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New books, but is it a good sign?

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ThinkingNo Comments

The publishing industry have released a few books by some of my faviourate authors. I knew about The Dead by Charlie Higson, which I bought this month. I’m about half way through it, so expect a review soon! I’ve reviewed The Enemy which you can read here. I also bought The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank and Everyday Moon Magic by Dorothy Morrison.

Two books I didn’t know about till yesterday were Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern. I’m trying to live frugally (see Living Frugally) so I’ll have to buy these next month. I think I missed the release of these books because publishers usually release them closer to Christmas.

This got me thinking, does the early release of these books signal that publishers are worried that Christmas won’t be a good time for selling? Are they in a way predicting that they think we’ll take our second dip into recession? Maybe I’m reading too much in to this? But I think if I was a publisher, I’d try and release as many publications as I could before we entered recession. What are your thoughts?

Antony

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Sunday 26 September 2010

Book Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments
the-lovely-bones-alice-sebold The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was a book I decided to read after hearing about it on The TV Book Club. The book starts off by introducing Susie Salmon (like the fish). Susie is a 14 year old who is brutally murdered on her way home from school by Mr. Harvey, the local neighbourhood weirdo. After her death she continues to tell her story: how her family cope with her death, their heartache as the police investigation goes nowhere and she describes what her heaven is like – as she explains that everyones heaven is different.

I found The Lovely Bones emotionally moving as Alice uses Susie in heaven to describe how the family move on over years after her death. From this book I got a warm feeling that came from the notion that when people die they do not cease to exist.

For me I found that the book could have been ended at an earlier point. Alice could have let the imagination of the reader to finish the story and it would have prevented me feeling that the book “dragged” towards the end.

You can buy The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold on Amazon.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Monday 20 September 2010

Book Review: The Rapture by Liz Jenson

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments
The-Rapture-Liz-Jensen I bought The Rapture by Liz Jensen after hearing about it on The TV Book Club. The rapture is a story about the end of the world, yet it has more. The two main characters include Gabrielle a psychologist whose in a wheel chair following an accident and Bethany a psychotic child locked up in an institution after killing her mother.

Gabrielle comes to work at the institution where Bethany is locked up and starts to work with Bethany. After trying all other treatments they begin to try ECT (electric convulsive therapy) which Bethany loves as she claims it helps her see the future. After Bethany predicts several ecological disasters accurately Bethany predicts a big one that will change life for all of man kind. By this point Gabrielle is convinced Bethany can predict the future as is her scientist friend come lover Fraser. Gabrielle and Fraser try to tell people but they will not listen, after all who’d listen from a prediction with no scientific basis from a “crazy person”.

Liz the author does describes scenes and people in so much detail that you can picture them perfectly in this critics have dubbed a thriller. Whereas this detailed description makes reading the story like watching a film, it does at times hinder the stories progression. The most significant incidence of is when Liz goes in to much technical detail of how the ecological disaster Bethany has predicted will happen. Liz goes in to great scientific detail about how it will occur and although I do commend her on her research it felt like too much detail to me.

As the book draws to a conclusion you begin to care about the characters which comes from understanding were the characters have come from and why they are flawed. By the end of the book it makes you question what man kind are doing to the planet and it’s potential consequences. The book was a pleasure to read and gave me much to think about. You can buy The Rapture by Liz Jensen on Amazon.

I am currently reading I am What I am by John Barrowman, One Day by David Nicholls, Look Back in Hunger: The Autobiography by Jo Brand & Astral Travel for Beginners by Richard Webster so expect more book reviews soon.

Signing off for now,

Antony

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Friday 10 September 2010

Keeping you updated…

By Amazon, Books & Authors, Life, Love & Relationships, Paganism2 Comments

I have been extremely busy recently (see Mad Busy) and coming up to the Christmas/New Year break its got even worse, if that’s possible? I hope to write up a number of blog posts sitting in my WordPress Drafts Box during the Christmas/New Year break. But in the mean time here’s a brief update:

University
Regular readers will know that back in September I started back doing two modules at Uni. (see Back to University) Well I’m still really behind on the work I MUST get my head down and do some of the work before the deadline in the first week of January. I have:

  • 1 Assignment to tweak
  • 1 Assignment to complete (I have started it but its more difficult than I thought!)
  • About 8 workshops to complete

    • What’s worse is I just can’t seem to get motivated.

    Christmas / Yule Preparations
    I have bought everybody’s presents, even exchanged some. A few suprises for people that I picked up at the weekend need wrapping. I also need to organise to visit some people to exchange gifts. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my family and friends.

    Lots of self-bought Yule presents
    I decided a few months back as I’m single and it is my first christmas in my new apartment (see The Move.) I was going to buy myself a few gifts to open Christmas day morning. So I bought myself a few bits ‘n’ bats and then on a whim when I got paid this month treated myself to some purchases on Amazon:

  • Eddie Izzard – 7 [DVD] (also see 7 by Eddie Izzard)
  • Mum Can You Lend Me Twenty Quid?
  • How NOT to Write a Novel
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  • Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future

    • Ha ha, I think I’ve spent more on myself than on everyone else put together. Feeling so self-centred but quite satisfied at the same time.

    Love Life
    JB and I have continued to see each other as friends (see Honest Conversations, Cards on the table & Tastilious Food with a BUT…) and decided to go on a date between Christmas and New Years.

    He had been planning a supprise for me on Christmas Eve but didn’t tell me and I have organised to catch up with some family and some friends to exchange gifts and catch up. He was gutted, I felt guilty and stupid (for making the assumption he knows what I do christmas eve, every year!). But it’s sorted with good communication and we are going to do it on the date. Have kind of a full day and evening together. He has been very patient with me considering how mad busy I’ve been in the last few weeks and I hope is patience will remain in the next two weeks which are still likely to be manic due to the looming Uni deadline.

    Other Stuff
    There’s loads of other stuff thats been going on that I haven’t had chance to blog about yet. But will do when life is less manic!

    Keeping you updated and informed as always,

    Antony

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    Tuesday 22 December 2009
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