A Book by an Author You've Never Read Before

[Elizabeth]

Hello! This is one of the pages for the 2015 PopSugar reading challenge, especially for the pick, 'A Book by An Author You've Never Read Before'. Post what you're reading for this one down below, and discuss with others, share your thoughts on your pick, give suggestions for others, etc.

[Nerdish]

I'm choosing a book I got in one of my Prudence & the Crow boxes. The Luck of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green

[Lydia]

I've never read Herman Melville, so I will be reading Moby Dick.

[Jemma]

The Banner of Passing Clouds for me...drawn in by the cover...

[Elizabeth]

Reading Ash by Malinda Lo.

[Christa]

Finished Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was a couple days ago for this one!

[Jennifer]

I've just finished, well skim finished 'The Remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Very well written but the story (was there a story) really wasn't my thing. I'm a bit disappointed as I've heard so many good things about this and my copy is a World Book Night copy (does anyone want it?) so I was expecting it to be great.

I will read another of his books and if I have time I'll read another one for this challenge as I cheated a bit by skim reading it.

[Fay]

@Jennifer - read Never Let Me Go - completely different from Remains of the Day. The short story collection Nocturnes was better than I thought it would be too.

[Jennifer]

I'm going to try to get a library copy of that one Fay! Despite not enjoying it I'm not put off the author.

[Jodez]

I have never read the great Ray Bradbury so it's Fahrenheit 451 (which has been sitting in my bookshelf for years)

[Fay]

I just read Eleanor and Park. I found it really powerful and a bit unsettling. Cut a bit close to the bone and invoked some powerful nostalgia that wasn't 100% comfortable for me. Would highly recommend it.

[Elizabeth]

Fay wrote: "I just read Eleanor and Park. I found it really powerful and a bit unsettling. Cut a bit close to the bone and invoked some powerful nostalgia that wasn't 100% comfortable for me. Would highly reco..."

That's actually our February book of the month! I really enjoyed it, when I read it in 2013. It's highly racist though...so I'm a bit reluctant to truly endorse it, but that's what the book club voted on!

[Fay]

@elizabeth I've just read your comment and then had a think and I don't think that was the intention. When observing the cultural make up Of the town through Eleanor's eyes the derogatory views of her social position and the era are made known but then all the characters of the a different ethnicity are portrayed as good, kind and decent while it's Eleanor and Tina etc. who are shown in a bad light. When Park touches on his cultural identity he views it from the prospective of his town and Eleanor is quick to reassure him. Am really interested to hear what others think. Looks like some interesting discussions ahead :-)

[Samantha]

I finished reading Fangirl last night and chose this category to put it in to.

My initial thoughts on the book was that it didn't seem to be heading anywhere. It took me until the middle until anything really interesting happened and i started enjoying the story.

The book made me a little uncomfortable with Caths thoughts on her mum as it hit a little too close to home for me. Its not the same as the story but it still hit me quite badly and that she still felt such hatred towards her mum.

It bothered me that there wasn't an ending to the storyline. Her mum was briefly shown but there was nothing more to it, I wanted to know more about her short story and how she completed the fanfic and more about the last Simon Snow book, The ending felt rushed. I also skipped a lot of the Simon Snow bits as they didn't interest me at all.

I really saw a lot of myself in Cath, her social anxieties and the way she thought. Her dealing with her parents mental illness was like reading about myself (although with different circumstances)I'm not a writer but I spent a lot of time reading HP fanfic when I was younger so I could relate to her readers.

I really liked her Dad and how he raised the girls and that he stepped out of his comfort zone as a parent at the time Wren really needed him to and the compromise of her punishment. He was a great character.

Levi didn't really leave that much of an impression on me and I'm not sure why. He did all the right things but just fell flat to me.

Also Cather and Wren?! Genius naming of characters. I loved that when it explained it. I was slow on the uptake until she explained.

[Fay]

@sam am definitely going to bump this up my list now. Thanks for the in depth input. Are you reading Eleanor and Park for the monthly one? This issues with the step family and having to go stay elsewhere really got to me. It made me uncomfortable and I had to keep reminding myself that that's a good thing that the author can make you feel things.

[Samantha]

@Fay I haven't discussed a book so much before, it must have affected me more than I thought. Cathers thoughts on her mum upset me a lot. I still see my twins and older 2 as much as I can unlike Cathers mum but her thoughts on her mum are my own worse fears.

I'm actually starting Eleanor and Park today so I will let you know my thoughts.

[Fay]

@sam putting my other book aside and starting Fangirl today so I can see what you mean....

[Samantha]

@fay Brilliant, let me know what you think. I've been reading up on yours and others thoughts on Eleanor and Park which I don't usually do until I have finished a book.

[Fay]

@sam we shouldn't really have had that conversation so early in the month; now that's all anyone who reads it is going to be looking for, which is a shame because not only will it detract from the story but from the other dark issues like poverty, domestic abuse and violence, gender stereotyping and negligent parents. I was glad we had the conversation because I was ready to write it off as "YA, better than most" but then really started thinking about it. Glad I joined the group so that I think about things instead of just I did/ not enjoy it.

[Samantha]

@Fay I know what you mean about the conversation.

I love this group its really made me read out of my comfort zone and I love that so many people enjoy reading as much as me.

[Elizabeth]

I read Ash for this one. It was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. Not a bad book at all of course, but I felt like at points the plot was too simple - of course with only about 200 pages there wasn't much room. If the book could have been more fleshed out I think I would have enjoyed it much more. However, Lo writes beautifully and visually - at points I could clearly see the scenes she was setting up in Ash's world. I would also love to know a bit more about the lore of the world - faeries, green witches, etc. so I think I will have to pick up the author's newer book set in the same world. Overall, a decent book with a beautiful description of a fairytale like world and a sweet representation of a lesbian relationship.