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Just finished Us by David Nicholls. Enjoyed it (much more than One Day) but was surprised it caught the attention of the Booker judges as it is not especially clever or sophisticated. It is very human, and humorous though.

Derek, it's more of a ghost story but don't let me put you off. I haven't read any Henry James since my 20's, so probably have less patience now. I do hope you enjoy it. x

Just read Bellman & Black which I enjoyed very much. It's a sort of family saga set in Victorian England with a supernatural element. Has anyone else read it? It's quite difficult to talk about it without spoilers.

Joy, I read this a few months ago and liked it too. Her descriptions of the Industrial Revolution and the business of mourning was interesting.

I think The Thirteenth Tale was a more popular book by this author, but I haven't read it yet.

Sandy wrote: "Joy, I read this a few months ago and liked it too. Her descriptions of the Industrial Revolution and the business of mourning was interesting."


Yes I thought it had a very strong sense of time and place and I found it compelling simply as the story of one man's life. The supernatural or psychological aspects have made me ponder the story further. (view spoiler)[ I think that because William doesn't call out to make the crow fly off and thus prevent its death and also doesn't acknowledge his grief and regret at what he has done, he then becomes unable to grieve properly when people he loves die.
However I'm still a bit puzzled as it seemed to me that Will did bargain with Black/the rook for Dora' s life, but I'm not sure what the bargain was. I know William thought his side of the bargain was to start the mourning business, but at the end Black/the rook says he intended Will to remember. But Will doesn't until the very end. So did the rook save Dora and if so why? (hide spoiler)]

I've read The Thirteenth Tale and liked it.

Lisa wrote: "Just finished Us by David Nicholls. Enjoyed it (much more than One Day) but was surprised it caught the attention of the Booker judges as it is not especially clever or sophisticated. It is very hu..."
Have to look out for this one....enjoyed all of David Nicholls previous books, especially Starter for 10. Thanks for reminding me he had a more recent book out!

Finished the short story collection Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros last night. I thought it was well written and offered a different perspective on things. Cisneros is a Hispanic author and poet and her stories feature Hispanic women from both sides of the border. "Feminist" was used quite often in reviews I've read of her work and all of her stories are female centric to some extent with strong female characters, but her stories really cover a lot of different themes and there is a variety of tones and styles to them. "Barbie-Q", where two young girls find a treasure trove of slightly fire damaged Barbie dolls for sale at a local flea market is nostalgic and a little whimsical. The title story, however, describes a woman leaving an abusive relationship and is more serious and , I guess, "feminist". Cisneros is also a poet and many of her passages are lyrical, poetic, and beautifully written:

"Salvador with eyes the color of caterpillar, Salvador of the crooked hair and crooked teeth, Salvador whose name the teacher cannot remember, is a boy who is no one’s friend, runs along somewhere in that vague direction where homes are the color of bad weather, lives behind a raw wood doorway, shakes the sleepy brothers awake, ties their shoes, combs their hair with water, feeds them milk and cornflakes from a tin cup in the dim dark of the morning.

Salvador inside that wrinkled shirt, inside the throat that must clear itself and apologize each time it speaks, inside that forty-pound body of boy with its geography of scars, its history of hurt, limbs stuffed with feathers and rags, in what part of the eyes, in what part of the heart, in that cage of the chest where something throbs with both fists and knows only what Salvador knows, inside that body too small to contain the hundred balloons of happiness, the single guitar of grief, is a boy like any other disappearing out the door, beside the schoolyard gate, where he has told his brothers they must wait"

I'm definitely going to read some of her other works.

I finished reading Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, a book about a girl in high school who commits suicide. Emotional little book. 4 stars from me.

Just finished Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell. A great crime novel that can best be described as "backwoods noir". It has a relatively simple plot, but Woodrell makes it almost Shakespearean as it unfolds and the novel is filled with wonderfully written dialogue that feels true to life. He has the cadences and vernacular of rural speech down so well that you feel like you're reading a transcript of actual conversations. His characterizations are well done and he's created a great heroine in Ree Dolly, the 16 year old protagonist of the story. The backwoods and people of the Ozarks are well described and it almost becomes a sociology study as a light is shined on that close knit, poverty ridden, almost tribal society.

I finished reading Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. Gave it 3 stars. It was a pretty average read and definitely nothing to write home about. I think I was maybe expecting too much for some reason. It sounded a lot better than it actually was.

Finished Batman: Year One for my graphic novel choice for the full deck. Never tried reading a graphic novel and found it quite tricky to read as I kept skipping ahead to other picture scenes rather than following them in the right order. I found it a very frustrating way to read and would be hesitant to try again.
Also A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow and A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold for the free choice section. About 100 pages from finishing A Feast for Crows also. I've had a real glut of GOT indulgence and loved it. Can't stop, won't stop.

I read a judge dredd one, and it was ok. The Sandman series have been much better though. Must get back to GoT...

Read The Poor Clare- very different from Elizabeth Gaskell' s usual fare. It's very short, a novella really and is a gothic tale, with a real malignant spirit called up by a curse. Not brilliant, a bit unevenly paced, but good in parts and interesting if you've read Cranford by way of contrast.

Finished The Bone Season a couple of days ago. Not bad for a debut author. Review here

I recently read one of the most enjoyable and interesting biographies it has ever been my privilege to encounter: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - 4★s.

Here is my review:

/review/show...

Sally wrote: "I recently read one of the most enjoyable and interesting biographies it has ever been my privilege to encounter: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - 4★s.

Here is my r..."

Wow, Sally, that is some review for some book, scouting Kindle store now :)

Finished A Clockwork Orange this morning. It is a book that I have been meaning to read for ages now. Shocking in parts, it also carries a message that is crystal clear. Review here

The Vampyre; a Tale, it was interesting to read where it all started.

I wonder though how much I would understand of that slang in A Clockwork Orange. At least "drug" is a familiar word from Russian. The movie is probably the only one I have ever had trouble watching, I was maybe 15 at the time. I remember refusing when we had to pick a book to read for school a couple of years later. My friend suggested it from the list but I didn't want it. We chose All Quiet on the Western Front instead.

Debbie wrote: "Sally wrote: "I recently read one of the most enjoyable and interesting biographies it has ever been my privilege to encounter: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - 4★s...."

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :-)

Finished The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. I really liked it. As a thriller it's right up my street. Sort of understated with no police involvement. I don't know if that makes sense to anybody else..lol

All quiet on the western front is one of the best books I have ever read. It was a book club read and none of us had read it - even though we all read a lot. Everyone was amazed at how marvellous it was.

Maybe I was too young or something but I don't really have any memories about it. I mean I think I thought it was good but that's it. Or maybe I was just too familiar (as much as a teenage girl can be) with a trench warfare and the rest so there wasn't that much new to me. And veterans in general tend to be very anti-war, especially on the losing side, so it doesn't really matter which war's soldiers you listen to.

I think we had all watched the film so many times and didn't really think about the book. Also we were surprised which nationality the people were. I won't go any further in case it spoils it for those who haven't read it. Another book, simply written, with a good story that is well told. That is why it stands out. It prob took a lot of effort to make such an easy to read book. Thanks for reminding me of it Tytti

Their nationality is a spoiler? I would think it was obvious from the title...

That's a book I keep meaning to read Pat. Tytti, as there were many nationalities in the first world war, the book could be written from the perspective of any one of them really.

Ah and also... I have just finished reading The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil as the graphic novel for the full deck challenge, but what is significant about it, for me anyway, is that it was a library book, because I joined a library! Yay!

Yeah, I know, there were Finns on both sides of the Eastern front. My point was that only Germany really had a Western Front, Russia just had a front, also the original title is in German. Sure, it could have been someone from the Austro-Hungarian Empire but I think they were mainly elsewhere... But yeah, "All quiet on the Western Front" (or actually "Nothing new in the West") makes really only sense if it's said by a German or someone on the side of the German Empire.

Yes, I get what you mean about the title of the book, although someone who reads in English might pick up a copy and not know it was originally written in German. But although the Germans opened up the Western front, the allies fighting along it also called it the western front, so that was a lot of nationalities fighting there in the trenches. I keep forgetting there were over a million Indians fighting in the war, many in the trenches along the western front. Not that the authors name sounds Indian, but it doesn't sound particularly German either, so you get what I mean!

Pat wrote: "All quiet on the western front is one of the best books I have ever read. It was a book club read and none of us had read it - even though we all read a lot. Everyone was amazed at how marvellous i..."

That has been on my TBR list forever. Now in the Full deck challenge to make me finally get around to it.

Finished The Moor: Lives, Landscape, Literature yesterday. Well written book on these British landscapes and how they have influenced culture and legend. Review here

Well I finished reading The Bees by Laline Paull and I can't see what any of the hype/fuss was about. I'm glad I read it if only to satisfy my curiosity about it. I found it to be quite repetitive and boring in places. I thought it was going to be alot darker and.. I don't know, just a lot more compelling. I'm not sure what Emma Donoghue found in it to describe it as "heart pounding" but I guess everybody's reading experience is different.

On the whole I found it all a bit meh..

I just finished The House of Sand and Fog. The author did a great job showing the perspective of the main characters. Even though I didn't particularly like them, I could empathize with them. What great writing!

I think you are all right about the western front, of course. Our book group (who are well read but none had read it before) were equally surprised. We are ordinary folks who maybe should know better. Interestingly we are all of an age when our parents were in the 2nd world war. Maybe none of us were taught well at school (or weren't listening. Haha)

Just finished A Single Man....a thought provoking account of one day in a man's life, looking at how he deals with ageing, loss and dealing with the here & now. Really recommend it.

Also read Darth Vader and Son...hilarious wee book that is perfect if you are a Star Wars fan and have a toddler about your feet :D

I finished reading The Story of Before by Susan Stairs. Really liked it - gave it 4 stars. It didn't seem as if much was happening for pretty much most of the book but good grief the last 50 pages (ish) made me cry. Heartbreaking.

Good morning!

I just added 18 books from this thread alone to my TBR, which is up to 814 books. On March 5, I took advantage of a snowstorm and the closing of my workplace to finish Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson by Kenneth R. Timmerman, which I rated 4 stars out of five. This well-researched book is really a character assassination, but interesting. The only time you hear about Jesse Jackson in the news is during a white-black incident where the black is the victim. The 501-page book depicts Jackson as a greedy, racist, anti Semite.

For some comic relief, I am reading The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, for reading bingo on another group.

Jim

The Story of Before was my last read to - well written intriguing read - would recommend

I hope she writes some more Beverley, I'd definitely read another.

Jim, what's reading bingo? You don't have to find books with 'two fat ladies' or 'legs eleven' in do you? Lol.

PS. I've just added Red Joan to my TBR list after seeing you gave it 5 stars Beverley. It looks really good!

Jackie wrote: "I finished reading The Story of Before by Susan Stairs. Really liked it - gave it 4 stars. It didn't seem as if much was happening for pretty much most of the book but good grief the last 50 page..."

Got this for 99p on Kindle today, I know it will be tough reading.

Finished Dead Drop: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War's Most Dangerous Operation last night. Wasn't bad for a spy book, review here

Finished On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks. Gave it 3 stars as I enjoyed the beginning & ending but got a bit bogged down in the middle and found it a bit dull. My least favourite book of his that ive read.

Recently read The Invisible Man for the first time. About two-thirds of the way through Griffin (the invisible man) explains how he made himself invisible and I thought this was brilliant - H.G.Wells gives such a convincing rationale that you feel invisibility should be scientifically possible.
Sad to say the plot as whole however rambles rather aimlessly. But worth reading simply as one of the first true science-fiction novels.

Ooo the things I'd do if I were able to turn invisible. Most of them unprintable here!

Jackie wrote: "Ooo the things I'd do if I were able to turn invisible. Most of them unprintable here!"

I am not even going to ask Jackie!

Finished How We Got to Now: Six Innovations that Made the Modern World late last night. Fascinating book on six innovations in the modern world Review here

Wise move, Paul.

Earlier today I finished The White Tiger by Avarind Adiga. I absolutely loved it. It took me off to India and has dark humour running through it which I like.

I have just finished Under the Skin. I can't say I "like" this book because the subject is so dark. Having said that I liked how it was written, it definitely made me stop and think and I have a feeling I will be thinking about it for a while.

Jackie wrote:
Jim, what's reading bingo? You don't have to find books with 'two fat ladies' or 'legs eleven' in do you? Lol."

Similar to a Full Deck challenge, except that instead of playing with a full deck, in reading bingo you read books that fit categories represented by squares on a virtual bingo card. Categories can include the two you mentioned, of course; but some that I had were, for example, "a book of more than 500 pages"; "a funny book"; or "a book that scares you". The free space in bingo is the "free choice" in the Full Deck Challenge. You can bingo horizontally, vertically, diagonally, four corners, or full card (blackout).

Jim

Our version was the magic square last year Jackie.