That’s so cool that you bought The Secret Garden. Jason and I are going to see the musical adaptation this weekend. I have been wanting to re-read it for awhile. 💛
I've been wanting to read more H.G. Wells. I've read War of the Worlds, the Time Machine, and the Invisible Man, and enjoyed them all to varying degrees. I'll have to check out the Island of Dr Moreau sometime. I read some Bradbury more than a decade ago. I remember loving Something Wicked This Way Comes back then, and like Fahrenheit 451 when I read it in my early teens. But when I tried to read the October Country (a short story collection) more recently I quickly DNF'd it, so now I'm not sure what to do about Bradbury either.
I read The Island of Dr Moreau in high school and I don’t remember anything besides the basic premise. I really should re-read it sometime. Fahrenheit 451 is my favorite Bradbury but, I do also really like The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine. I love hearing other opinions of the books I really like. I really want to read Project Hail Mary soon. I’ve heard great things.
Dandelion Wine sounds very different, that is the one I have in paperback. I like his actual writing so I will definitely read more. I barely remember Fahrenheit 451 because I read it ages ago but definitely enjoyed it.
Hi Aaron. I also think the stories in Martian Chronicles are uneven. Several of the stories had been published earlier in the pulps. The very short, one-two page stories were written when he was putting together this “fix-up” novel. So the little one page short stories were really just meant as kind of bridges to make it seem like all of these stories really belonged together, as a kind of chronicle. I thought there were some good stories in the collection, but I didn’t think they really worked together as a whole. I did really like Fahrenheit 451 and used to teach it. I loved Something Wicked….I, too, hope to read Dandelion Wine this summer. Hope you’re doing well, Aaron! 😊
He seems very varied so I will definitely continue to read more of his stuff! SFF short story collections are very rarely good all the way through so I do expect that generally.
The puffin editions are lovely, much nicer than the ones we had as kids! I’ve never really been tempted by most H. G. Wells, though I have one called Ann Veronica which sounds very different from his famous titles. Glad you enjoyed your first one on one buddy read with Sarah, she’s great to read with and Boudicca does sound rather good. As for E.F Benson, I only know about him because Shawn loves the Mapp and Lucia books and has talked about them before.
@@josmith5992 Yes when I checked my Goodreads Shawn was the only person I know who had reviewed it, which helped me buy it because my workmates had just hated Cranford so I didn't trust their judgement all that much 😂 I still want to do a buddy read with you and Sarah of Elizabeth Jane Howard, but after Boudica, I think one buddy read at a time is my limit.
Great T shirt! Project Hail Mary is such a good read... did I hear it's going to be a film at some stage or did I dream that? I've read several Mapp & Lucia books and enjoyed them but I actually prefer his ghost stories which really are excellent, so beautifully written. I forgot to mention that my Jane Austen read for JAJ is Lucy Worsley's non-fiction about Austen's various homes. Good so far.
It is going to be a film with Ryan Gosling, I think it will be good because they did a great job with The Martian. I definite need to get some more E.F.Benson then! I've never read Worlsey, I like her when she is on tv though.
I really enjoyed the earlier BBC television series with Geraldine McEwen and Prunella Scales, so I picked up a DVD version. I've bought the Mapp & Lucia series on Kindle but have yet to read it.
In my head Mapp was Patricia Routledge, she is very Hyacinth Bucket. Geraldine McEwan sounds perfect for Lucia. I've heard this one is the best but they all sound great!
@@AaronReadABook Oh, yes! Patricia Routledge would have been great for Mapp:) But I think she was already doing something else at the time. I've seen the newer one with Chancellor and Richardson, both of whom I like, but it just seems to be missing "something" that made the first series so good. The second one seemed to be "objective" rather than presenting the characters as believable.
I read Bradbury’s _Something Wicked This Way Comes_. I can’t say I *liked* it, but I did find it very thought provoking. It was one of those books you turn over and over in your mind and find deeper levels of meaning each time.
Yay for Boudica 👏🏻 good review. Looking forward to dreaming the bull. I loved the secret garden. I re-read it as an adult a year or two ago and want to read it with the kids, but they were in fits of giggles that there's a character called Dickon when I read them the blurb 😂🙈 I've always wanted to read Dandelion Wine. The Martian was one of my first forays into sci-fi and I really loved it, as you say, such a page turner!
I have to admit when my friend told me she had a childhood crush on someone called Dickon I did make some inappropriate jokes. One of my friends is an English teacher and he told me he hates SciFi apart from Andy Weir, he definitely has a knack for writing fun books.
Thank you for putting EF Benson on my radar... never heard of the series and your discussion certainly sparked my interest. I had similar experiences with Martian Chronicles (it's why I want to re-read)...I finished the book a bit disappointed and confused like I missed something. I am excited for you to read Dandelion Wine. (It's my favorite)...but I don't know...I can see how Bradbury might not be everyone's cup of tea. My next Bradbury might be Something Wicked This Way Comes. I would like to read The Island of Dr. Moreau but I may need a motivation boost.
I hadn't either! My workmates have given me a couple of other books to look into too. I think Bradbury looks quite varied. With H.G. Wells I would go with War of The Worlds first, they are very short easy reads! The first time I read him I read 4 in two days.
I love The Martian Chronicles. The thing is, it's not really about Mars, it's about the Cold War and Manifest Destiny with Martian colonization as a stand-in - a rather mid-20th century American perspective. Much more contemplative than plotty.
He's one of those authors who seem to be massive outside their genre, loads of people read him who aren't SFF readers so I do think he is overhyped. But I do find him fun, kinda trashy fun.
That edition of the secret garden is lovely 😍 Love a robin! Intrigued by EF Benson too. Sounds like a bit of me
There was so many lovely editions of it I was struggling to pick.
Wide range of books there Aaron. Best wishes and happy reading.
What a great selection of books. I really must read The Island of Doctor Moreau. Love The Secret Garden and Little Women. Fab wrap up 😊
In a way I think knowing more science hinders us, I love the bonkers stuff H.G. Wells came up with.
EF Benson! Would definitely recommend the ghost stories. Visited his house in May, and did a whole video on him and his overachieving family.
Interesting, I'll check that out! Its so odd to me that he wrote these two genres that are so different.
That’s so cool that you bought The Secret Garden. Jason and I are going to see the musical adaptation this weekend. I have been wanting to re-read it for awhile. 💛
There is a musical of everything these days haha, let me know how it is!
I've been wanting to read more H.G. Wells. I've read War of the Worlds, the Time Machine, and the Invisible Man, and enjoyed them all to varying degrees. I'll have to check out the Island of Dr Moreau sometime.
I read some Bradbury more than a decade ago. I remember loving Something Wicked This Way Comes back then, and like Fahrenheit 451 when I read it in my early teens. But when I tried to read the October Country (a short story collection) more recently I quickly DNF'd it, so now I'm not sure what to do about Bradbury either.
His books all sound very different, and he definitely writes well so I guess it may vary.
I read The Island of Dr Moreau in high school and I don’t remember anything besides the basic premise. I really should re-read it sometime.
Fahrenheit 451 is my favorite Bradbury but, I do also really like The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine. I love hearing other opinions of the books I really like.
I really want to read Project Hail Mary soon. I’ve heard great things.
Dandelion Wine sounds very different, that is the one I have in paperback. I like his actual writing so I will definitely read more. I barely remember Fahrenheit 451 because I read it ages ago but definitely enjoyed it.
Hi Aaron. I also think the stories in Martian Chronicles are uneven. Several of the stories had been published earlier in the pulps. The very short, one-two page stories were written when he was putting together this “fix-up” novel. So the little one page short stories were really just meant as kind of bridges to make it seem like all of these stories really belonged together, as a kind of chronicle. I thought there were some good stories in the collection, but I didn’t think they really worked together as a whole. I did really like Fahrenheit 451 and used to teach it. I loved Something Wicked….I, too, hope to read Dandelion Wine this summer. Hope you’re doing well, Aaron! 😊
He seems very varied so I will definitely continue to read more of his stuff! SFF short story collections are very rarely good all the way through so I do expect that generally.
@@AaronReadABook yes, exactly!
The puffin editions are lovely, much nicer than the ones we had as kids! I’ve never really been tempted by most H. G. Wells, though I have one called Ann Veronica which sounds very different from his famous titles. Glad you enjoyed your first one on one buddy read with Sarah, she’s great to read with and Boudicca does sound rather good. As for E.F Benson, I only know about him because Shawn loves the Mapp and Lucia books and has talked about them before.
@@josmith5992 Yes when I checked my Goodreads Shawn was the only person I know who had reviewed it, which helped me buy it because my workmates had just hated Cranford so I didn't trust their judgement all that much 😂 I still want to do a buddy read with you and Sarah of Elizabeth Jane Howard, but after Boudica, I think one buddy read at a time is my limit.
Hi Aaron. I've heard that Mapp and Lucia is a good book but not thought to read it...until now.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes Barbara Pym or P.G. Wodehouse, or village comedies generally I guess. It was a real pleasant surprise.
Great T shirt! Project Hail Mary is such a good read... did I hear it's going to be a film at some stage or did I dream that? I've read several Mapp & Lucia books and enjoyed them but I actually prefer his ghost stories which really are excellent, so beautifully written. I forgot to mention that my Jane Austen read for JAJ is Lucy Worsley's non-fiction about Austen's various homes. Good so far.
It is going to be a film with Ryan Gosling, I think it will be good because they did a great job with The Martian. I definite need to get some more E.F.Benson then! I've never read Worlsey, I like her when she is on tv though.
I really enjoyed the earlier BBC television series with Geraldine McEwen and Prunella Scales, so I picked up a DVD version. I've bought the Mapp & Lucia series on Kindle but have yet to read it.
In my head Mapp was Patricia Routledge, she is very Hyacinth Bucket. Geraldine McEwan sounds perfect for Lucia. I've heard this one is the best but they all sound great!
@@AaronReadABook Oh, yes! Patricia Routledge would have been great for Mapp:) But I think she was already doing something else at the time. I've seen the newer one with Chancellor and Richardson, both of whom I like, but it just seems to be missing "something" that made the first series so good. The second one seemed to be "objective" rather than presenting the characters as believable.
I really enjoyed Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes of Bradbury’s - give one of those a try
I also like Project Hail Mary -fun read
Those are the other two I have so that's good. I do want to explore more because he is beloved on booktube.
I read Bradbury’s _Something Wicked This Way Comes_. I can’t say I *liked* it, but I did find it very thought provoking. It was one of those books you turn over and over in your mind and find deeper levels of meaning each time.
Yes that is partially how I felt about this too, though I've heard this is his least serious book. I do have that one on kindle too.
Yay for Boudica 👏🏻 good review. Looking forward to dreaming the bull.
I loved the secret garden. I re-read it as an adult a year or two ago and want to read it with the kids, but they were in fits of giggles that there's a character called Dickon when I read them the blurb 😂🙈
I've always wanted to read Dandelion Wine.
The Martian was one of my first forays into sci-fi and I really loved it, as you say, such a page turner!
I have to admit when my friend told me she had a childhood crush on someone called Dickon I did make some inappropriate jokes. One of my friends is an English teacher and he told me he hates SciFi apart from Andy Weir, he definitely has a knack for writing fun books.
Thank you for putting EF Benson on my radar... never heard of the series and your discussion certainly sparked my interest. I had similar experiences with Martian Chronicles (it's why I want to re-read)...I finished the book a bit disappointed and confused like I missed something. I am excited for you to read Dandelion Wine. (It's my favorite)...but I don't know...I can see how Bradbury might not be everyone's cup of tea. My next Bradbury might be Something Wicked This Way Comes. I would like to read The Island of Dr. Moreau but I may need a motivation boost.
I hadn't either! My workmates have given me a couple of other books to look into too. I think Bradbury looks quite varied. With H.G. Wells I would go with War of The Worlds first, they are very short easy reads! The first time I read him I read 4 in two days.
I love The Martian Chronicles. The thing is, it's not really about Mars, it's about the Cold War and Manifest Destiny with Martian colonization as a stand-in - a rather mid-20th century American perspective. Much more contemplative than plotty.
@@erinh7450 Yeah I usually love that sort of SF, 60s and 70s is my favourite but I just get on better with longer form generally I think.
I read Project Hail Mary and found it overhyped...It has its moments but I gave ut 2 stars.
He's one of those authors who seem to be massive outside their genre, loads of people read him who aren't SFF readers so I do think he is overhyped. But I do find him fun, kinda trashy fun.