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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
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Pam
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May 07, 2017 09:09AM
Read Mixed Magics, a collection by Diana Wynne Jones, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1993431949.
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Pink wrote: "Petra wrote: "I just finished The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld. I loved that book! ..."
Wasn't it lovely, considering the bleak setting and the people's backgrounds? Just read your review, Pink, and commented.
A couple of recent reviews for Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, which was a 4 star read for me.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, which was my first 5 star book of the year, but I've only just got around to reviewing it.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Illuminating Women in the Medieval World is a nice little book. Here's my review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I complained when I started The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father. Well, I ended up absolutely loving the book. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie wrote: "I complained when I started The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father. Well, I ended up absolutely loving the book. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Great review and high praise. I'll have to look out for this.
I finished listening to Ulysses today. This isn't my first time reading it but is my first time listening to it. Like always, I had a great time with our Ulysses group, here on AAB.
I loved the audio. The narration is musical and my ear picked up on a lot of details that I missed when reading.
It's also easier to determine the actions from the stream of consciousness "thinking" that goes on in people's minds.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished
The House on Seventh Street by Karen Vorbeck Williams. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thank you, Pink. I can only speak for myself, but I loved The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father. It moved me. It taught and shows in depth an immigrant family's situation, not just their hardships but how the new lifestyle changes the whole fabric of family relationships. It speaks of racial discrimination that exists still today. I liked the history told and what it says about racial discrimination still today.I gave Homage to Catalonia three stars. The book was certainly good but I did not like how he put political thoughts in a separate chapter. Nope, I wish he had woven the political issues into the telling!
I knew I'd love it and I did! Elizabeth Strout is one of my favourite authors, and her latest book, Anything Is Possible, is another winner.
Great stories about vulnerable people. My review
5★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie, I initially gave Homage to Catalonia 3 stars as well. I think in the edition I read there was some moving around of chapters, so some of the political sections ended up in the appendix. The structure did lesson my enjoyment in reading, but overall the content made me bump it up a star. Perhaps I'm getting less harsh lately. Unfortunately my library doesn't have The Song Poet, but I did reserve Black Narcissus, which is ready for collection today. Just need to find time to read it now!
Pink wrote: "Chrissie, I initially gave Homage to Catalonia 3 stars as well. I think in the edition I read there was some moving around of chapters, so some of the political sections ended up in the appendix. T..."Interesting that we both disliked the same thing in Orwell's book.
I hope you like Black Narcissus. I don't know,....maybe it was just me, but I really liked it. I wish I could get a hold of a biography on the author and more of her adult books. I was considering even reading a kids book by her,but figured that is not going to work.
Chrissie wrote: "Pink wrote: "Chrissie, I initially gave Homage to Catalonia 3 stars as well. I think in the edition I read there was some moving around of chapters, so some of the political sections ended up in th..."Chrissie, I don't know whether you have to live in the uk to use the RNIB overdrive audio books. I've just signed up for it (free) and they have several books by Rumer Godden.
Gill, do you use Overdrive through your library? Mine stopped using it last month and now use BorrowBox instead. I don't think I can use overdrive at all now it's not connected to any local libraries.
Gill wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Pink wrote: "Chrissie, I initially gave Homage to Catalonia 3 stars as well. I think in the edition I read there was some moving around of chapters, so some of the political sectio..."Thanks, Gill. I am going to go look.
Finished Dawn by Elie Wiesel. It was definitely different than Night. I found myself reflecting on the story in Dawn and on how Dawn and Night complement one another.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pink wrote: "Gill, do you use Overdrive through your library? Mine stopped using it last month and now use BorrowBox instead. I don't think I can use overdrive at all now it's not connected to any local libraries."Yes, i do, Pink. It's been a real expander of my e-reading. It was only when I was listening to Ulysses, that I thought of checking out the audiobooks at RNIB, which I'm eligible for. Never heard of Borrowbox, off to check it out.
I am waiting for a reply from RNIB. Maybe it will come tomorrow??? I will go check BorrowBox also
I have finished The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. 5 stars!What a great book! It was a long time I didn't feel so good reading a book. Though it was a long time I wanted to read it, I was a bit scared to pick it up because Fantasy is not a genre I usually read but I really loved it.
My English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished What My Body Remembershttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Loved Never-ending story too, Dely, read it with my kids and I don't read fantasy often either.
Just finished Backman's Beartown. No need to be a hockey buff to enjoy this one. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished The Dressmaker by Aussie author Rosalie Ham. A peculiar book, I thought. Wonder what Kate Winslet's like in the film.4★ My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have finished Stormy Weather. So many have praised this author and everybody seem too be reading her books, so I was curious. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I only got halfway through NW and then I abandoned it.This explains why:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gill wrote: "Pink wrote: "Gill, do you use Overdrive through your library? Mine stopped using it last month and now use BorrowBox instead. I don't think I can use overdrive at all now it's not connected to any ..."One has to be a UK citizen to use RNIB. Thanks anyway.
Jen wrote: "Just finished Backman's Beartown. No need to be a hockey buff to enjoy this one. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."I'm glad you liked it so well--five stars! The only reason I didn't read the review is because it's already on my tbr.
Chrissie wrote: "I have finished Stormy Weather. So many have praised this author and everybody seem too be reading her books, so I was curious. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"
Not all of her books have the same story, just so you know, and I don't like all of her books equally well. I liked this one better, but I was looking at other things, not the romance so much, when I read it.
My favourite of hers is Enemy Women. That one is definitely historical fiction and more poignant, and the characters are better drawn, etc. But most of all, the writing and the descriptions are well done.
Karin , glad to hear your thoughts on Enemy Women. I plan to read that at some point. I loved News of the World.
Karin wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have finished Stormy Weather. So many have praised this author and everybody seem too be reading her books, so I was curious. My review: https://www.goodreads.com..."
For me, the way she tied everything up so cutely really put me off. I know her other books deal with other topics, but does she wrap them all up cutely? If she does, none of her books will be for me. You can certainly classify Stormy Weather as belonging to the historical fiction genre; it shows life during the Depression and the Dust Bowl. Adding romance isn't wrong, if you like that.
I've enjoyed reading House of Names. It's an interesting reworking of The Oresteia.Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I enjoyed my first foray into the writings of David Mitchell with Slade House. A quick and trippy jaunt into the shadows of this author's mind - my review.
Recently completed Patton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer by Michael Keane. While I have always been very interested in Patton, this biography did not do it for me.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Albert, you've changed your profile pic -very laid back snap, there.
Finished Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Timeshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
B the BookAddict wrote: "Albert, you've changed your profile pic -very laid back snap, there."Bette, that picture is from a trip my wife and I took to Iceland last year.
Just finished Charles Donlea's latest offering
The Girl Who Was Taken which overall was a good read. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie wrote: "Karin wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have finished Stormy Weather. So many have praised this author and everybody seem too be reading her books, so I was curious. My review: https://www..."
I don't know what you mean by neatly. Enemy Women ends up hopeful, but not neatly--there are are no guarantees (you have to read the book to see why, I don't want to give any spoilers)--things are quite messed up at the end of the civil war. She also has a dystopian novel that is quite different certainly not historical fiction, called. Lighthouse Island, and I have no idea why the description says full of hope, because it is mostly wishful thinking, etc. Things are terrible all over the place but there is a rumour there might be somewhere better, a small haven--I guess that's hopefull, but there's no evidence it actually exists. Her regular fans don't like it as much (I didn't, but not for the same reasons as others, I don't think).
So if you like her writing but just not the romance you could try her again, but if you find her writing off putting you may or may not like her writing. I mainly read her again and again because of Enemy Women and some of the exquisite writing in it that I haven't really found twice with her even though I have liked others of her books. I can't predict whether or not you'd like it, just that I found it very different than Stormy Weather.
One Leg Over, a tell-all autobiography by Robin Dalton, now 95, describes her amazing life, mixing as a personal friend with the likes of the Kennedys, PMs, artists, singers, and oh yes, Prince Philip and the royals. 
4★ My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished the Dark Tower series by Stephen King (again). It was well worth the journey!
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have completed The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I want to thank the person who told us that this was at the moment free. First you pick up the free kindle version and then the free audiobook. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'll just say here that you shouldn't give up on it too soon. I didn't like the beginning at all!
Karin wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Karin wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have finished Stormy Weather. So many have praised this author and everybody seem too be reading her books, so I was curious. My re..."
By neatly I man each person gets matched up with another and each problem solved. I don't like books tied up with a bow. I guess I would have to also say that the writing didn't do much for me either.
I am glad you like the author, but she just isn't for me. Vivez la différence!
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