100 Comforting Things

I know I am taking a page from the 1000 awesome things website by doing this but hopefully I won't double up too much.
My list of stuff is what I find comforting to me, or enjoyable, and will be posting one a week as long as I remember. Also they will not be in order of how comforting or enjoyable they may be, so 100 will not be less enjoyable than number 1, but rather its equal.

Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Definitely my favourite of the Millennium trilogy. It was a little slow starting, but once the story picked up momentum I couldn't put it down until it was finished. It is unfortunate that the author is no longer around as I am sure he had other ideas for more books starring Mikael and Lisbeth



View all my reviews

Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



I feel that I can't even rate this book 1 star as it is the second worst book I have read to date.

This was my second attempt at reading it, and I only finished out sheer stubbornness, because the first time I gave up after 20 pages, and nearly quit twice this time round. I disliked Winston as a character, hated Big Brother and The party. If I had lived in the 50's and read this book I still don't believe that I would have found it disturbing or thought provoking, simply because I believe that humans will always have compassion towards one another, even if there is war happening in many places around the world. When it came to the parts with Winston reading 'the book', I had to skip those pages as what I did read was a repeat of what had already been written in the novel 1984, and I had had enough of the repetitive descriptions and dialogue. My first real joy came when Winston was locked in the Ministry of Love(what fucked up kind of name is that for a prison, seriously Orwell this is what you came up with?), and he was thinking of the bullet entering his brain through the back of his skull. I was hoping in the next chapter that it would happen and I would not need to read anymore, but no alas he survives and miraculously loves Big Brother. Perhaps in many years time I will re-read it, but for now it will stay hidden on the bookshelf as I don't want to see its title.



View all my reviews

Review: The Thirty-Nine Steps

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



If I had been alive in the era this book was published I think it would have been a great starter for crime drama novels. As it stand I did enjoy it, but with writing styles and stories now I think it is dated, but still worth a read to see where current authors have been inspired. I was able to picture the scenery quite well as it takes place across England and Scotland, and enjoyed that it did not take place entirely in a cityscape.



View all my reviews

Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A good read, but not nearly as thrilling and exciting as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. In my opinion it reached the climax too early and stagnated about halfway through. I will have to see if the third book can redeem itself.



View all my reviews

Review: Nightmares And Dreamscapes

Nightmares And Dreamscapes by Stephen King

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



As is expected with a collection of short stories not all of them can be good. I would say that less than half were of a quality that I wanted to keep reading. There were a few that I had no idea what was going on until the last 2-3 pages, but it all made sense when the story was concluded. Others I wish I had never read as it was a story that made no sense, and felt like incoherent ramblings from a psych ward patient.



View all my reviews

Printed Book vs e-Book vs Audio Book

What is it that interests people in reading books, be it fiction or non-fiction?

For me the answer is another reality that I can escape to. I enjoy creating the world in my head like a director, and watching the events take place, either as a character with narrative or from a distance depending on the scene. 

I have owned an iPad for a year now and was excited about the opportunity to have hundreds of books(known as e-Books in the tech world) at my fingertips, literally, and the portability of said books. After reading a few novels I came to the realization that it doesn't live up to the hype that has made it into the tech media, but I do believe it does have its qualities. Some of the pros are portability, many books available without occupying physical space, some features built in, for example a dictionary, ability to take notes, quote passages that you like and keeping track of your progress. As the iPad also has the ability to play music, I can then purchase Audio Books and listen to them while working away at other things. Saying this though I have never tried an Audio Book, and am unsure if I ever will. Usually when I am doing other things, for instance cycling or cooking diner, I have mp3's playing with me and listen to music, but never really focus on it, I only have it there for noise in the background. If i had a novel being read to me I'm not sure I would ever really know what is going on, and with another person reading it they may vocalize the story differently then myself, and therefor I would have difficulty perceiving the world and characters. My other negative towards Audio Books is the cost vs e-Books or Printed Books, they cost anywhere from 2-4x the retail price, but I do understand that the person reading the novel needs to be paid as with the author and publishing company. Lastly comes the tried and true Printed Book that has been going for hundreds of years, and has only slowed down recently due to e-Books. My preference is still with this type of book as it gives you a sense of accomplishment once you finish it. There is something about picking up a thousand page novel, and I'm not sure if it's that you may find it daunting, or you simply want the challenge and satisfaction once you finish it. There are so many pros and very few cons with a Printed Book. The smell, breaking the binding for the first time, the way a bookshelf looks with hundreds of books on it, even though that could be viewed as an egotistical status symbol, the variety of hardback, paperback, first printing, different covers, forewords by other authors, and having them signed. The only cons I can think of are physical space that they occupy, especially if you travel a lot, and reading a book so many times that it starts to fall apart.

There is my view on the formats of books currently available, what is your opinion, and do you recommend I try an Audio Book at least once?