PenPal Readers discussion

This thread is for participants to discuss how you're doing with the Summer Icebreaker Challenge, what books you've read and enjoyed, how the penpal exchanges are going, and for posting your COMPLETES. If you're looking to sign-up, visit this thread...

Ooh, it's so exciting to see the book recommendations coming in! There are definitely books that I'd not heard of before but sound really good, which is exactly what I'd hoped for!

I'll start with Aru Shah and the End of Time (Cindee), and Furyborn (Meghan). And I will for sure read more, so many good choices...

Has anyone else picked a book they're excited to read yet?

I am going to read and

Hey! I'm Karla! I am currently learning to play the ukulele. It's so much fun, and it's incredibly therapeutic.

I currently have a thing for pins and patches. It's become a real problem, it just appears I'm addicted to buying them. k

Wintersong
Wintersong is currently my favorite book. Growing up, Labyrinth was, and still is, my favorite movie, and Wintersong is just like that but darker, and a bit more mature. It also makes references to other literature such as Goblin Market, and it's very well paced.

I'll Give You the Sun
This is the best contemporary book I have ever read. The characters are so complex, and you love them all, just as much as you hate them. They're real. There's no holly character, free of flaw, everyone has their own goals, and desires. They're selfish at times, and yet caring. You grow to love them and relate to them.

I'm really hoping someone else likes books at least two decades old. Most of these suggestions are far too new for me to access easily. I do see at least one book I might like to read though, and that is Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

Karla wrote: "Hey! I'm Karla! I am currently learning to play the ukulele. It's so much fun, and it's incredibly therapeutic. ..."

Hi Karla, I'm in a ukulele band! Learning to play guitar. What kind of ukulele do you have? And I've added your information to the spreadsheet - you can also choose another book to add if you like :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Jazzy wrote: "Karla wrote: "Hey! I'm Karla! I am currently learning to play the ukulele. It's so much fun, and it's incredibly therapeutic. ..."

Hi Karla, I'm in a ukulele band! Learning to play guitar. What ki..."

It's a Hola Concert Ukulele. My friend recommended it to me, he said it was the one he learned on, and I like it a lot.
A book I recently read was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I read it in British Lit, and I loved it so much.

Hola! isn't a ukulele I've actually seen in my country. I have a few different ones, I started with a Kala Concert but within two months I spied something else so sold it to a friend and bought a 1918 Kumalae from Hawaii and the most cunning green alligator case from ebay and used it for gigs as I was only playing a couple of months before I joined the band Misspent Uke. I also got an Anuenue U900 Bear pineapple ukulele and then 6 years later (last year) I got a Martin concert made of koa wood from Mexico. A few months ago I found someone selling a mahogany Martin soprano made in USA at a VERY cheap price and bought that one. One of our band members died last year and we had an auction for his Clearwater Baritone and I only bought two tickets and I won it. I have fluorocarbon strings on all but the Anuenue. I have also been playing guitar for 7 months and love, love, LOVE it.

Get Jim's Ukulele Songbooks, Download A-L and M-Z
https://ozbcoz.com/songbooks/

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is pure class. Have you read Beowulf? I was an extra in the tv show.

Honestly, I don't think I'm going to ever read any of the books recommended in the Icebreaker. But the Sweet & Cool club is full of superb literature and hidden treasures spanning several centuries. I've already discovered the hilarious Helen's Babies, first published in 1876, and Just William has popped up and I haven't read that since I was a bairn! Also I'm very envious of Mion reading The Brick, Les Misérables, for the first time - I may be in for a re-read!

Jazzy wrote: "Honestly, I don't think I'm going to ever read any of the books recommended in the Icebreaker. But the Sweet & Cool club is full of superb literature and hidden treasures spanning several centuries..."

Both challenges have given me some wonderful books that I'm really excited to read this summer! It's still early in the summer, so hopefully we'll get more icebreaker participants and you'll find something of interest before long!

Cindee wrote: "I am going to read and "

I just got Furyborn from the library. I had put an early hold, and had been waiting (impatiently) for it to come in. Finally it's here! YAY!

Anne ✨ wrote: "...hopefully we'll get more icebreaker participants and you'll find something of interest before long!"

Well we can hope! I've already read a lot of filler, but I'm sadly not 20 anymore. The time has come where if i buy a book now I am rather unlikely to read it twice - despite my most earnest intentions, so I'm trying to find fine literature to soothe my soul and fill me with awe at the remarkably honed skill of the author so that I remark - Wow! That's what I call writing!

I think I've been spoilt by Hugo, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc....so many, many brilliant gems. Moulding words into clever sentences of the most perfect and creative expression. I had read a lot of the newer books and they were stories and they were okay, just a bit of fun. But then I read Yates and said, Oh! this is Literature.

But that said i'm reading this charming memoir, The Wilderness Family: At Home with Africa's Wildlife by Kobie Krüger. This was the sort of life I used to want to live.

So far, it's looking like I'll be reading books that Jazzy and Kyle have chosen.

I've read two of Kyle's books (and In the Miso Soup this month as well), I think I'll be reaching out to him first, but I'm really intrigued by all of Jazzy's choices (White Fang was one of my favourites as a child)!

I like Mion's suggestions. I heard a lot about Battle Royale (never read or watched Hunger Games but I heard that it's pretty much Battle Royale). I was able to find it cheap on Amazon since my library doesn't have it and I can't wait for it to arrive! I also am interested in Cloud Atlas from Mion so that's at my library so I'll probably check out the audiobook.

From Karla I added Wintersong. I don't like fantasy and I especially don't like YA romance but I need to come out of my comfort zone of books so I'm going to try it out. Hopefully I'll like it!

I also added Norma's We Were Liars. More to get out of my comfort zone and prove to people that all of the violent, horror, and porn that I end up reading doesn't make me whacked out in the head :)

Kyle wrote: "I like Mion's suggestions. I heard a lot about Battle Royale (never read or watched Hunger Games but I heard that it's pretty much Battle Royale). I was able to find it cheap on Amazon since my lib..."

Hunger Games is more like Battle Royale. My mother actually managed to explain the difference very accurately (although she's only read HG and knows BR only by what I've told her): HG is more about the show and entertainment, whereas BR is more about the brutality and the psychological aspects of the characters. Because of that interpretation, I can easily enjoy both books although it's pretty clear some aspects of HG were borrowed from the BR - but mostly the stuff that was in the movie.

I really hope you like the books you've chosen! Horror-wise, I just have to suggest one of my favourite author's Otsuichi. After reading one of his works as an ebook, I ended up buying all of his published works as an addition to my J-lit library at home

I'm listening toPoison Study by Maria V. Snyder (recommended by Jennifer)... enjoying it...

Just signed up for this, a little late to the game...

I've read several of the books in the list already, a couple of them among my favorites: I'll Give You the Sun and Flowers for Algernon! Oh, and White Fang - that sure brings me back a few years.

Cloud Atlas has been on my To Read list for quite some time now, so I'm sure that at least will be one I choose to read for this challenge...

Ok, about a quarter of the way into Cloud Atlas... it certainly has my attention!

Completion

Title: Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
Rating: ★★★★★
Connection: I've sent a Message to Mion with my initial impression...

Grateful this book was in the list. I've been intending to read it for ages, so this was the perfect little shove to finally pick it up. I was not disappointed (though I didn't expect to be, with this author!) - this book is full of ideas, layers, and rhythms to contemplate... well beyond the final page.

Anne ✨ wrote: "I'm listening toPoison Study by Maria V. Snyder (recommended by Jennifer)... enjoying it..."

Completion

Title: Poison Study
My Rating: ★★★★
Recommended by: Jennifer
Complete: I have penpal'd with Jennifer about this series -

I really enjoyed this, I hadn't heard of it before seeing Jennifer's recommendation. I'm very excited to continue the series, I just started reading book #2, Magic Study

Amber wrote: "Completion

Title: Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
Rating: ★★★★★
Connection: I've sent a Message to Mion with my initial impression...

Grateful this book was in ..."

That's GREAT Amber! This book has intimidated me for some reason, I think I will need a big SHOVE to read it someday too!

Glad you enjoyed it so much, hope you'll find another recommendation to do another round in this challenge.

I'm considering The Bookshop on the Corner and/or The Book of the Unnamed Midwife next...

I've caught up with all of my library books and now I can't wait to do my Icebreaker books! I've selected Battle Royale, Four Psychos, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

I have Battle Royale, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as well as The Book of the Unnamed Midwife are at the library. I'll have to get Four Psychos on kindle but luckily it's free with kindle unlimited! :)

I have acquired The Book of the Unnamed Midwife... now just a matter of getting to it ;)

I am currently reading Daughter of the Pirate King from Anne's recommendations! Loving it!

Chloe wrote: "I am currently reading Daughter of the Pirate King from Anne's recommendations! Loving it!"

And now I've finished it! What a great book - one of my favourites of the year!

Chloe wrote: "Chloe wrote: "I am currently reading Daughter of the Pirate King from Anne's recommendations! Loving it!"

And now I've finished it! What a great book - one of my favourites of the ..."

Woohoo, so glad you loved it too, Chloe :)

I read the Pirate King Daughter, now I just need to read the sequel!!

Sam wrote: "I read the Pirate King Daughter, now I just need to read the sequel!!"

YES! The sequel is just as good :) So glad you enjoyed it!

Oh, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie! You'll love it Kyle!

I've just finished Girl with a Pearl Earring and sent Sam a message with my initial impression of it. I'm currently giving it 3.5/5 but I'm going to see if I'll be leaning more towards 4/5 later. And now, I'm off to try and get back on track with my replies to messages...

Karla wrote: "A book I recently read was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I read it in British Lit, and I loved it so much. "

I really want to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but how on earth do I choose which version/edition. There are so many choices of translators, and versions listed as poetry and others as fiction.

Editions available in my library include:
- Pearl Poet, A.S. Kline (2017, 125pages)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
-Benedict Flynn, Jasper Britton (2008, audio 2hr, 14mins)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
-Simon Armitage. A New Verse Translation (2007, audio 5hr44mins)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
-Jessie L Weston (2018, 144pages)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
-Bernard O'Donoghue (2006, 94pages)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

HELP!

Hi,
Can you add my Icebreaker challenge point please, sorry to be a pain.

Sam wrote: "Hi,
Can you add my Icebreaker challenge point please, sorry to be a pain."

Hi Sam, I added it for you and don't worry, you're not a pain. Lovely to have you x

Karla wrote: "Hey! I'm Karla! I am currently learning to play the ukulele. It's so much fun, and it's incredibly therapeutic.

I currently have a thing for pins and patches. It's become a real problem, it just ..."

Hi Karla,

I read I'll Give You The Sun while I was on holiday and absolutely loved it! I read it as an eBook and loved it so much that I ordered a physical copy to arrive when I got home today. Great recommendation!

Chloe wrote:I read I'll Give You The Sun while I was on holiday and absolutely loved it "

oooh, thanks for reminding me of this one, I've wanted to read this for a long time, and I actually need a book with the word 'sun' in the title for N.E.W.T challenge too, so it's perfect :)

Chloe wrote: "I read I'll Give You The Sun while I was on holiday and absolutely loved it! I read it as an eBook and loved it so much that I ordered a physical copy to arrive when I got home today. Great recommendation!..."

I love this one too!