Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List
Over at The Broke and the Bookish this week’s 10 Ten Tuesday is 10 things on your bookish bucket list. Some of these are ever so slightly, just a smidgen, more achievable than others:
- Finish my uncompleted series! (See this list here).
- Have my own library – okay, I’m not literally talking about a library – I mean, to use one room in my house and line the walls with shelves and then, more to the point, FILL THEM WITH BOOKS, get the comfiest chair ever, shut the door and be totally anti-social. Okay, I could let the husband and the dog in there, from time to time maybe.
- Meet some of my favourite authors – you people are like our movie stars and it’s nice to meet you!! Or, maybe I just need to get out more…
- See certain of my favourite books transformed into film – this is a dodgy one because what if the film isn’t a good representation of the book – well, it’s a different form of entertainment so it’s going to be different but, LOTR – great example of how to do this well. Now I need to make a list of which books I want to see at the cinema – it really is that easy!!
- Reduce my TBR – although there are only two realistic ways to do this. Give up work in which case lots of time for reading but no money for spending! Or, stop buying so many books (not gonna happen) – actually three, win an enormously obscene amount of money and buy my own library (see No.2, although, mmm, does this really reduce my tbr or actually increase it) *quandry*.
- Go shopping for a full day and buy so many books that I need at least three people to carry all the bags *not helping with Nos 1 or 5*
- Get the three people above to read all the books and cherry pick the choicest – hang on – what are all you bloggers out there for after all!!! READ FASTER.
- Buy a time machine – otherwise no way I’m ever going to achieve Nos 1 and 5.
- Achieve immortality – in which case all the time in the world to read whatever I want (and easily achieve Nos 1 and 5).
Marry Neil Gaiman– haha, only kidding. Yes, really, just messing around. Ahem…
Now, which of those do you think I can realistically achieve?????
Swoonies…
11 February 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Swoonies, Top Ten Tuesday
Okay, Top Ten Tuesday.
This week The Broke and The Bookish wants to know what are your : Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon.
Now, I don’t really read a lot of swoonies in the traditional sense of the word, however, I will not be beaten! I will find ten swoonies even if I fall over during the process.
- The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons – if you don’t swoon at this book then frankly you’re just beyond redemption! That’s all. Read it and weep! One word: Alexander.
- The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon – all I can say is Jamie!
- The Rebel Angels by Gillian Philip – Seth McGregor… nuff said.
- The Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch – and, in a step out of the ordinary I’m not swooning over the main man here but his buddy Jean Tannen – OMG!!
- Lord of the Rings – Aragorn
Well, I said I wouldn’t be beaten, but I fibbed. I’ve only got five swoonies – but, they’re all so good that they count twice!
Hah, scrap the above, I’ve thought of some more:
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Rhett Butler, you may not like him but ‘frankly my dear …..’
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – moody Mr Rochester
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Heathcliff – can those Bronte sisters write up a storm or what!
That’s it for me! I’ve told you mine – so tell me yours…
Desperately seeking books… 2014 ‘Most Wanted’
3 December 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books for 2014, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Top ten 2014 releases we’re dying to read
I love the topic over at the Broke and the Bookish this week (Top Ten Tuesday). It gives me a chance to look at what books I’m looking forward to in the New Year. Now, I’m pretty sure that I’ve missed some but feel free to remind me:
- Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick (May)
- Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (June)
- City of Stairs by Robert J Bennett (don’t know when this is due?? Somebody, anybody, chuck me a bone with this one please)
- Morningside Fall by Jay Posey (May)
- Night Terrors by Tim Waggoner (June)
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough (May)
- Icefall by Gillian Philip (March)
- The Last Oprichnik by Jasper Kent (not sure)
- The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss (no idea at all but on that basis it could be 2014 – glass half full, etc, etc)
- Remains open… although if Scott Lynch would like to release the next in the Gentlemen Bastards….
That’s it for now. If you can think of any more I should have on this list then feel free to chuck out suggestions. (Why are May and June so popular – what about Jan/Feb!!!)
Names, do they make or break your love of a character…
22 October 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Character names: love or hate, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is back this week and the theme is names of characters. Ones you love, hate, can’t pronounce or are simply indifferent to. My picks:
- The boy with no name – The Ocean at the end of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, the young boy’s name is never revealed? I almost read the whole book without even realising that fact.
- The Woman with no name – Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – ditto the above!
- The name that is also an ‘object’ – Door, from Neverwhere – also by Neil Gaiman.
- Jean Tannen – a fantastic name (or do I just have a massive book crush) from Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard series.
- A name you don’t want to mess with – Jorg from the Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. Really, if you’d like your head to stay where it currently sits, don’t mess with him! I’m just saying. Also I spent the whole series reading this as Jorg with a ‘J’ – I understand it’s actually Jorg but spoken as a ‘G” but I’m sorry I’ve got used to that name now and it’s stuck!
- Seth – one of the Sithe (and a bit of mind candy if anyone is interested in that type of thing) from Firebrand – the rebel angel series written by Gillian Philip which is a totally excellent series that I adore.
- Hobbit names – they all sound sort of cute don’t they? Bilbo, Frodo, Merry and Pippin (don’t forget Samwise Gamgee!)
- The brilliance of Harry – after all we have Harry Potter (JK Rowling) and Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher)
- Iuda – who is the very embodiment of evil (pronounced Juda) – this guy is evil, dirty, smelly, bad breath, nasty, no remorse, no pity, you name it – what a great villain from Jasper Kent’s Danilov Quintet
- A name that makes you smile – Sunshine from Robin McKinley’s book of the same name. What a lovely name for a character!
Obviously can’t do this meme without a famous quote:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name, would smell as sweet.”
You will, you will, you will…
15 October 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Nice quick post – Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish (with thanks to MegaMad4Books for the intro). This week, 10 books you’ve been forced to read. I’ve chosen 10 books that I’ve been ‘encouraged’ to read – or were ‘must reads’ from friends and bloggers plus a couple of book club choices. In no particular order and with acknowledgements where I could remember! (the first three were no/nos but the rest were all great!):
- General Dann, Mara’s Daughter, Griot and the Snow Dog, by Doris Lessing – read this for my book club – I really didn’t like this although I can see that the author has many well loved books out there – this just obviously wasn’t the best choice, for me at least.
- 50 Shades of Grey, EL James – one of my very good friends (gave me a copy of this to read and twisted my arm to make me read it) – No. Not for me – and it probably wins the award for most annoying book in the universe (although opinion seems to be divided), not to mention the only book I’ve wanted to throw against a wall. Review here in case you feel like reading something negative.
- My Soul to Take, Rachel Vincent – I actually made myself read this one (result of hype) but it wasn’t for me – which I realise goes greatly against popular opinion but sometimes that’s just the way it crumbles.
- I am Legend, Richard Matheson – this is a fantastic book, nothing like the film by the way and my very brilliant friend Jenny at Wondrous Reads put me onto this (she absolutely made me!) as it’s one of her all time favourites (along with the Book Thief)
- Positronic Man, Isaac Asimov – Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings got me into Asimov with his Foundation readalong. Seriously I don’t think I would have picked this up otherwise. A great example of book bloggers aiding and abetting my book education!
- The Troupe, Robert Bennett – a ‘must read’ recommendation by Andrea at Little Red Reviewer – I really enjoyed this and have read all of RB’s other books as a result (except for American Elsewhere – which I will read!!) – LRR – you have a lot to answer for (massive TRB!!)
- Assassin’s Apprentice, Robin Hobb – read this as part of my Worlds Without End Women of Genre Fiction reading challenge and adored it. How come nobody told me about Robin Hobb before! Plus I love this challenge and site – go them it out.
- Miserere by Teresa Frohock – same challenge as above and another great book that I would have missed out on.
- The Hobbit by JR Tolkien – which I really do love, but, first read this at school and hearing this read by a bunch of 14 year old, highly embarrassed 14 year old boys and girls was a bit like torture taken to a whole new level. I had to reread in later life.
- Lord of the Flies, Williams Golding – ditto the above comment. A school book – I’ve never revisited this although I realise I probably should.
That’s all – for now.
Books and travelling with Lynn 