Do you read any author’s blogs? If so, are you looking for information on their next project? On the author personally? Something else?BookFreaks
- BTT: Author's Blogs
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bookfreaks- February 13th, 2009
- BTT: Too Much Information
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- bookfreaks
- February 5th, 2009
- Quote of the Month: February
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- bookfreaks
- February 1st, 2009
Remember: email me, don't comment!
"'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.'"
- January: Middlesex
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- bookfreaks
- February 1st, 2009
Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides
pages: 529
published: 2002
host: Allans
meeting: 30/1/09
selector: Tracey
This was certainly an interesting book to start off the new year, with the books, shall we say, 'unorthadox' subject matter spilling over into all aspects of our conversation - newfound supermodels, unusual google searches, explorations of actual medical matters. Even putting that aside, our discussion was a broad one and I feel that we all bought up some interesting points.
We discussed the books style of narration a great deal - first person/third person, male/female, it's self-referencing, and perspective - and even after all I don't think we came up with a group wide conclusion. Some of us loved it and some of us hated it.
Another talking point was the length of the book and breadth of the story - some of us felt that the story was covering too much and spending too much time telling it. Bec was of the opinion that this gave the novel a "gritty and interconnected' feel which was picked up later by Tracey in mentioning that this expression of the desire for connectiveness is only available through telling the story in this way.
The Greek culture was also discussed somewhat in relation to characters (Desdemona) and literary style (tragedy, comedy, myth). This was, of course, greatly helped by the atmosphere there in the Allen's Zebra Bar.
The final major talking point revolved around the choosing of gender. Most of us seemed to agree (even if only for the sake of the story) with Cal's choice not to have the surgery. The right of the parent to make a choice for the infant in such a situation was also considered.
RatingsPre Post Wendy 6 7 Bec 5 6 Rick 7 7.4 Renae 6 7 Debbie 6 6 Rebecca 8 8 Susan 0 2 Tracey 8 8
Other Covers
Next Meeting:
27th February
Debra's House
The Friday Night Knitting Club and Nightfall
- Quote of the Month: January
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- bookfreaks
- January 6th, 2009
Last year I put up a new quote every month, one related to books and/or reading. Well, this year I thought I'd try something new. Every month I'm going to pick a quote FROM a book - I'll try to keep them reasonably well known, but still have a variety of genres - for you to guess what it's from. At the end of the year, the person with the most correct guesses will win a prize... not sure what yet, but there'll be a prize.
I'll try to start of relatively easy, but if they're too hard or too much of the same thing, let me know. And remember, when you guess, be sure to email me instead of commenting, you don't want anyone to see your answer
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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife.
- BookFreaks 2009
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- bookfreaks
- January 6th, 2009
Welcome to a new year of BookFreaks - I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm very much looking forward to our second year!
I've updated our reading list, which can be found on the side bar to the right. And, in accordance with my New Years resolution to be more organised, this blog will be updated more regularly - so check back soon.
- BTT: Why Buy?
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- bookfreaks
- November 18th, 2008
I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?
Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?
If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?
- Book Bank
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- bookfreaks
- November 3rd, 2008
These are the books we currently have in our 'to be considered' bank. If you have any that you'd like to add, just email me or comment below.
Author Title Suggestor Adiga, Aravind White Tiger Tracey Austen, Jane Sense and Sensibility Wendy Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan Brooks, Geraldine People of the Book Rebecca Burroughs, Augusten Running with Scissors Kirsty McCarthy, Cormac The Road Renae Chevalier, Tracey The Girl with the Pearl Earring Wendy/Rebecca Cooper, Susan Under Sea, Over Stone Wendy Facey, Albert A Fortunate Life Renae Fitzgerald, F. Scott The Great Gatsby Renae Ford, Jamie Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Renae Gilbert, Elizabeth Eat, Pray, Love Kirsty Harvey, Samantha The Wilderness Renae Heller, Joseph Catch-22 Rebecca Huxley, Aldous Brave New World Wendy Ishiguro, Kazuo The Remains of the Day Wendy Jones, Lloyd Mister Pip Renae/Rebecca Kundera, Milan The Unbearable Lightness of Being Wendy Lanagan, Margo Tender Morsels Wendy Maguire, Gregory Wicked Renae Marsden, John Tomorrow When the War Began Renae Martel, Yann Life of Pi Rebecca Maurier, Daphne du Rebecca Wendy Mulligan, Spike Adolph Hitler: My Part in his Downfall Wendy Nabokov, Vladimir Lolita Rebecca Noble, Elizabeth Things I Want My Daughter to Know Renae Orwell, George 1984 Rick Reilly, Matthew Seven Ancient Wonders Renae Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye Renae Shaffer, Mary Ann The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society Renae Stevenson, Robert Louis Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Treasure Island Renae Stewart, Mary The Crystal Cave Wendy Stoker, Bram Dracula Rebecca Styron, William Sophie's Choice Wendy/Bec Tolkein, J.R.R. The Hobbit Rick Tsiolkas, Christos The Slap Kirsty Walker, Alice The Colour Purple Rebecca Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds Wendy Woolf, Virgina Mrs. Dallaway Wendy Wyndham, John The Day of the Triffids Wendy The Midwich Cuckoos Wendy Updike, John Rabbit, Run Renae
- BookFreaks meet the Authors...
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- bookfreaks
- October 25th, 2008
I assure you we're not stalkers ... we don't have long trenchcoats.May 19, 2008 - Emily Rodda (Sydney Writers Festival, Penrith Library)
October 22, 2008 - Matthew Reilly (Penrith Library)
May 19, 2009 - Catherine Jinks and Phillip Gwynne (Sydney Writers Festival, Penrith Library)
- October: Cloudstreet
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- bookfreaks
- October 25th, 2008
Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
Pages: 426Published: 1991Month: October 2008Suggested by: WendyHost: Allans
What can you tell him, Fish? Right now, while you're down there on that side of the water with your strange brain and your black, wide eyes. What do you understand enough to say? You stand there in the morning and the afternoon and see Quick all closed, white and hard. Motes rain down. The sun is alive. The whole house is shaking with sound. Why won't he look at you? How do you bear it? How can you just stand at the end of his bed like that, with the patience of an animal? It's like you're someone else down there, Fish. Or does it just hurt me to think it's not so? (p. 92)
Book Wendy 8 Bec 5 Rick - Renae 8.5 Debbie 9 Rebecca 9 Sue - Tracey 8
Next Month:
Book: The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch; and The Devil's Dictionary - Ambroise Bierce
Host: Renae
Date/Time: November 21 - hosted by Rebecca
October’s meeting, for Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, marked our most lively meet-up since our first gathering. While it is clear that Cloudstreet was an excellent choice for our little group, credit must also be given to our two new members: Debbie and Tracey, who both added considerably to the discussion. So thanks and welcome to them both.
As said, it was a very active meeting, with many opinions (only some of which corresponding) about almost every aspect of the book – we really could have used another meeting for this one. Questions of Lester’s moral fibre, Dolly’s past, and the ‘haunting’ of the Cloudstreet house were just three of the topics bought up. The question of Dolly, in particular, was interesting, and I can happily report that after sitting everyone down and having them listen to our arguments (as well as plying them with many cookies) the last holdouts came over to our point of view…
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What? I can’t make up whatever I want just because I’m writing this? Oh fine then.Overall, I think we had a great night, far too much was discussed to take note of everything but I’m sure we’ll be talking about this one again over the next few months.
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