April Book Photo Challenge Day 7 Socially Awkward Character

I have two favorite socially awkward characters that I just couldn't split and I just relised that they sit together on a shelf.

Dirk Gently knows so much and can read so much into everything that people miss judge him to be socially awkward. Abit like Sherlock Holmes but without the class. I use one of his phrases all the time when I'm doing bugger all and people think I'm smart; "What are you doing?" I'm making a topographic map of my navel" It a great way to shirk people off without them feeling like they are being shirked off.

I love Rincewind. I have loved Rincewind for as long as I can remeber. His pathological fear of just about anything has never stopped the world from inflicting his destiny on him wheather he is having fun or not, usually not. He knows he is socially awkward and would just like to left along but the rest of the world and even some magic spells don't notice or just don't care. Good thing he is a wizard otherwise he might have to deal with the oppiste sex too.

I love these two and have taken on board a lot of their traits over the years. They have a special place in my heart.   

Day 5 Book Photo Challenge: Favorite Non-Human Character

Couldn't split this one. These are Marvin; the paranoid android from Douglas Adams' Hitch Hiker's series and The Luggage from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.

Luggage was made from sapient pearwood and is featured in (amongst others) the very first Discworld book The Colour of Magic (1983) and I have always wanted one. Most of the time he is mildly annoying but some times he saves lives. (see luggage is a he as they find a female luggage in Interesting Times and they have children.) 

Marvin on the other hand, I have always loved because I felt a kindred spirit with him. Not so much the "brain the size of a planet" thing but the "life, don't talk to me about life" thing really spoke to me as a teenager. Where as others had grunge and rock stars, I had Marvin. And now he's on my car keys wherever I go.

Day 1 January Book Photo Challenge: Reading Goal for the Year

This year I am going to stretch myself and go for 70 books read. Last year I read 58 books and my initial goal was 40 (officially on goodreads but I thought I would get to 50 anyway.)

I will be trying to do a couple of things with my reading this year.

1. I will try to read at least 1/3 to a 1/2 of my own books because if i keep reading library books my partner might just notice and my book budget might get restricted.

2. I am going to try to read some more classic science fiction (suggestions are welcome)

3. I am going to try to read a Doctor Who book a month because i have a lot o them and haven read them, old and new and this would also take care of number 1.

4. I am going to try and read at least 6 Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books because i used to love them when I was younger and haven’t read any in years, (also my library got all of them in last year so i know i can read them in order.)

5. I’m taking part in the 2014 genre challenge as well, to get some different genres under my belt too.

6. Finally, i am going to endeavour to review every book i read…

Could be a challenge with a full time job but tis the season to make unrealistic resolutions and try to live up to them.
Wish me luck.

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Day 26 Book Photo Challenge: Most Relatable Character/Book

My most relatable character is Rincewind from the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. This might sound a little strange because he is a wizard in a world where magic is a real, everyday event, (except for him) but hear me out. Rincewind is the outcast weirdo in a world of weirdos that just wants a nice calm life and to do well in what he has chosen to do well in. What happens to him, however is he meets weird people that want to go on adventures, gets adopted by a murderous chest that follows him wherever (and I mean wherever) he goes and gets possessed by a magic spell that is so dangerous that all other magic spells are afraid of and refuse to be in the same brain with.
I feel complete empathy for Rincewind. As a teenager I had friends that would drag me out of the house when all I wanted to do was stay home and read. I have only recently stopped feeling like someone would work out that I wasn't supposed to be wherever it was at any one time, University, job ect even though I had earned my place. And I often had people following me around that were good to hold things but not much else. (Horrible, yes I know but truthful.)
That and I am incredibly uncoordinated but manage to scrap through in the end.
My Most relatable character: Rincewind of Discworld fame.

Image from http://www.au.lspace.org/art/fan-art/groups.html by Catskind

Day 21 Book Photo Challenge: Would Suggest to a Friend

Today's topic is definitely a challenge because, although I regularly suggest books to friends (and to be perfectly honest anyone who will listen to me for more than 10 seconds.) My suggestions are target to the audience.

For example, I have a friend who has read (and adores) the Mortal Instruments series and has actually read the fifth book which i have not. I would recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

To my friend that that reads even more than I do and loves both fiction and not fiction and strange things i would recommend The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, but mostly she recommends books to me.

To people who like reading the next big thing i have recently been recommending The Bone Season By Samantha Shannon and have done recently.

To I regularly recommend The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett partly because i love them and partly because the humor in them eases people into the science fiction and fantasy genre.

I recommend Threshold by Sara Douglass to people who like maths and fantasy and Ellis Peters books to people who like crime fiction but don't like books set in the modern day.

The most common thing i recommend to people in general is simply to read, and being a teacher i do this a lot. Don't just read tumblr or twitter or facebook but an actual book. I don't care if it is an ebook or a physical book, a piece of classic literature or a pulp fiction novella or even a graphic novel but read something because in the words of the great George R.R. Martin "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one."   And life is too short to live it only once if you ask me. That goes for puppies too.