Finished The Great Gatsby. It was interesting but I do feel a bit underwhelmed. Some interesting themes and very nice characterisation but I was expecting more from a book of this reputation.
Now onto Kafka's Amerika which is meant to be one of his lighter works. Here's hoping...
Thanks, both of those sound really good! I'm hoping to get a Kindle for my birthday (tho it's not till October) May get the second book on kindle, think it'll be easier on my wrists!
Indeed, my attempts to read it in the bath failed miserably
Very early days, but as with The Poison Tree, Kelly's style of writing has drawn me in immediately.
I see it's going to be one of those books that jumps back and forth between timeframes, something which seems to be very fashionable amongst writers at the moment. I must admit, I'm beginning to tire slightly of this method. I think I prefer starting a jigsaw puzzle from scratch rather than haphazardly slotting in the missing pieces of a partially completed picture.
Very early days, but as with The Poison Tree, Kelly's style of writing has drawn me in immediately.
I see it's going to be one of those books that jumps back and forth between timeframes, something which seems to be very fashionable amongst writers at the moment. I must admit, I'm beginning to tire slightly of this method. I think I prefer starting a jigsaw puzzle from scratch rather than haphazardly slotting in the missing pieces of a partially completed picture.
I'm just about to start this, really enjoyed The Poison Tree.
Crazy for God, by Frank Schaeffer.. very interesting because he was son of Francis Schaeffer, who was big in evangelical religious circles in 1970s ....
....... Frank points out that his father only took a fundamentalist position towards the end of his life, and before that was quite liberal! which is not the standard account as given in wikipedia above etc ......
Finished The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain and loved it.
Also finished the third book in the Maze trilogy by James Dashner, The Death Cure closest thing to the Hunger Games I've read, not quite up there but still very good.
Also finished Before The Storm by Diane Chamberlain, about a boy with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder who is adorable, who saves a lot of kids from a church fire but then finds himself under suspicion. Fantastic read!
Now going to start the sequel, Secrets She Left Behind Really enjoying Diane Chamberlains books at the moment.
Decided to hold off on Kafka for a bit (it was a second hand book and a I found a black, curly hair in the introduction, put me right off!) so I'm starting Ford Maddox Ford's The Good Soldier instead.
Oh, and ITV are making a two part drama adaptation of The Poison Tree. Shooting this summer.
Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed The Parsifal Mosaic, I am now reading Trevayne by Robert Ludlum. Very good so far but then I love Ludlum's writing style.
Decided to hold off on Kafka for a bit (it was a second hand book and a I found a black, curly hair in the introduction, put me right off!) .
Thank you, for starting my day off with a laugh!!
I'm coming to the end of Bring up the Bodies now and it's not bad, IMO, but I did feel that after a promising start it got a bit bogged down in places by the author's love of metaphorical dreams, etc.
I'll probably start on Bleak House next, by Dickens.
Absolutely agree! I've just finished The Maze Runner and really enjoyed it, am just about to start the second one.
I've also got my hands on Ashes so that's on my to read list now too.
I'm really enjoying YA fiction and yes, alot of it is better than 'grown up' books!!
Thanks for the great recommendations!
I enjoyed Ashes, although I got a bit frustrated at the way some characters just vanished part way through, and the plot seemed to do an about turn and become something else. I will read book 2 though, because I did enjoy the writing, and really liked the main character.
There are some fab YA books out there. My favourite series are:
-Alex Scarrow's Time Riders books (much better than his adult books imo. These are about ridiculous time travelling, world-saving teenagers, they're really good reads.)
-Charlie Higson's Fear/Enemy/Dead etc series set in London, where all the adults die or turn into zombies. Again, very entertaining, really good characterisation, and also very funny, in a grim kind of way. And nicely British too.
John Marsden's Tomorrow series, about some Australian teens who go camping in the bush and miss the invasion and occupation of Australia, and then become freedom fighters against the occupying army. Very readable, exciting, great characters, and very gritty plotlines too.
I agree about YA fiction in general - some of it is absolutely excellent. I tend to gravitate to the apocalyptic and sci fi types, although one of my friends writes more 'girly' style books, so I read hers too.
I'm currently reading Outpost, by Adam Baker. Not a YA novel, but an apocalyptic one set in the Arctic - rest of the world dying off from a zombie plague, you know the kind of thing. I saw it in Waterstones the other day and fancied a nice apocalypse. It's ok - entertaining enough, but not going to win any awards for depth or characterisation.
I also want to read "El Arbol Seco" by José Antonio Baños. I don't really fancy wanting to read the whole thing in Spanish but my mind keeps thinking about it.
Finished The Great Gatsby. It was interesting but I do feel a bit underwhelmed. Some interesting themes and very nice characterisation but I was expecting more from a book of this reputation.
Now onto Kafka's Amerika which is meant to be one of his lighter works. Here's hoping...
I didn't rate The Great Gatsby until I read it a second or third time (it's one of the A level texts I teach). Now I love it, it's so beautifully written. It definitely repays re-reads
I'm currently on the opposite end of the scale and reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult which I'm sure won't repay a re-read
I'm reading Human Punk by John King, which is really good so far, very evocative of the late 70's, and Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben, also very good. Had to discard (as unread, not merely thrown away!) Serial by John Lutz, as the violence was just too graphic for me.
Just finished The Sick Rose by Erin Kelly. Didn't enjoy it as much as The Poison Tree and the constant jumping back and forth through time got on my nerves to be honest.
Just finished The Sick Rose by Erin Kelly. Didn't enjoy it as much as The Poison Tree and the constant jumping back and forth through time got on my nerves to be honest.
Now reading How to be a Woman by Caitlyn Moran.
I'm just about to finish that. It's only took me a few days. I had to stop reading it at the bus stop because I couldn't stop laughing. Brilliant book, in fact one of the best books I have read in a while.
Next up is Mrs Dalloway, I read a tiny bit before but University work got in the way so I ended up forgetting about it.
Comments
Now onto Kafka's Amerika which is meant to be one of his lighter works. Here's hoping...
I used to devour DS books when I was younger but haven't read one for many years!
Indeed, my attempts to read it in the bath failed miserably
Very early days, but as with The Poison Tree, Kelly's style of writing has drawn me in immediately.
I see it's going to be one of those books that jumps back and forth between timeframes, something which seems to be very fashionable amongst writers at the moment. I must admit, I'm beginning to tire slightly of this method. I think I prefer starting a jigsaw puzzle from scratch rather than haphazardly slotting in the missing pieces of a partially completed picture.
I'm just about to start this, really enjoyed The Poison Tree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Schaeffer
.... thre are some nasty reviews on religious websites but in fact it is well written and quite nice about both his parents !
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/frank_schaeffer_crazy_for_god/
....... Frank points out that his father only took a fundamentalist position towards the end of his life, and before that was quite liberal! which is not the standard account as given in wikipedia above etc ......
Also finished the third book in the Maze trilogy by James Dashner, The Death Cure closest thing to the Hunger Games I've read, not quite up there but still very good.
Also finished Before The Storm by Diane Chamberlain, about a boy with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder who is adorable, who saves a lot of kids from a church fire but then finds himself under suspicion. Fantastic read!
Now going to start the sequel, Secrets She Left Behind Really enjoying Diane Chamberlains books at the moment.
Cool! Will be interesting to see what each other thinks KitKat
Been meaning to read her stuff. Keep forgetting when I go to the library though!
Oh, and ITV are making a two part drama adaptation of The Poison Tree. Shooting this summer.
Thank you, for starting my day off with a laugh!!
I'm coming to the end of Bring up the Bodies now and it's not bad, IMO, but I did feel that after a promising start it got a bit bogged down in places by the author's love of metaphorical dreams, etc.
I'll probably start on Bleak House next, by Dickens.
I enjoyed Ashes, although I got a bit frustrated at the way some characters just vanished part way through, and the plot seemed to do an about turn and become something else. I will read book 2 though, because I did enjoy the writing, and really liked the main character.
There are some fab YA books out there. My favourite series are:
-Alex Scarrow's Time Riders books (much better than his adult books imo. These are about ridiculous time travelling, world-saving teenagers, they're really good reads.)
-Charlie Higson's Fear/Enemy/Dead etc series set in London, where all the adults die or turn into zombies. Again, very entertaining, really good characterisation, and also very funny, in a grim kind of way. And nicely British too.
John Marsden's Tomorrow series, about some Australian teens who go camping in the bush and miss the invasion and occupation of Australia, and then become freedom fighters against the occupying army. Very readable, exciting, great characters, and very gritty plotlines too.
I agree about YA fiction in general - some of it is absolutely excellent. I tend to gravitate to the apocalyptic and sci fi types, although one of my friends writes more 'girly' style books, so I read hers too.
I'm currently reading Outpost, by Adam Baker. Not a YA novel, but an apocalyptic one set in the Arctic - rest of the world dying off from a zombie plague, you know the kind of thing. I saw it in Waterstones the other day and fancied a nice apocalypse. It's ok - entertaining enough, but not going to win any awards for depth or characterisation.
"The Stranger's Child" by Alan Hollinghurst.
I didn't rate The Great Gatsby until I read it a second or third time (it's one of the A level texts I teach). Now I love it, it's so beautifully written. It definitely repays re-reads
I'm currently on the opposite end of the scale and reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult which I'm sure won't repay a re-read
Now reading How to be a Woman by Caitlyn Moran.
I'm just about to finish that. It's only took me a few days. I had to stop reading it at the bus stop because I couldn't stop laughing. Brilliant book, in fact one of the best books I have read in a while.
Next up is Mrs Dalloway, I read a tiny bit before but University work got in the way so I ended up forgetting about it.