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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
I read The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains and it was a pretty good read from Neil Gaiman.Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I've just finished reading Embers. Here's a link to my short review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gill wrote: "I've just finished reading Embers. Here's a link to my short review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Marai is really able to write! I've read also another book by him, semi-autobiograhpical, about his exile in Naples, but it hasn't been translated in English.
If you know other languages besided English, it is this one: Il sangue di san Gennaro. It isn't only autobiograhpical, it talks about a lot of things: his opinions about communism in Hungary, about the people, about religion and redemption, about Naples, about homeland...it is a wonderful book.
There is also a documentary about it but it's only in Italian. I however add the link if some Italian member is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGbc4...
Gill wrote: "I've just finished reading Embers. Here's a link to my short review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Thanks, Gill! I've added this to my TBR list. It sounds great.
I just finished Little Man, What Now? over the weekend. I really enjoyed this story. It's sweet and timely and historical, with humour and likeable, everyday characters. My review can be read here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
dely wrote: "Gill wrote: "I've just finished reading Embers. Here's a link to my short review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Marai is really able to write! I've read also anot..."
Thanks, Dely. I'm not bad at French, but I'm not really sure that I'll be up to reading the full book in that language. What a shame!
Chrissie wrote: "I ended up very impressed with FingersmithMy review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I am inspired and excited by your review. Can't wait to read the book. I might have to mosey on down to the secondhand bookshop today and see if she has it.
I had a hard time in the beginning, Bette, but by the end I was really liking it. I didn't give it four stars simply because I struggled so during the first half.
I have finished Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth. I start loving this author. This is the second book I read by him and liked both of them. I like above all the themes of his books but also his writing style.There would be a lot to say about this book and his topics so I add the link to my review, both Italian and English: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
On the way home today I finished listening to And the Mountains Echoed. What a beautiful story with wonderful characters!The woman who read the female stories is the same women who read The Blood of Flowers, which I also enjoyed. I may not remember her name but I remember her voice. It's very relaxing to listen to.
My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My rating of Fingersmith has been bothering me all night. Nope I am changing it to four stars. That is what it is worth. Here is the addendum which explains: ETA: No, this damn book IS worth four stars. I woke up early this morning worrying about my rating! Here is why I must give it four stars: I came to care deeply for three people: Susan, Maud and Mrs. Sucksby. Wait till you find out who exactly the last one is! They moved from being cardboard evil characters to people I felt compassion for. Yes all three of them. And look at all the other good things I have listed below!
Here is my whole review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Petra, the woman narrator in And the Mountains Echoed is Shohreh Aghdashloo. I thought she slurred and mispronounced words. I did not like the narration of the audiobook, although I did like the book and gave it three stars. The Blood of Flowers was for me worth four, but I read the paper version.
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I've read it, so I can't say for the "reading" of it; but it was a great book
LauraT wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Petra, the woman narrator in And the Mountains Echoed is Shohreh Aghdashloo. I thought she slurred and mispronounced words. I did not like the narration of the audi..."
I loved it as well in paper form
I loved it as well in paper form
dely wrote: "I have finished Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth. I start loving this author. This is the second book I read by him and liked both of them. I like above all the themes of his ..."The project Gutenberg version of this book seems only to be available in German as far as I can see. I'm going to keep having a look for it because it looks really interesting.thanks for the information and the review, dely
I enjoyed The Radetzky March by the same author.
Heather and Laura, have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? I think that is Hosseini's best, followed by The Kite Runner. He is an excellent writer and I tend to ask more of authors that have already written superb books. It is like I demand more and more. That is why I gave And the Mountains Echoed less.
Mod
Yes; read all by him. And I do agree with you
LauraT wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Heather and Laura, have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? I think that is Hosseini's best, followed by The Kite Runner. He is an excellent writer and I ..."I wonder if he is working on another?
Mod
Yesterday I finished reading We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.I write my reviews in Portuguese, but, to be short and simple, I'd recommend it specially to anyone who doesn't wish to have a child and has the society's prejudice on having children against them.
Chrissie wrote: "Petra, the woman narrator in And the Mountains Echoed is Shohreh Aghdashloo. I thought she slurred and mispronounced words. I did not like the narration of the audiobook, although I..."Thank you!
I really like her voice. I liked it in The Blood of Flowers and in this book. I found that her accent adds to the story and that this sometimes led to comical interpretations of the words for a moment or two; not a mispronouncing of words, I thought, but an accent. The best example I have is from Blood of Flowers, when the narrator says "rugs", it sounds like "rocks". I found that humorous and not a hindrance to the story.
Hosseini is a good writer. I've read A Thousand Splendid Suns and still have The Kite Runner to look forward to.
LauraT wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Heather and Laura, have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? I think that is Hosseini's best, followed by The Kite Runner. He is an excellent writer and I ..."I agree he's a great author, but his books are just too similar. I would really enjoy it if he came up with something different.
I just finished Dennis Lehane's latest book in the Coughlin series, World Gone By. I'm not sure exactly what it is about Lehane, but I find his storytelling pretty captivating.
Gill wrote: "dely wrote: "I have finished Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth. I start loving this author. This is the second book I read by him and liked both of them. I like above all the t..."Here on GR I've seen English editions but of course I don't know if they are easily available. I couldn't find, for example, and Italian translation but it doesn't matter, I know German, and have decided to read as much as possible in the original language this year.
Chuck wrote: "I just finished Dennis Lehane's latest book in the Coughlin series, World Gone By. I'm not sure exactly what it is about Lehane, but I find his storytelling pretty captivating."Kind of an interesting story about Lehane. He spoke at a local bookstore a while ago, can't remember what book he was promoting but he is a very good and entertaining speaker. Anyway he said when he told his father he was going to write fiction, his father told him not to give up his day job. Wonder what his father thinks now? For some reason that just stuck in my memory.
dely wrote: "Gill wrote: "dely wrote: "I have finished Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth. I start loving this author. This is the second book I read by him and liked both of them. I like ab..."I really need it in a largeprint or ebook form, dely, so that further complicates it.
Diane S. wrote: "Finished Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitaniahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
5-stars--yay! This is kind of the story I really enjoy as an audiobook.
After what seemed like weeks of not making any progress, I have finished up several books over the last few days. Of those, Wolf Totem was the best. I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, China or ecological systems.
I also highly recommend Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories to Christie fans and Golden Age mystery lovers.
The audiobook of Tales of the City was a fun, light read. This peek into life in the pre-AIDS bohemian lifestyle of 1970s San Francisco won't appeal to everyone especially those who dislike bad language.
I read the play The Duchess of Malfi written by Shakespeare's contemporary John Webster. I also watched a performance on YouTube and would recommend watching that over reading the text. I am not really a fan of tragedy so those who like them would probably enjoy this more than I did.
Gill wrote: "I really need it in a largeprint or ebook form, dely, so that further complicates it. "
I had forgotten about this, sorry!
Charbel wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Heather and Laura, have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? I think that is Hosseini's best, followed by The Kite Runner. He is an excellen..."I agree with you Charbel. He needs to step out of his comfort zone. Plus I didn't really like his third book. The first two were different stories although within the same area. But the last one was very boring and dry.
I’ve just read The Miniaturist which is set in Amsterdam in the mid 17th century. For me the strength of the book lies in the convincing historical and geographical setting. Stylistically it has hints of both Tracy Chevalier and Joanne Harris. The title refers to a shadowy figure, a maker of exquisite doll’s house furniture, who seems to have some power to foresee or possibly control events in the lives of some of the characters.
Joy wrote: "I’ve just read The Miniaturist which is set in Amsterdam in the mid 17th century. For me the strength of the book lies in the convincing historical and geographical setting. Stylist..."I have that in my shelf, sounds interesting, will read it soon, thanks!
I've heard some negative things about The Miniaturist, Joy, but your comments make it sound great. I have it on my audible account so will look forward to starting it at some point
I read The Miniaturist a few months ago and didn't like it at all.
dely wrote: "Gill wrote: "dely wrote: "I have finished Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth. I start loving this author. This is the second book I read by him and liked both of them. I like ab..."So you speak Italian, German and English? I'm impressed!
B the BookAddict wrote: "So you speak Italian, German and English? I'm impressed! "And French. Also Swiss German though it is only a spoken language and I started a Spanish course five months ago :D
Yes, I like languages so I can chat with everyone around the world!
I'm impressed too, how awesome to know so many languages.Finished The Pocket Wife
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Beth wrote: "I read The Miniaturist a few months ago and didn't like it at all."I just finished it this week, I wanted to like it more than I did......although I did really enjoy the historical bits about merchant trade in that place and time, I found the miniaturist to be too ghostly and shadowy of a character - I wanted the story to be about her, as I thought it would be from the title
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All About Books
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It's a very short book and Stanley Kubrick took inspiration from it for the screenplay of Eyes Wide Shut.
It talks about a married couple in which both fantasize about betraying the partner. Both are also jealous about the erotic fantasies or dreams of the other about which they talk freely.
The book makes you think about how much truth can be found in dreams and fantasies and how much oneirism can be found in reality.
It was an interesting read and I gave it 3 stars.