Tag: Reading

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#AtoZchallenge #blogjune Blogging challenges Life Random thoughts Reading

#blogjune wrap-up

I’m pinching myself. It’s July 4th already? Where on earth is this year getting itself to?

I have this funny feeling that it’s flying faster than normal because I’ve completed both #AprilAtoZ and #blogjune this year. And while I’m extremely happy that my tally for both was ‘KRidwyn 1, challenge zip’ – I’m also starting to recognise exactly how much time they are taking up! Not that I mind; I find externalising the more sane of my thoughts quite enjoyable. Hindsight, though, makes it easier to realise: if I spend my time blogging, then I’m not spending it doing the other activities which I could be doing. It all comes down to choices, really. Priorities.

And that was exactly why I found choosing 30 titles for my self-imposed #blogjune theme so difficult. What novels should I choose, over other novels? Why include A but not B, C, or D? (Just to clarify, A, B, C and D aren’t actually titles of books, but representations thereof. Although that sparks an idea. Perhaps I could write novels with these titles?! LOL… but I digress…) And therein lay my quandary. I had originally thought ‘Cool! Just post photos of the books on my bookshelves! That’ll be fast!’ But then when it came down to it: there are SO MANY more novels not on my bookshelves – for a myriad of reasons – which I love and wanted to include; in addition, how to cull the list to just thirty; and on top of that, to explain why I had included it… well, writing the blogposts took longer than I’d anticipated. That’s okay. Lesson learned. Perhaps.

And what about all those titles that I wanted to include but couldn’t? There were so many. Perhaps I could examine those next year? (But by then, I’ll have read twelve month’s more books…) Dilemma. Horns of, even. This will require more thought.

In the meantime, back we go to blogging weekly. Happy Independence Day, if that’s your thing – and have a brilliant week!

— KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges family anecdotes Life Reading

30 must-read books – #30

And today’s post marks Day 30 of my ’30 must-read books’ for #blogjune 2016. My last one!

#bj30

And what a novel to round out my list. Controversial both when it was first published in 1932, and still, this novel raises issues that sit uncomfortably with readers. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As I wrote yesterday, books that challenge us to think about, to adjust, or to be more firmly convicted in our own beliefs – I’m all for that.

As I tell my cherubs continually, KNOW what you believe. Don’t just follow the crowd because it’s easy. Be true to YOU. And the only way *that* can happen is if you know who you are, and what you believe.

Thus Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World makes it into my list of ’30 must-reads’. And my question to you, dear reader, is this: would it make your list? Why / why not?

For those of you who’ve followed my #blogjune journey this year – THANK YOU! I’ve enjoyed sharing my faves with you – and especially enjoyed your comments / suggestions / recommendations!!!

And have an incredible day today 😀

— KRidwyn

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading

30 must-read books – #29

I remember being an angst-filled teen. Who doesn’t, right?

In hindsight though, it was pretty cruisy. I was fed, clothed, dry. I was educated – well! – and had people in my life who cared about me. The values and beliefs that I challenged, I didn’t challenge too far, because I was happy in them and they sat comfortably with me.

#bj29

Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness took me aback, forced me to re-examine my opinions on gender and sex. It was, for me, the first time that I realised that a novel could do that, could stretch my mind in ways hitherto unforeseen.

What power there lies between the covers of a book!

And you, dear reader? What book first stretched your mind?

And, as always, have a fantabulous day!

— KRidwyn

 

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges my novel-in-progress Reading Scribblings Writing

30 must-read books – #28

As an aspiring writer, I’m interested in world-building. And Iain M. Banks does this brilliantly.

#bj27I first read The Player of Games twenty-odd years ago. So yes, I was young(er) and more impressionable, but man oh man did this ever make an impression! The world-building is magnificent. Superlative. Masterful. And the story’s not too shabby either 🙂

Have you read this, or any of his other work? Would you agree?

And have a great day, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading Writing

30 must-read books – #27

And from spies and courtroom dramas… to dystopian YA? Sure… why not?

I love Veronica Roth’s take on our future. Her writing style, too. And it’s impossible to divorce Theo James’ looks from the character of Four now… but really, who would want to?#bj28 #bj28aI should also mention here that I quite liked Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games trilogy. Far more than Dashner’s Maze Runner take on it all – but then again, I really really REALLY don’t like zombies. (Here are my thoughts on Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom trilogy, which is the only zombie treatment to date that I’ve found bearable.)

But Divergent / Insurgent / Allegiant? Fantastic work. *Spoiler alert* Of course Tris had to die. And although her death took me by surprise; it was obvious in hindsight.

And that made purchasing and devouring ‘Four‘ all the sweeter.

And with *that* thought; I’m gone 🙂

See you tomorrow, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading

30 must-read books – #26

And after Ludlum must come Grisham. I love his courtroom dramas – The Runaway Jury especially.

#bj26

In fact, it was my love for Grisham that birthed my affair with the TV series’ Law and Order, NYPD Blue, CSI (in all its versions) and the like – my favourite was Without a Trace (it helped that Anthony La Paglia and Poppy Montgomery are Aussies! LOL) but it all began with John Grisham.

And that’s okay with me 🙂

How about you? Ever read John Grisham? Like it or hate it?

And have a wonderful day, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading

30 must-read books – #25

“The trawler plunged into the angry swells of the dark, furious sea like an awkward animal trying desperately to break out of an impenetrable swamp.”

Some memories remain with us, stuck like Ludlum’s simile above. I remember reading that sentence for the very first time, stopping, leaning back in my chair, looking up at the cloud-streaked sky above my parents’ house in Brisbane, and saying, “Wow.” I looked back down; read it again. And again. Then stood up and trotted off to find my dad, and share the sentence with him.

I knew, after that very first sentence in that very first chapter, that this novel, this author, was gong to be remarkable.

#bj25

No wonder these books, this character Jason Bourne, has spawned a multi-million-dollar movie series. It had to; the writing is too good to NOT be adapted for the big screen.

Unfortunately.

Because yes, I’ll go watch the movies, but any similarity to Ludlum’s incredible character / setting / plot ceases immediately after the name of the character. Just as there are many ‘John Smith’s in the world, so there is a Hollywood ‘Jason Bourne’ who bears little resemblance to Ludlum’s original creation.

Ludlum’s creation is spectacular. Rarely am I lost for words; but describing how I feel about this novel – in fact, the entire trilogy – eludes me. How many synonyms can I find for ‘brilliant’? And use them without boring my reader? (And I think that was probably my quota gone right there…)

Anyway, have *you* read this? Or the trilogy? Do you agree with me?

And have a great day, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Reading Writing

30 must-read books – #24

So I finished my first novel early in 2015 and then thought, ‘Okay – what next?’

Well, next for me was Google (d’uh!) and discovering Delilah S. Dawson’s post on Chuck Wendig’s blog. And through that, this:

#bj24

Thank you, Delilah!

This book is EXACTLY what I needed at that moment in time. (She also suggested On Writing by Stephen King and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – both of which I read as well, and both of which were excellent… and yet, this one makes my top 30. Yeh, I know. Go figure, huh?) Yes, this book is on screenwriting – but it’s the structuring, the categorising of plotlines, the suggestions for what to do when facing character problems or plot problems (or even industry problems) that made this one a shoe-in for me.

No, I’m not planning on trying my hand at scriptwriting any time soon. Pipe-dream, maybe – but there’s WAY too much on my plate at the moment to consider it. Nevertheless, this book makes my Top 30 due to its overall usefulness. (So there!)

(Oh, and I’d thoroughly recommend Delilah’s post linked above, if you’re interested. And her blog. And Chuck’s blog… and even his The Kick-Ass Writer too; if you can handle the ‘naughty language’…)

Have a great day, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges my novel-in-progress Reading Scribblings Writing

30 must-read books – #23

The countdown is on! There’s just seven days left of #blogjune and I still have SO MANY titles I want to include in my blogposts this month!

Solution: I’m resorting to cheating again. (LOL)

And I’ve decided to go with ‘miscellaneous’ for these final posts, because there’s no way I can fit everything I want to include in, otherwise.

So… continuing with ‘non-fiction’ for the next day or so, here’s a couple of MUST READS for those ‘writer’ readers who visit:

#bj23a

#bj23b

and

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled across Mary Kole’s incredible book Writing Irresistible KidLit – but I am SO immensely glad I did! In the short time since I discovered its existence, it has seriously become like my ‘writing Bible’. No joke.

And the second is like it. This one came via 2015 Christmas season recommendation from the QOTKU herself, literary guru Janet Reid, on her blog. Thank you, Janet! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Writers, if you haven’t already, buy this book 🙂

And stay tuned for tomorrow; there’s one more non fiction title before a return to fiction for the remainder of #blogjune. (And yes, it’s another writing one – yay!)

Have a fantastic day, dear reader!
— KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity Reading

30 must-read books – #22

And yes, I *know* I’m exceeding my self-imposed ‘quota’ of Christian books here – but I can’t NOT include this second non-fiction book in my ’30 must-reads’. Because this book, in my opinion, should be read like a handbook for our lives; informing us of philosophical underpinnings we’re not easily made aware of in today’s information-overloaded culture.

#bj22

There is SO MUCH brilliant information here, thoroughly yet concisely presented. It reads like a textbook in its organisation, making it easily digestible in spite of its comprehensive size.

Yes, it’s dated – published 2001 – and yet, it’s still profoundly relevant here and now – June 2016. Which is why I don’t hesitate to recommend it to you, dear reader!

And have a lovely day today 🙂

— KRidwyn