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Old 06-03-2011, 01:53 AM

Knerd, I rather wish you had a reading blog of some kind where you detailed all of these discoveries. So that us lazy people can have access to the information you gather. :yes:

Too much to hope that anything like this exists?

I love all of the backstory you give to your reading recommendations.

Knerd
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Old 06-03-2011, 02:08 AM

Well, I do have a Tumblr account that's dedicated to loving books. Most of it is made up of book covers and author quotes, though.

But I'm trying to make it more personal! I've added a couple pages for my 50 Book Challenge and book recommendations. And I'll usually try to comment on what I'm reading and what I want to read. It's a start, right?

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Old 06-03-2011, 03:53 AM

Okay, I can tell this is going to be a favorite link of mine because now I want to quiz you. :glomp:

How was Slammerkin? Should I read it?
I picked up Donoghue's Touchy Subjects at the library, and I feel as though I really enjoy some of the short stories... however, it's not an instantaneous case of love, as with Miranda July. I just started reading the collection yesterday.

Should I read Slammerkin? Is Donoghue a really cool author with a backstory that literary-types should know about, or is the fact that I picked out her book one of those freak accidents of frequent library going? Seeing this random author's name on your list and in my book stack makes me feel all happy. :)

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Old 06-03-2011, 04:12 AM

:hug:

Emma Donoghue is a great author. She has a wonderful way of intertwining feminism and fiction, not many people can manage that. That's pretty much all you need to know about her, the rest is really apparent in her writing style and the subjects that she takes on.

Slammerkin was only so so, I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. It's a pretty accurate representation of what a prostitute's life would have been like back then. The poor main character is forced into the profession and quickly spirals out of control without any hope of happiness ever again. But since you know exactly what happens right from the beginning, it's tough to stay sympathetic with her. I ended up feeling pretty blase about the girl's fate and couldn't sympathize with her very much.

It's really fun to read once, though. And I have to appreciate the historical research that she put into preparing it. Anything about prostitutes in England, right? :lol:

Have you read The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Donoghue? Now there's a great book. Donoghue took a whole series of "strange yet true" tales and wove them into short stories. It has a wide variety of different types of characters and plots, so there's something in there for everyone. At least one of those stories is really going to take your breath away.

Facade
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Old 06-04-2011, 05:46 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Knerd View Post
No, but boy would that be great! :lol:

I'm just a bit of a literature elitist. I like to read, and I like to read quality books. That means that I educate myself on what a lot of authors are doing, how their stuff is reviewed, what works influenced what other works, blah blah blah. I like the history behind books just as much as the writing itself.
I'm a bit like this as well. My friends tend to pick the latest hot-topic book (not, as in, SOLD in Hot Topic... :lol: God, I couldn't imagine what sort of commercialized picturebooks they'd sell in there!), and I'm sitting there saying, "I can't read it." I know that sounds extremely elitist (and not sure if you're quite like that), but damn. I just can't! I have to either research books or scrutinize them for some shred of awesome that makes them at least lovable to me.

I'm especially this way with fiction, I find.

PapillonCameo
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Old 06-04-2011, 05:44 PM

I just went to a book sale yesterday, WOOT! XD I got quite a lot of books. At least twelve, haven't counted them yet.. I already finished one of them, and am halfway trough another.

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Old 06-04-2011, 08:21 PM

Facade, I think we're on the same page. :yes:

My friends went through the Twilight phase where all they read were vampire romances. They'd sit around the dinner table and excitedly talk about them and try to explain to me how these books were the best things ever written with characters that would sweep me off my feet. All I could do was nod my head and sit there thinking "Oh god, that sounds so horrible."

I've got nothing against reading for pleasure as long as people read, but I personally prefer books that push me intellectually and give me a challenge. I guess we all just have different reasons for why we read. :)

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Old 06-07-2011, 12:53 PM

Ok...I started my challenge one the first of January of this year...and well...even though it's just June I've already read 61 books.

Having said that the vast majority of books I've been reading have been manga or graphic novels of some other sort.

I'm thinking either I say I've succeeded with the challenge for this year and aim for way more next year or I increase the challenge number...either way....it's been interesting to see just how much I read and of what. :lol:

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Old 06-07-2011, 01:56 PM

I finally found the book I lost! I can't wait to dive back into it, I was at a really good part. And my lovely Harry Potter villains bookmark is still in place, which makes me quite happy. :heart:

In addition to that news, I would like to say that library book sales are so fantastic. I got 12 books and an audiobook for $13. :boogie: Instead of listing what I got, I'll borrow a splendid idea from Knerd. Here's a picture of what I nabbed:


I figure five classics, six fantasies, an old favorite (Watership Down, which I guess is technically speaking a fantasy), and an audiobook of another favorite (You Suck, which I tell you since you can't see the title!) isn't the most diverse mix, but I'm pretty happy with it!
Planning to go back again once or twice more this week. :lol:

Papillon- Nice! What did you pick up at the booksale you went to?

Knerd- Just started browsing your Tumbr a bit, I like it a lot! Makes me want to make a blog dedicated to books. :yes:

Emma Donoghue Conversation- Slammerkin and The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits both sound good, I'll add them to my to read list. :yes: I read Room by her. I liked it, not enough to pursue her other books without recommendations from others, but it sure was hard to put down.

Congrats, Ling! Good job on finishing your challenge.

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Old 06-07-2011, 02:25 PM

Iltu- O let's see.. A few Nora Robert's books. The two first books of the Dragonmaster series, Heartmates, which I can't remember the author of.. A book by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, one by Anne McCaffrey another by Mercedes Lackey... Which reminds me I need to go to the library!

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Old 06-08-2011, 01:38 AM

Nice call on buying As I Lay Dying! And the Edith Wharton. It looks you got a pretty big haul there, Iltu. :)

Iltu
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Old 06-08-2011, 02:02 AM

Papillon- What book by Mercedes Lackey did you get?

Knerd- I really like The Sound and the Fury and what I have read so far of Absalom, Absalom! by Faulkner. I wanted to try some of his work that one or more members of the Compson family didn't play a large role in, to see if a different cast of characters by the same author manages to capture my heart again!
And I learned a bit about Wharton in Women in Lit and English eleven, so I figured, why not? I'm definitely happy with what I picked up. :yes:

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Old 06-08-2011, 02:03 AM

Iltu- I have a whole bunch, but I just The Black Gryphon which is an early history of Valdemar, which means it predates it and the Heralds. XD

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Old 06-08-2011, 08:20 PM

Well, it appears I'll be done with my challenge by the time the month is out. I'm presently reading Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Time's Enemy. It's the third book in the INVASION! series, and once I'm done with this one I'll have only two books left!

Then I'll go ahead and start up another challenge for myself in January. :yes:

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Old 06-08-2011, 11:06 PM

Oh boy, here's the fun part about having two houses! My dad just moved and also got me a second bookshelf, so I'm sifting through all the books I own, deciding what it's time to let go of, what needs to be moved to my mom's, what needs to be moved to my dad's, and what shelves just need rearranging. :P

Papillon- Okay, cool! I think I might have that one, but I've only ever read Arrows of the Queen.

Congrats, Taiyo!

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Old 06-08-2011, 11:12 PM

Iltu- I have a few of her books, including the Five Hundred Kingdoms ones. They're some of my favorites by Mercedes Lackey.

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Old 06-13-2011, 08:45 PM

I'm down to two books left to read, and then I'll be done with my challenge! Hee! I just need to update my book count now.....

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Old 06-13-2011, 10:43 PM

Woo! After loosing it a while, I finally finished The Resistance last night. I liked it and all, but it did start to drag and I did get a bit bored reading it.

Papillon- I thiiiink I only have a few her Valdemar books that I've picked up at book sales and what have you. But I'll keep 500 Kingdoms in mind!

Good on you, Taiyo! Are you planning on a bigger goal next year, then?

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Old 06-15-2011, 04:47 PM

Nice Taiyo! Way to kick that challenges butt!

Iltu - Yeah! Nice! It's always tough getting through boring parts :/

Knerd - I really like that blog you posted! It gave me lots of good book ideas! :P

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Old 06-15-2011, 05:44 PM

@ Iltu: I'm going to barely finish this one, so no. Plus, college is murder when it comes to reading.....

And my mom has made me a very happy girl. She got me a two-book set of Sherlock Holmes stories, which amount to the entire works! :boogie:

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Old 06-15-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Car'a'Carn View Post
Knerd - I really like that blog you posted! It gave me lots of good book ideas! :P
Aw, I'm glad! I have a lot of fun maintaining that Tumblr, so it's nice that people are finding it helpful. If you guys bug me enough, maybe I'll even finally get around to posting proper book reviews on there. :lol:


Quote:
Originally Posted by TaiyoTsuki View Post
Plus, college is murder when it comes to reading.....
Oh yeah, that's so true. College is around the time when my reading took a massive downward spiral. You only have time to read so much for pleasure that a lot of stuff gets pushed aside. :(

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Old 06-15-2011, 09:30 PM

I know....And I LOVE my sci-fi and fantasy too!

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Old 06-19-2011, 06:05 PM

Knerd - Well if I can start getting my rear in gear for all the books I need to finish I'll definitely start buggin you :yes: lol!

Taiyo - Hey did you ever read any Jack McDevitt books?


Oh! And I finished a Manga called Psyren the other day too! Whoo!

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Old 06-20-2011, 05:03 AM

Oh my! I remember seeing this thread a few years ago! I can't remember for the life of me why I didn't start back then. Hmm, I don't think there is a day I don't go by reading. I'm so down for this! I do have a question before I start; I tend to read a lot of FictionPress, poems, and not published author's works. Seeing as sometimes I can't finish reading something that might not be finished and sometimes they are only poems should I just write it all down counting pages or would poems not count in this aspect? I'm sorry I'm sure you've heard this a million times, haha. :]

EDIT; WAIT! I literally asked this exact question pretty much a year go. NEVERMIND. HAHA! I face palmed. I'll just make the list. Should I just delete this or edit it into a list? O:

Last edited by Deranged Insanity; 06-20-2011 at 05:29 AM..

TaiyoTsuki
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Old 06-20-2011, 09:29 PM

I HAVE FINISHED MY CHALLENGE! Beginning of next year I'm gonna start my next one.

 


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