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January 07
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)
by Sue Grafton
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my rating:
   
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read in January, 2008
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)
by Sue Grafton
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my rating:
   
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read in December, 2007
Vidya said:
"Not as great as "A is for Alibi". Too many loose ends and unanswered questions for my liking. I mean, this is fiction, so every little thing that the writer weaves into the plot should have some relevance to the story. Just adding character...more
Not as great as "A is for Alibi". Too many loose ends and unanswered questions for my liking. I mean, this is fiction, so every little thing that the writer weaves into the plot should have some relevance to the story. Just adding characters and spinning little side-yarns with no explanation is well... frustrating!
Still, I have started on "C is for Corpse"......less
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December 29
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
The Ivy Tree (Paperback)
by Mary Stewart
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my rating:
   
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read in November, 2007
Vidya said:
"Started out okay and it had a great premise - imagine a young girl of 19 leaving her home and village suddenly and re-surfacing after 8 years... But the story suffers from too much description - the house, the farm, the horses, the gardens and also t...more
Started out okay and it had a great premise - imagine a young girl of 19 leaving her home and village suddenly and re-surfacing after 8 years... But the story suffers from too much description - the house, the farm, the horses, the gardens and also the mind games that the imposter Annabel plays - which takes away from the fast pace of the novel. And after so much build-up, it ends a little tamely....less
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)
by Sue Grafton
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my rating:
   
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read in December, 2007
Vidya said:
"This is quite like the McNally series by L Sanders, though K Millhone is not half as funny nor has half the panache as my fav American detective McNally :-)
However, "A for Alibi" scores by having a plausible motive and by its characteri...more
This is quite like the McNally series by L Sanders, though K Millhone is not half as funny nor has half the panache as my fav American detective McNally :-)
However, "A for Alibi" scores by having a plausible motive and by its characterisation of the killer. Though I wasn't so happy with some other parts of the book. But on the whole a great read. I'm starting B next....less
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December 18
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
Decider (Paperback)
by Dick Francis
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my rating:
   
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read in November, 2007
Vidya said:
"Read it the second time. Must have read it maybe 7 or 8 years ago, but didn't remember too much of the plot. The story line was interesting (not to mention the fact that the protagonist has 6 kids!!!!) and fast-paced with the usual well-etched charac...more
Read it the second time. Must have read it maybe 7 or 8 years ago, but didn't remember too much of the plot. The story line was interesting (not to mention the fact that the protagonist has 6 kids!!!!) and fast-paced with the usual well-etched characters. Wasn't very happy about his unhappy marriage :-( but a good read nevertheless....less
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November 03
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
Second Wind (Paperback)
by Dick Francis
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my rating:
   
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read in October, 2007
Vidya said:
"Supposed to be Dick Francis' comeback novel, but I found it very disappointing. Why - can't put my finger on it, may be too many twists and turns, and the protagonist was way too submissive. Liked Jett's character though!
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October 23
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 1)
by Alexander McCall Smith
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my rating:
   
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read in October, 2007
Vidya said:
"I read the other reviews for this novel on Goodreads and it seems that most people agree that though it's not the fast-paced, nail-biting story that one would expect from a mystery/suspense novel, it is charming and quite readable.
Some highlights:
...more
I read the other reviews for this novel on Goodreads and it seems that most people agree that though it's not the fast-paced, nail-biting story that one would expect from a mystery/suspense novel, it is charming and quite readable.
Some highlights:
* Fascinating descriptions of wild, "untamed" Africa and the daily lives of the people of Botswana. Brings out the fondness the author has for what he considers his homeland.
* Mma (Precious) Ramotswe is delightful and quite endearing, but there are some actions and decisions of hers that I would question :-)
* Mma Ramotswe's town is a world of its own - every other person is her friend, her dad's friend, her uncle's friend, her neighbour/butcher/grocer/doctor or some other friendly neighbourhood guy. Sometimes it's cute, but at times it's not very realistic.
Half-way through the book it felt like I was reading a children's tale - simple, black-and-white characters, descriptive, and slightly didactic. But I was surprised that at the end of the book I did want to read the other 2 books in the series we had bought....less
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October 06
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Vidya
gave
   
to:
Trial Run (Paperback)
by Dick Francis
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my rating:
   
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read in September, 2007
Vidya said:
"Somewhat different from the usual Dick Francis style. For one, the book chugs along slowly, builds up to a climax, and then peters out again. The protagonist depends a lot on help from others, th...more
Somewhat different from the usual Dick Francis style. For one, the book chugs along slowly, builds up to a climax, and then peters out again. The protagonist depends a lot on help from others, though he is still the one who does the mental math and puts the pieces together, and gets beaten up badly!
However, I liked the glimpse into the repressive Communist regime of the late '70s USSR, although the author has portrayed the leadership (and the KGB) in a kind light - upholding socialist principles and averse to imperialism, but sensible and quick to protect their country. The Moscow Olympic Games are a trigger for the novel's plot and it is interesting to see how the country went about preparing for the Games. I wonder if the author travelled to Russia during that time, because he has captured well the description of the life there and the prevailing mood of the people.
May be not a must-read, but a "good read" :-)...less
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