Book Review: Reaper Man

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchet

Category: Fantasy, Satire

Synopsis: Death is given time and goes off to use it. Chaos ensues because without death life cannot move on and in classic Discworld manner life hangs around.


My Thoughts: I think I read my first Discworld novel about ten years ago and it was instant love, and the character I fell the most in love with was Death. Death has always been a bit different from how death should be, sure he has a hood, carries a scythe and is a bit of a skelington (95) but he also has a contemplative side and he does have family.

When the auditors decide that Death has become a personality contrary to regulations they give him time. And in typical Death manner he goes off to use it. He becomes farm hand Bill Door. Deaths absence as, well...Death, leads to problems for the other Discworld inhabitants, amongst them the Wizards at the Unseen University (or UU one of the few reasons I considered going to Uppsala University was the acronym UU). The Wizards are, erm...special people. Very set in their ways as befits proper Wizards and when one of their own fails to move on they set about solving the problem. However, when Wizards solve problems this tends to create other problems.

Pratchett has a way of seeing society in a way that you yourself could not but when he writes it down you go "oh yeah, of course". One of these incidences comes at the beginning of the book when the Wizards are throwing Windle Poons a death party. It reminded me strongly of the leaving parties that pop up occasionally at work, where everyone pretends to like the person and hope them well but secretly just want to get on with their own lives. The forced jollyness is always palpable.

As with any Pratchett book it is hard to explain what happens without giving away the whole story but I will say that I haven't laughed this much over a book in absolutely ages. And that the description of Mrs Cake (a medium, verging on small)

The Chief Priest moved a little closer.
'I think I could be strong enough to master and defeat just a little snare,' he said. 'I haven't felt like this since Mrs Cake was one of my flock.'
'Mrs Cake? What's a Mrs Cake?'
'You have...ghastly Things from the Dungeon Dimensions and thins, yes? Terrible hazards of your ungodly profession?' said the Chief Priest.
'Yes.'
'We have someone called Mrs Cake.'
Ridcully gave him an enquiring look.
'Don't ask,' said the priest, shuddering. 'Just be grateful you'll never have to find out.' (pg79)

strongly reminds me of this



I think that the Chief Priest would take Death please.

Booking Through Thursday: The Back of the Book

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme. 

Suggested by Jennysbooks:
Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”

My short answer is, I don't know. Sometimes a book grips me. Sometimes it doesn't. Some books I read on recommendation of others that I wouldn't have picked up based on the the blurb. Some I have picked up based on the blurb and have hated. I don't actually know what grips me. I will say this though, any book that glamourises violence for the sake of violence and states it on the back will get a pass from me. Add to that the fact that I, right now, tend to stay away from books that are sad anything on the back that indicates sad without happy ending will get a pass from me. They can be fantastic books but really sad without the prospect of happy isn't for me right now.

All in all a book has to sound interesting for me to pick it up but what interests me can vary from day to day. I have a pretty varied taste.

What's On Your Nightstand? October Edition

I've been reading quite a bit this month and I am hoping that the next month will be as successful. However, I also have a big research project due so...

Without further ado here is my plan:

I want to get on with some of my challenges so from the challenges:

My Antonia by Willa Cather

This book interests me because it is about a woman by a woman from a time when this was not necessarily something common.

A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell

This is for the Childhood Favourites Challenge. As a tween and early teen I read these books all the time. I adored them! I wanted a thoroughbred of my own.







And then...

Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

BookDepository sent me a message over the weekend to say that they should be shipping this soon. I am so excited. I love J. D. Robb's books and I really want to find out what happens next. So I guess I am haunting the mailbox over the next few days.

Guardians of the West by David Eddings

This is part of my re-read of The Belgariad and The Mallorean. This is the first book in The Mallorean. I am really looking forward to reading this.







I will continue reading the following books. They will probably carry over into December since I only read a few pages at a time. 

The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles van Doren

I am really hoping to get some more reading done than these books but I would like to pace myself especially since I will loose a weekend of reading with Thanksgiving.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate. Clicking on the links above takes you to Amazon and if you buy the books I get a small percentage.

Teaser Tuesday: Reaper Man

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser: 

The Death of Rats rounded up the last of his clients, many of whom had been in the thatch, and led the way through the flames towards wherever it was that good rats went. 
He was surprised to pass a burning figure forcing its way through the incandescent mess of collapsed beams and crumbling floorboards. (pg 141)

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett

Musing Mondays: Note Taking

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about note taking…


Do you take notes while reading – either for your reviews or for yourself? How/where do you make these notes (on the page, post-its, scrap paper, notebooks etc)?

It depends. If I own the book I tend to deface it quite a bit, i.e. I underline and write in the margin. It helps me think. I also flag things with little post it notes (memo to self must buy new little post its). Although I started doing this with my current read and then realised that I couldn't keep going with it. I was flagging to many things. I love Pratchett. If it is a library book I don't write in it. Instead I use post its. Little ones to flag and bigger ones to take notes on and stick on the page.

I started writing in books after first being told by my high school Swedish teacher to do it and it really helps. Then I was told again in two different books: The Well-Educated Mind and How to Read a Book. Both these books talk about the importance of marking your book in order to take part in the great conversation that reading is. How to Read a Book is one of my current reads and in addition to writing, underlining and generally talking to the book in the book I also take notes in a notebook. The book has so much good information that I really want to "mine" it.

When it comes to audiobooks I obviously can't write in the margin so for them I write in a notebook I always carry in my bag. It helps me to remember things I want to write in my reviews.

I also like going back and finding my notes from before. It makes me think about things again.

 

This picture was taken early this year. These books have a lot more notes and post its now. These are my anthologies for college.

Personally I always encourage people to make notes. It is up to each individual on how they make them but my students will be encouraged to make notes. It helps in thinking.  

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate, clicking on the book links above takes you to Amazon. If you buy the books I get a small percentage. So far I got nuthin.

The Sunday Salon: More on the e-book debate

This week I am staying on the topic I started last week. I was trying to think of something new but really this is the thing that has stuck with me this week.

Last week I touched on the debate over the e-book and that discussion has continued during the week with the announcement of Barnes & Nobel's Nook. For me that was a bit anticlimactic since I am not in the states but I do like the look of it and hope that something similar will be available here soon. Here in Sweden the debate regarding e-reading has this week centred around the payment to the author with this article in Dagens Nyheter. The author of the piece, who is a writer himself, states that the Swedish Writers Union is missing an important point in their message to their members regarding putting their works up on sites where they would be paid through the advertising on the site. I personally think he has a very valid point. Another important point in the discussion regarding e-books comes from Jane at Dear Author where she points out the importance of sharing books for growing readership (thank you to Jane at A Bibliophile's Bookshelf for bringing it to my attention). I mention below that I am currently reading Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. Although I was given my first Pratchett book by my parents my real love for the books grew from one I borrowed from my best friend. I went on to read several more and am still buying them. The same can be said for a book I reviewed earlier this week: Mary Anne Saves the Day. As an eight year old I highly doubt these would have been books I would have bought had I not borrowed them from my cousin first. I could keep listing books or authors I have only read because I first borrowed the books from someone else.

I found the comments from some of the authors in the article highly disturbing. People have ALWAYS borrowed books from each other. As Jane rightly points out, borrowing books is not what is cutting into authors profits, less reading is! As the article also points out with print books the reader has the right to sell the book on, it happens every day on Amazon and in used bookstores around the world. Just the other week at Booking Through Thursday the discussion centred around weeding out your books and I bet you that no one stated that they threw out books when they weeded. People sold them, bookmooched them, gave to charity or to friends. How is that different than if I share a Kindle account with a few very close friends? If we all had the same taste in books we would probably have shared the hard copy of the book around. In my house we are eagerly awaiting the new book from J.D. Robb, Kindred in Death, due out on the 5th of November (3rd in the US). Three of us in this house read the books and so does my sister who doesn't live here. Will we be buying four copies? I don't think so. We will buy one and then we will bug the person reading it so that they finish it quickly (as the fastest reader and the actual purchaser of the book I will be the first to read it thank you very much). This has always happened and it does not make us thieves. Just like the fact that I use a bowl then wash it out and someone else uses it does not make us thieves from IKEA.

Reading

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. With Halloween coming and chatter around the bookblogging world about the new Pratchett book Unseen Academicals (Discworld) I decided to revisit an old favourite of mine: Reaper Man. My best friend and I went through a period in high school when we devoured Pratchett. We quoted from him regularly and we both adored Death. I am thoroughly enjoying this visit back and will read a few others (some I haven't yet read) that are sitting on the bookshelves here at home.

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. This weeks chapter focused on the importance of classifying books we read and how the title can help with that.

I continue my history self-education by reading The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer. To be honest this week I have only read two chapters. It hasn't been a great week for "difficult" books.

I'm still listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. I didn't get to listen to my audiobook as much this week as I normally do because I forgot to charge the iPod over the weekend so I couldn't listen to it on Monday on the bus (not a mistake I will make again in a hurry).

Finished 

Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings

Mary Anne Saves the Day by Anne M. Martin

Challenges

Fall into Reading
I am reading:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Giver by Lois Lowry
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
I haven't read any of these books this week. Going to pick this challenge back up again soon

Childhood Favourites Challenge
The original post is here:
The Babysitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin
A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Madicken by Astrid Lindgren
I read Mary Anne Saves the Day this week. It took me a couple of hours and was a very nice break.

The Really Old Classics Challenge
Introductory post here:
I'll be reading:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
I might also add the extra credit challenge but I haven't decided yet.

I am also taking part in The Classic Circuit: On Tour With Elizabeth Gaskell where I will be reading Cranford. The Circuit will be visiting my blog on December 18th so please stop by then!

Disclaimer 
I am an Amazon Associate who so far has either bought or borrowed all the books I read and review. If you click on the links in the text above you will be taken to Amazons site. If you buy the book I get a small percentage. With regards to books I have read you get taken to my review of the book.

Book Review: Enchanters' End Game

Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings

Category: Fantasy

Synopsis: In the final book of The Belgariad the journey do destroy the evil god Torak continues. Ce'Nedra leads the Western Army in a bold fight in order to create a diversion while Garion, Belgarath and Silk head to the City of Night for the final fight. The future of the world hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts: This book moves at a much faster pace than the previous books. There is more action and it follows more characters. Although this could be confusing the previous four books have spent so much time establishing each of the characters that it is easy to follow along the different strands. This also helps the pace. The conclusion of the book is not all that surprising but supremely satisfying for fans of the book. All in all the series delivers the message that as long as you do what is right you will be rewarded and those who do wrong will be punished.

"Thus concludes The Belgariad, which began with Pawn of Prophecy. And while History, unlike mortal pen, does not cease, the records beyond this point remain as yet unrevealed" (pg373)

Join me when we move on to The Mallorean.

Disclaimer: This book is mine. It was purchased used several years ago. I am a member of Amazon Associates and clicking on the link above and buying the book will give me a very small percentage of the sales, which I would be using to feed my book habit.

Book Review: Mary Anne Saves the Day

Mary Anne Saves the Day (The Baby-Sitters Club #4) by Ann M. Martin

Category: Children's book

Synopsis: The Baby-Sitters Club is a group of four 12 year old friends who run a baby-sitting business. They are Kirsty (the bossy tom-boy president), Claudia (the arty vice-president), Stacy (the fashionable treasurer) and Mary Anne (the shy, quiet, secretary). This book sees the girls in the fight of their lives. It starts over something silly but soon spirals out of control. The fight forces Mary Anne to look hard at herself and the relationship she has with her friends and her father. When one of the children she is watching becomes seriously ill Mary Anne has to act quickly in order to get the girl the medical attention she needs.

My Thoughts: Mary Anne and Kirsty were always my two favourite baby-sitters. I felt I could relate to those two more. I was never arty or fashionable but I was a rather insecure tom-boy who was rather serious. I first read The Baby-Sitter Club books when I was about 8 or 10 (my copy of this book has the address of our house down south printed in a rather untidy scrawl and we moved up north when I was 10) and I remember thinking the book rather exciting. What would I do if something like that happened when I was babysitting? I also liked how Mary Anne was able to stand up for herself.

Today I can appreciate that the book shows young girls (I am assuming mostly girls would read these books) how to act in case of an emergency. I was also highly amused by the following excerpt:

"She's very sophisticated, and is even allowed to have her hair permed, so that she has this fabulous-looking shaggy blond mane, and she wears the neatest clothes--big baggy shirts and tight-fitting pants" (pg5).

First off it amused me because the perm thing really dated it but the second part? that amused me because my students wear "big baggy shirts and tight-fitting pants". Oh heavens above we have come full circle!!



Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate if you click on the link above and buy the book I get a very small percentage to buy books for myself. The above book has been in possession for close to twenty years.

Book Review: Castle of Wizardry

Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

Category: Fantasy

Synopsis:
The Orb has been saved from the clutches of the evil Sorcerer Ctuchik now all that remains is to return it to its rightful place at Riva. Or so the boy Garion believes. However the Prophecy holds more surprises for Garion than he ever thought possible and the same holds true for Princess Ce'Nedra. What happens next is beyond the wildest imaginations of the two teenagers and they begin to realise that their journey has but started.

My Thoughts:
This book picks up the pace of the story at an almost alarming speed. It does slow down every so often but you soon figure out that actually the slowing down is simply there in order to lull you into a false sense of security because they are about to make a very sharp turn.

I love it.

The book reveals much about Garions rather mysterious background. Garion again becomes the rather agreeable character he is in the first book rather than the sullen moody teenager he is in books two and three and I for one found it refreshing. However, Garion's transformation isn't as surprising as the transformation that Ce'Nedra goes through. We still see glimpses of the spoiled child we first met but now they are more of a character trait and not her whole character. I don't really want to write more in case it spoils anyone.

I really love how Eddings (or should I say the Eddingses as Davids wife Leigh was heavily involved in writing these books) manage to portray the teenagers who are their main characters. They really feel authentic.



Disclaimer: I own this book. It was bought at a used bookstore sometime between 2001 and 2005 for £2.50 (I only know this because the price is on the first page in pencil). Although the FTC regulations really don't apply to me right now I figure it is best to get used to putting this on my reviews. My government are being pesky too :) I am however an Amazon Associate so if you click through on the link above and buy the book I get a teeny percentage that I can use to buy books. I still haven't gotten anything from this but I like to offer my readers a place to buy the book. I also buy my books from BookDepository because they offer free shipping.

Booking Through Thursday: Question for Your Favourite Author

 Booking Through Thursday is a weekly question. This weeks question is:

If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?

One question? To one author? But But But...I have very very many favourite authors. And* they vary buy day or hour or even millisecond. I couldn't possibly choose. Just. One. Arrrrrghhhhhh

*Deep Breath*

Okay. I would ask David Eddings, the author of my current read Castle of Wizardry, if he had all twelve books in the Belgariad and the Malloreans planned out before he started writing or was it a more organic process? And* did he always intend for Silk to get married?

Okay so I cheated and asked two questions. Sue me. 

*Should my students ever read this: No, despite the fact that I use and in the beginning of a sentence, you may not do so.

The Really Old Classics Challenge: Introductory Post

So I read about the Really Old Classics Challenge and thought it perfect since I was already planing to read The Epic of Gilgamesh which fits the rules:

To join the Really Old Challenge, commit to read at least one work written before 1600 A.D. between November 2009 and February 28, 2010.

• Audiobooks count.
• Cross-overs with other challenges count.
• You do not need a blog to participate, but if you do post about it on your blog, we’d love to hear about it.
• You don’t need to decide what you’ll read before hand.
• Decide for yourself which works count. You could even read excerpts or abridgments (although of course we suggest reading the entire work). Our guideline is pre-1600 A.D.

So my choice:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a collection of poems from Mesopotamia which tells the story of the Hero King Gilgamesh. It describes the age old fight against death thus still being relevant despite being "really old".

I chose this particular old classic because I am currently reading The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer and she leans heavily on it in the first part of the book as an original source document. It sounds like a fascinating story and I am really looking forward to reading it.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate so if you click on book links from me they will take you there and if you buy the book I get a small percentage. I have yet to get anything from this service. I mainly provide it since I personally appreciate it when others do this. However my copy of this book I bought from BookDepository because they offer free shipping world wide. 

Teaser Tuesday: Castle of Wizardry

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Protected by the slope and faintly warmed by the winter sun, the flower that had never existed before swelled with silent, vegetative ecstasy and bore its fruit. A tiny seed pod at its heart opened, scattering infinitesimal seeds that sifted down to the frozen earth through the stalks of winter grass, and there they lay, awaiting spring.

 From Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings  pg 100

Musing Mondays: Read-a-Thon and Waffles

 Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca over at Just One More Page

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the read-a-thon…

Are you planning on participating in the upcoming 24 Hour Read-a-thon (either as a reader or cheerleader)? Have you made any preparations for the event? And, veterans out there, any tips you’d like to share with the newbies?

I am not taking official part in this years Read-a-Thon. I feel far to new to the whole book blogging scene plus I have a feeling that I will be required to help with renovations next weekend. That said, I will be reading. It is the first weekend of my much anticipated fall break (break = writing a research proposal, catching up on assignments and doing lesson prep) and I plan on being really lazy. I have also promised to make waffles for Galleysmith's Slumber Party Read-a-Thon Style. I'll be showing up around 5am ET or so (I'm on CET so it might even be earlier) with waffles, syrup, fruit, coffee, tea and juice for anyone interested. Stop by and play with us.

Next time though, next time I want to play!

The Sunday Salon: E-books and other matters

It has been another long week but I have managed to get quite a bit more reading done at least, both books and news. As a matter of fact this article from the New York Times caught my attention: Libraries and Readers Wade Into Digital Lending. I found some of it highly fascinating. Personally I have yet to read an entire book on the computer. My Dad often does but so far I have stuck to the regular format or audio books. The idea, however, intrigues me as I have been known to read fanfiction on the computer and really how can a published book be different (I would say the quality would be better in published books but I have read some good fanfiction and some awful books so...).

Anyway, back to the article, I do like the idea of being able to download the book straight to my computer. I sometimes have problems getting to the library so this way I could still support my library, get my book and not spend money. I like the idea. I am also of the "it doesn't matter what (or where or how) they read as long as they read" mentality and if this opens reading to more people I am all for it.

I find it interesting that the publishing industry seem to be so against it. Their main complaint seems to be that it will stop people from buying the books (the same argument that the music industry has regarding downloads and well all know how that is going). I find this a strange argument, especially if, as the article states, a book expires on the patrons computer after the loan period is up. In this case it is no different from a regular library book. The publishing industry does not suffer because I borrow books from the library. I would actually argue that this is better for the publishing industry because if it is a book I like I am more inclined to go out an buy a book if it has disappeared from my computer when the period is up. I am sure I am not the only bookworm out there who supports the library with my overdue fines, some because I liked a book but didn't have time to finish it (I should also add that I really should have the local library on speed dial because I often have to call them and ask them to extend my lending periods). If I can try out a book before I buy it I am more likely to buy it in the first place.

Add to this the fact that small libraries like my local one could in this way have more books. Currently they cannot physically carry all the books they would perhaps like to carry. If they could instead store the books on servers they could have more books for the patrons to read (and perhaps in many different languages *drools over this possibility*).

Do I think regular books will disappear completely because of e-books? No absolutely not. Personally I think I still prefer the regular physical book over reading on the computer or an e-book device. But at the same time with the technology available to us we should utilize it to its maximum in order to get as many people as possible involved in the great conversation.

On the note of e-books, Amazon has now announced the release of its Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6 in an international version thus removing one of my major reasons for not getting one. Luckily enough the other major reason is still standing: I simply do not have $279 plus the shipping. I really want one though. Just saying.


Reading

Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings. Part of my re-read of The Belgariad and The Mallorean series.

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. The last chapter I read had a great argument for writing in books (a topic I know divides the book blogging world. I fall in the writing camp). I will continue to work my way through this book at about a chapter a week. It gives me lots to think about so I want to take it slow.

I continue my history self-education by reading The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer. I have started reading the introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh but will hold off reading the poem itself since I have joined the Really Old Classics Challenge and that starts in November.

I am also reading various poets since my seniors have decided that they want to study poetry for the next period and I need to try and decide which poems and poets we will study. Should be fun though. I like poetry.

I'm still listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

Finished

Magician's Gambit by David Eddings. Part of my re-reading of The Belgariad and The Mallorean series (link to my review)

Running for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield. Loved this book. Really got me inspired to get back into running (link to my review).

Books Bought

This week was my Audible week and I ended up settling for The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini since my mentor has been raving about it and it has been in my TBR pile for a while.

Challenges

Fall into Reading
I am reading:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Giver by Lois Lowry
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
I haven't read any of these books this week. Going to pick this challenge back up again soon

Childhood Favourites Challenge
The original post is here:
The Babysitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin
A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Madicken by Astrid Lindgren
As you can see I haven't started any of these books yet.

The Really Old Classics Challenge
I'll be reading:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
I might also add the extra credit challenge but I haven't decided yet.

I am also taking part in The Classic Circuit: On Tour With Elizabeth Gaskell where I will be reading Cranford. Probably on my computer thanks to Project Gutenberg.

Disclaimer 
I am an Amazon Associate who so far has either bought or borrowed all the books I read and review.

Book Review: Running for Mortals

Running for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield

The miracle isn't that I finished.
The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

John Bingham's Credo (pg 102)

Category: Non-fiction

Synopsis:You don’t have to run fast or competitively to reap the rewards that running has to offer. What you do need is the courage to start. That is the "Penguin mantra" that has enabled John Bingham—through his best-selling book No Need for Speed, his popular monthly column for Runner’s World magazine, and his many appearances at major running events throughout the year—to inspire thousands of men and women to take up the sport for fitness and the sheer enjoyment that running brings them.

By teaming up with coach Jenny Hadfield, his wife and coauthor on Marathoning for Mortals, Bingham lays out strategies that will help readers to safely and effortlessly integrate runs into their busy schedules. In this book, backed by Runner’s World, the authority of America’s leading running magazine, the authors provide tips for getting started, sticking to a routine, eating for energy, hydration, and training for speed and endurance (from Amazon.com).

My thoughts: I have much love for this book. I am fairly new to running (and I really need to get out there again it's been ages) and I found this book incredibly helpful and inspiring. It takes you through why you should run. How you should run. When you should run. In fun easy chapters. It gives several different training programs as well as advice on warm-ups and strength training. It also gives some of the best weight loss advice out there:

Eat less. Move more. pg 157

This book is a great introduction for those who are considering taking up running as part of their fitness routine but I think it also has a lot to offer seasoned runners who might need some reminders. It is also a funny book. John and Jenny look at themselves and running with a great deal of self-deprecating humour. They make it very clear that they did not start out as world class olympians but as normal people who "couldn't run to the end of the block without crying". This type of self-insight is so very helpful to me as I move on in my journey of becoming a runner. I am now looking forward to reading their other book: Marathoning for Mortals. Not that I will be running a marathon any time soon but they are that inspiring.

I really cannot recommend this book more highly to anyone who is a runner or wants to become one!




Disclaimer: I bought this book myself from Amazon.com because I wanted to read it. I am an Amazon associate.

Booking Through Thursday: Weeding out books

Booking Through Thursday is hosted by Deb.

This weeks question is:


We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder…
When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?
Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore?  SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?


It has been a while since I had to weed out my library. The last two times I moved I was in no fit state to make decisions on books (strangely enough I could make decisions about clothes) so they all got packed. Granted some of them are still living in my cousins garage (I really have to make it back across the north sea to get them) but I do still own them. The last time I did any weeding in the library I donated the books to a charity shop. I tried selling them to a used book store but he simply wasn't interested so instead I donated them. Our library is rather out of control right now. We are renovating it so the books are living in paperbags on the landing. It will be awesome once it is done though. Of course our books have long since outgrown our library and they live in several other rooms as well. But what can you do? We are a family of bookworms :D

I will post pictures of the library when it is finished.

Book Review: Magician's Gambit

Magician's Gambit by David Edding

Synopsis: The journey to find the stole orb goes on. The mixed group is further added too but two members are left behind as the final stages of the quest are entered. Garion starts to learn more about the enormous power that lives inside him and we get to meet the dry voice in his head. In previous books we were told the story through the eyes of Garion or through an impersonal narrator. Now we are introduced to the thoughts and feelings of another character, Ce'Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra. Ce'Nedra, like any good Tolnedran does not believe in sorcery. It is simply trickery. These beliefs are continually ground down as it becomes clear what her companions in general and Garion specifically can do.

My thoughts: I like the introduction of the second main narrative character. Although I can more readily identify with Garion than with Ce'Nedra I find it refreshing to hear another thought pattern. Although I am older now than when I first read these books I can remember how important Ce'Nedra's views on what she saw was. She was very different from me but at the same time many of the feelings she exhibited were feelings I had (and still have).

The book continues to mix humour with the serious. The characters are further developed (although some characters remain very one dimensional) and the plot thickens.

I enjoy this book (and the series as a whole) for the pure escapeism they offer. None of the books are difficult to read. The plot is intricate but not difficult to follow. The lands depicted throughout the story bear striking resemblances to countries in our world(and the stereotypes connected with them). Me and my friends would spend time trying to deduce which countries or cultures from our lives were portrayed in the books.

Disclaimer: I own this book. It was bought at a used bookstore sometime between 2001 and 2005 for £2.50 (I only know this because the price is on the first page in pencil). Although the FTC regulations really don't apply to me right now I figure it is best to get used to putting this on my reviews. My government are being pesky too :)

Teaser Tuesday: The History of the Ancient World

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"Written history began sometime around 3000 BC. At the beginning of that millennium, there were only two things imprtant enough to communicate across space and time: the deeds of great men, and the ownership of cows, grain, and sheep."

pg43 The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
by Susan Wise Bauer

Musing Mondays: Lists Lists Lists

Musing Mondays from Rebecca at Just One More Page

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books on your top book lists…


This past week, Borders re-released it’s  100 Favourite Books of All Times. Do you vote in these kinds of polls when they arise? Do you look through the list, or seek out books featured?

Well I am a sucker for lists. I love them. I especially love lists of books because they give me ideas on what to read. When I can I vote in the lists (not like my friend S who likes to stuff ballots :D). And since I am a sucker for lists here is the borders list complete with which books I have read in bold (and reviews when I have done them) and the ones I want to read are in italics.

100 Favourite Books of All Times

1. Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
3. Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
4. My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult
5. Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
6. Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling
7. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
8. Book Thief – Markus Zusak
9. 1984 – George Orwell
10. Magician – Raymond E Feist
11. Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
12. Bronze Horseman – Paullina Simmons
13. Shantaram: A Novel – Gregory David Roberts
14. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
15. Power of One – Bryce Courtenay
16. The Davinci Code – Dan Brown
17. Angels & Demons – Dan Brown
18. Alchemist – Coelho
19. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
20. Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
21. Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
22. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
23. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
24. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
25. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
26. Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
27. Holy Bible (working on it)
    
28. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
29. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
30. Fortunate Life – AB Facey
31. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
32. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
33. Cross Stitch – Diana Gabaladon
34. Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
35. Child Called It – Dave Pelzer
36. Mao’s Last Dancer – Li Cunxin
37. Tomorrow, When The War Began – John Marsden
38. Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
39. Dune – Frank Herbert
40. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger (sort of. I gave up on it)
    
41. Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
42. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
43. April Fool’s Day – Bryce Courtenay
44. Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
45. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – Patrick Suskind
46. Ice Station – Matthew Reilly
47. Shadow of the Wind – Ruiz Zaf
48. Briefer History of Time – by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
49. Eragon – Christopher Paolini
50. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
51. Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom
52. Persuasion – Jane Austen
53. Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
54. Atonement – Ian McEwan
55. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
56. Animal Farm – George Orwell
57. Clockwork Orange: Play With Music – Anthony Burgess
58. Little Prince & Letter to a Hostage
59. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
60. Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
61. Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
62. Really Short History of Everything – Bill Bryson
63. Crime & Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
64. Lion Called Christian – Anthony Bourke
65. God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
66. Tully – Paullina Simons
67. Time to Kill – John Grisham
68. Marley & Me – John Grogan
69. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
70. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
71. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
72. Road – Cormac McCarthy
73. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
74. In Turkey I am Beautiful – Brendan Shanahan
75. Breath – Tim Winton
76. Jessica – Bryce Courtenay
77. Animalia – Graeme Base
78. Secret History – Donna Tartt
79. Godfather – Mario Puzo
80. Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice
81. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
82. Stand – Stephen King
83. Bridget Jones Diary – Helen Fielding
84. New Earth: Create A Better Life – Eckhart Tolle
85. Seven Ancient Wonders – Matthew Reilly
86. Wild Swans: Three Daughts of China – Jung Chang
87. The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
88. American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
89. The Belgariad – David Eddings
90. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
91. Looking for Alibrandi – Melina Marchetta
92. PS I Love You – Celia Ahern
93. Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
94. Thorn Birds – Colleen McCullough
95. Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. Good Omens – Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
97. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S Thompson
98. Chocolat – Joanne Harris
99. The Princess Bride – William Goldman
100. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

 26 out of 100. Looks like I need to get reading ;)

The Sunday Salon: Is Book Reviewing a Job for Journalists or Bloggers?

I've been watching the discussion about the FTCs new rules with some interest the last week. It won't currently impact me since 1) I have never been asked to review an ARC and 2) I don't live in the US. I found it interesting however because of a radio report I heard on Swedish Radio P1 a few weeks ago. It was discussing if giving a free copy of a book to a journalist was giving that journalist a bribe or not. Some were arguing that journalists should not take gifts of any kind in order to keep their impartiality whereas others felt that the book reviewing was exempt from this consideration. Having read book reviews in the press in the past I rarely question their integrity. When I read a review by anyone, blogger or journalist I always ask myself if they like books similar to me, rather than if they have an agenda or not. This is what I feel that the FTC isn't getting. If I read a review of someone I look for if they are talking about if this is a genre they have read before. If this is a book that they liked because... or didn't like because... If they are always gushing about books with out having stated that they only review books they like then I will probably put less credibility to that reviewer. Add to that the fact that I usually read several reviews of the same book before I decide if I am going to buy/borrow a book or not. Getting to the library is a bit of a hassle for me because I don't have a car. Add to that the fact that my library carries very few titles in English I am pretty much forced to buy or borrow books in order to get them. Because of that I need to be pretty sure I am going to like the book before I buy it. I'm a grad student. I spend most of my disposable income on books but I still have to be careful. I liked the following perspectives on what has been going on and what is to come:

Why the FTC's New Rules for Bloggers Could Hurt Publishers, Too

Colleen at Chasing Ray has two really good commentaries, here and here.

What I also wonder about is if the FTC realises that many bloggers are not in the US. Granted right now we can't get our grubby little hands on a lot of the free stuff, but what is to say that if the "free" marketing with sites in the US dries up that they won't start looking at bloggers in other countries? I think that sometimes governments (and with this I mean governments in most countries) fail to realise is that we live in a global world now. People talk to each other across borders. I read books and watch shows that have been recommended to me by people in countries I have never visited but that I have gotten to know through the internet. I have friends who buy me books or DVDs that I can't get in my country and likewise I send them things that they can't get. I can borrow their addresses if some company does not send to my country. The world has grown very small in the last decade and people like that. I don't think that you can unplug the internet. They have to learn to live with it and work within the rules that exist here, not in their reality (The Geeks shall inherit the earth as we say in my family).

Reading

Still working on Magician's Gambit (The Belgariad, Book 3) by David Eddings. This hasn't been a good reading week. I have been absolutely shattered most of it. I'm not used to working and this whole getting up in the morning malarky is not working for me :D.

I want to try and read a substantial portion of Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life With Running by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield this week. I want to get rid of some of my "Currently Reading" books by finishing them. And Running for Mortals is this weeks target.

Then I want to make some progress on How to Read a Book (A Touchstone book) by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. I am reading The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer a chapter a night but I will be taking a break from that soon in order to read The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Classics) which she references heavily in the chapters I am currently reading. Got to read the source document when I can.

My audio book for the commute is now Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling.

Finished

I finished listening to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (link is my review).

TBR building

This week sees my monthly credit with Audible go into my account. I have several books in my wish list but I am not sure if any of  them are speaking to me, so I thought I would ask:

Has anyone recently gotten anything from Audible that they loved? If so what? Is there anything I should definitely get? Should I wait and get a second credit? Help me out please!

Challenges

Fall into Reading
I am reading:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Giver by Lois Lowry
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
I haven't read any of these books this week. Going to pick this challenge back up again soon

Childhood Favourites Challenge
I've updated my post so I will now be reading:
The Babysitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin
A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Madicken by Astrid Lindgren
As you can see I haven't started any of these books yet.

I am really tempted by the YA Dystopian Reading Challenge over at Bart's Bookshelf since I adore dystopian novels but I think that I will give it a miss this time. I have enough with the reading I have. I do need to squeeze some school reading in to all this (anyone else noticed that reading about grading isn't anywhere near as fun as reading novels?)

Disclaimer
And in case anyone cares: I use Amazon Associates because I appreciate it when people link to where I can buy the books they talk about and Amazon seems like a good place for most of my readers to get their books from. Yes it does give me a percentage of the the clicks and all that but honestly I haven't earned any yet. I mostly buy my books from BookDepository because they offer free shipping world wide. I am currently considering their associates program as well but as they admit they aren't as timely in their shipping and I want to make it as easy for others as possible. I get my books in Swedish from Adlibris.