PawsforThought's End of Year Reading

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PawsforThought's End of Year Reading

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1PawsforThought
Editat: oct. 2, 2014, 6:31 pm

Hello everyone.

I'm PawsforThought, you may call me Paws if you like - most people on LT do.
I'm new to this group but not quite as new to LT - I've been hanging around the Category Challenge and the 75'ers groups for the past two years.


(This isn't my shelf, it's just a great and inspirational photo.)

I have an addiction to lists of the "books you must read before you die" variety and a lot of my reading is based on those - the sweet sense of fulfillment when crossing a book off a list (or sometimes several lists) is almost as good as the feeling of having read a really great book. Partly because of this, my reading consists of a lot of classic works, both old ones and modern classics. There will be very few new releases on my thread.
I very rarely buy books; most of the books I read are borrowed either from the library or from my parents.

I've had a tough time with my reading in the past few years, I seem to be stuck in some type of reading slump but I'm trying to climb out of it. Because of this, my goal for the rest of the year will be to finish the books I've started reading but not yet got through, and the books I've borrowed from the library. It's not a long list of titles - in fact, it's embarrassingly short. If I manage any more than this, it'll be a great victory.

And just to make this thread a little prettier: a photo of Christ Church College, Oxford, which I fell in love with at the tender age of eight but am yet to see in person.

2PawsforThought
set. 16, 2014, 4:04 pm

If you have any recommendations regarding a "must read" book, or if you want to give a heads up about one being particularly boring or whatnot, please feel free.

3PawsforThought
set. 16, 2014, 4:05 pm

Placeholder for titles read.

4SassyLassy
set. 16, 2014, 4:47 pm

Hello Paws and welcome. There are some good titles on that shelf, so looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them.

Those reading slumps are awful, so you have my sympathies.

5PawsforThought
set. 16, 2014, 4:50 pm

Off to a good start! I just finished one of the books.



The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I'd been itching to read this book for AGES but there was a long list of books ahead of it, and on top of that I wanted to re-read Jane EYre before I dived into this one.
I absolutely loved it at first and the universe Fforde's created is fantastic. Also, I absolutely love puns and this book is chock full of them so I was giggling on a regular basis.
As the book progressed, I did feel that it was a bit too much though, and I was having problems keeping up with things. I still think it's a really good book and I'd gladly recommend it to people.
I will definitely read at least a couple more titles in the Thursday Next, but it might take a while before I get around to it.

6PawsforThought
set. 16, 2014, 4:51 pm

>4 SassyLassy: There are indeed. Sadly, that isn't my shelf and those aren't my books! Just a great pic I nicked off the internet. (I should put in a disclaimer.) Tons of titles on there are on my to read-list, though, so it's almost as if it were my shelf. Sort of.

7japaul22
set. 16, 2014, 5:15 pm

Good to see you in Club Read! I've noticed you in the Category challenge where I also keep a thread, though I think of Club Read as my "main group".

I'll be interested to follow your reading!

8avidmom
set. 16, 2014, 6:47 pm

I peeked in your library and profile page - we share 14 books and some interests in common: Cats (I am a very reluctant Crazy Cat Lady), movies, TV & comedy.

Welcome to the Group! :)

9VivienneR
set. 16, 2014, 7:14 pm

Welcome Paws! We have met in the Category Challenge and Europe Endless challenge. Nice to see you here too.

10PawsforThought
set. 17, 2014, 3:05 am

>7 japaul22:, >8 avidmom: & >9 VivienneR: Thanks for the warm welcomes!

11NanaCC
set. 17, 2014, 6:46 am

>5 PawsforThought: I really enjoyed The Eyre Affair when I read it several years ago. I don't remember how many of them I read, but that was my favorite of the series. The puns were terrific. I was never able to get into the Nursery Crime series.

12PawsforThought
set. 17, 2014, 1:02 pm

>11 NanaCC: I've never heard of the Nursery Crimes series before. I doubt I'll pick them up.

13Poquette
set. 17, 2014, 4:12 pm

Welcome, Paws! Glad to see a later entry than mine! I was a late starter this year too, but it doesn't take much to get into the fray, as you know. I too am deep into classics, but occasionally I throw in something modern just to liven things up. Looking forward to your reading and comments thereon.

14PawsforThought
set. 17, 2014, 4:13 pm

>13 Poquette: Thanks! I'll keep an eye on your thread then, to see what you think about your classics reading.

15rebeccanyc
set. 17, 2014, 6:19 pm

Welcome again, Paws. Looking forward to your reading too!

16Oandthegang
set. 25, 2014, 8:14 pm

Hello Paws, and welcome. Lovely picture of Christchurch.

It's no bad thing to have a short list of books! But joining this group may lengthen it. I find there are so many interesting books on other people's threads that my to be read pile just keeps getting bigger!

17PawsforThought
set. 26, 2014, 9:27 am

>16 Oandthegang: Thanks.

I don't have a short list of books to read in general. It's just the list for the end of this year. My general to-read list is long enough that even if I never add anything else to it it'll still last me the rest of my life.

18PawsforThought
oct. 5, 2014, 6:43 pm

It was my second thingaversary on Friday and I forgot all about it. I am officially getting older.

I'm trying to think of which books to buy to celebrate this, but I'm having trouble deciding which ones to get (I always do). I'm boying a few extras as I recently had a fairly big birthday and am buying myself a couple of belated birthdays presents as well.

Any tips for books?

19.Monkey.
oct. 6, 2014, 5:52 am

That's such a hard question. I almost never go book shopping with specifics in mind, I just see what they've got that catches my eye. I think I'd have an aneurism if I actually sat there and tried to pick out specific titles beforehand that I should get! LOL.

20PawsforThought
oct. 6, 2014, 5:56 am

>19 .Monkey.: I know! How do you think I'm feeling right now? But I've promised myself a few presents and there are tons of books I wouldn't mind getting but going from that to actually buying a specific few? Painful.

21.Monkey.
oct. 6, 2014, 6:12 am

Do you get them online only, or go to stores? I reserve my online buying for those random specific titles I really want now or really want and know I'll never stumble across, at least not here. Otherwise, I just go and see what's on the shelves, so much more fun that way. :D

22PawsforThought
oct. 6, 2014, 6:23 am

These ones I'm getting online. My local bookshop, while lovely, doesn't stock much of what interests me. It's mostly bestsellers and crime novels.

23.Monkey.
oct. 6, 2014, 6:42 am

While I enjoy crime novels, and occasionally one that happens to wind up on bestseller lists, that is an extremely limited selection! How lame. Even the pricier chain stores here (that I mostly avoid for said prices) have the staple classics and other various stuff!

24PawsforThought
oct. 6, 2014, 8:11 am

>23 .Monkey.: Well, they have some (and kids books, obviously) but it's very limited. And I'm picky...

25.Monkey.
oct. 6, 2014, 9:12 am

Yeah limited isn't good. All the stores here have a pretty good selection, it's only the prices that drive me away and into the used shops/online purchasing.

26PawsforThought
oct. 22, 2014, 8:02 am

I ordered a bunch of books a few weeks ago and they arrived on Monday.
I'm so excited. They all look incredible and I can't wait to read them.
Sadly, The Ocean at the End of the Lane was damaged so I contacted customer service about it. It wasn't a great damage but I'm anally retentive about books and want them in pristine condition so sent off an email explaining the situation and asked if there was something that could be done. They replied within half an hour and asked if I could send them a few photos of the book so I did. Just got a reply that they've dispatched a new copy of the book and I needn't even bother sending the book back to them.
Book Depository has the best customer service I've ever come in contact with. Always helpful and friendly and reinforcing "the customer is always right" (probably helps that I was very polite, but still). So now I'm eagerly anticipating the new copy.

The other books, which were all in perfect condition, were:
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen, Code of the Woosters and Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit by P. G. Wodehouse, Saga vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughn (I preordered volume 4 as well, but it doesn't come out for a little while yet), Sandman: Season of Mist and Sandman: A Game of You by Gaiman and Orlando by Virginia Woolf.
And now I feel like ordering more.

27NanaCC
oct. 22, 2014, 9:20 am

>26 PawsforThought: That is a nice selection of books. I've never used Book Depository. I will look for them next time I'm book shopping. I get a lot of my books in Kindle version, and Amazon is easy for that.

28PawsforThought
oct. 22, 2014, 11:56 am

>27 NanaCC: They're amazing. Sadly now owned by Amazon but they run themselves (nothing has changed that I've notised, at least).
They have free worldwide shipping too! (Main reason I started buying from them, shipping books can be very expensive!)
I can understand the ease of using Amazon for Kindle, but I don't read electronic books so don't have that issue.

29.Monkey.
oct. 30, 2014, 9:37 am

Man, I must live in an alternate universe. I seem to be the only person who has the *worst* experiences ever with BD. :|

30PawsforThought
oct. 30, 2014, 1:38 pm

>29 .Monkey.: Really? So sorry to hear that. I've only ever had good ones or somewhat bad that has turned good thanks to great customer service. Last time I had a problem I was contacted by the boss and he sorted things out himself.

And my new copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane - in prime condition this time - arrived two days ago. Can't wait to read it, and I'm trying desperately to not allow myself to buy even more books.

31.Monkey.
oct. 30, 2014, 2:59 pm

Last time I had a problem I got a runaround for like a week before finally agreeing that yes, it should have been there already, and yes, a replacement would, finally, be sent. They consistently lose my things. No other package of mine has ever gone missing, but like 5 of theirs have. Uh what? And every time their customer service has been worse and taken longer to resolve. So I quit using them.

32PawsforThought
oct. 30, 2014, 4:07 pm

>31 .Monkey.: Ugh, how irritating. Completely understand why you quit using them if that's your experience. I'm glad I've never had any similar issues.

33.Monkey.
oct. 30, 2014, 4:13 pm

Yeah, it sucks, 'cause they've got some cheap good stuff. But at the same time, I prefer to keep my money far away from amazon, so, I suppose it works out for the best, in a way.

34PawsforThought
oct. 30, 2014, 6:18 pm

>33 .Monkey.: I started using them because I didn't want to use Amazon unless I had no other viable option. And then Amazon went and bought BD. So, yeah. I'm sticking to them, though, hoping that buying from them instead of the Amazon mothership will be some form of defiance. And I don't really have any other option (besides Amazon proper). The two big Swedish online bookshops are good but English language books are pricey and there aren't as many to choose from. And they don't have free shipping.

35PawsforThought
nov. 17, 2014, 6:34 am

I posted an ask about this in the Tea group (there's a tea group in LT!) but figured I might as well post on my own threads as well - hopefully someone will be able to help.

I'm looking for Twinings tea tins. Primarily the 200g loose leaf kind but I've realised I could do with some 100g ones as well so either really. And I want empty ones. I've found plenty of places that sell them online but only the new ones full of tea. Some of them in six-pack. Which, great if you're into Earl Grey, Darjeeling or Breakfast tea but I'm a tea-heathen and prefer other types (fruity teas or rooibos, mainly) and that's just a bit too much money and tea to waste for my liking.
But the Twinings tins are perfect in size and shape and I'm indesperate need of tea tins. Anyone know where I could find any? I don't care what colour the tins are (and thus what type of tea's been in them) as I'm planning on repainting them (though lighter colours would be better than darker as there's less risk of the colour shining through).

This is what they look like:
100 grams


200 grams

36Poquette
nov. 17, 2014, 4:44 pm

Check eBay, Craigslist, etc. Much more likely to produce results.

37PawsforThought
nov. 17, 2014, 5:57 pm

>36 Poquette: I have checked. Thanks anyway.

38PawsforThought
Editat: des. 2, 2014, 3:24 am

I finally finished a book! It's been ages!



Ivanhoe by Walter Scott

Even though I've never read this book before I'm very familiar with the storyline since the movie version starring the wonderful and amazing Anthony Andrews airs on New Years every year here (and I always watch it). The movie is almost as faithful to the Scott novel as the BBC mini-series of Pride and Prejudice was to Austen. It's a lovely read! I greatly enjoyed myself even if I found it a touch difficult to figure out if it was supposed to be entirely serious, completely satirical or a mix of both. Some of the characters are so extreme I find it difficult to imagine them in a completely serious way. And I wanted to bash Brian de Bois-Guilbert over the head with a copy of He's Just Not That Into You, because that annoying bastard obviously couldn't take the five hundred hints thrown his way.
Considering the time in history when it was written, I was surprised by how non-antisemitic it was. Some of the characters are certainly anti-semites, but they are very obviously bad guys.
Also, now I feel like visiting one of those renaissance fairs and watch some jousting. Or take up archery.

39baswood
des. 1, 2014, 5:40 pm

Enjoyed your thoughts on reading Ivanhoe

40PawsforThought
des. 17, 2014, 4:52 pm

I finished one I've been slaving over for what feels like a century:



The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré

I read the first book in the Karla trilogy, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy last year and quite liked it, even though it was far from an easy read. This second book in the series is - to me - impossible to really understand. It's possible that my problems with it has to do with listening to the audiobook version rather than physically reading, but I've never had an issue with it before.
There is so much jargon and so little explanation that I constantly struggled to understand what was going on. And it seems to move at a very slow pace, to the point where you have difficulty sticking to the story and not letting your mind wander - and if you let it wander for just a few seconds, you've missed five major plot points. I had to read the Wikipedia article on it to understand what actually happened and why.

We'll see if I ever get around to reading the third part of the trilogy. Not for a while, I'm sure.

41PawsforThought
gen. 1, 2015, 5:27 pm

Happy New Year, my fellow clubbers!

My new thread for the new year is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/185288