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February Challenge - Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic
I've just finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel this morning and highly recommend it.Review to follow.
RitaSkeeter wrote: "Carolyn wrote: "I've just finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel this morning and highly recommend it.Review to follow."
I'm glad you liked it!!! You m..."
Yes, I really enjoyed it. Wasn't quite what I was expecting but it does get you thinking about what we have now and how we would cope if we lost it all in a flash like that. It was very well written and parts were quite beautiful. I quite liked the connections in the book between the past and the present - the characters who remembered the before and had some connection via Arthur or his wives.
I asked for Clade on Netgalley last week after dithering for a while but probably left it too late (also it did say for UK only but sometimes they'll still say OK). Might have to buy it!
Getting through Fahrenheit 451. God I hate reading classics, I always feel like I'm missing the point. Enjoying it for the most part though.
Liam wrote: "Getting through Fahrenheit 451. God I hate reading classics, I always feel like I'm missing the point. Enjoying it for the most part though."Even when I'm enjoying them I know I'm missing the deeper meaning.
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Even when I'm enjoying th..."
Me too and I don't care!!!
That's what ruined some of the classics for us at school - having to look for hidden meaning etc etc.
Now we can just read for the pleasure of a good book:)
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Exactly :) There's something to be said for the kick-back-and-enjoy factor.
I think the classics are often classics because they predicted (led?) a change in social consciousness. What seems old and obvious to us today could have been mind blowing to the people of the time.
Station Eleven was my first February dystopian read. I agree with others in this thread that it was great
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I really liked that one too:)
I've finished my first book for the February challenge, and really enjoyed it.Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I think Katniss is a really unique character, and I like the fact that she is not some super heroine. Rather, she is flawed, contradictory, weak yet strong, sometimes cruel, other times compassionate. The resolution of the Hunger Games trilogy is bitter-sweet, which is what it should be. 4★s from me.
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So I am yet to start the book I picked for the challenge. However as I started to read the book I am currently reading it dawned on me that it fits the challenge. I think. I admit that I had no idea of what Dystopian Novels meant before this challenge.Anyway the novel is
(pretty cover) by Anna Smaill.I'm actually really enjoying it. It took my head a while to get around what was happening at the start. It may be the book that breaks my 'meh' slump.
I finished The Mime Order in the early hours of the morning. Brilliant, loved it, more please. For me personally, I didn't find the begining slow as several people have found, I loved all of it. I think every now and then "your book" or " your series" comes along one that you love and can find almost no fault with (perhaps only small easily overlooked things that don't detract from the story in any way) this seems to be mine. Perhaps it helped knowing before reading The Bone Season that it was the first in a seven part series (this was part of the attraction for me actually). I highly recommend this (after reading The Bone Season of course).
Also if you have read the first in the series Smantha offers some refresher information on her blog that you might like to peruse before delving into the second. http://www.samantha-shannon.blogspot....
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Keen to see what you think of Snow Crash, been on my list for a long time.
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Well so far I can tell you it starts off really weird! And it is like China Miéville in that you have to read slowly and carefully or you miss important things.
Yeah I've heard that.
Neal Stephenson is such a good writer. I have Snow Crash in my TBR queue...
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Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash
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My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have finished The Winner's Curse 3★ without the good ending it would have been 2.5 ★ but I will most likely read the rest in the series at some point.
I am about half way through The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan - I am enjoying it, lots of bits about Hawaiian mythology intermingled with a world wide technological disaster. Can't wait to see where the author is going to go with the rest of the book :)
Sally906 wrote: "I am about half way through The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan - I am enjoying it, lots of bits about Hawaiian mythology intermingled with a world ..."Oooohhh...that looks nice!!!
Adriana wrote: "Sally906 wrote: "I am about half way through The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan - I am enjoying it, lots of bits about Hawaiian mythology interming..."Added!
Hello, everyone!!! Doubt... the book must be finished in February???Bye! ;)
I've finished Deception and The Last Girl and am now reading The Last Shot. Loved the ending in Deception, will defintiely be reading the third book in the series when it comes out in May. I'm enjoying The Last Girl series but it is told in the first person and the thought processes just don't seem to fit with the 16 year old protagonist. They seem too sophisticated and worldly. For that reason I find myself thinking more about the philosophical dilemas than the characters themselves. But I'll still be reading to see how the whole disaster pans out!
Adriana wrote: "Hello, everyone!!! Doubt... the book must be finished in February???Bye! ;)"
Yes must be finished in February - you still have 19 full days after today though
Here's my review for Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 4.5★review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Next up: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
This is one of my favourite genres, a good majority of my TBR list is dystopian/post-apocalyptic.I'm reading A Clockwork Orange for another group this month, so I think it'll be my pick for this too. I'm sure I'll read others as well.
Finished my first book for this challenge The Bridge great YA book 5★s
my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
after my current read I'll go on to the sequel, Havoc
OMG! I've finished my two books for the February Challenge, and it's only 9th February...now, what am I gonna read?Dystopian: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - an excellent read and a fine ending to the Hunger Games trilogy. 4★s
Post-apocalyptic: On the Beach by Nevil Shute. An Australian Classic, but a bit problematic in this day and age. 3★s
My Review of On the Beach: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jennifer wrote: "For this challenge I have chosen 2 books1. Lord of the Flies
2. The Handmaid's Tale"
Both are fantastic reads, and classics of their genres Jennifer. I wouldn't call either of them enjoyable, but I hope you find them as engrossing as I did.
Phrynne wrote: "I decided to read Snow Crash and The Dispossessed for this challenge. I haven't started either of them yet but I have read The Mime Order and The Shell..."</i>How did you find The Shell Collector, Phynne? I have recently finished [book:All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and I absolutely loved it.
MaryG2E wrote: "OMG! I've finished my two books for the February Challenge, and it's only 9th February...now, what am I gonna read?Dystopian: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - an exce..."
I remember being shocked almost senseless after reading On the Beach in the seventies. The cold war was still on and the digital age hadn't arrived, and it was set in Australia.
Oh I finished Fahrenheit 451 for this challenge a week and a bit ago. I've got Z for Zachariah coming in as well but we'll see how I feel when it gets here :P
I'm about to start my 2nd book for this challenge: the sequel to The Bridge by Jane Higgins, it's called Havocnice covers
Marianne wrote: "I'm about to start my 2nd book for this challenge: the sequel to The Bridge by Jane Higgins, it's called Havocnice covers [bookcover:The Bridge|110..."
Be waiting to hear your thoughts :)
Liam wrote: "Oh I finished Fahrenheit 451 for this challenge a week and a bit ago. I've got Z for Zachariah coming in as well but we'll see how I feel when it gets here :P"What did you think of Fahrenheit 451 Liam? It's one SF classic I've never managed to get around to reading.
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I only read it for the first time last year and I was very glad I did. It's a good story with lots to think about especially for those of us who love our books,
Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Last Girl (other topics)The Last Shot (other topics)
Deception (other topics)
Admission (other topics)
The Heir (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Walter M. Miller Jr. (other topics)Hugh Howey (other topics)
Skye Melki-Wegner (other topics)
Skye Melki-Wegner (other topics)
Honey Brown (other topics)
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Thanks, Sally! I was just looking for another book to read in this challenge. I just finished Deception and loved it! What an ending! I'll try The Last Girl now!