All About Books discussion
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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
Leslie, I don't know if you are able to access the BBC iPlayer Radio, or whether their version of Rumpole is even still available, but they have previously broadcast a fantastic productions of Rumpole. Benedict Cumberbatch & Timothy West playing the younger/older Rumpoles. I really enjoyed them anyway! I couldn't get it to work but I'm technologically challenged!http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p9l1s
Chatterjak wrote: "Leslie, I don't know if you are able to access the BBC iPlayer Radio, or whether their version of Rumpole is even still available, but they have previously broadcast a fantastic productions of Rump..."Thanks Chatterjak! I do have access but those episodes have expired. But they do rerun things occasionally so I will watch for them.
I have just finished Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald and Towers of DeceptionTowers of Deception: The Media Cover-up of 9/11 and while the first one kept me intensely interested tho' skeptical at first, it left me believing it to be probably true. The second was hard work and I skipped ahead quite a lot. Too much philosophizing about how the human brain interprets bad news etc. and not enough just plain facts to convince me. Both books left me feeling depressed at the human race so I'm off to something lighter,They Left Us Everything: A Memoir
I just finished readingReady Player One
Absolutly loved it
Written for You
Really liked it
The Golem and the Jinni
Liked it a lot but it was a little long
Need good book now nothing onmy list
I completed The Wives: The Women Behind Russia's Literary GiantsMy review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Chatterjak wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "Diane S. wrote: "I never blindly follow, anyone, but from every book at least one good idea comes. Strengthening area muscles is a good thing I think, but you are right so..."Can we switch to the health and medicine thread. I have a few questions.
I've just finished God Help the Child by Toni Morrison and it's quite good. Heavy subject matter and wonderful writing as usual for her.
I've just finished my first Per Petterson in I Refuse. Sad to report that I came away less than thrilled. I've heard so many good things about Norwegian authors as of late. I'm going to keep looking.
Chuck, few authors can deliver whopper after whopper. My favorite, even better than his most famous Out Stealing Horses, is To Siberia. It is about the relationship between a brother and sister set of course in the Scandinavia. Maybe it helps to have lived in the area to understand how well he describes the area.
dely wrote: "Corinne wrote: "Gill, how do you explain that she can imagine such pervert and unhealthy situations in her books, this is coming from her mind, right ? she could have choosen to write differently t..."I totally agree with you, Dely when you say : Sometimes some authors give to the readers what could work. If a book full of perversions sells then an author may write it. That is my point, we should be asking much more from a writer. As a reader, we should be asking for a better literature quality.We need writers with strenght, a vision.. not sellers . isn't it ?
Jean wrote: "I too take the view that an author is different from their writing. But I am heartily glad, all the same, that my other half writes silly, humorous books about dwarves and wizards, and not someth..."
I agree with you, we are all different. And I think that Dely is right when she says that if a book full of perversions sells then an author may write it. That is precisely my point : why should we accept this kind of garbage ..
Corinne wrote: "As a reader, we should be asking for a better literature quality.We need writers with strenght, a vision.. not sellers . isn't it ? "I agree, but they shouldn't turn into didactic lessons or get soppy! STILL, I do think an author can write an excellent book about a tricky subject. Nabokov is a stupendous writer and his book Lolita is superb. That is my view.
Corinne wrote: "That is my point, we should be asking much more from a writer. As a reader, we should be asking for a better literature quality.We need writers with strenght, a vision.. not sellers . isn't it ? "To tell the truth it's plenty of good books and good authors. I don't feel I must ask something to authors, I prefer to stay away from books I may not like. There are a lot of readers who enjoy that kind of books and I'm no one to say what they must read and appreciate, what is amazing and what isn't. I think people should be free to read what they want.
It isn't easy to find excellent authors, you can't think that every author will always write only good books so we can't pretend or ask anything. Sometimes people want also read easy and light books.
I can make only choices for myself and decide what I should read. Until I can find good literature that I enjoy, I don't feel I must pretend from writers anything.
dely wrote: "I prefer to stay away from books I may not like. There are a lot of readers who enjoy that kind of books and I'm no one to say what they must read and appreciate, what is amazing and what isn't. I think people should be free to read what they want."Dely, that I agree with too! I say let there be tons of different kinds of books, so everyone is happy. Reading is better than a lot of other bad habits. If writing I do NOT appreciate is desired by others, that is fine by me.
Chrissie wrote: "Dely, that I agree with too! I say let there be tons of different kinds of books, so everyone is happy. Reading is better than a lot of other bad habits. If writing I do NOT appreciate is desired by others, that is fine by me. ";-)
I've just finished Manuscripts Don't Burn for the 2015 Bingo Challenge.★★★★★
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tom wrote: "Finished The Martian by Andy Weir 4 Stars"Four stars sounds pretty good. Did you write a review?
Tom wrote: "Finished The Martian by Andy Weir 4 Stars"My OH was given a copy of this as part of the World Book Night giveaway. I might read it too.
Corinne wrote: "That is precisely my point : why should we accept this kind of garbage .. "Why should anyone accept your view about any given book being garbage? Is writing books a sport or a competition in that we can objectively measure somehow what's good or what's bad? It seems to me it's very subjective.
Chuck wrote: "Corinne wrote: "That is precisely my point : why should we accept this kind of garbage .. "Why should anyone accept your view about any given book being garbage? Is writing books a sport or a com..."
Good one, Chuck!
Chuck I was thinking about your love for the book The Sense of an Ending, which I also loved. Anyway I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also loved this mans writing. Just a thought.And I agree books and writing are subjective, there is much good out there and yes, much terrible but no one is forcing us to read anything we don't want to. We are so lucky that way.
Diane, look at your spelling of Chuck......it made me laugh!
Aw, I thought she was trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers with a nice friendly endearment ... ;)
Diane S. wrote: "... I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also loved this mans writing. Just a thought."I sure haven't, Diane. I've actually had the whole series on my TBR for while, though. I presume it can be read as a standalone?
Jean wrote: "Aw, I thought she was trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers with a nice friendly endearment ... ;)"Chick, ruffled feathers. You all will have me laying eggs in no time, heh.
It's actually pretty amazing what a very common typo that is.
Diane S. wrote: "Chick I was thinking about your love for the book The Sense of an Ending, which I also loved. Anyway I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also loved this mans w..."Diane, I've just finished Benediction by Kent Haruf and read it as a stand-alone novel. It's wonderful stuff.
Bette, OK, I have to read it. Jean and Chick, pretty funny, huh?
Chrissie wrote: "Diane, look at your spelling of Chuck......it made me laugh!"Saw it and fixed it. Made me laugh too.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Diane S. wrote: "Chick I was thinking about your love for the book The Sense of an Ending, which I also loved. Anyway I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also ..."So glad you liked it, I am going to miss his wonderful stories.
Chuck wrote: "Diane S. wrote: "... I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also loved this mans writing. Just a thought."I sure haven't, Diane. I've actually had the whole series on my TBR for while, though...."
Sure, just thought you might find a little bit of Barnes in his honesty. Sorry about the chick, will try to type better.
Diane S. wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Diane S. wrote: "... I wondered if you had read Benediction, I also loved this mans writing. Just a thought."I sure haven't, Diane. I've actually had the whole series on my TBR for ..."
Yes, yes, thank you for the recommendation! And the name thing is SO not an issue. It happens ALL the time. Thanks again! :)
Tom wrote: "Finished The Martian by Andy Weir 4 Stars"I bought it yesterday because it was an amazon sale for 99 cents and I've heard only good things about it. Hope to start it soon.
I just finished The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters and didn't care for it. I read it for one of my in person book clubs and thought that it dragged in places and was very long. I think that she's a good writer but it's just that she's not my good writer.
Susan wrote: "I've just finished Manuscripts Don't Burn for the 2015 Bingo Challenge.★★★★★
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I missed this comment yesterday! What an interesting review and what an interesting book.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. 4+ stars . My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
dely wrote: ""I missed this comment yesterday! What an interesting review and what an interesting book."
Thanks! It's a must-read for anyone interested in Bulgakov, the Soviet period, or Russian literature in general.
Ann wrote: "I just finished The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters and didn't care for it. I read it for one of my in person book clubs and thought that it dragged in places and was very long. I think that she's a ..."I haven't read that one, but I sure enjoyed The Little Stranger.
I didn't like The Little Stranger either. I guess I'm just not a Sarah Waters fan.
I loved "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters. The setting was Victorian London and the descriptions of how people loved, rich and poor, made me want to take a hot shower after reading it, with lots of soap!
Not loved, lived! Stupid auto correct on my phone- and I can't edit in the Good reads app!
I finished the Lisa Scottoline book I was reading: Every Fifteen Minutes. Very good genre fiction. It took a while to get going, but once it did I thought it was very good.
I just finished my first Toni Morrison book: God Help the Child. It's pretty amazing by how much story she packs into such a small book. It's like the ideal literary fiction book, IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if it won the Pulitzer.
Chuck , wow what an endorsement! Have it and now can't wait to read it !
Loved god help, the child and yes for so, short a book it sure cover much, I liked Little Stranger which is the only Waters I have read. Still half way done with Paying Guests, reading Sisters of Heart and Snow, which I am liking very much.
Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved which is a stunning novel. I haven't read her latest.
Hi chatterjak. I think you wrote and told me that Wuthering Heights is on audio BBC 4? I tried to reply on my ebook which is not playing "cricket" just now and kept freezing on me. Then when I went to the computer your post was gone! Can't find it anywhere or was I dreaming. anyway, I am going to check out BBC4 online, so far I only get BBC FM 100.9 from London on my computer, and I love this station, listen to it all the time. Thanks if you did post! When I lived in England I joined the Bronte Society and went up to Haworth spending a day at the parsonage and the village. amazing to see some of their actual journals.
dely wrote: "Corinne wrote: "That is my point, we should be asking much more from a writer. As a reader, we should be asking for a better literature quality.We need writers with strenght, a vision.. not sellers..."I agree with the point that, to write a crime novel, the writer doesn't have to be a criminal. But, what I am trying to point out here is that there are two categories of writers when it comes to dealing with writing about crimes:
In the first category, you have someone like Victor Hugo, who can first see things from Jean Valjean's point of view, i.e, why he steals and thinks his actions are justified; and then Victor Hugo can rise above all crimes, to create a character like The Bishop who, by his actions of generosity alone and no blah-blah of moral lessons, shows Jean Valjean a fresh light of what's right, an action so powerful that it ultimately forces Jean Valjean to give up his crime and care for the humanity.
In the second category, you have writers like Mary Higgins Clark and Karin Slaughter, who no doubt understands their characters' criminal motivations with keen insights, but then, instead of rising above these crimes, they sink these characters even deeper into their crimes, and let things end in a total despair.
Now, you may say it's not the writer's responsibility to show us the light of life, but, at least, you can see that these two categories of writers don't have the same impact on our psyche. All I'm saying is: what a writer writes truly reflects his or her soul.
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Thanking my lucky stars for the British NHS right now, Lyrica changed my life once I got used to it & the side effects lessened. Changed my life from unbearable chronic pain to a level I can live with, and no longer need opioid meds to make life bearable. Living in Wales means my prescriptions are free, a reminder to be very grateful, sorry it's a bit off topic!