I've done this tag a few times before but I enjoy doing it again if I see a good bunch of questions. Greg at http://gregsbookhaven.blogspot.com/ has picked out a good set of questions so here we go!
1) Would you rather read or watch Netflix for an entire year?
I'm not interested in paying extra subscriptions to watch stuff so I'd pick the reading. I've got so much to read that it would be more productive to do that for a year. I've got a ton of dvd box sets and films waiting to be watched anyway so I don't really need a ton of new stuff to watch!
2) Would you rather read all new releases or used/ backlist books for a year
Oh getting on with the backlog for sure! I'm ploughing through that with boots stuck in treacle as we speak so I'd want to get on with that. I'm not really interested in reading ARCs and don't keep up with new releases except for series and authors I follow. Even then I need to wait a year after everyone else to grab a paperback copy!
3) Would you rather have pizza or Chinese food?
Erk this is a tough choice! I do love a good cheese pizza with extra cheese, topped by more extra cheese but I also like a good prawn curry to tickle the tastebuds. I do think I'd have to go with the pizza as I love cheese more than curry!
4) Would you rather use Bookstagram or Twitter- only one- for a whole year?
Frankly I could live quite happily without any social media. I'm on Twitter and find it useful so I suppose I'd pick that. Bookstagram is probably really interesting to follow people on and less toxic with trolls but I just wouldn't have the time to get involved with it right now.
5) Would you rather have your blog professionally designed or do you like to DIY?
I don't have the money to waste on professional design and I prefer to choose my own stuff and change it around when the mood takes me. I'm fine with the cheap design of blogger as it suits all my needs really.
6) Would you rather have a bookstore or be hired by your fave publisher?
I'd rather own the bookstore but I'd leave my brilliant staff to deal with all the customers! I'm not really a people person these days though I don't mind talking to nice people about the books they love! I'd be full of ideas on design-children are put in a soundproofed cage to keep them out of everyone's way like a left luggage area, so adults can book buy in peace. Bigger sections for horror and apocalypse. Lots of fiction and non fiction choices. Indie book promotions. A huge mural on the walls of favourite book covers and book scenes. free postcard/bookmark with every purchase, goody bags for buying a book pile. Free Indie book with every ten books you buy. Events, discount offers, a reading area and a safe covered area where people can bring in their dogs to get out of the rain. It would of course be the size of IKEA with a book swag area, cafe that sells stuff from books like Butterbeer, bookshelves for sale, book repair area, maybe even a library rental area...BEST BOOKSHOP EVER!!!
7) Would you rather have dogs or cats?
Faithful hounds! I have a particular hatred of cats shitting in my garden and killing the birds we feed. I've always liked dogs better.
8) Would you rather go to the past or future?
Hmm that's a tough one. The temptation would be the future to get winning lottery numbers to get money to open my book shop and see if vampires have 'come out' and can make me immortal so I really can read all the books forever! I could then turn my dad and any book friends that are interested! We could build an underground complex under my book superstore so we can live in safety...
9) Would you rather be in a Victorian era mystery or a future setting book?
I'm not a fan of Victorian settings for reading books so I can't imagine I'd want to be in one! I don't like all that society tea dance and manners for marriage stuff! I'd have to be in a future book with an exciting world...
10) What is your best book of 2020 so far?
Sadly there haven't been many books to choose from this year with a slump starting about February but there have been a few good ones. I'm excluding re-reads or it would be Harry Potter so my pick is John Major's memoirs.
And now my questions for YOU if you want to take part! If you do, please answer these ten questions and then ask ten of your own, or reuse mine.
1) Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?
2) Would you rather use magic or technology for an easier life?
3) Would you rather be invisible or able to fly?
4) Would you rather have gas or electricity?
5) Would you rather read fiction or non fiction?
6) Would you rather have sweet or savoury snacks?
7) Would you rather have Indian or Italian food?
8) Would you rather have a beachside house or a riverside cabin in the woods?
9) Would you rather visit Asia or Africa?
10) If you could only read one genre for a year, what would it be?
I review everything I read, on my blog and
on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you
don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed
it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write
a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! So lets
catch up with some reviews from May.
1) Andy Hall-Denali's Howl
In 1967, twelve young
men attempted to climb Alaska’s Mount McKinley—known to the locals as
Denali—one of the most popular and deadly mountaineering destinations in
the world. Only five survived. Journalist Andy Hall, son of the
park superintendent at the time, investigates the tragedy. He spent
years tracking down survivors, lost documents, and recordings of radio
communications. In Denali’s Howl, Hall reveals the full story of
an expedition facing conditions conclusively established here for the
first time: At an elevation of nearly 20,000 feet, these young men
endured an “arctic super blizzard,” with howling winds of up to 300
miles an hour and wind chill that freezes flesh solid in minutes. All
this without the high-tech gear and equipment climbers use today.
As well as the story of the men caught inside the storm, Denali’s Howl is
the story of those caught outside it trying to save them—Hall’s father
among them. The book gives readers a detailed look at the culture of
climbing then and now and raises uncomfortable questions about each
player in this tragedy. Was enough done to rescue the climbers, or were
their fates sealed when they ascended into the path of this
unprecedented storm?
This book tells the story of the 1967 climbing disaster on Denali which killed seven climbers in a storm as they attempted a climb. The son of the park superintendant has researched all the available documents and talked to the survivors and rescuers about the events of the disaster, trying to discover what went wrong and if more could've been done to save them. I found it to be a balanced account that sets the scene and the background to the climb, the conflicting personalities of the climbers and the harsh environment that they were going into. It goes into a brief history of climbing on Denali, the training and recruiting of team members, the journey to the mountain, who was working in the park and how the expedition got under way. I found the detail to be pretty interesting and it helped us get to know the various climbers before following them on the mountain, as well as the pilots and park staff who would be drawn into the disaster.
As the climb progressed, the group became split as the strongest climbers pushed ahead to gain the summit before retreating down the mountain to rest and recover at a lower camp, which is the accepted way of doing things. The others waited to make their attempt on alater day which is when the storm hit the mountain. The book looks at the men who were safer and the struggles they faced in trying to raise the alarm for their missing colleagues. It also looks at how a rescue plan was put together and the way that the weather prevented any chance of rescue until the storm had ended. It asks all the difficult questions about a series of decisions taken on and off the mountain and ponders if the expedition was doomed from the start. I felt that this seemed to be a fair account which allowed all the major players to put their point across and I thought it was an interesting book to read. I would certainly recommend it to people interested in expeditions and mountain disaster books.
Read April 2020
3.5 stars
2) Art Davidson-Minus 148 degrees
In 1967, eight men
attempted North America's highest summit: Mount McKinley (now known as
Denali) had been climbed before but never in winter. Plagued by doubts and cold, group tension and a crevasse tragedy, the expedition tackled McKinley in minimal hours of daylight and fierce storms. They were trapped at three different camps above 14,000 feet during a six-day blizzard and faced the ultimate low temperature of 148 F. Minus 148 is Art Davidson's stunning personal narrative, supplemented by diary excerpts from team members George Wichman, John Edwards, Dave Johnston, and Greg Blomberg. Davidson retells the team's fears and frictions and ultimate triumph with an honesty that has made this gripping survival story a mountaineering classic for over 40 years.
This book is about the deadly attempt to do the first winter ascent of Denali in 1967 and the life and death struggle which came as a deadly storm hit the mountain and trapped the men at different places across the mountain. The story is mainly told by expedition photographer Art, who is brutally honest about every aspect of the climb, and also from diary extracts written by other climbers in the group. It starts with a couple of near misses when members of the team failed to adhere to accepted safety in an area known for hidden crevasses. The lack of attention to these details was always going to lead to a disaster and so it unfolded. The details about the crevasse falls were fascinating and it shows how dangerous Denali actually is even before you hit bad weather around the peak. After a bad accident the team have to look at their own ambitions and decide whether or not to continue with the climb.
The next part of the book has all the niggles and bickering that you would expect on this kind of climb, and I enjoyed reading about it. I did find all of the men to be good and normal guys who make mistakes, but don't disguise any of it for the book, which I appreciated. As the climb gets tougher, the weather starts moving in and traps them on the mountain. One group are in the area of the summit when they become trapped away from any of their camps with limited supplies and no chance of rescue. At the lower camps, their friends wait anxiously for news or the chance of a rescue attempt. It is a book full of tension as we see through the diary entries what the men were thinking and feeling. I don't want to give anything away but I found it to be an excellent book for anyone interested in mountain expeditions in harsh winter climates. An excellent read.
Read May 2020
3.5 stars
I review everything I read, on my blog and
on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you
don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed
it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write
a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! So lets
catch up with some reviews from earlier this year.
1) Steve House-Beyond The Mountain
What does it take to be
one of the world's best high-altitude mountain climbers? A lot of
fundraising; traveling in some of the world's most dangerous countries;
enduring cold bivouacs, searing lungs, and a cloudy mind when you can
least afford one. It means learning the hard lessons the mountains
teach. Steve House built his
reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram
and the Himalaya that have expanded possibilities of style, speed, and
difficulty. In 2005 Steve and alpinist Vince Anderson pioneered a direct
new route on the Rupal Face of 26,600-foot Nanga Parbat, which had
never before been climbed in alpine style. It was the third ascent of
the face and the achievement earned Steve and Vince the first Piolet
d"or (Golden Ice Axe) awarded to North Americans.
I didn't like the attitude of the author from the start. When Bruce wants to turn and go back due to how slow Steve is climbing, it is a weakness in Bruce, not Steve. Steve thinks because he is willing to die to summit that others should be as reckless and he is mad that Bruce has actually saved his life. A climber decides not to try a second climb and Steve sneers that the man's recent divorce has made him weak. He sneers at the people who choose to do proper jobs like teachers, taxi drivers, scientists as they are sellouts to the Man and don't deserve a better life. What a total asshole this guy is. It's people doing jobs like driving you to the airport, treating you in hospital, flying planes etc that allow you to climb, you womble. Here are his thoughts. 'That is the ultimate sellout-to work for the man. To cast your only soul into a hell of cubicles and workstations and dollar bills. And if they don't see this, they don't deserve the chance to find out who they might become.' Yet he of course thinks others have no right to pass comment on his choices!
He also seems to care little about people who are meant to be his friends. On hearing about one death, his immediate thought isn't for his friend or their family-it was about how to persuade a girl he fancies to go out with him. I also didn't like the writing style which was choppy, incoherant and had no flow to it. He meets his team at Base Camp, he's sick at Camp One, we jump back to how he got on the team, back to mid climb, back to how he got sick...it was all over the place. I wanted to read about the climbing events in order as they happened but this book was jumping ahead and jumping back so often that I just couldn't enjoy the climbing bits. And not liking the author at all made it hard to get invested in the story. I certainly won't read anything else this man produces.
Read April 2020
1.5 star
2) Mark Pfetzer-Within Reach
In May 1996 the media scrambled to document the gripping story of sixteen-year-old Mark Pfetzer's
expedition to Mount Everest. Not only was he the youngest climber ever
to attempt the summit, he also witnessed the tragedy documented in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, in which eight climbers perished in a sudden storm. Within Reach
is Mark's extraordinary account of this experience and of his triumphs
over several other challenging peaks. At once triumphant and tragic,
this story will be an inspiration to climbers, athletes, and armchair
enthusiasts alike.
Frankly, the author is a self obsessed entitled little brat whose indulgent parents let him do anything he wants to do with little regard for safety and common sense. I want to go ice climbing at 13-yes dear. I want to go trekking in Nepal at 13 without my parents-yes dear. I want strangers to pay all the costs for me-yes dear. I want Mummy to arrange permission for me to skip school-yes dear. GAG. If he is the superb go getting achiever who gets all his goals, why didn't he get off his arse and get a job to pay for his whims instead of writing bleating begging letters to others to pay for it all? And the thanks the parents get for pandering to him? He ignores them at the airport because they are embarrassing. Nice. His bragging about how easy everything is bugs when when it was all handed to him without earning any of it for himself! Of course it's bloody easy when Mummy and co do it all for you! When he hears of others on the climb dying, it's obviously because they aren't as great and careful as him. Ugh, talk about an entitled brat!
Mark constantly claims he didn't have any interest in setting age related climbing goals but he certainly seems to brag about the records all the time each time he gets one. The actual writing about Everest and the killer storm was pretty poor and a major disappointment as that was the big selling point in the blurb and the reason I wanted to read it. It claims he was a witness to the infamous 1996 Everest disaster but in truth, he was in his tent sleeping and not invested at all in what was happening. The little he wrote about the aftermath was very much in a detached manner and lacked detail, emotion and interest. It was all very vague and dull. In truth this is a YA version of the expedition climbs, written by someone glowing with his own success who likes to remind us how good but humble he is and of all the records he breaks. I don't doubt his talent as a climber but I got tired of the childish ego and I can't say that I enjoyed the book.
Read April 2020
2 star
3) Jules Mountain-Aftershock
Jules Mountain is a
survivor. The odds of surviving his type of cancer were one in five; the
odds of dying on Everest are one in sixty. But just as he reaches Base
Camp in April 2015, the giant earthquake in Nepal sets off an avalanche
that will kill 21 . Jules is within touching distance of his life's
ambition and is now faced with an agonising choice about his next move. Aftershock
is a heart-stopping eyewitness account of the deadliest day in history
on the world's most iconic mountain. It is also an exploration of the
choices we make in life, and throws up difficult questions about how
logic and compassion can be affected by altitude and extreme stress.
This is the first book I've read about the earthquake that hit Nepal and Mount Everest in 2015, the devastation shown all over the news. The book got off to a rocky start with the author rightly trying to test himself in difficult conditions to prepare for interest. Whilst I applauded his preperation, I found it selfish that he dragged along his poorly eqipped friend to help test the equipment in a blizzard, putting poor Fred at risk of frostbite. Jules got on my nerves by refusing to follow any of the rules for the expeditions he joined. He refused to get up for an early start to the climb then raced to catch up so he could be seen to beat the others to prove how great he was. He races other climbers up and down the mountain to show he can beat them when it is all about adapting to the conditions. He hates guides and their rules so he ignores them and frequently shows that he'll do what suits him and sod being a team player. I don't know if he expects the reader to be impressed by his childish behaviour but I wasn't. He of course takes time to brag about all his talents in case we missed his greatness.
In the aftermath of the earthquake he lends a hand with medical help for the injured which I do commend him for, but at times it sounds more as if he resents the injured for being there and forcing him to look after them. He spends time being critical of how others are acting, not considering that they might be suffering from shock. He barely mentions his loved ones back home worrying about him and we barely get a mention of him trying to contact them. As soon as the injured are taken away, he's focused on getting up Everest. I don't grudge him that as these expeditions are costly and you might not get another chance to come back. I do get their obsession in a sense. There were interesting bits in this book, especially the situation after the earthquake, but again it was spoiled by the author behaving like an ass during training. I'm getting a bit tired of this trend in expedition books.
I also found the continual comments about drinking 'Her Maj's Finest' really annoying. Can't you just say you had a cup of bloody tea???
Read May 2020
2.5 star
SATURDAY
Last night, my dad went out to our bin and *SURPRISE* found a bag of recycling in our general waste bin. He removed it and I was up at 6am this morning to check there were no more surprises from the Phantom Bin Litterer. Between that and chasing pigeons that were annoying Rodney the squirrel, I wasn't in a great mood!
MONDAY
If there is one thing my dad and I both HATE doing, it is having to deal with official stuff by phone. Occupational Therapy at the hospital told us to get in a landline so they can fit a care alarm. My dad spent yesterday dealing with two nice women who set up the billing and everything but an engineer will need to come next week to replace a few cables and things. The woman at Occupational Therapy wanted it in by this Friday so my uncle could be sent home this coming Friday. There are a few issues with this plan:
1) The ward staff nurse and doctors knew nothing of this plan to release him
2) There is no care package in place for his personal care
3) They haven't even checked the house for suitability
4) The house has not been upgraded with mobility aids
5) HE STILL HAS THE VIRUS!!!!!!!!!
I don't know what planet the woman from OT was living on but the ward nurse says he's still having bad nights from breathing difficulties and panic attacks, still has the virus and will be in for weeks yet! My dad feels really pissed at OT for the confusion but when he phones for an update on all the care equipment and packages etc, he feels he is being fobbed off and nobody calls him back. We can't even speak to my uncle while he's in the Covid Ward so he is fretting about it too. Grr.
TUESDAY
Today it was my turn to lose my temper with technology. For the first time I was subjected to this new system when arranging an ASDA delivery. It seems the EU has decided that as an anti fraud thing, debit and credit cards must join this security scheme where when you make an online purchase, you have to wait to be sent a code by your bank to your mobile phone, which you then use to complete the transaction. We don't have a mobile phone so I spent this morning arguing with the bank, who won't let me opt out of the stupid thing. Finally they decided to send this dumb code to my email instead. I'm really unhappy about it. Email can be hacked! It's hardly more secure than a password only I know!
So I went back to ASDA, completed the delivery form...and wasn't asked for this code anyway! STUPID CRAP!!!! The bank snootily told me that I better get a mobile phone as otherwise I might be frozen out of online shopping! Cheek of it. Stupid bloody EU bureaucrats messing me about. Thankfully Amazon refuse to implement this rule on their site.
At a time where so many are self isolating and needing these vital deliveries, not allowing customers to complete their food order until they sign up to something they don't want is disgusting. I'm in a right mood today I can tell you!!! I'm researching banks who may not implement this after Brexit is completed and may change to them.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish
in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of
2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to
bring bookish friends together. http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/
NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by
Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave
comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my
profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account.
This week's topic is about opening lines in books which is far too time consuming to research so I'm going rogue this week. Books That Should Exist But Don't
1) Hogwarts-A History
Every time Hermione tells Harry and Ron about something she read in this book, it makes me want to read it too! If I got a letter, I'd have wanted to know everything about the Castle, the traditions and the history before I went there.
2) Robert's Rebellion
We hear a lot about this from characters in Westeros but how cool would it be to have a few books about it with the viewpoints of Ned, Jaime, Cersei, Tywin, Rhaegar, Lyanna, Robert etc? I would LOVE to get my hands on that!
3) The Secret Diary of Rupert Giles
I was such a big fan of Buffy and had the hots for Giles! I'd love to get a detailed diary or autobiography of his Ripper years and his Watcher years with Buffy. I don't think this exists but I want to read it anyway. Maybe one for Wesley and Lorne too!
4) Deep Blue Sea
I totally love this film and want to have a really good novel written about it by someone like Chris Jameson or Hunter Shea! I want a bit more about the MCs and their relationships, flashbacks to that mountain disaster, the shark experiments, then the full disaster. I love creature features and want a great one of this film.
5) Mamma Mia The Novel
I find myself really wanting to have this for a light and fun summer read. I love the film and would enjoy the chance to read a novel of it with extra depth into the current life of all the characters before the gathering on the island.
6) The Rise And Fall Of Voldemort
This needs to be at least a trilogy, featuring Dumbledore forming the Order, Voldemort gathering the Death Eaters and making horcruxes, the battles between the sides, corruption and fear at the Ministry, the prophecy, the defeat of Voldemort and the capture of the Death Eaters. I want to read these books so badly-someone persuade JK to write them!
7) My Bloody Valentine
This was one of my favourite retro slasher films-I also enjoyed the different killer angle in the remake of it. It would be great to get novels of both films to sit and enjoy!
8) Maurice
Maurice was my favourite character in the Monster Haven novels-he cooks, he cleans and is a Closet Monster who looks after an empath and her haven of magical creatures. There was a wonderful short story from the Maurice POV but I want a full novel of his adventures...a trilogy at least!
9) The Secret Diary of Severus Snape
Most of what we know about Snape's deeds come from his memories or the little that Dumbledore says about things. I'd love to read about his school days, his dark arts obsession, the double agent stuff and how he views the years that Harry is at Hogwarts. We could have a few volumes of this and maybe the diary of Dumbledore and others too!
10) The Winds Of Winter/A Dream Of Spring
Where is it FFS!!!
