Journal Entry 1 by Gooner from March, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Just bought this today, as part of a 3 for 2 deal in Waterstones ...

Updated:

It's going off as a bookring to:

1. Kangaroo
2. perfect-circle
3. Lady Mondegreen
4. tiggsybabes
5. torialouise
6. nyassa
7. loopy1
8. Shelbycat
9. Honeyy
10. Mastulela
11. Winterson
12. KittyNic
13. Gooner
 

Journal Entry 2 by kangaroo from Barnet, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, January 10, 2004

Arrived this morning!
Had to start reading it straightaway, and I don't know how you managed to let this one out of the house unread. You have a treat awaiting you when it gets back to Cambs, believe me.
Thank you for the lovely colourful postcard! 

Journal Entry 3 by kangaroo from Barnet, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, January 17, 2004

Superb. Thanks Chris!

Will be on its way to Newcastle on Monday morning. 

Journal Entry 4 by perfect-circle from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Friday, January 23, 2004

arrived this morning and I hope to start it later on today.

Thanks 

Journal Entry 5 by perfect-circle from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Sunday, February 08, 2004

I'd heard a fair bit about this book from others and I wasn't disappointed. The story seems to encompass the totality of life and I found myself sucked into it with ease.

A great read.

On it's way to LadyMondeGreen on Tuesday 

Journal Entry 6 by Lady-Mondegreen from Eastleigh, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, February 12, 2004

Waiting for me on the mat when I got home from work today... The other players so far seem to have read (and enjoyed) it quickly so I will do my best to keep up the good work and will start reading it this evening as have just finished another book so timing is spot on! 

Journal Entry 7 by Lady-Mondegreen from Eastleigh, Hampshire United Kingdom on Sunday, March 14, 2004

This is a real gem! I was a bit intimidated by it to start with as I was worried I wouldn't "get" GGM's style. I had heard so many good reviews that I really wanted to enjoy it but that often makes it hard for me to get into. With it’s dense style this was not a light read but well worth the extra effort for all that. From the rhythmic richness of the descriptions to the excellent, very amusing characterisations and profound psychological insights, this is an epic tale exploring love in all it's guises. 

Journal Entry 8 by Lady-Mondegreen from Eastleigh, Hampshire United Kingdom on Friday, April 02, 2004

Posted off to tiggsybabes a couple of days ago (Wednesday I think!) but forgot to journal that it was on the way.... 

Journal Entry 9 by tiggsybabes from Pontefract, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Journal Entry 10 by tiggsybabes from Pontefract, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 06, 2004

Wrapped up & ready to post to Victoria next time I go to the PO. It may not be this afternoon as I have a teething toddler who has just refused to get ready to go to the library & Post Office & I've not got the energy for a fight! 

Journal Entry 11 by torialouise from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, May 10, 2004

Receieved in the post today - will read and edit this note when done! 

Journal Entry 12 by torialouise from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, May 21, 2004

I found this a little hard to get into a first but once I got used to the style it was plain sailing. A good story - funny and insightful. Thanks for sharing xx 

Journal Entry 13 by nyassa from Deal, Kent United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Arrived today, thank you! I should be able to start reading it by the end of this week. I'm looking forward to it.


Wed 23 June

I am really glad to have had the chance to read this. It reminded me very much of some of Isabel Allende's novels. It wasn't an easy or fast read, passionate and emotional but with some very humourous passages (the piece about the soap in the shower really had me chuckling!). I was intrigued by a review I have since read that suggested that the word 'cholera' has a double meaning. El cholera = the disease, la cholera = anger which can be equated with the war which was the background to the book. 

Journal Entry 14 by loopy1 from Herne Bay, Kent United Kingdom on Friday, June 25, 2004

The book has now arrived in Kent. The only thing I know about this book is that it was the one someone wrote their telephone number in in the film Serendipity, then her wannabe boyfriend spent ages scouring all the second hand bookshops looking for that particular copy, but having read the journal entries I'm looking forward to finding out what the book itself is about :-) 

Journal Entry 15 by loopy1 from Herne Bay, Kent United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Well having read the book I now understand its choice for the film Serendipity. I didn't find the book "extremely funny" as it claims on the cover, but there was a gentle wiseness behind it that often made me smile in appreciation.

The bits about America Vicuna disturbed me somewhat, and I found myself confused by the beginning of the book - it took a while to get to the main part of the story, and I nearly lost patience with it then. But I used the 100 page rule and after 100 pages was happy to continue to find out what would happen at the end.
While not one of my favourite books, the story of it will probably stay with me for a while. Thanks for sharing this!
 

Journal Entry 16 by loopy1 from Herne Bay, Kent United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Heading off to Shelbycat today. 

Journal Entry 17 by Shelbycat from Llanelli, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, July 24, 2004

Just to say i've just received this book, and it's going to read next. 

Journal Entry 18 by Shelbycat from Llanelli, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, January 24, 2005

Hello everyone sorry to have kept this book so long. Basically i wasn't getting on with it very well and so decided to read another book, and this one gradually sank in mount TBR. Anyway, i've messaged Honeyy for their address so hopefully it will be moving again soon. 

Journal Entry 19 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Arrived safely this morning, with a lovely WBD card in an 'odd' language :). Two different types of w! My mind boggles :)) 

Journal Entry 20 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 23, 2005

One of the problems with Rings is that one feels obliged to finish the book quickly, to pass it on to the next reader. But Love in the Time of Cholera is a book to be savoured, to be read at leisure - a few pages, or even a paragraph at a time. Although an examination of all types of love, its depiction of aging and death is very moving. Marquez creates a very vivid impression of the Caribbean with its multicultural, colonial background.

Thank you Gooner. Onto Winterson next. 

Journal Entry 21 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 28, 2005

Postal Release to Winterson tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 22 by Winterson from Peacehaven, East Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Just picked this up from the post office. Yay :) I loved One Hundred Years of Solitude so am looking forward to this one.
Thanks Gooner and Mastulela :) 

Journal Entry 23 by Winterson from Peacehaven, East Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Again, apologies for taking so long with this one, but I do agree with the comment about needing to savour it, so asked for a bit longer - thanks Gooner!

I did enjoy this one, although it's not the easiest read, it is beautifully written. I really liked the style - the structure of jumping through time kept me involved and the character of Fermina was fabulous.
I can't put it better than a previous journaller's use of a 'gentle wiseness'. That is exactly what I liked so much about this book - those moments where the author seems to get right inside your head and turn on a little lightbulb.

Thanks for giving me the chance to read this!
On its way back to Gooner. 

Journal Entry 24 by Gooner from March, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Yeah! It's arrived home, and after all the journal entries, I just can't wait to read it!

Unfortunately, it'll still have to wait, as apart from 493 books on my TBR pile, I really must finish Gorky Park for a reading group meeting tomorrow evening, and then there's a load of unfinished reads that Gorky Park had to overtake ... As long as I live to be 1,000 I'll get through this lot ...

Seriously, I'm delighted that everyone enjoyed it - my anticipation of it has grown with each journal entry.

However, if anyone wishes to read it, I'd be happy to send it off to you. It's a bit dog-eared now, but very very readable. 

Journal Entry 25 by Gooner from March, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Monday, August 29, 2005

I got about a third of the way through, before events interrupted me! So it's going off to KittyNic (and then anyone else who wants it).

I hope that when it eventually returns to me, I'll have more reading time. 

Journal Entry 26 by KittyNic from Hull, East Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, September 12, 2005

Thanks to Gooner for sending this to me for my personal 'Big Read' challenge.

Only a few more books to collect before I can make a start on the reading! :-)