All Consuming: pcyclepath

A story about "Captain Corelli's Mandolin"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:42:22 GMT

by Louis de Bernieres

Forgot to write an entry for this one. Actually I found this book so boring I could not get past the first chapter. If I’m not intrigued by page 3 I usually give up (life is too short) but this one I read until page 20 or 30 since it won the Commonwealth Writers Prize Best Book Award.

A story about "Coalescent: A Novel (Destiny's Children (Paperback))"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:21:50 GMT

Coalescent: A Novel (Destiny's Children (Paperback))

by Stephen Baxter

At first it was interesting to read about Roman Britain BUT but but I found the description of modern Rome by one of the characters so annoying if the book was mine I would gladly throw it in the fireplace. Sadly I had to return it intact to my friend so I just put it aside.
Things to remember:
1. I got this one from J, the same J that insisted on lending me “the time travellers wife”, another waste of time. Avoid recommendations from J in the future.
2. I should just avoid SCI-FI, obviously it’s not my cuppa.

Consumed "Coalescent: A Novel (Destiny's Children (Paperback))"

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:39:59 GMT

Coalescent: A Novel (Destiny's Children (Paperback))

by Stephen Baxter

NOT WORTH IT!

A story about "Disgrace"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:30:27 GMT

Disgrace

by J. M. Coetzee

Mixed feelings about this one. The main character is an idiot, but is portrayed in a way that you can somehow walk his shoes. I mean I’m not middle-aged, I’m not even a man… but I could sometimes sympathize with the disgraced-lecturer. As for his daughter: even though she suffers the main blow I simply couldn’t care less for her, I found her so irritating. Interesting to go through the reviews at Amazon.co.uk, some people read a lot into this book… well I’m not one of them. After reading this one I was so surprised to learn Coetzee is a Nobel laureate writer.. I might try another of his novels in the future.

Consumed "Captain Corelli's Mandolin"

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:51:22 GMT

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

by Louis de Bernieres

NOT WORTH IT!

A story about "Purple Hibiscus: A Novel"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:57:46 GMT

Purple Hibiscus: A Novel

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Unpredictable story, told by teenager Kambili, about growing up, escape and discovery. I could not put this book down.

Consumed "Disgrace"

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:03:36 GMT

Disgrace

by J. M. Coetzee

NOT WORTH IT!

Consumed "Purple Hibiscus: A Novel"

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:48:34 GMT

Purple Hibiscus: A Novel

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

WORTH IT!

Consuming "The God Delusion"

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:06:24 GMT

The God Delusion

by Richard Dawkins

A story about "When Things of the Spirit Come First"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:12:55 GMT

When Things of the Spirit Come First

by Simone De Beauvoir

Describing one of the characters: ”...there was nothing commonplace or trifling about this young man; the least thing he said was so exactly right and so directly to the point that one felt like crying “touché”.”

A story about "Under the Net"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:08:50 GMT

Under the Net

by Iris Murdoch

“What is urgent is not urgent forever but only ephemerally. All work and all love, the search for wealth and fame, the search for truth, life itself, are made up of moments which pass and become nothing. Yet through this shaft of nothings we drive onwards with that miraculous vitality that creates our precarious habitations in the past and the future” so wrote Iris Murdoch in 1954.

A story about "The Man Of Fifty (Hesperus Classics)"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:26:03 GMT

The Man Of Fifty (Hesperus Classics)

by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Fascinating novella, never tought of Goethe as a “page turner”. But what a disappointing finish.

A story about "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:21:50 GMT

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

by Neil Gaiman

I was in a foreign country and this was the only book available at the time, so I read it from cover to cover… it took me weeks. There is a lesson for me here: never travel again without options. This seems to be a cult book, well… different strokes for different folks. I’m staying well clear of both writers from now on.

A story about "The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:10:34 GMT

The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds

by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

I had to give this one up. I’d rather carry on looking up in blissfull ignorance than to go through this load of waffle.

Consumed "The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds"

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 08:20:51 GMT

The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds

by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

NOT WORTH IT!

Consumed "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch"

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:03:45 GMT

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

by Neil Gaiman

NOT WORTH IT!

Consuming "The Reverse Side of Life"

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:52:02 GMT

The Reverse Side of Life

by Sung-u Yi

Consumed "The Man Of Fifty (Hesperus Classics)"

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:51:33 GMT

The Man Of Fifty (Hesperus Classics)

by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

WORTH IT!

A story about "Forever and Ever Amen"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 07:16:26 GMT

Forever and Ever Amen

by Joe Pemberton

I usually enjoy stories about immigration and growing up in a different culture but this was not that great. Each chapter starts with some witty remark or interesting phrase, sadly in most cases I found the chapter title more interesting than the chapter itself. It’s about this child from a West Indies background growing up in Manchester in the 60s.

Consumed "The Visitor"

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:15:52 GMT

The Visitor

by Maeve Brennan

WORTH IT!

A story about "Piano"

nobody@www.allconsuming.net (pcyclepath) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:28:17 GMT

Piano

by Jean Echenoz

This was excellent, a real page turner. The second movement was a bit too slow, but still.