So Hey!
Wow, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Also sorry how I seem to be starting each blog with an apology. Oh well, you don't mind, do you?
The good news is that I've been reading lots!
I've put my 'Loo Literature' series on hold, simply because I'm struggling to find books that are short and engaging enough to be able to hold my attention over a two week period. I tried 'The Magicians Nephew', and then 'Cry, the Beloved Country', and then I sort of gave up. I am, however rooting through my bookshelves to try and find some others. If you have any recommendation, leave them in the comments!
In the world of 'big books' (patronising, much?) I've also been busy. I'm making steady progress through 'Grapes of Wrath', although I accidentally saw a bit of a spoiler for it, inevitable though it was. So I'm cooling off from that at the moment. Instead I've gotten back into the rather fabby world of Harry Potter, inspired as I was by listening to PotterCast on a recent journey into London. I've finished the first three books, and am steaming through 'The Goblet of Fire'. I'm trying to even them out until July, for the 'Half - Blood Prince' movie, but I don't think it's going to work too well.. Guess I'll just have to re-read them! :D
Sorry for the rather shoddy style of this blog, I'm rushed a bit as I've tonnes of things to do, and hardly any time to do them.. But bad blog's better than no blog, right?
Loves!
<3
(Rate, Comment, and Follow!)
xox
gb
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Monday 16 February 2009
A coupla reviews..
Hello, all!
Well, as promised, I have two reviews for you. Both are books I've read on the loo, as they tend to be the shortest ones I read. I've finished 'Pooh and the Philosophers' now, and am steaming onward through 'Of Mice and Men' (I have two Steinbeck books on the go at the same time, and I'm falling more in love with him everyday). 'Of Mice..' is quite short however, so I have confidence I'll have finished it by the end of this week, so my next book is going to be Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So Stories' (inspired partly by 'The Curious Tale of Benjamin Button', which is brilliant! :D).
Pooh and the Philosophers - John Tyerman Williams:
"This book confirms, once and for all.. that Pooh is a bear of Enormous Brain."
In this witty and entertaining book, Williams sets out to prove that Pooh Bear, the cute, cuddly founder of Wobbly Spelling, is in fact a philosophical genius that not only encapsulates all of Western Philosophy, but betters most of it as well. A profound claim, but one that Williams quite eruditely manages to prove to be true. At first, admittedly, his statements seem absurd and stupid, but by the end of the book even the most hardened cynic will believe that the concept of Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness' being anything other than a footnote to the philosophy of Pooh is ridiculous, and anyone who disagrees should be laughed at.
Of course, the book is, as the author himself states, a casual joke turned into a remarkable book. It can be pretty heavy going at times, and even though the author does his best to provide a crash course in Philosophy as he goes, it can sometimes be confusing, and somewhat esoteric to anyone who hasn't already taken the subject to degree level. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this to any lovers of wit and sillyness, as well as fans of Pooh. [4/5]
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger:
So it turns out that Catcher is a near impossible book to review. In creating Holden Caulfield, a depressing boy that people just can't identify with, Salinger has created what seems to be a piece of art. Because the 'tragedy' of Holden wandering through life unable to connect to anyone and having to deal with all these conflicting, tormenting emotions all by himself because no one will listen to him, shows the reader just how important empathy and the connections we have with people really are. However, it's more than that. The fact that the final scene with Phoebe and Holden's hat made me damn near burst into tears is a good thing, because it means that the matured Holden, who tells the story has developed and finally embraced change and maturity, and so realises how to connect to people.
There are so many facets to this book, and so many things to take from it, but for me the symbolism that's so prevalent in Holden's life, and to a degree, in all our lives really struck me. It made me think how we can get so dependant on things working out, on things resolving, and so stuck in seeing symbols of tragedy in our lives that we can forget reality, which is, admittedly, what some fiction is for, but I think it's important that we don't lose sight of reality, or else it'll find it's own nasty way of catching up with you.
In short, I think it's amazing, and I think that everyone should read it, and if they don't get it or like it, read it again until they do. [5/5]
I've rambled on for long enough in this post, but I'm interested to know what you think. So comment and let me know (it's easy, you don't even have to have an account!), or if you want to discuss either of these books some more, you can add me on GoodReads (>>), or email me at Flangel66@gmail.com
Hope y'all okay, and reading lots!
xo
gb
Well, as promised, I have two reviews for you. Both are books I've read on the loo, as they tend to be the shortest ones I read. I've finished 'Pooh and the Philosophers' now, and am steaming onward through 'Of Mice and Men' (I have two Steinbeck books on the go at the same time, and I'm falling more in love with him everyday). 'Of Mice..' is quite short however, so I have confidence I'll have finished it by the end of this week, so my next book is going to be Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So Stories' (inspired partly by 'The Curious Tale of Benjamin Button', which is brilliant! :D).
Pooh and the Philosophers - John Tyerman Williams:
"This book confirms, once and for all.. that Pooh is a bear of Enormous Brain."
In this witty and entertaining book, Williams sets out to prove that Pooh Bear, the cute, cuddly founder of Wobbly Spelling, is in fact a philosophical genius that not only encapsulates all of Western Philosophy, but betters most of it as well. A profound claim, but one that Williams quite eruditely manages to prove to be true. At first, admittedly, his statements seem absurd and stupid, but by the end of the book even the most hardened cynic will believe that the concept of Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness' being anything other than a footnote to the philosophy of Pooh is ridiculous, and anyone who disagrees should be laughed at.
Of course, the book is, as the author himself states, a casual joke turned into a remarkable book. It can be pretty heavy going at times, and even though the author does his best to provide a crash course in Philosophy as he goes, it can sometimes be confusing, and somewhat esoteric to anyone who hasn't already taken the subject to degree level. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this to any lovers of wit and sillyness, as well as fans of Pooh. [4/5]
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger:
So it turns out that Catcher is a near impossible book to review. In creating Holden Caulfield, a depressing boy that people just can't identify with, Salinger has created what seems to be a piece of art. Because the 'tragedy' of Holden wandering through life unable to connect to anyone and having to deal with all these conflicting, tormenting emotions all by himself because no one will listen to him, shows the reader just how important empathy and the connections we have with people really are. However, it's more than that. The fact that the final scene with Phoebe and Holden's hat made me damn near burst into tears is a good thing, because it means that the matured Holden, who tells the story has developed and finally embraced change and maturity, and so realises how to connect to people.
There are so many facets to this book, and so many things to take from it, but for me the symbolism that's so prevalent in Holden's life, and to a degree, in all our lives really struck me. It made me think how we can get so dependant on things working out, on things resolving, and so stuck in seeing symbols of tragedy in our lives that we can forget reality, which is, admittedly, what some fiction is for, but I think it's important that we don't lose sight of reality, or else it'll find it's own nasty way of catching up with you.
In short, I think it's amazing, and I think that everyone should read it, and if they don't get it or like it, read it again until they do. [5/5]
I've rambled on for long enough in this post, but I'm interested to know what you think. So comment and let me know (it's easy, you don't even have to have an account!), or if you want to discuss either of these books some more, you can add me on GoodReads (>>), or email me at Flangel66@gmail.com
Hope y'all okay, and reading lots!
xo
gb
Friday 6 February 2009
Goodbye Holden, Hello Pooh!
I'm sorry y'all for the time it's taken me to get back here, as you will know if you read my other blog (here), I've been rather busy. Luckily for you, I've been rather busy reading, too!
I've finished Catcher, and you can expect a review to be up here in full just as soon as I can find time. Next week, sometime. Suffice to say, I loved it. I think it's a fairly common phenomenon to hate something when you read it at school, but love it when you read it later, and, to an extent, it makes me slightly dubious about the way we teach English at school, but whatever. I loved it, so, so much. It truly is a brilliant piece of writing. Nearly brought me to tears at the end.
My next toilet book, is, rather aptly, about Winnie the Pooh. Entitled 'Pooh and the Philosophers' it's a satirical look at how dear old Pooh envelopes all of Western philosophy. It's hard going at times, but it's absolutely fantastic, and you slowly find yourself getting into the mindset, and tutting at those people narrow minded enough to believe that Pooh is anything other than a genius.
It is however, a sign of how little I've updated this, that I've almost finished this book. I was thinking about continuing in the vein and reading a mock travel book named 'Phaic Tan: Sunstroke on a Shoestring'. However, this isn't really linear enough to warrant a place in my Loo Literature spot, so instead I'll settle for reading it on the train, and Tweeting the odd quote.
Progress with 'The Grapes of Wrath' is slow, but I'm really loving it. Steinbeck is such a poet, and makes reading such a tragic book a real joy. However, it has sort of turned into my book to read on the road, which, in essence isn't a bad thing, but I don't tend to travel a whole lot. So I'm trying to keep reminding myself to pick it up in bed, instead of Les Mis, which is my guilty pleasure at the moment.
I've discovered Goodreads (I discovered it before Rosi and John Green mentioned it, so there!) and I'm using it to update y'all as to how far I've got with each book. I will post a link to it over there --->.
Hope you're all okay,
Keep reading!
xo
gb
I've finished Catcher, and you can expect a review to be up here in full just as soon as I can find time. Next week, sometime. Suffice to say, I loved it. I think it's a fairly common phenomenon to hate something when you read it at school, but love it when you read it later, and, to an extent, it makes me slightly dubious about the way we teach English at school, but whatever. I loved it, so, so much. It truly is a brilliant piece of writing. Nearly brought me to tears at the end.
My next toilet book, is, rather aptly, about Winnie the Pooh. Entitled 'Pooh and the Philosophers' it's a satirical look at how dear old Pooh envelopes all of Western philosophy. It's hard going at times, but it's absolutely fantastic, and you slowly find yourself getting into the mindset, and tutting at those people narrow minded enough to believe that Pooh is anything other than a genius.
It is however, a sign of how little I've updated this, that I've almost finished this book. I was thinking about continuing in the vein and reading a mock travel book named 'Phaic Tan: Sunstroke on a Shoestring'. However, this isn't really linear enough to warrant a place in my Loo Literature spot, so instead I'll settle for reading it on the train, and Tweeting the odd quote.
Progress with 'The Grapes of Wrath' is slow, but I'm really loving it. Steinbeck is such a poet, and makes reading such a tragic book a real joy. However, it has sort of turned into my book to read on the road, which, in essence isn't a bad thing, but I don't tend to travel a whole lot. So I'm trying to keep reminding myself to pick it up in bed, instead of Les Mis, which is my guilty pleasure at the moment.
I've discovered Goodreads (I discovered it before Rosi and John Green mentioned it, so there!) and I'm using it to update y'all as to how far I've got with each book. I will post a link to it over there --->.
Hope you're all okay,
Keep reading!
xo
gb
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Shout outs, and a book challenge.
A shorter blog today! Firstly, I want to give two shout outs.
1) To the book SteamPotVille, by Steve Ouch. I met Steve on Twitter, and I saw the link to his book. It's aimed at children, and it's amazing, really lovely and all done by Steve himself, which to be honest makes it all even more incredible. As soon as I get some money, it's first on my list of books to buy, and as soon as I do, I'll review it. Check it out here.
2) This guy, WedgeMania has set himself a New Years resolution similar to me. He intends to read 52 books (that's one book a week for all you maths buffs!) this year, and to step things up a bit, he's sharing it with you all on YouTube! He has a great taste in books, gives you handy hints on Beadle-y deals, and is already on his second book (he's beating me, and he's got exams to do!). So go check him out, and give him all the views he deserves!
Finally, this may, at the moment, anyway, be a bit impractical, but I'm thinking of doing a series of reading challenges next month, and it's entirely up to you what I read. If I get one or two books suggested, I'll just do them both, if I get a fair few, then I'll get some sort of a poll up and I'll decide which ones to do, but yeah - Suggest those challenges!
Rate, comment, and follow me, and go check out Steve's book and WedgeMania's project!
xo
gb
1) To the book SteamPotVille, by Steve Ouch. I met Steve on Twitter, and I saw the link to his book. It's aimed at children, and it's amazing, really lovely and all done by Steve himself, which to be honest makes it all even more incredible. As soon as I get some money, it's first on my list of books to buy, and as soon as I do, I'll review it. Check it out here.
2) This guy, WedgeMania has set himself a New Years resolution similar to me. He intends to read 52 books (that's one book a week for all you maths buffs!) this year, and to step things up a bit, he's sharing it with you all on YouTube! He has a great taste in books, gives you handy hints on Beadle-y deals, and is already on his second book (he's beating me, and he's got exams to do!). So go check him out, and give him all the views he deserves!
Finally, this may, at the moment, anyway, be a bit impractical, but I'm thinking of doing a series of reading challenges next month, and it's entirely up to you what I read. If I get one or two books suggested, I'll just do them both, if I get a fair few, then I'll get some sort of a poll up and I'll decide which ones to do, but yeah - Suggest those challenges!
Rate, comment, and follow me, and go check out Steve's book and WedgeMania's project!
xo
gb
Thursday 8 January 2009
Short Book Recommendations
So when I spread the good news of Project Read 2009, most of the responses I get concern a lack of time for reading, and little inclination to read long books, with profound meanings hidden by cunning metaphors. So in answer to this, I thought I'd list a few short, easy books in my library, that I've always enjoyed.
I've already mentioned The Last Polar Bears, by Harry Horse, part of a series of books about an old, unnamed Grandfather, and his dog, Roo. Together they go on a series of adventures, all of which end in near-disaster. I've only got two of the four books, the aforementioned Polar Bears, and The Last Gold Diggers. Apparently they were made into a cartoon at some point, but I've always preferred the witty illustrations (self-penned, I believe) in the books themselves. Short, funny, and easy to read.
Secondly, to all you Harry Potter fans, I recommend Rowling's original companions to the series, Quidditch: Through the Ages, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I haven't read Tales of Beadle the Bard yet, as I haven't had enough money to buy it, but I imagine it to be fairly similar to these two gems. Written in a beautifully tongue-in-cheek style, these two books (originally released for Comic Relief) provide a backdrop to all that happens in the series. Again - Short, humorous and easy reading.
My final offering isn't quite as easy to read, but it's short enough. Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, will always be one of my favourite novels, even if it's just for the quote "Happy the eyes that can close.", which I had daubed on my wall for most of last year. Concerning the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, it's hardly light reading, but I'd say it's essential reading.
So there you go! Hopefully there's something for everyone there, and if you prefer longer, more thematic books, I'll be back with some reviews soonish, I hope. As a parting note, I will soon be taking up Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, as an overdue promise to a friend. I'm hoping to finish them this time, so you should join in, and read them with me! Comment below, and let me know if you're up for it.. If not, I'll read them by myself! :P
Don't forget to be awesome, and rate, comment, and follow.
:]
xo
gb
I've already mentioned The Last Polar Bears, by Harry Horse, part of a series of books about an old, unnamed Grandfather, and his dog, Roo. Together they go on a series of adventures, all of which end in near-disaster. I've only got two of the four books, the aforementioned Polar Bears, and The Last Gold Diggers. Apparently they were made into a cartoon at some point, but I've always preferred the witty illustrations (self-penned, I believe) in the books themselves. Short, funny, and easy to read.
Secondly, to all you Harry Potter fans, I recommend Rowling's original companions to the series, Quidditch: Through the Ages, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I haven't read Tales of Beadle the Bard yet, as I haven't had enough money to buy it, but I imagine it to be fairly similar to these two gems. Written in a beautifully tongue-in-cheek style, these two books (originally released for Comic Relief) provide a backdrop to all that happens in the series. Again - Short, humorous and easy reading.
My final offering isn't quite as easy to read, but it's short enough. Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, will always be one of my favourite novels, even if it's just for the quote "Happy the eyes that can close.", which I had daubed on my wall for most of last year. Concerning the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, it's hardly light reading, but I'd say it's essential reading.
So there you go! Hopefully there's something for everyone there, and if you prefer longer, more thematic books, I'll be back with some reviews soonish, I hope. As a parting note, I will soon be taking up Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, as an overdue promise to a friend. I'm hoping to finish them this time, so you should join in, and read them with me! Comment below, and let me know if you're up for it.. If not, I'll read them by myself! :P
Don't forget to be awesome, and rate, comment, and follow.
:]
xo
gb
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Loo Literature and The Problems with Prizes
This blog comes in three parts.
Part One:
You will already know if you frequent my other blog ThisModernLove. As part of Project Read 2009, I will be taking a book into the toilet with me, everytime I need the loo. That will then be my 'ToiletBook' until I finish it, when I will review it, and designate another book.
My first ToiletBook is The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, after John Green's enthusiastic teaching inspired me to reread it.
Part Two:
As Head of Choir for my last year at Clayesmore School, I was entitled to a prize at the end of term. I chose the Kings Singers' Greatest Hits, and This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin. The school label your prize with a large sticky label saying "Choir Prize 2008 - Giles Baggott". The only problem with this is that they've stuck it on the inside front cover of my book, which makes reading difficult, and means I've had to bend the front cover about to be able to hold the book. This, in my book at least, is a travesty and for someone as obsessive about the quality of their books as me, is made of suck.
(Methinks many books will get ruined over the course of this project, so I better get used to it...)
Part Three
Suggestions. So already I've been reccomended some books by a friend (Thanks, Tom!), and so I'd like to open things up. If you know a book you think I should read or reread, let me know! I am thinking about re-doing the entire Harry Potter series in time for the next film, but I also want to discover at least one new and fantastic author before the end of this project.
So there we go. Rate, comment, and follow, don't forget to be awesome, but most of all, join in! I read The Last Polar Bears by Harry Horse last night. The book(s) you read don't have to be heavyweight intellectuality that spawned a genre, as long as they get you reading!
xo
gb
Part One:
You will already know if you frequent my other blog ThisModernLove. As part of Project Read 2009, I will be taking a book into the toilet with me, everytime I need the loo. That will then be my 'ToiletBook' until I finish it, when I will review it, and designate another book.
My first ToiletBook is The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, after John Green's enthusiastic teaching inspired me to reread it.
Part Two:
As Head of Choir for my last year at Clayesmore School, I was entitled to a prize at the end of term. I chose the Kings Singers' Greatest Hits, and This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin. The school label your prize with a large sticky label saying "Choir Prize 2008 - Giles Baggott". The only problem with this is that they've stuck it on the inside front cover of my book, which makes reading difficult, and means I've had to bend the front cover about to be able to hold the book. This, in my book at least, is a travesty and for someone as obsessive about the quality of their books as me, is made of suck.
(Methinks many books will get ruined over the course of this project, so I better get used to it...)
Part Three
Suggestions. So already I've been reccomended some books by a friend (Thanks, Tom!), and so I'd like to open things up. If you know a book you think I should read or reread, let me know! I am thinking about re-doing the entire Harry Potter series in time for the next film, but I also want to discover at least one new and fantastic author before the end of this project.
So there we go. Rate, comment, and follow, don't forget to be awesome, but most of all, join in! I read The Last Polar Bears by Harry Horse last night. The book(s) you read don't have to be heavyweight intellectuality that spawned a genre, as long as they get you reading!
xo
gb
Post the First
Hi!
My name is Giles Baggott, for those of you that don't know me, and I do nothing. I have a part time job, and I'm applying for uni, but I spend most of my time in bed watching films. I have 75 films, and 4 sitcoms. I also have over 300 books, yet I never read any of them, despite describing myself as 'an avid reader' on both my CV and Personal Statement.
So I figured that as 2009 seems to be the year of change, I decided that this year was the year to watch less, and read more.
Over the coming year, I will endeavour to read with increasing regularity, and I will try to continue to come up with new ways to do this, and challenge myself along the way. At some point I'm planning to go at least one month without any televised media, and I'm hoping to find someway to help reduce WorldSuck through reading.
However, this shouldn't just be about me.. Join in! Some of you I'm sure are already going through books at a ridiculous pace, but if you feel you could read more, read along with me! I'll be keeping you updated with which books I'm reading, and if you email me at g-baggott@hotmail.com, I'll be sure to give you a mention!
Please follow, comment, and rate. I'm not sure if it helps my popularity, but it can't hurt. Please also feel free to pass on to your friends.
Hope to hear from a few of you soon!
xo
gb
My name is Giles Baggott, for those of you that don't know me, and I do nothing. I have a part time job, and I'm applying for uni, but I spend most of my time in bed watching films. I have 75 films, and 4 sitcoms. I also have over 300 books, yet I never read any of them, despite describing myself as 'an avid reader' on both my CV and Personal Statement.
So I figured that as 2009 seems to be the year of change, I decided that this year was the year to watch less, and read more.
Over the coming year, I will endeavour to read with increasing regularity, and I will try to continue to come up with new ways to do this, and challenge myself along the way. At some point I'm planning to go at least one month without any televised media, and I'm hoping to find someway to help reduce WorldSuck through reading.
However, this shouldn't just be about me.. Join in! Some of you I'm sure are already going through books at a ridiculous pace, but if you feel you could read more, read along with me! I'll be keeping you updated with which books I'm reading, and if you email me at g-baggott@hotmail.com, I'll be sure to give you a mention!
Please follow, comment, and rate. I'm not sure if it helps my popularity, but it can't hurt. Please also feel free to pass on to your friends.
Hope to hear from a few of you soon!
xo
gb
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