@Liesvanrompaey@mastodon.green
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Liesvanrompaey

@[email protected]

Living in Spain with husband https://fosstodon.org/@jpoesen, 3 dogs and 3 cats.

I help people get a (Flemish) high school degree when the regular channels don't work for them.

I love animals (dogs in particular), nature, photography, and science. I'm crazy about books.

I'm a big fan of #iNaturalist.

I spend most of my time reading, doing stuff in the garden, watching tv, and looking at plants and bugs.

"Preach at all times. When necessary use words." (The Way of Shadows - Brent Weeks)

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Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon

Hi all
Trying to remember the title and author of a book I had as a kid (about 40 years ago).

This is what I remember: A girl who has been in a bad accident moves to her aunt and uncle's place. They have a horse farm and all the kids ride. This girl doesn't want to ride anymore because she accidentally (?) killed her horse (?). She discovers two stolen pedigreed horses during a snow storm and saves them.

It was definitely not "literature" but I loved that book.

Any ideas?

Liesvanrompaey,
@Liesvanrompaey@mastodon.green avatar

@farbel @bookstodon
Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't think that was it. Can't remember anything about preparing for a meet.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
@Liesvanrompaey@mastodon.green avatar

@bookstodon

Spending my days under a duvet battling a cold and an annoying cough.

On the plus side: this gives me lots of time to listen to books.

Today I've been listening to An Honest Man by Michael Koryta. I'm really enjoying this one. The characters are complex and the plot has intelligent twists and turns. The story is good enough to lose myself in it, which is exactly what I need right now :).

Excellent "time out book".

#MichaelKoryta

MagentaRocks, to bookstodon
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Is anyone listening to the audio version of Making It So by Sir Patrick Stewart?

Besides the fact he could read me the phonebook, his narration is glorious storytelling. I can imagine sitting next to him, anywhere on the planet, listening to him share these stories.

He shares tales during his time working on Dune, which are, well, David Lynch worthy. And! You will gain a strong appreciation of all the times Shakespeare figured into Star Trek TNG plots.

@bookstodon

Liesvanrompaey,
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@MagentaRocks @bookstodon Thanks for your post. Had no idea this book existed. Will be listening to this soon.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon
Book 87 The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

Enjoyable and intriguing. Complex and diverse.
I found the ending a bit underwhelming but overall it was a very good read.

Best not to read too much about it to avoid spoilers, though, because it's a story that really takes you to unexpected places.

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

If someone, who isn’t an avid reader says, “This is one of the best books I’ve ever read…” (assuming they aren’t talking about something they read when they were 5)

Do you think:

Wow, this must be a phenomenal book, I must find it immediately.

OR

This is probably trash or close to it & if I see it, steer clear. @bookstodon

Liesvanrompaey,
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@Likewise @bookstodon

If I don't know the book I'll ask them what it is about and look into it if it interests me.

When people talk about a book I see that as an opportunity to learn about a book I might not have heard about.

The fact that they don't read much, doesn't say anything about the potential value of the book. Plenty of avid readers recommend books that don't appeal.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon
After watching Foundation I was curious about Asimov's Robot books.

The stories so far (I Robot and The Rest of the Robots) are quite simple and a bit crude, but they are also refreshing in their simplicity.

I see the stories as Asimov's take on the advances in robotics and computing he witnessed. It's funny in a way that the robot themes in science fiction haven't changed all that much since then.

AndyPaciorekArt, to bookstodon
@AndyPaciorekArt@mastodon.social avatar

Got that feeling you get when you don't like a book that you'd been looking forward to reading 🫤

@bookstodon

Liesvanrompaey,
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@AndyPaciorekArt @bookstodon Just put it away and try again later. You might like it then. Sometimes books need the right place and the right time.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon
Book 83 Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood

Short stories. Beautifully written as always. Some really funny stories, some mysterious stories. Most stories are sad though.

I recommend this book because it is Atwood and it is full of beauty and wisdom, but do yourself a favour: don't read this if you are feeling even a little bit sad or out of sorts.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon
Book 82 The Final Architecture #1
Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The vintage Tchaikovsky originality but without the (sometimes very) over the top action. Interesting ideas. Complex heroes and inscrutable villains. Classic action/detective story ploys perfectly adapted to space and space travel. Palpable atmosphere. Great read!

Looking forward to book 2 and 3 of the series.

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon

Book 80: Night Angel Nemesis (The Kylar Chronicles 01) by Brent Weeks.

I really enjoyed the Night Angel trilogy. This book felt like a mixed bag. It's a good story, but it's more chaotic than the trilogy. There's also a bit too much revelling in violence for my taste and I could have done with a lot less diatribes about love and the meaning of suffering. I don't generally mind those, but this was rather excessive and kept interrupting the story.

kimlockhartga, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon Tomorrow (today in Australia and New Zealand) is Awareness Day. What really good novels have you read that feature older protagonists?

These come to my mind:

Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk

Deacon King Kong, James McBride

We Spread, Iain Reid

Old God's Time, Sebastian Barry

Liesvanrompaey,
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@robparsons @kimlockhartga @bookstodon

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Our Souls at Night by
Kent Haruf

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon

Book 76 Catharsis 2066 by David M. McGoings

This book has quite a lot of flaws,. To name a few: iffy science, an excess of machismo, simplistic characters and unlikely plot developments.

And yet ...

I couldn't put it down.

McGoings is a talented story weaver and knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat, even though you mutter and complain about the characters, the science and the plot while you're there.

A great read if you want to give your brain a rest.

kimlockhartga, to bookstodon
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You've heard the saying "God laughs at your plans." Well, I had planned to go shopping on Saturday, at the biggest used book emporium I could find, but I got deathly ill late on Friday night and I'm just now crawling out of it.

So, today, we have chosen a vintage book shop owned by women (bonus points) and I hope they're ready for us. They have 80,000 used books and collectibles. "Jeeves, my shopping cart!" It's like letting us loose in a candy store.

I made a list of authors whose books I still do not own. I might have gotten carried away. 😁
@bookstodon

Liesvanrompaey,
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@kimlockhartga @bookstodon
Aren't shopping list supposed to help you buy less :)?

franciscawrites, to bookstodon
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Join in to know me because getting to know people by the books they hold close to their heart is great,

The Tombs of Atuan - Le Guin
Frankenstein - Shelley
Hunger Games - Collins
Last Unicorn - Beagle
The House of Spirits - Allende
The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood
The Left Hand of Darkness - Le Guin
Annihilation - VanderMeer
Three Times Lucky - Turnage
Good Omens - Pratchett Gaiman
Jane Eyre - Brontë
Pet Sematary - King
Howl's Moving Castle - Wynne Jones

@bookstodon

Liesvanrompaey,
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@franciscawrites @bookstodon
to know me

The Call of the Wild - J. London
Life of Pi - Y. Martel
Ocean Sea - A. Baricco
Timbuktu - P. Auster
Winnie-the-Pooh - A.A. Milne
Slaughterhouse Five - K. Vonnegut
Jonathan Livingston Seagull - R. Bach
Les jardins de lumière (The Gardens of Light) - A. Maalouf
Het huis van de Moskee (The House of the Mosque) - K. Abdolah
Shame - S. Rushdie
La Peste (The Plague) - A. Camus
Cutting for Stone - A. Verghese
Kafka on the Shore - H. Murakami

Private
Liesvanrompaey,
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@lunalein @bookstodon
Claire North
Salman Rushdie
Haruki Murakami
David Mitchell

Private
Liesvanrompaey,
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@agt @bookstodon I hardly notice it is amazon, but I keep the wifi off.

Private
Liesvanrompaey,
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@fictionable @bookstodon The Stand by Stephen King
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Liesvanrompaey, to bookstodon
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@bookstodon
I didn't really get how there could be such a thing as cozy SF. Just couldn't picture it.

Now that I've read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers I totally understand.

Listening to these books made me feel like I was on a holiday.

I'll still be reading hard(er) SF, but it will be nice to grab some cozy SF from time to time :).

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