Kings of Paradise by Richard NellMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
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Wednesday 26 September 2018
Friday 31 August 2018
Monday 27 August 2018
Thursday 23 August 2018
Tuesday 21 August 2018
This one was difficult but I got there. This is my #t5w top...
This one was difficult but I got there. This is my #t5w top redemption arcs
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Friday 17 August 2018
Wednesday 15 August 2018
Windcatcher Review
Windcatcher by A.J. NorfieldMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
*Disclaimer* I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book.
This is the opening book in a large epic fantasy story with dragons which really should be completely my wheelhouse but I found the experience jarring and tedious at the same time.
My main issue that I just could not get past was the author trying to world build with a ridiculous amount of exposition shoe horned into the plot. I understand that Norfield has this entire world stuck in his head and feels the need to get every aspect of what he can see, and has constructed, onto the page but as a lover of epic fantasy I found this amateurish and off putting. Which was unfortunate because there were 2 really interesting events happening at the start of this book that normally I would have been enthralled by but for the constant interruptions to explain back story of characters, lay out of country side and political musterings between waring factions. All of these elements can be left till later when the reader has a) remembered the names of the characters and b) invested emotionally in those characters.
My secondary issue was the lengthy/wordy descriptions for EVERYTHING. We get a blow by blow list of the scratches everyone got in a battle with the enemy... big injuries and deaths only and that can be done in the action sequence please.
I really think if this had just got into the action/ main plot and left the world building to happen organically I think this would be a great book as the elements are all there but buried in to many words for words sake and exposition I would have really enjoyed it but unfortunately it was and I could not bring myself to keep going.
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Monday 13 August 2018
Wednesday 8 August 2018
Thursday 2 August 2018
Wednesday 1 August 2018
Tuesday 31 July 2018
Monday 30 July 2018
Monday 23 July 2018
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Short Review
The Cruel Prince by Holly BlackMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a great start to an intriguing story. I hope the rest of the series will hold up to this opener.
I especially liked the lore building that Black has weaved through the plot. I am not familiar with all the traditional lore of the fae but it felt like she drew on it rather than creating a new tradition that made this new tale feel like it was set in a familiar and loved world. Really enjoyed this and will be recommending it to others.
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Wednesday 18 July 2018
Tuesday 19 June 2018
WTF Did I Just Read | Infinite Jest Review #WTF Did I Just Read...
WTF Did I Just Read | Infinite Jest Review
#WTF Did I Just Read is my review of Infinite Jest by #DavidFosterWallace Check it out here
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Friday 25 May 2018
Graphic Novel Haul/ Comic Bento Unboxing Check out my last Comic...
Graphic Novel Haul/ Comic Bento Unboxing
Check out my last Comic Bento Unboxing/ Haul
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Thursday 24 May 2018
Wednesday 23 May 2018
Top 5 Wednesday YA Fantasy Books Coming at you again today with...
Top 5 Wednesday YA Fantasy Books
Coming at you again today with my #top5 #YA Fantasy book/series. Check it out.
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Tuesday 22 May 2018
Wednesday 16 May 2018
Wednesday 9 May 2018
Tuesday 8 May 2018
Bookish Discussion #7 Check out this week’s reads. I thought I...
Bookish Discussion #7
Check out this week’s reads. I thought I had a very light on week, but it was actually ok
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Wednesday 2 May 2018
Monday 30 April 2018
Wednesday 18 April 2018
Tuesday 17 April 2018
Tuesday 10 April 2018
Monday 9 April 2018
Friday 6 April 2018
Thursday 5 April 2018
Sunday 25 March 2018
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert Short Gushing review
The Hazel Wood by Melissa AlbertMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is by far and away the best book I have read this year and possibly last!
I was enthralled from start to finish. This read like a Anderson fairytale with all the horror and resolutions that are not happily but are sort of fair.
I powered through this over the weekend as its so well written.
This will be up there with The Night Circus as a book I will be recommending to everyone because it just so good.
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Wednesday 21 March 2018
Top 5 Wed Historical Fiction with a Fantasy Twist
Top 5 Wed Historical Fiction with a Fantasy Twist
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Tuesday 20 March 2018
Weirdworld Vol 1 Warzones short review
Weirdworld, Volume 0: Warzones! by Jason AaronMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So once again I have found a book that I love that is a very short run.
I initially thought the artwork was a bit lazy as it looks very smudged and blurry. On closer inspection I found that the blurry effect was an overlay and the work underneath is quite good.
The story itself is a solid quest for home style story, with allies made on the way to come to the rescue during the final battle.
Mainly I liked the dragon but that goes for any story.
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Monday 19 March 2018
Sunday 18 March 2018
Friday 16 March 2018
SFF Babbles SFF Reading Tips for Beginners
SFF Babbles SFF Reading Tips for Beginners
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Thursday 15 March 2018
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
Along Came a Spider by James PattersonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The ending of this was really well done but shocking which I liked.
This is the first book in the Alex Cross series.
Alex Cross is an african american police detective with a psychology degree who is investigating a series of murders in the black community when he and his partner (Sammy) is pulled off the case to investigate the high profile kidnapping case involving the child of an actress and the child of the minister of finance.
Patterson does a really good job building the suspense and setting the scene without making gorey descriptions. What he fails at miserably though is writing a sex scene that doesn't make you either spit take you hot beverage or just laugh at the patheticness of. Seriously, they so are terrible that I hope that is was nominated for Bad Sex in Fiction Award.
Thankfully that is not what I am reading these books for and I look forward to reading more in this series.
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SFF Babbles SFF with the Best Anti Heros
SFF Babbles SFF with the Best Anti Heros
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Wednesday 14 March 2018
Tuesday 13 March 2018
Frankenstein Read along notes Chapters 1-3 and letters
Frankenstein read along notes.
Letter 1
To Mrs Margaret Saville From Brother R Walton
Has arrived safely in Petersburg and traveling in exploration on to the north pole hoping to discover some wondrous country of the eternal sun and why all compass needles point there.
Despite an early obsession with exploration, the final wish of his father was to ban him from entering the a seafaring profession so became a poet. Failed
Then gained an inheritance from cousin and hence started to train for this expedition.
Letter 2
To Mrs Margaret Saville From Brother R Walton
R Walton has arrived in the port town of Archangel where he had hired a ship and is putting together a crew. He is feeling the loneliness of his position not just in this town but throughout his life. He is lamenting his lack of a single friend to just look in the eye and see his own views reflected back at him.
He goes on to tell his sister about one of the men that he has hired but does not go so far as to say that this man could be a friend. Its seems that he deems him unworthy of his station.
Robert worries that they have delayed by the harsh winter but is confident of starting in spring and having much success in his voyage to the “mists and snow”.
Letter 3
To Mrs Margaret Saville From Brother R Walton
Roger is on his way from archangel and all has passed without incident so far.
Letter 4
To Mrs Margaret Saville From Brother R Walton
Roger recounts an incident when the ship was locked in ice suddenly surrounded by fog. As the fog cleared they saw that they were locked into the ice in irregular sheets all around. They saw, in the distance a giant of a man in a sled with dogs.
This man passes over the horizon and soon the ice begins to break up.
The next day they find a man in a wretched way on a sled with only one live dog and take him aboard ship. Roger tells his sister that this stranger could have been his friend and he now considers him a brother. He was pursuing the demon they saw.
The stranger is obviously haunted and asks Roger if he too is haunted by the same madness in pursuing his quest with a single mindedness as he has. The stranger agrees with Robert that a friend/ship is the most noble of callings but he himself is beyond hope of that. However Robert still holds him in the high esteem and waxes lyrical about his qualities that lead him to it.
The stranger agrees to tell Roger his story of woe on the chance that he can be prevented from following the same path.
Chapter 1
He is of Genevese of a well to do family. His father was late to marriage and children.
His father’s dearest friend became low and removed himself and his daughter to a small town called Lucerne where his father finally found him dead and placed the daughter in the care of a relation. Two year later he married her.
The age difference was great but so was the love which extended to him the first born son.
His mother did charitable works with the poor, remembering how horrid it was for her.
In these endeavors she found Elizabeth Lavenza who became his “more than sister”
The night before they bring her into their home his mother tells him “I have a pretty present for you my Victor” and this is how we find out the stranger’s name, through the speech of his mother.
He thought she truly was his “my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only.”
Chapter 2
Victor and Elizabeth were less than a year apart and acted much like siblings. When the second son was born (7 yrs his junior) victor’s parents settled down and got a home in Geneva.
Victor was a loner with one true friend Henry Clerval.
He had a burning passion for learning the secrets of nature and one rainy day where being outside was not an option, came across a book that described alchemy (i assume) which his father discounted as trash. Victor becomes obsessed with the elixir of life, attributing all his failures to fults with his executions and not with the fundamental problems with alchemy.
Then during a particularly violent thunderstorm, he witnesses and oak tree destroyed by lightning and finds and interest in electricity and galvanism.
Chapter 3
Victor is now 17 and is being sent to university. This is when Elizabeth contracts red fever and their mother, against advice goes to tend to her and also comes down with the fever and dies.
Her deathbed request is for Victor and Elizabeth to wed and for Elizabeth to replace her as mother to the younger children.
Victor still left for university and regretted the loss of all that was familiar. Henry was not allowed to go as his father looked upon it as a trivial pursuit.
The day after his arrival he was introducing himself to the professors and met M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy. He derided Victors study of the alchemists and sent him on his way with a list of the books he will need to study.
Victor ignored his advice.
He soon attended professor M. Waldman’s lectures and finds his passion for the new sciences restored and leaves with a new list of books and a promise of the use of the professors equipment.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book notes
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt ScamanderMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
once again, as an Australian, we miss out on representation and recognition. Our ministry of magic really needs to pull its finger out and get some of our more spectacular magical creatures the recognition they deserve.
The rainbow serpent was not mentioned at all among the large serpents and they carve out rivers.
The Bunyip who are known to protect the local wildlife from outside forces.
Not to mention the world famous drop bear and hoop snake.
such a shame
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Monday 12 March 2018
Sunday 11 March 2018
Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie Review
Appointment with Death by Agatha ChristieMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I listened to the BBC dramatisation version of this audio book and thoroughly enjoyed the voice acting. The story and the murder was set mostly in Petra, somewhere I truly wish to visit but even if I wasn't aware of this spectacular wonder, I would have had no trouble visualising the scene of the crime.
In normal Christie style, all of the evidence is laid out before us and I still was none the wiser as to the murderer until dutifully informed by Monsieur Poirot along with the rest of the dumb struck and gapping cast. I need to read more of these and maybe I will get a little wiser.
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Saturday 10 March 2018
The Raven Cycle book 3: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie StiefvaterMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was exactly what I wanted coming out of the second book "The Dream Thieves" More Blue and more caves! Also we finally get to meet Malory with his service dog; Dog.
They follow all sorts of clues and Adam gets stronger with his powers of Cabeswater making his super power the awesomeness of chill.
They are still on the hunt for Glendower but unlike most young adults out for adventure, adults are in on the "fun and games" too. Unsurprisingly, I cried in this one, but I cry easy and for happy or sad bits.
Can't wait to get to the next one.
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Friday 9 March 2018
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Volume 1
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Volume 1 by Brian HolguinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Damn it now I have to buy the next one!
This was amazing. Really takes you back into the world of The Dark Crystal. I love the characters created by Brian Froud/Jim Henson and Brian Holguin really gives them a new dimension.
I was worried that is would look to cartoony but the way they have designed the speech "bubbles" to be jagged actually added something rather than detracted.
Loved it!
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Tuesday 6 March 2018
Monday 5 March 2018
Sunday 4 March 2018
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
The Penelopiad by Margaret AtwoodMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Whilst I am yet to read any of Homer's works, I am familiar with the story of Odysseus so this retelling from the perspective of his long suffering wife, Penelope with its fabulous feminist bent was wonderful.
I even liked the poems read by the chorus of the 12 hanged maids. They had a powerful rhythm to them that strengthened the accusations of the maids ill death. The chorus is a tradition of the greek play so it was a fitting use.
Margaret Atwood doing another wonderful job of speaking for those without voice.
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Witchblade Rebirth vol 1 Review
Witchblade Rebirth Volume 1 by Tim SeeleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sara is in a new city and stirring up trouble. I liked this volume but as an intro to the witchblade universe I probably could have chosen a better starting point. They do an alright job re-introducing characters but some are not as clear as if you had read earlier volumes.
That being said, the story line is solid, and the artwork is amazing with some beautiful full page spreads that would be great as stand alone pieces of art.
I will be reading more from this universe.
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Saturday 3 March 2018
Theatre of the Gods by M Suddain Review
Theatre of the Gods by Matt SuddainMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was fantastic! The plot jumped all over the place for the first 300 pages with hilarious results and considering the main objective of the Character Fabrigas is to jump to another universe, this works beautifully.
One of the things I loved the most of the pop culture references. I wish the "traditional sea shanties" had continued into the second half of the book because the image of a dirty, disreputable rabble of grisaled sailors singing mixed up versions of pop songs is one of the funniest things I have read...ever!
The second half of the book is where the plot settles down and goes in a more linear fashion. This is where the action really heats up and once the homunculus shows up we're really cooking with gas.
Awesome book really worth the read.
I want more from these universes.
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Thursday 1 March 2018
Fables Vol 22 by Bill Willingham & Mark Buckingham
Fables, Vol. 22: Farewell by Bill WillinghamMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
So this was a bit of a mixed bag. I really like the final conclusion of the story line between Snow and Rose Red and some of the Final Story of .... pages but there were just too many of them that I didn't care about. These made it a bit tiresome. Over all quite good but sometimes too much of a good thing is actually too much.
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My SFF Babbles videos start now, with my urban fantasy...
My SFF Babbles videos start now, with my urban fantasy recommendations. check it out!
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Tuesday 27 February 2018
Tumor: A Medical Noir by Joshua Hale Fialkov & Noel Tuazon a short review
Tumor by Joshua Hale FialkovMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This would have been a 2 star if not for the ending. I really liked the art work but I found the story just a bit too simple. I thought that is could have had a little bit more in the way of plot to fill out what could have been a really meaty story. Ok not great.
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Snow White By Matt Phelan very short review
Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt PhelanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a re-telling of Snow White set in the 1920's told mostly by the beautiful sketched illustrations. A very quick "read" (There really isn't much to read).
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Bitch Planet Vol 1 Review
Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnickMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was great! The fake ads at the end of each issue about treible products that some sadly existed in the past (tapeworms for weight loss) and could very well exist (pills to make women more compliant, sound like frontal lobotomies anyone?) mixed in with sadly true stats about domestic violence.
Women are held to ridiculous standards by the "Fathers" and anyone who doesn't reach these ideals of feminine beauty, behaviour or stereotype is shipped off to the prison planet Bitch.
Keen to see where this one goes.
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The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes short review
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan DoyleMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A nice collection of short mysteries solved with all the flare we expect from the legends of Holmes and Watson. The best in my opinion being "The Scandal in Bohemia" where we meet the only woman to outwit the great detective, "The Five Orange Pips" involving the possible ruin of the KKK, and "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" where we see the good in bad people and the bad in those seen as good.
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Wednesday 21 February 2018
War & Peace Part 2
Countess Rostova:
· A thin oriental type of face, worn out with childbearing- she’d had 12
Chapter 10
Introduced to the Rostov’s who are the rich cousins of Anna Mikhaylovna and where she stays with her son Boris whilst in Moscow.
It is St Natalia’s day and name day for the countess and the youngest daughter.
During receiving well wishes we hear about the rest of the night we left Peirre
They put the bear in the carriage with them and went off to visit and “actress” and ended up tying a policeman to the back of the bear and putting it in a channel.
Chapter 11
The “children” come tumbling into the sitting room and we get our first glimpse of Boris and the Rostov’s son of the same age, Sonya, the Rostov’s niece and others.
Chapter 12
Sonya is enamoured with cousin Nicholas. Nicholas is following cousin Boris into the military service. Natasha is in love with Boris. Countess Vera is a lot more prudent.
Chapter 13
Follow Natasha (12-13) out of the sitting room who waits in the shrubbery of the conservatory watching first Boris leave and then Sonya coming out sobbing followed by Nicholas who consoles her with a kiss. This inspires Natasha to find Boris, pull him into the shrubbery and kiss him where upon he assures her that in 4 yrs he will ask for her hand in marriage.
Chapter 14
Countess Vera is sent from the sitting room so that the 2 older women can talk, she finds the 2 couples and starts to harass them about the decorum of their actions and being found in this way, she is seen to be a hard nosed bitch.
Anna and the countess are talking about how Anna has managed Boris’ appointment with Prince Vasili (describing the encounter with much more positivity on his part) and how she is going to go to Count Bezukhov (boris’ godfather) to beg money for his outfitting. Her widowhood and a lawsuit that is crippling her financially are alluded to.
Chapter 15
Anna Mikhaylovna drags her son Boris to the residence of the dying Count Bezukhov and finds Prince Vasili baring the way to entry with the count. She starts repeating that its her uncle and she should be here for him in a nursing capacity and wins a small victory but muscling out on of the princesses. Boris is sent off to invite Peirre to the Rostov’s for dinner with Prince Vasilis assurance that he would at least like him out of the was (both for the evening and out of the way of his inheritance)
Chapter 16
One of the princesses had a mole on her lip which made her the prettier of the two. Since his arrival from Petersburg, Pierre has been barred from seeing the count. Boris reassures Peirre that they have no intention of asking his father for money.
Chapter 17
Countess Rostova asks her husband for the money to give to Anna to outfit Boris and gets it. But there are hints they are going to be in a bad way soon too from Dimitri
Chapter 18 the Rostov’s dinner
We meet Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova Le terrible dragon who is known for speaking her mind and being blunt. They go into dinner and Sonya is again miffed at Nicholas for speaking to Julia Karagina again.
Pierre is once again oblivious to the social graces that he is stepping on, sitting in everyone’s way, talking in monosyllables, and getting well on his way to being drunk in the dinner.
Chapter 19
The dinner continues and the German Hassar who has been drinking heavily starts to get quite animated on the manifesto of war that has been delivered and why the war is necessary. They are interrupted by Marya asking what all the noise is about when she in turn is interrupted by the young Natasha demanding loudly to know what will be for sweets.
Chapter 20
Moving to after dinner entertainment the children are encouraged to sing, when Natasha noticies that Sonya is not with them. After a search of the usual haunts, she is found crying about what vera has said about her and Nicholas not being allowed to marry. Natasha cheers her up and the dancing begins. Natasha is asked to employ pierre in the dance by her mother, the countess, the act of which makes Natasha feel very adult.
We are then pesented with the amusing sight of the count and Marya dancing the Daniel Cooper. With the count entertaining everyone by being most animated for a plump man and most of Marya’s animation coming from her face as she too was a big woman.
Amusing all the guests and even all the serfs of the household.
Chapter 21 the death watch
As the dinner guest dance the 6th anglish the count had his 6th stroke. Prince Vasili corners the oldest of the princesses and convinces her that not only has the count written an new will for Pierre to inherit everything leaving them nothing, that it will not be invalidated by his illegitimacy as he has written to the emperor to legitimise him but that he will have it done. It comes out that it was the princes anne mikalovena that, a year ago, came to sully them to the count and spurned him on to change his will.
Tuesday 20 February 2018
War & Peace part 3 Book 1 Chapter 22-27
War & Peace part 3 Book 1 Chapter 22-27
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Monday 19 February 2018
War and Peace Part 1
My raw notes on my second reading of War and Peace By Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace
Book 1 1805
Characters with multiple names listed down the column
Anna Pavlovna:
· self-deprecating “if you’re not doing anything else please come and see me the invalid”
· “despite her 40 yrs overflowed with animation and impulsiveness” doesn’t matter how old she gets she is forever a child or that is what she portrays
· people she “serves up as a specially choice delicacy a piece of meat that no one who had seen it in the kitchen would have cared to eat” cutting comment on the aristocracy?
·
Prince Vasili
· children: Anatole, Hippolyte, Helene
Princess Bolkonskaya
· on her upper lip, a delicate dark down
· pregnant
· the most fascinating woman in Petersburg
Overwritten:
“Prince Vasili did not reply, though, with the quickness of memory and perception befitting a man of the world, he indicated by a movement of his head that he was considering this information” he nodded… wtf
Influence in society, however, is a capital which has to be economized if it to last” When Princess Drubetskaya was begging for his influence of the emperor to have her son (Boris) made a Guard
Pierre vs vicomte
V: “Liberty and quality, high-sounding words which have long been discredited.”
Pierre seems like the well meaning buffoon that is only there to amuse the others, his appearance, large and bungling, picking up others possessions and not knowing the right courtly procedures, talking to the aunt etc. His opinions, his siding with Napoleon and agreeing that the execution was the right thing to do politically and that the French people will not fall back under the power of the rightful king willingly are all at odds with what the political opinions of his “betters” symbolised by the vicomte.
Prince Hiployte is in love with princess bolkonskaya (the little princess) who I married to prince Andrew who doesn’t really seem to care for her, but won't be cuckolded. He is going to war, away from his new pregnant wife because the life he lives here (Petersburg) doesn’t suit him and she will be sent to the country for good measure.
Prince Andrew solidifies this contempt for his little wife in an argument with her about his leaving for war and moving her to his father’s house in the country where she admits her fear, in front of Pierre.
After promising Prince Andrew that he will no longer go around the Kurigins he heads straight there to see a scene of debauchery and drinking with a bear (Bruin) and a window being smashed out for a bet.
End of session 1
Anna Pavlovna:
· self-deprecating “if you’re not doing anything else please come and see me the invalid”
· “despite her 40 yrs overflowed with animation and impulsiveness” doesn’t matter how old she gets she is forever a child or that is what she portrays
· people she “serves up as a specially choice delicacy a piece of meat that no one who had seen it in the kitchen would have cared to eat” cutting comment on the aristocracy?
·
Prince Vasili
· children: Anatole, Hippolyte, Helene
Princess Bolkonskaya
· on her upper lip, a delicate dark down
· pregnant
· the most fascinating woman in Petersburg
Overwritten:
“Prince Vasili did not reply, though, with the quickness of memory and perception befitting a man of the world, he indicated by a movement of his head that he was considering this information” he nodded… wtf
Influence in society, however, is a capital which has to be economized if it to last” When Princess Drubetskaya was begging for his influence of the emperor to have her son (Boris) made a Guard
Pierre vs vicomte
V: “Liberty and quality, high-sounding words which have long been discredited.”
Pierre seems like the well meaning buffoon that is only there to amuse the others, his appearance, large and bungling, picking up others possessions and not knowing the right courtly procedures, talking to the aunt etc. His opinions, his siding with Napoleon and agreeing that the execution was the right thing to do politically and that the French people will not fall back under the power of the rightful king willingly are all at odds with what the political opinions of his “betters” symbolised by the vicomte.
Prince Hiployte is in love with princess bolkonskaya (the little princess) who I married to prince Andrew who doesn’t really seem to care for her, but won't be cuckolded. He is going to war, away from his new pregnant wife because the life he lives here (Petersburg) doesn’t suit him and she will be sent to the country for good measure.
Prince Andrew solidifies this contempt for his little wife in an argument with her about his leaving for war and moving her to his father’s house in the country where she admits her fear, in front of Pierre.
After promising Prince Andrew that he will no longer go around the Kurigins he heads straight there to see a scene of debauchery and drinking with a bear (Bruin) and a window being smashed out for a bet.
End of session 1
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater Review
https://youtu.be/5u9tVfL9m8gI finally edited and got this one out there. Come and check it out.
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Sunday 18 February 2018
Ringworld by Larry Niven Review
I came to this book through a refernece to it in Wil Wheaton's book Just a Geek. Wheaton described meeting Larry Niven at a convention and the mutual enthusiasm of their meeting and his glowing recomendation of the book made me what to read it. Wheaton was right, its is a great technical science fiction book and I just loved it.
Its not easy to develop sound and complex characters for fictional alien species as well as logical and very advanced technologies with an engaging plot. But Niven has done just that.
I'm gushing but it is so rarely that I love a story this much that doesn't have dragons or zombies or magic.
I love my science fi
Long form review of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
These are the raw notes I took whilst re-reading House of Leaves in January 2018
House of Leaves
Chapter IX
Opening line goes to first footnote x135129137 and 130
137134 back to x
130 131132133
x120
x refers to “inexplicable wanderings and that seems to be what we are doing until we come to 130, chasing our tale back and forth through the pages where we get the translation referring the Labyrinth and then to centrality and then to gravity.
In 120 we find out that Zampano got it all from 1 book and was sending us on a goose chase to look smart according to Johnny
Where he rants about truck’s running him over that didn’t, trees falling on him that don’t…
Describes yet another sexual partner and then leaves us unsure of where to read next.
Why use the german for building plan, the apologise, then give the translation
Footnote 136 actually talks about doors opening up as a deceptive way ahead and to force the visitor to go back upon the very same tracks that he has already followed on his wanderings and then sends us back to a k footnote on pg 109 from 114
Footnote 138 sends us back to the end of chapter 6 and forward 150 odd pages
Footnote 139 is actually warning us about reading too fast or too slow and not understanding what we have read and becoming tangled in the labyrinth. Then sends us back to 135 on so on through ground already covered
Footnote 142 within Johnny’s footnote about drinking too much refers to love fading fast and leads to blank lines? A dead end?
Pg 119 the blue boxes begin
Footnote 144 is inside the first blue box, can’t tell how many of the words are also blue, contents talked about being piping and ducts and the like are usually in walls, floors etc and are in this case sectioned off in the box is then mirror imaged as if seen from behind on the next page and continues in that style until pg 144 with the struck out line “picture that in your dreams” a house made of nothing.
Footnote 146 list buildings that the house is not like runs down the left hand side of the double page from pg 120-134
This is then referred to the opposite side of the page where there is a list of architects but is upside down forcing me to flip the book and work back to pg 121
Once past pg 121 we can read the straight path knowing the other sections exist without having to acknowledge them like the exploration4
Pg 122 we get the first sign that something is in the house with them. The destruction of the food cache and the neon arrow
Just when we think we are getting through this literary labyrinth, we have flipped the book upside down to read foot note 166 (film hauntings) and worked back several pages, flipped sideways and worked forward again for 167 (literary hauntings) who’s space grows on its last page we start to read about historical explorations that have resulted in isolation caused mutiny from footnote 169 we are sent back to footnote 155 about the mysterious growl that further sends us back to the start of the chapter with the x footnote.
Then directed to the Pelican poems with I feel the only one related being the last about him tapping on the wall of a house and wanting to drink something warm again, reflecting the situation we left Wax an xxx in.
This chapter is a mind fuck and a labyrinth with the mirrored words the worst to read.
Chapter 10
Navidson brothers and Reston set off the rescue the Holloway team.
Navisdon starts his usaual cinematography
Thursday 15 February 2018
Tuesday 13 February 2018
Recommended Quick Reads | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
Recommended Quick Reads | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
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Monday 12 February 2018
Book Review Distress by Greg Egan
Book Review Distress by Greg Egan
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Favorite Bookish Romances | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
Favorite Bookish Romances | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
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Sunday 11 February 2018
Saturday 10 February 2018
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Review 4/5 stars
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Review
4/5 stars
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Thursday 8 February 2018
Wednesday 7 February 2018
Tuesday 6 February 2018
Cover buys | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
Cover buys | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
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Monday 5 February 2018
January Wrap Up | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
January Wrap Up | #StrikeBackVideoAThon
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Sunday 4 February 2018
Monday 29 January 2018
Thursday 25 January 2018
Booktube Newbie Tag 2 0 & discusion| #STRIKEBACKVIDEOATHON...
Booktube Newbie Tag 2 0 & discusion| #STRIKEBACKVIDEOATHON
A bit of an emotional one with the death of Ursula Le Guin and my discovery of other dyslexic readers on booktube.
Remember to support small booktubers with the tag strikebackvideoathon
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Tuesday 23 January 2018
Monday 22 January 2018
#STRIKEBACKVIDEOATHON 1/Recommendation Discussion
#STRIKEBACKVIDEOATHON 1/Recommendation Discussion
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Saturday 20 January 2018
"I'm Fine" Is Chronic Pain Code For...
spoonies-thoughts: I feel as bad as usual, but don’t want to upset or burden you… I’m trying to...
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darkbughead: halsey’s speech at the women’s march ðŸ˜ðŸ’– this was so emotional and heartbreaking and i...
darkbughead: halsey’s speech at the women’s march ðŸ˜ðŸ’– this was so emotional and heartbreaking and i...
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Friday 19 January 2018
roguesquirrel: birdiechain: alchemyjones: danaykroyd: these...
these are both still male dominated like……….this is wrong this is not more women than men look its plain and simple wtf
Men, despite dominating STEM fields, demonstrating that they do not even have a basic grasp on math.
Okay as depressing as this is, it’s really hilarious.
this is taking those “men think women dominate a conversation if they speak approx. 30% of the time” studies to a whole new level
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Thursday 18 January 2018
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Tuesday 16 January 2018
Monday 15 January 2018
Wednesday 10 January 2018
Tuesday 9 January 2018
Monday 8 January 2018
Thursday 4 January 2018
Wednesday 3 January 2018
Tuesday 2 January 2018
War and Peace read along starting off well. Notes being taken,...
War and Peace read along starting off well. Notes being taken, classical music pumping and coffee being sipped. A lovely summery Tuesday afternoon.
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Monday 1 January 2018
All ready to tackle this once more, this time i’m doing it as a...
All ready to tackle this once more, this time i’m doing it as a read along at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8lEXEFBhrsueWaQEz8MNuw?view_as=subscriber
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"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all"
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at...
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