Wellington Reads discussion

Hi everyone, what books do you have this month?

I've started a fair few books recently but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to get into any of them. I'm onto my third one now which is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and, despite having heard many great things about it, I'm thinking it may have to go onto the never-finished pile. Has anyone else read it? At what point does it get a bit more intriguing? I am a few chapters in but it's been a bit of a chore so far.

Following this phase of dissatisfying reading, I'm thinking I might have to go back to one of my favourites. I'm an avid fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and I've recently discovered some of his earlier works that I haven't read, so might get into one of those!

What's everyone else got?

I just got Eleanor and Park out from the library, which was recommended to me. I want to read The Rosie Project too this month for my f2f bookclub. Might have to place a reserve for it or purchase a copy as it looks pretty popular!

I'm starting the month off with a bit of a fairy tale bent. I've just got Mothers Grimm which I saw come up on the new fiction blog. It looks like it should be an enjoyable read.

I also grabbed xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths. I read a few stories from the collection earlier in the year after picking it up to read Madeline Miller's Galatea. I had enjoyed her treatment of mythic material in The Song of Achilles so was keen to see what she could with a myth proper. She created a very satisfying tale around the figure of Galatea and I enjoyed the diversity I found in the few other I read. I hope the rest will be just as good.

I have a pile of reviews to finish from last month so I may spend November trying to catch up with those rather than adding to the stack.

I'm reading The Galactic Milieu series by Julian May at the moment. I am onto the second book at the moment - The Diamond mask. I had really enjoyed her Saga of the Exiles series so was excited when I saw this one at a second hand sale. It is an enjoyable read so far. A sci-fi set around a hundred years from now where humanity has started to develop mind powers and is at the teething stages of joining an intergalactic society of sentient species who aim to have a mind unity between those with operant powers throughout the galaxy.

Rob wrote: "I'm reading The Galactic Milieu series by Julian May at the moment. I am onto the second book at the moment - The Diamond mask. I had really enjoyed her Saga of the Exiles series so was excited whe..."
Oh yes, I remember reading those! It was a few years ago, so I can't remember if I finished the series or not.
Having seen her on an ad on the back of a bus, I am now reading Misty Copeland's autobiography Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina

I've almost finished Perfidia by James Ellroy. Should be done this afternoon. Wow what a read - all I can say is that 1940's USA - LA in paricular - was horrible, racist, corrupt and factional.

After Perfidia, I'll be reading Perdido Street Station by China Miéville - a November read for one of my other GR clubs.

Rob, the "Galactic Milieu" series by Julian May is one of my favourite Sci-Fi series. I hope you enjoy it!

Just finished Eleanor & Park...such a great story.

Erica wrote: "Just finished Eleanor & Park...such a great story."

I finished reading this a few weeks ago too and loved it (although it will break your heart more than a bit). I've basically decided that I love Rainbow Rowell as an author, she's amazing. Have you read Fangirl? :-)

I've had to park Perdido Street Station for the time being. My son wants us to read the second of the The Maze Runner Series, The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.

We went to see The Maze Runner the the weekend before last and it was OK (my son loved it).



I also went to see Gone Girl with my wife (dinner and a movie) and it was just as good, creepy and unsettling as I hoped it would be. Rosamund Pike was an excellent Amy and Ben Affleck didn't do too bad as Nick!

I couldn't resist, so I'm now re-reading Captain Vorpatril's Alliance at the same time as the Misty Copeland book.

Celeste wrote: "Erica wrote: "Just finished Eleanor & Park...such a great story."

I finished reading this a few weeks ago too and loved it (although it will break your heart more than a bit). I've..."

Na I haven't read Fangirl, did you like it? I read the blurb but didn't sound like a book I would usually read.

Erica wrote: "Na I haven't read Fangirl, did you like it? I read the blurb but didn't sound like a book I would usually read."

I love Rainbow Rowell! And I especially loved Eleanor & Park! I've read Fangirl too, and although I did like it, I think it's more of a niche book. If you have an interest in the subject matter (fanfiction) then I'd say give it a go, otherwise I think it can be a little alienating.

I currently have a bunch of books on the go (as usual) - Lemony Snicket's latest "Shouldn't You Be in School?" which is wonderful as always, but even more surreal than usual, Amy Poehler's Yes Please which is a joy to read because I adore her, Wolf in White Van which is intriguing but is taking me a while to get through for a little book, and I'm just over halfway through the Cress audiobook (which is super long). I can't wait for Winter to come out next year! If you haven't read the Lunar Chronicles yet, I highly recommend them! They are a take on fairytales, but with awesome twists, such as Cinderella/Cinder being a CYBORG. Awesome.

I saw Rainbow Rowell has another book as well...can't remember the name but there's a phone on the cover. Will have to see what that one's about.

I finished The Rosie Project the other day and I've leant it my sister. That was a really fun read. I like those types of books that give a different perspective that we don't often see - this one was from the pov of a man with aspergers. I think it really makes you stop and think before you judge someone who is different, or maybe just thinks differently. I'm sure this is why people who read are more empathetic :) I'll have to read the sequel but got a few more books to get through this year for challenges so it might have to wait till Jan.

Hey all,
On Sunday I reached my bookreads goal for this year to "Read fifty books in 2014". My fiftieth book was Ark by Stephen Baxter.

I have to admit, some of the books were absolutely fantastic and some of them were not to my taste. Along the way (and not included) there were a few that I parked and/or abandoned altogether.

If you're curious the list of reads for 2014 can be found here.

Good on you Juston! I reached my goal of 45 books the other week so with a month and a bit of the year to go I extended it to 50. Definitely would be the most books I've read in a year for ages. I usually average about 30-40p/yr.

I've just got The Phantom Coach: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Ghost Stories out from the Library. It'll probably be my last book for November. It's my second set of short stories this year. I'm going to try and read more next year as I find them quite fun to read.