Booker Hit List - Girish and Vimal (feat Syl and Srividya) Showing 501-550 of 1,017

[Ahtims]

I may be slow. My son is threatening to take back the 2 books he borrowed for me with a dejected face ... I promised him I will read those first.

[Pranjali]

done with first chapter :)
the blurb says its “Oliver Twist with a twist"
guess we'll have to see...

[Jaya]

Started! Only at 2%
Will be going slow, though

[Vimal]

I'm going quite slow. The narration is good. Reached the part where after serving up some pastry, the Gentleman shows the meat and instructs how Susie must cook it.

[Ahtims]

Am only at 7%, but immensely enjoying. The writing is of old world quality, though not very flowery.

[Jaya]

Same as pscho(spren) :P at 7-8%

[Ahtims]

Same pinch :-)
But will read it seriously, and start Nighr circus , once done with Azincourt , which may need a couple more reading hours.

[Girish, The Good cop]

Just reached part 2 and can't wait for you all to get there! :D *wide grin*

(view spoiler)[
Did not see the twist coming and caught me completely off-guard like a well directed blow to the mid-riff :D (hide spoiler)]

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Am around 40%. Girish, I too was shocked at what happened at the end of part 1. (view spoiler)[reading Maud's story and how she met Gentleman and how they made the Plan. (hide spoiler)]

[Vimal]

Am still at 10%. Got an inkling of what could go wrong with the plan and how and who's gonna be the 'villain' for Gentleman, while reading the rather elaborate description of the lady's maid's responsibilities by Gentleman. Got to see if it is that or something else altogether.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

has anyone crossed 50%?

[Ahtims]

Am at 15% - enjoying it , but not getting time for uninterrupted read.

[Pranjali]

same as Smitha, with 15%......
Been busy with work and other reads, will be able to continue at this pace only -_-

[Girish, The Good cop]

manju- crossed 50%. Liking it. maybe a little lesser than part 1

[Jaya]

Only at 12%, will take up over tge weekend...

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Girish wrote: "manju- crossed 50%. Liking it. maybe a little lesser than part 1"

Same here. Didn't like the repetition of events though I liked the PoV.

[Ahtims]

Am at 50% - part 2 started with a shocker. But yes, i too Liked POV of Sukeymbetter and was shocked at the end of psrt 1 - never saw that coming.
The pace of the book has really slowed, as part 2 is just a repetition of the events of part 1 in a different narrative. Waiting fo rprogress of wvwnts to rhe point beyond that in Part 1.
As my family and friwnds say, patience is not onw of my virtues. :-P

[Vimal]

Sorry Girish and all. My work-schedule's gotten out of hand and even the weekends are thinning out, leaving me with audios as the only option. Not seeing myself complete this one anytime soon as I'm reading it as an ebook. So shelving it reluctantly after crawling for 3 weeks :(

Will watch your reviews and might pick it up at a later date.

[Ahtims]

No worries, Vimal. I know... I too am able to read only about 10%of what I would really like to. Some days as less as 15 min a day. :-(
Better shelf it for the time being. This book needs time and patience. :-)

[Vimal]

That's true, I couldn't get into my stride despite several attempts in the little reading intervals I eked out. Something with the subject matter not holding my interest at this particular time,or with the feeling that the author is unnecessarily wordy. Audios somehow tame my mind's resistance magically and I progress almost all the time out of initial resistance(recent examples being Possession and The name of the rose), but with ebooks I simply have to acknowledge my defeat and move on.

[Ahtims]

Never did realize you listened to audio of Possession and Name of the Rose. Bought both books recently. Yet to start on the Name of the Rose.

[Jaya]

I think i am in a slump, have not read much of anything substantial lately, will pick this when i pick this, i suppose :-(

[Ahtims]

No worries, Jaya. Never force yourself to read something. It is the easiest way to put you off books.

[Jaya]

Thanks Syl, am staying away as of now...

[Girish, The Good cop]

No worries Vimal and Jaya

After the turn of part 1, it slowed down considerably and then one more twist at the end of part 2.

Btw, just clicked on the Goodreads featured article on 12 Books with plot twists even Christie would have not foreseen.
Saw Fingersmith featured there! So all might not be lost..

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/7...

[Ahtims]

I saw too :-)

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

past 80% and it's been a solid 3 star book so far. things are changing quickly now and I am expecting a really good end to this story.

[Ahtims]

Am still at 60. My kindle says another 4 hours to go.

[Girish, The Good cop]

Around 70%. I think now I know the author's formula. Tries to create sections where nothing much happens and just when you are about to lose interest, inserts some twists.

Reminds me of one of my prof who used to talk in low voice and all of a sudden raise voice to wake people and then continue back in low voice

[Ahtims]

nice comparison - with the Prof :-)

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Girish wrote: "Around 70%. I think now I know the author's formula. Tries to create sections where nothing much happens and just when you are about to lose interest, inserts some twists.

Reminds me of one of my ..."

I totally agree. First Susan's story, I thought everything is planned and simple. At the end of first part, it was a shocker. Second part, still recovering from first part, repetition of events and story becamd dull. Though there were small revelations here and there but story still moved with the speed of a sloth. Then again at the end of second part, author did something very surprising and am wide awake (yes I was dozing off before that). Slow start to third part and I know what to expect, so am just reading and waiting for some shocker.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

finished. 3 stars. waiting for others to finish.

[Pranjali]

On second part, and it is kind of boring :/

[Ahtims]

on to part 3. One turn of event after the other. Am at a loss to understand where it is leading to.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

keep reading. ;)

[Ahtims]

Am at 85%

(view spoiler)[
At 83%, Maud is just trying to use the keys to run away from the asylum. And Charles, the bootboy from the uncle's house has entered the pic.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

Any of you interested to read next What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal ?
Manju and me were planning somewhere around Nov Dec

[Girish, The Good cop]

Completed. 3 Stars for me too.
Vimal and I were planning to read it too! Seeing it is a short book, can we do this in October?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Girish & Vimal: You have the book? If yes, then we can do it next month.:)

[Ahtims]

I am all set. When ? Oct 1 ? Or later?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

After 15. We have to read IQ84 in first half of October.

[Girish, The Good cop]

Manju wrote: "Girish & Vimal: You have the book? If yes, then we can do it next month.:)"

I have the book.

[Ahtims]

okay, Oct 15 it is.

[Vimal]

Seems perfect for a quickie. I'll get it in a week or so. Will join in.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Vimals, any plans to read fingersmith? Or kicking out of your tbr after our 3 star rating?

[Vimal]

Not kicking out.. But not resuming this year either. Might resume sometime next year to see if twist1 is convincing enough to make me want to continue

[Pranjali]

completed Fingersmith. gave it 3 star.

(view spoiler)[ Didn't get why it was compared to Oliver twist (hide spoiler)]

plot clarification
(view spoiler)[ so gentlemen didn't knew that Maud was the real daughter of Mrs. sucksby. then why did he agreed to bring Maud back to Lant street with her. I mean their plan could still have worked if he had left Maud in the madhouse and bought sue with him. So what I didn't get is if he didn't knew the real relationship between maud and Mrs. sucksby then why double cross sue,the girl he had known forever instead of maud who was a total stranger.
he did it without any que just because Mrs. sucksby, asked him to. strange!! (hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

Pranjali,
Reg. spoiler no. 1
(view spoiler)[
Perhaps because of Mrs. Sucksby's house which is sort of similar to the house of theives Oliver was brought to, and the various petty criminals involved
Plus, the gentleman, or even Jack - the cruel boy, could be compared to the cruel thief who imprisoned Oliver, and Daisy, sort of compared to his kind girlfriend, who saved Oliver
(hide spoiler)]

Reg. SPoiler 2, I never thought about it. It stuck me only when you pointed out. I was all along thinking Gentleman was sort of brought into the picture

[Girish, The Good cop]

Pranjali wrote: "completed Fingersmith. gave it 3 star.

[spoilers removed]

plot clarification
so gentlemen didn't knew that Maud was the real daughter of Mrs. sucksby. then why did he agreed to br..."

(view spoiler)[
This was my reading. Maud becomes eligible for her part in the inheritance when she marries Gentleman. For the other part of the inheritance, Sue needs to be with Mrs.Sucksby.

If the 2 women were kept as such- Maud at madhouse - she will speak and could prove about the inheritance along with exposing her books(cos she is far too clever) but also Sue will have to be given her part.

So by keeping Maud at both places, the entire inheritance would be with Gentleman and Mrs.Sucksby. (hide spoiler)]

[Pranjali]

@ Girish- okay that makes sense, thanks for clearing that :)

(view spoiler)[ here's other thing why keep anybody at the madhouse at all. they could have get maud's inheritance anyway as per the orignal plan maud knew.
And if no body have told her the real truth, sue could have been easily fooled and would be quite happy with those 2 grands.

because sue was kept in the best madhouse there was, ladies from rich families lived there and it was implied that it cost a lot to be there. now sue asked for a share of 2 thousand, which is less or equal to the cost of keeping her in the madhouse. (hide spoiler)]