Book Club
Comments
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Slosh, you are more than welcome to join!! So I send a big WELCOME!! to you. As you can see the only thing I ask is that after you finish a book you review it and give it a rating out of 5. You can see how the reviews are set out. We also do a Book Of The Month that is selected by members of the club. Welcome again and I hope you enjoy the club.0
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Hi everyone, just wanted to pop my head in as I've not been around all week as I've got a stomach flu bug and it's very nasty I'm so weak because I can't eat anything. I've started reading a new book called Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberley Rae Miller It's this young ladies true account of life for her and her Mother living with her Father who has a serious hoarding addiction and how she grew up in a home crammed to the roof with no room to move. So far it's really good so look forward to my review!0
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I have finished reading Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. I was given it by a volunteer from World Book Night (www.worldbooknight.org). The book is a great read but different! It is based around the Met Police, murder and magic. The police officers are a combination of traditional coppers and wizards. It also involves gang warfare between Mother and Father Thames. Ultimately it is a murder mystery but it is fun, well written and a completely different take on the crime novel.
For those of you interested in encouraging more people to read, you might want to take a look at World Book Night. There is nearly a year to go until the next one but there may be a great event somewhere near you - something to log for the future eh!
I am now reading The Little Old Lady who Broke All the Rules. I am not too far in but I am enjoying it so far - I want to grow old like this group of pensioners!
Happy Reading everyone!0 -
I hope you are feeling better soon Bubbadog - it sounds horrid. Still if you can get a little pleasure from your current book at least there is a bit of light....0
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Tubby wrote:I hope you are feeling better soon Bubbadog - it sounds horrid. Still if you can get a little pleasure from your current book at least there is a bit of light....
Thank you Tubby, my tummy flu has merged into full blown flu! So doing my best to get past it. The warm weather has helped a little and Coming Clean: A Memoir is taking my mind off it, I'm enjoying this book! Hope everyone is having a good weekend!0 -
Well yesterday I decided to spoil myself ready for my holiday and decided to upgrade and get myself a Kindle Fire!
Well so far I'm finding it really easy to deal with. I was shocked how quickly all the books from my Kindle flew over into the Kindle Fire, literally when I turned it on for the 1st time and put my Amazon password in Boom! All my books where in the fire Amazing! All ready had a good play with it and put apps onto it. Yes I put Candy Crush Saga on to it!!
Had a little mess up, didn't push the plug properly onto the cable when I put it on charge and nearly totally knackered it! OH gave me a right grilling! What do you expect I'm a women full of flu my head is in a total mess!!
So far I think it's amazing and well worth the money!0 -
The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore
This is a ghost story, so a departure for Helen Dunmore. It is a fairly short story and broken onto little bits so easy to read when tired!! The general gist is that Isabel has married Philip not very long after WWII. They have moved into a flat where the landlady is not very welcoming to Isabel. The flat is very cold, it is winter and coal is still rationed. Philip is a new GP and is working a lot. One night Isabel is cold in bed and finds an old RAF greatcoat in a cupboard so she sleeps under that. She is woken by a knocking at the window - a man is there.....
I enjoyed it, it was a bit weird at times, but I reckon that is what you want from a ghost story! So ***/****
I hope my other books are going to arrive at the library this week. They have been showing as "in transit" for a couple of weeks now!
In "other news" I went to see my absolute favourite Prince on Friday. So good. I had such a good time. So glad I went for the op last year - it has really given me my life back!
Hope you are all as well as possible. Helen0 -
frogmella wrote:The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore
This is a ghost story, so a departure for Helen Dunmore. It is a fairly short story and broken onto little bits so easy to read when tired!! The general gist is that Isabel has married Philip not very long after WWII. They have moved into a flat where the landlady is not very welcoming to Isabel. The flat is very cold, it is winter and coal is still rationed. Philip is a new GP and is working a lot. One night Isabel is cold in bed and finds an old RAF greatcoat in a cupboard so she sleeps under that. She is woken by a knocking at the window - a man is there.....
I enjoyed it, it was a bit weird at times, but I reckon that is what you want from a ghost story! So ***/****
I hope my other books are going to arrive at the library this week. They have been showing as "in transit" for a couple of weeks now!
In "other news" I went to see my absolute favourite Prince on Friday. So good. I had such a good time. So glad I went for the op last year - it has really given me my life back!
Hope you are all as well as possible. Helen
Thank you for the review, sounds like an interesting book, one to add to my list!
I'm still OMG-ing! about Prince you will see in my PM.0 -
Okay booky members it's nearly that time again already! I need you all to put thinking caps on and start thinking of recommendations for Book Of The Month for June. Maybe something that we can read this summer, a light, happy book. Please post your suggestions. Time for that pimms and lemonade!0
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Mmmm, pimms! Although I am going through a bit of a cocktail phase so maybe a mojito? Or any nice long drink with plenty of ice cubes!
Will have a think/look at bookseller e-mails!0 -
Nothing nicer than sitting in the sun and having a nice cold drink, with the midges flying over your head!!0
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You forgot to mention the wasps....
Anyway, I have picked up, and started, The Undertaking by Audrey Magee this morning. Have just done the smallest amount of housework I can get away with so that I can get back to it! Very good so far!
So I am off to return to the garden, the midges, the wasps and my book.0 -
Due to the showers that keep sneaking up on us I have had to escape to the conservatory which to be honest is worse than the area where the garden furniture is for all sorts of winged insects! Thank goodness for Arnie & Willow! They love chasing,catching and eating the insects. They have learned to be more careful with wasps after Willow was stung, they only play with the wasps now and don't eat them.
I perused the Kindle book store this morning and there are quite a few good looking books in the sale at the moment. So check them out and post your suggestions for Book Of The Month for June If I say suggestions to be posted by the end of (Bank Holiday) Monday please.0 -
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee
I read this book in less than 36 hours so that perhaps gives a hint that it is gripping! It is the story of Peter and Katharina, two people who got married via the marriage council during WWII. They had never met and didn't even come together on their wedding day! They are German and Peter did it to get leave from the front and Katharina did it for his pension when he died. As it turns out, when they have their honeymoon they fall for each other. He has to return to the fighting and the rest of the story is mostly about their time apart. There is lots about the fighting and the conditions for the soldiers as well as the conditions in Berlin for Katharina and her family.
It is another book that has "fleshed out" my understanding of circumstances for ordinary people during WWII.
Really good ****/*****0 -
I am reading my way through the pile of books I have next to the bed. The one I am hooked on at the moment is 'Life of Pi'. I know it is a few years old but hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. it is a good short read. I have heard that the film is fantastic too. Will wait until I finish the book to watch it. Here is a brief summery: The story is about a young Indian boy who survives at sea with a tiger for 227 days. Did that catch your interest?0
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I have had a kindle for several years now- the basic original with keyboard which I have never used. My bride has just bought an ipad-mini and has
handed to me on a rest-of-your-life loan basis a kindle fire which I bought
as her birthday present last year. I now flit from one to t'other, but really what
impresses me is to see the books' covers on the kf in brilliant colour, always
remembering the bygone days of purchasing cheap paperbacks -sometimes
coverless- that it is the content that counts.0 -
Your right ichabod6, it's lovely seeing the book covers in bright colour, I'm loving my Kindle Fire and do love finding all the new tricks I didn't know it did!
Please remember guys I need some suggestions for Book Of The Month for June by Monday.0 -
How about 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson. I am hooked!0
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I am currently languishing in my caravan in a very sunny Norfolk. My OH has gone home to work and I have until Friday to do what I want! Top of my list is lots of reading so I pulled together a list for consideration..... they are:
The Shining by Stephen King - I am part way through this book and it is fantastic but set in a very cold winter, not really the atmosphere I am currently experiencing.
Skeletons by Jane Fallon - this looks very good and having read the first couple chapters I am very tempted. It is about someone with a perfect family life which I expect any minute is about to go wrong.
The Night Rainbow by Claire King - This is a fairly short read about a young girl growing up in southern France. I suspect lots of twists and turns and it exudes heat, something which may fit my mood perfectly!
The House of Blue Mangoes by David Davidar - a novel which takes the reader to southern India and a family saga. This book has the most delicious cover, will it live up to its image?
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - this has been shortlisted for numerous prizes and has so many good reviews it cannot be ignored.
The Queens Gambit by Elizabeth Freemantle - recommended by the good folk of this very Book Club. Started reading this and it is rolling along quite nicely.
Decisions, decisions but I think I am going to go to Skeletons first so recommend this as Book of June (phew just made it before the end of today!)
Look forward to hearing the result......
Happy reading0 -
A Review of The Little Old Lady who Broke All the Rules by Catherina Ingleman Sundberg. This is a wonderful novel in which old age and disability actually helps our intrepid group of oldies - 'The League of Pensioners'. This group of intrepid older people have all moved into the same nursing homes together because they wanted to see their lives out together as they had all been part of a choir. The nursing home they live in though is a terrible place, more like prison. After watching a programme on TV about Open prisons they decide that they would be better off in Prison so they plan a crime which will get them to their goal. The story is a lovely triumph of older people having a great time and I loved it.
I am led to believe it is a similar style to The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared so perhaps this a good recommendation for this book too.
An excellent read which is great if you are looking for something which is a little less heavy.0 -
Thank you Tubby for all those recommendations!! I tend to agree with your No.1 choice. So Book Of The Month for June is Skeletons by Jane Fallon. I'm really looking forward to reading this and I will be reading it on a sun bed in Crete!
I hope you all will enjoy this book and look forward to reading your reviews.
I'm close to finishing Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberley Rae Miller I've really enjoyed this book.0 -
I loved The 100 year old man, I read it not long after my op last year.
Tubby - I re-read the shining not very long ago in preparation for reading Doctor Sleep, which was also good. And I seem to remember the Night Rainbow was really good too. Glad to hear you are enjoying Queen's Gambit. The follow up is out now/coming soon. Looks like I will have another to add to my list!! I remain apprehensive about the goldfinch - I loved The Secret History, read it loads of times, but couldn't even get started on her second one. It looks at me from the shelf!!
I just collected Perfect and How to be a Good wife from the library so will be getting stuck in to those now!
I think I have read some Jane Fallons before. Will add it to my list!!0 -
Hi Frogmelia
I have finished Perfect which I thought was good but it is not a cheerful read. I am currently reading The Goldfinch and I think I am enjoy it but I am still straining to see where the story is taking me. There are some great characters though which you can love, hate, question etc. I will let you know what I think when I finish (about half way through). It also sat on my 'Kindle' shelf for sometime but it had had such good reviews that I felt it necessary to give it a go as I had bought it already!
I am resisting reviewing Skeletons by Jane Fallon at the moment as I know Bubbadog is taking it on holiday and I don't want to put her off. I also want to ruminate a little further before I give a final judgement.....0 -
I would be interested in your review of the goldfinch, tubby. I read two Jane Fallons. I liked the first one but found the second a bit samey. Also interested in your views on that before I commit valuable reading time to it!!!
I have to say that How to be a Good Wife began slowly but last night it got really gripping and I had to make myself stop reading to go to sleep!! Needed a good night's sleep because I am off to see Paolo Nutini tonight.0 -
Hope you had a great night seeing Paolo Nutini last night! Lucky lady! Look forward to your review of How to Be A Good Wife
Well Ladies & Gentleman, Due to me being poorly at the moment and going off on my holidays (going to fun with the bad foot!) next week this is the last time I'll be posting. I'm leaving you in the safe hands of our Frogmella for the time I'm away. Hope you all have a good weekend and I'm off to the sun and will look forward to see what you've all been up to when I get back! Cheerio!0
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