DNF @ 29%. It's just not holding my interest, and I picked it up wanting a fun and quick read. There's a lot of repetition about the meaning of holidaDNF @ 29%. It's just not holding my interest, and I picked it up wanting a fun and quick read. There's a lot of repetition about the meaning of holidays/ capitalism is bad, and not much silliness or romance....more
I'm DNFing this for now, mostly because I don't think it's working for me on audio, but maybe when I want something I really need to concentrate on, II'm DNFing this for now, mostly because I don't think it's working for me on audio, but maybe when I want something I really need to concentrate on, I'll try and pick it up in another format....more
The story of the invention of the printing press and the work behind the Gutenberg Bible told from the perspective of his appDid not finish...however:
The story of the invention of the printing press and the work behind the Gutenberg Bible told from the perspective of his apprentice. I found the subject matter genuinely fascinating and there’s some wonderful passages. Perhaps I was reading it at the wrong time (new job, trying to read on lunch breaks) and just didn’t get fully immersed. However the politics of the church and the situation in Mainz at the time is fairly relevant to the motivations and resulting history. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to be that interested in it. Coupled with the fact the characters are pretty unsympathetic (you can’t make real people nice or witty just to suit modern whims, I know) and a slow pace (this was the church’s fault for holding up progress!) I just kept putting the book down. Still I liked A LOT of what I read and there was plenty of little snippets that I took note of.
The world is flooded now with crude words crudely wrought, an overwhelming glut of pages pouring from the scores of presses springing up like mushrooms after rain. Churning out their smut and prophecy, the rantings of the anarchists and antichrists – the scholars of the classics are in uproar at how printing has defiled the book.
This is a non-fiction account of a man who became a genius after a head injury. The main problem with this was the writing style; one of the things JaThis is a non-fiction account of a man who became a genius after a head injury. The main problem with this was the writing style; one of the things Jason says he lost after the injury was the ability to concentrate on reading and writing. So this book is a joint venture between him and Maureen Seaberg but is told from first person all the way through. The inner workings of the brain are a complete mystery and the science bits trying to explain what happened are interesting. However the chapters around the rest of his life, though somewhat saddening, left me struggling through the pages. Then about half way through it started to hit the hard mathematics and I was lost. I wanted to know about the miracle that happened in his brain, not the work he did afterwards. I skipped ahead and did read some of the later chapters, including where he finally gets a diagnosis. So possibly more interesting to those with an interest in maths AND brains.
Have given up on this, thought it was an odd mishmash of legal thriller and what is becoming known as "book group fiction". Difficult subject matter (Have given up on this, thought it was an odd mishmash of legal thriller and what is becoming known as "book group fiction". Difficult subject matter (child exploitation) and not good enough writing to get me past the awkward bits....more
This sounded so good from the blurb but just didn’t deliver for me. I fear it’s a bit of a boy book. The characters didn’t rouse aDNF - 140 pages read
This sounded so good from the blurb but just didn’t deliver for me. I fear it’s a bit of a boy book. The characters didn’t rouse any empathy in me and the prose was a bit bland. The bad things in the maze weren't described in a way that made them scary or sinister and it's lacking in tension. The world is rather intriguing and younger readers will probably enjoy the action and story elements. Other than wanting to know what the maze is (I have a theory), there’s nothing to keep me reading and I bet you have to read the whole trilogy to get all the answers. I have other books I’d rather be reading!
Just when I was wondering where all the girls were, one did crop up. I am not averse to a book without female characters but I do feel it needs some sort of explanation. At least it does get acknowledged and I would hope the reasons become clear later on…...more
It’s not that I didn’t like this one; it’s not bad as far as erotic fiction goes…but because of its nature I didn’t really want toDNF - 228 pages read
It’s not that I didn’t like this one; it’s not bad as far as erotic fiction goes…but because of its nature I didn’t really want to read it in public and therefore it got left behind a lot. I just sort of got half way and lost interest. There’s only so much sex I can read about before it becomes boring and at the beginning Ellie (the character, not me) makes it clear that they broke up so there was nothing to read on for. Except maybe the why, but that didn’t seem all that mysterious to me.
Ellie is typical of a lot of manipulative young women at the start although I think she was starting to feel a little used at the point I got to. She has a love of classic erotic fiction (showing us that it’s not a new phenomenon) and uses this to reel in Monsieur. Being French, it doesn’t beat about the bush with flowery descriptions of sex and is quite blunt. Indeed the language might be a bit much for those used to mainstream erotica (no throbbing members here, thank god). The use of social media in the book also shows how differently people can act online/via text and in person. Whilst Monsieur’s language is quite consistent, Ellie comes across brazen in text and vulnerable in person....more
I will struggle to summarise the plot as I haven’t the faintest idea what is going on. There’s an intergalactic rock concert for life forms that are I will struggle to summarise the plot as I haven’t the faintest idea what is going on. There’s an intergalactic rock concert for life forms that are possibly infinite, a man on earth that goes into a pub, an infinite debt with a dangerous loan shark and something that’s about to destroy the earth. It really feels like it’s trying to be Hitchhiker’s Guide and missing the mark by a longshot. There are a lot of made up words and things and no clear explanation, without the handiness and plain talking of The Book. There are a few glimpses of satirical humour but I just found it too hard going. I’m sure it would appeal to a certain type of sci-fi reader that takes the gobbledegook in their stride. It may have improved greatly as I only made it to page 75 before saying enough is enough....more
I picked up Bed of Nail as part of my Paris in July reading and I think my lack of engagement with it is why I did so badly with my personal goals. ThI picked up Bed of Nail as part of my Paris in July reading and I think my lack of engagement with it is why I did so badly with my personal goals. The concept sounds good; Parisian suicide squad with offbeat characters and a talking parrot. Overall I found it a bit odd and there is an over use of “had” which makes the prose feel a bit clumsy. I don’t know if this is just the translation or the intended style but it wasn’t for me. A shortish book, I gave up at page 102....more