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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
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Tom
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Apr 11, 2015 08:01AM
Duly noted. My friend really likes the Dublin Saga so I will likely start there. Thanks for the nudge in that direction.
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Jean wrote: "I take this across all species. "Absolutely.
Tom wrote: "Duly noted. My friend really likes the Dublin Saga so I will likely start there. Thanks for the nudge in that direction."Glad I could help.
I'm with Chuck and Jean on the points they've made. Bottomline is: taking a sceptical attitude is not the same as being cynical. We need people like Christopher Hitchens to unravel hypocrisy in this world. Ultimately it is the truth that we aim for.
Alice wrote: "I'm with Chuck and Jean on the points they've made. Bottomline is: taking a sceptical attitude is not the same as being cynical. We need people like Christopher Hitchens to unravel hypocrisy in thi..."Well said Alice :)
Amen to Chuck, Alice, and Pink. One of the tests of a writer's integrity for me is that one respects and understands his/her views even if one disagrees. With Hitchens, I hate half of his views, and agree with the rest. Hitchens is definitely sceptical rather than cynical.
I've just finished The Belly of Paris. I didn't like it so much in the beginning, but I pressed on. In the end, I concluded that Zola still has a hold on my heart. I've explained why in my review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). What would be a first Zola to read, representative of his work, please?
Seen that I was the whole afternoon on the couch with a swollen knee I could finish the romance book I was reading, Butterfly Season by Natasha Ahmed.It isn't the kind of book I usually read and like but I wanted to give it a try. I received it for free from the publisher. It's a 1 star for me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
John wrote: "Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). What would be a first Zola to read, repres..."Many thanks John! Although I claim to be a fan of Emile Zola's, I haven't read that many of his works. Those that I read are: L'Assommoir (The Dram Shop), Nana, La Curée, The Belly of Paris, and Thérèse Raquin. The first four are from his well-known 20-volume Rougon-Macquart series, while the last one is a stand-alone novel.
I think Germinal(which I haven't yet read) and Nana and La Curée are the more popular ones.
Not sure if I've been of help :) I was first hooked on Emile Zola when I read La Curée. Then I did a little research on him and came to admire this author for what he did in the Alfred Dreyfus affair, about which there is an excellent novel by Robert Harris titled An Officer and a Spy, which I would highly recommend.
Alice wrote: "John wrote: "Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). What would be a first Zola to..."Thank you, Alice, you have. I've just bought the Complete Works e-books at a pittance (by Delphi, who are so good), but I was surprised to find The Fortune of the Rougons on my shelves, and see it's the first in the 20 book series (well-known, maybe, but not to me!). I will start with that, before trying Therese Raquin. Thanks again.
Good for you John! Happy reading! I find that each novel in the series can be read as a stand-alone :)
Mod
John wrote: "Alice wrote: "John wrote: "Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). What would be a..."Alice - thank you for the 'stand alone' point. Nice to know.
John wrote: "Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). What would be a first Zola to read, repres..."John; Jenny, Laura and I have a readalong of Germinal starting in midMay. You are very welcome to join us.
We are working our way through the Rougon-Maquart series.
I have completed The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. Unfortunately, even if the written text is very good, the narration by Annie Wauters was totally terrible and practically destroyed this book for me. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
I'm afraid it has not been translated, but it is an interesting view on WWI
Started and then soon dumped: Great Masters: Beethoven His Life And MusicMy review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I think you guys know I usually stick it out to the end of books, but this was just too much.
John wrote: "John wrote: "Alice wrote: "John wrote: "Alice - I have just read the review with interest and pleasure. Thank you. Have never read Zola (but have read Maupassant, Balzac, Daudet, Flaubert, etc). Wh..."Gill - thank you. I'll read The Fortune of the Rougons first, then see whether he's my cup of tea! If so, I will join you in Germinal. Ta.
Finished a horror book called Seed last night. I don't know, others seem to like it very much. I was a bit disappointed myself. Either my expectations were too high, or I've been reading too much literary fiction. Maybe both.
Chrissie wrote: "I have completed The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. Unfortunately, even if the written text is very good, the narration by Annie Wauters was totally terrible and practically ..."Shame the narration spoiled this. I've just had the same experience with The Beautiful and Damned, but after 50 pages I was fortunate enough to be able to switch to reading the book instead. The narrator is so important for audio, I really hate it when they spoil the book.
Read Elizabeth Is Missing which I found gripping. It's told in the first person by an elderly woman suffering from dementia and it moved me to tears at times.My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Joy, a brilliant review. I got a hardback copy a few months ago for 50p at a local library second-hand shelf. Just serendipity, and what a delight it was. Your review is spot on, but I hope people expecting a standard crime novel will persevere, because it has such added quality and insight. And a really good plot and denouement as well.
Joy wrote: "Read Elizabeth Is Missing which I found gripping. It's told in the first person by an elderly woman suffering from dementia and it moved me to tears at times.My review is here:
htt..."
A lot depends on our expectations when we approach a book so good point you mentioned, Joy.
Pink wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have completed The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. Unfortunately, even if the written text is very good, the narration by Annie Wauters was totally terrible..."I usually can concentrate on the written text and ignore the narration, but this time no.
Angela M wrote: "Finished Boo 5 stars . My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."Great review Angela!
I have been updating my personal challenge thread but realized this morning I have been neglecting this one.I finished Ruth by our seasonal author, Elizabeth Gaskell. I had to ditch the Librivox audiobook and finish by reading the Kindle book. I found the book too moralizing; my least favorite Gaskell so far. So I can't recommend either the audiobook or the book itself.
I have read a couple of plays: our Spring play Uncle Vanya (which has a marvelous full cast recording on Librivox) and a satire by G.B. Shaw called Fanny's First Play. I liked them both but the Shaw play was a little dated.
I reread Thurber's The 13 Clocks which I will highly recommend to anyone who likes whimsey or fairy tales.
Thanks , Leslie . It was definitely a unique story and I loved it .
I just finished Strife Of The Mighty: Book One Of The Chronicles Of Vrandalin which was a pretty good fantasy novel and a read for review indie ebook request from the author. Here's my review, enjoy!Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chrissie wrote: "I finished The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I just saw that you are now reading Fyodor Dostoyevsky so you seem to be on a Russian kick!
I was sorry to see you didn't much care for Kim but not surprised. Too bad the effort to get the Librivox recording didn't pay off though.
Leslie wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I finished The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I just saw that you are now reading [author:Fyod..."
Leslie, I put so much time and effort into Librivox.... BUT I still very much appreciate the help you and Sandy and Greg have given me. OK?! Please understand. I am a bit wondering if it is due to my old Ipod. It is on the way out, the central button is stuck all the time. I may try it again when I have the new one. Still, is it correct that you cannot listen to Librivox in the car? That is a huge bummer. You seem to need a WiFi connection when listening b/c it downloads as you go into a new chapter.
Yeah, I am into Russian books at the moment. I generally love Russian authors. Maybe it is because I have Russian blood on my father's side of the family. I have driven all the way to Moscow. What an experience! Long time ago.
Wow, you drove to Moscow? That is some road trip!Regarding the Librivox - WiFi thing, I have internet connectivity issues so I always download all the chapters of a book before starting it. Thus I could theoretically listen in the car; practically though, I have no way (other than headphones) to listen to my iPod in the car. But I do use it when out walking so it is good not to need the WiFi connection.
Leslie wrote: "Wow, you drove to Moscow? That is some road trip!Regarding the Librivox - WiFi thing, I have internet connectivity issues so I always download all the chapters of a book before starting it. Thu..."
We drove from Sweden to Moscow via Helsinki in 1972.
Using the Librivox app doe NOT put it all there on my Ipod. I guess it is just how the app functions.
I don't usually use the app, but I think that there is a place where you can tell it to download all the chapters (it doesn't happen automatically, you have to specifically tell it to do it each time). That's one reason I found it easier to just download to my computer and then import the files into iTunes.
Leslie wrote: "I don't usually use the app, but I think that there is a place where you can tell it to download all the chapters (it doesn't happen automatically, you have to specifically tell it to do it each ti..."I tried that first, Leslie! And it did work with that other one you helped me with! When I tried to do it the way you suggested with Kim, what got to my Ipod started with the 13th chapter, skipped a few chapters and repeated others. I was at wit's end. I had to try the app. Your way is better, if it works with the particular audiobook.
Just finished The Midwife's Revolt . 3.5 stars rounded to 4 .My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Regarding the Librivox - WiFi thing, I have internet connectivity issues so I always download all the chapters of a book before starting it. Thu..."
Chrissie and Leslie, I download them as well. There should be a download button in the app you can click next to each chapter. Once you download all the chapters, you don't need wifi to listen. But Leslie is right, you have to click the download button next to each chapter in the app (which I admit is pretty stupid). If you don't click on each chapter's download button, you need wifi to listen when using the app.
I have an AUX jack in my car; I bought a cable that connects from the iPod headphones connector to the car AUX jack connector. Then when I push play on my iPod it plays through the car speakers. If you don't have an AUX connector in your car, you can buy a special convertor to broadcast it and tune into it on a specific radio station, but I always get some static using that method. The direct connector works better.
It looks like this:
The AUX cable to buy looks like this:
The AUX jack in your car (if you have it) will be a hole that looks like this:
Greg, we have that AUX jack. What I did wrong was not clicking to download every chapter. Thank you for explaining.
Mod
At the moment this is all new stuff to me, and I'm sure it is very useful to many other readers here. But it will get LOST on this thread! Please can one of the mods either LINK the conversation (perhaps referencing the approximate comment numbers here) to the technical tips thread) or cut and paste, or rephrase the relevant bits etc. It's too much great info to just get left, surely! Especially since you put all that effort into those great pics, Greg.
I finished Notes from Underground. Fyodor Dostoyevsky really knows people. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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