November is fast approaching, which means time to start strategically planning my reading (because it’s German Literature Month, Novella November and maybe Nonfiction November – has there been an announcement about NFN yet?).
German Literature Month is hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life (find the German Literature Month blog here – it’s a great source of inspiration if you’re looking for titles). Continue reading
November is almost upon us, which means time to start strategically planning my reading (because it’s German Literature Month, Nonfiction November and Novella November).
German Literature Month is hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life (find the German Literature Month blog here – it’s a great source of inspiration if you’re looking for titles). Continue reading
01. We have beach. We have picnics. Continue reading
Argh! Three excellent reading challenges for the month of November – what will I do? How can I squeeze them all in?!
Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye. Continue reading
It’s time for #6Degrees, the easiest and, without question, most fun book meme (because there aren’t any rules). Join in! Link Up!
We begin this month’s chain with the Richard Yates classic, Revolutionary Road. I love Yates – he’s so goddamn depressing but he gets to the nitty-gritty of feelings. Although books brimming with feelings don’t always make the best movies, Revolutionary Road is an exception. The 2008 movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, is brilliant. Continue reading
It’s time again for my favourite meme. Based on the concept of six degrees of separation, Emma Chapman and Annabel Smith have created #6DEGREES, where bloggers share links between books in six moves. Check out the rules if you want to play along.
I haven’t read this month’s starting point – Wild by Cheryl Strayed – but I do know that Strayed penned the memoir after her mother’s death and her failed marriage prompted an epic hike along the US Pacific coast. Continue reading
It’s that time of year (the last reading day of 2013) where I pick my favourite and bests. The first nine are in no particular order: Continue reading
It was Curiosity Killed the Bookworm’s Translation Challenge that I found the most ‘challenging’ of this year’s reading challenges. But it also delivered some of the best and most thought-provoking books I read this year.
I started and finished the challenge with books about mothers (both were brilliant) – Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother by Xinran and The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. Xinran’s stories will never leave me – steel your heart a little before beginning it although regardless of how prepared you feel, you’ll finish in tears. Continue reading
First book, then movie. I miss lots of new-release movies because I haven’t read the book. In fact, my chief-movie-going-pal often gives me advance warning of movies she wants to see with a simple “Read the book now because the movie is out in a month.” I have lovely, considerate friends.
Even though the book is nearly always better than the movie (nearly), it doesn’t stop me imagining the movie version of books I’ve loved. Some books just scream ‘screenplay please’. This week’s Top Ten topic, hosted by The Broke and Bookish, is Books I Would Love To See As A Movie.
1. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles – the first thing I thought when I finished this glorious book last week was – Film. Stat. Continue reading