Hello and welcome to my April 'Book Babble' :-)
Literature .... The word gives me the willies - gah! I think of this much the way that Amy from The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend describes 'Classics' lists (see way down below for the quote). I know that literature, or should I say literary works of art, are considered to be well written, but I'm sorry, IMHO to me most of them are just booooriiiing. They are just so wordy or descriptive ... please get on with the excitement! When I was working at Dymocks we had Crime, Sci-fi/Paranormal, Fiction and Literature sections. Yeah I know ... it's ALL fiction!!! That is not what turned me off lit. I honestly did try reading some of it prior to working there, and continue to dip into these well-written works to this day - especially when the blurb looks so inviting. And I am pleased to say that some of these I have really enjoyed ... but not many. And I have learnt to completely ignore the reviews about these books 'cause they were clearly written by people that love this style of writing.
Some bookstores still separate their fiction in such a manner, whilst others have their fiction all together, only separating the adult from YA from kids. Much better!! I'd never have purchased my latest read if it had been in the Literature section!!! Books should be presented to us in a way that invites exploration, rather than limiting us to 'what we should' or 'what we always stick to' categories. Don't get me started on Genrefication in libraries!!!!!!! Mind you, now that I think about it I love going into those big bookstores that do separate sci-fi/ fantasy and crime reads 'cause I'd rather troll through the masses of my preferred reading depending on the mood I'm in rather than be faced with shelves and shelves of all-sorts. And knowing which stores shelve in these different ways allows your reading-mood to take you on the journey of your choosing, whether it is with tried-and-true genres (for you) or an adventure into the unknown. Oh the endless possibilities and adventures that books can take you on!!!!!!
Fails - The Hundred-foot Journey, The Secret Life of Bees, The English Patient, and at the end of 2015 ...The Dressmaker (that one completely put me off going to see the movie!!)
Successes - An awesome crime one set in Middle East that I just can't for the life of me remember - I can see its location on the shelf and know the author started with a C or D, it had a yellow cover (I think) and I read it in 2008 ... Darn it Goodreads why didn't I start using you years earlier!!!!!!!!! And now ... The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. It's a very short list that I'm sure MUST have one or two others in it from earlier in my life ?!?!?!?!
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I don't know if you're like me but I have a love / hate relationship going on with series books.
I love that you can really connect with the characters. If you start a series after most have been written you can have a great time binge reading ... And goodbye anyone or anything that tries to interrupt you. I love that some series just go on and on and on and on and then have side-series. There are just so many character in some of these worlds and they all need their stories told ( Christine Feehan's dark series, J.R. Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood series ... ). I love that each year (hopefully) you know that the next installment is going to be just around the corner. I love that some authors just 'get' that a series needs to be a short collection of books - ya know like a trilogy! I love the predictability of some of the series, and the complete un-predictability of others.
I hate that you get hooked into the book and you get to the end and it's all "Nooooooo I've got to wait a year or more for the next installment - whyyyyyyyy!!!!" I hate that some series just go on and on and on and on and OMG just end already!!!!!!! I love J.D.Robb's Eve Dallas series In Death, but it's been so long ago since I read them I've completely lost my place. I hate the predictability of each book - sometimes it's as though only one little thing has been changed or the names are different. I hate the trilogy that turns into four or five books.
Sometimes when a series ends, or I'm impatiently waiting for the next installment, I'll go trolling through the bookstores or iBooks or Amazon looking for similar styles of writing or genre or other books by the same author. It's a great way to get your fix and find new authors or even different genres you never thought you'd try.
You know, it's really 'each to their own'. Sometimes you really really want to get involved in the relationships and adventures of a character or community. Other times you just want a stand-alone story that you know is going to (hopefully) have an ending that works and enjoy the one-off experience. Sometimes you need the 'tried and true' to get you through a difficult, brain-draining or overly-adventurous period in your life. Other times you want to expand your horizons or get out of your comfort-zone or be adventurous and courageous in your mind when you aren't as brave in real life.
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And in other news this month ...
- HBPubrarians has had it's third catch-up, this time in Havelock North at the lovely Diva's - a time for a casual chat among librarians from all walks of life. It's a fantastic way of connecting with like-minded folks - though I must say it was an all-female-crew this month :-)
So here is WIBR this month ....... It seems that sorting my books in alpha order AND by age category is easier to follow. I was so busy during the school holidays I got hardly any reading done, and certainly none of the books I brought home from school to read ... I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms ;-0 But what I did read was #Awesome
NOTE: ** Denotes sexual content (school librarians use your discretion)
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Did you take the B from my _ook? / Beck & Matt Stanton [Hardback]
4 stars
Picture Book 0-6 / 7-12
The latest offering from this pair! I love their books :-)
An interactive book where audience participation is a MUST!!!!
A real tongue-twister when you try to read sentences and the B is missing!!! Go on ... try it!!!
Aimed more at older children as they will 'get' it more than the younger children (0-6), but still something that they will have a good laugh at .... especially the adults trying to read the silly thing.
Also available This is a Ball
Green / Laura Vaccaro Seeger [Hardback]
5 stars
Picture Book 0-6 / 7-12
This is a beautiful and simple look at the different colours of green. It has the most amazing illustrations, and little 'peep through' cut-outs leading to the next/previous page. OMG ... and the smell of the book ... just divine!!!!!!
Each page has been illustrated in such an amazing way that the cut-outs open your eyes to just how much detail there is in a painting. Stunning!
An interactive book where audience participation is a MUST!!!!
A real tongue-twister when you try to read sentences and the B is missing!!! Go on ... try it!!!
Aimed more at older children as they will 'get' it more than the younger children (0-6), but still something that they will have a good laugh at .... especially the adults trying to read the silly thing.
Also available This is a Ball
Green / Laura Vaccaro Seeger [Hardback]
5 stars
Picture Book 0-6 / 7-12
This is a beautiful and simple look at the different colours of green. It has the most amazing illustrations, and little 'peep through' cut-outs leading to the next/previous page. OMG ... and the smell of the book ... just divine!!!!!!
Each page has been illustrated in such an amazing way that the cut-outs open your eyes to just how much detail there is in a painting. Stunning!
Let's Play / Herve Tullet [Hardback]
4 stars
Picture Book 0-6 / 7-12
I love Herve Tullet! I love the interactivness of his books! They are so popular at TPS and I'm hoping the kids like this one just a much as the others we have.
These books just invite you to have-a-go, regardless of whether you are a kid or a kidult :-)
These books just invite you to have-a-go, regardless of whether you are a kid or a kidult :-)
4 stars
Children 7-12. War stories.
Children 7-12. War stories.
Whilst quite simply written this story packs a powerful punch. It introduces children to the war in an honest manner, showing how truly horrible and destructive war can be, whilst still showing them that good things can come from such hardship. It also shows how what can be the right choice at the time can later be seen as a bad decision - it is all relative to the events occurring at that time.
This is a great book for anyone interested in the First and Second World War and would make a really good read-aloud and lead to a lot of good class discussion.
The Half Bad Trilogy Bk1 Half Bad / Sally Green [eBook]
4 stars
YA. Paranormal.
This book has been in my TBR pile for a long time. Perfect time to start reading it as the third book in the trilogy has just been released - Yay! Time for a binge reading marathon!!!!
This wasn't half-bad. In fact it was better than half-good :) ....
Beaten, chained in a cage and hated by everyone, Nathan is a 16 year old witch. His mum was a white witch. His dad the most feared black witch around. Nathan isn't bad and certainly doesn't deserve the treatment he receives. In fact he is so far from bad that this book really just goes to show the prejudices that reflect today's society and the impact they can have on the innocent.
The only chance for survival that Nathan has, is to somehow escape from his captors and track down his father to receive the three gifts all witches receive on their 17th birthday.
A really awesome read!
Beaten, chained in a cage and hated by everyone, Nathan is a 16 year old witch. His mum was a white witch. His dad the most feared black witch around. Nathan isn't bad and certainly doesn't deserve the treatment he receives. In fact he is so far from bad that this book really just goes to show the prejudices that reflect today's society and the impact they can have on the innocent.
The only chance for survival that Nathan has, is to somehow escape from his captors and track down his father to receive the three gifts all witches receive on their 17th birthday.
A really awesome read!
The Half Bad Trilogy Bk2 Half Wild / Sally Green [eBook]
4 stars
YA. Paranormal.
Doh! Binge reading marathon didn't happen :-( Got hooked on The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend! ...
OK, just gotta say #Awesome! It's 12.33am and I HAD TO finish reading this. Yes it's quite bloody towards the end, but tense and exciting too.
Nathan is asked to join the Alliance - a rebel group of White, Black and Half witches. But first he wants to try and save Annalise, oh yeah and work out how to deal with his newly acquired Gift.
Nathan is asked to join the Alliance - a rebel group of White, Black and Half witches. But first he wants to try and save Annalise, oh yeah and work out how to deal with his newly acquired Gift.
Lessons learnt:
- Things aren't always as they seem
- Things aren't always as they seem
- Never trust the poor innocent girl!!!
- The biggest baddest witch in the world ... you be the judge!
- Watch out for siblings
- There is ALWAYS a trap!
I love the covers of these books. Half Bad is blood bleeding into the shape of a face, Half Wild is Van's green smoke blending into the shape of a wolf, and Half Lost is a flaming tree - #Awesome
I love the covers of these books. Half Bad is blood bleeding into the shape of a face, Half Wild is Van's green smoke blending into the shape of a wolf, and Half Lost is a flaming tree - #Awesome
The Half Bad Trilogy Bk3 Half Lost / Sally Green [eBook]
4 stars
YA. Paranormal.
This says it best ....
"Set in modern-day Europe, the final book in the Half Bad trilogy is more than a story about witches. It’s a heart-poundingly visceral look at survival and exploitation, the nature of good and evil, and the risks we take for love." (Penguin Random House, blurb)
OK, I just have to say ... "Freaking HATE the freaking ending. OMG that is just soooo not fair" *sniffling and grabbing another tissue*
3013 'Novella' 1 Synergy** / Laurie Roma [eBook]
3013 'Novella' 2 Scarred** / Susan Hayes [eBook]
3013 'Novella' 3 Asylum** / Kali Argent [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Erotica
A short story (<200pg each) in the 3013 series, these books tell the story of some of the background characters. Whilst they don't have to be read in order, the way these three novellas interweave with each other means you will get the most out of them by reading them as noted.
If you like your romance of the Sci-fi / alien / paranormal variety then these are a lovely light romp. Perfect for those times when you don't want to sink your teeth into an intense meaty book.
Pure escapism :-)
Black Dagger Brotherhood Bk14 The Beast** / JR Ward [eBook]
It's Reigning Men Bk1 Something in the Heir / Jenny Gardiner [eBook]
5 stars
Adult. Paranormal.
This latest installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues the story of Rhage & Mary. However it also includes some new characters (whom I'm hoping to see appear in the new series), and introduces Assail in a new light. It doesn't flow as easily as some of the other books as there are so many character jumps, however I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next installment (of both series).
Heart of the Wolf Bk13 Silence of the Wolf** / Terry Spear [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Chick-lit. Paranormal.
'Chick-lit to curl up with'. A romance read, pure and simple, but with werewolves! Escapism at its best. I got nearly half way through this, curled up in bed waiting for the hubby to stop snoring (it has been a very very very long 6 weeks of 7 days/16+ hrs wine-making vintage for him), before my eyes gave out and refused to stay open :-( Then finished it over a cup (or two) of coffee the next morning.
This is the first Terry Spear book I've read and although I found out after-the-fact that it is part of a series it was a great stand-alone read.
3 stars
Adult. Chick-Lit.
A light romantic romp. Bit of a twist on Cinderella running away from the ball ... here we have the handsome prince running away from his meddling mother and rescued by the lovely photographer who is sooooo over men!
It's Reigning Men Bk2 Heir Today Gone Tomorrow / Jenny Gardiner [eBook]
3 1/2 stars
Adult. Chick-Lit.
A light romantic romp continuing the series with friends/family of our original run-away prince. Definitely a series I'm keeping in mind for my summer TBR pile.
The readers of Broken Wheel Recommend / Katrina Bivald, translated by Alice Menzies [Paperback]
5 Stars
Adult. Literature. Contemporary.
What a beautifully written piece of work. It took me quite a while to read this as I didn't want to read it at night - may have something to do with no-longer-youthfulness eyesight :( and there were so many quotes I loved that I had to go back to the beginning and write them down. Also there were segments that I just loved so much I had to re-read them. I probably read at least half the book more than once - Doh!
Told in letters from Amy that provide background as to how Sara arrived in Broken Wheel, and Sara and the towns present-day life.
If you love a story about small-town life, relationships in all their intricacies, and books ... goodness, don't forget about the books!!!!!! ... then this is the read for you!
I just LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!!! (Which if you really know me and 'Literature' you will be super-surprised about!!!) Want to read and rejoice in its awesomeness again - I just don't want to leave the amazing eclectic community that is Broken Wheel :-)
Here are my fav quotes for the book. Don't feel you have to read them ... I've done this more for myself so I can easily remember them - after all I don't want to highlight in the book!!!!!!!
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p1 (first line too!!!) 'The strange woman standing on Hope's Main Street was so ordinary it was almost scandalous.'
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p7 'Amy can't be dead, Sara thought. She was my friend. She liked books, for God's sake.'
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p40 'But even when Gertrude wasn't smoking, it never really left her. Gertrude drank, too. Neither that nor her cooking (she was fond of additives and fat, ideally a combination of both) had managed to kill her yet, to the despair of her two husbands. Until the food and the passive smoking had put a stop to them. She had been widowed twice.'
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p47 'In books, people were charming and friendly and life followed certain set patterns. If a person dreamt of doing something then you could be almost certain that, by the end of the book they would be doing that very thing. And that they would find someone to do it with. In the real world, you could be almost certain that person would end up doing absolutely anything other than what they dreamt of.'
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p60 ' "That's what books are for" she said, smiling at him. "The perfect excuse to do nothing. Make no decisions." '
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p69 'Sometimes I think that it's not the degree of sorrow that matters, but how much of a hold it can get.'
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p70 'I think that life and sorrow go together like farmers and rain: without a little, nothing will grow.'
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About 'classics' book lists ... Tot's agree!!!
p78 '...the books I feel sorry for are the ones they add to these lists. ... Our critics and educators have got a lot to answer for when they manage to make young boys see stories about rebellion and adventure and ballsiness as a chore. ... The real crime of these [classic] lists isn't that they leave deserving books off them, but that they make people see fantastic literary adventures as obligations.'
p78 '...the books I feel sorry for are the ones they add to these lists. ... Our critics and educators have got a lot to answer for when they manage to make young boys see stories about rebellion and adventure and ballsiness as a chore. ... The real crime of these [classic] lists isn't that they leave deserving books off them, but that they make people see fantastic literary adventures as obligations.'
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p89 'Surviving became a kind of warped Darwinian test in many areas of the Midwest, with only the maddest surviving. That which didn't kill them made them stranger.'
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p108 'It's funny, the way we talk about terrorism nowadays as though it's only Muslims and Arabs threatening our society. I'm afraid my understanding of terrorism was shaped long before September 11.'
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p111 'Books which had already been read were the best.'
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p129-133 Most awesome chapter
Sara is so involved reading in the bookshop she never realizes a crowd has gathered to watch her ... For five hours and thirty seven minutes!!! They even brought out the BBQ and closed the pub and brought the beers to the shop-front. Bloody marvelous!!!!!!!
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p139 ' "You know," said Tom,who had seen the determination in her eyes, "if you're going to get this lot to read, you're going to need to be more cunning." '
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p141 '... books are fantastic and probably come into their own in a cabin in the woods, but how fun is it to read a fantastic book if you can't tell others about it, talk about it, quote from it constantly?'
Oh how true ... This is exactly why I had to make a note of all my fav quotes, just so that I can tell people about them ... and this even before I had read past chapter 2 :-)
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On rethinking the way she could display the books ...
p144 'She laughed, picked up a pen and wrote, in big, clear letters: 'SEX, VIOLENCE AND WEAPONS', and pinned the piece of card above the thrillers.'
p144-145 'She paused at Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. Clearly SMALL-TOWN LIFE, but also with such loathsome endings that she wondered whether it was morally defensible to sell them. Eventually, she put them out anyway, but used one of the pieces of cardboard to cut out a smaller sign which she stuck up next to them. 'Warning: unhappy ending!' she wrote.
If more bookshop owners had taken the responsibility to hang warning signs, her life would have been much easier. Cigarette packets came with warnings, so why not tragic books? There was wording on bottles of beer warning you not to drink and drive, but not a single word about the consequences of reading books without tissues to hand.'
p146 'The last category was for those who really didn't read. She called it 'SHORT BUT SWEET' and placed all the books she could find under two hundred pages in length beneath it, as well as all of Hemingway.'
p148 'If she had been on the hunt for books for herself, Sara would have appreciated a clearly marked 'Chick lit to curl up with.'
P148-149 'What she really wanted was all those books you could sit back and read like a magazine, ... The book equivalent of a Meg Ryan film. Enjoyable, easy-going stories with happy endings so certain that you didn't even need to think about them. ... Eventually, she simply wrote 'FOR FRIDAY NIGHTS AND LAZY SUNDAYS'. '
p161-162 'The last thing Sara had done was get hold of a new shelf, on which she placed every unreadable book she could find, alongside every Pulitzer Prize-winner, Nobel Prize recipient and nominee for the Booker Prize. ...Amy had owned copies of plenty of Sara's more literary favourites, as well as works by a great number of other authors she looked forward to reading. Once she had placed them all on the shelf, she labelled it 'THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND'.'
p347-348 'Sara clung to the new category as though the shiny new sign was the only thing keeping her going. The best books gathered in one place, the biggest section in the bookshop; everything which made books better than life.
HAPPY ENDINGS WHEN YOU NEED THEM.'
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p149 'Reliable authors: ... Strictly speaking, Dan Brown also belonged here, she thought. He was so reliable that you got the exact same story every time.'
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p161-162 'She had thrown herself into one ambitious reading project after the other, but things had rarely gone to plan. It was boring to think of books as something you should read just because others had, and besides, she was much too easily distracted. There were far too many books out there to stick to any kind of theme.' ( My thoughts exactly!!!!)
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p187 'She had started leaving the door ajar so that the scent of damp autumn air could mix with the smell of the books. For as long as she could remember, she had thought that autumn air went well with books, that the two both somehow belonged with blankets, comfortable armchairs and big cups of coffee or tea.'
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On gay porn / erotica
p180 'It's erotica. Literature. Stories about love and friendship. Sure, there's sex in them, but unlike porn ... it's not the main point. Even heterosexual love stories have sex scenes in them.'
p182 'The very thought that she had one of those books in her house made her break out in a cold sweat.'
p183 'She decided to read a chapter, for the sake of research. She could have sworn the book was laughing at her when she finally picked it up.'
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p192 ' "No romance," she had said threateningly, and Sara had given her The Girl a with the Dragon Tattoo, just to be doubly sure there was no romantic love story even as a subplot.
Now, Gertrude was heading straight for the counter with quick, jerky movements. As she came closer, Sara could see that she had dark bags beneath her eyes and a desperate, haunted gaze.
"Quick," she said, gripping the counter. "The second part. I need the next book." Then she seemed to come to her senses and reluctantly stood up straight before adding, more calmly and almost apologetically: "Lay awake half the night reading. Even forgot to smoke." '
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p193 ' "You've got it haven't you? Part two, I mean," as though her peace of mind too depended on it. It probably did, Sara thought. An incomplete series could be catastrophic, even for those around you.'
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p243 'God didn't answer, and Caroline was secretly relieved. If she had heard a voice from above, she would have thought she was finally going crazy rather than it being any kind of Devine revelation.'
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p292 'Do you know what the worst thing is about loyal people? Everyone is forever telling them to start focusing on themselves, but no one wants them to stop helping them. Not when it really comes down to it.'
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p296 ' "Have you ever smelled a book?" ... "Can you smell it? The scent of new books. Unread adventures. Friends you haven't met yet, hours of magical escapism awaiting you." '
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p309 'It was funny, she thought, how often we stuck to the safe path in life, pulling on the blinkers and keeping our eyes to the ground, doing our best not to look at the fantastic view. Without seeing the heights we had reached, the opportunities actually awaiting us out there; without realising we should just jump and fly, at least for a moment.'
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