Welcome to our group. Wow, you've read a great range of books already.
Hello there!
Welcome! That's a nice set of books for the year...
Thank you for all the warm welcomes!
Yeah, I read just about anything that strikes my fancy, not really one particular genre or just fiction or non-fiction. So, if anyone has any recommendations, please, do not hesitate! I am open to any new ideas!
Meanwhile, I finished my 51st book for the year:
The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks. It's a collection of short stories and one novella in the Culture series, which is the reason I got it. The short stories were not all my cup of tea, but I loved the Culture novella, which deals with a Culture visit to earth. A very short but nice read. (***-- - Three stars, because of the shortness and the sometimes vague short stories).
Welcome to the group!
Hi divinenanny - just found your thread and might have to go looking for your 50BC one too!
The Inheritance of Rome looks great (and that's the only book I've clicked on so far... stopping for dinner now!) I know nothing about that period.
Welcome to the group! That's quite a list of books you've read this year. I, too, will probably check out your 50-book thread.
And there goes number 52:
World War Z by
Max Brooks. A real novel idea to have an oral history about such a fictitious event (if there are anymore, I am very interested!). I loved the descriptions, and how you are still able to piece everything together. I highly recommend it, it is not horror (well, horror of war, not so much gore from zombies), very good. ****- - Four stars!
#10: I loved
World War Z when I read it last year, too, much to my surprise!
Just finished #53,
The Romanov Prophecy by
Steve Berry. This is actually the first in the Miles Lord series I believe, but ah well. It is pure mindless entertainment in the style of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code. The subject is the search for the Romanov's to get a new tsar for Russia. Mindless but fun, ***-- - Three stars.
Finished #54, The Name of The Rose by
Umberto Eco. For years people have been telling me I should read this book, I would love it, because of my love of medieval history.
And I did, I liked the story well enough. It was still an Eco book though, so many deviations into the philosophical (did Christ laugh?). In the end it did have some relevance to the story, but it was just hard to follow some times. Winding sentences, untranslated Latin, strange visions. I know this is Eco's way of showing us how medieval people (monks) thought and saw the world, but in the end, to me, it feels like he is just saying "look at how smart I am". Nice story, nice book, but not as good and perfect as everybody said it would be. Maybe after a while, when I have forgotten all the ramblings and remember the murder mystery, I will like it better.
***-- - Three stars, because the setting and the mystery were nice.
I don't like rambling either, but I do enjoy medievel history. So onto the wish list goes
The Name of the Rose. Thanks
ps: good review!
Message edited by its author, Sep 24, 2009, 6:35am.
#14 Carmenere... You can skip most of the rambling and still get the story... It is not that necessary, just know that somebody had a dream, the dream itself is not very important, that kind of stuff...
I am on here so much I feel I haven't posted anything in weeks, and in fact I am a bit behind, 3 books in fact:
#55
The Graveyard Book by
Neil GaimanI found a cheap paperback in Sofia, Bulgaria, and had to get it. Neil Gaiman is a new discovery for me (due to Coraline), but I love him already. The Graveyard book, about a boy that lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts is superb. It deals with his daily life, and the supernatural world of the graveyard. Fantastic world, very well written, highly recommended!
****- - Four stars, just a good, well written story.
#56
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Use of Weapons is the fourth Culture novel, and even though I have read that
Consider Phlebas and
Player of Games are the best, I loved this one even more I think. What I loved best was the structure of the story. Numerical chapters went from 1 to 14, telling the story chronologically of a Culture agent that has to be found for a special assignment and his assignment. Roman numerical chapters went from XII to I, backwards in other words, telling the history of the agent. In the end it all comes together. Very well written, and a good story. On to #5 I'd say!
****- - Four stars for the two storylines.
#57
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel
The Library at Night is a collection of Manguel's thoughts about the library, books and reading. I agreed with just about anything, and it is lovely to read about what you subconsciously already know. For example, there is a line in there about how it is not terrible to own books that you have never read and might never read. It is not the reading that makes the library. The book describes personal and institutional libraries, from now and far away in the past. It described the scary power of books and how people might act on account of a book. Another one to recommend!
****- - Four stars.
>16 - I've seen
The Graveyard Book around and always wondered if it was any good. Thanks for the rec!
>16: *sigh* Now I must reset the counter! I bought
The Graveyard Book when it came out. Then, it became so instantly popular that my natural aversion to hyped books kicked in and I set it aside, saying I'd read it when everyone stopped talking about it. And I was so close!!!
Just kidding. ;-)
I'm actually reading
The Graveyard Book now. Since I work in a library, and it won the Newberry medal, I kind of feel that I should have read it already. . . I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I'm rather enjoying it. I'm not sure why it won the Newberry, though. (In recent years, I've found a number of their choices rather baffling.)
I hope everybody likes
The Graveyard Book. I liked both it and
Coraline, so on my wishlist are some of the more adult
Neil Gaiman novels, see if I like them too...
Today I finished #58,
13 things that don't make sense by
Michael Brooks.
The book is about 13 things science cannot explain (yet), ranging from dark matter, cold fusion, the placebo effect to the reason for death. The author is a quantum-physicist, and this is obvious in that he seems a lot more comfortable in the physics topics than the biological topics. This makes the first part of the book more enjoyable than the last, but overall it is a nice overview of why science doesn't know it all, without trying to judge.
***-- - Three stars.
I picked up
The Graveyard Book after reading your recommendation, and I thought it was very sweet. Thanks!
13 things that don't make sense does sound interesting, but I am always a bit intimidated going into nonfiction where I have absolutely no background. Is it something anyone would pick up, or is it geared more towards people with some background knowledge?
@24 Luxx. I read a lot of non-fiction, but, I have absolutely no scientific (physics, biology) background (I miserably failed those classes in high school and never looked back). I had some awareness that there might be such a thing as dark matter and that cold fusion is controversial, but not much more.
13 things that don't make sense took great care to explain it all. And, I think that the main subject here is not to explain in detail the problems, but to acknowledge that there are things we just don't understand yet, and that there is much for science still to discover. I would recommend it, even for a non non-fiction reader.
I think that is the advantage of popular science books in general; as long as you are even remotely interested in the subject, most books are very readable because they are written not for experts, but for "regular" people :). I love those books!
Make that 14 things that don't make sense...........It doesn't make sense that my TBR list is like a black hole.....just as stars get sucked into black holes making them bigger and bigger, my list of TBR's gets larger and larger. I guess that would make sense because LTers offer so many good recommendations. Thus I'm adding 13 things to try to make sense of the non sensical.
25 - Thank you! My husband is a science and math enthusiast, and I've started picking up works by Feynman at his suggestion. I may never understand physics, but I've certainly enjoyed the reading material! And I'll be adding
13 things that don't make sense to the list.
I'm glad people find recommendations in my reading, but I doubt anyone will find appeal in my next read:
#59
The Rise of Western Christendom by
Peter BrownI read this book because of my interest in the (early) Middle-Ages. To my (pleasant) surprise the book also contains a history of the eastern (orthodox) church and the church in Asia and Africa.
The book covers the history from 200AD to 800AD, covers the conversion from pagan to Christianity in all regions. It describes Ireland, England, Scandinavia, Carolinian Empire, the 'fall' of the Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantium, Syria, Arab world, Armenia, Asia... So it is really wide ranging.
I found the writing very accessible, and while the range is very wide, it goes very in depth in trying to describe what happened and why. Brown also tries to take on myths that exist (for example, that without the Irish monks literacy would have been lost). He also explains how the Christian faith developed differently in different regions. This helped me to understand more about the difference between Catholic and Orthodox faiths.
A very good read, and highly recommended. However, it is not a light read, not popular science, so you really have to be interested in the subject.
****- - Four stars.
#28. Well, it sounds interesting to me and I'll add it to my TBR list, but it will probably be a while before I get to it.
#28: I have had Brown's
Augustine of Hippo on Planet TBR for forever now - have you read that one?
I am interested in the subject, so I am adding your book 59 to the Planet (although I may rename it BlackHole TBR in honor of Carmenere's line of reasoning - I would never have to rename it again, since no one knows exactly how big a black hole is!)
#30, No, I haven't, but as I liked Brown's writing style this is one for the wishlist for sure. And my tactic is to divide my wishlists (my must-have, my recommendations, my some-days, my classics)... Nobody will know how big the total pile is ;)
#31: Nobody will know how big the total pile is ;)
Least of all you - you might intimidate yourself if you knew how really bad it was!
True, but I also know that when I really start looking at my wishlists, I don't want a lot of the books I once wishlisted... :D
#33: Amazing how tastes change (even in books) as we get older, isn't it?
And another one done and read, #60
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
I read this book because I want to make an effort to read more of the classics, the must-read books. I have always had an aversion to those, because I believe you should only read whatever you want, don't let anybody force you to read something you dislike. However, I am also aware of the enormous influence books can have on other, later books, and on history as a whole. This is especially the case with 1984, you can't open a paper or watch TV without a mention of Big Brother. I wanted to know where this is all coming from. I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it well thought out, and a very good read. I give it four stars.
Congratulations on making it to 60! And on a good note, too.
Congrats as well--and I recommend the film version of
Nineteen Eighty-Four which was filmed in London in 1984, starring Richard Burton and John Hurt, if you enjoyed the book.
#36, Thanks! Only 15 more to go! I will make it I believe. I have almost read twice as much as last year (last year I read only 32 books). Feels like quite an accomplishment!
#37 I am not much for movies (in general), but I'll write this down, thank you for the tip!
Book #61 is done...
A History of Histories by
John Burrow. When I bought the book, I figured it would be about historians from Greek times to now. Describe the historian, the works he/she wrote, and why it was so special.
The book itself was much more extensive. I understand why, to understand a historian you have to understand the period he/she is living in. It's just that I personally don't really care for any period except the middle ages and renaissance. This made the book a bit of a drag for me. Don't get me wrong, the writing was very well, everything was explained and linked together, and Burrow is very clear about what he will and won't look into. The book did give me a better insight into the history of historical writing/study, which was the aim, so that's why I am giving the book 3 stars.
Of course, since in principle it is a book about books, it did give me two new additions to my TBR pile...
The Cheese and the Worms by
Carlo Ginzburg and
The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo... Even reading books you already own is bad for your wallet ;)
#39: The Burrow book looks interesting to me. On to the Planet it goes! Thanks for the recommendation.
#30 Hey Stasia, I would be ever so honored if you named your TBR a black hole, I love words like Event Horizon, however it's way too fatalistic. In your case books do come out again only as terrific recommendations.
#28
The Rise of Western Christendom sounds very interesting and one I would like to sink my teeth into one day. So, it's on the wish list. Thanks for the rec.
#41: OK, BlackHole TBR it is from hence forth and forever . . .
#42 But a Black Hole sounds so negative, everything goes in and nothing ever comes out. At least on a Planets you can explore and discover, and take home ;).
Meanwhile, I finished book #62,
The Templar Legacy by
Steve Berry.
Steve Berry really is my guilty pleasure. His books are a cross between Dan Brown and Indiana Jones. Same premise (ancient shocking mystery, must be uncovered, evil other party wants it for themselves) but done better. Some Berry books are absurd and unbelievable, but that is good. With some of the books from this genre I get the idea that the writer is believing the ridicioulous things he/she writes (
Dan Brown and especially
Kathleen McGowan), and with Berry I don't (at least I hope he doesn't).
Anyway, this books is about the secret of the Templars that gave them power and riches way back when, that was hidden by Jacques de Moliere and supposedly found by Sauniere, a priest who suddenly had all kinds of money to spend. It is the first in the Cotton Malone series (which I knew, but I didn't know I hadn't read this book...)
The book itself was nice, fast paced action, nice mystery, nice search. I really liked it, it was what I have come to expect from Steve Berry. I have one more Berry in my bookcase that I am saving, and two more on the wishlist... Nice to have a guilty pleasure you can indulge in every once in a while ;)
4 stars, for entertaining me :D
And there is book #63, only 12 more to go in about as many weeks, I feel success is within my grasp!
#63 was
Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell, a novel about Nick Hook, an archer in the English army, and about the battle of Azincourt. Cornwell writes for men I believe, lot's of battle and fighting, but still I enjoyed it. It thought me a bit more about warfare and politics in the fifteenth century, so for that, and the easy read, it gets four stars!
I like Bernard Cornwell - and I am not male, lol. I have read the first couple of books in his Sharpe series and really enjoyed them.
As for the BlackHole TBR, since it is only a metaphorical black hole, I figure if I want to put things there and later retrieve them, I can.
#45, Oh, I like him too, I think it is just funny how his books are so different from a romantic historical fiction.
And that is the fun thing about metaphorical black holes, you can do whatever you want with them ;)
Meanwhile, I finished book number 64,
In Alle Staten, a book written by the Dutch reporter
Max Westerman who lived and worked out of the US for over twenty years, and writes about what he thinks about the US (he doesn't hate it, but doesn't love it either). A nice down to earth Dutch view on things. A four star book for me, and lo and behold, my first Dutch book of the year!
>47 I could not agree with you more. Extremely Loud is one of my all time favorites and holds a permanent place in my library.
#66 is done, it was
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It was a reread for my 1010 challenge. It was and luckily still is one of my favorite books.
It tells the story of three generations on the search of Dracula. They are historians, so the search includes a lot of reading of old texts and letters. It is a great cross between historical informative fiction and a suspenseful story. It got five stars from me again, and I highly recommend it!
#67 was another classic
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I tried a couple of chapters online first (Gutenberg Project) to see how I would like the language used, and I didn't think it was that bad.
I loved the book. I loved the story, I loved the writing, I loved Jane. The only thing I didn't like was the edition. I read the Penguin Classic, with an introduction by Stevie Davies. She warns the reader that the introduction contains spoilers, so I skipped it. She also provides notes throughout the story, to explain language or customs that may be unfamiliar. What I really hated was the fact that these notes, without warning, were also spoilers. I didn't know the story of Jane Eyre, so I really didn't want it to be spoiled. Ah well, the story itself was still great and gets 5 stars from me!
#51: I
love Jane Eyre, so I am happy to see that it has found another fan!
#52, alcott, do you have any other recommendations from that period or in the "classics" category, knowing that I loved Jane Eyre?
#53 - Have you read any Jane Austen? Emily or Anne Bronte? (I'm not such a fan of Anne myself, but all three surviving sisters published) Thomas Hardy?
And I, too, am so happy that
Jane Eyre has found another fan. I'm a big Bronte nut myself. ;)
#54, I haven't read any of those yet. This morning I tried a bit of
Pride and Prejudice on Gutenberg, and I think I will like that one too. It has been my plan to read it, so I can also read
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in a couple of months time. I will also look at the other Brontë's. Thanks for the tips!
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy them as well.
Finished #68 and 69:
#68
Leviathan by Philip Hoare, a book about mankind's fascination with whales, mostly about Herman Meville and Moby Dick, and the whaling industry from the nineteenth century up until now. I had expected a bit more about whales in culture and history, and a bit more about biology, but even though the writing was a bit scattered, it was a nice read. Three stars.
#69
De Brug by Geert Mak
A gift for the boekenweek (week of books) and thus a quick read. It is not so much of a story, but more an essay about the Galata Bridge in Istanbul and the people that live and work on it. Also about Turkey and Turkisch history. Three stars.
#57: I may give
Leviathan a try since I am doing the group read of
Moby Dick next year. Thanks for the mention!
Finished another three books:
#70 Dodenboek by
Preston-ChildA Pendegast novel, and also part of a trilogy, but I haven't read any of the other ones. Luckily I didn't have to, I could infer almost everything from the book. A pretty standard trashy novel, but an entertaining read (3 stars).
#71
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
A classic, from the 1001 books list. Confusing but a very good read (4 stars).
#72
Thomas Aquinas: A very short introduction by
Fergus KerrMy first Very Short Introduction, and I picked Thomas Aquinas to learn more about him. A very good book, a bit more philosophy/theology than I had expected, but still, very good. (4 stars)
Almost there!
#73
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Another classic, and a lovely one. Great humor and a great read. (4 stars)
One business trip, two books, a lot of travelling, and there we are, 75 books!
#74 was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
The writing style is really peculiar, but I really liked it. The books tells the story of Thomas Cromwell, from his viewpoint in a flattering light. The story is pretty detailled and insightfull. Anyway, I understand why this book won the Booker prize, and I gave it five stars.
#75 was
White Tiger by
Aravind Adiga.
The Booker prize winner from last year, about a man (the white tiger) in India telling the story of his youth, his servant life and how he became and entrepeneur. Lovely writing. Four stars.
I will continue reading this year, but will only post updates on my 1010 challenge thread, to be found
here.
Congrats on reaching 75! And with two fine Booker prize books. How nice! :)
But sad at the thought of you not posting updates here :(
I don't know how much, if at all, I've posted, but I've enjoyed reading your thread.
. . . will you at least visit us sometimes???? Please?????
I promise to visit your 1010 thread, as I'm doing a thread over there, too.
Message edited by its author, Nov 20, 2009, 7:42am.
I'll still be here :D I just found that I was just copying posts from this thread to my 1010 thread or vice versa.... So this will be the social thread I guess ;)
Congrats!
So this will be the social thread I guess ;)
I like that! :D
I know what you mean about copying posts. I've been doing a bit of that, too, since I started the 1010 challenge in October. It does get to feel redundant, doesn't it?? :)
Oooh thanks, a cute animation! :)
Wow, 75 books already!! I'll go and find you on the 1010 group now.
I loved Wolf Hall too - probably my favourite book so far this year, with some tough competition.
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