Category: Reading

Categories
Reading Review

Novel series review…

Now I’m a Teacher Librarian, I check out the book section of each store I happen to find myself in. And boy! Have I found some bargains 🙂
I’ve been meaning to purchase the trilogy by Amie Kaufmann and Jay Kristoff THE ILLUMINAE FILES for some time now, however time has worked against me. Imagine my delight then, to find them for just $5 each from my local supermarket! Purchase acquired, I scurried home to read them… and was even more delighted that I was on holiday and could afford the time. Because I literally could NOT put these books down!

On the downside, the grey font on grey background pages were a little frustrating. And a second downside was that finishing the series meant I had to integrate back into reality again, however I am immensely glad for the experience while it lasted, and have been recommending these books left, right and centre ever since. It’s no wonder they won a Prime Minister’s Literary Award, an ABIA Award, an Aurealis Award and an Inky Award – they’re well deserved winners!
So. If you have a few hours and want to be immersed in a gripping storyline, check these out. And who knows? Perhaps you’ll also be fortunate enough to find the entire trilogy for just $5 each!
Have an immerseful day yourself, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn

Categories
#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading Writing

#blogJune day16

Recently I’ve been re-reading Eoin Colfer’s ARTEMIS FOWL series. Wow, but they’re good!

Now, Disney released the Artemis Fowl movie late last week. I don’t have Disney Plus, so can’t watch it. And I was spitting chips because even Dame Judy Dench is in it! Although numbers of reviews I’ve read today were in shock at how butchered the storyline was, so perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise?

Anyway, here’s wishing you a butcher-free day today, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
Categories
#blogjune places to visit Reading teaching Technology Work Writing

#blogJune day11

One thing I’ve noticed about me recently- my eyesight is SHOCKING! I think I’ve just been doing so much staring at computer screens, I’ve done irreversible damage. Which is sad.

On the up-side, these glasses I bought at Rainbow Beach a few years ago might look a little strange (I think the orange-and-blue colour scheme screams ‘$15 chemist-bought reading glasses) but they’re SO easy to read with and they don’t cause headaches 🙂

Plus, I really rather like the colour orange!

Have a blessed day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading

#blogJune day 2

So yesterday I mentioned I’d been reading. Some context:

Last Friday was a public holiday for me – but not Hubby or the cherubs, because their schools are in different areas to mine. And so I dropped Miss15 and Miss12 off, and went shopping for a couple of things I needed. While there, I noticed THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES on special. Miss12 is currently reading MOCKINGJAY, so I had to get it.

I was only planning on reading the first chapter or two.

After a while, I looked up to realise not only had I missed lunch, but it was also nearly time to go collect the girls! Sigh.

So: what was the last book to capture your attention? And do you plan to read today?

And – see you tomorrow, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
momentous events Reading teaching

New Year, new start

Welcome back, dear Reader!

Last year was a ‘photo’ post each week, which challenged me to improve my photography skills. Which worked… to some extent. In fact, I even considered challenging myself further and committing to a years’ worth of “selfie” posts (because those ones are like, a zillion times worse than actual photos. Well, for those of us who remember a time before the internet was even invented. Am I right?)

But no. Perhaps next year. But I’ll still attempt to include a photo with each post this year. Let’s see how we go with that, huh?

But today’s post is still about challenges. Specifically, the Goodreads challenge I set myself last year. 3 books per week. That’s 156 books in the year. Which seems a lot.

And I made it!!! So proud of me 🙂

Admittedly, numbers of those were the picture books which I ended up reading to my classes after being made redundant mid-year and being blessed enough to get Teacher Librarian work in July. But still 🙂

So. Goodreads challenge this year. 208 again – because I can! and it’s only 4 per week. right? – but the aim this year is to have only one picture book per month. Perhaps two. But no more than 24 of those 156 will be picture books. Because, well, why not? 🙂

How about you, dear Reader? Are you planning on reading books this year? How many? And if you’re also on Goodreads, want to connect?

Oh! And I almost forgot. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading

51/52

Last week I finally had the time to enjoy a book I’d been waiting simply AGES to read. And it was so worth it!

How about you, dear Reader? What book are you looking forward to enjoying this Christmas season?

And I hope it’s as wonderful a read as mine was!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading

23/52

I’ve finally managed to find the time to dive into this book: WORD BY WORD: THE SECRET LIFE OF DICTIONARIES by Kory Stamper. It’s brilliant! One of those books which you can only read a section at a time because there’s just SO much in it, you need to mull over it, savouring the delight. Writers, you will enjoy this read. Non-writers with an interest in grammar and the history of English, you will too 🙂

I’m also part-way through MOBY DICK by Herman Melville, and am enjoying that almost as much. Never read it before, and I’m rather surprised at how long it’s taking for Ishmael to actually get to sea… but then again, it’s not really worrying me because the sentence structure and the expression of his ideas is scintillating.

[Hello – this was written by my Miss14 who’s watching me type. Now she’s complaining, “I wasn’t done yet” and laughing at me for writing about her.]

Okay. Time to go. Have a book-filled week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Random thoughts Reading

19/52

There were several months in High School when I spent my hard-earned on magazines: Dolly, TV Week, and their ilk. Likewise, when Miss14 was just Miss2, there was a ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ stage. But that’s it. I’m just not that interested in reading magazines.

I am, however, a dyed-in-the-wool-fan of Game of Thrones. Thus: this purchase. And what a fantastic read it was!

How about you, dear Reader? Are you a fan of magazines at all?

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading Review Writing

On re-reading

I’m re-reading my all-time-favourite novel again at the moment: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas. I’m not entirely sure why I love it so much, just that I do. And each time I read it, I find more and more to love.

Take, for example, this segment:

“The two friends sat down to dinner; but as they were eating, Albert could not refrain from pointing out the marked difference between the respective merits of Signor Pastrini’s cook and the one employed by the Count of Monte Cristo; and indeed, honesty obliged Franz to confess, despite the reservations he still seemed to have on the subject of the count, that the comparison was not to the advantage of Signor Pastrini’s chef.” (p. 401)

and this, four pages later:

“The two friends did not presume to repay the count for the luncheon he had given them: it would have been poor jest to offer him, in exchange for his excellent table, the very mediocre fare that made up Signor Pastrini’s table d’hote. They said as much openly and he accepted their excuses with evident appreciation of their thoughtfulness.” (p. 405)

What gorgeous writing! Wouldn’t you agree? That first sentence, in particular, is 73 words long!!!

And have a fantastic, literary week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading Review Writing

Review: WRITING WITHOUT RULES by Jeff Somers

As a Reider – a commenter on (literary agent extraordinaire) Janet Reid’s blog – I was fortunate enough to hear about this book, WRITING WITHOUT RULES by Jeff Somers.

Now, I’ve read numbers of titles on ‘how to write and sell your book’, ranging from Stephen King’s ON WRITING to Chuck Wendig’s THE KICK-ASS WRITER. These particular two have stood out to me as the two ends of a spectrum, and many, many, MANY other titles within that spectrum have inspired me and encouraged me in my whole ‘get-your-butt-in-your-chair-and-get-your-novel-finished’ aspirations.

Not since reading Catherine Deveny’s USE YOUR WORDS though, have I read a more down-to-earth ‘just write, and finish what you write’ philosophy espoused so clearly. And it’s exactly what I (in my current “I can’t do this” frame of mind) needed to hear. And the footnotes! Hilarious!

Jeff’s wit sparkles, and I laughed aloud throughout each of the 20 chapters. The first ten chapters – on writing – were more applicable to me than the second – on selling – however now I’m in the winding down chapters, drafting Book 6 of a 7 book series, I can see that the latter half of his book may indeed become more important to me in the (hopefully not too distant) future.

As Jeff Somers is a client of Janet Reid’s, and as I am an unashamed Reider familiar with her take on literary agenting, it was not only a pleasing confirmation to note that her own views are firmly held by her client, but that the ‘inside jokes’ he made, were ones I am also (partly) familiar with. I smiled, I laughed, I took copious notes, and the fact that emblazoned across the back cover demanded that I:

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND WRITE!

YES, YOU: WRITE!

made me smile every time I picked it up. [Because even though the blurb insisted I write, the premise behind actually being able to read the hard-cover book I’d been given for my birthday (thanks, Mum!) was that I needed to stop what I was doing – even if my current activity were writing – if I was to read the book!]

But it was worth it. Worth missing out on the writing time. Because it’s a great book. And it you’re an unpublished writer – or even a published one, come to that – you’d find this a good read. And if you missed clicking on that link at the top, it’s here again now if you wanted to buy it directly from Jeff Somers’ blog.

And have a great week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn