Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's been so long since I last posted in this thread. So this is probably going to be a long post.
I finished Helen Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni which was an enjoyable read.
I also read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I found it to be an extremely entertaining novel. I very much enjoyed the plot. Lots of swordplay and adventure from start to finish and there was never a dull moment. I loved all the characters, even the evil, Milady de Winter.
The first part of the story is cheerful in a sense and comedic, however, the tone of the novel in the second part and towards the end changes completely and becomes very dark and gloomy. Nevertheless, and as I stated, it was a very captivating read. If anyone's looking for a great adventure novel, I heartily recommend The Three Musketeers. Or Dumas' other novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, which is an all-time favorite.
Prior to reading The Three Musketeers, I did some research, as with every classic novel I read, to see which translation is the best since the translation makes a huge difference and is really vital when it comes to foreign classics. Anyway, I found out that the award-winning translator, Richard Pevear's, for Penguin Classics is the best translation for this novel. It's the most recommended, most recent (2006), and the most faithful to the original. So if anyone's thinking of reading it, I recommend Pevear's translation.
I then picked up The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafón. I read about 30% but I wasn't able to get into it so I stopped. The novel is originally is Spanish, so maybe the translation played a part in this. It started off very promising; the first four chapters were good but then I started to lose interest the more I read and the more I began to learn about the two dimensional annoying characters in the story. The dialogue I found pretentious and I couldn't stand reading any more so I decided I should just stop.
I then started We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. The story is told through the eyes of an 18-year old girl, Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, who we realise is mentally disturbed, thus making her an unreliable narrator. She lives with her elder sister Constance, and her senile Uncle Julian, in their mansion in isolation and fear from the rest of the villagers. We know from the start that there's something strange going on. Basically, it's a quick read and a real page turner. The twist didn't come as a big shock to me because I saw it coming way before it got revealed, but nevertheless, it's an excellent gothic/psychological/thriller novel.
After finishing Jackson's novel, I read something interesting. I read that Shirley Jackson was agoraphobic herself and that her agoraphobia was the main inspiration for the novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
After that, I read a novel that's been much talked about lately; The Martian by Andy Weir. After hearing and reading how good it is; I thought I would see what all the fuss was about. It's basically about an astronaut, Mark Watney, who gets stranded on Mars due to a major dust storm. His crew was forced to leave him but only because they thought he was dead. Watney is an expert in Botany and Mechanical Engineering and uses the skills he possesses in those areas to solve most of the problems he faces on Mars. Most of the narrative is told through the journal/logs of Watney's adventures on Mars. The ending was abrupt but nevertheless, the story was engaging. The only thing I didn't like is, that fact that there is a lot of cursing in it. It was sort of annoying.
Oh boy, I think that's the longest post I've ever written. Anyway, now I'm currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I have two more chapters left. It's a really amazing and fantastic book!
I finished Helen Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni which was an enjoyable read.
I also read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I found it to be an extremely entertaining novel. I very much enjoyed the plot. Lots of swordplay and adventure from start to finish and there was never a dull moment. I loved all the characters, even the evil, Milady de Winter.
The first part of the story is cheerful in a sense and comedic, however, the tone of the novel in the second part and towards the end changes completely and becomes very dark and gloomy. Nevertheless, and as I stated, it was a very captivating read. If anyone's looking for a great adventure novel, I heartily recommend The Three Musketeers. Or Dumas' other novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, which is an all-time favorite.
Prior to reading The Three Musketeers, I did some research, as with every classic novel I read, to see which translation is the best since the translation makes a huge difference and is really vital when it comes to foreign classics. Anyway, I found out that the award-winning translator, Richard Pevear's, for Penguin Classics is the best translation for this novel. It's the most recommended, most recent (2006), and the most faithful to the original. So if anyone's thinking of reading it, I recommend Pevear's translation.
I then picked up The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafón. I read about 30% but I wasn't able to get into it so I stopped. The novel is originally is Spanish, so maybe the translation played a part in this. It started off very promising; the first four chapters were good but then I started to lose interest the more I read and the more I began to learn about the two dimensional annoying characters in the story. The dialogue I found pretentious and I couldn't stand reading any more so I decided I should just stop.
I then started We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. The story is told through the eyes of an 18-year old girl, Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, who we realise is mentally disturbed, thus making her an unreliable narrator. She lives with her elder sister Constance, and her senile Uncle Julian, in their mansion in isolation and fear from the rest of the villagers. We know from the start that there's something strange going on. Basically, it's a quick read and a real page turner. The twist didn't come as a big shock to me because I saw it coming way before it got revealed, but nevertheless, it's an excellent gothic/psychological/thriller novel.
After finishing Jackson's novel, I read something interesting. I read that Shirley Jackson was agoraphobic herself and that her agoraphobia was the main inspiration for the novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
After that, I read a novel that's been much talked about lately; The Martian by Andy Weir. After hearing and reading how good it is; I thought I would see what all the fuss was about. It's basically about an astronaut, Mark Watney, who gets stranded on Mars due to a major dust storm. His crew was forced to leave him but only because they thought he was dead. Watney is an expert in Botany and Mechanical Engineering and uses the skills he possesses in those areas to solve most of the problems he faces on Mars. Most of the narrative is told through the journal/logs of Watney's adventures on Mars. The ending was abrupt but nevertheless, the story was engaging. The only thing I didn't like is, that fact that there is a lot of cursing in it. It was sort of annoying.
Oh boy, I think that's the longest post I've ever written. Anyway, now I'm currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I have two more chapters left. It's a really amazing and fantastic book!
Don't feel bad, and it's probably not the translation (Lucia Graves is very able in that regard). That book seemed pretty over the top to me sometimes -- almost a documentation of "flight of ideas"?? -- as the novel-in-novel wears on. I was reading it more for the glimpses of post-war Barcelona than anything else and admit to skimming through much of it. So really I can only say that I too was unable to do it justice.
What Book Are You Reading?
It's good to know that it's not just me
----------
Finished it a couple of hours ago. The protagonist is an 18 year old called Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three sisters, who live in the town of Market Chipping in the kingdom of Ingary. Because she's the eldest, she thinks she is doomed to fail and live a miserable life since in the land of Ingary, that's what people believe ("the eldest of three will never be successful"). As she is the eldest, she is resigned to look after her late father's hat shop making hats while her other sisters go live happy lives. One day, the wicked Witch of the Waste visits Sophie's hat shop, and Sophie accidentally insults her, this led the Witch to put a spell on Sophie that turns her into an elderly lady. She goes to the mysterious Wizard Howl in hopes that he can undo the spell. This is where the story really picks up.
I really loved the book, it's fun, it's exciting, I loved the humor in it. Excellent world-building and character development. Beautiful lyrical writing. And the right amount of twists and turns. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy or is looking for an easy read.
It's good to know that it's not just me
----------
Finished it a couple of hours ago. The protagonist is an 18 year old called Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three sisters, who live in the town of Market Chipping in the kingdom of Ingary. Because she's the eldest, she thinks she is doomed to fail and live a miserable life since in the land of Ingary, that's what people believe ("the eldest of three will never be successful"). As she is the eldest, she is resigned to look after her late father's hat shop making hats while her other sisters go live happy lives. One day, the wicked Witch of the Waste visits Sophie's hat shop, and Sophie accidentally insults her, this led the Witch to put a spell on Sophie that turns her into an elderly lady. She goes to the mysterious Wizard Howl in hopes that he can undo the spell. This is where the story really picks up.
I really loved the book, it's fun, it's exciting, I loved the humor in it. Excellent world-building and character development. Beautiful lyrical writing. And the right amount of twists and turns. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy or is looking for an easy read.
The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo two of my all time favorites as well.
I will have to give the other two mentioned above a chance.
I read the series as they were released back in the late 1990s- early 2000s. I enjoyed reading them until they kept expanding the series after they said they were done.
I am currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It's really nerve-racking but thrilling at the same time that I literally can't stop reading. But I think that's how it is supposed to be, right?!
...
Finished Children of the Night. Interesting. Saw the work 'library' had The Blood Gospel so I might read that next.
Finished Children of the Night. Interesting. Saw the work 'library' had The Blood Gospel so I might read that next.
I am currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It's really nerve-racking but thrilling at the same time that I literally can't stop reading. But I think that's how it is supposed to be, right?!
I've been wanting to read this one for some time now. My friend says that it's really good.
I loved the Hayao Miyazaki movie version of "Howl's Moving Castle", which prompted me to begin reading a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books --yet not "Howl's Moving Castle" for some reason. So thank you for the jog, I just reserved it at my library.
Another of her books which I love is "Year of the Griffin". It predates the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and had to have been an influence.
---
Just downloaded "The Martian".
I loved the Hayao Miyazaki movie version of "Howl's Moving Castle", which prompted me to begin reading a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books --yet not "Howl's Moving Castle" for some reason. So thank you for the jog, I just reserved it at my library.
Another of her books which I love is "Year of the Griffin". It predates the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and had to have been an influence.
---
Just downloaded "The Martian".
You'll love the book since you loved the movie but also keep in mind, that the film is very different from the book. I want to read more of Diana Wynne Jone's books. After reading Howl's Moving Castle I feel that she writes the kind of fantasy books I like. Have you read her Chrestomanci series?
I remember that some DWJ fans were upset with the movie Howl's Moving Castle, but I hadn't read the book yet and I can pretty much forgive Hayao Miyazaki anything.
I haven't read all the Chrestomanci series, maybe 4. It was 7 years ago and it's all a blur so I can certainly start over and get a lot of enjoyment from her books again.
What Book Are You Reading?
I haven't read the Chrestomanci series by the way. Howl's Moving Castle is the first book I've read of hers. I was asking if you read the series as I wanted to know if it's good and recommended
I haven't read the Chrestomanci series by the way. Howl's Moving Castle is the first book I've read of hers. I was asking if you read the series as I wanted to know if it's good and recommended
With all the news about Russia invading the Krim, I thought that I would read about the person who started it all back in 1783. This truly remarkable woman went from being a German from a minor nobel family, to being crowned Tsarina of all the Russia's'
Last edited:
Finished reading the Mistborn series
Was pleasantly surprised and liked it more than I thought I would
Interesting characters and plot twists, with some unusual touches
The ending was a little much for me, but it was acceptable
Not a bad read
Currently finishing up the Divergent series
Book 1 and 2 were better than 3 so far
Overall, I like the Mistborn series better, but this one is ok
It has its moments, but other times it is boring and predictable
Was pleasantly surprised and liked it more than I thought I would
Interesting characters and plot twists, with some unusual touches
The ending was a little much for me, but it was acceptable
Not a bad read
Currently finishing up the Divergent series
Book 1 and 2 were better than 3 so far
Overall, I like the Mistborn series better, but this one is ok
It has its moments, but other times it is boring and predictable
I haven't read the Chrestomanci series by the way. Howl's Moving Castle is the first book I've read of hers. I was asking if you read the series as I wanted to know if it's good and recommended
Ahhh, sorry! Unfortunately I read the books a long time ago during a difficult time and simply do not remember. --So I'm hesitant to recommend or not. I do remember that I lent all the DWJ books I had to a friend, so that's one plus in their favor I suppose.
Ah, a fascinating topic - and there is a reason she is known in Russian history as 'Catherine the Great', one of only two Tsars to be called by this name. Is the book worth reading?
Yes, I liked the Mistborn series, too, especially the first book, and thought them an excellent read and a refreshing take on the fantasy idea.
Ahhh, sorry! Unfortunately I read the books a long time ago during a difficult time and simply do not remember. --So I'm hesitant to recommend or not. I do remember that I lent all the DWJ books I had to a friend, so that's one plus in their favor I suppose.
Ah okay. I'll try the first book, Charmed Life. Thank you!
In answer to your question yes, the author really does know his Russians.
He has written three books about Russian Tsars, Peter the Great, Nicholas & Alexandra, this book is the best of the three in my opinion.
I am hoping that my Russian improves so that in the future I will be able to read books in Russian.
The author knows how to blend facts and an interesting storyline, so you dont get the idea that you are back in school.