how much can you read?

The Valorous Years

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:33:00 +0000

Title: The Valorous Years

Author: A.J. Cronin

Genre: Drama

Read in: 2012

Book N#: 04

I've rarely returned to books that I had already read in my early teenage years. This book perhaps has what Rebecca Mcclanahan describes as being art: the tinge of eternity that lies in a handful of books. I re-read this book, once more, and this time adds up as the third.

The Valorous Years is a rare book with prose that seems unaltered by its adaptation to French. The flow is near-perfection. This book accomplished what I rarely see in most books I have read so far. It succeeds at symbolism, it carries a ton of subliminal advice on humanity, the characters are so close to being real, that it seemed as if they were. The book breathed with living description. I was startled, from the first line, up to the last.

Although, the ending is seemingly contradictory to the main character, Duncan Sterling’s, initial goal. This is the ultimate replica of true life. In that doing, A.J. Cronin demonstrates to his readers that life almost never turns out as planned. At least that's what I picked as a lesson.

The French title which is far from the English one's implication, is 'Les Années d'Illusions', translated directly into English at a raw state it would become 'The Years of Illusions', this obviously explains the title’s being. However far it stretches, from the actual title. The French adaptation is the one I prefer most—as it is the one I read first. It carries more meaning; it goes straight to the point that the particular years the story lapses over were an illusion for Duncan, the main character.

It is an amazing in-this-world adventure, a course in a man's life in which he discovers how wrong he was in his choosing of reality. His ambition blinded his dreams. And I believe that every reader saw a part of himself in this particular character.

I consider this book, not only as a novel but also as a disguised advisory story to humanity. Through it, I have felt comfort to my own momentary misery, and in the imaginary suffering of Duncan Sterling. I had the impression that I was not alone in my wild-eyed struggle against everything life can throw at me (and that's about everything in the universe: from an innocent, harmless, ant to an orbit changing planet).

The whole story revolves around a young man's dreams to become a doctor, and his mother's pre-evaluation of his chances at them, because he had an infirm arm, crippled by polio. He was offered a post as the secretary at the town hall. Which he refused profusely, as it was a mediocre job for a person with his intelligence. By rejecting this offer, he sets forth enemies in the region, including his own mother.

However, after stripping his relationship with his mother, he leaves his home, in a quest towards the University of St. Andrews to try his luck at obtaining a scholarship, for his studies.

As he marched towards the university, he barely had enough money for transport and food. He needed shelter, because of a coming storm. So he allows himself to sneak into a barn. He then meets Jean, the daughter of a country doctor.

After the exams, he ends up as one of the three lucky scholarship holders. And as luck follows his path, he meets one more character that will transform his undoubted failure into an ascertaining success, the doctor Anna; she will operate on his weak arm and get the nerves to feel again, and improve his knowledge of medicine.

Hence the story proceeds, as the character grows into his white coat as a doctor. He begins doubting his achievements and develops a better understanding of his true goals, by the end of the novel the book establishes itself as an absolute must-read.

I can't believe that after reading it for 3 consecutive years, I didn't see its full message. Fifth doesn't time the charm, third does. I'm sorry if this is like pressing a fast forward button, but I really hope you read this book in 2013 if you haven't before. Here's a link to its Amazon sales page.

Reading in a quest for enjoyment, knowledge and a record. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the sliding menu on the right hand side.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:11:00 +0000

Amazon.com Widgets

Hi, to anyone who gets to land here and share moments of great reading with me, Cheick Ahmed Toure. This blog is the fruit of a desire. The desire to implement and add a helping keyboard to the vast community of readers, that the web wields. I am not trying to promote a product or sell you any peace of shit. Everyone is welcome, adults or kids (sorry kids but think that was a slip of the tongue, you're not allowed, unless you're beyond 13, some of the books I'll talk about are pretty mature, at most PG18).

First of all, my name is Ahmed. I love reading books, on various occasions, I always carry my kindle touch (check out the kindle on Amazon) with me, since I got it last month and I read a whole bunch of books that disappointed, appealed and disgusted me before that, and for five years I've tried again and again to create that story that would make me extremely proud (which I'm probably on, but hey I’ll figure it out soon enough and let you guys know, right?).

I should probably be following the norms and try mentioning the second item (according to some figure of speech probably one denied or rejected in the past) but we're not here, to go about the reading process with a certain formality or any process at all, we read to have fun, fall into a new world and get carried away, on one of those Greek boats floating over a smoking river (I get crazy sometimes baby!). If we want the reading of fiction, non-fiction and all different genres out there to stay alive and conserve their magic, we need to hold our hands tightly together (build some sort of oily-dusty, hand-connection wall: wash your hands first, please :)). It won't hurt anyone's life, in fact it will help you and I, to get on a wild chase after that once-in-a-life-time-novel, that'll knock us dead in the end (now watch out there's a collection of crap out there, so keep that James-bond-eye and that Sherlock Holmes deduction method, it's going to help a lot), now if you care about this reading world I'm trying to build (or at least try to, because you really don't have to), keep up with me.

Why did I name it How Much Can You Read?"

I named it thus because it's the first name that came to me, and I really thought it would seem like a call to anyone interested in reading while stumbling upon it on a search engine. Well I hope that it sounds good too, but if it doesn't we'll have to do with it! Anyway I don't think it is changeable.
We've got limited time to hit the pedal to the medal on the reading, somehow it's a race, see we've only got 24 hours and one life in this round ball rotating around that burning disco-ball, called the sun, so what are we doing of it, smoking a marijuana blunt or getting our ass's drunk to hell?(or heaven, well I don't have the facts of your life recorded, amigo!) My point is we've all got 24 hours per day, if we aren't levelling down our visual capacity by misusing our eyes on whatever TV show or collection of series, and experiencing myopia, were almost all the time sleeping or using a small portion of our valuable time doing what we're paid for (on behalf of those with a job).

However, in the end I might as well have given this damn blog (in a holly way, of course) a name containing numbers like "101 books to read" or "Beat my record!” But either way, IT'S ALIVE, MOUHAHAHA! Let me get the thing's purpose out there and clear:

1. It's for readers or aspiring readers.

2. It's for sharing, sharing the readership love (sorry for the singles, it's no dating website).

3. It's for magic, the magical bond a story creates in so many minds simultaneously ( I think it could be called telepathy, as Stephen King puts it in "On Writing")

4. It's going to be a virtual dimension intended to discuss anything on literature by literature and for literature.

On that note, I might as well assail you with the few commandments it's got (MOUOOOO! ghostly theme music, anyone?):

1. No-one should be stingy on book comments!

2. Every commentator's opinion must be respected and dealt with in the politest way possible.

3. Although I am allowed to use any swearing word, you aren't (advantage of being the blogger) but you may use it if it's necessary to be understood or it’s the first word that comes to your mind (but people please, let's keep the brotherhood/sisterhood, likely, READERHOOD, just like with the familia unless it isn't the way it is with your family then please respond decently: the way you'd want to be answered).

4. Well this isn't a commandment but I really wanted to add a last point to carry you along on the journey we've got ahead HAVE FUN, right?

Well guys I’m super busy with homework and all, as from tomorrow, I’m beginning another book so guess we start tomorrow, hope they'll be a bunch of readers and blogaholics with me.

Let the adventure begin.

PS: Up sluggard and waste not life there will be plenty of rest in the grave! - Benjamin Franklin (at least I think it's him).

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Amazon.com Widgets

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Read in: 2012
Book N#: 03

I just read the harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone (or the philosophers stone). It was downright interesting. I don’t feel like saying much on this one, in fear of spoiling your perception of it after reading it. There is hardly a scene that could take away my attention; this reminds me of my experience when reading the Little Prince by Antoine de saint Exupéry. Splendid! Name it as you want, but this book has fallen under my great book section. Enough said, get it and read it. I certainly cannot deny that all her success is exactly the worth of her story (if not less). Creative and well written, this illustrates John Ruskin's proverb "No architecture is as haughty as that which is simple".

Amazon.com Widgets

........... reading in a quest for enjoyment, knowledge and a record. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the sliding menu on the right hand side.

Breaking an Empire

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:49:00 +0000

Title: Breaking an Empire
Author: James Tallett
Genre: Fiction/Short story/Fantasy
Read in: 2012
Book N#: 02

I haven't read much in this particular genre, to be honest. Although I really love it. When I first saw this book's cover, I told myself, I had to get it. I know they say that a book should not be judged by its cover but I guess the semi-rule broke free from my mind, upon discovering Breaking an Empire.
"The beginning is nothing unusual" I said to myself, "Yeah yeah, get to the action already!". I waited and read further, The character's funny names had me lured into the book. The hardness in pronouncing them, was the magnet which attracted most of my attention. To make a short thing long (I don't think the initial saying applies to short stories), I have to describe this in the equivalent of a thousand words. and that would be the image on the right.
I mean who'd turn such an image away.
I'm glad to have read this. Scrutinizing the good prose. Discovery of new ways to kill without effort: I mean Rhyfelwyr (it's one of the main characters) threw some glass dust and shards at the enemies during a battle and they inhaled it, I could imagine the lungs ripping apart. That scene had me wonder how to escape of such a situation: would blocking my breath suffice? There are many other characters with similar names as awkward as the one above, such as Gwyth, Llofrudwyr, Rhocas and many more. I could stay here telling you about my experience, but what would the point be? It's my experience, and this short story from this new author is staying in my "Good Books" category, until further notice. It's the first book of the series called "A tale of the four part land" by the way.

However, there were some scenes, that made me zone out, unintentionally. Somehow, I could not be more intrigued by adaptation, of a similar plot than that of the Avatar: the last air bender, through out a few scenes. For example the "Airbenders" are called in this book "Airmages", "Firebenders" named "Firemages". I liked the resemblance, as I also loved the Last Airbender's cartoon (the movie was rather a summary of book 1 in the cartoon).

Furthermore, I really enjoyed discovering some military jargon, which were completely out of my vocabulary. Now I know what a "vanguard' is and what is the purpose of scouts and I even have a new friend to join the nouns suggesting a grouping, "SQUAD". I know, these are sort of basic but don't get to hasty on the prejudgements get the book for yourself and first leave a comment. I read it all from my kindle, so you might be interested in getting the kindle software or the kindle e-reader device. The book is available at the price of $0.0 on Amazon.

Is this book worth being in the "Good Book" category of my Yearly book reading record? Prove me wrong and I'll create a page named I've been proven wrong.

reading in a quest for enjoyment, knowledge and a record.

New arrangements

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:42:00 +0000

On second thought I think it would be better if I just listed the book titles and stated a short summary on them, whilst they would be a post for it specifically. That way it seems easier to follow, and accessible. To subscribe it will be easy, although slightly tricky: you'll have to click on the right hand side sliding menu. I'm off then for another book.

.....reading in a quest for enjoyment, knowledge and a record.

Shout out to all the existing page viewers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:30:00 +0000

I was Thinking, actually I started realising this only after I had read a newsletter I received today. It talked about how doing a lot of things at the time reduced the efficiency of the work ensuing. I pondered over that statement. Well in the afterthought I decided to delete the pages that are irrelevant to the main point of this blog, getting readers together and talking about their reading experiences (but mostly measure the number of books the followers and I can get to read). What I'll do is substitute the irrelevant pages with these three "Great Books", "Good books" and "Bad books" (of course these will all be from my perspective of the book’s content, if you don't approve that's where the fun debates are born, try to prove me wrong) I might create another page with Title "I've Been Proven wrong". Well, see you guys later as I keep on reading the Breaking an Empire short story by James Tallett.

Promises, I hope I never break them!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:07:00 +0000

I'm so sorry for the time I’ve passed without posting anything fresh. Lately, I have been doing this and that. I’m supposed to write my examinations very soon. However I promise that at least every time I finish a book (or you do, just let me know in a comment about the book and I'll suggest or talk about it to others) I will post. And make this place move or at least just before sleeping I’ll type something, that way I respect my share of the bid and all that's left is you to read. Well I'm still human, plans are like to be fallible.

Reading is Feeding

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:47:00 +0000

It is again that time of the year, during which, readers come along together and enjoy the event that has been organized ever since 1995 by the UNESCO on the 23^rd of April of every year. This event as most readers will know is THE WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY. Just to get things right, it is to promote reading, publishing and copyright.
I'd advice that everyone either buys a book or attends some confirmed event-- mind the spams though-- in some countries unfortunately not the one I live in; at least, I haven't found any yet. Well my way of celebrating is by sending out my latest story for copy-editing.

Well, Great World Book and Copyright Day to every reader and author in the world.

The Hollows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Title: Hollowland
Author: Amanda Hocking
Genre: Young adult fiction
Read in: 2012
Book N#: 01

A week ago or so, I downloaded the Hollowland novel from the series of the Hollows by Amanda Hocking. and I won't lie at first, it felt kind of funny when I began to read it, but I really liked the intro here it is for your consideration:

"This is how the world ends- not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door" - Amanda Hocking.

I've finally finished reading Amanda Hocking's "The Hollows". And to be honest with you, it was a strange journey, between the grammatical incoherence, typographical errors and content. If I had to choose, her story made it clear that content always prevails, but I’m quite disappointed that her books had so many mistakes— even word usage mistakes. And although the story is in the first person’s point of view, I think that some colloquialism shouldn't find its place in written narratives—although in dialogue it’s perfectly understandable. The type of words I’m speaking of are e.g. kinda. I can't complain much on grammatical errors since the book was offered for free on Amazon. However I believe anyone would expect better from a New York Times bestselling author.

The introduction, was inspired by T.S. Elliot's poem the Hollow men, I think. Anyway it seemed to just tweak with what he said in his poem, which claimed the world ends not with a bang but with a whimper.

In general, I liked the few action scenes in the middle act and before the end. There’s one thing I sort of hated at the end, Remy stayed! I couldn’t believe her genius plan was to stay in a patient-abusing medical centre, to join her skeletal ancestors. But then again, Amanda hocking brings back some great Horror movie suspense, when Remy presses on the alarm button and goes sit on the dentist chair, like some mentally disturbed freak.

Comments are sometimes harsh, sometimes nice, maybe I would have like to showcase of the multitude of errors I’ve stumbled upon. But I see that story content, is the unique value for which a book must be held accountable. And it is for that very reason that I am glad to say, the story had a beautiful course (if I can call, blood oozing everywhere, that she describes as greenish and gooey, beautiful) and an intriguing plot.

Amanda is off the hook, this time.

Latest news

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:16:00 +0000

God-damn, I should really find some time to work on this blog (after reading) but this year is crazy, exams are at my finger tips, but no worries, I will hang on tight and do as I said; I will start reading a book, and make some dangerous reviews and comments, which will lead to better comments from you (at least you'll try right). I'm going to create another page on which I'll start posting such things, with a special list I'll create. Wish you the best, I have to get to work on academic business, chaos amigos!

Intro

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:22:00 +0000

Hi, to everyone who gets to land here and share moments of great reading with me, Cheick Ahmed Toure. This blog is the fruit of a desire. The desire to implement and add a helping keyboard to the vast community of readers, that the web wields. I am not trying to promote a product or sell you any peace of shit. Everyone is welcome, adults or kids (sorry kids but think that was a slip of the tongue, you're not allowed, unless you're beyond 13, some of the books I'll talk about are pretty mature, at most PG18).

I should probably be following the norms and try mentioning the second item (according to some figure of speech probably one denied or rejected in the past) but we're not here, to go about the reading process with a certain formality or any process at all, we read to have fun, fall into a new world and get carried away, on one of those Greek boats floating over a smoking river (I get crazy sometimes baby!). If we want the reading of fiction, non-fiction and all different genres out there to stay alive and conserve their magic, we need to hold our hands tightly together (build some sort of oily-dusty, hand-connection wall: wash your hands first, please :)). It won't hurt anyone's life, in fact it will help you and I, to get on a wild chase after that once-in-a-life-time-novel, that'll knock us dead in the end (now watch out there's a collection of crap, so keep that James-bond-eye and that Sherlock Holmes deduction method it's going to help a lot), now if you care about this reading world I’m trying to build (or at least try to), keep up with me.

Why did I name it How Much Can You Read?"

I named it thus because it's the first name that came to me, and I really thought it would seem like a call to anyone interested in reading while stumbling upon it on a search engine. Well I hope that it sounds good too, but if it doesn't "We'll have to do with it!", anyway I don't think it is changeable.
We've got limited time to hit the pedal to the medal on the reading, somehow it's a race, see we've only got 24 hours and one life in this round ball rotating around that burning disco-ball, called the sun, so what are we doing of it, smoking a marijuana blunt or getting our ass's drunk to hell?(or heaven, well I don't have the facts of your life recorded, amigo!) My point is we've all got 24 hours per day, if we aren't levelling down our visual capacity by misusing our eyes on whatever TV show or collection of series, and experiencing myopia, were almost all the time sleeping or using a small portion of our valuable time doing what we're paid for (on behalf of those with a job).

1. It's for readers or aspiring readers.

2. It's for sharing, sharing the readership love (sorry for the singles, it's no dating website).

3. It's for magic, the magical bond a story creates in so many minds simultaneously ( I think it could be called telepathy, as Stephen King puts it in "On Writing")

4. It's going to be a virtual dimension intended to discuss anything on literature by literature and for literature.

On that note, I might as well assail you with the few commandments it's got (MOUOOOO! ghostly theme music, anyone?):

1. No-one should be stingy on book comments!

2. Every commentator's opinion must be respected and dealt with in the politest way possible.

4. Well this isn't a commandment but I really wanted to add a last point to carry you along on the journey we've got ahead HAVE FUN, right?

Well guys I’m super busy with homework and all, as from tomorrow, I’m beginning another book so guess we start tomorrow, hope they'll be a bunch of readers and blogaholics with me.

Let the adventure begin.

PS: Up sluggard and waste not life there will be plenty of rest in the grave! - Benjamin Franklin (at least I think it's him).