What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews Showing 4,401-4,450 of 12,687

[Angela M]

Finished A Touch of Stardust. 3 stars . My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Colleen]

Just finished The Luminaries - loved it. A great mystery, a thoroughly thoughtful tale with much detail on the characters and scene. At 830 pages, it is certainly an investment, but well worth persevering until the end. A richly woven tale, a talented author with a great imagination and gift of story telling.

[dely]

Heather wrote: "I love reading books set in countries I'm visiting or planning to visit. I think it makes it all the more exciting to read them before and then brings back wonderful memories if you read it afterwards "

Yes, I agree! It's also interesting to read about historical characters who have lived there, or some historical non-fiction.

[Canadian Jen]

Just finished Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. A 5* read - here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[dely]

I have finished Ubik by Philip K. Dick. Though I don't like sci-fi and postmodern literature I wanted to give it a try. It isn't a bad book but it isn't the kind of book I like.
A short review, also in English: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Monica]

Sandy wrote: "Last night I finished reading Three Weeks by Elinor Glyn. Apparently, it was considered extremely risqué at the time at which it was written but by modern standards it..."

Thanks, Sandy...I'll bite. Added to my reading list and downloaded free Kindle version ;-)

[Julia]

I just finished Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide. I'm glad I read it as I'm trying to read more non-fiction, but I thought it was just so/so..

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

[Amber]

I finished Sins of a Priest and it was a pretty good horror priest novel.

[Chrissie]

Julia wrote: "I just finished Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide. I'm glad I read it as I'm trying to read more non-fiction, but I thought it was just so/so..

[bookc..."

Huh, just so/so doesn't sound that hot. Thank you.

[Shirley]

I've just finished reading The Guest Cat, which was quite enjoyable, but nothing special. I can't decide between two or three stars...

[Julia]

Chrissie msg.4500 - it was ok, but I kept going back and forth between that and a couple of other books. It didn't really keep me hooked enough to make want to read it "NOW".
But, it was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it.

[Chrissie]

Julia, huh, now you need a good book....... Thanks for the help.

[dely]

Shirley wrote: "I've just finished reading The Guest Cat, which was quite enjoyable, but nothing special. I can't decide between two or three stars..."

Good to know. I think it will stay at the bottom of my wishlist.

[Angela M]

Finished The Plum Tree. 4 stars . My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Evelyn]

I finished The Martian and I loved it. I gave it 5 stars because of the humour, references, and the fact that I ignored life in order to read!

[Leslie]

Shirley wrote: "I've just finished reading The Guest Cat, which was quite enjoyable, but nothing special. I can't decide between two or three stars..."

Oh too bad as I was looking for something by a Japanese author. I looked through my TBR and don't feel in the mood for Out...

[Leslie]

Sandy wrote: "How about Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, Laura?"

Someone in my rl bookclub sort of pooh-poohed that title when I brought it up. I suppose I could just read it and decide for myself.

[Amber]

Hey Leslie have you ever read Japanese Fairy Tales? that was a pretty good one.

[Petra]

Kitchen was good.

How about:
- Haruki Murakami I've only read 1Q84 and thought it was really good.
- Silence (haven't read it but heard its good)
- Spring Snow (the first of a series, I believe)

[Dhanaraj]

Try Y. Kawabata for his language....

Yukio Mishima is also good.

Yoko Ogawa is another strange writer.

SILENCE by S. Endo is a superb book.

[Julia]

Just finished reading The Life List. I thought it was just ok and only gave it 2 stars

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

[Shirley]

Leslie and dely, The Guest Cat is only a short read, so you may wish to try it sometime, especially if you are cat-lover. In other words, you may well like it more than I did!

[Tracey]

Finished The Golem and the Djinni really enjoyed it would recommend it **** from me :)

[Julia]

Tracey - I just started that.

[Tracey]

Julia I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The 2 main characters are very well realised and the supporting cast of characters adds layers to the story. :)

[Amber]

I just finished The Blue Castle and it was a pretty good read. I'll post my review later.

[Amber]

Here's my review of The Blue Castle, enjoy!

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

[Robin P]

Monica wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Just finished The Beekeeper's Apprentice; found it a bit boring ..."

Good feedback, Laura. This one is on my reading list, but I'm in no hurry to get to it."

I loved it and have read every one since! They made me better love everything about Holmes as well.

[Tom]

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel by A.J. Hartley and David Hewson (audiobook) - 5 Star Review.

[Joy]

Monica wrote: "Joy wrote: "I've just read Bellman & Black, which is the story of one man's life, set in Victorian England, with a supernatural and / or psychological element. I really enjoyed it ..."

I found your comments very interesting. (view spoiler)[ I agree with you and like your way of phrasing it, that 'Mr Black was a symbolic representation of our own foreboding'.It seems to me that Bellman's elaborately organised funerals are actually a way for him to avoid thinking about the dead person themselves; the rituals suppress thought and memory. The deliberate killing of the crow at the beginning seems to damage Bellman psychologically - although having said that there is the contradiction of him being a cheerful young man and one who loves his wife and children. Perhaps I'm wrong and it is the death of almost all his family that triggers his memory of his childhood killing of the crow and leads to him subconsciously seeing himself as being punished and being from then on unable to think and remember the past. Hmm.. still not sure! (hide spoiler)]

[Book Ninja]

Tracy have you written a review for the golem and the djinni? Could please share it here. I would like to read it.

[Tracey]

Rahat I only use my phone and have no idea how to put a review here :(
If you want to look on my page I did write my thoughts on it and I gave it 4 stars really really good book.

[Chrissie]

I just completed My Beloved World.

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

I admire the person tremendously, but the book didn't give me quite what I wanted.

[Bionic Jean]

I've been reading a great Art book Leonora Carrington: Surrealism, Alchemy and Art by Susan Aberth

Here is my review

[Noel]

Evelyn wrote: "I finished The Martian and I loved it. I gave it 5 stars because of the humour, references, and the fact that I ignored life in order to read!"

Glad to hear it was so good! I'm excited to read it; it's been on my priority list for awhile. Must be on a lot of people's priority lists because every copy in the nearby libraries always seems to be checked out. I'll place a hold eventually, but I'm supposed to be whittling through my own bookshelves anyway. :P

[Noel]

I just finished Ella Minnow Pea, which was absolutely wonderful - 5 stars from me. If you are a lover of words and linguistics, definitely read this book! I didn't realize at first that this is technically a dystopian novel, which made it even more exciting.

[Monica]

Amber wrote: "Hey Leslie have you ever read Japanese Fairy Tales? that was a pretty good one."

Amber, I agree, this was very well done. The translation by Yei Theodora Ozaki "westernized" the tales while keeping the "eastern" flavor.

[Monica]

Robin wrote: "The Beekeeper's Apprentice; I loved it and have read every one since! They made me better love everything about Holmes as well."

I'm intrigued enough by the contrasting views that I'll look for a copy at my library.

[dely]

Shirley wrote: "Leslie and dely, The Guest Cat is only a short read, so you may wish to try it sometime, especially if you are cat-lover. In other words, you may well like it more than I did!"

Thanks for your advice. I think it's really difficult to find good cat stories. I have a cat-challenge going on since three years and good books are very rare.

[GeneralTHC]

Any fans of literary fiction here considered this new book yet? It's supposed to be very good. A Little Life. It's over 700 pages.

[Angela M]

Chuck , I got an advance readers copy of this from NetGalley at the end of January but haven't gotten to it yet . I plan to read it soon . It is a long one but I thought it sounded like something I would like .

[Diane S ☔]

Shannon Noel wrote: "I just finished Ella Minnow Pea, which was absolutely wonderful - 5 stars from me. If you are a lover of words and linguistics, definitely read this book! I didn't realize at first tha..."

We read this for my in person book group and we all found if both profound and delightful.

[Diane S ☔]

I have it too Chuck, its size is intimidating. May start reading it slowly and over a period of time. It is getting very good reviews from the journals.

[Diane S ☔]

Finished 84, Charing Cross Road
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Leslie]

Diane S. wrote: "Finished 84, Charing Cross Road
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Great book! The movie with Ann Bancroft isn't bad either.

[GeneralTHC]

Diane S. wrote: "I have it too Chuck, its size is intimidating. May start reading it slowly and over a period of time. It is getting very good reviews from the journals."

Angela M wrote: "Chuck , I got an advance readers copy of this from NetGalley at the end of January but haven't gotten to it yet . I plan to read it soon . It is a long one but I thought it sounded like something I..."

Yes, it is getting some pretty amazing reviews all around. I'm thinking it may be just the type of book I've been hoping to find for a while now. I'll definitely be reading it soon.

[Joy]

Shannon Noel wrote: "I just finished Ella Minnow Pea, which was absolutely wonderful - 5 stars from me. If you are a lover of words and linguistics, definitely read this book! I didn't realize at first tha..."

I've read this and agree it's clever and good fun. If you liked it, you should try Jasper Fforde' s Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron

[Angela M]

Finished Saltwater Cowboys 4 stars (3.5 if I could ) My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Petra]

I finished reading Budapest Noir: A Novel, which was an interesting crime mystery. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Monica]

Plodded through The Ludwig Conspiracy...a 2-star read for me. There is a fascinating story somewhere deep within the pages...very, very deep. But the English translation did not work well for me. Perhaps too literal in places? Every other page something happened "suddenly"; the story itself is too cookie-cutter Dan Brown...tiresome.