August 2, Friday in Memes #24

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. 
This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:

      Do you own more than one copy of a book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

My Answer:
      I am not guilty of this "bookish sin". Unfortunately, I do not have enough space for books and there is no point to keep a couple of copies of the same book, I just choose the prettiest edition and leave it on the shelves. The only exceptions are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin, which I have in English and Czech, and Russian and German languages respectively for language learning purposes.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

 ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,’ grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
‘It’s so dreadful to be poor!’ sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My 56:

There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.

Outline: I must confess that the writing does not do anything to me. The 56 extract is a bit sad and knowing the story of Beth, I can see that the author started to prepare us to the sad events straight from the beginning of the book.

July 19, Friday in Memes #12

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

 Longren, a sailor of the Orion, a rugged, three-hundred ton brig on which he had served for ten years and to which he was attached more strongly than some sons are to their mothers, was finally forced to give up the sea.

My 56:

Goodreads

 Gray lay down by the fire, gazing at the water and the reflection of the flames. He was thinking, but effortlessly; in this condition one's mind, while observing one's surroundings absently, comprehends them but dimly; it rushes on like a stallion in a jostling herd, crushing and shoving aside, and halting; emptiness, confusion and delay
attend it in turn. It wanders within the souls of things; from bright agitation it hurries to secret intimations; passing from earth to sky, conversing on the subject of life with imaginary personages, snuffing out and embellishing one's memories. In this cloudy
movement all is live and palpable, and all is as loosely hung together as a hallucination.

Outline: I know what the story is about, but I have never read it in English. So it is quite interesting to read Grin's metaphors and allusions in translation. Most of his works have a captivating plot, but sometimes overloaded with some philosophical thinking, which I have difficulty to grasp. Scarlet Sails (or Crimson Sails) are the most popular work of Grin outside Russia, it is really short and quite beautiful. It is one of my childhood favourite.

July 12, Friday in Memes #11

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. 
This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:

     What do you like/dislike about self-published works? (submitted by Nicki @ Nicki J. Markus/Asta Idonea)

My Answer:
      I did not happen to read a single self-published book. Most probably because there are so many published works, that I do not go lokking for something else. But if I would com across one, I gladly read it and see for myself.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Towards the end of November, during a thaw, at nine o'clock one morning, a train on the Warsaw and Petersburg railway was approaching the latter city at full speed. The morning was so damp and misty that it was only with great difficulty that the day succeeded in breaking; and it was impossible to distinguish anything more that a few yards away from the carriage windows.

My 56:

Goodreads

"Oh, dear me, I assure you there is no need to stand on ceremony with him," the general explained hastily. "He is quite a child, not to say a pathetic-looking creature. He has fits of some sort, and has just arrived from Swizerland, straight from the station, dressed like a German and without a farthing in his pocket. I gave him twenty-five roubles to go on with, and am going to find him some easy place in one of the government offices. I should like you to ply him well with the victuals, my dears, for I should think he must be very hungry."

Outline: The beginning of the book is quite grey, there is only indication of the place, but the rest is so vague and blurry, indicating, I guess, the possibility of this story happening anytime and anywhere. The "56" extract is quite interesting, as it is probably the description of "the idiot" by someone of position and power. I can only compliment on general's compassion and intention to help.

April 26, Friday in Memes #10

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
     At the end of a hard day, how do you get yourself psyched about writing a book review? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)
My Answer:
      I cannot motivate myself to write reviews. It is always a struggle. Those books which do not leave any impression are easy to review: I just write down my thoughts and things I do not like. But  reviews about books that I loved or hated are more difficult to gather; I am usually full of emotions, and it is difficult to put in any reasonable form to convey my thoughts. So those are the longest to write. I still have one book from last year that I hated and want to rant about, but still have not even started.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Goodreads

There was a boy called Odd. and there was nothing strange or unusual about that, not in that time or place. Odd meant the tip of a blade, and it was a lucky name.

My 56:

The fox tosses its head and walked away. Odd put his knife down and took out his hatchet once more. 'I've seen rainbows on the snow sometimes,' said Odd, laud enough for the fox to hear, 'and on the side of buildings, when sun shone through the icicles. And I thought, ice is only water, so it must have rainbows in it too. When the water freezes, I think the rainbows are trapped into it, like fish in a shallow pool. And the sunlight sets them free.'

Outline: I love Chris Riddell illustrations and I am ready to read whatever book he illustrates. His collaboration with Neil Gaiman was not bad so far, so I am hoping to enjoy this short book. Besides, the extract about rainbows is so poetic and beautiful.

April 19, Friday in Memes #9

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
   Do you check how many views your posts have received? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
My Answer:
      Constantly))))) And I am always sad to see that reviews are not popular at all. But I guess it is an issue for most bloggers.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Seven o'clock on a Monday morning, five hundred years after the End of The World, and the goblins had been at the cellar again. Mrs Scattergood  - the landlady at the Seven Sleepers Inn - swore it was rats, but Maddy Smith knew better. Only goblins could have burrowed into the brick-lined floor; and besides, as far as she knew, rats didn't drink ale.

Goodreads

My 56:

Maddy looked out across the Hill, where the distant figure of Adam Scattergood was getting smaller and smaller along the Malbry road, occasionally giving vent to a shrill scream of rage as he ran.

'I could have killed him,' she said, beginning to shake.

'Another time, perhaps.' 

'Don't you understand? I could have killed him!'

One-Eye seemed unmoved. 'Well, isn't that what you wanted to do?'

Outline: Runemarks is Norse mythology inspired novel. I have not read any YA work from
Joanne Harris, but I like her adult novels. So hope this will work for me. My impression that I am going to struggle for a while to get into a story with all the names and references to the Norse gods and runes, but I am optimistic and excited. This book has been on my TBR for more than 3 years.

April 12, Friday in Memes #8

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    When reading a series, do you re-read the previous book/s before reading the newly released book? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)
My Answer:
      I keep it as a rule not to pick up series until all books are published. I am very bad at waiting)) So I guess I am reading books from the start, only as a whole series.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.

Goodreads

My 56:

Only when I got parallel to them did I see Isaac's face. Tears streamed down his reddened cheeks in a continual flow, his face a taut mask of pain. He stared at the screen, not even glancing at me, and howled, all the while pounding away at his controller. "How are you, Hazel?" asked Augustus.

Outline: This is going to be my last try with John Green. I really do not enjoy his books. I just DNFed Will Grayson, Will Grayson, but I have already checked this one from the library, so I will give it try and if it does not go well I am finished with John Green.

March 29, Friday in Memes #7

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Name one classic novel you have always wanted to read. (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

My Answer:
      A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (1929). I guess it is more than 10 years I keep in mind this book and still did not come even close to it. It was a recommendation from our literature teacher and we were supposed to read it, but as additional book, so nobody did. But I still remember how she talked about it and it made me wanting to read it anyway.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

Goodreads

My Book Beginnings:

Once, four children called Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell lived all together in a village called Haworth in the very farthest , steepest, highest, northernest bit of England.

My 56:

Charlotte's furious pace had dragged them all across the moors and into sooty Keighley streets early. The hay market gate clattered and echoed with horses and voices and
smelled of many less wholesome things than hay, but no carriages waited there to collect two unhappy girls. Emily looked up to a bank's brassy clock tower. It wasn't near time for speeches yet.

Outline:  I have heard a lot good things about this book, but I know literary nothing about the plot. The only this is obvious from the beginning the story is based on inspired by Bronte family.

March 22, Friday in Memes #6

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Do you read along with your Audio books? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)

My Answer:
      I do love audio books. Though even 5 years ago I could not imaging listening to the audiobooks, I could not concentrate.  I guess the quality of sound has changed drastically as well, not just me. But now I cannot even listen to the music or radio, it seems the waste of time.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Henry, Kansas, is a hot town. And a cold town.

My 56:

Henrietta looked at him. "There are some old tools in the basement, and some more in the barn. I bet there's a chisel. do you want me to check?"

"That would be good," Henry said. " It took me forever last night . I kept worrying that I was scratching the doors. I hope we don't mess any of then up."

Outline: I love novels set in a particular town or city. It makes it feel more realistic. The extracts evoke the expectation for a good hunt and secrets, so I am exited I came across this book.

March 15, Friday in Memes #5

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Do you use NetGalley, Edelweiss, both, or neither? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
My Answer:
      I do not. I have heard about Net Galley, but I have so many books on my shelves, that having even more on my Kindle...Edelweiss I have never heard about.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Twilight was gathering, and Orpheus still wasn't here.

My 56:

Darius set to work at once, busy and eager, like a bespectacled squirrel, while Elinor gave Farid a glance as cold as if he were personally responsible fro the bad news he'd brought. Maggie still still remembered just how alarming she had once found that book.

Outline: I frankly do not remember the characters from the first book. So I wonder if it is going to be a big issue reading a sequel. It is long on my shelves and I want to finish the series, and now it is the best time to read it during Middle Grade March.

March 8, Friday in Memes #4

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Do you buy all your books? If yes, do you keep it all? If no, where do you source them? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)
My Answer:
      I do not buy all of the books. Some I take from friends and libraries. Those books I, naturally, return. The ones I own I may exchange in libraries by the hotel or bus stops (you take one - leave one). Then, of course, I buy books. Mostly I buy used books, so those (when read and not much loved) I give to my library as they have a poor section in English. If I pay full price, I try to sell later on, and if no customer found, they go to the library as well.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

The journalists arrived before the coffin did.

My 56:

Jupiter pulled her onward. 'It's you they are hunting, Morrigan. You want to help your family? You need to get yourself far, far away from this house.'

Outline: Frankly, there is not much revealed by the opening sentence (which is a bit gloom for a middle grade novel).  It seems there will be chase and running and a lot of difficult choices.

March 1, Friday in Memes #3

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Have you made the switch from print to e-books? Is either one exclusive? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
My Answer:
When I discovered Kindle I was overwhelmed and was reading only e-books. Later on I was slowly switching back to paper format. Now, I would say that I read 30 % physical books, 30% audio and the remaining 40% are e-books.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Two former lovers of Molly Lane stood waiting outside the crematorium chapel with their backs to the February chill.

My 56:

'I should say one thing first. I've no idea why she took these, but one thing is sure. It The Judge to protect its sources.'
could only have been done with Garminy's consent. He's looking straight at the lens. The copyright was hers and, as the sole trustee of her estate, I effectively own it. It goes without saying , I shall expect

Outline: It is not much you can get from this extracts apart, that there is some kind of terrible event happened and others need to deal with dramatic aftermath of it. Besides, I know nothing of the book (apart that it was a Booker prize winner) and it might be interesting to have a peek into this drama.

February 15, Friday in Memes #1

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.


This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Have you ever thought about taking a break from blogging/Booktubing? If you have, how long was the break and what did you learn from it? (submitted by Danielle @ PoetryBooksYA)

My Answer:
I never wanted, but I took a long involuntary break. I was traveling and was not posting anything and then it was just difficult to get back. I had a huge pack of books to overview and I guess I was lazy, but in the end I could not stay any longer away from the blog.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think.

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

Goodreads

 My Book Beginnings:

A convenience store is a world of sounds.

My 56:

When something was strange, everyone thought they had the right to come stomping in all over your life to figure out why. I found that arrogant and infuriating, not to mention a pain in the neck. Sometimes I even wanted to hit them with a shovel to shut them up, like I did that time in the elementary school.

Outline: This is the book about the woman who works in a convenience store and loves it. But in the modern society it is difficult to understand a person who is satisfied with a part-time low paid job. And every one was still trying to "cure" her. It is a quick read and a bit upsetting.