The Ice Cream Girls - Dorothy Koomson
What are you reading at the moment? (Part 3)
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Just about to start Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" - after seeing it recommened lots on another thread here last week 
Just finished 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier.
What an incredible book, almost bordering on genius, I can't praise it too highly. One of the few I have read that actually exceeded the hype I read about it prior to reading. For a book that was written 75 years ago, it is breathlessly easy to read - just the odd turn of phrase here and there that dates it, and of course the days of the 'upstairs downstairs' world of Menabilly were numbered even in the 1930s.
Its almost impossible to pigeon hole it into a genre type - I had vague ideas about it being a gentle romance - it is anything but. It is a very dark, pyschologically haunting, surreal, beguiling journey that the author takes you on, travelling in a huge unwieldy circle to eventually end up at the point where you started - or should that be ended?
Throw in possibly the best opening chapter ever in a novel, and I've ended up with a book that is now firmly in my top 5.
What an incredible book, almost bordering on genius, I can't praise it too highly. One of the few I have read that actually exceeded the hype I read about it prior to reading. For a book that was written 75 years ago, it is breathlessly easy to read - just the odd turn of phrase here and there that dates it, and of course the days of the 'upstairs downstairs' world of Menabilly were numbered even in the 1930s.
Its almost impossible to pigeon hole it into a genre type - I had vague ideas about it being a gentle romance - it is anything but. It is a very dark, pyschologically haunting, surreal, beguiling journey that the author takes you on, travelling in a huge unwieldy circle to eventually end up at the point where you started - or should that be ended?
Throw in possibly the best opening chapter ever in a novel, and I've ended up with a book that is now firmly in my top 5.
I've just started Angelology by Danielle Trussoni, only a few pages in but I'm finding it very good so far, it's drawn me right in
Originally Posted by La Triviata:
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It's very good.”
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It's very good.”
I really hope you've finished it and liked it. I didn't quite fancy it, but it was lent to me by a colleague and I took it on holiday to Greece last year. I will always remember sitting by the pool and crying at the end and not caring who saw me.
A delicate, heartbreaking and beautiful book. Very highly recommended. 10/10
On a Nordic roll. the Laughing Policeman, by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö. Fourth of the Martin Beck series.
I am currently reading My Last Duchess-by Daisy Goodwin
Enjoying it so far.
It is described on the back cover by Amanda Foreman from Sunday Times as,
'A wonderful guilty pleasure.....the relief of a novel that puts enjoyment first [is] so rare and gratifying that I am ready for a sequel'
That really does sum the book up. Just a really good read. I picked it because I loved Downton Abbey on the Tv and this is very similar. I am also a big fan of period drama's.
Enjoying it so far.
It is described on the back cover by Amanda Foreman from Sunday Times as,
'A wonderful guilty pleasure.....the relief of a novel that puts enjoyment first [is] so rare and gratifying that I am ready for a sequel'
That really does sum the book up. Just a really good read. I picked it because I loved Downton Abbey on the Tv and this is very similar. I am also a big fan of period drama's.
Originally Posted by Shomofo:
“Robin Hobb- Fool's Errand”
“Robin Hobb- Fool's Errand”
I read that a few weeks ago - as usual with her books it's an excellent read! I was just about to start the last in the series, Fool's Fate but my daughter has persuaded me to read The Hobbit first as although I have read it many years ago, I promised to reread it to see if I thought she was old enough to enjoy it.
I've just finished Bryce Courtenay's Tandia, the sequel to The Power of One. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I was wary of starting it as I had read many people saying that whilst good it wasn't as good as the first book. I think I do on the whole tend to agree with that statement but nonetheless it is still a very good book. There are many disturbing issues/scenes in the book but it does make you think.
We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (second read). First time I read it I really empathised with Eva about how she felt before she got pregnant, whilst she was expecting, and after Kevin was born. I imagined that would be me. 
Now I'm pregnant I needed to read it again - God I'm hoping for a "Celia".
Now I'm pregnant I needed to read it again - God I'm hoping for a "Celia".
Originally Posted by KitKat21:
“Been on a bit of a book shopping spree and am now about to start The Passage by Justin Cronin.”
“Been on a bit of a book shopping spree
and am now about to start The Passage by Justin Cronin.”
You're in for a treat.
I'm about to start The Stand by Stephen King, it's a biggie!
Originally Posted by -Sid-:
“You're in for a treat.
I'm about to start The Stand by Stephen King, it's a biggie!”
“You're in for a treat.
I'm about to start The Stand by Stephen King, it's a biggie!”
I've heard great things about it, and it's definately good so far!
my aunt bought me Shiela o' Flannagan's stand by me.
and i am struggling with it. while i appreciate how kind it was to be given a present for no reason, ie its not my birthday or anything she just thought i would like it.... it really isnt very good.
some of the dialogue is dreadful. and its supposed to start in the 1980s when the main character is a teenager and some of the language spoken just would not have been said in the 1980s, and now she's grown up and its moved to the 1990s she still wouldnt use a lot of the words and vocabulary. and the characters are just laughable sterotypes, in particular the girls religious obsessive mother....
but i just find sometimes, and i am not sure i will explian this very well, but when someone is writing a book set in the relatively recent past they view it retrospectively and write about things that happened as they see the event now, rather than the impact it had at the time, if that makes sense, and it just makes the incident they are writing about seem fake.
in this 'novel', the character suffers from post natal depression, and i just laughed my way through the whole thing.... its was all just so 2011 textbook, and a million miles away from what a real person would have experienced in the 1980s had it been real.
i am struggling to finish this book, but i will for the sake of my aunt and out of politeness. had i bought it myself it would be in the recycle bin unfinished.
it has just struck me now, is this forum just supposed to say what you are reading and not necessarily review it? havent really read other posts.
and i am struggling with it. while i appreciate how kind it was to be given a present for no reason, ie its not my birthday or anything she just thought i would like it.... it really isnt very good.
some of the dialogue is dreadful. and its supposed to start in the 1980s when the main character is a teenager and some of the language spoken just would not have been said in the 1980s, and now she's grown up and its moved to the 1990s she still wouldnt use a lot of the words and vocabulary. and the characters are just laughable sterotypes, in particular the girls religious obsessive mother....
but i just find sometimes, and i am not sure i will explian this very well, but when someone is writing a book set in the relatively recent past they view it retrospectively and write about things that happened as they see the event now, rather than the impact it had at the time, if that makes sense, and it just makes the incident they are writing about seem fake.
in this 'novel', the character suffers from post natal depression, and i just laughed my way through the whole thing.... its was all just so 2011 textbook, and a million miles away from what a real person would have experienced in the 1980s had it been real.
i am struggling to finish this book, but i will for the sake of my aunt and out of politeness. had i bought it myself it would be in the recycle bin unfinished.
it has just struck me now, is this forum just supposed to say what you are reading and not necessarily review it? havent really read other posts.
Originally Posted by rosiesmith101:
“my aunt bought me Shiela o' Flannagan's stand by me.
and i am struggling with it. while i appreciate how kind it was to be given a present for no reason, ie its not my birthday or anything she just thought i would like it.... it really isnt very good.
some of the dialogue is dreadful. and its supposed to start in the 1980s when the main character is a teenager and some of the language spoken just would not have been said in the 1980s, and now she's grown up and its moved to the 1990s she still wouldnt use a lot of the words and vocabulary. and the characters are just laughable sterotypes, in particular the girls religious obsessive mother....
but i just find sometimes, and i am not sure i will explian this very well, but when someone is writing a book set in the relatively recent past they view it retrospectively and write about things that happened as they see the event now, rather than the impact it had at the time, if that makes sense, and it just makes the incident they are writing about seem fake.
in this 'novel', the character suffers from post natal depression, and i just laughed my way through the whole thing.... its was all just so 2011 textbook, and a million miles away from what a real person would have experienced in the 1980s had it been real.
i am struggling to finish this book, but i will for the sake of my aunt and out of politeness. had i bought it myself it would be in the recycle bin unfinished.
it has just struck me now, is this forum just supposed to say what you are reading and not necessarily review it? havent really read other posts.”
“my aunt bought me Shiela o' Flannagan's stand by me.
and i am struggling with it. while i appreciate how kind it was to be given a present for no reason, ie its not my birthday or anything she just thought i would like it.... it really isnt very good.
some of the dialogue is dreadful. and its supposed to start in the 1980s when the main character is a teenager and some of the language spoken just would not have been said in the 1980s, and now she's grown up and its moved to the 1990s she still wouldnt use a lot of the words and vocabulary. and the characters are just laughable sterotypes, in particular the girls religious obsessive mother....
but i just find sometimes, and i am not sure i will explian this very well, but when someone is writing a book set in the relatively recent past they view it retrospectively and write about things that happened as they see the event now, rather than the impact it had at the time, if that makes sense, and it just makes the incident they are writing about seem fake.
in this 'novel', the character suffers from post natal depression, and i just laughed my way through the whole thing.... its was all just so 2011 textbook, and a million miles away from what a real person would have experienced in the 1980s had it been real.
i am struggling to finish this book, but i will for the sake of my aunt and out of politeness. had i bought it myself it would be in the recycle bin unfinished.
it has just struck me now, is this forum just supposed to say what you are reading and not necessarily review it? havent really read other posts.”
Hi Rosie
I enjoyed reading your review! Sometimes folk will talk about what they thought of a book, other times they'll just type in the title and author. There's no hard and fast rules.
The Passage by Justin Cronin. A post apocalyptic type vampire novel, reminiscent of The Stand in some ways. Kept me gripped all day today and it's book one of a trilogy.
I've just finished my degree, so am going to spend the next few weeks actually remembering what it's like to read for pleasure!
Starting with Adele Parks - Men I've Loved Before (bought it over a year ago and still haven't started it!)
Starting with Adele Parks - Men I've Loved Before (bought it over a year ago and still haven't started it!)
Originally Posted by Pinkvelvet:
“The Passage by Justin Cronin. A post apocalyptic type vampire novel, reminiscent of The Stand in some ways. Kept me gripped all day today and it's book one of a trilogy.”
“The Passage by Justin Cronin. A post apocalyptic type vampire novel, reminiscent of The Stand in some ways. Kept me gripped all day today and it's book one of a trilogy.”
I'm reading that too at the moment, excellent so far!
The Family - Martina Cole
I loved all her earlier books, The Ladykiller and The Goodnight Lady are my faves, but the last few offerings have been quite sloppy with the same plots and characters. Haven't really read enough to form an opinion on this one, but the short chapters are really annoying. Seriously, they last one or two pages, it's as though they wanted to pad the book out to 500+ pages, and this was the only way!
I loved all her earlier books, The Ladykiller and The Goodnight Lady are my faves, but the last few offerings have been quite sloppy with the same plots and characters. Haven't really read enough to form an opinion on this one, but the short chapters are really annoying. Seriously, they last one or two pages, it's as though they wanted to pad the book out to 500+ pages, and this was the only way!
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