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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
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Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while)
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Nov 08, 2015 09:25PM
Just finished The Z Murders: A British Library Crime Classic
. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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And think about this: does it really matter if we rate differently since we also all react differently. I just wish people to rate those books they have dumped. Since many don't, I know that book ratings are more favorable than they really are.
Also keep in mind that Amazon and GR ratings are different. Those who come from the Amazon milieu, not me, do not bother to adjust their rating.
My review of The Lost Landscape: A Writer's Coming of Age is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ok Chrissie! I just rated the last book I discarded, "My Sister's Grave". To make a long and silly story short, I put that book on the Kindle that I share with my mother and sister, as a morbid joke last month. Turns out that the joke was on me. I cancelled my Kindle Unlimited subscription because I felt the selection of " free" books wasn't very good. Then, I got an email from my mother saying that she was reading/ listening to a book and just when it got exciting, the book disappeared from her device! So, my sister and I ended up buying the stupid book for her (TWICE by mistake!) so she could finish it. I figured since we paid for this book twice, I might as well read it, but I just couldn't, it was so bad ....
Terry, oh jeez, what a story. What we will do for our dear mothers.........I appreciate that you rated the book. I want ratings to be as accurate a possible. I am smiling now.
Brr, I have to go out now and weed the garden in the cold.
Hi Chrissie, off topic but I still have bulbs to plant that I put off doing when the weather was mild. Now my fingers will be numb by the time I am finished.
Terry wrote: "Hi Chrissie, off topic but I still have bulbs to plant that I put off doing when the weather was mild. Now my fingers will be numb by the time I am finished."You behavior souds like mine.
I just finished reading "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche Of Death" by M. C. Beaton. This book is really good. It is a Mystery and the things that Agatha doesn't get herself into is a riot. I dearly love her Agatha Raisin Series and her Macbeth Series too. They are really good.
I would highly recommend M.C. Beaton Books.
Happy Reading
Mod
This book is really good. It is a Mystery and the things that Agatha doesn't get herself into is a riot. I dearly ..."
I love all her mysteries; I was running out of the Agatha Raisin's series, so I've started those of Hamish McBeth!
Ramla Zareen wrote: "Finished reading The Choice 
by Nicholas Sparks. My Rating: 3 STARS= Good= Quite Enjoyable= I liked it...! "
Glad you liked it, Ramla.
I finished Church of Marvels.I'm torn about reviewing it. It didn't hold together for me but, as a debut novel, I can see the author's promise and imagination. I wouldn't dismiss a second novel by her. This one had many twists, turns and surprises that I enjoyed but I didn't find the execution of style very well done. :(
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've just finished writing my review of Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book - ★★★ Jean's reviewSo pleased to have caught up with my reviews :)
I just finished The Long Home by our current seasonal author, William Gay. I was even more impressed by Gay's writing in this novel than I had been in his short stories I read recently. 4★
Finished reading a Marathi novel in English translation titled Farewell to the Gods: An Outstanding Marathi Novel. Liked it. 4 Stars. The review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dhanaraj, now that I know you only give three, four or five stars I have to rethink how you view a book! Thanks for telling us.
Ordinary Grace I'm kicking myself I didn't love this more! My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie wrote: "Dhanaraj, now that I know you only give three, four or five stars I have to rethink how you view a book! Thanks for telling us."Chrissie: My three stars usually means a good book. And four stars usually mean that it was good but lacked something that would have made it a masterpiece. And five stars would mean I was very much affected by that book at the end.
Mod
Not high literature I admit, but she really knows how to write!
I've just read The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café, which is in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. As others in the series, the way the plot develops is predictable, but somehow the writing has great charm. A cosy read if you're feeling tired or under the weather.
Leslie wrote: "I just finished The Long Home by our current seasonal author, William Gay. I was even more impressed by Gay's writing in this novel than I had been in his short stories..."Glad you enjoyed it :)
I just finished The Palace of Illusions by Divakaruni. A retelling of Mahabharat epic story from Dropadi's POV.This is: my thought
Finished Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. It's my book of the year so far.
Chrissie wrote: "I just wish people to rate those books they have dumped. Since many don't, I know that book ratings are more favorable than they really are."I was just curating my bookshelves yesterday; I was going to delete my one-star ratings, then realised — as you point out — that if we all did that, the GR ratings would always be skewed a bit higher than they should be.
Then I got some "likes" on my one-star reviews and ratings, so I guess other people share my views!
@Susan I gave The Rosie Project only 2 stars and a none too flattering review. Surprisingly, I got 54 'likes'. I was originally going to just file it as 'junk' and not rate it.
Darnia wrote: "I just finished The Palace of Illusions by Divakaruni. A retelling of Mahabharat epic story from Dropadi's POV.This is: my thought"
I enjoyed reading your review, Darnia.
I've been on a lackluster run recently. No 5 star reads since August. But then The Barracks Thief, while short, was the one that got me out of the rut. This was my second by Tobias Wolff and I have thoroughly enjoyed them both.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An unexpected review last night of Where is the Green Sheep?. A perfect book for a toddler. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Susan wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I just wish people to rate those books they have dumped. Since many don't, I know that book ratings are more favorable than they really are."I was just curating my bookshelves ye..."
No No don't delete, Susan!!
B the BookAddict wrote: "@Susan I gave The Rosie Project only 2 stars and a none too flattering review. Surprisingly, I got 54 'likes'. I was originally going to just file it as 'junk' and not rate it."No to you also, Bette! I love seeing them and enjoying how different we all are!
I read and reviewed these two non-fiction books about the 1941 battle in Hong Kong before I joined Goodreads. Thought I might share them here, today being Remembrance Day.The Lasting Honour The Fall Of Hong Kong, 1941 My Review
Not The Slightest Chance: The Defence Of Hong Kong, 1941 My Review
Susan wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I just wish people to rate those books they have dumped. Since many don't, I know that book ratings are more favorable than they really are."I was just curating my bookshelves ye..."
I agree. We need to see the less favourable ones and why people didn't like the book as well.
I think it is helpful to post lower ratings for books that aren't that great, but I've noticed that some reviewers use this as an excuse to write ridiculously long and insulting rants about how terrible the book is. Why spend that much time dissecting someone's work you don't like? Just state briefly why you don't like it and move on.
Terry wrote: "I think it is helpful to post lower ratings for books that aren't that great, but I've noticed that some reviewers use this as an excuse to write ridiculously long and insulting rants about how ter..."Agree Terry.
Review now up of I Always Cry at Weddingshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Love the cover on this one.
@Gill : thank you so much for your kind words. I always afraid that nobody won't be understand if I wrote a review, especially in foreign language@Susan: For books with so many 3-5 stars reviews, I usually looked for the low rating reviews. Sometimes, it gave me another perspective to what I didn't got from the good reviews. I also enjoyed a DNF's book reviews, even though it doesn't sound fair, as long as it has a reasonable cause.
Darnia wrote: "For books with so many 3-5 stars reviews, I usually looked for the low rating reviews. Sometimes, it gave me another perspective to what I didn't got from the good reviews."I often do that too. It can be a helpful way to gauge if there's somehting about the book which will be a deal-breaker for me.
Are people assuming here that "like" means, "Oh yes I agree with you!"? (In those cases where you've read the book, of course.)I "like" a review for itself, not whether I agree with it. It may have a totally different view of the book from mine, but if it is well argued, expresses the writer's reaction, and conveys the book (or information pertinent to the book) well, it gets my appreciation. So those "liked" reviews where people have rated the book 1 star - or 5 stars - do not necessarily mean lots of people agree with you - just that you have written a good review! Am I so unusual here?
Perhaps there should be a code for "Great review but I totally disagree"! LOL! Sometimes my finger does hover reluctantly over the "like" button but I try to be completely fair!
Jean — I "like" reviews in both the senses you mention. Sometimes I "like" a review because I agree with the reviewer, and sometimes because they have expressed their viewpoint so well, even if I loved the book and they didn't!
That's true! :) Oh dear. We definitely need a more sophisticated system!
That's true, the like button is rather generic. But I usually do as you do, Jean.
just finished
by C. J. Box. I have found a new favorite author.
Mod
by C. J. Box. I have found a new favorite author."Sounds interesting Michael; I'll give a look for it.
By the way, do you mind putting the title of the book as wellas the cover? Some mobile displays don't show them properly
Darnia wrote: "@Gill : thank you so much for your kind words. I always afraid that nobody won't be understand if I wrote a review, especially in foreign language@Susan: For books with so many 3-5 stars reviews,..."
Darnia, I am always impressed by how well other people manage, when they are writing in a language that is not their mother tongue. It's not something that I am able to do.
There are many members of this group for whom English is not their mother tongue; so you are in good company!
Jean wrote: "Are people assuming here that "like" means, "Oh yes I agree with you!"? (In those cases where you've read the book, of course.)I "like" a review for itself, not whether I agree with it. It may ha..."
I use 'like' to mean that I have found it interesting to read the review, for whatever reason.
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