Thursday 30 April 2015

Knižný úlovok / Book Haul: 04/2015

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Môj aprílový knižný úlovok sa celkom neplánovane zmenil na úlovok plný kníh od Jane Austenovej, ako aj úlovok zľavnených a použitých kníh. Ale poďme na to pekne postupne.
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My April book haul turned quite unexpectedly into a haul full of books by Jane Austen, as well as into haul of discount and used books. But let's describe it step by step.



Na stránke The Book Depository ma najprv zlákali zľavy na milé a praktické flipback vydania kníh Persuasion a Sense and Sensibility. Verte či nie, tieto malé knižočky skutočne obsahujú úplné diela. Všetky flipback vydania najznámejších diel od Jane Austenovej na The Book Depository nájdete tu. Zľavy sa opakujú priebežne, stačí len možno častejšie kliknúť na tento link ;)
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First, I was attracted by discounts on The Book Depository on cute and handy flipback edition of Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility. Believe or not, these tiny booklets really do comprise the entire works. You can find all flipbacks edition of the well known works by Jane Austen on The Book Depository here. The discounts use to recur, so maybe it will do if you just check the link more often ;)



V obchode so zľavnenými knihami ma oslovili prerozprávania kníh Jane Austenovej: Pýcha a predsudok a Rozum a cit, určené deťom. Romány prerozprávané Gill Tavnerovou a preložené do slovenčiny, ilustrované Ann Kronheimerovou, sú naozaj nádherným prostriedkom ako priblížiť diela Jane Austenovej aj najmenším.
K tomu, čo som mala už vopred v pláne si tento mesiac kúpiť, patrí kniha The Pearl (Perla) od Johna Steinbecka a novinka The Gracekeepers od Kirsty Logan (sama by som bola zvedavá na preklad názvu tejto knihy do slovenčiny, keďže v príbehu z postapokaliptického sveta zaplaveného vodou, sa takto nazývajú ľudia, ktorým bola pridelená úloha pochovávať mŕtvych pod vodou a ich miesto posledného odpočinku označiť klietkou so špeciálnym druhom vtákov, zvaným Grace). Knihu The Gracekeepers som našla prostredníctvom Pinterestu, kde ma v prvom momente zaujala predovšetkým krásna ilustrácia na obale, ktorá je dielom ilustrátorky menom Felicita Sala. Kniha je teda ďalším dielom, ktoré spája moje rôzne záľuby: knihy a výtvarné umenie.
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Two children's retellings of books by Jane Austen captured my attention in a discount books shop: Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Novels retold by Gill Tavner, translated into Slovak and illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, are indeed wonderful means how to make art of Jane Austen available to children as well.
One of the purchases I planned for this month was The Pearl by John Steinbeck and newly published book The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan. I've found the last mentioned book via Pinterest, where the beautiful illustration by illustrator Felicita Sala on its cover caught my eye (and heart) at the very first sight. So the book is another piece of work linking my different interests: books and fine art.



Perlu od Johna Steinbecka som sa rozhodla prečítať na základe vynikajúceho odporúčania blogerky Rikke Moeller z dánskeho blogu Paperback Castles. Knihu som čítala v rámci Deweyinho knižného maratónu a rada by som sa k nej vrátila v samostatnej recenzii.
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I decided to read The Pearl by John Steinbeck on basis of great review by bloger Rikke Moeller from the Danish blog Paperback Castles. I read the book during the Dewey's Read-a-thon and I'd like to return to it in a separate review.

Bratislavská knižná burza, ktorá sa uskutočnila 25. apríla 2015, popri tradičnom sobotňajšom Piac-Markt trhu v Starej tržnici, priniesla do mojej knižnice hneď tri knihy, a všetky od Jane Austenovej. Dve síce už použité anglické vydania kníh Northanger Abbey (Opátstvo Northanger) a Sense and Sensibility (Rozum a cit). Knihy sú ideálne na robenie poznámok, ktorých pri dielach Jane Austenovej v pôvodnom znení určite nebude málo, ako aj na nosenie v kabelke spolu s množstvom iných prepotrebných vecí, čím budem môcť čítať kdekoľvek. Vďaka knižnej burze som sa tiež konečne stala majiteľkou prvej knihy z nádhernej slovenskej edície diel Jane Austenovej z vydavateľstva Slovart, ktorou je román Persuasion, v slovenskom preklade Láska slečny Elliotovej.
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The Bratislava Book Market that took place on 25th April 2015, next to the traditional Saturday's Piac-Markt (offering wide range of home-made products) in the Old Market Hall (in Slovak: Stará tržnica), brought to my library three books and all of them by Jane Austen. Though two English editions are already used - Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility - but they are perfect for making notes (of which I am sure won't be few), as well as for carrying in a bag together with all my other all so necessary things, so I'll be able to read whenever and wherever I'll be. Thanks to the Book Market I've finally became owner of my very first book from our wonderful Slovak edition of books by Jane Austen from the Slovart publishers. It's the novel Persuasion, with different title in Slovak, which can be literally translated as The Love of Miss Elliot.




Saturday 25 April 2015

Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon (EN)

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2:00 PM (CET) - Ready, steady, go! - Kicking off the Read-a-thon reading Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran. Probably I'll be silent for a while, immersed. Unless I couldn't wait to share my impressions till I'm done ;)

2:50 PM (CET) - Page 21 of Kahlil Gibran's Broken Wings. Starting to drink my bubble tea :)

2:58 PM (CET) - "...beauty has its own heavenly language, loftier than the voices of tongues and lips." (Kahlil Gibran - Broken Wings)

3:08 PM (CET) - Intro Meme still going? Great! Time to answer some questions:

Intro Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm reading from Slovak Republic and I'm in its capital city Bratislava, where I live and work.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I've been most looking forward to Broken Wings by Khalil Gibran which I am currently reading. But I'm looking forward to The Pearl by John Steinbeck as well.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
My favourite Bubble Tea from Bubbleology - white peach and lichee (my favourite flavours :). And I'm looking forward to taste macaroons for the first time :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
Ah... don't you have some easier question? I am bookworm. (Apparently. This answer wasn't very helpful, was it?) Talented writer (some say), creative soul, foreign language and travelling passionate.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
This is my very first read-a-thon. I'm glad to have an excuse to spend some 24 hours only me and my books ;)

Aaaaah! English keyboard on my personal laptop makes me mad!

6:15 - 6:50 PM (CET) - small reading break - my dad visiting.

7:24 PM (CET) - I've finished Broken Wings by Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer Khalil Gibran. Well. In order to understand the depth of this book, you should have at least some notion of Arabic literature and the writing style of some Arabic writers - grand, poetic, dreamy. Maybe, what most of people would not expect from an Arabic writer (man) is a praise of woman's inner and outer beauty and dignity, as well as accusation of inherited laws preventing pure love to grow, smashing happiness of two young people into pieces. But this is exactly what the book is about. I am certainly going to reread this book sometime and write a separate, more comprehensive review.


9:15 PM (CET) - time for late diner and reading break. And when I say "reading break" I mean "READING break" with my Slovak "reading break book" by one of the leading Slovak poets and lyric writers Kamil Peteraj, with illustrations by Martin Augustín.


We often mistake puddles for lakes,
Humming for breath,
Accidents for messages, unsaid for kept quiet,
Angelic rite
For diabolic comedy.

(Kamil Peteraj - passage from poem Melancholies. Translated by Daša Drapáková)

10:32 PM (CET) - I can't eat and read at the same time. However, I still try to. But I always forget I have to eat. OK, finally, I'm done with my reading break and... What should I pick now? I want something terrific. I suppose that The Pearl by John Steinbeck will fulfil this criteria. Adding also two treats for these gradually late night hours ;)


1:38 AM (CET) - I didn't plan to read all night but I'm still up reading The Pearl (I didn't expect the introduction to be so long but I wanted to read it as well, to have better notion about the book I am going to read), however not sure how long will I take. Well, actually, the book keeps me up somehow. Moreover, I am pretty slow reader but this is the way I like it.

2:00 AM (CET) - I am a fully fledged blogging newcomer! It seems like I've overlooked that I have some comments here! And maybe I wouldn't find out if I hadn't accidentally logged myself out. I think that refreshing my blogger account would do. Oh, sorry guys! I ran through your comments and you are fantastic! You just woke me up from my almost slumber.


3:00 AM (CET) -  completing the...

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?
The Pearl by John Steinbeck

2. How many books have you read so far?

Only 1, some 38 pages of another and now I'm through The Pearl.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

The one I'm reading now. But I think that Pride and Prejudice as a graphic novel by Marvel would be great.

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

No, just my dad came to visit. I am having time for myself and my books ;)

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
The time goes so fast and besides reading there is always something to do. Blogging takes time as well.

4:30 AM - 7:30 AM (CET) - Zz Zz Zz Zz
Well, yes... it came to me this morning, while slowly waking up instinctively before my alarm clock went off that reading usually helps me with 2 contradictory things: to get asleep tenderly at night (I can't get to sleep no matter how tired I am without reading at least one page) and to wake up and start to think properly in the morning (a thing was recently supported by a book compiled of a series of columns about physical principles published in one of our Slovak social weekly papers). So guess which magical effect of reading worked at 4:30 AM? ;) Yeap.
My book companions waiting patiently for me to wake up and continue the Read-a-thon :)


8:00 AM (CET) - There is something for me! :) Shelfie Mini-Challenge:
So these are my current Shelfies (my bookshelf's too tall to fit into one photo ;) so I made a collage of two.


10:48 AM (CET) - reading on The Pearl - beautiful classic novella. Reminds me of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as well as some classic works of Slovak authors.

12:04 AM (CET) - The Pearl finished. Masterful classics, so short but with so many images, messages and allegories. Thought provoking story about worthlessness and even destructiveness of precious objects. But still, a thought came to my mind how sad it is that even the poorest people are victims of a destroying destiny and deceit brought to them in form of a thing that was supposed to be their salvation. Only because of human greediness, jealousy and slyness. There's something which connects The Pearl with my previous book I read for the Readathon, the Broken Wings by Khalil Gibran - here, wings of pure young love are broken by laws of the society. Two said novellas for my April 2015 Readathon. I think it's time to cheer up for the last one and half hour :)
A Small Note: The Penguin Clothbound Classics has fantastic bookish smell... :)

12:40 AM (CET) - picking my first and only graphic retelling of Pride and Prejudice.



End of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
4:30 AM (CET) when I actually fell asleep for 3 hours.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I don't think there's something like this on my Read-a-thon's reading list (The Pearl by John Steinbeck is really beautiful but sad), well, it really depends on what genre do you prefer. I will have to consider my next Read-a-thon picks as well.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
This was my very first Read-a-thon and I was just looking around and I was really satisfied and amazed with all it's features.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Hourly updates and cheerleaders were fantastic!

5. How many books did you read?
2 whole books, 1/3 of a graphic novel and 38 pages of poetry.

6. What were the names of the books you read?
Broken Wings, The Pearl, Pride and Prejudice (Marvel Illustrated) and Toto je moja reč (book in Slovak)

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
Both Broken Wings and The Pearl were beautiful but very sad so I have mixed feelings a bit.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
None.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
N/A

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
If there is nothing which would prevent me from participating, then I am all up to it once again! :) I would be Reader for sure and I was also wondering about hosting an hourly challenge but we will see. Being a cheerleader may be great experience as well.



Thank you note:

In the end, I would like to thank the whole team around Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon for organising and administrating this great event! <3



Wednesday 22 April 2015

Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon: My Reading List (EN)

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I had only faint idea about my plans for the forthcoming weekend - 25th-26th April 2015 - until I opened the Paperback Castles blog looking forward to read the current 'Themed Tuesday' topic. And there it was: Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon.

As I later found out Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon is an international reading challenge with only few rules: read for 24 hours and share your progress and ideas using social networks or your own blog (if you do have one). You can read whatever book and wherever you like. You don't even need to read whole 24 hours but you are free to chose your own pace and schedule. You can find more about Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon here. You can still sign-up but you have to hurry to make it before April 25th!
First, I was fairly reluctant to take part. However, gradually the idea crept into my mind and I started to be really excited about it. It was like choosing a last minute holiday. I had to arrange several things pretty fast: prepare my still 'under construction' blog to be seen and also, the most important thing, to pack my reading list suitcase for 24 hours in a land of imagination. And although I packed myself very fast, I think I packed very well.
And here are the contents of my reading luggage:

On the Track:
1.) I will start with Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran, the book I've been looking forward to for a long time.





I will continue with whichever book I'll prefer from the list below:

2.) Lullabies by Lang Leav




3.) Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen: Marvel Adaptations) by Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus.

4.) The Pearl by John Steinbeck. This great book I was also looking forward to read has arrived just on time and I am so glad to be able to include it into my Read-a-thon reading list.





Reading Rest Area:
5.) My 'reading breaks' will be filled with selection of poems by one of the greatest Slovak poets and lyricists Kamil Peteraj. I love his texts and poems and this book is moreover full of masterful illustrations by Martin Augustín. Another great fusion of literary and visual arts.


Emergency (Level 2):
6.) In case of an emergency (in case I will run out of books to read before 24 hours will pass) I packed also The River by Rumer Godden.
Emergency (Level 1):
Grab something from my bookcase.

My final reading list looks like this.


Although I don't plan to stay up all night reading (this is just a first try to take part in this kind of reading challenge), I am really excited and I am looking forward to this great adventure I am going to share with other bookworms from around the world. This is going to be the very first time I will be running my own blog and posting live updates here and track my reading progress on my Goodreads profile at the same time. Yay! :)

The starting gun will go off on Saturday 25/4 at 2:00 PM in Slovakia. So wish me luck! ;)