Tag Archives: stephen king

Reading Together #11

While I’m at home redecorating I present to you another instalment of Weltenwanderers and SchlunzenbüchersGemeinsam Lesen“ (Reading Together).

Each Tuesday one of them asks four questions, with the first three always being the same about the book one is currently reading and the fourth a new one by either of them. All questions below are obviously translated from today’s German post.

1. Which Book are you currently reading and which page are you on?

I’m still reading the book by my favourite author that I haven’t read yet for BiblioSmiles’s Summer Book Challenge: The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King. Which is the fifth part of the Dark Tower-saga.
I’m currently on page 790, which isn’t that far away from finally finishing the book.

2. What is the first sentence on your current page?

Tian Jaffords war in seinem Leben nie ängstlicher gewesen als jetzt, wo er auf der Bühne des Pavillons stand und auf die Folken von Calla Bryn Sturgis hinabsah.

or in English:

Tian Jaffords has never been as frightened in his life as now, as he stood on the stage of the pavilion and looked down onto the Folken of Calla Bryn Sturgis.

3. What do you desperately need to tell about your current book? (Thoughts, Feelings, a Quote, whatever you want!)

I’m nearly finished, but I didn’t manage to read these past few days and this is quite bugging me. As I had hoped last time, did the story pick up at last and I want to know how they will defeat the Wolves.
Eddie returned to New York, as did Callahan, they finally all know about Susannahs secret and the key players come more and more into focus.
The writing itself has now also become more like what I’m used by King and therefore is way easier to read.
Maybe later today I will finally be able to read a bit.

4. Do you like writing down quotes from books? Are you collecting them and do you maybe have favourite quote?

I don’t write down quotes.
Some stuff sticks with me (like quotes from Faust), other things don’t.
My most favourite quote from a book – that I also like using as a signature – is from George Orwell’s 1984:

“If liberty means anything at all,
it means the right to tell people
what they do not want to hear.”

I really like this quote and I try to live by it, as should many other people.

Additional thoughts

If you haven’t already checked it out there is my second story for Your Picture – A Story over at DF.PP Entertainment: Eisige Zutat (German)
You can obviously participate in these questions by either using my translated or the original German version.
PoiSonPaiNter
© For the cover, the quote and the banner belong to their rightful owners.

Reading Together #10

My Book-Week is over, but I still present to you another instalment of Weltenwanderers and SchlunzenbüchersGemeinsam Lesen“ (Reading Together).

Each Tuesday one of them asks four questions, with the first three always being the same about the book one is currently reading and the fourth a new one by either of them. All questions below are obviously translated from today’s German post.

1. Which Book are you currently reading and which page are you on?

I’m still reading the book by my favourite author that I haven’t read yet for BiblioSmiles’s Summer Book Challenge: The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King. Which is the fifth part of the Dark Tower-saga.
I’m currently on page 544, which isn’t far away from were I were last week.

2. What is the first sentence on your current page?

„Betten sind fertig“, sagte Rosalita Munoz, als sie zurückkamen.

or in English:

„Beds are ready“, said Rosalita Munoz when they returned.

3. What do you desperately need to tell about your current book? (Thoughts, Feelings, a Quote, whatever you want!)

The story is dragging a bit on, but slowly picking up, but I didn’t really have time to read last week, but I didn’t feel like doing it either. With A Game of Thrones I always had the book in the back of my mind and I just wanted to continue, but it’s not like that with this one. It’s more of a „I want to finish this chapter, because then I’m closer to the end of the book.„, which is a pity as I remember that I enjoyed the previous books.
The look into the background of Callahan was interesting in ways of world-building and I liked the idea and story of the Oriza, but it pushed the actual story storyline further away.
I spoilered myself a bit, that one of those things will play a role in the long run, but I do believe that both of them are important for the finale.
Which is still quite far away. My book version has more than 900 pages and I still have about 400 more to go, which feels quite long. The book is divided into prologue, epilogue and three main parts of story and I’m close to finishing the second main part. I won’t stop reading, but I do hope the story picks up a bit more and resolves some of the current plot threads along the way.

4. Besides reading, what is your biggest hobby?

This is a good question. I’m not even sure if I would count reading as one of my biggest hobbies. Yes, I really like reading and can find myself deeply engrossed in a book, but there are times, were I don’t even want to pick up a book.
As far as things go that I like doing instead of reading I do believe that watching Series and Movies, as well be attending Festivals and Concerts or Travelling would fill this category as well. Though I have no idea which one I would put ahead of which. I enjoy doing all of them and I don’t really want to choose.

Additional thoughts

If you haven’t already checked it out there is my first story for Your Picture – A Story over at DF.PP Entertainment: Der Ruf des Meeres (The Call of the Sea)
You can obviously participate in these questions by either using my translated or the original German version.
PoiSonPaiNter
© For the cover, the quote and the banner belong to their rightful owners.

Reading Together #9

While my Book-Week is currently in progress I present to you another instalment of Weltenwanderers and SchlunzenbüchersGemeinsam Lesen“ (Reading Together).

Each Tuesday one of them asks four questions, with the first three always being the same about the book one is currently reading and the fourth a new one by either of them. All questions below are obviously translated from today’s German post.

1. Which Book are you currently reading and which page are you on?

I’m still reading the book by my favourite author that I haven’t read yet for BiblioSmiles’s Summer Book Challenge: The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King. Which is the fifth part of the Dark Tower-saga.
I’m currently on page 384, which is just shortly behind the re-reading part.

2. What is the first sentence on your current page?

Der Weg vom Garten hinter dem Pfarrhaus bis zum Eingang der Kirche Unsere Liebe Frau die Heitere war kurz; er dauerte nich länger als fünf Minuten.

or in English:

The way from the garden behind the manse to the church Our Lady of Serenity was short; it didn’t take longer than five minutes.

3. What do you desperately need to tell about your current book? (Thoughts, Feelings, a Quote, whatever you want!)

As I said above am I just beyond the pages I read before, years ago. Some of it sounded familiar, some of it didn’t even ring a bell, but it is still interesting how many things of the previous books are retold or mentioned throughout the chapters.
By now I also believe that another reason why I didn’t finish this book back then was the way it is written. The sentence structure is sometimes quite complicated (see last weeks quote) and often times induced with side thoughts. Or the thoughts are added in a new sentence. Or they are not even thoughts, but random phrases.
What also is quite bothersome is the language of the Calla people. I don’t know what they are like in English, but some of them are quite annoying after a while in German. Just as annoying are the Anglicisms in the speech patterns like Baby, yeah or what not. I do believe a lot of meaning here is lost in translation – and that with my English knowledge back then I didn’t understand as much as I do today. Take for example the name of the church from the quote. In German it’s called Our Lovely Woman the Jovial how is that any kind of translation for Our Lady of Serenity? Even though Serenity can be translated to Heiterkeit/Jovial, does it seem that the translator did not put that much effort into this, but at least I now understand Rolands remark that it is a well chosen name…
I also just went through the scene that retold the story of Salem’s Lot, it’s interesting how King not just put himself into the New York part of his universe, but also at least one character from one of his other books.

4. How important is the cover for you? Does it influence your buys or is it completely irrelevant? Do you like the cover of your current book? Should it fit to the content?

It depends.
If I look for a certain book then it doesn’t matter.
If I’m just browsing through the book store my attention occasionally gets caught by a cover. If the blurb then fits what I like to read, it is highly likely that I will take the book with me. If not it’s just put back where I found it.
Apart from the fact that the cover of my book is sprinkled with silver dots, thanks to it moving around quite a bit, do I think it’s a good cover. The German title is translated to „Wolfmoon“ and with the moon on the cover it is also quite fitting.
I prefer if the cover works well with the title and/or the story, but I don’t mind if they just portray the characters of the story either (e.g. the Discworld books). Though the general trend to show (sometimes naked) people in all kind of weird positions is beyond me. I do prefer landscapes or symbolisms to actual people (though drawn ones are excluded from this).
When a cover shows something that doesn’t have anything to do with title or content then that leaves me quite confused. It doesn’t mean that they are bad, but it is sometimes quite weird.

Additional thoughts

You can obviously participate in these questions by either using my translated or the original German version.
PoiSonPaiNter
© For the cover, the quote and the banner belong to their rightful owners.

Reading Together #8

And here you have the first instalment of Weltenwanderers and SchlunzenbüchersGemeinsam Lesen“ (Reading Together) for this year.

Each Tuesday one of them asks four questions, with the first three always being the same about the book one is currently reading and the fourth a new one by either of them. All questions below are obviously translated from today’s German post.

1. Which Book are you currently reading and which page are you on?

I actually started reading two books yesterday, but I will focus on a book by my favourite author that I haven’t read yet for BiblioSmiles’s Summer Book Challenge: The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King. Which is the fifth part of the Dark Tower-saga.
I’m currently on page 57, which doesn’t even count as a proper start.

2. What is the first sentence on your current page?

Contrary to last weeks sentence is this one far too long (4 1/4 lines)…

Eddies Vorsatz, nicht von den Muffinkugeln zu essen, hielt nicht lange vor; sie rochen einfach zu verdammt gut, als sie in dem Klumpen Hirschfett schmorten, den Roland (diese sparsame, mörderische Seele) in seiner abgewetzten alten Umhängetasche aufbewahrt hatte.

or in English:

Eddies resolution to not eat the muffin-balls, didn’t hold long; they simply smelled too damn good as they fried in the lump of dear fat, that Roland (this canny, sanguinary soul) had kept in his worn shoulder bag.

3. What do you desperately need to tell about your current book? (Thoughts, Feelings, a Quote, whatever you want!)

I first started this book back when there were still two zeros in the year I think and I was about half way through, but at some point I just stopped. After taking the book along for many times it now looks battered, even though I barely read anything in it. I tried several times to get back into it and with the challenge I now finally have. But like I said back when I chose it, did I have the same problem I had with Kinder des Judas that I barely remembered a thing that happened.

Having started with the first few pages and the short summary of the previous books it slowly comes back to me. I think I remember that my reason for stopping was that it dragged on a bit too much in the middle part and I never got over it. So I’m trying anew and maybe I’ll feel motivated enough to read the other books as well to finally know what happens at the Dark Tower. Though I am slightly contemplating to re-read the first four books to remember the whole picture and I’m fairly certain that I some point I will, but maybe not this year.

Aside from that is this series interesting in its different aspects of normal life. The variations of the universes and the differences in speech and customs, to what we would consider normal. I have no idea what most of the stuff in this series is called in the original, but I do believe it is at least as creative as the German version.

I’m also slowly remembering more and more about the characters and which I preferred to which. It is also quite helpful that the characters themselves reflect on what has happened. Though I guess this would be annoying if I had (re-)read the other books beforehand.

4. We have now arrived in 2015 and hope you got well into it 🙂 Looking back at 2014 once again, which book or book series was your highlight and why?

I do believe my highlight of 2014 – both as book and series I suppose – was A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. It was just incredible and captivating and I’ll get into more details in my upcoming Book-Week.

The second place goes to The Hobbit (by J.R.R. Tolkien obviously) that I spontaneously borrowed from Anice and nearly finished that same weekend. I really enjoyed the writing style and the atmosphere (Here again: next week there will be a review).

An interesting third place is Ray Bradbury’s A Graveyard for Lunactics that I probably wouldn’t have picked up if it weren’t for BiblioSmiles challenge.

Some of the other books I read weren’t really satisfying (The Haunted Glass, Tiger, Tiger), others were better than expected (Doctor Who: The Wheel of Ice, Torchwood: Another Life), so all an all an interesting year in reading.

Additional thoughts

You can obviously participate in these questions by either using my translated or the original German version.

This post is a bit later than usual as I just got back from the cinema watching the Paddington Bear movie, that I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good laugh. 😀

PoiSonPaiNter

© For the cover, the quote and the banner belong to their rightful owners.

BiblioSmiles' Summer Book Challenge 2014

A couple of days ago the BiblioSmiles literature Blog posted a reading challenge for the summer that really sounded interesting:

When I was little, every summer my town library would have a summer book challenge to keep our young brains from turning to mush from all the sunshine and lack of schooling. Or video games. It might have been video games.
For every book you read, you logged it, and you accumulated points, earning little trinkets like those erasers in the shapes of ice cream cones, or wacky pencils, or puntastic posters. Being the little budding lit nerd I was, I was all over that.[…]
So, for summer 2014, here’s the 10 Book Challenge that I’m going to attempt to accomplish between June and August. Ten books has us at 3.3 books a month, which may be ambitious depending on the sort of books we choose. But that’s why it’s a challenge! Based on what books you pick, this can either be really difficult or fairly whimsical and easy.
From: Summer Book Challenge 2014

In short: The challenge consists of 10 categories to choose a book from (and a bonus category) and to read them in the months from June to August.
As I recently started to properly read again (as in: not starting a book and letting it lie somewhere for years) is this challenge also interesting for me to read some of the books that still wait in my shelve(s).
Even though I am a relatively fast reader (200-400 pages are a short read for me), if I would actually try to read ten books in three (by now two and a half) months I wouldn’t really be able to finish the challenge as this time of the year is also the festival season and I’m also otherwise occupied at times.
The beginning of the month was already covered with my Journey Through a bit of Germany and the Metalfest, for which I will add travel logs and report later.
The next one (Rockharz) will follow mid July and maybe another one in August (M’era Luna), taking away time on the weekend that I would otherwise spent reading.
Therefore I picked a book fitting for the category, but I will read them in my own pace and not within the set time limit and post a review linking back to the challenge afterwards.
This way I’ll do some proper reading and be able to add a few book reviews to my Blog.
But let’s have a look at the

The Categories and the Books

I have chosen.
1. A book you always meant to get around to
As my list of unread books is just as long as BiblioSmiles‘ Gabrieles, this one isn’t really an easy choice. But as I am tired of not properly understanding the movies have I chosen „The Lord of the Rings“ for this one, though I am not sure if I’ll also add „The Hobbit“ and „The Silmarillion“ to get the complete grasp of the story.
2. Reread a childhood favorite
This one is actually easy as I just picked the one that first came to mind when thinking about books I read when I was a child/teenager: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I’m curious already if I’ll like the book as much as I did back then or if I’ll ruin the memory with this. >_<
3. A book someone else picks for you
As many people have recommended it for me I’ll actually start with the „Game of Thrones“ series. The alternative suggestion I got from DarkFairy would be the first book of James Barclay’s „Chronicles of the Raven„, but as I am still missing most of that series this is more difficult to read than the other one.
4. A book in a genre you don’t usually read
I hope young adult fiction counts for this… It still has some Fantasy elements, but it is aimed at a far younger audience. The book I’ve chosen is Melvin Burgess‘ „Tiger, Tiger“ that I’m already reading as it is one of four books I wanted to actually read before they might be swapped in the Book Hotel I’ll be staying at with my mum towards the end of July.
5. Something originally written in another language
Well, so far every book I’ve chosen was originally written in another language (English). We do have a couple of good (fantasy) authors here in Germany, but the majority of books are still translated into German. Nevertheless have I chosen a book that I will also read in English (just like GoT, but that’s mostly because the German versions are all split into two books) and whose special edition I have borrowed from Nazgul: „The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“ (which incidentally was Gabrieles suggestion for 3.)
6. A book in a different format
This one I have also already started reading before knowing about the Challenge. It’s an Anthology (collection of short stories) that was created for the anniversary of The Forum. It’s called „Unter dem Weltenbaum“ (Underneath the World Tree) and contains stories about the roots, trunk and branches of the Arbor Phantastica or Yggdrasil by different authors. I sent two of my stories (Unterwelt and Erde), into the competition as well, but they weren’t chosen.
7. A classic
As I already have mentioned a couple of times, do I really like Goethe’s „Faust“ (see: Mephisto), but as it stands have I never finished Part Two of the tragedy. But this will be changed by the end of the challenge. 🙂 I might even reread Part One as well, if I can find it…
8. A book by your favorite author that you haven’t read yet
This one is tricky as I don’t really have an author I consider my favourite. There are three of whom I at least have more than one unread book: Stephen King, Terry Pratchett and Marcus Heitz. I am still not sure which book I will choose, but it is highly likely that I will finally finish – more likely begin anew – King’s „The Dark Tower V: The Wolves of the Calla“ as like „Kinder des Judas“ this one is still unfinished for quite some time now.
9. A nonfiction book
A couple of years ago we had a secret Santa at work and the present I picked was Stephen Hawking’s „A Brief History of Time“ and I think it’s about time I get around to reading it.
10. A book either published or a bestseller from the year you were born
This one is tricky as the most books I found in the list for my year aren’t that easily available for me – or simply didn’t sound interesting enough. The one I picked is Ray Bradbury’s „A Graveyard for Lunatics“ that is actually available in my local library. (And now you all know my year of birth and subsequently my age >_<)
Bonus book! 11. A book you haven’t read that was adapted to a movie/TV show
As I am already planning on continuing the series I’ll probably continue with the second part of „The Vampire Diaries“ – the review for the first one is still on my to-finish list though.
Now you know which books I have picked and I will give you a review after I finished them (though maybe not for 8. as that would seem odd without the other ones).
Maybe you want to try it too? Just pick a couple of books and make sure to actually read them. 😉
PoiSonPaiNter
Edit: You can find my current reading (and review) status here: Summer Book Challenge