Housekeeping

by Veronica on April 28, 2010

in Blogging

I’ve been head down in books for the last few days, so while I’ve been about on email, I’ve not really been anywhere else. 7 books in 5 days or thereabouts, with another one started. Yes, I’ve been reading and not much else. Recommendations: If you like Fantasy, pick up David Eddings ‘The Belgariad’ (5 books) and ‘The Mallorean’ (5 books). Much recommended, I’ve only just stopped daydreaming about the characters and that’s becauseI’ve been busily reading the Millenium series, by Stieg Larsson.

So, yes, books. The weather has been shitty, so I’ve not had a chance to take any photos and I’m getting twitchy.

On to the crux on the post – blog housekeeping.

Due to astronomical amounts of spam comments – 300 in an hour type thing – I’ve closed all comments on posts older than a month. I just can’t keep trawling through the spam, checking to see if anything real got caught in the filter – which happens more than you’d suspect.

So that’s that.

That’s it really, if you haven’t joined the Aussie Mummy Bloggers with me, then what are you waiting for? It’s not entirely for mummies, or for Australian’s – we’ve even got an honourary Aussies group and some of my very favourite women are there.

I’ll be back properly when I’ve finished losing myself in another world.

Okay?

In the meantime, what books do you adore? I’m always after recommendations…

Super Sarah April 28, 2010 at 3:05 pm

The Belgariad and Mallorean are my favourite books of all time. I started reading them as David Eddings was writing and publishing them in the 80’s and remember waiting eagerly for the next installment. They are my go-to books whenever I feel down or something big is going on in my life. I open them at random and am at once amoungst friends again. I once made a massive wall map of the world based on the maps at the front of the books. I worked for years on that thing and have no idea where it might be now? Hmmm. The saddest thing is I am missing the first three books since moving all my things from South Africa and the UK to Australia. I am off to trawl ebay right now, its time my collection was complete again!

achelois April 28, 2010 at 3:12 pm

300 spam – wow. I don’t really understand how that happens. I have never had any. Can’t you complain to whom I do not know, me being me but that is an astronomical amount of spam. I would be cross.

Can you email me easy instructions please on how to insert the team ivy button, I do not understand HTML at all. I will try just copying it and doing it that way in the meantime.

Am loving the sidebar to the right.

That is serious reading. I am typing with one eye shut again so also seeing double. I am having real difficulty reading books at the minute due to eye and hands and I hate book holders – I just can’t sit at a table and be all sensible about it. I know bg suggested a good one so hope she posts to remind me what it was called. My brain is mushy so have no suggestions I am afraid right now. I don’t ‘do’ the sci fi thing I am afraid. Its a genre that has somehow passed me by. Ill have a think.

Going and looking at aussie mummy bloggers is on my ‘to do’ list.

Is reading compulsively a hiding from the world thing?

Ok I am off, everything has gone double and I am writing nonsense.

xoxoxoxo

Kristin April 28, 2010 at 3:18 pm

Yay, let’s hear it for getting lost in good books! And for honorary Aussies!! Woo hoo!

Seraphim April 28, 2010 at 3:57 pm

Oh I loved the Belgarion and Mallorean series. And I am eagerly awaiting the 2nd book from the Millennium series to arrive from the book depository. Sometimes it is great to get lost in bookworld. Enjoy.

Jo-anne April 28, 2010 at 4:03 pm

If you’re after some more fantasy books you could try Kate Forsyth. I loved her Witches of Eileanan series. It has a very Scottish feel to it.
Another good fantasy series is Traci Harding’s Celestial Triad. Loved that one too.

toni April 28, 2010 at 6:19 pm

Snap! I’ve been doing the same thing, but with different books. have you tried the Otherland series by Tad Williams?? awesome. I’ve read them right through so often my copy of book one is in pieces.
Also LOVE Matthew Reillys’ Seven Ancient Wonders and the next 2 books, very Tomb Raider/Raiders of the Lost Ark type adventures; anything by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Right now I’m reading Stephen Kings’ Dark Tower series, and the 3 Knight Templar books by Jan Guillou (EXCELLENT)
oh and Coastliners by Joanne Harris, who wrote Chocolat.
I’ll send you chocolate if you Google them all *winks*

WarsawMommy April 28, 2010 at 6:56 pm

Ooooh, books! My favourite non-child-related thing on the planet, next to coffee (and of course, the two so often go together) 😉

Well. I must say that one of the great thing about being Canadian is that in English lessons, we read Canadian, British and American literature, giving us a great overview of very different types of writing. I cannot recommend enough a few American classics, like ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and ‘East of Eden’. Also, for some classic ‘Canadiana’, you don’t get much better than Robertson davies (especially his books ‘Fifth Business’ and ‘What’s Bred In The Bone’). They are both part of trilogies, but can easily be read and enjoyed on their own.

As for some modern choices: I love Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story collection ‘Interpreter Of Maladies’ and Kim Edwards’ ‘The Memory Keeper’s Daughter’. Both gorgeous…

And thanks for the shout-out! You are one of my favouritest people out there too 😉

Bendy Girl April 28, 2010 at 8:07 pm

I love the Millenium series, she’s such an anti hero type hero! I’m sure you’ll have read them already but another fave is the Philip Pullman Dark Materials Trilogy. If you want to try something different and disability related I can’t recommend The Diving Bell and the Butterfly enough, it’s only a short book. BG Xx

river April 28, 2010 at 8:43 pm

my K is a David Eddings fan. Me? Not so much. my bookshelves are filled with books by Kathy Reichs, James Patterson, Charlotte Hughes, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Stephen King, John Ramsey Miller, Lee Weeks, Lisa Jackson, Jonathon Kellerman, J D Robb (aka Nora Roberts), Kate Forsyth, Tami Hoag, James Clavell, James A Michener, Grace Monroe, Harlan Coben, Carl Hiaasen, Lynda LaPlante, Michael Marshall, etc. Most of these are old and have been read often. A newcomer is Ben Elton, lent to me by my T and enjoyed. I’ll get a few more of his books from the library to see if I like them enough to start buying them. I’ve read the books that the Dexter series was based on but I don’t remember the author’s name.

Sharnee April 28, 2010 at 10:08 pm

My recommendations: * ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ by John Kennedy Toole (seriously AWESOME, read the first few pages and you will be hooked!), * ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy (again, fantastic, very very good). * ‘Middlesex’ by Jeffrey Eugenides

Tanya April 28, 2010 at 10:14 pm

When Uni holiays come I’m burying myself in books and not coming out. Man, I’m going to make a house out of books and not come out. I need some reading time apart from textbooks!!!

Do you have any other reccommendations?

I read really fast and no matter how big the book is, I will read it until it’s finished, even if it takes me 12 hours or more. I will not sleep until i have read it!

badness jones April 28, 2010 at 10:59 pm

I love thousands of books, but here are a couple I can always go back to:

An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof

How the Heather Looks by Joan Bodger

They’re both travel memoirs, but very different. I would never ever give my copies of either of them away.

Noor April 28, 2010 at 11:29 pm

Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, cliche I know, pathetic ,maybe, but I luuuuuuuuuuv them! lol. And most actual fantasy novels. I hate romance novels though, just hate them, with so much unfound passion!

Lulu April 28, 2010 at 11:43 pm

Books are definitely one of my favourite things!!!

I am a huge fan of Jodi Piccolt and Janet Evanovich. Also enjoyed the Rei Shimura series by Sujata Massey- was a bit hard to get hold of some of the books in that series though.

I have the Millenium series on my shelf but haven`t got stuck into them yet.

Jenni April 29, 2010 at 1:02 am

The Blind Assassin, The Life of Pi, 100 Years of Solitude are my all time faves. I could read them over and over.

Glen April 29, 2010 at 2:10 am

I’m not a Mum (not even female) and I’m not Australian, I can’t help feeling I’d be pushing the boundaries a little 🙂 mind you I have been to Sydney and I’ve seen Mama Mia (both the film and the show) so surely those things have to count me in somehow don’t they?

happy reading

Jenty April 29, 2010 at 6:41 am

Hey, I wanna be an honourary Aussie too 🙂 LOL!

Barbara April 29, 2010 at 8:05 am

I love David Edding. If you like him then I’ll have to try this Stieg Larsson chap. When I get the chance to pick up a book again of course. Have to tame my reader first!

I would recommend Terry Pratchett – he is the best writer I’ve read ever, I think. He’s very profilic so lots to keep you going. Robert Rankin is very good as well.

Marylin April 29, 2010 at 8:52 am

Anythung by Iain Rankin has my vote… and it’ s not just cause he’s Scottish – that’s a bouns! 😉
What’s housework? I’m a bit tispy this eve… tis greta fun!

My typing sucks when i’m drink!

Also… if I have a rigl it’ll be called Lyla!

Megan April 29, 2010 at 9:15 am

Anything by John Irving, I love his books.

Veronica April 29, 2010 at 9:45 am

Thanks everyone for the recommendations!

achelois April 29, 2010 at 11:47 am

Probably too late but I have had a think. Currently slowly reading which is frustrating as historically I was a fast reader – The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold also enjoyed The Loose Bones by same author. I have read Jane Eyre so many times, sad but true.

Enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon so much I read it again as soon as I had finished it!

I am not sure I would say I enjoyed Testimony by Anita Shreve but I found it compelling reading.

If on a winter’s night Italo Calvino.

Numerous others my sister buys which are scattered around the bedroom mid-read, some of these are classic holiday/beach novels really not intended to strain my brain cell but provide fodder to fall asleep to.

Better late than never.

Kathy April 29, 2010 at 12:26 pm

If you like Eddings you’ll probably enjoy Anne McCaffrey (her Dragon series in particular) and maybe give Raymond Feist a go, I can’t stand him myself but plenty of people who likre Eddings rave about him. Also highly recommend Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games books.

Jayne April 29, 2010 at 3:36 pm

Anything by Robin Hobb rocks!

Tanya April 29, 2010 at 3:52 pm

Oh, something else too;

I like to go back to the books I’ve read as a child and enjoyed, and read them again. It’s nice to go back to those feelings,a nd to further understand what the author was trying to convey. I’ve laughed at how I thought one story was about one thing when in fact it was about something completely different!

I’ve also kept and collected books for Emily which I enjoyed growing up.

Veggie Mama April 29, 2010 at 11:31 pm

Well hello there! I have given you an award because A. I think you deserve it, and B. your photography makes me jealous.

here is the link:
http://www.theveggiemama.com/2010/04/sunshine-award.html

yay!

Maggie April 30, 2010 at 7:05 am

I’m not too much into fantasy (although Terry Pratchett does totally rock). I just finished Sophie Kinsella’s Remember Me and it was SO completely brilliant. Loved it.

Mary April 30, 2010 at 9:11 am

Been blog stalking for awhile but pick up Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series. There’s like 10 books but they are all awesome. If you’re a speed reader like me you will get through them in no time. Crazy awesome characters and great fantasy story lines!

Veronica April 30, 2010 at 9:56 pm

This is more than I could have hoped for, thankyou all so much! Nathan is going to kill me when he sees the steady stream of books into the house…

minut'd'automne May 1, 2010 at 8:14 am

Anything by Robin Hobb but I’m sure you read them all already as I followed you all the way here from her lair ;D
For other ideas follow that link here “Alice” and you will find my all time favorite books and authors (scroll down a bit)
http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf

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