the other book review » book talk

books2movies is back

eb — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:11:13 +0000

A couple of years ago I was the owner and moderator of a Yahoo! group called Books2Movies. It was a nice group with people from all over the world who liked to talk about books that had been made into movies. A few of the people even read a book a month and saw the movie to talk about it and share their thoughts. Questions were asked, answers were given…we had a good time.

But then it happened: I didn’t have enough time to run the group properly anymore and the group faded away and became a very quiet place until eventually I made the decision to delete the group completely.

Now, here is the good news: I started Books2Movies again, now in a personal place on my server space. It’s still in early stages, but I hope, if you enjoy talking about books that are made into movies, you will decide to register and start chatting. I’m looking forward to give you my welcome!

Oh, by the way: apart from Books2Movies, there are also forums for general book talk, talk about reading and talk about writing. Let’s make Book Babble (that’s what I called the place) a room for every reader and/or writer out there.

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the other book review by eb is a licence of a Creative Commons 3.0 Dutch licence.
Based on the work on www.theotherbookreview.com.

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my work space full of books

eb — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:15:36 +0000

Don’t you just love books? Well, I do, as you may have guessed seeing this little site of mine.
And I’m blessed being able to work in a book shop. More than a year already!
To give you a sample of our sections, and the books we buy for our customers, here are some photos.

Ain’t it a pretty sight — sigh–

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old fashioned library

eb — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:14 +0000

My boyfriend and I went on vacation to Turkey. Happy times all around!
At the end of the first week we felt fit enough to see some culture and we went to Ephesus, an old city once flourishing. A lot of buildings are still there in good conditions and this is one of them:

It is the library of Celcus from the second century AD. Of course no more books were found in it, but the building itself, although no longer complete, is impressive enough. Just imagine roaming through books in this place. Makes you wonder why we don’t build like this anymore. Here are some pictures of the beautiful details:

This last picture shows one of the four statues decorating the library and if you can read the Greek letters you will see the word (translated) epistemology, the theory of knowledge.
So now I’m sure of it: reading makes you wiser!

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buying spur

eb — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:04:59 +0000

As though I hadn’t enough books already I bought some the last couple of weeks.
I’m trying to get the complete set of books of some of my favorite authors: Clyde Edgerton, Mick Jackson, Magnus Mills. I think I have read enough of those guys to know I won’t be disappointed. So, here is what I got:

Lunch at the Piccadilly — Clyde Edgerton

Solo — Clyde Edgerton

Redeye; a western — Clyde Edegrton

The underground man — Mick Jackson

Five boys — Mick Jackson

Restraint of the beasts — Magnus Mills

The sheme for full employment — Magnus Mills

I know I still have some books to go, but my bank account can only strech so much. Fortunaly for me, a wishlist can be made at the site where I (as a Dutch woman) buy the books. I put another fifteen books on there. What will I get for Christmas? Books perhaps?

P.S. It’s not that I’m lobbying for Amazon, but I just want you to see the covers. I just love covers!!

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mick jackson tells animated tales

eb — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:00:26 +0000

As all of you can see in the sidebar, I’m currently reading Ten sorry tales by Mick Jackson. Actually it is a re-read. The first time I read it, I saw the book in the store and just had to have it because of the cover. (In one of my other posts I talked about that ‘strange’ habit.) I persuaded my boyfriend to give me that book for Christmas and he did, the dear. I am really grateful, because I was so impressed by the ten short stories then, that I’m now using them, amongst other work and authors, for my PhD thesis about animation and humor (in films as well as books).
I think these short stories are very near to animation — to an animated film. In his writing you surely see the influences of him being a film maker. Through his writing it is easy to get a picture of what he wants us (readers) to see. His style is short and compact and every sentence is there for a reason. A lot of things Jackson leaves open for us to interpret and fantasize about, by leaving some information in the dark. For example the time things happen in. Is it past, present or future? Another thing is the characters; they are 1-dimensional, they have one particular quality on which is zoomed in. The rest is for us to fill in. I’m currently busy with describing the different methods Jackson uses in his style to make the stories animated and humorous. Very interesting!
But enough about my ‘professional’ dealings with this book. It is just a great read.

At Amazon I saw one review that said that these short stories weren’t near as good as his debut novel The underground man and his other one; Five boys: a novel. Wow, I thought, if I’m already liking these short stories, what will his other books do to me. So I ordered them and get them hopefully this week. I can’t wait to find out what I think about those.

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full attention for my dear books

eb — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:40:31 +0000

Once in a while I have to read more books at the same time, for example when I’m reading a book and a study book pops up to read also. I don’t know about you, but I always have a hard time reading more than one book simultaneously. Instead of the books going from unread to read double speed it often has a negative effect on my reading: I stop all together. What it is exactly that triggers such a readers block, I have no clue, but maybe it could be that I don’t know what book I should prioritise once I’ve read some chapters and it seems that they’re both good. Or maybe I don’t want both stories or information to mingle with each other. Be how it may, reading more books at once isn’t helping me going through my full book shelves. Luckily my books are patient because they know they will be read one day.

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burning books

eb — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:48:48 +0000

A couple of days ago I started the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A classic I didn’t know about until I saw it in a German bookstore for a good price. And although the genre is described as science fiction, I couldn’t resist buying it; mainly because of the theme of the book: burning books. The time in the book is set in the future when firemen don’t put out fires, but start them, in the name of the government, in houses of people who own English books. Why exactly I don’t know yet, I’m just not that far in the book, but only the fact that people aren’t allowed to own books is intriguing me. I can’t imagine a world without books. What would happen if I’m not allowed to ever read a book again, not being permitted to own any books? Could I live with that? Would I have the guts to own my books illegally in a hidden basement or attic?
I know of the book burnings during WW II, and I do think that books can help in forming certain ideas and ideals, but I don’t think books can be that dangerous that they have to be forbidden. The burning of books says more about the ones that order it, then about the books themselves. Why should you be afraid of books when you have nothing to hide, or when you believe in people?
Well, as you notice, books help you ponder about things, big things, small things. Books help you escape from reality and get your imagination going for as long as you like.
I just love books!

P.S. Just a short quote from Fahrenheit 451: ‘There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.’ (page 58 in my edition from Voyager)

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my books & i are back

eb — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 09:34:26 +0000

Well, ten days can go fast! I’m back from my vacation in Germany and had a great time.

It didn’t take me too long to figure out, when I was in KÃ¶ln, that the books are a lot cheaper in Germany than they are here in The Netherlands. So, well, what can I say…I couldn’t contain myself and bought thirteen books. And when you think that is crazy, just keep in mind my boyfriend bought around three times as many. So who is crazy (about books) now! Okay, I admit, I am too!!

Here is a list with the books I bought:
(Title — author (a-z) — genre)

For one more day — Mitch Albom — fiction
Where there’s a will — Matt Beaumont — humor
Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury — classic/science fiction
Summer crossing — Truman Capote — fiction
The sweetheart season — Karen Joy Fowler — chick lit
Andorra — Max Frisch — play/German
Ludmila’s broken English — DBC Pierre — fiction
Naked — David Sedaris — humor
Me talk pretty one day — David Sedaris — humor
Dress your family in Corduroy and Denim — David Sedaris — humor
Ueber Liebe und Tod — Patrick Süskind — essay
The guy not taken — Jennifer Weiner — short stories
Goodnight nobody — Jennifer Weiner — chick lit/humor

The author that is totally new to me is David Sedaris. I never heard of him and his books. I hope I made a wise decision in buying three books of him, but I’ve been told I did.
I’m very happy with the essay by Patrick Süskind. It means I now have all his works complete.
I’m also very curious what Fahrenheit 451 will bring me. A book about burning books should be interesting.

As you all see, I will be busy reading for the next … months. And you can be sure I will keep you up to speed with my reading.

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germany — here my books and i come

eb — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:18:58 +0000

Almost vacation for me. Tomorrow me and my boyfriend go to Germany for ten whole days. What a treat! Pack my books and bags and I’m on my way.
This vacation to Germany got me thinking about all the German books I’ve read in my life. There were many. I always liked the German literature. They have some great history in authors and even greater books.
My favorite author is Patrick Süskind. He hasn’t written that much, but what he has written is impressive. First of all Das Parfum (Perfume), now well known because of the movie from 2006.
Another book is the novella Die Taube (The pigeon), about a man who is caught totally of guard by the fact a pigeon has decided to live in the hallway of his apartement building. This little bird is the reason for him to lose controle over his life completely.
He also wrote Drei Geschichten (Three stories & a reflection), a little book with three short stories and, what else, a reflection. His capability to make something simple and ordinary into aÂ totally different thing and give it a unexpected twist, is very visible in this work.
This talent is also present in Der Kontrabaß. A novella with the instrument as main character.
And last but not least there is Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer (The story of Mr. Sommer). It’s a story about a strange (old) man, told from the persepective of a now grown up man where he remembers his encounters with Sommer.

Süskind also wrote some (television) scripts together with another author.

That is all the time I have for now…I have to pack. But when I get back I will write more about some great German writers. ‘Till then!

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storytelling in venice

eb — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:29:58 +0000

I felt like writing something and hey…this is the perfect place.

The book I’m reading now is The city of falling angels by John Berendt. How that man can write! I thought his first book Midnight in the garden of good & evil great, and The city of falling angels is just as intriguing. I know I haven’t finished the book yet, but his way of storytelling is formidable. He knows how to introduce the colorful characters he comes across in Venice and he lets them speak as if you were right there beside him. Together with Berendt you find yourself in the middle of a social network of interesting people, each with their own story about Venice, the people, the culture.
The nice thing is, that this book, just like Midnight in the garden of good & evil, is non-fiction. However, I always completely forget that fact when I’m reading. Berendt’s style is so lively, the non-fictional facts are embedded in a what seems like fictional storytelling.

For my review on Midnight in the garden of good & evil click here.
For the actual time line of Midnight in the garden of good & evil click here.
For the real story behind The city of falling angels click here.

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