Closing the lid of September

September, what a glorious month you were.

 

I finished 8 books. And, the number would have been higher if I hadn't decided to pick up the 900-page brick in the last week (which I also have finished by now).

 

* The Night Circus by E. Morgenstern (RIP VIII)

* Villette by C. Bronte (Classics Club)

* The Well of Lost Plots by J. Fforde

* Gardens of the Moon by S. Erikson

* The Universe Versus Alex Woods by G. Extence

* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

* The Unbearable Lightness of Being by M. Kundera (Classics Club)

 

That's 3483 pages. Three books were 500+ pages.

 

Since I rated all of those books with 4/5 or 5/5, with the exception of the first Harry Potter (which got 3/5), it got me thinking if I am the kind of reader that is just very generous or if I am just awesome at picking books to read. I kinda lean towards the latter, at least for this month, because there really aren't many random books among those. Okay, classics can be hit and miss - but The Unbearable Lightness of Being was a re-read, so I knew I like it, and Villette I was fairly certain I will like. I love Thursday Next books and Harry Potters are simply very well written. Alex Woods got a lot of praise from bloggers I trust, so I was fairly confident about that as well.

 

Also, right now I am reading The Turn of the Screw (for RIP VIII) and I am not really feeling it (about half way through), so possibly there will be a story rated 2 or so...

Sunday Snippets #11

Hellooo lovely people of the Internetz. I am here to talk about the week that has passed (almost, anyway). The weather has really caught up and it's proper cold and crispy now - I've worn mittens, yes I have.

 

It has been a nice and peaceful week, the usuals (work, Finnish class) plus getting outside quite a bit. I think the main focus this week was on food. I had been falling off my Paleo-train for a while now and became really frustrated not eating properly anymore, not to mention feeling constantly fatigued and out of energy because I had turned back to fast and crappy carbs (which, for me personally, just don't work). Sooo I decided to grab the reins and get back proper on the Paleo-train and that I have done, and maaan, the difference it makes what you put in your mouth! So much energy.

 

I made a really nice recipe discovery as well, I had been looking for a really good cauliflower soup recipe and tried some, but hadn't really felt that neither of recipes I tried would make it to my "to make at least once a month" list, until I tried this recipe - Paleo cauliflower soup with crispy bacon. I love Irena's site in general and have tried quite a few of her recipes. But this soup. Just so good. There's something about soups in autumn time and I could eat them like every other evening, probably.

 

I've read a lot of books this month in general (it must be my highest quantity month yet), but I don't want to start counting until the monthly recap. Last weekend I finished "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, which was re-read and is now strongly competing against Atkinson's "Life After Life" in the category of "The Best Book of the Year So Far", after which I picked up "Ship of Magic" by Robin Hobb, and since it is a HUGE book (900 pages), I've only made it to half so far. That plus the fact that I've been a bit out of concentration to read in general this week. But it's so good! I would recommend Robin Hobb to anyone who maybe haven't read that much fantasy but wants to try, her books are so immersive, have simple enough language and number of main-ish characters usually does not form a small army (like it often happens with high fantasy).

 

Haven't watched much anything, except we did watch the first Harry Potter movie last weekend. Surprise surprise, the boyfriend is really enjoying the books :)

Top Ten Books I Want to Read This Autumn

So my participation in Top Ten Tuesday is very random, depending on the appeal of the topic, and this time the topic is pretty appealing (mainly because I love autumn and I love lists), so I decided to do it. The meme is hosted by folks at The Broke and the Bookish, go check 'em out for more information.

 

It was easy to make this list because I am kind of hoping to get a lot of reading done this autumn, and I am already on a good path thanks to RIP VIII event. There is also the 24-hour readathon coming in October, so the reading scene looks pretty shiny indeed.

 

All the books are from my already existing shelves, 'cos that's how I roll (I really like to prioritise the books I already own, which is why I also find these lists and events very helpful).

 

 

 

1. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James -  short, spooky and classic.

2. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera - I failed to re-read this during the reading slump I had in summer, and actually this is autumn book instead anyway.

3. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - I mentally added this to RIP VIII list because it's appropriate and there's a readalong coming in October, and also it's a small book.

4. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb - I actually read a bit of this one recently at the point when I was between the books, and it was really good! Ships that are alive? Crazy. But potentially awesome.

5. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - I loooove Fforde's Thursday Next books and after having seen a few good things about this book, I just decided to check it out. Curious to see how Fforde writes other things!

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker - it's going to be the Halloween read.

7. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (currently reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) - so yes, this is bad, but I have never read those books. I just finished the first one last night. When I saw the news of the 15th anniversary edition covers in spring, I decided to get the series in autumn because I really love these covers. So I now own the first three books and will get the rest as well.

8. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - just because I want to read it.

9. NW by Zadie Smith - I still have a few Women's Prize books on my shelf, and I want to get done with the shortlist by the end of this year. (Shortlist minus Hilary Mantel's book that is since I just couldn't get into Wolf Hall, at all...)

10. Bullerby lapsed (Barnen i Bullerbyn, The Children of Noisy Village) by Astrid Lindgren - this is the star book of my childhood, probably. Well I had piles of favourites, but the very favourite must come from among Lindgren books, and it's probably this one. And I want to read it again (I think the number of my re-reads of this book must be over 30 by now).

 

Let's break it down:

* 5 Classics Club books

* 3 RIP VIII books

* 3 fantasy books (yay!)

* 1 Women's Prize book

* 1 children's book

Closing the lid of May

May - what an overall successful and pleasant month. So much happened. Spring finally arrived, my Finnish classes ended for this half-a-year, we were reading lots during Bout of Books 7.0, I made some important health-related decisions that should promise for better future. I am happy with you, May!

 

What I read in May 2013:

 

* M. Atwood "The Blind Assassin" (Classics Club big list)

* D.L. Bogdan "The Forgotten Queen" 

* B. Kingsolver "Flight Behavior" (Women's Prize shortlist)

* R. Bradbury "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (Classics Club big list)

* J. Fforde "The Eyre Affair"

* H. Wecker "The Golem and the Djinni"

* G.G. Marquez "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (Classics Club big list)
 



This is my boyfriend reading one of Martin's books. With
Robert. What lovely emotion on this photo.

Page count: 521 + 315 + 436 + 290 + 373 + 484 + 337 = 2756 pages

I think 7 books is the most I've done during blogging since the beginning of the year, so thanks a lot, Bout of Books!
 

In Classics Club May Meme post I set down the three classics I wanted to read in May. Well, I only read the Atwood book - I didn't really get into Conan Doyle and Dickens at all, so I didn't force them - the better time will come. However, I did read three CC books in May, which I am very happy with. And also enjoyed all of them, so that is a good thing too (I really have to catch up with the reviews, though...)
 

Okay, plans for June (and what a busy month this will be).
 

* Classics Spin #2 Summer Edition - I get to read "Villette" by Charlotte Brontë. I am excited! "Jane Eyre" is such a famous book, but it's also a story a bit overly chewn by the world by now, so I am so so curious to discover the later works of Charlotte. I started the book last night after I finished "One Hundred Years..." (very suitably on the last day of May) and read a few pages; I don't have opinions yet but it's definitely Charlotte's style there.
 

* O from Délaissé is hosting 18th Century English Literature Event for June - even though it will be a super busy month  for me, I wanted to take part because I am scared of the 18th century English lit and I am especially scared of Defoe and "Moll Flanders", which I picked to read. So hoping that reading with the rest of the classics-loving folk will make it easier!
 

* We are going to Prague this month for four days (this is like my dream destination for a city holiday ever). I am slightly obsessed with Prague and I want to read two books around the time of the trip - Magnus Flyte's "City of Dark Magic", which is set in Prague, and re-read Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", one of my favourite books from high-school reading programme (oh yes, we got to read some interesting books there :) ).




Robert got tired :)

It will be also the Midsummer's holidays this month, coinciding with my week-long vacation from work. We will likely be heading to boyfriend's parents' summer cottage in the middle of nowhere - which is actually the most perfect place for reading, ever (the forest, the lake, the nightless nights of Finland - this one day of the year when sun doesn't set).

 

Also, Women's Prize winner for this year will be announced on 5th of June, which is already next week - I really want to know which book wins.