My Life According to Books 2019

Here is the little fun exercise I've been doing for some years now, copied from another blog, also years ago. The idea is to present a list of random life related questions and answer them with titles of books we read in a certain year. This is for 2019!

 

Describe yourself:

Forgotten and Remembered, Bree Wolf

How do you feel:

My Brain on Fire, Susannah Calahan

Describe where you currently live:

Bay of Sighs, Nora Roberts

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:

Shifter Planet, DB Reynolds

Your favorite form of transportation:

  Tailspin, Sandra Brown

Your best friend is:

A Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

You and your friends are:

Love and Loyalty, Tere Michaels

What's the weather like:

In theDays of Rain, Rebecca Stott

What is life to you:

The Bravest Thing, Laura Lascarso

Favorite time of day:

Mist of Midnight, Sandra Byrd

Your biggest fear:

The Shadow Land, Elizabeth Kostova

What is the best advice you have to give:

Silence is Golden, Robert Thier

Thought for the day

This is Going to Hurt, Adam Kay

How would you like to die:

Shinning Through, Susan Isaacs

Your soul's current condition:

Flawless, Jan Moran

Happy reading, everyone!!

Miscellaneous

This post has some miscellaneous entries which I felt weren't that easy to discuss a lot but that I still wanted to register here.

So, I have a small book commentary, a fun test and a list to think about.

1) I've recently read two books in Portuguese by Portuguese authors which weren't that great and for that I graded both books with a four out of ten.

The first was a set of comedy conversations imagined by a humorist artist during a radio show. I like his style and he is a great writer and comedian but I felt this book was not very good simply because it was a basic transcription of what he (and his co workers at the radio) said during that show.  

I think the texts themselves were funny but without his tone of voice, without the way he meant them to be said, some of the fun is lost. 

Most of the entries were also related to some kind of specific situation on going in the country or the world or just his ideas but since the texts are from 2014, some things now don't seem to be as pertinent.

I much prefer his texts in magazines or even his TV shows because things seem to be more fluid and the clever ideas and writing do seem much better done and easier to find funny.

The second was a classic. It's the travel diary of a sailor from the 16th century while he traveled to the other side of the world during the Portuguese expansion and discoveries.

From a writing point of views, of course the text isn't that easy. Some parts of it can sometimes be read during class at school but the language is, of course, demanding since it's not modern. Although the message comes across, it can be difficult to focus on it and to bear enough to keep going.

I had the thought my adult self would be much more inclined to read it now, with a different way of appreciating things but it was still a challenge and the result not very rewarding.

Some descriptions of the scenes he lived through are supposed to let the reader have an idea of how life used to be for sailors, for foreigners, for those having a first contact with different cultures but to be honest apart from the importance of the date in which he did his travels, the descriptions don't really point out the things I'd be more curious about, there's a lot of repetition in what he does and a distinctive distance between him as the hero of his adventures and his work as storyteller.

2) I was browsing the web and found a blog with an interesting post from this year:  https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/how-long-will-it-take-you-to-read-your-tbr-pile/

On the website Read It Forward there's a funny tool to let us calculate how long it would take to read and finish our TBR, which for many can be a daunting task, plus when it would happen and how old one would be.

 https://www.readitforward.com/tbr-time/

I did my math based on my Want to Read shelf in Goodreads and some bunch of books I own but that I didn't add up there yet:

Here are your TBR Time Results!

Reading all 622 books will take:

3 years and 1 months

You will finish your TBR pile on:

February 4, 2023

And you will be:

37

This is fun and an easy goal to achieve, were I able to just restrain myself to it. As any book lover, any reader would agree with, the problem is that for any book read, who knows how many would be added? But it's certainly fun to try...

3) I sometimes visit the blog of website BookBub because they have lists and I like seeing them. One of those lists is from this month and in it they present 15 romances to be considered by their readers as the best of 2019. Of course everyone's opinion is relative but out of curiosity, I must say I've only read four of those - liked them all by the way -, three are on my TBR and out of the remaining eight, I might try four if I were to find the book with a deal but four of them are not something that would interest me to read.

What about you, romance readers? Interesting some titles are repeated in different sites and "best of" lists of readers. Something about them, for certain....

Happy reading!

A book comment; a suggestion

A book

I've recently read a book by author Roger L. Talbot, whose only personal information I found was on goodreads and not that detailed (not that I have done an extensive research). This author has written a book that, according to goodreads again and some retailers, is only available in Italian, its original publication and translated into two or three languages, none of them English.

I got the Portuguese edition at my library because the cover blurb mentioned famous women and how they all had something in common, they were part of a secret sisterhood. 

Of course, this being a fictional novel, I knew the names referenced were just an exaggeration of the possibilities of the novel but I imagined a mix of historical facts, romance, adventure... however, this story didn't end up being that amazing and the titled suggested in Portuguese (literally it means "the wise ones" felt a little under par to what the content really offers.

Basically, this is a story based on the premise women in History, same very famous, have been part of a sisterhood that aims to control several aspects that could cause world catastrophes. In this book we meet some - not so famous - fictional women who are in special placed situations and how they behave to keep their secrets while teaching possible new agents. At the same time, the daughter of one of these agents wants to know the truth behind her mother's death but she has her oligarch Russian father to worry about as well. And apparently a certain agent has gone rogue...

The story's idea is not that bad and I had an image of how things could happen. The writing is fluid and the many chapter make things seem to happen more quickly. However, the story was unappealing, the characters didn't have any personality beyond the obvious and the structure of the story didn't go as smoothly as I think the author intended. The "feel" of the story just wasn't impressive for me.

Grade: 4/10

-//-

A suggestion

I saw this quiz online and thought about sharing with you:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2019/jan/the-penguin-quiz-tricky-questions-for-book-lovers/

I've done the quiz and I got 5 right.

Well, as obvious as it is, if everyone has read or heard about the books, the chances of getting right answers increases...

Have fun!

Blog anniversary

 

We're in October and although I wasn't this thoughtful each year, the reality is that this month my blog has its anniversary.

I've started this in 2010 so this little corner of the internet is 9 this year.

I've started it with no real purpose, it was just a way to convey some thoughts on books and things I read. I had in mind when I started something quite simple, like a sort of "hello, I'm here" kind of blog but after a while it stopped being what I wanted.

It got to a point I felt small comments and updates on what I was currently reading were not really my thing nor did I think it would interest anyone. I don't really mind only a few read this but well, Isomeone out there does read some content here and there.

suppose the goal is to know

With time I kept changing a few things, adding others as time went by but it was not long after starting I realized I had to have some structure to my posts and to how I could organize things.

Therefore, I just decided to use this as a sort of diary for the books I read and I have always tried to write my comments in order of reading. I try to mix my books so I don't get stuck in the same genre that long. I used to binge on authors but nowadays what I prefer to do is to space series/authors more, it seems those "last longer".

I've said before, I think, I also like to write down monthly lists with books I have languishing in the pile. It's odd to pick in advance things to read. Sometimes I don't feel like it but I think I'd postpone ad infinitum many things otherwise.

Recently published books part of series I follow or by author I like I always tend to add anyway. It's a weird method but so it is to just pick something from the shelf without order.

Back to the blog, this means my reading choices are not really thought of to suit the blog. I often read hyped books way later so those who like those things rarely find this blog or if they do, it's not because they like what I write but one title, one author might have showed up on google search.
I suppose I thought about this blog more as a way to keep busy, to have an idea of why I liked or not in a book. After some years (in some book's case, months) it can be difficult to remember details or why it was good/bad outside of the generic appreciation. This, I felt, was a good way to keep those details in order without having to hand write, which I don't mind but it's not as appealing anymore to do that often.

I've seen some friends from the romancelandia stop writing in their blogs, taking huge hiatus from them... some I don't see interacting online that much, others use only goodreads... I don't know what I'll do if one day I just don't feel like writing anymore.

What I know is that I definitely want to keep writing my little comments for at least one more year so, all things considered, I'm as surprised as anyone coming here by how long this has been lasting.

Happy reading, everyone!

Images here, here and here.

A small comment and a link

-> Since the book to which the following comment is referred to isn't that meritorious of a long text, I've decided to add here a link regarding a interesting post I've seen in a website, that I think it's quite fascinating to let readers think.

In the first-ever parody of one of the best-selling novels of all time, a nasty murder points to lots of sinister and important mysteries that will change the world. Why, for example, did the dead man leave so many bafflingly inane clues when a sticky note would have done? Why does our code-breaking hero know so much useless stuff, and why is he usually wrong about it anyway? And what’s the truth behind that frightfully sinister symbol, the publishers’ circle? 

I've recently read this book (originally published in, and that has been in the pile for years) which is described from the start to be a parody of the DaVinci Code, a book that has taken readers by surprise and, whether one likes or hates the genre, it was very successful.

In this adaptation, the author has intended to write a story that picks all the usual clichés in these types of books and exacerbated them to the point of silliness. If one takes this into consideration, then I could say it is a success of its own, but if not, it can be seen as very poor indeed.

To be honest, I went into it with the idea of laughing and that I did. The story is very silly, the characters only act as the expected role we then to put them in. I really couldn't say this is worth more than just the experience of checking the clichés and the steps authors of thrillers and adventure use to make their plots move forward. 

I've read in someone's review that this story highlights the bad aspects of Broen's work but I can admit I was not thinking of it and the funny details were so many that one could let go of the original inspiration. I think it's a good book to laugh and to "cleanse" the palate between other reads.

Grade: 5/10

-//-

I tend to like checking the BookBub blog because often they makes lists (I love lists!) about books or things related to books and sometimes I do find interesting titles to add to my TBR.

I liked the following list, it's a small summary of some readers' preferences in what to read and how - if others share the same likes - it can be easier to have things in common if they do.

 https://www.bookbub.com/blog/deal-breaker-books-reader-blurbs

I haven't read some of those books so I'd say, this very moment, three books that would define my preferences in reading and that if someone didn't like them might mean we wouldn't have that much in common could be:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

When Venus Fell by Deborah Smith

This means I tend to like classics where romance is hinted at, I like paranormal romance where the author establishes a great community and I like contemporary romances with sweetness but well thought characters.

What about you? Which books could/would define you today?

A book; a suggestion

Those of you who visit here (thank you, by the way) probably have realized English is not my mother language. 

- I apologize in advance for all the grammar mistakes I've made and probably will make, even with check spelling...-

Sometimes I read books in my own language, Portuguese, especially those written by Portuguese authors of course. 

I've recently read one of such books, written by an author who happens to be a psychiatrist and doctor in one of our hospitals. He has made his career working mostly with teenagers and their parents and families.

I already read a few of his books because he often presents some clinical facts as if he is telling a story and that can certainly be easier for readers to follow/be interested in.

The last book I've read by him is about the relationship between a mother and her son, who happens to be gay. The book is written in a poetic discourse, with all the emotions and feelings each "character" has and thinks while dealing with the fact the son is gay but can't avoid confusion and fear because society condemns him and who he is.

I thought this book was well done in the sense that it gave a voice to all those mothers who don't want their children to be "different" but who love them anyway. And a voice to the sons who know they are different but still try to ignore it or to fight it and are even worse because of that.

When the story begins the reader already knows the son has died in a car crash so this story is like the letter a mother would give her son with all her angst and sorrow. I really think the author did a good job portraying this situation - based on one of his real life clinical cases - and what could have possibly been in both mother and sons' heads while such complicated days went by.

This is not a perfect story because the poetic writing can be difficult to grasp or the meanings to absorb. I think what made me think the most was the fact people don't have the answers when it's about themselves. I could say the son being gay doesn't matter but for that family it was something to consider and the son's doubts and confusion were never really solved, were they? Still, this was an emotional story and I think it conveyed the message relatively well, in a poignant way.

Grade: 7/10

-//-

Here is the link to an interesting site: https://www.whichbook.net/

It is supposed to help you find a new book to read, based on your preferences.

It's interesting, alright, to test the possibilities and more so if you are the type of reader who likes to try new things or see where chance takes you.

Personally, I have a TBR too big to let my picks be random but it can be a funny exercise to do sometimes. Happy reading!

A question

As I get older, the more I notice that my concentration on reading if there is more noise around or if the TV is on or even if I have another task on gong, decreases.

Does anyone else feel this? Do you still find it easy to be in a noisy place/situation and focus easily on your reading? Does it depend on the book and how much you enjoy it?

Please, share your opinion!

image here

My Life in Books 2018

As I have done in previous years, according to a post I originally saw at Christine's blog a long time ago, here's a little game with some titles read in 2018.

Happy reading!

My List of 2018!

Describe yourself:

Bad to the Bone, Debra Dixon

How do you feel:

Nearly a Lady, Alissa Johnson

Describe where you currently live:

Belgravia, Julian Fellowes

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:

Aleksey's Kingdom, John Wiltshire

Your favorite form of transportation:

The Wind Off the Small Isles, Mary Stewart

Your best friend is:

Something Wonderful, Judith McNaught

You and your friends are:

Nobody's Hero, Bec McMaster

What's the weather like:

In the Midst of Winter, Isabel Allende

What is life to you:

Nothing Personal, Jaci Burton

Favorite time of day:

Awaken the Darkness, Diane Duvall

Your biggest fear:

Shadow Falling, Rebecca Zanetti

What is the best advice you have to give:

Don't Look Back, Amanda Quick

Thought for the day

Truth or Dare, Jayne Ann Krentz

How would you like to die:

Immortal Ever After, Lynsay Sands

Your soul's current condition:

Ruthless, Anne Stuart

Reading resolutions for 2019

Unlike many other readers, I don't always plan much on which changes I'd do the years after one ends. 

I have many books to read and I do distribute a certain amount through the months, so that I can follow a list and not get to the point I debate on what's next. However, I don't usually binge on an author for weeks in a row nor do I plan ahead themes I like or a specific genre. I tend to mix everything up so that it feels like I'm getting to all types of books equally. 

Yes, I like to read things in order when I start a series and if possible, I like to space the installments to not get bored or too dedicated to just one style/genre.

I'm a pretty much simple reader when it comes to reading tactics.

However, until now, I have been a firm believer that all books must be read. Whether it was a paperback, or an ebook, a book I own or a borrowed one, I'd look at them all the same.

In some situations, it was a martyrdom to finish some, especially if was borrowed from a friend or if it had been pricier. Books from the library or cheap ones wouldn't give me the same "vibe" but I'd finish them all anyway.

I have always told myself I'd make the effort, that I'd sort of honor the author's work and time put into it by simply reading.

Alas, my goodwill can't last forever. I'm not getting young, my TBR is constantly around the 600s (according to GR but there are plenty more I felt lazy adding there) and no matter the fact I read around 200/year, the waiting to be read it always in the same 500/600 mark. I just can't read fast enough so sadly, I've decided to join the dark forces of those who abandon a book. 😞

I'm starting my DNF career this year - not that I do plan on doing it often of course and it's not like all not-as-good books should be easily put aside! - and part of me feels a little like a cheater, I mean, just because it's not perfect, it should be given a chance!

However, the terrible loss of time and will and fun and enjoyment I felt with the experience of reading some books... I really am going to become just another reader who will not finish books.

Thinking about this, I remembered that over at Book Riot I've read a post about this subject and it can be found here: https://bookriot.com/2018/11/14/how-i-learned-to-embrace-my-dnf-pile/

It's easier to compute not finishing a book if one feels more people think alike lol

So, for everyone happy reading, happy resolutions and of you also decide on not finishing books not being enjoyed by you, never fear, there's always more in the pile!!

(Images here and here)

Adaptations, yes or no?

How do you feel about screen adaptations of (beloved) books?

I confess I often feel a little scared because two problems might arise: 

1) the adaptation isn't very faithful and I can't help but think it's wrong;

2) it might happen I can't forget the actors' faces and won't return to my own idea of how they look like...

On BookBub there is a list about recent adaptations that are being aired or will be and of them all, I'm very curious about The Discovery of Witches, based on the books by Deborah Harkness and which I loved. I'm debating my willpower to watch or not to watch if it becomes possible at some point...

https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2018/09/20/books-becoming-tv-shows

What about you? Any interesting one in the list?
Image belongs to Deborah Harkness's website.
Enjoy the weekend!

Message

I got this image on Pinterest.

And I often think this, especially when people behave so sadly about important things...

Some debut books list

I often visit the following site, BookBub Blog: https://media.bookbub.com/

There are many things related to books and many lists for all kinds of purposes.

I saw this one recently and thought it interesting. I confess I don't pay much attention to new releases when it comes to immediately buy it. I don't usually mind waiting for paperback editions or I get the book years after it became popular. By the way, do you like to get them as soon as you see they are available?

So, I saw this list about some debut books this year that many readers have liked or recommended:

https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/12/13/breakthrough-debut-novels-2017/

I only seem to find two interesting and one is actually on my TBR (to hopefully buy later) but all have their own appeal somehow.

Would you agree with the titles included on this list? I bet that there are many more that should be on it but of these, are they good (apparently) good choices?

Happy reading!

Two short stories and a question

Tyler Newsome is heading home to the Lazy N, tired of the rodeo and tired of always being his charismatic twin's shadow. It's time he gets a life of his own and maybe the man he's always dreamed of, too. Ren Alston's always been attracted to Tyler, but never made a move because of his own mental and emotional baggage. But after years spent taming his demons and gaining control in every aspect of his life, Ren sees the younger man's return as a sign of good things to come. But first, they have to deal with Tyler's twin, past indiscretions and Ren's brothers. Will these cowboys manage to build a strong foundation of trust and love? Or will their problems be too much for them?

 Ian Dennison loves his job, but when he's invited to the Mardi Gras ball thrown by his law firm, it's not for company loyalty that he goes. It's for Stephen Caulfield, his boss and the man for whom he's been longing since his first day.
Amidst the costumed revelry and fine champagne, the sparks fly between the men. Ian begins to think perhaps there is hope for them, despite the rules against company fraternization. That is, until a drunken senior partner lets slip the secret Ian never knew Stephen was keeping...his wife.
Is there more to the story than Ian suspects, or is the mask Stephen wears really who he is? 

Comment: These two ebooks I had since I started becoming interested in m/m are short ones and I decided to read them now precisely so I can join the comment of both in one.

I don't have much to say, only that my current tastes nowadays are no longer reflected in the way these stories are presented. I now prefer things better structured, mostly focused in the r4elationships and character development than sex and the novelty of a relationship.

What the two ebooks had in common was how short they were and for me, the development the authors wrote didn't feel enough, it wasn't as captivating as it could, I guess, and at the end I feel I didn't really care about what happened.

Sutherland and Labbe's story is about Ian, a man whose boss finally seems to give indications he would be receptive to a relationship, something he feels wrong about because of their professional connection at the company. The biggest problem comes when Ian realizes his boss is actually married. Ian gets very disappointed but they eventually talk, the boss says he will get a divorce since his marriage is one of convenience and supposedly, they will be happy but I just didn't feel much empathy towards them both and the plights of their relationship didn't make me feel that interested. Then, at the end Ian has a sort of epiphany and I totally didn't buy that, so... interesting ideas but it's really hard to find short stories that deliver from beginning to end.

Grade: 5/10

TA Chase was an author I used to follow but with time her books started to feel very similar to me, even if the contexts changed. Perhaps it was also just my impression but I started to get the feeling they became more and more superficial, even when dealing with heavier subjects or situations so I lost interest. In this book we have a young cowboy returning home after working with his twin brother for a long time but their relationship wasn't good anymore. At his father's ranch he found his acceptance of his sexual orientation and even Ren, the guy he always had a crush on. The two guys can now make a go at it, there's a lot of conversation about horses and breeds and cowboy activities and a lot of sex and even personal tastes I don't find interesting in the slightest so I was quite happy to finish it.

Grade: 3/10

At the end of things, it's a bit sad these didn't work for me after being in the pile for so long...

But I feel glad I have two less out of the pile.

 

Sometimes, I wonder: is it just a matter of personal taste, meaning the books just no longer speak to us or can it also be the random possibility of a determined book just not being appealing to us at all and, for instance, I wouldn't have enjoyed them even if I had read them days after getting them?

What do you think works for you the most?

A place to read in

Today I just want to wish you all a great weekend!
I hope you find the time to read and to let you be inspired, I leave this image I saw online, from here, which seems quite cozy and perfect to read in...especially if one feels like taking a nap as well!
Happy reading!

A book and a suggestion

Hello all, I hope those of you who show up here are all ok.

Two things in this post and then I'm sure I'll go back to my usual comment posts.

1) One of the recent books I've read was written by a Brazilian psychologist/psychiatric about the so

called dictatorship of beauty (the Portuguese title is literally translated as such) but I haven't found an english translation. 

I got this book in a book fair only because I was curious to read about the mentality that makes women behave in a way that would give so much importance to physical attributes and beauty and to which ends women go to achieve that. I knew this would be a fictional story about several concepts and even a small introduction on why we are al led to think the same way and not be simply ourselves but there is a huge amount of pressure on women to be and look a certain way. I kind of liked the short book but it didn't truly touch some of the themes I expected and even the subject of food disturbs and how that is caused by a misjudging of ourselves and other factors wasn't exploited as I imagined. I think a more non fiction approach would be something I'd prefer to read about. Still, an interesting book about a theme I feel very interested in.

Grade: 6/10

2) I saw on Book Riot's page an article about some of the considered best covers from now until next week. At least it seems to include books within this time frame.

We all know covers can't really define a story but often we are led to imagine amazing scenarios based on a cover. Yes, sometimes the inside doesn't match but looking good isn't always a bad things or because of a deceiving matter (see how it links to the subject above? ha ha).

Anyway, here's the link of this article... http://bookriot.com/2017/08/09/the-best-book-covers/

Some covers do seem very appealing...in fact, I'm now going to check two or three in GR just to see if I'd want to read those stories.

Happy reading!

How to choose what to read?

I was looking at the books I yet have to read... well, not all of them, they're quite a lot, but I was looking at them and realized I have several books to keep me busy (even more so when I keep buying them...) but I really feel the issue of not being able to read everything "right now".

I was wondering, how do you guys choose what to read next?

Often, a reader's big dilemma is which book to choose or what to read next. I confess I don't really find this a struggle because I have monthly lists. At the end of the year, or close to it, I write down 12 lists, one for each month, containing titles I want to read. I always leave some room for books I know I'll pre order and will want to read when they are finally released and also for books people lent me and I usually feel like reading those as soon as possible to hand them again to their owner.

The problem with this tactic is that I often forbid myself from reading things just because; I like to maintain some order in my reading, I feel like I'm going through my TBR list in a steady pace (yes, adding more books shouldn't happen but...) and I like it when I finally get one more book done.

The fact I try to read my own created lists means I usually leave books everyone is talking about for another time. 

I also leave many books for a long time after I got them and when I get to them they no longer have the same appeal.

Because I can't read all day, and some books are more difficult than others, many books are left behind and I feel sad to think of them all alone...

I know it's quite silly to think these things, there are more serious things in real life to worry about, but reading is something every reader considers vital so often thoughts about reading stuff occupy my mind.

I have monthly lists I try to follow as well as I can, I only add new books to my list for that month if it's a book I really wanted that has just been released or a borrowed book or, if I'm really fast, books from the pile that weren't in my list but suddenly I have time for them. I like to organize my reading...

What about you?

(image from here)

Bookish problem?

Does anyone else agree with this?
I think it's quite true when it comes to me!
Happy reading!

Jane Austen quotes

Because yesterday was Jane Austen's anniversary date, here are some quotes that never felt the passage of time in the minds and hearts of so many readers...
Images were simply googled.

Reader's issues

This totally happens to me....
Pretty much in all social situations.

Accidental findings

I was browsing some of the bookish sites I usually visit and saw this article:

http://bookriot.com/2016/11/14/the-power-of-the-accidental-find/

I think it's quite interesting, that special moment you find a book, not what you would usually read but how it shaped part - if not all - your reading life from that moment on.

I guess I have two of those moments, when in my grandmother's house, my uncle's book collection included a good sized number of books and it was when I first read a Jules Verne book, which opened up my eyes to adult reads when I was 13 or 14 - I had read other adult books at the time but not by an author I wanted to repeat, so it was a good finding. Michael Strogoff is still one of my favorite literary memories.

I was still keeping up with juvenile books though but the day I tried to climb the local library stairs in hopes of finding some intriguing title or romance in the adult floor, I stumbled on Agatha Christie's Death in the Nile. I stopped going to the juvenile section and that was it.

Finding random books at certain moments can be very helpful. If only we could have time to read everything....

What about you?