“
You could feel the war getting ready in the sky that night. The way the clouds moved aside and came back, and the way the stars looked, a million of them swimming between the clouds, like enemy discs, and the feeling that the sky might fall upon the city and turn it to chalk dust, and the moon go up in red fire; that was how the night felt.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
“
Those who don’t build must burn. It’s as old as history and juvenile delinquents.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
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The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
“
Item seven. The had had and that that problem. Lady Cavendish, weren’t you working on this?’
Lady Cavendish stood up and gathered her thoughts. ‘Indeed. The uses of had had and that that have to be strictly controlled; they can interrupt the imaginotransference quite dramatically, causing readers to go back over the sentence in confusion, something we try to avoid.’
‘Go on.’
‘It’s mostly an unlicensed-usage problem. At the last count David Copperfield alone had had had had sixty three times, all but ten unapproved. Pilgrim’s Progress may also be a problem due to its had had/that that ratio.’
“So what’s the problem in Progress?’
‘That that had that that ten times but had had had had only thrice. Increased had had usage had had to be overlooked, but not if the number exceeds that that that usage.’
‘Hmm,’ said the Bellman, ‘I thought had had had had TGC’s approval for use in Dickens? What’s the problem?’
‘Take the first had had and that that in the book by way of example,’ said Lady Cavendish. ‘You would have thought that that first had had had had good occasion to be seen as had, had you not? Had had had approval but had had had not; equally it is true to say that that that that had had approval but that that other that that had not.’
‘So the problem with that other that that was that…?’
‘That that other-other that that had had approval.’
‘Okay’ said the Bellman, whose head was in danger of falling apart like a chocolate orange, ‘let me get this straight: David Copperfield, unlike Pilgrim’s Progress, had had had, had had had had. Had had had had TGC’s approval?’
There was a very long pause. ‘Right,’ said the Bellman with a sigh, ‘that’s it for the moment. I’ll be giving out assignments in ten minutes. Session’s over –and let’s be careful out there.’
Jasper Fforde - The Well of Lost Plots
27. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde There’s not much to be said really - The Well of Lost Plots finds Thursday in the BookWorld, which is intended as a safer place for her to continue her pregnancy, but turns out to be just as dangerous as the “Outland”. The launch of UltraWord (which shares some frightening similarities with electronic book readers) coincides with some suspicious deaths within the BookWorld, and it is Thursday’s task to discover who is responsible, and halt the release of UltraWord, which will change the face of books forever. Her memories are also being altered, and she must fight to remember her husband who was eradicated at the age of two. I did feel like the Landen/eradication plotline is going on for too long, but Fforde is doing such original things with the rest of the book, it’s not really important. Hopefully that will be resolved in the next book! In the front of the book, Fforde gives a link to a password protected ‘special features’ website, which gives, among other things, “deleted scenes”. I’ve never seen it done in a book before (though I’m sure it probably has been) but I’m so impressed! Although Fforde is writing as himself on the page (apart from the deleted parts), it really adds to the world of the book.

27. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

There’s not much to be said really - The Well of Lost Plots finds Thursday in the BookWorld, which is intended as a safer place for her to continue her pregnancy, but turns out to be just as dangerous as the “Outland”. The launch of UltraWord (which shares some frightening similarities with electronic book readers) coincides with some suspicious deaths within the BookWorld, and it is Thursday’s task to discover who is responsible, and halt the release of UltraWord, which will change the face of books forever. Her memories are also being altered, and she must fight to remember her husband who was eradicated at the age of two. I did feel like the Landen/eradication plotline is going on for too long, but Fforde is doing such original things with the rest of the book, it’s not really important. Hopefully that will be resolved in the next book!

In the front of the book, Fforde gives a link to a password protected ‘special features’ website, which gives, among other things, “deleted scenes”. I’ve never seen it done in a book before (though I’m sure it probably has been) but I’m so impressed! Although Fforde is writing as himself on the page (apart from the deleted parts), it really adds to the world of the book.

26. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson I told myself that I couldn’t read The Girl Who Played with Fire yet as the paperback version doesn’t come out til March, and I should limit the amount of time I have without one of Larsson’s books so should read this one somewhere in the middle of the waiting period. Yes, he’s that good. I gave in though, and now I have over 4 months to wait until I can read the next one, unless by some miracle a library near me has it. I’m not holding my breath. I think the general consensus is that The Girl Who Played with Fire is better than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have to disagree, I thought the first was better, but there isn’t much in it. In this book you definitely feel like you’re learning why Salander is the way she is, though there is also the sense that there is more to come. Hopefully with the emergence of her twin sister in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. I love the pace and intricacies of the novels - Larsson must have planned everything meticulously for each book. My only slight complaint is the part where Salander is buying furniture. I like details, but I felt at that point that the book was being sponsored by Ikea. Overall though, an excellent book. I just wish I had more self control!

26. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

I told myself that I couldn’t read The Girl Who Played with Fire yet as the paperback version doesn’t come out til March, and I should limit the amount of time I have without one of Larsson’s books so should read this one somewhere in the middle of the waiting period. Yes, he’s that good. I gave in though, and now I have over 4 months to wait until I can read the next one, unless by some miracle a library near me has it. I’m not holding my breath.

I think the general consensus is that The Girl Who Played with Fire is better than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have to disagree, I thought the first was better, but there isn’t much in it. In this book you definitely feel like you’re learning why Salander is the way she is, though there is also the sense that there is more to come. Hopefully with the emergence of her twin sister in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. I love the pace and intricacies of the novels - Larsson must have planned everything meticulously for each book. My only slight complaint is the part where Salander is buying furniture. I like details, but I felt at that point that the book was being sponsored by Ikea. Overall though, an excellent book. I just wish I had more self control!

25. Looking for Alaska by John Green “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” Looking for Alaska seemed to follow me around the internet, so I complied and ordered myself a copy not knowing what to expect other than what the cover told me - “First friend, first girl, last words”. I had assumed that the “last words” would be the protagonist’s own, but you are thrown off course by the first person narrative, the countdown to an event that changes everything that the rapidly decreasing numbers suggest is too early in the book to be the expiration of our main character, and his obsession with the last words of famous and influential people. I spent the better part of today devouring this book. I missed the whole young adult wave - I pretty much went straight from my Enid Blytons to adult books and this book (and others that I have read recently in my adulthood that would also fit into YA, notably The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger, both by Markus Zusak) shows me what I missed. It wasn’t the most beautifully written book in the world, but it was written well, and it meant something. It was a story with meaning without spelling it out to me which, imagining myself as a young adult and as an adult simultaneously, I appreciated.

25. Looking for Alaska by John Green

“How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!”

Looking for Alaska seemed to follow me around the internet, so I complied and ordered myself a copy not knowing what to expect other than what the cover told me - “First friend, first girl, last words”. I had assumed that the “last words” would be the protagonist’s own, but you are thrown off course by the first person narrative, the countdown to an event that changes everything that the rapidly decreasing numbers suggest is too early in the book to be the expiration of our main character, and his obsession with the last words of famous and influential people. I spent the better part of today devouring this book. I missed the whole young adult wave - I pretty much went straight from my Enid Blytons to adult books and this book (and others that I have read recently in my adulthood that would also fit into YA, notably The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger, both by Markus Zusak) shows me what I missed. It wasn’t the most beautifully written book in the world, but it was written well, and it meant something. It was a story with meaning without spelling it out to me which, imagining myself as a young adult and as an adult simultaneously, I appreciated.

I’d also thank them for the excellent head wear and eye wear. I remember the rain hat, that was my precaution in case the rain leaked though the car, and the blue lensless glasses we used to play with in the bath. I’m not sure why they were necessary on this journey though! I don’t remember the swimming hat and upside down sunglasses, but my parents probably enjoyed letting me look ridiculous/awesome.

If I could go back in time, I would congratulate my parents on their excellent present buying skills!

If I could go back in time, I would congratulate my parents on their excellent present buying skills!

While I wait to hear back from a job that I probably wont get, I’ll review the book that I finished late last night. 24. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde Ok, I said after I read The Eyre Affair that I wouldn’t look for any of the sequels - and I didn’t! This one jumped out at me, and I was powerless to resist! For a few hours, I was again drawn into Next’s world, and I’m glad the book jumped out of the shelves at me (surprisingly it was in the, as I’ve said before, ridiculously understocked local library). Fforde spends so much more time on the alternate world that Thursday lives in and the world of books than he does on character development. I didn’t care that her child may be fatherless (which, normally, I think I would!) which is in part I think due to this alternate reality where anything can and probably will happen, but mainly I think due to Fforde’s poorly rendered characters. I would say I don’t think I’ll read another one, but that’s probably a lie. If the library gets the next book, I’ll probably end up taking it out.

While I wait to hear back from a job that I probably wont get, I’ll review the book that I finished late last night.

24. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

Ok, I said after I read The Eyre Affair that I wouldn’t look for any of the sequels - and I didn’t! This one jumped out at me, and I was powerless to resist! For a few hours, I was again drawn into Next’s world, and I’m glad the book jumped out of the shelves at me (surprisingly it was in the, as I’ve said before, ridiculously understocked local library). Fforde spends so much more time on the alternate world that Thursday lives in and the world of books than he does on character development. I didn’t care that her child may be fatherless (which, normally, I think I would!) which is in part I think due to this alternate reality where anything can and probably will happen, but mainly I think due to Fforde’s poorly rendered characters. I would say I don’t think I’ll read another one, but that’s probably a lie. If the library gets the next book, I’ll probably end up taking it out.