hh_clubs | Restricted Section: Term XXVI

Activity: Read, Reading, To Read
Points: 10 points for your initial comment, 2 points for every substantial response, max 30 points
Deadline: August 30 @ 11:59PM UTC (Timezone Converter)

Details: Since this will be my only activity of Term XXVI, I wanted to both do something relatively simple AND take the opportunity to get to know you guy, so we're going to have a discussion post about our recent reading habits. For your initial comment, write at least 150 words talking about books you've recently read, are currently reading, and/or what you plan to read next. You can talk about any aspect of the books you wish, but some ideas would be why you selected the books, what you liked/didn't like about them, whether you'd recommend them to others, etc. For your responses, you'll need to write at least 50 words. Make sure you're saying something more than, "I read that book and liked/hated it!" Try to open a dialogue about what was good or bad, or even why you chose NOT to read it. Anything goes, as long as there's substance to it.

If you have any questions, direct them to the appropriate thread. As always, don't forget to sign each comment with your name/house or a sigtag.

Also, do remember that I wiped the roster clean, so if you have bonus items, make sure you register them HERE as soon as possible to earn your extra points. I won't be giving grace periods, so please double-check that you're good to go!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

For a long time I didn't really read fictional books and would devour non-fiction tombs like chocolate bars but for health reasons I haven't been able to do that so much in the past year and started poking around fiction again, which was a bit strange. I like mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, and recently I've been trying to read some older classics because I feel like it is something I should do but I think that is going to go out of the window because I'm really not enjoying them at all.

Fictionally, a few of my latest reads have been.

Dracula by Bram Stoker ~ It was ok but I think it was spoiled in many ways by me having grown up hearing about Dracula, seeing many different adaptations and so on. The mystery and excitement that I'm sure would have been there when it was published was taken away by me knowing what was coming a lot of the time. I spent a lot of the chapters going 'Can't you see it is a vampire?!'. I'm also not big on diary entries and first person point of view which is how Dracula is written so that would get at my nerves too but I'm still glad that I read it.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly ~ I enjoyed this a little more because what I thought I knew turned out to be very wrong. The original story is very different from versions I've seen growing up. I don't want to spoil it but the monster itself is far more sophisticated than I expected. The writing style of the time is not one I'm overly fond of but I still enjoyed this book a lot.

Christopher Paolini's Inheritance saga. I read the final two novels in this within a 2 week span. I wish I had read it when I was younger as now looking back a lot of the grammar feels like Paolini is trying to sound grown up and it can get clumpy in places but in others it can read very prettily. I loved the world that he built. A lot of it has similar aspects to other novels and I found in places I was like 'you got that from X, you got that from Y' but it is very hard to be original these days with dwarves, elves, dragons and new magical races. I think he did pretty well with his world building and I couldn't predict the plot which is always good. I'd recommend them to anyone that likes that sort of genre but it is important to remember that he was a teenager and in some places that shows in his writing.

Sam/Claw /448

I feel that pressure about classics too! I feel as though because they're classics, I have to read them, as they're classics for a reason (which is ridiculous really, but we can't help how we feel!). Few of them really catch my eye; To Kill A Mockingbird is the only one I want to read right now, and I've read 1984, Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm, which were all good, and Jane Eyre a long time ago, but all those Pride and Prejudice, Little Women and so on just don't really capture me.

I'm not really into Dracula or Frankenstein, but I'm glad you liked/enjoyed those books :) I've never heard of Inheritance saga though...

Fairy//Hufflepuff

I liked To Kill a Mockingbird and at the same time I raged by way through it. It deals with racism a lot and it is very powerful because of it but...I just wanted to crawl into the book and punch lots of people in the face for their behaviour. That made it difficult to read and at the same time shows it really gripped me.

Sam/Claw

Since you've been reading classics, have you read Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein? (One of the most defining science fiction novels where the only scifi is there are Maritians...) I'm just dying to find someone who read it because I powered through this last summer and had no one to discuss it with except my brother. If you haven't read it, I won't lie and say I recommend it. I think it's interesting in the historical context in that it was published in the 60s with some pretty radical ideas but it's actually super boring and weird IMO

caitie / puff

I started reading Dracula but stopped because I became super busy -- I would love to get into it again and I think the reasons you think you were spoiled are the reasons I want to read it. Specifically -- I never really listened to the people talking about it, so I wouldn't know things. I mean, sure, I'll know he's a vampire, but it'll make it so much more fun for me aha.

Also, I totally didn't remember it was in diary entries and first pov so this just makes me really excited even more now.

Jamie / Gryff / 16pts

I had the same feeling for Paolinis series. I got the last book for christmas and because I pretty much forgot everything that happened during the third book I reread all the books. I found it fascinating to see his writing evolve from that first one he wrote with 15 or something to the last one he finished at ~23 (I think). And there were just very few things I didn't like about the last book (well mainly the arc for Murthag cause he's my favourite and idk this ~deep connection with Nasuada felt weird to me, a little forced and not natural). And the ending was great, didn't see it coming. I just have nobody around who read the books too so there was nobody to really discuss it with, I could just tell people in general and that's not the sameXD

Martine|Gryffindor

Hello Martine.

I just rented the last of Paolinis' book from the library. I haven't read it yet though so no spoilers lol My brother just finished and he said there was this kind of recap at the start of it so I'm hoping it's true because it's been years since I've read all the other books. I'm happy to know that the ending was good though. Once I've finished reading it, I'll let you know in case you still want someone to talk about it :)

Martine//claw

No spoilers I promise! Mostly because I was spoilered on the train, weirdest thing ever! There were those two students in front of me talking about the books and I put in my music to not hear anything and right inbetween two songs when nothing as playing they dropped something about the last bookxD

Yeah the recap is nice when you don't want to reread all the other books. It's pretty detailed so I think you get all the important things you should have to get the last book.

Yes always tell me, I've been dying to get opinions about it from people I know^^

Martne|Gryffindor

I really enjoyed Dracula on its own; I actually was reading it one night before bed, turned out the light, and then turned it back on and went to go lock all the windows in the house because I was actually scared from reading the book. Books very rarely scare me like that, so it was really fun. I also think I'm kind of glad I saw/read a lot of adaptations first. It was really interesting seeing what parts of the Dracula mythos are from the original Stoker, and what's been added on and twisted and changed.

I also like the epistolary format (and think that Dracula is an especially good example of it) so that's definitely a point in its favor for me.

Anieclaw

Restricted Section: Term XXVI - Read, Reading, To Read

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