Hello everyone! Comic/graphic novel, or a funny book, is what we're looking at this week, and I've been excited for this because - really - who doesn't like a good laugh once in a while? I read a book once where, at the end of the series, one of the characters talks about a time when they were younger and thought that everyone else around him had a sixth sense which he didn't have. He said it was the sense that helped them make friends, and have a good time, and, at the end of the day, made them human. Then he said that now he was older he knew what that sixth sense was: it was a sense of humour. I think that's so true, and it's so important to just sit down and find a book that makes you laugh out loud - they're so feel-good and, well, funny. I've always found that, as you get older, funny books are harder to find. I look on my shelf and there are very few teenage/young adult books that really make you laugh. I think an exception of this is the Jeeves and Wooster Omnibus that I read a few months ago, by P.G. Wodehouse, which I thought was literally hilarious. By the end of it I wanted a 'Jeeves' of my own. But I thought, for this week, why not try something new? Something different? I'm not great with books which are set in the real-world in modern-ish times - for me, they are sometimes a bit repetitive, not only because they cover topics which we as people face in our day-to-day lives all the time, but also because there are so many of them, and it can be hard to stand out with a unique idea. But, despite this, I thought I'd give a book like this a go, one which I never would have read had my mum not insisted it was the funniest thing ever: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend. Somewhat cautiously, I opened the page and started reading..... TWO DAYS LATER. Well, where to start? Firstly, this book was a lot older than I expected. On the first page, where we see a list of Adrian Mole's New Year's resolutions, I wasn't expecting to find (among other things): 'I will put the sleeves back on my records.' I asked my mum when the book was set, and she said about the 1980's. OK, I thought - if I omit the references to the records and GCE results, this book could pretty much apply to today. I could kind of tell throughout why it would be funny. I got the jokes and could see why they they might make people laugh. A few made me laugh, but not really an out-and-out belly-laugh. I think I didn't find it totally hilarious because it's not the sort of book that I enjoy. I prefer books with a little more...drama. So, overall, it was a funny book, but I wouldn't say that it was one a really enjoyed - it just wasn't for me. But, no matter - I gave it a go and that's another book and another genre I can tick of my list! How about you? Did you find a book which made you laugh? Was there a character in it you would love to meet? Looking forward to mystery and horror books next week...
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Hello everyone, It's week two of the Summer Reading Challenge and this week it's all about Classics! There are so many different books in this genre to choose from, and I wasn't sure what to go for, but in the end I chose 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens. That's a nice, reliable book, with everything you need in a classic. I've read 'Bleak House' by the same author but, still, I was a little daunted by the size and the time it would take to read the book. But I gave it a go, took it off the shelf, and opened the first page.... I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Sometimes an old, long, dusty classic with lots of strange phrases and big words can be a really tough read, and you as the reader can get bored pretty quickly. I found this book the opposite of that - it was fast, fresh, interesting and had so many wonderful characters in it. I liked it more than 'Bleak House', and, for that matter, more than many other books I've read, and it's taken a proud place on my shelf of absolute favourite books. I thought, seeing as I enjoyed the book so much, I might as well watch the new film version of it. I did, and I thought that the film showed the humorous side of the book very well, but I wasn't sure I got the sadness, too, which the book had more of. I also watched an older, five-episode adaptation of the book which I thought captured more of the book's range of emotions, but not all of its nuances and finer details. I suppose it is a very hard book to base a film off, as it has so many layers and messages, and it has had so many interpretations over the years. So, overall, for me, classics week turned out remarkably well - but what was it like for you? What did you read? Did you like it? And are you looking forward to comic/graphic novels next week? - I am! Hello everyone, It's the first week of the Summer Reading Challenge, and this week's all about Action/Adventure - hooray! This week got me thinking because Action/Adventure isn't my default genre and I was struggling to find a book in the genre but also appealed to my reading taste. In the end I settled on 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness Emma Orczy, which is a short adventure novel based on the successful stage show by the same author. I got it off the shelf and started reading..... THREE DAYS LATER...... I had a mixed reaction to this book. The title - which, by the way, is the name of a type of flower - didn't give many clues away, but I knew that the book was based at the time of the French Revolution and was about an Englishman who rescued French aristocrats and brought them across the Channel through schemes and plots of his own mysterious making. OK, I thought - this sounds alright. When I actually got to reading the book, though, I realised that it wasn't all adventure and death-defying escapes: there were parts of it more in the style of historical fiction or romance. I didn't mind the historical fiction bit - I thought in places some of the period details were quite funny - but I didn't enjoy the romance part. I thought it detracted from the really exciting adventure feeling and slowed down what was otherwise a faced-paced, action-packed mystery story. So, overall, not sure - I really liked the story, but I think the focus was a bit off for me, and lost my interest in it. But what about you? What have you been reading this week? I'd love to know whether you love action/adventure, or absolutely hate it, or even if you've never tried it before now - get in touch and tell us all about it!! I don't know about you, but I'm also looking forward to next week with Classics as our genre - I wonder what I'll be reading then....... Hello everyone,
I don't know about you, but I really enjoy watching films when I'm tired or bored after a long day's work. And, naturally, most of my favourite films are based off books. It can be really interesting to watch films based off books you've read and to see someone else's interpretation of the characters and settings, and to see the plot set up in a more visual form. Often, when I've read a book and watched a film of it, I think back to the books and say, 'Oh yes, I remember that now,' or 'I remember that bit! - that was my favourite scene.' So, which ones do I recommend? 1. Captain Horatio Hornblower. I adore these books, and I think the film captures Hornblower at his best. It is quite an old-fashioned film, but I think it's got a lot of charm and, if you're into that sort of thing, it is really, really good on a rainy day. 2. The Importance of Being Earnest. It's not strictly a book - it's based off a play by Oscar Wilde - but it is really funny and it makes me laugh every time. 3. The Lord of the Rings. Very long, but also very good. As we've got so much time on our hands now, they are the perfect films to settle down too, and, if you've read the book beforehand, I bet by the end of it you will want to read them all over again - I certainly did! 4. Bleak House. This is a series of fifteen episodes, and they all capture the complicated, dark working of Dickens's novel. I always get sucked into these and want to watch them back-to-back. 5. Death on the Nile. A vivid portrayal of one of Agatha Christie's detective novels. I confess that I haven't read the book, though I have read others by Christie, and I usually get really cross with people who watch the films before they read the books. What do you think? What should come first? I'd be really interested to hear what films based on books you watch. Which ones are your favourites? Do you think they are true to the book? Also, what do you think to this question: are the books are always better than the films? I'd love to hear what you think! Hello,
I was wondering the other day whether it is a good thing to re-read a favourite book. I have been thinking about re-reading Robinson Crusoe for a while but I couldn't decide if it was a good idea. What if it wasn't as good as it was the first time round? What if I got bored half-way through and wanted to start reading a new book? Then I remembered the Secret Series books, which I have read six times through, and enjoyed more each time. That was like re-visiting an old friend. In the end I decided to re-read Robinson Crusoe, and it took quite a long time, and I did want to read my new books, but I enjoyed it more than I did reading first time round. What do you think? Should you re-read books? Which book would you re-read and why? Hello everyone,
I thought I would write a post today seeing as it is the 75th anniversary of VE Day which signalled the end of the fighting in Europe in WWII. I thought that, seeing as today is such a momentous occasion, it might be fitting to list a few good books set in WWII which you might like a go at reading. Here are a few that I thought would be good: 'Anne Frank's Diary', 'The Silver Sword', 'Rose Blanche', 'Goodnight Mister Tom' and 'The Librarian of Auschwitz'. I am currently reading 'The Thirty-nine Steps' which ends just before the start of WWII. If you've got any other books set in a war which you really like, do let me know. Have a happy VE day! Hello,
I just wanted to mention that here we can talk all about the books we are reading currently, what we think of them and what we like about them. This section is good for keeping our book recommendations up-to-date. I can't wait to hear all about what you're reading now. |
AuthorHi, I love reading all kinds of books. Here, we can talk about different types of books we're reading and recommend reads to each other. Maybe share with us your reading 'ideal meal' or one of your favourite books. Archives
August 2020
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