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Katie

Katie

has 21 followers and is following 19 people

Charitable cynic, cavalier colourlover, connoisseur of chocolate, and inclined to bouts of cacography.

Slowly working through the "1001 Books" challenge: http://www.shelfari.com/groups/11271/discussions/121763/Aeryvae-s-1001-Books-List

Passed the "50 Book Challenge '09":... more »
  • Toronto, ON, Canada
  • member since December 17, 2008

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Public Notes

  • Cleo

    Cleo says

    I really enjoyed it as well! Do you think you'll read the second in the series, Clash of Kings? The series is one of the more refreshing fantasy series of read in a while. Reminds me of the show The Tudors in some ways.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Victoria

    Victoria says

    woman!

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I just discovered another series that has a very similar premise as Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson’ series. I forget the author’s name now, Tera something I think, but the first and second books are called “Oh, My Gods” and “Goddess Bootcamp” basically a teenage girl finds out she’s the daughter of Nike, and ends up in a some kind of school for the descendants of Greek Gods. I mean, wow like that can’t be a rip off or anything right? ‘Shakes my head’ I saw that the first book was published in 2008, whereas TLT was published in 2005.

    Be ware - it’s already started! ;)

    Personally I think if you’re gonna mimic something, there are much better templates out there, then Percy Jackson.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Matt H

    Matt H says

    Sounds good! But if you want to save some $, I will be more than willing to drive you guys around.
    & NICE imagery there. haha
    Don't be working too hard out there! BTW, how're the Olympics working out for you? Are you getting into the festivities or not?

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    ah - 3 stars huh? so Oryx and crake wasn't quite as good as you were hoping?

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Matt H

    Matt H says

    Hey there! How have you been doing?
    I heard about your paper - congrats! That must be pretty exciting, eh? If you DO plan on stopping over in Chicago, let Kyleigh or myself know that way I can take a few days off incase you all want me to drive you two somewhere.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    Have you heard of this book called "TwiLight: A Parody" by I think the author is named Stephen Jenner?

    It's about love between a highschool girl named Stella Crow, and a 100 year old vampire named Edweird Sullen. HAHA! look it up.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    Midnight Sun? Really? I thought she wasn't going to finish writing it, because it got leaked.

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I seriously don’t know how you were able to give “The Lovely Bones” 4 stars! I think I’m going to have to give it 2. Originally I thought maybe 3, but as I get closer and closer to the end, I keep getting more and more bored.

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    So, I’ve just begun my third attempt at “The Lovely Bones” I’m not very far into it yet, about halfway through Chapter 4 actually, but I have to say I’m not all that impressed with the ‘heaven’ stuff. I thought it was a little hokey in the film, but it’s worse in the book. The rest of the story I’m finding a bit more accessible then my last attempts at reading it, but I don’t know, we’ll see how I feel when I get further along.

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I'm about 3 quarters through "Perfume: Story of a Murderer" by Patrick Suskind. I bought it years ago but only just got around to it. It's really good! i think it's on the 1001 list, so when you have time i recomend reading it =D

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I’ve seen “Oryx and Crake” in the library, but haven’t read it. Maybe I’ll have to pick it up sometime.

    Yes, January has been a good reading month for me. I’ve had the privilege to read several good books. Some of which were recommended, others which I found entirely by accident. I am currently reading two books that I’m finding very interesting. “Holy Cow” which is travel-memoir by an Australian woman, about her experiences, and spiritual journey through the many regions and religions of India. The other book Is “Blinding Light” by Paul Theroux, which I’m loving. It’s about a writer who wrote one amazing book, and for the 20 years fallowing hasn’t been able to write a fallow up. Then on the verge of a breakup with his girlfriend they decide to take a trip to Ecuador in search of a magical hallucinogen that William Burroughs traveled South America in search of and wrote extensively about. The writer believes that if he can find the drug and experience it then he will be able to write another book, or in the very least will have something interesting to say. So he travels, finds said drug, plus another drug. The second drug causes him to go temporarily blind, but causes him to see visions at the same time. Giving him the basis and the ideas for his book. Thee’s a lot of other crazy stuff that happens as well, and I’m not finished yet but so far I’ve found it really engaging, and funny, and interesting.

    I see you’ve finished reading “The Lovely Bones” how was it? I saw the movie the night before last and actually quite liked it overall. I find some of the underlying themes and messages a little bit ‘off’ but I’ve been told that the movie differs greatly from the book, so I’ve actually been kind of curious to pick it up again, and give it another try.

    Ah - yes the 50 book challenge. I’d like to do it again too, I keep meaning to set up a new list and keep forgetting. I’m already almost halfway there though, I’ve read 21 books this month, so maybe the 100 book challenge would be better suited for me haha...

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I finished “In The Miso Soup” last night, and it was awesome! I just couldn’t put it down, totally breezed through the modest 180 pages. I loved the style of the book, it was descriptive yet minimal, that’s the kind of writing I really adore. The imagery was vivid, and the characters really stuck in my mind, the author really gave them - even the smallest characters - big personality.

    I always feel hesitant in recommending books to people, because my tastes are usually so different and strange, but I think you might like this book. If you see it around check it out. With how many books I read on average I find it a very rare thing to find a book that grips me right from the start, and keeps me captivated the whole way through. It’s rare to find books I truly love. So I just wanted to pass it on, and if you read it I hope you too find some enjoyment in it.

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    I was in the library the other day and totally on a whim I picked up this book called “In The Miso Soup” I thought this was an odd title, I read the first paragraph of the inside jacket saw ‘Tokyo Sex Scene” and decided I needed to see what it was all about.

    I wasn’t sure what I was going to think. Usually the books I pick up on a whim are not very good, generally boring. Especially the ones I’ve never even heard off that are stuck in dusty corners of the library.

    I’m only 65 pages in, and I am blown away! This book is totally f-ed up! It reminds me of a lot of things - yet it isn’t exactly like any of them. It’s been a long time since I have found a book truly suspenseful but with this one I am on the edge of my seat! Can’t wait to finish.

    Check it out
    “In The Miso Soup” By Ryu Murakami (no relation to Haruki as far as I know)

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H says

    So - have you been reading anything good or interesting lately?
    Anything you’d care to recommend or analyze?

    I miss our long drawn out conversations about books/authors!

    Are you doing the 50 book challenge again this year?

    I am currently reading “A Passage to India” by E.M. Forster and I have to say I’m really surprised by it. I read “A Room With A View” last year and hated it, it was so dry! It reminded me very much of Jane Austin. Another book about society and not much else. I was expecting this book to be just as bad, ad I find most authors write many (if not all) of their books in the same vein, but I’m actually quite liking the book. Admittedly it’s a bit slow, and a bit meandering, sometimes I wish I could hurry him along to get to the point but over all I’m not bored, in fact I’m still pretty engaged. I’m about two-thirds done I think. It had a lot of interesting things to say about the British Colonization of India. Some very interesting perspectives and a lot of truths in it.

    I also just finished reading “The Mosquito Coast” by Paul Theroux. He’s primarily a travel writer but this is work of fiction. It’s set in the jungles of Honduras. It’s about a man, who’s an inventor and a total genius but also (probably) bipolar (though the words bipolar or mental illness never actually appear in the book) Basically he becomes disillusioned with America, hates everything that it’s come to stand for, and so he moves his family to the jungles of Honduras, to ‘start over’ to live a simpler life, without any of the traps of the modern world. The story is told from the POV of his 14 year old son, who has an almost godly admiration for his father, but over the course of the book you see the son losing faith in his father, as his father’s insanity becomes more and more evident. It’s a bit slow at times, but over all I loved this book. I was really drawn in - and the craziest part is I agree with about 80% of what the father says about society! Haha... maybe I should move to the jungle too!

    The book was actually turned into a movie, with Harrison Ford, River Phoenix and Helen Miren. I’ve always really loved the movie, thought Harrison Ford was scary, and brilliant in the role, so I was happy to finally get to read the book. It really makes me want to read other works of Theroux’s too.

    I’m also currently reading “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith. She’s the author who penned “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” I believe this novel came before Ripley. It was published in 52 I think, and is about a female theater set designer, a bit down on her luck, who takes a job at a toy store during the Christmas rush. One day while working a beautiful woman comes in to buy a doll for her daughter and the lead character is instantly infatuated. I’m only on chapter 4 at the moment, and it’s a bit slow to start, although it’s gotten to the point now where I’m a bit on edge, both excited and nervous to find out what happens. Generally these sorts of books don’t end well for the characters. The writing and the style remind me greatly of “Tipping the Velvet” but Sarah Waters, another book that was a bit slow to start but which I ended up absolutely loving! So I hope this book proves to be as fantastic as the back cover proclaims.

    Think that about does it for the moment. =D

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Matt H

    Matt H says

    That's awesome! Good luck, but be warned - Atlanta leaves MUCH to be desired. It's like a garbage dump only with buildings! Stay indoors as much as possible if you can. lol & if you could make it up to Chicago, that'd be fun! I will SOMEHOW learn to deal w/ your elitist attitude long enough to tolerate you. lol

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Victoria

    Victoria says

    I liked it! Very interesting book. My dad got me the Vampire Chronicles for Christmas; it is very pretty with gold tipped pages and everything. I finished the first book, then I'll start Lestat in Feb/March. Did you read Phantom yet? :D

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Matt H

    Matt H says

    I mainly just worked & chilled where I could. We went over to my aunt's house for X-Mas Eve & then everyone came over to our place on X-Mas. I had to work on Boxing Day which was pretty crazy. I never understood why people choose to return X-Mas gifts on the very first day after X-Mas. I would NEVER wait in those lines. I digress! Then on NYE, family came over to celebrate my b-day which was nice.
    How was the conference? Look at you becoming the big shot! Presenting papers & all. ;)

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Matt H

    Matt H says

    Thanks for the birthday wishes! =)
    How were your X-Mas/Winter Solstice & New Years Eve?

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )