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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
I finished The Monsters Of Templeton by Lauren Groff; just average. 3★My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
@Kristi , I'll be interested in knowing what you think of Neverhome when you read it . I just can't stop thinking about this book - it's pretty amazing .
Angela wrote: "@Kristi , I'll be interested in knowing what you think of Neverhome when you read it . I just can't stop thinking about this book - it's pretty amazing ."I can't wait to read it!
Just blew me away Bette . I would be surprised if you didn't love it .
I have just read...Mr. Mercedes
by Stephen King.
It's his latest novel and trying to do something out of the general horror genre and describing himself the novel as his first "hard-boiled" detective novel.
It was a good book and I can recommended to be read but I didn't find it great.
Check my review on the link.
@excellent review, Alejandro.
A novel I read late last year and worth a mention here: So Much for That by Lionel Shriver 4★My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished Time of the Locust a five star read for me. The author uses magical realism to get into the mind of an autistic boy and the other characters who are all trapped is some way.Very intense and gritty. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read two books over my holiday alongside continuing with Nicholas Nickleby.
The Sense of an Ending- I really liked this. I read it for a newly started real life book club. The first half I found really quite funny and then the second half in contrast was quite dark at times. Overall I gave the book 4*s and would definitely recommend
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While. A very short (30 pages) prequel to this series which was fairly interesting. Only worth reading if you've enjoyed any of the others in the series which I would recommend.
I also finished The Fire Engine That Disappeared, another book in the Martin Beck series which I enjoy. This was my least favourite of the 3 I've read so far but still a recommended read.
The Sense of an Ending- I really liked this. I read it for a newly started real life book club. The first half I found really quite funny and then the second half in contrast was quite dark at times. Overall I gave the book 4*s and would definitely recommend
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While. A very short (30 pages) prequel to this series which was fairly interesting. Only worth reading if you've enjoyed any of the others in the series which I would recommend.
I also finished The Fire Engine That Disappeared, another book in the Martin Beck series which I enjoy. This was my least favourite of the 3 I've read so far but still a recommended read.
I loved The Sense of an ending. Says so much in a short book.
I've finished Sisters in the Wilderness, which was an interesting look at pioneers in a very young Canada. These two particular sisters and their husbands were quite unprepared for the rawness of the new world. It was interesting to see how they adapted and how their lives went.Last night I finished Charles Dickens. It was really well-written and interesting. It's a bit heavy on Dickens' professional/writing life and a bit skimpy on his personal/family life....but that's how it's described in the blurb, so I was somewhat prepared. I enjoyed this look at Dickens.
I agree, it was incredibly well written to fit it all in. My boyfriend is a philosophy graduate so I was reading lots of first half quote out loud to him.
I've just added Time of the Locust to my TBR after your review as it looks excellent
I've just added Time of the Locust to my TBR after your review as it looks excellent
Shirley wrote: "Heather, I too liked The Sense of an Ending very much."Me three! Love Julian Barnes.
My last and most recent read is The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov. This is the short story he wrote before writing Lolita. I have read Lolita last year ( I believe, I can't recall exactly the time I have read it), and liked it very much. It is very difficult to appreciate this type of literature, given the fact that its entire consistency circles around the idea of pedophilia, and -as an after-effect, around the necessary feeling of sexuality, that is always very different and always depends on too many circumstances (of which ”nature” is not excluded). Even so, I enjoy Nabokov's style very much - the passion he used for writing these pieces is ravaging -and if it is to talk about it, I suppose that its style is what I appreciate the most... though it's not only that, but also the power, self-consciousness, and courage of writing something like this. Such pieces indisputably attract critics and amiss opinions (with regard to its subject, of course) -it is probably rather hard to write about something like this... I admire Nabokov very much for this fact.Putting aside the sensible subject and what might come after it, I have to say ”The Enchanter” is a very good, passionate read, almost maniacal and, without a doubt, a frail piece.
I've just finished reading The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo. It's a novella which represents Hugo's emotional and eloquent appeal for the abolition of the death penalty (in 19th century France). I have nothing but respect for the author for his heartfelt concern about the value of life; all the more for his unflinching conviction in the times he lived in.My review:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished Puck of Pook's Hill. This is a children's book, though I can't imagine modern children liking it. However I enjoyed it. It features two children who accidentally come into contact with Puck (fairy from Midsummer's Night's Dream) and he introduces them to characters from historical periods, who tell the children their stories. The characters aren't famous people but those on the edge of famous events; soldiers guarding Hadrian's Wall, nobles from around 1066 etc. Each episode is also preceded by a poem (of Kipling's own) some of which are very good. I was interested to find that a poem I knew from childhood (Smuggler's Song) originated here, and I really liked the poem 'Harp Song of the Dane Women'. I doubt that modern children would know enough history to make this book comprehensible - in fact I had to google for information a number of times, but enjoyed doing this. I also liked the idyllic short scenes of childhood - the children running out to play imaginative games, unrestricted by adults or health and safety concerns - it reminded me a bit of E. Nesbit's fictional children (and indeed my own delightful childhood a bit!)
I have just finished I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller. It had a cracking plot and was very well researched. But there were large sections of it that I thought were poorly written. The author Terry Hayes has worked on several film scripts (including Mad Max 2), and the book read like preparation for a film in many parts.
Joy wrote: "Just finished Puck of Pook's Hill. This is a children's book, though I can't imagine modern children liking it. However I enjoyed it. It features two children who accidentally come into contact wit..."I suppose I'm old enough to have been taught English history from Ancient Britons to WWII, so Puck of Pook's Hill was, and remains, a treasure, although I didn't read it until I was, maybe, 45.
You probably know there's a sequel - Rewards and Fairies - which is better still, I think. It's about what being human means, and combines childhood fantasy and history. A lovely evocation of Sussex, too.
I must read both again this summer.
Ramona wrote: "My last and most recent read is The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov. This is the short story he wrote before writing Lolita. I have read Lolita last year ( I believe, I ca..."Ramona, you have certainly got me interested in this one. I read Lolita about 25yrs ago and it is the only Nabokov book I have read. I have added The Enchanter to my TBR.
Bette BookAddict wrote: "Ramona wrote: "My last and most recent read is The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov. This is the short story he wrote before writing Lolita. I have read Lolita last year ( ..."Well, I am glad I did. It is very short, it has around 100 pages, so you should get through it quite fast. I think it is indeed catchy, in a way more than Lolita could ever be (it is shorter, and yet you seem to understand so much out of it - or maybe this is the impression one gets while reading The Enchanter AFTER experiencing Nabokov's Lolita).
I read both and in the Enchanter, I felt he was a little more predatory and she was much more innocent. Did you get that impression?
Diane S. wrote: "I read both and in the Enchanter, I felt he was a little more predatory and she was much more innocent. Did you get that impression?"Yes, in a way I did. It is as if the entire expression of Lolita is underlined better in The Enchanter - as if their true roles have been revealed in the short story. An outcome I fancy with.
Yup, I liked The Son.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read it if you are interested in knowing what makes a Texan Texan. It does have very violent episodes, but they are well written.
I finished #7 in the original James Bond series, Goldfinger. While Bond continues to be more interesting in the books than the films, Fleming gave him some unpleasantly misogynist views towards the end of this book that bothered me and felt somewhat out of character for Bond. However the main plot was very good & worth reading.
Alice wrote: "I've just finished reading The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo. It's a novella which represents Hugo's emotional and eloquent appeal for the abolition of the death penalty (..."Some days ago I wanted to buy it, it was very cheap but it had such a little font, it was impossible to read. Hope to find again a good deal with a bigger font!
I have just read...Chess Story
by Stefan Sweig.
I recommend it a lot, you can check my review on the link (there aren't spoilers) ;)
Finished reading : Cicada by Moira McKinnon 5★My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Highly recommended.
I know that many love Thomas Hardy. Although I recognize his English proficiency, I find his writing too wordy and the themes of his stories kind of boring, too simplistic for my tastes. I could only muster two stars.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am glad I have tried him though.
I've already sang praise for this on the poetry thread, but I thought I post about this here as well. I've finished Return to my Native Land by Aimé Césaire a few days ago which is a wonderfully powerful, tender and angry poem dealing with colonialism and a sort of poetic manifesto for the 'negritude' movement. It's long enough to feel almost like a poetic essay which might make it appeal to those who don't really find pleasure in reading through poetry collections or selections. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ramona wrote: "My last and most recent read is The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov. This is the short story he wrote before writing Lolita."Oh, interesting, I didn't know Lolita came after a short story with the same subject matter. I read Lolita last winter and despite the uncomfortable subject, the actual writing itself was very beautiful. Is The Enchanter worth reading if I've already read Lolita though? Is it basically the same thing but shorter?
I finished The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins yesterday. This was my second experience with Collins, and I have really liked what I've read. He was a friend of Charles Dickens, and I find his novels to be much more readable than those by Dickens. I definitely recommend The Moonstone (as well as The Woman in White) to those who enjoy classics and mysteries.
I finished A Calculated Life last week. I'm a big fan of dystopian novels, but this was only OK for me. I didn't think it was quite developed enough. Good ideas but missing some spark.
Jenny wrote: "I've already sang praise for this on the poetry thread, but I thought I post about this here as well. I've finished Return to my Native Land by Aimé Césaire a few days ago which is ..."Jenny, I've ordered it from my library after reading your review (they only have the English version but not the French)!
Completed reading a crime novel by P. D. James titled An Unsuitable Job For A Woman. It was a racy entertainer with an engaging mystery. A perfect summer read.......
Alice wrote: "Jenny wrote: "I've already sang praise for this on the poetry thread, but I thought I post about this here as well. I've finished Return to my Native Land by Aimé Césaire a few days..."Enjoy!! Which translation did you get?
I finished Ursula K. Le Guin's classic fantasy/sci fi novel, The Dispossessed. I would definitely recommend it for those interested in differing forms that societies can take. Probably would appeal to fans of dystopian novels even though this isn't itself dystopian.
Mod
Glad you liked them. They are my favoyurite by him, even if I have to say I likes also many more titles!
I have completed Blindness. It is not a pleasant read and it is not supposed to be. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have just read...Elizabeth is Missing
by Emma Healey
I recommend it and you can check my review on the link (there aren't spoilers).
Kristi wrote: "I finished The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins yesterday. This was my second experience with Collins, and I have really liked what I've read. He was a friend of Charles Dickens, and I find ..."Two of my favourite reads, ever, and I happen to LOVE Charles Dickens, and totally get the dark/tragedy Dickensism surrounding his works of literature.
I definitely liked When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine. The topic may be about death, but it is about good, moral, religious people. It is serious, but you will also laugh. My spoiler-free review for those who want to know a bit more: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished Lovely, Dark and Deep - what a disappointment! It started off promising but got really boring. I had to force myself to finish it and skimmed through the last 1/3 of it. Characters = unlikeable. The only thing that it had going for it was that it was very well written. It was almost lyrical in parts. Not even going to review it because I have nothing else other than that to say about it!
Njahhhhh..... I didn't like The Death of Ivan Ilych, just plain not that interesting. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished The Ask and the Answer. It was good but was slow going at first. I will read the last book of that series as a much later time but that one and the knife of never letting go are good.
Chrissie wrote: "Njahhhhh..... I didn't like The Death of Ivan Ilych, just plain not that interesting. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
This surprises me! Given that you like Fyodor Dostoyevsky, I would have predicted you liking that novella.
I just finished the audiobook of The Orchid Affair, which is #8 in a series. Sadly, I felt this one was predictable & nowhere near as good as the earlier books. 2 ★
Leslie wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Njahhhhh..... I didn't like The Death of Ivan Ilych, just plain not that interesting. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
This surprises me!..."
Well, I don't like Tolstoy as much as either Dostoyevsky or Turgenev. Dely recommended I try Resurrection, so I added it to my lists. It has the same theme as Ilyich and is longer, more fully developed. I usually dislike short books. As soon as I get to know the guys in a short novel, wham it is done and over.
I really liked Ivan Ilych. I thought it packed such a lot into a short book with lots to think about it
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My..."
I will definitely want to read this in September. I'm on a Civil War kick right now. Thanks for the review, Angela.