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Bookish talks, discussion |
I think I may have a problem.
No not the one with my having a never ending list of TBR books (is that a problem even? Doesn’t everyone have that?)
And it is not about feeling guilty about all the book reviews that are pending. But thanks for reminding me of that.
And the one about how I struggle with a book even when I don’t like it, without DNF-ing it? Great, This is exactly why I don’t write out what I think nor I have a conversation with the mini-me.
You know what, I will tell you guys myself! I am an indecisive schmuck when it comes to choosing my next read. And I used to think it was normal too, until I saw those beautiful posts on monthly and weekly TBRs. Well, as much as they inspired me, they broke me.
How I Choose My Next Read?
So I guess I need a system. FOR CHOOSING MY NEXT READ. That makes sense doesn’t it? I should not be wasting an hour or two of my precious time on deciding what I am reading next instead of reading it already. Especially with the tremendous growth I have been showing when it came to planning of late. It should be a cake walk right?
Let us get on with it, I will choose my next read right away WITHOUT WASTING ANYMORE TIME.
Method 1: Choosing the book (ARC – Advance review copies) that is closest to the publishing date.
Well, these seem obvious right? With planning and I being so chummy these days, I just have to choose one that is near the deadline.
I never thought it was going to be this simple. Now I can just read!
BUT.. But I don’t feel like waging a war with the zombie right now. Maybe, I am in the mood for a romance, especially since it is winter and all.
Let me check the Goodreads’ romance shelf.
*Ends up ordering two or three or ten books and spends the night worrying about how broke I am*
Method 2: Choose a book from the recommendations and reviews of your favorite blogger
Today is new day and a new beginning. Let me pick one book before I have my morning coffee so that I can start reading while I commute or run errands.
Let us make this easy. Pick the one that your favorite blogger recommended recently.
But which one? I have so many favorite bloggers and they have so many books on their recommendation.
It is going to take a while, guys. Let me get that coffee first.
*Ends up blog hopping till it is dark, skipping breakfast, lunch and survives on coffee*
Method 3: Pick one that has stayed the longest on your TBR
I will just pick the one that I have in my TBR already.
May be the one I added the first, like the First in first out. This method works so well for stocks in the stores, it should work me too.
OMG, I need to read THIS, I have no idea why I have not read this. It has been so long that I don’t even know where it is. I just have to find this on my shelf.
Well, that is a bust. I have no clue where it is.
Method 4: Pick the one right next to you, literally.
You know what? I am just going to pick that random book that is physically near me and save the time instead of searching for one in these heap.
But my e-reader has like 100s of books and it is near me as it should be as always. Should I pick that one up already? The ‘latest one I added in that’ makes more sense right? What am I if not the most sensible one!
I am going for it. And I am just going to ignore the hard copies and their beautiful covers. Like I care about them. Or do I?
Method 5: Take a quiz or two
Sigh I give up. I can’t do this. I wish someone told me what to read. Someone like Goodreads but not exactly that.
Something more personalized and more according to my mood. Maybe I will take one of those quizzes.
*Goes deep into the world of GIFs and food and never emerge out*
Method 6: My go to method for choosing my next read
I give up. I may as well pick something that is not on my To Be Read shelf.
What did I say? OhMYGod. Thats it, I am picking THE book SHE recommended. I know it is not my TBR. but I am adding it now.
But your TBR is crying!
Sssh! I am done with trying to be organized.
I am a mood reader and bad at taking decisions and I accept it after I waste 3-4 days where I read nothing, almost every week.
Well, if you have a system that works for you, enlighten me. Save my TBR! Let us chat.
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Quizzes & Tags |
I was talking to someone last week about trivia contests and believe it or not, I have won a few. I used to be smarter I guess. And would not come as a surprise, that I used to do so well when it came to finding the name of the authors from their books.
That gave me the idea for today’s post. Let me know if you are any good at bookish quizzes.
Name these authors!
You may like these too
Pin me!
Let us chat
How did you fare in the quiz? Were you able to find the name of these authors? Are you as interested as I am in trivia contests? Let us talk.
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Authors, Book Lists |
We all love meeting new authors and their books especially independent or as we call them indies. And no prize for guessing what my first question would be to any newly found author – yes their favorite books!
So here I have Greg answering that ‘not so totally random’ question through a guest post. Don’t we love a good book list?
Greg Hickey is the author of the accessible, philosophical, grown-up choose-your-own-adventure novel The Friar’s Lantern and the curator of The 105 Best Philosophical Novels. You can contact Greg through the following social media profiles.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LinkedIn
Passing over to Greg!
Philosophical novels use fictional stories to explore thought-provoking questions that are often challenging, overlooked or controversial.
The collection of philosophical novels listed below range from contemporary science fiction to inspirational to a mind-bending thought experiment to a few literary stalwarts, all of them devotedly enjoyed by a group of die-hard fans.
These books delve into topics like the existence of God, the nature of self-hood, humanity’s place in the world and more in ways that have inspired thousands of devoted readers.
The Cult Favorites of Philosophical Fiction
1) Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Nominated for both the British Science Fiction Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Stephenson’s popular sci-fi novel follows pizza delivery boy and computer hacker Hiro Protagonist as he fights a nefarious virtual villain.
Along the way, it taps into virtual reality, Sumerian myth and the burgeoning information age and explores other topics in history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography and philosophy.
2) The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
This fable by a litigation lawyer-turned-motivational speaker and author follows Julian Mantle, a dissatisfied attorney who sells his vacation home and titular car and undertakes a life-changing spiritual journey through the Himalayas.
Sharma originally self-published this book, but it proved so popular that it was picked up by HarperCollins a few years later.
3) God’s Debris: A Thought Experiment by Scott Adams
The first non-humor book by the creator of the comic strip Dilbert introduces readers to a being who claims to know “literally everything” and explains the mysteries of quantum physics, evolution, God, gravity and more in a way that seems to make perfect sense.
Skeptical about the appeal of a non-Dilbert book by Adams, his publishers first released the novel as an ebook but quickly produced a hard copy version after its rapid success.
4) Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess
A virus spread through the use of language devastates the small Canadian town of Pontypool, causing victims to lose their linguistic abilities and devolve into madness, rage and animalistic violence.
Burgess adapted the novel into a screenplay for the 2008 film Pontypool, which was nominated for three Canadian film awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.
5) The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
A favorite in literary circles that never seemed to achieve the same level of popular appeal, this novel about a New Orleans stockbroker’s quest to find his inner self won the 1962 U.S. National Book Award in fiction.
It was ranked sixtieth on Modern Library’s list of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century and was included in Time’s 100 best novels from 1923 to 2005.
6) The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa
Pessoa, who attributed his prolific writing to several alternate selves with different biographies and ideologies, left behind this posthumously published “autobiography” of one those selves.
This incomplete collection of 500-plus fragments of essay, diary, poetry and narrative touches on many of life’s essential questions in what Electric Lit called “the weirdest autobiography ever.”
What are your favorite philosophical fictionalized books? Do you like fiction coupled with philosophy or do you read for just pleasure? Let us talk.
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Book Lists, Flyaway Friday |
Welcome to another episode of Flyaway Friday edition and we are visiting Italy this week through the best mode of transportation available – through books. I hope you did prepare yourself for the trip with some basic stuff. Let us start shall we?
Historic Fiction books set in Italy
The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella
Set in 1944, after the war the British occupy Naples and things are not any better. Food is scarce and the economy isn’t moving forward with people struggling to meet ends. Soon there is an increasing number of Bristish soldiers applying to marry local Italian women.
Captain James Gould is appointed to discourage this. He is dubbed as ‘the wedding officer’ by the locals. Ironically he falls for a young widow who is a fabulous cook.
What you can expect:
The Wedding Officer is a perfect blend of history, romance and a lot Italian cooking. Italy and food – your weekend can’t get any better.
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The Birth of Venus begins with the death of a nun and as her habit is stripped off, a particularly provocative tattoo is found. Thus we are taken on a journey when this mysterious nun was a fifteen year Alessandra Cecchi.
Set in the Renaissance Florence that is being suppressed by the religious and political forces, Alessandra is married off to an older man but her attraction to art and a particular artist survives the tumultuous time.
What you can expect:
What is more Italian than painting and painters? Add a bit of renaissance to the mix and you will love the suspense filled romance.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
If you are into best sellers this one is for you. Set in 1950s, the book follows the friendship of Elena and Lila right from the childhood to their adult life. Lila is the more beautiful, smarter, Elena is understandably jealous but she is the one who escapes their life through education.
What you can expect:
Read about the dirt poor Naples and the lovely friendship and rivalry between two girls.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The story revolves around four major characters a nurse, a maimed thief, a bomb disposal expert and the nameless English patient just after the World War II. This non linear story takes us through war, love, culture and mostly memories.
What you can expect:
This Booker Prize winning book is all you need to read this week. Or better catch the movie, which is surprisingly does justice to the book.
Romance books set in Italy
Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned thirty, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want—a husband, a house, a successful career.
But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be.
In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world—all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year.
Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
A fallen self help author who is trying to restore her reputation while hiding away under the Tuscan sun until she meets a silver screen star is vacationing in
Italy.
With the townspeople trying to driver her away and the guy who wouldn’t leave her alone, she definitely doesn’t have a breathing room.
What you can expect:
A perfect romantic comedy for a lazy afternoon set in Tuscany.
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
When Oliver spends his summer in Italy with his Professor Perlman, the professor’s son Elio begins to fall for him.The two young men have so much in common yet they cannot fathom the reason for their attractions. The six weeks’ of powerful romance is dreamy, seductive and the prose is beautiful and lyrical.
What you can expect:
This bittersweet coming of age romance is perfect if you are looking for YA read set in Riveria.
The Lost Art of Second Chances by Courtney Hunt
When Lucy Parker’s eccentric grandmother dies, Lucy must return a beloved painting to a mysterious man in Italy, leading her on a journey to discover family secrets, secrets buried in the chaotic aftermath of World War II.
Lucy’s childhood best friend, estate lawyer Jack Hamilton, agrees to accompany her, opening up a opportunity for them to find their second chance at love. Will they find it? From a tiny town in Massachusetts to the rolling hills of Tuscany, never-told family secrets unfurl in The Lost Art of Second Chances.
What you can expect:
This heartbreaking love story set in WW II is perfect if you are a sucker for happily ever afters.
Classics set in Italy
Where Angels Fear To Tread, by E.M. Forster
When a young English widow takes off on the grand tour and along the way marries a penniless Italian, her in-laws are not amused. That the marriage should fail and poor Lilia die tragically are only to be expected.
But that Lilia should have had a baby — and that the baby should be raised as an Italian! — are matters requiring immediate correction by Philip Herriton, his dour sister Harriet, and their well-meaning friend Miss Abbott.
A recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of wisteria, and solitude as needed.
The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim
The women at the center of The Enchanted April are alike only in their dissatisfaction with their everyday lives. They find each other—and the castle of their dreams—through a classified ad in a London newspaper one rainy February afternoon.
The ladies expect a pleasant holiday, but they don’t anticipate that the month they spend in Portofino will reintroduce them to their true natures and reacquaint them with joy. Now, if the same transformation can be worked on their husbands and lovers, the enchantment will be complete.
A Room With A View, by E.M. Forster
Lucy has her rigid, middle-class life mapped out for her until she visits Florence with her uptight cousin Charlotte, and finds her neatly ordered existence thrown off balance.
Her eyes are opened by the unconventional characters she meets at the Pension Bertolini: flamboyant romantic novelist Eleanor Lavish, the Cockney Signora, curious Mr Emerson and, most of all, his passionate son George.
Lucy finds herself torn between the intensity of life in Italy and the repressed morals of Edwardian England, personified in her terminally dull fiancé Cecil Vyse. Will she ever learn to follow her own heart?
Young Adults books set in Italy
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city of Venice.
Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises.
But a greater threat to the boys’ new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past – a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark
It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors about an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist’s dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.
As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen.
There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef’s rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets. It is not long before Luciano is caught up in the madness.
What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.
What you can expect:
A luminous and seductive novel, it is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key.
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years?
All Lina wants to do is get back home.
But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries.
A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
What you can expect:
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more
The Eternal City by Paula Morris
Laura Martin is visiting Rome on a class trip, and she’s entranced by the majestic Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon. . . . Everything in this city seems magical.
That is, until the magic seems to turn very dark.
Suddenly, statues of Cupid and ancient works of art come to life before her eyes. Earthquakes rumble and a cloud of ash forms in the sky. A dark-eyed boy with wings on his heels appears and gives her a message. Laura soon realizes she is at the center of a brewing battle — a battle between the gods and goddesses, one that will shake modern-day Rome to its core.
Only she and her group of friends can truly unravel the mystery behind what is happening. As tensions mount and secret identities are revealed, Laura must rely on her own inner strength to face up to what may be a fight for her life.
What you can expect:
Acclaimed author Paula Morris brings the ancient world to vivid life in this unstoppable tale of friendship, love, and the power of the past.
Have you read any of these books? Did these books take you all over Italy virtually? Share with me your favorite books set in Italy. Let us talk more.
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Book Lists |
Of course we are going to judge a book by its covers. Let us be honest, does any one follow that proverb in its literal sense. More often than not, it works so well. So well that they tell us off some books.
I am sure you have seen some interesting covers on books. Who has not?
Here I am presenting some covers that have freaked me out and go WTF, recently.
Let us get on with it, shall we?
Disclaimer: This post is intended for fun and not intended to hurt anyone. If it did, I am sorry and it was purely unintentional.
Did he cut her head with the axe? If so, shouldn’t the blood mark be on the sharper side? Where are her eye balls?
So many questions!
Where did they find these weird looking kids? And if this is what feelings make us look like, please let us destroy them!
What animal is that? And why is it an Australian art?
Why is she having a crocodile head and why is it titled ‘carnivore romance’? Is it a romance between the crocodile and the red dress wearing, poker playing lady? And what kinda romance ends up with their bodies morphing into one?
Curiosity got ahead of me and I checked the author on Amazon and guess what? All her covers have an animal head human body combo!! Wut?
I get this one. Almost.
Thelma and her fiance are in love. Hint: Silhouette image
And he has a pet snake, also pictured.
But what is that weird white thing with syringe or pen or dagger thing in its hands?
What is in that cupcake? Why are they both scared of it? And does she have an Adam’s apple or is it just me?
Did they just show us a literal balance to indicate the pH balance? And it sure makes me think it is a spiritual thing, rather than science-y.
I. am. not. even. gonna. attempt.
Did you like these covers? Which is your favorite? Should I make another list with such covers? Do you have a cover that weirded you out? Let us chat.
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Bookish talks, discussion |
No two bookworms can be same, right? Even if we read similar books and have similar tastes in bookish things, we can’t all be the same, can we? And that is true especially in my case because most of my bookish habits are weird and eccentric.
Tell me how different am I in my bookish habits than you in the comment section below, won’t you?
10. I do not care for the book covers
Of course, I love a beautiful art work on the book as much as any one else.
But I do not buy or judge books based on their covers. And in case of e-books I rarely even glance or remember them. I know many of my fellow book bloggers who do wonderful displays with those book covers on #bookstagrams, but sigh I can not be one of them.
9. You can’t spoil it for me
I don’t care for spoilers as such but I don’t mind if I stumble upon a few by mistake.
I know it might spoil the suspense or even the ending of the story for some, not for me. While I am not one to jump to the last age to know the ending, I am okay with a few small details or a major twist that I hear anyway. You will never find asking me to spare the spoilers
8. People before books, I guess
I am the crazy bag lady (mostly) who always carries a book or five with me everywhere I go. Yet if I were reading a book and someone talks to me, I close the book and talk to them.
It is just out of respect and courtesy, I really want to be around people, not always but most of the time. Book worms can be extroverts too, you know?
7. I rarely use bookmarks.
When I am reading a physical copy I always try and remember the page I stop at. In fact I don’t even own bookmarks except for the free ones that come with the books. What is the point of owning those fabulous. beautiful bookmarks when I seldom use them right?
I can only see those awesome people who use those bookmarks or anything that resembles it so cleverly. Sigh.
6. I try to pause my reading at page that ends with 5 or 0.
This is one of the habits that I formed right from my childhood and I can’t seem to break it. Remember I told I don’t use bookmarks and I try to remember where I stopped at. So to make matters easier, I used to stop only at pages that ended in fives or tens.
Well, you can consider this as my kinda ‘five more minutes’ before bed time.
5. Read the book before I watch the screen adaptations
I am not sure when this habit started but I always make sure I read the book before I can get myself to watch its series or movies adaptation. I know I have broken this rule once or twice, owing to ignorance about the book at all or just the sheer volume of the book. I have found some great books and classics at that.
I am definitely gonna keep up with this one, so that I can see my own imaginations.
4. I have poor memory for character names and settings
I remember the names of most of the people I have met in real life, but I forget the settings / locations and the names of the characters I read in the books. Okay not immediately but in a while and this makes me the worst candidate for reading books in series.
Oh, to overcome this disadvantage, I can say, I have even started noting the character names and locations in my reviews.
3. It takes me a while decide on the books
Though this is not a steadfast habit and there have been lots of books that I have loved right from the first chapter, I usually take a few minutes or hours off from the book to decide how I felt about it.
After the break I start recollecting what I liked and didn’t like about the book, since I don’t usually take notes for books I read for reviewing. This works for now I guess.
2. Audio books are a huge no-no for me
I have enjoyed a few audio books in the past but I feel they require to much effort from me. I have to try much harder to focus on the narrator’s voice than the writing or the story itself.
It is so draining and as you all know, the time taken usually is a lot more. For me reading comes naturally, listening not so much.
1. I jump into a book blindly
Like most of us, I add a lot of books to my to-be-read shelf from others recommendations and blogs. But I like reading a book with zero knowledge about it.I like to be surprised by how good the book turns out to be, or bad in some cases.
I don’t even read the blurb usually and it is a blessing, sometimes, that I have such a poor memory that I even forget the reviews I read when I added the book to my list.
It seems to me that I am the only one that have these habits. Let me know if you have or do any of these things and make me feel better, please.
