Kristin C’s last login was 3 days ago. « hide recent activity
“I love this book. From the first page or so I knew that it would be added to my list of favorite books. I can't believe I...”
“Overall, I liked it. It had a really slow start, but once it finally got going, I liked it. ...”
“This was a reread. I first read this book in high school. I wanted to read it again to see what I thought of it....”
Kristin C’s last login was 3 days ago. show recent activity »
Rated 3 stars
Rated 4 stars
Rated 2 stars
Rated 1 star
Rated 5 stars
Bradbury is an incredible author, though he's doesn't always create the most complex characters. Mostly an idea and description writer--which he's awesome at so I'm not complaining.Oh. I really really enjoyed it; it was a bit long but I found it very exciting, interesting and different. I'm more than a little unhappy with the trailer I've seen. I'm a little sick of Brendan Frasier being cast in movies where he's supposed to be a serious character and he's just not a very serious actor. He's also the only person in the trailer without a British accent. But, that's just me and my overly picky film adaptation tastes.
I just saw you gave Inkheart only two stars. What didn't you like about it?
Is this your first time reading Fahrenheit 451?I really need to read more Bradbury myself, I've only read this, Dandelion Wine and some of his short stories...but none of his complete short story collections.
Sorry! When I posted my message to you, it didn't show up, so I did it again. then both of them popped up! I had no way to remove them, so all I can say is sorry! LOL!
Thanks for letting me know that you didn't like "Fragile Things", either. I did sit and read the story, "October in the Chair" as Dream King asked me to, but, though it was an okay story, I didn't love it like he promised I would. I need to let him know that, since I said I would, but I hate to. I guess he and I just like different kinds of books.
I really enjoy YA fiction, too, I'm just not as in touch with what I should read in that area. I made note of some books on your shelf that I want to try reading. Any particular suggestions? I think it's great that there is so much out there. I don't remember that being the case when I was that age. I think I'm the only person alive who hasn't read any of the Harry Potter books. I mean to do that someday.You're in Colorado, right? I spent a summer at the University of Denver and really enjoyed it. It is beautiful country - for a time I wished to move there but it never worked out. There are a few great publishers out there. My husband and I hike a lot in the NC mountains, which are also beautiful, but they aren't anywhere near as high and open. I love that you've set a reading goal of 50 books! I read a survey somewhere that said the average person that considers themselves to be an "avid reader" averages 7 books a year. I guess that makes people like us "uber-readers".
BTW: I like "snarky" folks. They're so much more interesting.
Why did you lose your love for reading in college? I'm curious because I, too, had always loved reading as a child and teenager (J.R.R. Tolkien, John Grisham, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, etc.), but when I majored in English Literature, I discovered a whole new world of authors that really opened up my world to literary fiction. I feel that it was because of one class: Contemporary Fiction. In that class I discovered Barbara Kingsolver, Marilyn Robinson, Toni Morrison, Ken Kesey, Cormac McCarthy, Barry Unsworth, Graham Greene, Margaret Atwood, Sena Jeter Naslund, Zadie Smith, and more. Basically, I discovered literary fiction and ended up specializing in modern fiction. And while, still, at times I enjoy a purely fun, plot-driven novel, my passion is for literary fiction. Now that I work in publishing, I have a list miles long of books I plan to read (I read on average about 100 books a year, not counting audio books, and I would read more if I had the time). I've looked at your shelf and I've noticed a lot of your comments around Shelfari about good and bad writing. I feel that if you branched out more into the literary fiction, you'd discover a TON of new favorite authors (and you could get spurious generalities off your back, since she can't even spell). I do see that you have a few books that I would consider to be in this category and you have given them positive reviews that mention how they made you think (The Raw Shark Texts, for one). I just know so many people that just get stuck reading the same level of literature and don't branch out in their reading and miss out on so much. Knowing a little of your taste from your shelves, I would suggest The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (I saw you liked The Handmaid's Tale and this one is my favorite by Atwood),The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger (everyone LOVES this one and they're making a movie with Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana that is coming out this Christmas). Basically, I would be interested in hearing what you think about any or all of these books and writers. I apologize if I just came off as condescending - that was not my intention at all. I just read somewhere that you were 26 years old and thought you might enjoy more challenging, engaging, and thought-provoking (yet very readable) books.
Oh good. My sister in law thinks I should read the host also. I guess she can only get better from here, right?I would say this book is worth reading, up until the end of Jacob's section of the book. Although I liked the description of her first waking up, after that, they didn't do anything with it. Perfect waste. My friend sent me a review of the book that said most of what I was thinking and one more thing that I had forgotten: Bella is totally unaccountable for her actions! She doesn't have to make any sacrifices in the book. She doesn't have to give up Jacob, her daughter (or having at least one child), Edward, or her relationship with Charlie--yet. No one she's close to dies, she has the magical ability to not have any sort of difficult time adjusting to being a vampire, which is more than just convenient, it's uninteresting. The one thing, though, is that she seems like a really nice person and I feel bad that she's probably going to get a lot of blowback from fans and the critics. Deservedly so, but it's still too bad.
Okay. So, I finished Breaking Dawn a day or two ago and I know you wanted my reaction. So, here's most of what I thought, as trascribed from two e-mails I sent to another shelfari person. IHD stands for Inarticulate Howl of Despair or IHR, Inarticulate Howl of Rage. What. Was. She. Thinking? I'll put 4 or 5 chapters in Jacob's perspective, have it look like he might be developing as a character and then BOOM, Reneesme is born, he imprints and becomes irrelevant. Then the book shifts back to the important person, the person I no longer am very interested in or worried about and stays that way for the remaing 400+ pages. I'll write more later.(In response to her saying she hated the book)I wouldn't say I hated it. I found some things verrrry frustrating though. Going further with the Jacob thing, I think she knew she couldn't make the Jacob fans happy since Bella was #1, going to stay with Edward and #2, become a vampire, but she wanted to have him be a part of his life so she turns him into a plot device. If Meyer were trying to make imprinting out to be a 'magical', wonderful thing akin to what happened to Bella and Edward, I'm afraid she failed. It strikes me more like demonic possession. And the development with Jacob and Leah, which looked like it might be leaning towards them maybe ending up together--a notion which initially I found repellent because I disliked Leah so much--ends up being nothing. I find some of the vampires interesting, like from a scientific point of view, but I can't relate to most of them, least of all Bella, although her descriptions of her first week of being a vampire, especially the Burning chapter were very well done. The only problem I have with it is that I have a hard time accepting anyone, even someone as altruistic as Bella would choose not to tell anyone how excrutiatingly painful the transformation was. I like Reneesme, but it's very hard not to, she's an infinck and ridiculously precocious and cuuute. Now for the logical missteps. When Bella is pregnant, it is pretty fair to assume that the fetus is at least half-vampire, and yet, it takes them HOW LONG to figure out it needs blood??? When it's draining Bella?? The second thing that is ridiculous, in my estimation, is that it takes them like 3/4 of the book to start thinking about how Bella's mind block shield thing is a special ability and that it could be used as a defensive weapon. That's about all I have to say about it.One further thing I would add. I don't believe I'll be reading Midnight Sun. Edward isn't interesting enough for me to read several hundred pages of a story I've already read. I may read the Host, however. Just in case you were dying to know.
Hello and Welcome to "Bibliophile Reading Group"Feel free to start discussions or just put in your 2 cents on old ones! :) Have a great day! Happy Reading!!
Oh, I quite agree that parents should be picky about what media their children are getting into. There are some really disturbing things in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and if the child is not mature enough to understand the full impact of the book then by all means hold off. But not because of any "Christian belief"! That is what gets me. There is nothing anti-Christian in the book.
Okay, may be not the Handmaid's tale. But when you start to limit books based on belief, well, maybe the mother should read Fahrenheit 451!
I'll keep that book in mind. Thanks for the recommendation.
So is it from her perspective or is she telling these experiences to the author(s)? Is she incredibly intelligent also, then? It seems like she would be.
Wow. Is that fiction or non-fiction? It seems like that would drive a person insane. I'll be interested in what you think of Tithe. I like YA, and fairies, but there's so much of it out there that it's easy to find mediocre stuff. I'm looking forward to reading it...kind of.
I have not, no. I'm waiting for my sister-in-law to be done with it since I'm too impatient to wait for it to be available at my library and don't feel like buying it if I'm not going to end up liking it as much as the first 3 (the second and third of which were X-Mas presents, the first one was lent to me by a friend). It's difficult having most of my friends on Shelfari already having read it; I need to be much more careful navigating so that I don't read what anyone who has read it thinks about it. But it's nice hearing from you, what are you reading right now? I just finished the Poisonwood Bible and I'm going to be reading Treasure Island soon. How close are you to 50 books?
You should join the 50 Book Challenge on Shelfari. I did it last year, and the administrator did a Top Five from all of our Top 10s. It's a great way to expand and also keep your challenge going. I'm doing it again this year - I'm up to 40 or something.
Well sounds like you didn't enjoy "Breaking Dawn". I didn't hate it but I was very disappointed. I absolutely hated the imprinting. AHHH there was a lot things I wish would not have been done in the book.