The Book Vipers discussion

I listened to Beowulf by Seamus Heaney on Radio 4 just before Christmas. It was exquisite

Fantastic! Beowulf, I was also fascinated by as we studied that and The Hobbit at primary school. Moments I shall treasure forever. That and drawing daffodils and the smell of bellows!

Jo wrote: "I did wonder about Philip Larkin, as I have his Letters to Monica to listen to so it did remind me of him. And Donna Louise - that is a serious recommendation! I will be browsing in my second hand ..."

'Digging' and 'Follower' were the main poems that we studied by Mr Heaney. I'll find my old stuff and post some pics over the weekend! :)

This publisher does poetry : http://www.cinnamonpress.com/about/ and have one fantastic poem included on my home page

This one sounds like a nice debut
http://www.cinnamonpress.com/nocturnes/

Lisa wrote: "If anyone has any suggestions of good books by Lisas I'd be glad to hear them. Was thinking maybe Still Alice by Lisa Genova but not sure."

Lisa Genova is an incredible author!! I read Still Alice and found it very very good, also Left Neglected, although I preferred Still Alice. But definitely try it!

Thanks Paul, I have now managed to download the matrix and am having fun filling it in. I have found some books among the ones that I already had piled up on a mental to-read list fit nicely in some of the categories and am still thinking about which one among the many old favourites to revisit...I have two questions: I had decided to read "The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy' as my Classic book but hubby insists it is not a Classic...So I thought maybe it would fit in as a sci-fi book? He thinks that's also a bit of a stretch... what do you guys think? Also welcome any suggestions for Roberta authors - unless I can go with surname instead, as I know of a few "Bateman" that I could chose from...

Glad the link worked, I pasted it from elsewhere in a rush last night.
I would say that Hitchhikers is definitely scifi, and if it isn't a classic, it should be.
Either first, middle or surname is fime. The intention with all of these is to get you to pick up something that you wouldn't normally consider.

I had been thinking about Hitchhiker as my sci-fi choice. It would be a re-read for me - read it when I was at school, many years ago, probably soon after it was published!

I have promised myself to finish Wool as my sci fi (need to re-order from the library for later in the year and pick up where I left off) though Hitchhikers is seriously tempting. Also a re-read for me, but I'm talking 25 + years ago and I'd love to read a couple of them again

I am not a great sci-fi fan, so I managed to avoid it all these years, but have heard so many references to it in the years, I'm just curious ... Now I need to think which classic I want to choose... But I'm wondering if I'm missing the point slightly, because I managed to fit into the categorise at least 15 books that I had already thought I wanted to read... Should I ditch those and start again?

I just finished The Age of Innocence, which I really really enjoyed, plus Collected Poems: Edna St. Vincent Millay, which I also gave four stars. My review is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My magic square now looks like this:

X X O O X
O O O O X
O O O X O
O X O O O
O O O O O

Now starting Orphan Train for my book chosen for the cover and The Bean Trees for free choice!

I just finished reading Orphan Train, which was exquisite, 4.5 stars. I laughed, I cried, I found a new favourite! Highly recommended to lovers of beautiful stories!

This was my book chosen because of the cover, so my magic square now looks like this:

X X O O X
O O O O X
O O O X O
O X O O O
X O O O O

Now I'm onto World Without End, a free choice.

I finished The Bean Trees (free choice) last night and loved it. I read Barbara Kingsolver's later books first, and now that I've read her first book, I can see how much her style has evolved over the years. The style of The Bean Trees was much more simple, but the plot and characters were still unique and beguiling :-) I give it four stars, with a proper review coming soon.

My magic square now looks like this:

X X O O X
O O O O X
O O X X O
O X O O O
X O O O O

Tonight I'll be starting Burial Rites (crime novel).

I've been tinkering with my list a little bit; I've changed the biography choice but I'm still undecided about the genre that I avoid. I keep thinking of possibilities but there are quite a few neglected areas in my reading - I really don't touch sci-fi in any shape or form. Perhaps that is the answer.

I'll keep mulling it over. I dare say I'll be inspired - eventually.

I've finally posted my list (still with a few blanks though) after lots of musing and looking at all the unread books on my shelves. I'd like to go for the whole square, but the title that is giving me the most difficulty is the author with the same name. Can anyone suggest any books by authors named Cathy which are not chicklit, misery memoirs or aimed at teenage girls - this is all I can find on Amazon!
Any suggestions gratefully received!

Cathy, I went for an author where their first name shared my surname, could you use your surname?

London the Illustrated History
http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Illust...

Trust me, i'm a Vet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Me-Im-V...

Or your middle name if you're really stuck!

Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dear-Scott-De...

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Catherine, my surname is Portuguese in origin and I think it would be even more tricky to find a suitable candidate.

Jazzy, I really like the sound of the Fitzgeralds' love letters so I think that's what I will go with. Although the History of London looks interesting too, and I think my kids would also get something out of it. Maybe I could use that one to fill my Non Fiction slot.

I'm really enjoying this challenge - it's such a great way of reading beyond one's own comfort zone, and fascinating to see what others are reading too. Thanks for all your ideas!

Glad you're enjoying it Cathy. It has got just short of 140 people participating. Wer are really pleased with how it has generated a buzz, and lots of new books and authors being discovered

could you try Kathy (Reich?) ... cheat a little hehe

Mine so far:
The Witch Seawhich I can use as Award Winner
Beyond Wizardwall- Favourite Genre
Red Gone Bad New author (to me)
Year of Wonders - Historical
Beyond the Veil - free choice.
The Reader of Acheron - Recommendation (although not on GR) or free choice.
1000 Years of Annoying the French - Book received as a present
Palanquin Of Heaven Book chosen because of the cover
Temple of the Sixth Science Fiction

I finished another one, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, my 'crime novel or true crime'. It absolutely knocked my socks off, some of the best writing I've seen in a very long time. It was melancholy, atmospheric and utterly haunting. Five stars, at least! Now I am off to become one of Hannah Kent's followers - when she publishes again, I want to know about it!

This is how my magic square looks now:

X X O O X
O O O O X
O O X X O
O X O O O
X O O O X

Number 4 - What Matters in Jane Austen by John Mullan. Highly entertaining and brilliant.

I like the magic square diagram. Mine looks like this:

OOXOO
OOOOO
XOOOO
OOOXO
OOOXO

Unsure what is next.

Just Finished 'The Cambridge Curry Club', which was my award winner on the square, having won the 'Cambridgeshire book of the Decade' award...well what can I say...it was awful, a real struggle to finish it, hoping it would get better... but no. stereotypes, bad jokes, terrible prose, even worse plot. A true waste of time. Onto my First novel now, with ' When God was a rabbit'. Fingers crossed. lol

I enjoyed When God Was A Rabbit. It's quite a quirky book which is probably what appealed to me!

Thanks Elizabeth, it seems to be right up my street too! I'm only a few pages in, but it already feels like a relief after the book I just finished...

I volunteer at a library, and would like to propose the magic square as an adult reading challenge (we try to think of one every year) Wiuld you mind if we do, Paul? Referencing Goodreads, of course!

*would

I go to a, relaxed, book club. We see the word Booker and run - re Robertas comment. To be fair, occasionally we enjoy one, but despite the prize,rather than because on.

Or even of

finished a midsummer night's dream: genre I avoid.

Finished two this week: The Greengage Summer and The Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman was interesting as a piece of detective work in finding evidence of Dickens' relationship with Nelly Ternan, over a century after the event, but I didn't get any sense of what the relationship was actually like. Will be interesting to see how it has been turned into a movie.

My magic square now looks like this

O X O O X
O O X X X
O O O O O
O O O O O
O O O O O

Planning to start Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination now (for my travel book).

Small publisher category - I've just been given a book published by O'Brien Press (an Irish publishing company). Have had a look on their website www.obrien.ie and think it could be small enough to fall into the small publisher category. At least I hope so, because that's what I will be reading!

could I get some advice on the "book received as a present"? I've not actually been given a book as a gift for 8 years (and that was the full works of Shakespeare, which I'm definitely not reading in full!!) I've been given a lot of vouchers as gifts, so wondering if I could use a book I bought with those? or a book I won in a competition (which is a sort of gift)? or an u sending husband out to buy me a book?! :D I'm easy either way!

also, do you run other reading challenges during the year? I'm on book 16 or 17 of this challenge now and really enjoying it, but if this is the only one I might need to take a break for a bit to make it last longer!!

It's a bit tricky isn't it Charlotte? The only person who gives me books is my husband, and they are usually cookery books. I'm going to have to read a cookery book for my "received as a present"!

Although, I was given an Amazon voucher for Christmas and bought some books with that - I think that probably ought to count?

There will be more challenges later in the year. Watch this space....

I'm looking forward to more challenges!!

I think books bought with a voucher given as a gift ought to count, but I don't want to be cheating!!

The next challenge is ready to run. Aiming for end of Feb but night be a few days delay as I am away until 4th March

I would say a book bought with a voucher counts

Exciting!! looking forward to another challenge :)

thanks for the clarification Paul

Well, as book as a gift can come from a voucher, I am changing mine to Bridget Jones - Mad About The Boy by Helen Fielding :)

Wow Charlotte 16 books in 2 months! I'm very envious... I only manage to read at bedtime, and I'm generally so tired I only last a few pages before I pass out...(unless the book is so good that I stay up all night...:-D )

My square looks like this:

OXOO?
XOOO?
OXOO?
OOOOX
OOOOO

Too bad "a book you have read to vet what your teenage daughter reads" is not a category.... LOL

Love that category Roberta!!

I've only read so much due to having a job involving a lot if travel and having been away from home quite a bit so far this year. I read 63 books last year, which is my more normal reading pace!

Just finished 'When god was a rabbit', and loved it. I'll be looking out for what she writes next...

I have that on my shelf to read!

Charlotte. Get an e reader. You can carry lots of books in a tiny and light space.

I have an ereader. I just still buy paper books occasionally :) I have about 30 books on my shelf and over 200 on my kindle!

Me too. Haha. Just use it on hols, and on iPad too....via Kindle

I am resisting e-readers for as long as I can... So love the feel of real books!