What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews Showing 1,201-1,250 of 12,687

[Dhanaraj]

Finished reading Bruno Schulz' The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories. It is a lovely collection of short stories with an intoxicating language. I will surely recommend it to everyone.

[Kristi]

I just finished At Night We Walk in Circles. It took me a few pages to really get into it, but I enjoyed it overall. I had not heard of it or the author until recently. It takes place in Peru, which made me realize that I don't read many books from South America. I guess I have a harder time getting into these books because I don't know the history of these countries as well as I do, say, European countries. I didn't have that trouble with this book, though. The characters were well written, and the story was unlike anything I've ever read.

[Shirley]

Kristi wrote: "I just finished At Night We Walk in Circles. It took me a few pages to really get into it, but I enjoyed it overall. I had not heard of it or the author until recently. It takes pla..."

Sounds good, Kristi!

[LauraT]

Shirley wrote: "Kristi wrote: "I just finished At Night We Walk in Circles. It took me a few pages to really get into it, but I enjoyed it overall. I had not heard of it or the author until recentl..."

I've put it down on my TBR shelf.

[Robert]

I read Death in Venice and Other Stories by Thomas Mann, which I loved and I think he's an incredible author.

I also read Spider-Man: Blue which was AMAZING and perfectly captures the essence of Spider-Man's character.

[Leslie]

I finished Something New (which is another name for Something Fresh) by Wodehouse yesterday. I love his humor and would definitely recommend it if you like crazy silly topsy-turvy type humor! :-)

[Beth]

I just finished The Almond Tree and I would most definitely recommend it.

[Angela M]

I just finished Five Quarters of the Orange. I haven't written a review , but would recommend it. 4 stars

[Bionic Jean]

I enjoyed that one too, Angela (and I did write a short review!) But I would like you to write a review for one of the Wallace Stegners you have read, please!! :D

[Angela M]

Oh my gosh , Jean , I read the Stegner books at least 20 years ago so my aging memory would not serve well ! I do remember that I liked his writing so much that I read several of his books . Sorry .

[Bionic Jean]

Ah well, that's a recommendation in itself isn't it! :)(Sorry - I didn't realise they weren't recent reads - I should have looked!)

[Gemma]

I have just read My Cousin Rachel. I enjoyed it, not as much as Rebeca but would recommend and will be reading more by the author.

[LauraT]

Angela wrote: "I just finished Five Quarters of the Orange. I haven't written a review , but would recommend it. 4 stars"

Beth wrote: "I just finished The Almond Tree and I would most definitely recommend it."

Put them both on my TBR shelf. When will I have the time to read all these new ides I find here?!?!?!

[LauraT]

Just finished The Grass is Singing; glad I gave Lessing a second chance after having finished - and not liked - The Golden Notebook.
Definitly a much easier book, less ambitious, but interesting insight in life in south africa

[A]

I just finished The Things They Carried and it was really great fiction about the war in Vietnam. I heard the story telling was excellent, and I was not let down. I intend to read it in the future and pay close attention to story-telling techniques the author uses.

[Jenny]

I too heard great things about this, and will try to finally get to reading it this year. Glad to hear you've liked it.

I agree, it's really interesting to start paying more attention to the 'how' that authors choose for their 'what' and how they correspond.

[Amber]

Just finished Ready Player One and it was a pretty good read! I enjoyed it immensely. Def check it out. :-)

[Leslie]

I just finished Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitizer Prize-winner Interpreter of Maladies. These are charming short stories, some set in Boston and some in India. I would strongly recommend them.

[Beth]

Leslie wrote: "I just finished Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitizer Prize-winner Interpreter of Maladies. These are charming short stories, some set in Boston and some in India. I would strongly recommend them."

Good to hear - I loved The Namesake and really liked The Lowland so I will add this to my TBR list - thanks!

[Dhanaraj]

Finished reading W. G. Sebald's The Rings of Saturn. If you, like me, have not read W. G. Sebald earlier, then this book will give you a different literary experience. Highly recommended.

[LauraT]

Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished reading W. G. Sebald's The Rings of Saturn. If you, like me, have not read W. G. Sebald earlier, then this book will give you a different literary experience. Highly recommended."

Already told Jenny that you've convinced me!!!! In my third life probably I'll find time to sqeeze it in!!!

[Dhanaraj]

LauraT wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished reading W. G. Sebald's The Rings of Saturn. If you, like me, have not read W. G. Sebald earlier, then this book will give you a different literary experience...."

Lol.............

[Leslie]

I just finished one of the books from my personal challenge - Greenmantle by Charles de Lint. I really liked it but it was a bit odd - a mixture of thriller and fantasy. Half the story is about a former mob hitman hiding out from his "familia" and how his new neighbor's scumbag of an ex-husband indentifies him, and the other half is about Pan or a Pan-like god who lives in the woods behind the houses and a mystery & a secret which is calling to those who can hear it.

That is a terrible description really but I don't want to give anything away...

[Emma]

Just finished The Bell Jar - wouldn't recommend it. Waste of time.

[Petra]

I just finished reading Wit. It's a wonderful play of kindness and strength. I really enjoyed it. It hit a bit close to home (my mom passed away from Cancer) but it was a true look at her experiences, thoughts and strength. Margaret Edson, the author, hit home on many fronts.

[Bionic Jean]

Emma - What a shame you you didn't enjoy The Bell Jar. Of course that is your prerogative, and totally up to you. But for a different view,
look here
I ended up giving it 5 stars! :)

[Alessia]

I've just finished The Painted Veil and I'd definitely recommend it. I especially loved the main character and how much she changed in the course of the novel. It's also pretty ahead of its time in the way it considers the condition of women in the earlier part of 20th century and their dependence upon men. Besides, it's really well written and that's always one of the most important things in a book to me.

[Leslie]

Alessia wrote: "I've just finished The Painted Veil and I'd definitely recommend it. I especially loved the main character and how much she changed in the course of the novel. It's also pretty ahead o..."

Isn't that a Somerset Maugham book? I just started reading his work last year... Looks like I will be adding another to my TBR pile!

[Leslie]

I just finished my Derek Walcott poetry book White Egrets today and I would definitely recommend it! I will comment more fully in the Poetry Chat thread over in the Monday Poem section.

[Bionic Jean]

I too like Somerset Maugham . Another author who excels at short stories, I think. Although a couple of collections seem very dated now.

Of his novels I liked Of Human Bondage the best, though I have a soft spot for The Moon And Sixpence , as although he always said it was not about Pail Gauguin, it certainly conjures up his life very well. And Cakes and Ale is a nice slight piece. I must admit to finding The Painted Veil one of the more dated novels of his, however.

[Alessia]

Leslie wrote: "Isn't that a Somerset Maugham book? I just started reading his work last year... Looks like I will be adding another to my TBR pile! "

Yes Leslie, it's a Somerset Maugham novel. I'd never read anything written by him, I read this because it was chosen by a book club I participate in and because I loved the film based on it.

[Joy]

I've finished Poor Miss Finch and would definitely recommend it. I hadn't realised that Wilkie Collins had written so many books. I love the way he creates different narrator voices in each novel.

[Leslie]

Joy wrote: "I've finished Poor Miss Finch and would definitely recommend it. I hadn't realised that Wilkie Collins had written so many books. I love the way he creates different narrator voices ..."

:) I find it interesting how distinctive his style is, compared to Dickens or Trollope. I think that given a unknown passage of writing from one of these authors, you can tell which it is based on the language and style...

[Gökhan]

Just finished Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos by Michio Kaku

I recommend this book if you are interested in parallel universes, string theory, etc. Perfect for lay people. :)

[Tracey]

I have just finished my Book swap recommendation The Girl You Left Behind I would recommend it to people who like books about WW1 or 2 mixed up with a modern story If you like Jodi Picoults The Storyteller you will like The girl you left behind.

[Dhanaraj]

Finished an interesting book by an Egyptian author and a Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. It is supposed to be an autobiography. But it is not an autobiography in the normal sense. These are collections of reflection on the events in one's life. Try this book and it is interesting. The title is: Echoes of an Autobiography.

[dely]

Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished an interesting book by an Egyptian author and a Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. It is supposed to be an autobiography. But it is not an autobiography in the normal sense. These are col..."

Added it to my wishlist. I have read your review and it seems an interesting book. In a book I have recently read I had found the same expression about life: that it is made only by memories that will fade away. I don't remember in which book I have read it but I liked a lot this thought about life.

[Dhanaraj]

dely wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished an interesting book by an Egyptian author and a Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. It is supposed to be an autobiography. But it is not an autobiography in the normal sen..."

You will certainly love this book then. For Mahfouz at times uses wonderful images to describe memories or taken an ordinary event to describe the power that memories have over us. Try another excerpt if you are interested by clicking this link: http://dhivyadhanam.wordpress.com/201...

[dely]

Dhanaraj wrote: "dely wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished an interesting book by an Egyptian author and a Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. It is supposed to be an autobiography. But it is not an autobiography in t..."

Thanks! I will give a look to the whole blog as soon as possible. I hope I will remember in which book I have read about memory because now I will think about it till I don't remember it, argh!

[Alessia]

@Dhanaraj I added it to my to-read list too. I've read Miramar by Mahfouz, last year and really liked it. I loved the style and how he portrayed one single event through the eyes of different characters and it was also interesting to learn a bit more about Egypt. I'm planning to read his Cairo Trilogy next, even if I'm not sure which translation to choose (English or Italian). Have you read any other works by Mahfouz?

[LauraT]

Petra wrote: "I just finished reading Wit. It's a wonderful play of kindness and strength. I really enjoyed it. It hit a bit close to home (my mom passed away from Cancer) but it was a true look at..."
Never heard about it Petra, but if you've liked I'll give it a look: usually your suggestions are good ones!

[Dhanaraj]

Alessia wrote: "@Dhanaraj I added it to my to-read list too. I've read Miramar by Mahfouz, last year and really liked it. I loved the style and how he portrayed one single event through the eyes of d..."

Alessia, I have not read any other book by Mahfouz. It was my first and I liked it. I will have to look into his fiction for which he is most popular. I too had thought of his Cairo Trilogy and there is an Anchor edition of it. I think that would be good. I will have to look into MIRAMER too. Thanks.

[Dhanaraj]

dely wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "dely wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "Finished an interesting book by an Egyptian author and a Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. It is supposed to be an autobiography. But it is not an a..."

It happens many times and you are not alone. We remember a quote or an idea and then the book or the author escapes our mind.

[Amber]

I finished Redwallby Brian Jacques last night and it was a pretty good read. Here's my review if anyone wants to read it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[dely]

Today I've started and finished Embers by Sándor Márai and I absolutely recommend it! It has a wonderful prose, a deep insight in human nature and reflections about life, love and friendship.
I will surely read more by this author.

[Leslie]

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in civil rights or history or is living in the U.S.… It is only about 12 pages long and the text is available online. The narrator for the audiobook was a wonderful choice as his voice sounded like King's (very similar pitch and timbre).

[Angela M]

Just finished The Night Rainbow and i would certainly recommend it. Sad, lovely story told by a five year old girl .

[Shirley]

Angela wrote: "Just finished The Night Rainbow and i would certainly recommend it. Sad, lovely story told by a five year old girl ."

I'll be reading this soon, as someone in my book group has chosen it to be our next book, so it's good to hear you would recommend it.

[Angela M]

Shirley ,
I hope you like it . It's sad in many ways but really an interesting portrayal given that it is through the voice of a five year old .

[LauraT]

dely wrote: "Today I've started and finished Embers by Sándor Márai and I absolutely recommend it! It has a wonderful prose, a deep insight in human nature and reflections about l..."

By him I've been recomanded Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me. Still to go though