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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
One was enough for me. I picked up a used copy for a dollar and I thought that was as much as should be paid.
Paula - thank you. I'll wait and see if I can pick up a second-hand version for £1 or less!
John wrote: "Have not heard of Aunt Dimity. So looked her up, and Nancy Atherton the authoress, on Wikipedia, and her heroine, Lori Shepherd. Then to the website 'Aunt Dimity's World.' A recipe for each of the ..."I would recommend trying to see if your library has any before spending money buying. I am not up on the current exchange rate, but £4.76 sounds pricey for these books...
John wrote: "Yes - $8, or €6."I checked my library, John. There are loads, including several in large print!
Gill - thanks, I'll go down that route.
I think Roderick commented on this book here a while ago: The Collector by John Fowles.Finished it this morning over breakfast (not a good idea for numerous reasons!!) and almost ran late for work. Great writer and a very good yet very disturbing book which will stick with me for a long time ('haunt me' might be more accurate)
I have read another book by Leonid Andreyev: Judas Iscariot and Others.It is the story of Judas from a different point of view though I wasn't that able to catch everything seen that I don't know that good Judas' story and also because I have read it in English and this time I had some problems to understand everything; I think I've missed something.
Jenny wrote: "I think Roderick commented on this book here a while ago: The Collector by John Fowles.Finished it this morning over breakfast (not a good idea for numerous reasons!!) and almost ran..."
Have you read The Magus? It is also compelling although less disturbing...
I finished The Day of the Triffids this morning -- excellent science fiction/apocalypse novel. One thing -- I kept waiting to hear that the green "comets" were caused by the triffids but that was only subtly suggested, never discussed outright.
I just finished The Bell Jar. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This had been sitting on my shelves WAY too long. Very glad I finally read it.
Mod
The Terra-Cotta Dog - Italian mystery set in Sicily; in addition to solving cases, Inspector Montalbano likes his food, swimming in the ocean, and spen..."
How do you find Montalbano Leslie? It 's one of our greatest contemporary character. We all love him in Italy, and his writer Camilleri. How was the language? He doesn't write a proper italian, but a sort of mixed labguage between italian and sicilian dialect. I really pity the translator!!!
There are also several tv adaptation with a really good italian actor Luca Zingaretti - give a look
http://www.montalbano.rai.it/dl/porta...
P.S. We do not have ocean to swim into in Italy!!! We swim in the mediterranean sea - that's why we can do it almost all year round, especially in Sicily where Montalbano lives!!!
I have just finished Pereira Maintains. I gave it 4 stars.Here's a link to my mini-review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
There's a book by an italian author I like a lot, Sebastiano Vassalli, Cuore di pietra, describing the "life" of a buiding in a medum sized city in Italy durng the whole of the last century. It reminds me a lot of this book you've read Paula
@Leslie, no I haven't read The Magus yet, but it is on my wish list!
LauraT - my wife and I love Montalbano, and wait for each new book (or translation, because they are a couple of years behind, still). Also have loved the television adaptations, and own them on DVD.We toured Sicily two years ago, and at least half of the 15 or so on the trip had been lured by reading Camilleri! One English girl, who had been partly educated in an Italian convent, was reading them in the 'Italian', and said the mixture of Italian and Sicilian was not easy.
Zingaretti is from Rome, isn't he? Does he put on a good Sicilian accent?
Mod
Zingaretti is from Rome, isn't he? Does he put on a good Sicilian accent? ."
The language Camilleri uses is not so simple t understand also for us italians, I can immagine for someone who cknows the langage but not as mothertongue! I reallly pity the translator of his books; I wooudn't know how to render it into english such a mix o words and phrases!
Zingaetti is from Rome - his brother is the president of the Lazio Region - but he is really good with the accent. And the characterswho speack most sicilian are Catarella and the other policemen, he speack quite a good italian - being a high policeman in the "questura" - only with an accent.
He is famous for his way of starting a phone call;he says "Montabano sono" [Montalbano am I] where in Italian we'd say "Sono Molntalbano" [I am Montalbano]
I completed Orwell's book on his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War. It was interesting to see how these experiences must have influenced his dislike of the Soviet Union and how he came to write 1984 and Animal Farm.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have finished my beach-read Selected Stories of Guy de Maupassant and it was a wonderful book. I really love Maupassant's writing style and the things he writes about peasants, bourgeoisie, sense of life, sense of death...there were different parts in the book, each one dedicated to one topic.
dely wrote: "I have finished my beach-read Selected Stories of Guy de Maupassant and it was a wonderful book. I really love Maupassant's writing style and the things he writes about peasants, bou..."I've added this! Thanks, dely.
Alice wrote: "dely wrote: "I have finished my beach-read Selected Stories of Guy de Maupassant and it was a wonderful book. I really love Maupassant's writing style and the things he writes about ..."I don't know if it is the exact edition I have read. Mine is an Italian edition and as it often happens with collections of short stories, the publisher decides which one to add in the book. My edition was pretty long, roughly 500 pages, so I hope there were more or less all this short stories.
LauraT wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I have finished a few mysteries:The Terra-Cotta Dog - Italian mystery set in Sicily; in addition to solving cases, Inspector Montalbano likes his food, swimming in the ..."
I have read a couple of these before & liked them, so I have decided to try to read more (especially as my dad owns several!). I like the balance between the police work and him as a person that Camilleri achieves. And Stephen Santarelli does a very good job with the translation (and includes an appendix with notes about some of the terms which would be unfamiliar to non-Silicians, which I appreciate!).
I just finished several books with a unifying theme of dealing with dementia in a parent or spouse. The fictional works were The Arsonist, and Life Drawing, both of which I liked tremendously. The dementia storyline is a secondary thread in both these books. Then I also read Jan's Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer's. This is a really good first-hand look at dealing with a spouse with dementia. For the last 10 years of my working life as a professional nurse I worked with dementia patients. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease when she was 93, and I became her caregiver for 6 months when my grandfather became too depleted to care for her alone. All 3 of these books were very realistic in their portrayals. (This was a totally unplanned convergence of themes in my reading.)
Paula wrote: "I just finished The Hundred-Year House. Here is my review.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Good review, Paula. I've added this to my tbr; which, itself, is more like a skyscraper than a house.
I finished Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the second of Ian McEwan's books that I've read and the man can write! His writing is wonderful and completely captivating. Saturday takes place in Henry Perowne's head. It's his life, his thoughts, his ideas, his interpretations. He's a middle-aged man of wealth and position. In a way, he feels a bit untouched by the world and yet 9/11 has changed things, too. He senses that change more than feels it. Then Change hits his life in a personal and real way.
McEwan knows how to pace a story and tell it well.
Mod
Liked it a loas well Petra. But still Atonement remains my first and favourite
Bette BookAddict wrote: "Terri, I have The Arsonist on my tbr. I love Sue Miller."
Bette, I've liked Sue Miller since I read The Good Mother many years ago. I think The Arsonist is my favorite work of hers.
Bette, I've liked Sue Miller since I read The Good Mother many years ago. I think The Arsonist is my favorite work of hers.
Laura, I really enjoyed both of McEwan's books. I don't know if I could pick a favorite between them. I sure am looking forward to reading others by him. I finished A Trick of the Light last night. Oh my.....was it good! The books that are set in the village of Three Pines are the best. This episode has moved up to be my favorite of the series so far. So, so good.
Mod
About to start the one you sent me!!!
I hope you enjoy it, Laura. Can't wait until you're further into the series.
I have just finished reading May the Road Rise Up to Meet You. I loved this story of an Irish immigrant, a Spanish immigrant, two slaves and how their paths cross.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've just finished reading Thérèse Raquin by Emile Zola, which I liked and disliked...My review:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished Hey Nostradamus! on my jog today. It was great! I'll be reading more of Douglas Coupland's books. Hey Nostradamus starts out with a high school massacre, told from the viewpoint of one of the victims. From there, it moves to her boyfriend years afterwards, his girlfriend and his father.
Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of each of these people. I listened to the audio and really enjoyed it.
Bette BookAddict wrote: "Paula wrote: "I just finished The Hundred-Year House. Here is my review.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Good review, Paula. I've added this to my tbr; which, it..."
Thank you Bette! And I know what you mean by having a skyscraper of a book pile.
Mine is more like the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
Petra wrote: "I finished Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the second of Ian McEwan's books that I've read and the man can write! His writing is wonderful and completely capti..."I'm a big fan of Ian McEwan. Atonement is probably in my top five. That being said, his books make me really uncomfortable! Even the books I like. I guess I take that as proof that he is an incredible writer. The most recent McEwan book that I read was The Cement Garden, which is one of his earliest works. I don't normally suggest this, but I think you can skip this one, especially if you really like him. If I hadn't read six of this other books prior to this one, then I doubt I would have picked him up again. I knew to expect dysfunction in his books, but this was just too much for me.
I have finished several books in the past two weeks. I've been too busy reading to post here!I didn't love The Secret History like I expected to. I think I suffered from high expectations. Or maybe I've just read a lot of books lately that I liked better. I'm probably in the minority here, but I preferred The Goldfinch.
I listened to Heft and loved it. I think it will end up being one of my favorites of 2014. The characters will stick with me for a while.
I finally read Wuthering Heights. I rated it three stars but feel like it might be worth another one. I did think it was well-written, even if I didn't like the main characters.
And I've really enjoyed the first two books of the Grisha trilogy, Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm. I guess I must be a big fan since I haven't stopped to read anything else. I hope to finish the final book tonight!
Angela - Just today I added that book to my to-read list. It does look an interesting read, good to hear you liked the story.Petra - I read Hey Nostradamus! a while ago now, my friend bought it for me. I've wanted to read more of his books for ages but have never got round to it.
Just finished Treasure Island the other day. I thought the characters were all great (especially Billy Bones!) but I found myself drifting towards the middle of the book and just wanted to finish reading it. I was torn between giving it a 3 or 4 star rating as it is really well written, the characters are great and I love anything to do with sailors/pirates but I gave it a couple of days to digest and went with 3.
I just finished reading The Complete Essex County this afternoon. I don't read graphic novels often but here are a few that catch my eye and I quite enjoy most of the ones I read. I find that I tend to lean towards autobiographies and histories, which are kind of interesting in graphic form. The pictures say more than the words at times.This book tells the multi-generational story of a couple of families living in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. There's a lot of hockey, family secrets, grief and reconciliation.
Of the three books included in this volume, I enjoyed the second one, Ghost Stories, the most; yet they were all good and come together nicely.
The drawings are so good. Jeff Lemire can put a lot of emotion into the eyes he draws.
Katie, I hope to read more of his books soon, too. I really enjoyed Hey Nostradamus! It was a good introduction to a new-to-me author.
Completed reading an Italian novel Elias Portolu (European Classics). I loved the linear style in which Deledda tells the story and this is a story about a person who struggles to take the right decision; who is afraid of social customs and for which sacrifices his personal desires. An interesting read.
Mod
I absolutely adored An Officer and a Spy. Charbel and Tweedledum loved it too, so I am not alone with this one. It restored by faith in historical fiction.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I did not like Émile Zola's Nana. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In fact I gave up after about 1/3 of the book. i couldn't take it any more. BORING!
Chrissie wrote: "I absolutely adored An Officer and a Spy. Charbel and Tweedledum loved it too, so I am not alone with this one. It restored by faith in historical fiction.My review: https://www.g..."
Wonderful review, Chrissie, I could really feel your enthusiasm for this tale. You have sold the book to me! Added to my tbr.
Bette, An Officer and A Spy is fantastic. You are going give it four or five stars. i am pretty darn sure! I will have to try others by this author....when I get around to it. Pompeii I can get, but for me the topic is a little less interesting than the Dreyfus affair. I knew nothing about Georges Picquart - which was a wonderful surprise, and I adored the ending. It put a smile on my face. There are good people.
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£4.76 on Kindle. Free sample reads well, but is it worth a punt, anyone?