Luminaries | 
I had two 5-star books in February and it was really a toss-up. I remember the tagged book more than the other one (tagged in the comments), so I‘m choosing this one for February. #12booksof2024 @Andrew65
In the Land of the Long White Cloud
pick#readingoceania2024 #newzealand 830 page chunkster that is part Dickens, part Agatha Christie taking place on the Wild West coast of NZ during the gold rush. It is highly flawed with well developed characters disappearing from the book and a framework of astrological signs that was largely meaningless to me. Also, for an incredibly complex mystery, I would have liked a bit more clarity on the details. However, really enjoyed the reading!
My February books read, 4 fewer than January but then who‘s counting? I‘m trying to rationalize: 3 books were 29, 22, and 19 hours long—so not a lot of extra time there. I also bailed on one book (not pictured), and had to stop midpoint in another to save it for a challenge in September. Ok, rationalizing done.
Six of the 10 were for #NewZealand #foodandlit & #readingoceania
The tagged book was probably my favorite this month.
pickWhat a complex book! Hokitika in south #NewZealand is a hotbed of a gold rush in 1866, drawing all the characters you can imagine, including, notably a Māori native, Chinese immigrants, a prostitute (& her pimp), hoteliers, bankers, a prison keeper, etc. along with the folks looking for gold and those looking to defraud them. A myriad of coincidences occur and every person knows just a little bit that all together tells the story. This book ⬇️
I‘ve opted for a chunkster for #NewZealand #foodandlit and #readingOceania. Hello 30 hours!!
I wanted an audiobook for now. The narrator for my first pick, In the Land of the Long White Cloud, would have driven me batty. And other books (ie, Pet) are not available as audiobooks or not yet released (Greta and Valdin).
So I‘m diving in and hoping it‘s a good one.
This was a bookclub pick where discussion made it even better. #MoonCover and a favorite T-shirt as the background. #NewYearNewBooks @eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
I‘m in for the #ChunksterChallenge! The tagged book cones in at 832 pages. And there are many more in my library. Let‘s do this! @Amiable
**CLAIMED** Friends! I ordered this from Thriftbooks and it came today. I had NO IDEA it was such a chunkster, and I just don‘t have time for a chunkster right now. If anyone wants it, I‘ll mail it to you! First come, first serve 😊
pickTotally my cup of tea! This capacious tome had an intriguing story, with the added advantage of being sufficiently taxing that I was able to put it down and go and do other things. 😆 (Actually, had I not seen the TV series I think I'd have lost my bearings... but that's likely more a comment on my current state of mind than on the story-craft.) I enjoyed the astrological element, too.
I‘ve been reading this one for a while now and enjoying it immensely. Although I do have the physical book because of health audio is a lot easier for me now but if things improve for me I‘d really love to immerse myself in the physical copy!
And this one, which was a surprise, so I'm pretty sure is from you @BarbaraBB ! Thank you so much, friend. You're so thoughtful and I'm so happy to finally have this ❤️
October 9 for The Daily Photo Challenge - Prompt: moon
#OminousOctober
#scarathlon22 #teammonstermash #scarathlon #moon #dailyphotochallenge
pickI finished the beast! Most of this book is great, with Catton layering on the story in a way that is fascinating and gives it depth without feeling bloated. But I found much of the final 50-100 pages unnecessary, wherein she fills in all the blanks in the story, many of which the reader could have already done for themselves. I enjoyed it overall (but the cover is super boring).
An all time favorite. So many pages but I couldn‘t get enough of it!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for the decade 2012-21 for the #thebigjubileereadinglist representing New Zealand. This was a decent read although at times it didn‘t constantly hold my attention. However, I‘m glad I read the book.
I thought I‘d go with something completely different, but I can‘t seem to get away from murder…😂
Has anyone watched this miniseries? We started tonight. Lots of building in the first episode. Feels a bit different from the book. Although I don't remember much of the book except there are a lot of characters and it's long. 🤣 Plan to keep watching but curious what others thought of it.
so-soA rather classic mystery novel with its characters‘ adventures placed during the 1860s gold rush in New Zealand. I appreciated the extensive and intricate character building, the originality of the key idea behind the plot and the astrology correlations, but this one was simply not for me; it challenged my patience without being equally rewarding neither in writing style nor in emotions delivered. I surely won't watch the series.
so-soWow this was a long book! And consequently, it was a possible 5/5 star book right up until the last 1/4th or 1/5 where I found that it seemed to run off the rails and be more of a recounted summary than a cohesive story. Just a little disappointing. 3/5 Stars.
This just popped up on Facebook. Another book I need to read before the show premieres. Thank the goddess I‘ve got time before Shadow and Bone hits Netflix!
pickI tend to enjoy The Man booker prize winners and this book was no exception. It‘s set in New Zealand (I wish I had read it when I was there) in the Gold rush in the 1860‘s. It is a complex story told through the eyes of 20 characters.
#12coloursofdecember - Day 13 - Navy Blue 🔵
#merryreaders #wintergames2020 ☃️
pickFinished this a bit ago, and forgot to review! 🤭😬 I felt that the story was engaging, and when told from the different perspectives kept me guessing until the end about the nature of the whole mystery. I was surprised by some of the developments and felt for the characters. Although there is a connection to the zodiac here, too, I felt that *personally* the author lost me a bit at its significance. Still, an enjoyable page-turner. #recentlyread
I‘ve been excited to start this book, and delve into the plot line, but something is suspiciously detracting my attention, in the best way! Hopefully I can get back into it! 😜😉☺️ #currentlyreading #Isaidyes💍 #surpriseengagement #sapphirering #bookworm #blessed
pickSet in New Zealand in the mid 1800's, this is the story of a group of twelve people trying to solve a series of mysterious events.
This is a hefty tome, thankfully I did it as an audiobook. I don't think I would have found the time otherwise. Its one you need to concentrate on as its full of details.
I really enjoyed this book. A great story that is well told from all twelve points of view as they piece the mystery together.
Day 22: #3Books that gave me a book hangover
These three I could have keep reading forever:
▪️The Luminaries: such a good plot
▪️My Struggle (the whole series): Knausgaard‘s story is so good!
▪️Cassandra at the wedding: I loved Cassandra and would have loved to stick with het a little longer
I'm dog sitting this pretty baby, fuzzbutt. Fuzzbutt has anxiety so we're reading together
#dogsoflitsy
panI have read every one of the 832 pages of this book. I would have bailed but it was a gift from my daughter and she really rated it. I know there will be questions. - I hope she does not ask which character I liked best, they were all despicable. I hope she does not ask about the story. I still do not know what the story was.
I am not a stupid person, but this book was a chore - not a labour of love.
panI have read every one of the 832 pages of this book. I would have bailed but it was a gift from my daughter and she really rated it. I know there will be questions. - I hope she does not ask which character I liked best, they were all despicable. I hope she does not ask about the story. I still do not know what the story was.
I am not a stupid person, but this book was a chore - not a labour of love.
Ohh - how are they going to get this #chunkster into 6 episodes??
#booktoscreen
Whiskers is not too sure about the enormity of this book and neither am I. I started it last night on my kobo, it is the oldest kobo book I own and I realized that all of the early books I bought are huge! Like way too big. Oh well, no time like the present!
pick#bookreport week 30/5/20 @Cinfhen
Started: The Final Problem
Made progress on: Sense and Sensibility & The Wall of Storms
Finished: tagged book, The Inimitable Jeeves & The Complete Guide to Astrology.
4 ⭐ for the tagged book - I enjoyed it but think I'm left with more questions than answers as I'm not quite sure how all the mysteries are linked.
panThis was a chore to read. Very dense. I struggled through it but was pretty confused in the end. Beyond me I think!
I'm enjoying this book quite a bit so far. I can only read a few pages before my mind wanders or I get interrupted. Winston has been clingier than normal, and I accidentally smacked him in the head with the book cover (didn't seem to bother him).
Anyone else have extremely clingy pets right now?
Anyone else ever complain that there wasn't enough time for chunky novels? Be careful what you wish for. 😅
Also, Lucas' mom sent an amazing care package to us with this Cthulhu mug. If you know him, you know he's obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft & even has a sleeve dedicated to him.
How's everyone else holding up? 🤗
pickGood: compelling and diverse characters, BEAUTIFUL writing, wonderful plot lines that tied together well, good ending.
Bad: Not bad, per se, but I wanted more motive behind what really drives the characters. I also wanted a bit more atmospheric feeling.
Overall: Really enjoyable, intriguing 880 page book. 4 stars.
...if home can‘t be where you come from, then home is what you make of where you go.
....he said that unrequited love was not possible; that it was not love. He said that love must be freely given, and freely taken, such that the lovers, in joining make the equal halves of something whole.
Finished off #booked2020 for winter!
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen
From top left:
- Finished in a day
- cover crush
- set in Hollywood
- live and learn
- millennial author
- book showing hat / head covering
Onto the next Booked2020 prompts! 😁
Reason is no match for desire: when desire is purely and powerfully felt, it becomes a kind of reason of its own.
His temperament was deeply nostalgic, not for his own past, but for past ages; he was cynical of the present, fearful of the future, and profoundly regretful of the world‘s decay.
He held the kind of passion for books and learning that only comes when one has pursued an education on one‘s very own.
Weekly goals
🙂 I reached my goal of 25% of Catton's
📖 Gideon the Ninth's hold came through earlier than expected from the library
✊🏻 Pretty things was put in hold
Catton's is keeping me interested. Gideon is barely holding my interest after 30%. I'm gonna give it until 50% to make me care. So far, it's wall to wall exposition with very little showing. ☹️
#bookreport
For although a man is judged by his actions, by what he has said and done, a man judges himself by what he is willing to do, by what he might have said, or might have done — a judgment that is necessarily hampered, not only by the scope and limits of his imagination, but by the ever-changing measure of his doubt and self-esteem.
A nice week. #bookreport
In progress
🌔 The Luminaries. I am hooked. I find the switch of narrators telling the story to the one external character fascinating.
⚡️ Pretty Things. Good but safe storytelling.
New in
🌚 Death Below Stairs
In the fridge
❄️ The Campaigns of Alexander
The goal is to get to the next chapter tonight while watching the Leafs.
#readingandwatchinghockey
