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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
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Pam
(last edited May 29, 2016 05:25AM)
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May 29, 2016 05:25AM
Just read number 10 in the quirky Bryant and May crime series - The Invisible Code, and the first in Diana Wynne Jones' Dalemark series, Cart and Cwidder.
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I adore the Bryant and May novels. So unique.
Just finished Notes from an Exhibition: A Novel. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... My first book by Patrick Gale but not my last .
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Terrible though, don't you think?
Pam wrote: "Just read number 10 in the quirky Bryant and May crime series - The Invisible Code, and the first in Diana Wynne Jones' Dalemark series, Cart and Cwidder."The Bryant and May stories are matchless, hahahahaha:)
I have finished The White Guard but I still don't know how to rate it. I didn't enjoy this book, it was disjointed; I also didn't know anything about Ukrainian history of that time so I missed all the hints; I also don't know Kiev so I missed also all the settings of the city. I know that some words or sentences were written in Ukrainian and so I missed also this with the translation though there were notes. I think it will be a 2 stars.
LauraT wrote: "Petra wrote: "I just finished Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. "Terrible though, don't you think?
..."
Definitely. The author did a good job even on the horrors. He brought them out slowly, as they would become apparent to a child.
I just finished The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, This is an interesting story in history that is overlooked and glossed over.The author wrote a non-fiction book as a fictional story in order to put her ideas and slants into it. I think it failed in this manner but still the story was well told and laid out.
I found the book interesting and easy to read but lackluster and not stellar.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
B the BookAddict wrote: "Pam wrote: "Just read number 10 in the quirky Bryant and May crime series - The Invisible Code, and the first in Diana Wynne Jones' Dalemark series, Cart and Cwidder."The Bryant and May stories a..."
Oh, Bette too funny. I remember that conversation.
Dely — I'm sorry you didn’t enjoy The White Guard. Perhaps you had a not-so-good translation? I read the 2009 edition from Yale University Press which includes an introduction by the translator Marian Schwartz, as well as an introduction by Russian history professor Evgeny Dobrenko; these really helped me to understand the book. I notice there’s a comment on Goodreads that this is the most true-to-the-original translation.
Susan wrote: "Dely — I'm sorry you didn’t enjoy The White Guard. Perhaps you had a not-so-good translation? I read the 2009 edition from Yale University Press which includes an introduction by the ..."I don't know about my translation but being it a daily deal by amazon, it had (as usual) several typos and this doesn't help too.
I thought my introduction was good but after have read the book I see that it was too short and also there they talked as if the reader already knew everything about Ukraine.
It's a pity, I really loved The Master and Margarita and thought to enjoy also this one.
Dely, it’s a shame that your edition wasn’t the best. The White Guard is far more like a conventional novel than Bulgakov’s other work — not so much of the magical realism that he showed later in The Master and Margarita.
Susan wrote: "Dely, it’s a shame that your edition wasn’t the best. The White Guard is far more like a conventional novel than Bulgakov’s other work — not so much of the magical realism that he showed later in T..."Perhaps I should first learn more about Ukraine and then read a different translation though I don't like to reread books.
I definitely enjoyed Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies, but you have to take it for what it is. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie wrote: "So I didn't know what a potboiler was. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says it's "a book, movie, etc., that is made in usually a cheap way in order to make money rather than for artistic reasons." Why in the world would one want to read a potboiler? Does it have another meaning?.."Probably this has been answered already but here is my take. I think that 'potboiler' is a slightly more derogatory term for what is typically called "genre fiction" here. Lots of mysteries, thrillers, romances, science fiction, fantasy etc. can fall into this category though the best of genre fiction does have artistic/literary merit.
As for why would one read it -- the short answer is for fun! This kind of book is typically 'light' or 'escapist' but it is not necessarily poorly written. I read a lot of mysteries, for example; they are not "great literature" but the better ones do show an insight into human motivations. But that isn't why I read them -- I read them because I enjoy trying to puzzle out who did it & because I find escaping into a fictional world in which justice reliably prevails a relief sometimes from the disappointments in the real world.
Finished Amp'd: A Novelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I agree Leslie, mysteries are fun and I love reading a variety of things. I get bored easily and they do say variety is the spice of life.
Leslie wrote: "I think that 'potboiler' is a slightly more derogatory term for what is typically called "genre fiction" here. Lots of mysteries, thrillers, romances, science fiction, fantasy etc. can fall into this category though the best of genre fiction does have artistic/literary merit."Isn't it more that the ones classified as potboilers are those that do NOT have artistic literary merit? That makes more sense to me than saying that all mysteries, thrillers, romances, science fiction, fantasy and such lack merit.
And then you can ask, "Lacking in merit according to WHOSE definition!?!" Don't we need escapist literature too?
I hate categorising books! All of us have different tastes, and we all enjoy different books for different reasons. You only need to look at the wide range of comments and ratings in reviews for any book to bear that out. I read purely for pleasure - it is my escape, my sanity. *:DJust finished
Out Comes the Evil: A Cotswold Murder Mystery by Stella Cameron which was an okay read. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5★ A wonderful little book of short essays by the much-loved, highly-regarded neurologist Oliver Sacks, who also wrote The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales and Awakenings.He wrote these as separate articles not long before he died, and they've been compiled in a beautiful little book Gratitude.
My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sandy *wrote: "I hate categorising books! All of us have different tastes, and we all enjoy different books for different reasons. You only need to look at the wide range of comments and ratings in reviews for an..I read purely for pleasure - it is my escape, my sanity. I agree; categorizing ends up causing confusion. Me too, I just read for pleasure. At least that is what I ma looking for when I pick up a book.
I find the definition of "potboiler" interesting. It's not a word that I have looked up and the official definition doesn't match what I would have pictured the word to mean. From the word, I would picture a book that starts by bringing in the elements of the story (pot of water heating up) and ramping up into a full-blown exciting story that ends with a burst of satisfaction (furiously boiling pot of water).
Whether there's any literary merit is debatable and individual. I can enjoy a book that has no literary merit and I can not enjoy a book that does have literary merit......but who's to say which book has literary merit?
Potboilers seem to me to be novels where the author is more interested in churning out 'books' rather than writing good 'novels'. Written for profit, first and foremost. A few formulaic writers write potboilers, in my opinion, but I won't mention any names.
Finished The Summer Guesthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My thinking of pot boiler matches Petra. Simmering and than a big boil or bang. Oh well now know that isn't right.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Potboilers seem to me to be novels where the author is more interested in churning out 'books' rather than writing good 'novels'. Written for profit, first and foremost. A few formulaic writers wri..."That’s my understanding too. I think the term was coined to describe a book which “keeps the pot boiling” (ie. keeps the author fed) as opposed to a book which may take years to research and write and hence will have only a long-term payoff for the author.
I think it’s a term one could use interchangeably with “beach read” or “summer read” — but I saw someone in the reviews of the book I was referring to complaining about the term “summer read” saying that a good book can be read at any time of year!
Genres, classifications and shelving can be a bit misleading as it all depends on the individuals interpretation of same. A bit like 'I say tom-ato', you say tomarto'.
Potboilers (a new term for me also) sound to me a bit like guilty pleasures, books you know aren't going to win awards but that you read purely for joy and escapism and there is nothing wrong with that. I agree though B, there are some authors who churn out books for profit, I have one particular one in mind but I will contain myself in case of insulting any fans ;)
I have just finished Inferno which I suppose some would see as a potboiler book. I enjoyed it, the historical references always make me smile and my desire to go to Florence has doubled as it is mainly set there. Istanbul also features and I went there last Easter it was nice to have a real picture of the place in my mind, fantastic city, I fell in love with it.
Chrissie wrote: "Isn't it more that the ones classified as potboilers are those that do NOT have artistic literary merit? That makes more sense to me than saying that all mysteries, thrillers, romances, science fiction, fantasy and such lack merit...."Point taken -- though I still enjoy many mysteries & other genre fiction that fall into the potboiler category. I made my comment because I know that some people on GR think all genre fiction has no merit. There is some indefinite undefinable middle ground between 'literature' and badly written dreck. Potboilers often fall into that middle ground.
Leslie wrote: "There is some indefinite undefinable middle ground between 'literature' and badly written dreck. Potboilers often fall into that middle ground."I agree. I don’t think anyone would classify novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four or Fahrenheit 451 (the first examples of genre fiction that came to mind) as "potboilers". Instead, I would use that term to describe the commercially highly successful thrillers, crime novels and romances which are written by household names and which everyone seems to be reading. Such books are usually skillfully plotted and well-written, but you can't imagine they will still be read, let alone studied, in 50 year's time.
I'm sorry to have sparked such a debate; I thought "potboiler" was a common term.
Susan wrote: "I'm sorry to have sparked such a debate; I thought "potboiler" was a common term. ..."Apologies not needed -- debates are interesting!
Another 5★ book. I'm having a good run at the moment.This is a complex, quick-moving Sharon Bolton mystery Daisy in Chains. Just loved it. Kept changing my mind about who dunnit - the best sort of story for me.
My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Petra wrote: "I find the definition of "potboiler" interesting. It's not a word that I have looked up and the official definition doesn't match what I would have pictured the word to mean. From the word, I wou..."
I grew up with the term "potboiler" as something written to keep the soup pot full (and boiling) - in other words, something that would guarantee a living. Popular fiction.
I don't remember where I learned that, but I didn't make it up. :)
The Oxford says simply "A book, film, or other creative work produced solely to make the originator a living by catering to popular taste."
I've always heard it used disparagingly but fondly, if you know what I mean. It couldn't be too bad, or obviously it wouldn't sell! For some, it's Mills and Boon, for others, it's 'cheap' westerns.
I agree, nice to have a good debate. The fact that potboilers in the above definition exists shows that people do read them! Would Mills and Boon fall into this category do we think?
In my opinion, M & B are definitely potboilers but some readers of this fiction might disagree. I looked up 'potboilers' on the internet and the names Danielle Steel and Harold Robbins are mentioned.
I have given A Death in the Family five stars, so of course I think it is worth reading.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've have finished reading Enchanted Islands. 4 stars. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
What do I do? I am worrying about my star rating of A Death in the Family. i was uncomfortable with all the stuff about religion in it. This and the funeral at the end were difficult for me to bear. I am altering the rating to four.
Chrissie wrote: "What do I do? I am worrying about my star rating of A Death in the Family. i was uncomfortable with all the stuff about religion in it. This and the funeral at the end were difficult ..."I think it's possible to admire the skill with which a book is written while disliking the message. But I guess if I thought a book was promoting and likely to gain support for something I think is wrong, I wouldn't like it no matter how well it was written.
There could be some beautifully written, highly literary anti-somebody propaganda that would be 5star writing but that I'd be reluctant to promote, and I think I'd have to take that into consideration. I might give it a low rating just for "intent", since basically I don't approve of the book.
Not much help, am I? But I sympathise.
Patty,I decided to lower the rating to four. It is MY rating. Four is still a very good rating from me. Thanks for explaining how YOU think. You were helpful.
Ugh...I really hated this for a variety of reasons but I want to get it out there anyway...https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "What do I do? I am worrying about my star rating of A Death in the Family. i was uncomfortable with all the stuff about religion in it. This and the funeral at the en...I think it's possible to admire the skill with which a book is written while disliking the message. But I guess if I thought a book was promoting and likely to gain support for something I think is wrong, I wouldn't like it no matter how well it was written."
I feel the same, Patty.
A thought provoking read recently is The Teacher's Secret Review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I really am on a good run, but this book is a completely different kind of mystery - what makes us "us"?5★ for one of the most interesting books I've read, David Eagleman's Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.
He wrote my favourite fiction book, Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, but this is his 'real' work as a neuroscientist. Fascinating cases and anecdotes. The upshot is, the more we know, the more we don't know, I guess.
My review, which includes some stories:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished Did You Ever Have a Family. A stunning 5**. Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've just finished the following:Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (4 stars) - Usually not a fan of Austen adaptations but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The author kept true the original while make the necessary updates for Pride and Prejudice to make sense in the modern era. My review.
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (4 stars) - This book was a joy from start to finish, an easy and quick read. The stories within the larger narrative are humorous and sweet. My review.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Pam wrote: "Just read number 10 in the quirky Bryant and May crime series - The Invisible Code, and the first in Diana Wynne Jones' Dalemark series, Cart and Cwidder."The Bryant and May stories are matchless, hahahahaha:)"
Hahaha!
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