kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Oct 26, 2020 20:58:17 GMT
I saw him interviewed in TV recently and he did mention some trauma he suffered at 12 years old, which he thinks is why his protagonists are all about that age. He certainly thinks differently to most of us
I find his descriptions so vivid I can easily see scenes playing out in my minds eye.
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Oct 27, 2020 7:14:53 GMT
I liked it very much, but I also found it difficult at the start. Much of it I really enjoyed but there were moments when I found it hard to even focus on the story. Especially the dreamers and the mad scientist or whatever he was.
I want to know which way they went! I couldn't say really whether I preferred this one to Boy Swallows Universe because they were so different. They were both great but Molly made me cry more.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2020 3:09:21 GMT
an old friend brought us a new book today, an updated collection of hunter s. thompson's writings, i'm thrilled!
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Dec 22, 2020 8:14:25 GMT
I've just finished reading a very good which I really enjoyed. It's not a recent novel. It was the winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2010 and also the winner of the Booksellers Choice award.
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
I did buy it fairly recently in Kmart though.
It says on the cover "An Australian To Kill a Mockingbird" I'm not sure about that because believe it or not I haven't read it.
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Clarabelle
Posts: 1,019 
Interests: grass, buttercups, grass
Location: in the top paddock
Current Mood: Mooooody
Sex: Once a year
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Post by Clarabelle on Dec 22, 2020 9:53:27 GMT
I have just finished a couple of Australian books. Apple books was offering The Wife and the Widow for 99 cents so I got that.I really enjoyed it, so I bought the authors first book, The Nowhere Child. I thought I had the mysteries figured out near the end, but there’s one last twist surprise at the end. The author is Christian White.
Today I read The Dry, by Jane Harper, another Australian author. I believe it has been made in to a movie. It is worth reading although I was a bit disappointed that not everyone seemed to get what they deserved.
I read the dictionary of lost words but I nearly didn't finish it. I found the first 200 pages boring as batshit, it wasn’t going anywhere. Things picked up when she got the boyfriend but that was shortlived. The suffragette seemed to be a bit of a sideline thrown in, with no real insights to the struggle, and little impact on the story in general. I felt the ending was a bit hasty, rather like the author couldnt think of anything else to add. Well, that’s my opinion anyway. 1 1/2 stars.
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Clarabelle
Posts: 1,019
Interests: grass, buttercups, grass
Location: in the top paddock
Current Mood: Mooooody
Sex: Once a year
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Post by Clarabelle on Dec 22, 2020 9:54:55 GMT
I haven’t read To Kill a Mockingbird either,  |
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Dec 22, 2020 10:10:06 GMT
I read the Nowhere Child, Clara. Like you I thought I had it figured out except that final twist. It was good. I haven't read his other one yet but I will now if you reckon it was good.
Strange, I loved the Dictionary of Lost Words.
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Clarabelle
Posts: 1,019
Interests: grass, buttercups, grass
Location: in the top paddock
Current Mood: Mooooody
Sex: Once a year
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Post by Clarabelle on Dec 22, 2020 10:14:47 GMT
I just had a peak at Jasper Jones. I remember the story, I saw the movie on tv recently. It was really good. I like stories set in small country towns, I guess because I can relate to them somewhat. The plot was good, I didn’t guess the ending, until it was revealed.
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Dec 22, 2020 10:16:01 GMT
I loved the relationship between Charlie and his best friend Jeffrey Lu. If you read it, the part where Jeffrey gets a go in the cricket team was great.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Dec 22, 2020 10:21:25 GMT
I’m reading a really weird fantasy story at the moment. It’s not a genre I usually enjoy and I’m not sure why I got it. I’ll keep at it though because I’m interested in how it’s going to be resolved but I’m not really enjoying it much. I can’t even remember what it’s title is 😏
I read Jasper Jones a while ago and liked it. I see that The Dry movie is being released on 2 Jan. I had in my head that was a Tim Winton book, obviously wrong. What am I thinking of?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2020 6:10:05 GMT
kay, i love weird fantasy, could you please post the title? TIA!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2020 18:04:02 GMT
a gift to all of you, in case you don't know about this site...http://gutenberg.net.au/
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Post by pennybanger on Dec 26, 2020 23:18:53 GMT
Thanks, Barri. That looks really interesting. I'll have to go and have a browse.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2020 4:39:20 GMT
i think you'll enjoy it. i love the american site, i've found a few things i had only heard of in the past.
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Post by pennybanger on Dec 30, 2020 6:32:55 GMT
I've just finished reading The Dictionary Of Lost Words. I loved it - probably because I've been a collector of words (for their sound as much as their meaning) ever since I was a child. I did feel, like you though, Clara, that the ending was a bit abrupt. I read The Dry some time ago and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the film.
Two examples of what it means to be a word collector:
1) When I was a child we lived on a mixed farm which ran a few sheep. One day I heard one of the farm hands mention something about 'last year's lambs'. and the words had such a lovely forlorn ring to them I went around saying repeating them to myself for days - it worked best if I stood on the hill overlooking the paddock and said them aloud, very slowly. It brought a tear to my eye every time.
2) We had two carthorses on the farm, Prince and Peggy. One day my parents were having an argument about something and my mum said 'But, don't you see, it's the principle of the thing.' I thought to myself, if you can have a principle, why can't you have a peggyiple ? So I added that to my private vocabulary too.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Dec 30, 2020 7:57:01 GMT
You and Esme would definitely be friends penny 😘
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Post by pennybanger on Jan 3, 2021 4:09:37 GMT
I think we'd have got on really well, Kaye. And I've just remembered another expression I 'collected' as a child. One of the farmhands got kicked by a sheep and told it in no uncertain terms , "Dang yurr bloody eyes out!'
Angela and I both pounced on it! I mean, who could possibly resist a curse as rich as that? Well, my mother actually - she was quite mortified when we tried it out in her hearing.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Jan 3, 2021 11:02:52 GMT
We were never allowed to use “bad language” so I was extremely shocked when, as a teenager, I heard my mother say “OH SHIT!” when the fridge defrosted all over the kitchen floor.
I still remind her of her potty mouth every so often 😅
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Post by maggiemay on Jan 7, 2021 1:25:50 GMT
I have just finished a couple of Australian books. Apple books was offering The Wife and the Widow for 99 cents so I got that.I really enjoyed it, so I bought the authors first book, The Nowhere Child. I thought I had the mysteries figured out near the end, but there’s one last twist surprise at the end. The author is Christian White. Today I read The Dry, by Jane Harper, another Australian author. I believe it has been made in to a movie. It is worth reading although I was a bit disappointed that not everyone seemed to get what they deserved. I read the dictionary of lost words but I nearly didn't finish it. I found the first 200 pages boring as batshit, it wasn’t going anywhere. Things picked up when she got the boyfriend but that was shortlived. The suffragette seemed to be a bit of a sideline thrown in, with no real insights to the struggle, and little impact on the story in general. I felt the ending was a bit hasty, rather like the author couldnt think of anything else to add. Well, that’s my opinion anyway. 1 1/2 stars. i have just read The Dry, Clarabelle, i buy 20 books for $3 each, and it was among the last lot.......usually films bugga up the real stories, so we will see what they do with that one |
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Post by pennybanger on Jan 7, 2021 2:05:26 GMT
I recently read A Room Made Of Leaves and enjoyed it so much I went on to read a biography of Elizabeth Macarthur. What an amazing woman - and what a lot she had to put up with in that husband of hers!
Currently I am reading The Apocalyptic New Testament - interesting but very heavy going.
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Jan 22, 2021 7:43:04 GMT
I just finished reading the Wife and the Widow. Yes, I know I took ages. Sometimes I start a book and then put it away for a while and then go back to it.
It was amazing. Christian White is a very good crime and suspense writer. I had some of it figured out early on but now and then I was like hang on a sec, this is confusing, but the twist at the end surprised me totally. I would highly recommend it.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Jan 22, 2021 7:58:37 GMT
A Room Made of Leaves was great wasn’t it penny? I really enjoyed it - loved the concept and had no trouble believing it could easily be true.
I’m currently reading a “sweeping family saga” set in the Victorian bush. It’s ok 😏
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Post by figlet on Jan 23, 2021 10:12:21 GMT
I got out of the habit of reserving books from the Library as they were closed last year during the covid 'stay home' period.
I usually get plant or sewing books..but the info here is good for other books.
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Post by pennybanger on Feb 18, 2021 1:27:35 GMT
I've just gone back to my Classics 'bucket list' and embarked on Pickwick Papers. It's slow going, but I think I'm going to enjoy it.
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joono
Posts: 5,481
Interests: Brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts
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Post by joono on Feb 18, 2021 14:10:42 GMT
I started Shuggie Bain because it won the Booker Prize but it's pretty heavy going so far and I think I need to learn Scottish Colloquialism. It's going to take me a while.
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Post by pennybanger on Feb 19, 2021 0:34:14 GMT
You're braver than me, Joono. I just read a review of that book and I don't think I could cope with it.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Feb 19, 2021 0:46:03 GMT
I downloaded a sample. I’ll see how I go
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Post by pennybanger on Mar 4, 2021 2:44:46 GMT
Well I've finished Pickwick Papers. It wasn't what I expected and I had to tackle it in short stages but I actually did enjoy it. It was mostly very funny, but also contained some really biting insights into the workings of society in his day - he was particularly scathing of the legal profession.
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kayoneuu1
Posts: 4,170
Interests: golf; grandkids; travel; food; sauvignon blanc; pinot gris ......
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Post by kayoneuu1 on Mar 4, 2021 3:23:50 GMT
Wasn’t that written and published as a serial penny?
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Post by pennybanger on Mar 4, 2021 4:02:33 GMT
Yes, it was Kay. And, from what I knew of it, I assumed it was simply a series of humorous episodes involving journeys made by Mr Pickwick and his friends. In fact it is a complete novel - all 800 odd pages of it.
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