And I have been reading! I'm currently slogging through the most difficult chapter in Cloud Atlas (about halfway), so I read 10 pages in bed before turning on Downton Abbey. I just started Season 2 and I'm quite enjoying it. Though does the timeline bug anyone else? Am I really to believe that five years have passed since the first episode and yet hardly anything on the homefront has changed? They're even talking about the same gossip!
The babe hasn't been reading much. Eating, yes. I'm pretty sure that's Three Plums in One. Or at least one of the Plum books... She really does look like she's been caught in the act, huh?
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Oh yes. This post does have a point! In the past I've sought out questions from y'all about books that I've finished and had pretty good success. So I thought we could try again!
Please...Ask Me Anything About These Books!
Affinity - Sarah Waters (paper)
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (audio)
What is the What - Dave Eggers (audio)
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley (both formats)
In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson (audio)
Sex Lives of Cannibals - J Maarten Troost (audio)
(and while it seems to be a lot...some of these I read/listened to months ago!)
Ready...Set...Go!
I totally am with you on the Downton Abbey timeline! I was confused for the first few minutes of each episode until I could figure out how much time was supposed to have passed.
ReplyDeleteI have read Affinity and The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I liked both but can't remember enough to think of questions! Sorry!
I still haven't really got around to Downton Abbey. I know I am the last person on the planet to watch it, but that's how it is...
ReplyDeletehm...
On Affinity:
Was this your first Waters? If not, how did it compare to others that you have read by her? If so, what did you think of her writing?
Did you find all the different elements packed into the story believable? (A medium, a woman's jail, etc.)
On Ready Player One:
Without being too spoilerish, what did you think of the ending?
Someone actually makes the Oasis a reality in our society, what are your thoughts on that?
On What is the What:
How did What is the What work as an audio?
On The Weed That Strings...:
How did this book compare, for you, to the first book in the series?
What do you think of Flavia as a character? Is she believable?
Hopefully this is not too many questions. I was trying to be helpful!
I don't really need it for a review, but I'm curious why both formats of The Weed That Strings... I hated the audio version of that so much, hated the narrator. I'd first tried the book in print and got bored, three times, and switched to audio, which I abandoned, then later tried again. I only finished listening to it because we were on vacation in Wisconsin and it was my last audio left!
ReplyDeleteWhy did you read and listen to the Flavia DeLuce Mystery?
DeleteI'm in the same boat as Amanda! I listened to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and; while I thought the narrator was perfect, she annoyed the hell out of me :-/ I haven't been able to go back, even in print, because I hear Jayne Entwhistle's voice now :-(
Amanda and Tanya - I read the book while on maternity leave (so in May?!) but listened to the audio in hopes of remembering it well enough to write a review. The narrator did really annoy me--she didn't fit Flavia at all. I actually listened on double time to help a bit.
DeleteI just added the first disc of Downtown Abbey to my Netflix! I somehow hadn't heard about it until very recently :)
ReplyDeleteI am completely unfamiliar with all of the books you listed except the Erik Larson one. I don't have any deep and insightful questions, but I'll try :)
Did you like it better or worse than Devil in the White City? Were you bogged down by too-long descriptions/explanations?
I'd love to know what you thought of Ready Player One. You know it won the Indie Lit Award for Speculative Fiction? Yay! I loved the book but I'm older than you so I wondered if it's still fun if you don't remember all the old computer games from the 1980s, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering about What is the What. Is it good? I read Zeitoun which was very readable but before that I never dared to pick up Eggers' books - thought they were too experimental. Maybe I got that totally wrong!
The little one does indeed look like she was caught in the act. I have a question for Ready Player One - since you're younger than I am, did you "get" all the 80's references?
ReplyDeleteI get like that, though I've been trying to immediately (or as close as possible) open a post, jot notes down about it and save it to draft. It has really helped me, even if I just jot down character names and overall impressions. I'm a lazy review writer lately.
ReplyDeleteDid you enjoy Affinity? It had such a totally unexpected ending for me that it left me feeling very melancholy. I need to read more Waters.
And oh my goodness, the bebe. So so sweet.
*Kristen M. - I'm enjoying DA but the timeframe is a bit annoying. I get it, but maybe they should have skipped the Titanic drama and just begun prior to WWI? Glad someone else noticed the strange timing.
ReplyDelete*Kailana - Definitely not too many questions! :) Very helpful. Going to have to refresh myself on the ending of Ready Player One, though, as I can't remember! :-/ And glad I'm not the only one who was late joining the Downton Abbey party.
*Amanda and Dog Ear Copy - See above... :)
*Laura - If not for twitter I probably wouldn't have heard of Downton Abbey for a long time either. It's all anyone talks about these days. :) I think you'll like it! And thanks for the question.
*leeswammes - Thanks for the questions Judith! I'm not familiar with Zeitoun or any of Egger's other books. I found What is the What to be very easy to follow (listened), but the "fictional memoir" tag messed with me a bit.
*bermudaonion - Thanks for the question!
*picky girl - I used to be so good about writing up a post immediately after I finished the book. Knew that it would be bad if I ever got out of the habit! :( You really need to read Fingersmith. Is a wonderful book!
So, Affinity--is it a good one to start with if I haven't read any Sarah Waters yet? I own four of her books now, and really do want to read them. Of course part of it is the "too many books, too little time" thing, but part of it is that I just don't know which one to start with.
ReplyDeleteAnd what did you think of Sex Lives of Cannibals? Rich has read all three of his books, and positively loves them! Keep meaning to read them, too...but again, the too many books thing...
Aww love that picture! And she's already reading chapter books!... ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are SO many characters in Cloud Atlas. It's hard for anyone to keep up with.
ReplyDelete*Debi - Yay! Something about Sex Lives. I think you'd like it--and it might be a good way to get your feet wet with audio!
ReplyDelete*Jenny - Thank you. :) More eating than reading, though.
*Melissa - I'll just be glad when I make my way out of Sloosha. I haven't really been wanting to pick up the book this week but will force myself out of the section this weekend. :)
Boy did you luck out - no one asked about In The Garden of Beasts! I've got Little Stranger; have you read that one? I'm curious as to how it compares to Affinity. I have heard some people say that it's the best one, in which case I'd like to build up to it and maybe start with Affinity.
ReplyDeleteOh wait. I saw episode 1 of Downton and didn't realize 5 years had passsed. that seems odd now that I think about it.
ReplyDeletei have Sex Lives of the Cannibals on my shelf. Did you like it? I like anthropology and National Geographic type stuff, so that's why I picked it up.
I'm so going to steal your question idea. :-)
ReplyDeleteOn The Weed - I thought this one was much darker than the first and not as believable. What did you think? Did you believe that an eleven-year-old could get mixed up in all that?
I LOVE that photo.
*Lisa - I was hoping YOU'D ask me some questions about In the Garden of Beasts!
ReplyDelete*Jenny Girl - The progression of time in Downton Abbey is a little more subtle than 5 years passing in one episode but by season two the war is on! Yup, enjoyed Sex Lives of Cannibals! Was a fun read.
*Joanna - You should use the question idea! It helps me write about books that I read a LONG time ago. ;)
What did you think about the ending to Affinity?? (And yes I know that is really a spoilerly question but I HAVE to know :P )
ReplyDelete*Samantha - Emailed you. ;) Mostly I was surprised as I thought something TOTALLY different was going to happen.
ReplyDeleteOld Blue eyes! Adorable, and so busted! Since it has been a month since this post, I am sure you have already posted reviews. Eek. I really am that behind.
ReplyDelete