Friday Memes and 'Invisible Cities'

This week I have been trying to focus on work and university work but I've still managed to get some reading and blogging in though so yaay me. I also have a question, one which I feel like I should bold! I want to potentially host a giveaway of sorts for people in the UK, where I put up a list of books and if you want one you comment and I'll put it aside for you. Does this sound good? Anyone be up for that? I realize a lot of you are from the US or elsewhere, but I simply can't afford to send books all over the world :( Let me know what you think!


Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. This week's question was suggested by Journey Through Fiction:

Here's €/£/$ 100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose, and why?

This is a torturous question since I don't have £100,000. What I probably would do was put aside some money for my Masters, my PhD and my sister's Bachelor degree. That would be a sensible thing to do and definitely would have some money left afterwards. If I got it NOW I might try to buy a ticket to the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, since they released a new teaser trailer yesterday and I basically need to be there. After that I might save some money to later invest into a house that has a library space!


Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This week's question was suggested by Elizabeth over at Silver's Reviews:

Ending a book I loved is sad and beginning a new one is apprehensive for me. What about you?

Aaah, I definitely recognize this apprehension Elizabeth! I recently finished The Awakening by Kate Chopin and it really gripped me. When I actually read the last page and put it to the side I wasn't quite sure what to pick up next and how to get into it if my mind was still buzzing with The Awakening. Usually when this happens to me I simply have to "tough it out" for a few pages, by which I mean that I simply have to start reading the next book and wait until it grips me. Usually it does happen after maybe the first chapter, but what also helps is to maybe take some time off reading if a book has really shook you.

Invisible CitiesThis week I'm using a book which I've borrowed from my step-mom (thanks!) which I have been wanting to read for ages! This book is Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities!
“Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.” — from Invisible Cities
In a garden sit the aged Kublai Khan and the young Marco Polo — Mongol emperor and Venetian traveler. Kublai Khan has sensed the end of his empire coming soon. Marco Polo diverts his host with stories of the cities he has seen in his travels around the empire: cities and memory, cities and desire, cities and designs, cities and the dead, cities and the sky, trading cities, hidden cities. As Marco Polo unspools his tales, the emperor detects these fantastic places are more than they appear.
Book Beginnings and Friday 56 are hosted by Gilion over at Rose City Reader and Freda over at Freda's Voice.


BB:
'Kublai Khan does not necessarily believe everything Marco Polo says when he describes the cities visited on his expeditions, but the emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young Venetian with greater attention and curiosity than he shows any other messenger or explorer of his.' p.5 (first page)
I love the frame story of Kublai Khan, I think he is a really interesting figure and who doesn't love Marco Polo? Calvino's writing is beautifully descriptive and imaginative. I can always "see" what he is trying to say!


F56:
'When he enters the territory of which Eutropia is the capital, the traveler sees not one city but many, of equal size and not unlike one another, scattered over a vast, rolling plateau.' p.56
I love the whole idea of this novel, a collection of travel stories which show us how humanity works. Besides that, it is simply stunning prose and wickedly funny and sharp at times.

So, what would you do with £100,000? And can you pick up a new book straight after really loving one?

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and maybe check out a post I just wrote about translation!

Comments

  1. Invisible cities... just the notion is incredible and wonderful!
    Sounds like a highly entertaining read!
    I added you to the Linky, happy weekend!

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    1. I know, it's a great title! Thanks for commenting and adding me to the linky!
      Juli

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  2. Oohh...A house with library space sounds like a good investment. I just bought a house a few months ago and I have a bit of a library, but it's just one room of the finished attic really.

    Old follower!
    My FF!

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    1. One room is a great start to a library! It must be an amazing room if its filled with all of your books :)
      Thanks for commenting!
      Juli

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  3. I've only recently heard of Italo Calvino and what I've heard is good. Your thoughts on his writing style?
    My Friday quotes

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    1. Calvino's writing style is a bit of a wonder at times. He paints amazing pictures with words but sometimes he's also rather complicated. One of his books 'If On a Winter's Night a Traveller' is an example of that. Incredibly interesting but incredibly strange at the same time! Definitely give him a try if you have the time ;) Thanks for commenting!
      Juli

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  4. Do check out my FF: http://bookstopcorner.blogspot.in/2015/04/feature-follow-9-checking-off-my-bucket.html

    Old Follower

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  5. I eventually would like to have my own library too! I think I need to tackle getting my own flat or houservices first though.
    Thanks for visiting.
    Old follower!
    Lauren @ My Expanding Bookshelf

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    1. Yeah, I should probably also focus on leaving student-type accommodation rather than jump straight to 'let's buy a castle and start a library'! Thanks for commenting :)
      Juli

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  6. I just came over from the Coffee-Addicted Writer Blog Hop, and oh am I glad I did because I think maybe we like some of the same books.

    Thoughts:

    Italo Calvino is SO amazing. Have you ever read any of his others? I particularly loved If on a winter's night a traveler, though it was sometimes a challenging read.

    I don't remember feeling particularly affected by The Awakening. But it tends to be rather hard for books to really get under my skin emotionally. And I read that for a class, which tended to make it more of a rational analysis read and less of a lost in a book emotional read.

    What is the book in your background? Noticed it was in German and had to ask. Goethe fan? That would be my first (and I suppose rather obvious) guess.

    Ok, enough rambling. I answered the hop question here if you are interested: http://www.bookpunks.com/finish-the-best-book-youve-ever-read-and-despair/

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    1. I am currently reading 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveler' as well and I absolutely loved it although it's definitely challenging as well! I think 'The Awakening' hit me because I read it all at once during a train journey so I got really involved in the main character's journey!

      The picture in the background is a staple one from Blogger, unfortunately, but my guess was also Goethe! I have only read parts of Goethe's work and am not entirely sure whether I could be classed as a fan!
      Thanks for commenting :)
      Juli

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    2. HA, what a coincidence that you are read If on a winter's night right now. What an interesting structure. It was the jolt of having to get into so many stories that I found hard, but so so worth it.

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  7. Oh nice! definitely like the idea about saving for a house with a library! I'd need to do that too!

    My answer remains true for the most part, but I think after I paid off my bills and such, I'd give the rest to my mom and sister so they could pay off their bills. It would create a stress free life for us. At least for awhile! But the vacation would be nice too!

    Here's my Follow Friday

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. I think being able to have a stress free life at least for a little bit is one of the best things you can gift yourself and your family, so I totally see where you're coming from! A library would be essential to my happiness in life though ;)
      Thanks for commenting!
      Juli

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  8. First, thank you for visiting my blog! Yes, sometimes fish do need to be thrown. ;-) Second, your giveaway idea sounds wonderful. I'm only sorry I can't offer many giveaways to the UK. (I'm in US). Third, I'm not sure what the exchange rate is, but I'd spend some on books, pay off bills, and if any way left, well, heck, I'd spend it on books! Fouth, I haven't heard of this book, but I did enjoy the way his words flow. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Aah thanks for the giveaway feedback! I've never done one and am slightly nervous about it! Books and bills are great things to use extra money for :D Definitely give Calvino a try if you have the time! Thanks for commenting :)
      Juli

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  9. Love the descriptions...they carry me away in my imagination. Thanks for sharing...and enjoy. And thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Those do sound interesting and if I had that kind of money I would get a new car and a house.

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  11. I think no matter where you're from, there is always an interest in traveling. If I had that kind of money, beside buying books, I'd go to all the places I haven't visited.

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  12. It's been years since I tried reading Calvino. At that time, I couldn't get into his writing but it might be worth trying him again.

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  13. It usually take me a day or two to start a new book when my previous read shook me. Your book beginning sounds interesting BTW :)

    BookBeginning@EverythingNyze
    BookBloggerHop@EverythingNyze

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  14. Oh, good plan with the feature and follow money. I'd love to do a master's and a PhD, but it's definitely not going to be possible on my current wage. Bleh.
    New bloglovin follower :)
    Beth x
    www.thequietpeople.com

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  15. The title Invisible Cities opens my mind to all kinds of wonderous things and the writing is enchanting too.
    My 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/04/17/the-friday-56-58-terror-never-sleeps-by-richard-blomberg/

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  16. Is it terrible for me to say that $100,000.00 isn’t even a lot of money to even begin to pay with? Gah! I’m so ungrateful! That, or it’s because I live and California and everything is incredibly expensive. Still, I would totally pay-off any scholarly debt too, and save the rest!

    The Awakening sounds intriguing, the title alone for that matter. I share the same sentiments as you too; I have to push through a new book until it grips me, and I like the idea of traveling through varies cities in a prose. Great post!

    Wishing you a lovely weekend Juli!

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  17. Great picks love the description of the cities I can just image how beautiful those cities are. Thanks for stopping by my blog and have a great weekend! :)

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  18. Great answer. I just finished a book that is going to be difficult to forget the characters, but I am going to move on. :)

    Thanks for sharing. ENJOY the rest of your weekend.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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  19. Sounds like an intriguing read. I have If on a Winter's Night a Traveler on my e-reader, and admit to downloading it because I found the title so unusual.

    Thanks for visiting my post last Friday. Sorry for the delayed response. I tried to reply on my iPad and it didn't work, so I had to work out my laptop issues over the weekend.

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  20. Thank God for book club selections. They help me move onto a new read after this happens to me. It's just hard to move on! But we must. Because the TBR pile must be read. Great post answer.

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