The Good Books Thread/ATARnotes Book Club!

[elysepopplewell]

I've read another book.

"Everybody writes {your go-to guide on creating ridiculously good content}" by Ann Handley. I really like this book, mainly because it's hardcover (just kidding), it has a lot of really useful pieces of information on writing. Simple mistakes people make when writing, things people too often get confused, and for the first time I think the active voice has been explained to me in a way I understand. I too often talk in the passive voice.

If anyone is interested in writing for audiences of brands/companies, or being a blogger, or any of the above, this book is very practical and has lots of great advice.

[peterpiper]

So I read Milk and Honey. The poems weren't as great as it was made out to be, and I was really disappointed (and I sort of felt I wasted my 13$ when I could've bought some Proust). I guess it was because I heard it was really good from sources I trusted (which I sort of now question the authority of). It was too confessional for my liking, and the choice of words didn't resonate with me particularly well, which means the poetry failed me. I mean, I really liked some of Sylvia Plath's poetry, which are also confessional by style, but Milk and Honey felt really repetitive and sort of superficial with the way it tried to make me feel things, which I didn't. I found myself drawn away from themes which I would personally relate to. There was an honesty to it which I found pleasurable to read at times, but I just became really bored with it by the end, which I think is more of a reflection on me than the book itself (haha but what review isn't a reflection on the person writing it tbh). Anyway, perhaps, it was due to a lack of variation, or something. But that isn't to say, the next person reading it won't enjoy it. It's great if you do enjoy it and connect/engage with the poems on a deeper level. I just didn't and I don't think I'll be the one recommending it to anyone soon.

[prickles]

Has anyone read Spy Wore Red by Aline Griffith?

[elysepopplewell]

So I read Milk and Honey. The poems weren't as great as it was made out to be, and I was really disappointed (and I sort of felt I wasted my 13$ when I could've bought some Proust). I guess it was because I heard it was really good from sources I trusted (which I sort of now question the authority of). It was too confessional for my liking, and the choice of words didn't resonate with me particularly well, which means the poetry failed me. I mean, I really liked some of Sylvia Plath's poetry, which are also confessional by style, but Milk and Honey felt really repetitive and sort of superficial with the way it tried to make me feel things, which I didn't. I found myself drawn away from themes which I would personally relate to. There was an honesty to it which I found pleasurable to read at times, but I just became really bored with it by the end, which I think is more of a reflection on me than the book itself (haha but what review isn't a reflection on the person writing it tbh). Anyway, perhaps, it was due to a lack of variation, or something. But that isn't to say, the next person reading it won't enjoy it. It's great if you do enjoy it and connect/engage with the poems on a deeper level. I just didn't and I don't think I'll be the one recommending it to anyone soon.

I understand, Peter. When I read little bits and bobs in isolation I thought it was okay, and a few were really quite good. But when I sat to read start to finish I was very let down considering the hype.

[EEEEEEP]

Farenheit 451  - Ray bradbury


This book was published in 1953, but the title was changed due to political times.  After world war 2, the Americans investigated people who were deemed to be linked to communists. 10 screen writers and directors were blacklisted. This annoyed Ray.

This book touches the theme of mass media (You'll know when you read about a certain lady), censorship and the lessons in books (you'll know when you read up to the end).

[zofromuxo]

Farenheit 451  - Ray bradbury
(Image removed from quote.)

This book was published in 1953, but the title was changed due to political times.  After world war 2, the Americans investigated people who were deemed to be linked to communists. 10 screen writers and directors were blacklisted. This annoyed Ray.

This book touches the theme of mass media (You'll know when you read about a certain lady), censorship and the lessons in books (you'll know when you read up to the end).

I remember reading this book and what struck me wasn't the censorship (which wasn't the main point Bradbury was conveying). Spoilers below kinda of

But rather how mass media influenced individuals on a such a level that literature become a danger and was irrelevant to the populace.This really shook me completely and made me ultimately leave social media (it's been 3 years, if your curious). I'm actually surprised, how many people who read this book, don't make the connection on how social media has made such subtle and drastic change to an individual such as their attention span. 
In fact research is now showing this correlation in lots of research literature now. So essentially, read good books because your going to get "superpowers" compared to everyone else in the near future.

[Phoenix11]

Hello guys!

I found the book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens' really engaging and worth it as it taught me a lot of lessons in life ans especially how to react to unusual situations.
I learnt about being proactive and reactive which really shaped my thinking about how I should act in situations where I just let loose like a cannonball with no control at all.
It includes real short stories of how teens reacted to different  situations or just their experiences.
By the way, the author's writing in the book is as if he is talking to you so no formalities or whatsoever.
 

[vox nihili]

I'm reading Aussie, Aussie, Aussie-Ben Pobjie at the moment. It is basically a series of short biographies of people who have been influential in Australia's history. Ben's hilariously funny though, so although you learn a thing or two along the way, the book itself is just hilarious.

He wrote an article for the ABC that is effectively a taster for the book: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-12/australians-we-shouldnt-have-forgotten/8798072

[elysepopplewell]

I'm reading Aussie, Aussie, Aussie-Ben Pobjie at the moment. It is basically a series of short biographies of people who have been influential in Australia's history. Ben's hilariously funny though, so although you learn a thing or two along the way, the book itself is just hilarious.

He wrote an article for the ABC that is effectively a taster for the book: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-12/australians-we-shouldnt-have-forgotten/8798072

This looks great! How did you come across it? Through the article?

[heids]

I finally read The Fault in our Stars, my first John Green.  So my type of book, and fair to say I'll be reading all the John Green I can get my hands on haha. 

Knew it was my style from the moment of the "existentially fraught free throws" - can relate so much.  An existential, funny and positive tearjerker (if all those can exist at once).

[K888]

I finally read The Fault in our Stars, my first John Green.  So my type of book, and fair to say I'll be reading all the John Green I can get my hands on haha. 

Knew it was my style from the moment of the "existentially fraught free throws" - can relate so much.  An existential, funny and positive tearjerker (if all those can exist at once).

You need to read Looking For Alaska next!
Been a while since I read John Green's stuff, but reckon I thought Looking For Alaska was better than TFIOS.

[katie,rinos]

I finally read The Fault in our Stars, my first John Green.  So my type of book, and fair to say I'll be reading all the John Green I can get my hands on haha. 

Knew it was my style from the moment of the "existentially fraught free throws" - can relate so much.  An existential, funny and positive tearjerker (if all those can exist at once).

I read all of John Greens books and was obsessed with Fault in our Stars in year 9. I'm really excited for his next book, Turtles all the way down, which comes out in October. He reads the first chapter of it here .

I would also recommend reading Looking for Alaska! It was one of my favourites of his.

[vox nihili]

This looks great! How did you come across it? Through the article?

Through another article of his I think. I've read his stuff on the drum (RIP) for years, so was pretty excited to see he'd published a book on a topic that interests me.

Other good reads are Girt and True Girt by David Hunt. They effectively work through Australia's early colonial history and some of the crazy shit that went down. Both are outrageously funny.

Funnily enough, Ben Pobjie and David Hunt actually make the same joke about 7/11 in their books. They talked about how early land owners started to import workers from overseas and paid them fuck all, a model now championed by 7/11.

[sweetiepi]

I would also recommend reading Looking for Alaska! It was one of my favourites of his.

Looking for Alaska is amazing! It was actually the first John Green book I've read!

For those who like love John Green- I really love (and recommend) Rainbow Rowell's books, in particular Eleanor & Park and Fangirl.

[zofromuxo]

+1 on Looking for Alaska.
I read it after Paper Towns, also by John Green and couldn’t notice the similarities between them.