I hope you are all doing well
wherever you are and whenever you read this post!
Those of you who know me, know that
I am an book worm thourgh and through (I even sometimes wear the eye glasses to
prove that) and that I love books - so much so that, like Rory Gilmore from the
famous series, "Gilmore Girls" I do not leave the house without a
book in my bag, not even when i go to a social event (party, concert, a.s.o.).
Today I will introduce you to the
latest additions to my collection during the past months (some of them are my
own purchases, some I received as a birthday present from my friends). Starting from the bottom of the picture:
TERRY PRATCHETT - "I Shall Wear
Midnight" (Birthday present, haven't read it yet)
I love Terry Pratchett's witty
writing, satire and intricate action that has a tendency to resolve itself in
the most unexpected ways. I am sure I will love this book as much as I loved
all the other books I read from him and will most probably be next in line for
reading.
JANE AUSTEN - "Sense and
Sensibility" (not read yet) and "Northanger Abbey" (not read yet in English)
These books come from the last order
I placed at bookdepository. Needless to say, that I like Jane
Austen and part of the reason is due to the same wittiness and sarcasm I
sometimes find typical for the English writers I love (like the above mentioned
Terry Pratchett for example). But there is also a component in her writing that
is very present and real: the intimate psychological analysis of her
characters' emotions and actions. She has a talent of clearly explaining the
reasons behind their natures. Yes, most of her books have what we call happy
endings, but that only because she is trying to teach her readers, that acting
in a vertical manner and with an open and true heart, once can succeed at
getting the chance to be happy.
ALAN GLYNN - "Limitless" (not read yet)
There is a fascination I have for
movies made after books, mainly because I feel that the movies have a certain
substance and their scripts feel thought through in another way, than those
that are not based on movies. By this I do not intend to criticize those movies
that are not based on books, I just mean to explain that they are different. I
saw "Limitless" with
Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro and I was fascinated by the story of a pill
that can help you reach more of your brain potential. And being the fan of such
SF stories, I decided I need the book and as soon as I saw it in the shelf in
the book store, I decided I wanted to get it. I haven't read it yet, but will
do, no worries and will report back after.
STEPHEN KING - "Carrie" (read),
"Hearts in Atlantins" (Birthday present, read)
"Carrie" is the last book
I finished (also from the last bookdepository order
together with the other above mentioned books) and I was fascinated through and
through. Even though I had less spare time, in those few free minutes, I simply
devoured it. I loved the way it was written, as well as the novelty of the
characters' psychology. I haven't seen any of the movies yet, but I am not sure
I want to rush into them just yet. I will hold on to my vision of the
characters' and the feel of the book's actions for a while.
"Hearts in Atlantis" is
another birthday present that has also been devoured. I liked the first story
in the book, "Low Men In Yellow Coats". I found the love story as
something so fragile and beautiful, that it did not need to be clearly exposed
as such, as it was standing for itself at the end. For those of you who think
that Martin's idea of presenting the story fragmented from the perspective of
various characters is his own or inovative, I think you should try out these
two books and you will see this technique taken to a whole other level.
NEIL GAIMAN -
"Startdust" (read) and "Coraline" (in the reading)
This is another example of book I
got, after I saw the movie years ago. I recently saw the book in the book store
and had to get it (I get like that about books sometimes). Again, I devoured it
and loved its story and characters. I pictured most of the actors from the
movie in the characters while I was reading the book, but otherwise, I was
completely taken by the book's beauty.
You must know this is not a book for
children, like the "Graveyard Book", it has quite some grown up stuff
in it, so if you feel that you don't want to read this because it should be
only a children's book, then you're safe - it isn't. Also, Neil Gaiman is my
favorite contemporary author (he managed to top even Haruki Murakami, which is
damn hard).
"Coraline", now this is a
children’s book, but also parents can read it and understand a lot of things
about their children from it. This is the book I am currently devouring. I am
mesmerized and I love the atmosphere, as much as I loved the atmosphere of the
movie, when I saw it (over and over again). This is the last book that comes
from the same bookdepository order as the above mentioned
books.
MARK LAWRENCE - "Prince of Thorns"
This book I got as a birthday
present and I have a missing from Oliviu Crâznic, the friend who gave me the book to
read it and let him know how I feel. I will do that, I promise, as soon as I am
finished with Pratchett's book. :) So far, I am intrigued and curious by the
title. The guy at the book store advertised it as interesting and captivating,
I was told.
STEVEN
ERIKSON - "The First Collected Tales of BAUCHELAIN &
KORBAL BROACH. Tree Short Novels of the Malazan Empire"
This book was also a birthday
present. I read it and I was fascinated by the language. Dear Lord! This is the
way in which an author should write - complicated enough so that the reader
gets out there and looks for words in the dictionary and thus broadens his/her
vocabulary. The stories are at time funny, at times dark, at times horrifying.
Nonetheless, they keep you nailed to the book until you finish it. I have added
his "Malazan Empire" book series to my "to get books" list
and will look for them.
A dear friend of mine gave me this book as a birthday present and knowing her, this book promises to be interesting and special. I am curious to read it and as soon as I will do it, I will surely post my thoughts on it.
In addition to these books, there was another magazine in Romanian language I read and about which you can find my review here (it is in Romanian): „Colecţia de povestiri ştiinţifico-fantastice Anticipaţia” editura Nemira, nr. 3/februarie 2013.
This was about all I had
under the category "new books" in my collection so far.
Please let me know, if you wish to
know my opinion on the books from this post I haven't read now, after I
finished them and if you wish to read other posts about new books?
Read, it is good for the soul!
Love,
Alex.
