is surprisingly hard to find, I find!

[Louise]

A couple of shorter ones from my bookshelf. Swimming Home,The Language of Dying,Youth and Dolly.

Both hill and coetzee have a couple of short books worth looking at.

[Andrew]

Helen, two books I read this year that may fit bill ; 'A meal in winter' by Hubert mingarelli, which is short and about German soldiers who have to hunt for Jewish escapees in cold of polish winter, and 'The undertaking' by Audrey Magee which is over 200 but very short chapters and very readable about a German soldier who marries a woman at distance. Both are in waterstones in paperback and will be in my books of the year. Happy reading whatever you choose.

[Tania]

Helen wrote: "We have a theme at book group this month; a short book, as in no more than 200. I need good suggestions, preferably no war and if it covers one of my challenges even better. I'm in need of letter I..."

Today Everything Changes by Andy McNab 112 pages, gives you a T. Its a how and why the author joined the army and then became an author. I really enjoyed it as it wasn't a long drawn out tail like some peoples stories are.

[Tania]

As it was cold and wet all day yesturday I went through all my TBR books both on GR and on my shelves at home and sorted them into some sort of order. Found I have some 80+ books waiting to be read by authors I have never read and will probable be out of my comfirt zone but looked interesting.

So am going to set myself a challenge for next year to read a minimum of 2 books a month from this list.

Has anyone else realy looked at their TBR books lately or are you like me and just keep dumping books on it as you never know I may just read that? I am already doing a challenge to shorten it but simple took books that I find easy to read from it.

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

I do tend to 'dump' more books on my tbr list, but I am trying to be a bit more strict with myself and not buy too many more, until I've cleared some of the ones I already have. However, this scheme doesn't always run to plan!!!

[Lizzie]

Good afternoon everyone *waves*

[Andrew]

Helen, just noticed your non war point and your letter mention, I enjoyed The Dead Lakewhich gets you an I and Khazekistan and under 200 pages and would highly recommend The Corpse Washer. Again two short books I read and loved this year

[Helen]

I knew I could rely on you lot, thanks.

Flo, mine is filled with 'oh that sounds good' books, plus ones I own in paperback and some on the kindle. Funnily, I was only wondering yesterday, while looking for a book club book, where they'd all come from. As there are loads on it that I'd never heard of.

[Deanne]

Maybe someone has been sneakily putting them on your shelf when you weren't looking.
Have you read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, it was on the 1001 list of books to read in 2010 and at 152 pages you also get the letter Y.

[Ian, Moderator]

Not read it yet H, but Tooth Man: Stories from Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast by Eric Timar is a collection of short stories and 160pp. Probably not that easy to get hold of though.

Organising my kindle tbr confusion into something more manageable is on my "the tv is always crap over the festive period" hit list. Planning to archive those I'm just never going to read.

[Ian, Moderator]

Couple more T's and both 4 star reads for me. The Sickness by Alberto Barrera Tyszka - it's about dying and sounds bleak but it isn't at all....funny and very thought provoking - Venezuela as a bonus. Andrew read it first and recommended it so if he's already mentioned it, well that's 2 votes.....or Ru by Kim Thúy.....Vietnam/Malaysia/Canada......about being a refugee.

[Helen]

I do like the two birds with one stone ideas. Going tomorrow with a few suggestions. I have some on my kindle, Ian, that I shouldn't have bought. The novelty and one click was too over powering

[Louise]

anyone see wolf hall last week?? any thoughts at all? read the book?

[Lizzie]

I enjoyed it.

[Helen]

Recorded it, not watched yet or read. I'm a devil for recording a whole series before I watch. For instance, I've just watched Homeland series from 2013 and am now watching the series from 2014. I know, it's barely a month old. Then I'll have to watch Downton...

[Louise]

Damien Lewis overload at all???

[Helen]

It is all miserable. He isn't in the latest series and its picked up. Carrie still annoying me though.

[Helen]

So many people at work are seriously ill. Two teachers are off, one with a heart condition, the other with stress. They are 30-34. Heart hasn't been in since before Christmas, the other has been off three weeks but this is the third time. Two teaching assistants are off, one with a bad back. She's had an operation and is now learning to walk. The other with a massive heart attack this weekend.

It makes the weird tingling in my arm demand attention.

[Tori]

Helen wrote: "So many people at work are seriously ill. Two teachers are off, one with a heart condition, the other with stress. They are 30-34. Heart hasn't been in since before Christmas, the other has been of..."

The hazards of modern living. I'm always amazed at how many kids have mental health issues including eating disorders and self-harming. I don't think we've ever lived in a period in history where there is so much stress and mental illness. Seeing as history is my OH's subject, he always reminds me that it was pretty stressful and gruesome and dangerous in many eras before ours and that living through even one of the two world wars would have been horrific. I agree of course, but I still think that these times are treacherous in ways which are hard to pinpoint. Kids are suffering with cyber bullying and are constantly being bombarded with images of models who starve themselves. And let's not think about the debt this generation of kids will be in just trying to get an education and then own a home. Just ridiculous. And half of them are social media junkies and can't concentrate long enough even to write a paragraph, never mind an essay. Tough times. Technology has gone too far for healthy living imo.

[Helen]

My troublesome child started the day by telling me that he didn't like the film he watched with his parents last night. He didn't like it when the lady was killed in the shower, he didn't like Norman. Guessing he watched Psycho.

[Philip]

Louise wrote: "anyone see wolf hall last week?? any thoughts at all? read the book?"

Read the books and watched the series really enjoyed them all

[Ian, Moderator]

I found the TV series a bit dull at first but got into it as it went on. The atmospheric lighting has come in for some criticism but I really liked it - never really thought about how much we rely on electric lighting and how dark life must have been when candles and fires were the only light source at night indoors. I tried Wolf Hall the novel and struggled with it as to who the hell was saying what and so gave up. Presuming Wolf Hall the novel covers a longer period than Anne Boleyn given that WH was the Seymour family home and so hoping there might be further TV series to also include Bring up the Bodies?

[Philip]

Ian wrote: "I found the TV series a bit dull at first but got into it as it went on. The atmospheric lighting has come in for some criticism but I really liked it - never really thought about how much we rely ..."

The Tv covered the first two books i.e. up to death of Anne Boleyn (no real spoiler there. I presume the third will cover Cromwell's demise and perhaps the end of Henry VIII

[Ellie]

Philip wrote: "Ian wrote: "I found the TV series a bit dull at first but got into it as it went on. The atmospheric lighting has come in for some criticism but I really liked it - never really thought about how m..."

Yeah she's writing the third book at the moment. Think the title has been released already. I've got the series recorded but haven't had chance to sit down and watch.

[Helen]

I watched the first two and couldn't be bothered carrying on. I quite liked the lighting, I thought it illustrates the darkness too.

[[deleted user]]

Ian wrote: "I found the TV series a bit dull at first but got into it as it went on. The atmospheric lighting has come in for some criticism but I really liked it - never really thought about how much we rely ..."

The TV series took us up to the end of Bring Up The Bodies, encompassing both novels. A great series based on two wonderful novels.

[Ian, Moderator]

Thanks all. I've now watched the BBC interview with the leading man and director all about the series which explained about the 3rd book still being written. What I still don't understand is why the first book is actually called Wolf Hall which as the Seymour home featured very little in the tv series. Or am I missing something?

[Tori]

I've just driven my daughter to school. Classic fm was on in the background very low. I wasn't even conscious of it. The DJ started talking and I was thinking about other things. I couldn't tell you what he was saying because I was thinking about my holiday this year and random other thoughts. Simultaneously, there was a melody in my mind. I had no name or title for it. I wasn't even conscious of the melody really; it was just there as a backdrop to other thoughts. I was paying it no attention. Then the DJ stopped speaking and some music started up. It was a while before I realized that he'd started to play the very melody that had been floating around the edges of my consciousness. I switched the sound up and felt really weird. What is that about? I still didn't know what it was. I knew it was familiar, but I couldn't have named it. It was still playing when I got home just now. I had to look it up on my laptop and it turned out to be Bizet's Aragonaise from Carmen. Just so weird. Do these kinds of things happen to anyone else?

[[deleted user]]

Ian wrote: "Thanks all. I've now watched the BBC interview with the leading man and director all about the series which explained about the 3rd book still being written. What I still don't understand is why th..."

A quirk of the author!

[[deleted user]]

Is anybody else having problems with Goodreads? Kept crashing on me last night and today I'm getting no notifications! Please tell me it's not just me???

[Bill]

Caroline wrote: "Is anybody else having problems with Goodreads? Kept crashing on me last night and today I'm getting no notifications! Please tell me it's not just me???"

Another group I'm in has mentioned the same problem.

[[deleted user]]

Bill wrote: "Caroline wrote: "Is anybody else having problems with Goodreads? Kept crashing on me last night and today I'm getting no notifications! Please tell me it's not just me???"

Another group I'm in has..."

Thanks Bill, I was worried I'd somehow adjusted my notification settings and wasn't sure how to fix it. Glad to know it's not just me. I'll stop looking for a solution!

[Bill]

Caroline wrote: "Bill wrote: "Caroline wrote: "Is anybody else having problems with Goodreads? Kept crashing on me last night and today I'm getting no notifications! Please tell me it's not just me???"

Another gro..."

I think it's fixed now, Caroline. That was the impression I got anyway.. :)

[[deleted user]]

Bill wrote: "Caroline wrote: "Bill wrote: "Caroline wrote: "Is anybody else having problems with Goodreads? Kept crashing on me last night and today I'm getting no notifications! Please tell me it's not just me..."

Seems to be, I have notifications again! It's nice when it's not me breaking the technology ;)

[Natalie]

So I only just found out that J.K.Rowling has written other books under a pseudonym!

[Liz, Moderator]

I just read the sad news that Spanish author, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, has died. I really enjoyed 'The Shadow of the Wind'.