BOOK POOL Challenge June-July 2016

[Erica]

#4

Book 2

I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale

Read: 7 June
Rated: 4 stars

I studied the first book in this series I Am Not Esther at high school over 10 years ago! Still remember the story.

[Sharlene]

I'm still reading I am Not Esther but I'm really enjoying it. Hopefully I can get to I am Rebecca before the end of the month.

Remember the post format. Erica does this perfectly in message 103 above.

Your participant # from message 2
Read Book #
Title or Cover Image
Date Read:
Your rating:
Any commentary

[Deborah]

#9 - third book

Read:07/06
4 stars
Not enjoyed as much as and slow to get going but a good commentary on the nature of war and included details I had no idea had existed! Learning new stuff - which I checked out this morning - boosted the overall rating to 4 stars.

[P.D.R.]

June 8th

#8
Mr. Rosenblum's List, or, Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman)


nice reread - 5 stars


Now I am stuck waiting for library returns and a lot of the books are not in the libraries in the Waitaki district!!!
I wanted to gallop through all of them because half of them I would never pick up voluntarily.

[Sharlene]

P.D.R. wrote: "June 8th

#8
Mr. Rosenblum's List, or, Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman)

nice reread - 5 st..."

This is our chance to catch up! Let's get reading!!!

[Angie]

I've got Night Circus and The Luminaries on the go at the moment.

I've got Night Circus as an audio book - first time I've tried one!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Hi Sharlene

Are we allowed to count dnfs? I'm not enjoying Mistress to the Crown at all.

[Sharlene]

DNF don't count towards points but please leave a post with the book & comments so others can see what you thought of the book.

[Erica]

I'm halfway through Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English so hoping to get it finished over the weekend.

Torn about what to read next - I know I should read one of my picks but I have The Glass Castle and Little Big Man out from the library taunting me haha.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#5

Book 0 (dnf)



Gave up 10/6

1★

Didn't like anything about this book, especially Mistress Shore's very 21st century ideas. Even being stuck at the hairdresser with no other reading material couldn't get me through this book.

[P.D.R.]

DNF = did not finish?

Ah! I bet I find lots of those. I am not looking forward to Nora Roberts.

Looks like the library can only get me half the books so you lot will easily overtake me.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

P.D.R. wrote: "DNF = did not finish?

Ah! I bet I find lots of those. I am not looking forward to Nora Roberts.

Looks like the library can only get me half the books so you lot will easily overtake me."

Yes that's right. Since it was part of a challenge I didn't want to give up but I wasn't enjoying the book at all.

[Bronwyn]

#12
Read Book #2
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Read: 10 June
Rating: 5
Light entertaining reading on the surface, with much social comment in the subtext.

[Lesley]

#11
Book #1

Backwards Into The Future by Bronwyn Elsmore
Read 11 June
Rated: 5 stars

Mary must be my age group as her story growing up in New Zealand so replicates my own with many things being so familiar. It was like travelling back in time for me. I loved the simple, gentle way in which the story is told. This book will make my best in 2016 shelf, and I can see me picking it up for a re-read again in the not too distant future.

[Angie]

#3


Book #1


I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale

Read: 10 June
Rated: 4 stars

Thoroughly enjoying this series. Almost gave it 5 stars.

[Sharlene]

Angie wrote: "#3


Book #1
I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale
Read: 10 June
Rated: 4 stars

Thoroughly enjoying this series. Almost gave it 5 stars."

Do you know why you couldn't give it 5?
I know sometimes when I read a book, I just don't know why I couldn't give it 5 stars.

[Angie]

Sharlene wrote: "Angie wrote: "#3


Book #1
I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale
Read: 10 June
Rated: 4 stars

Thoroughly enjoying this series. Almost gave it 5 stars."

Do you know why you c..."

I only give 5 stars to books that have that 'something special'. This book was brilliant, but didn't have that extra 'something'.
Generally if I have to umm and ahh between four and five stars, its a four star. Four stars are page-turners. Five stars are books I rave about, would re-read, and have that something special. It had two of these three things.

[Kerry]

#15 Book 1

Read: 12 June
Rated: 4.5 stars
A rather wonderful children's book.

[Erica]

#4

Book 3

Mr Rosenblum's List, or, Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman by Natasha Solomons

Read: 12 June
Rated: 4 stars

This is a really sweet and cosy read but also shines a light on how society can often treat outsiders.

[Sweetp-1]

#18
Book 1

4 stars. Not my favourite from this author but an enjoyable read.

[Sweetp-1]

#18
Book #2


4 stars. Compelling story set during Leningrad during the war.

[P.D.R.]

June 15th

#8 and it's number 9
An Astronaut's Guide to Life
5 stars
Do read it for a great look at why failure is so useful, and why thinking ahead for everything lets you do things better.

[Deborah]

#9 - 4th book

4 stars - much better than the earlier book, with a lot of other things written between them; another example of seeing an author's writing develop, it's very clear to see the differnces within the one storyline.

[Darkpool]

#2, Book 1

Read:16/6
Rated: 5 stars.
Thanks to all the people who have told me to read this over the years. A brilliant book. The audio recording I listened to had a long, reasonably rambling author's afterword, which was mostly interesting.

[Erica]

#4

Book 4

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Read: 16 June
Rated: 5 stars

This is a sad, uplifting, compelling, and beautifully written memoir. I couldn't put it down. If had a daughter I'd call her Jeannette because this girl had such strength of character.

[Sharlene]

P.D.R. wrote: "June 15th

#8
An Astronaut's Guide to Life
5 stars"

With each book, can you say what number of book it is you've read? I think your up to 7, but I could be wrong!.

Keep up the great reading everyone

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#5

Book 1



by Emily Perkins

Finished 17/6

5★ What a shattering read! Thanks Erica for the original recommendation.

Edit On reflection upped the rating to 5★. I'm still thinking about this book.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Put this on a separate thread to make it easier for Sharlene. Have had a look at Erica's three & added to my list.

[Bronwyn]

#12
Book 3

Finished 18 June
5 stars

[Erica]

Carol ♔ Type, Oh Queen! ♔ wrote: "#5

Book 1



by Emily Perkins

Finished 17/6

4.5★ What a shattering read! Thanks Erica for the original recommendation."

Glad you liked it Carol!

[Deborah]

#9 - 5th book

by Patricia Grace
read: 18/06/16
3.5 stars - probably due more but I didn't properly engage with the book and have no idea why; well-written and believable.

[Erica]

I think Tu is one of those books that would have benefitted from being a bit longer so readers have more opportunity to really get to know the characters.

[Deborah]

#9 - book 6

by Sophie Kinsella
read: 18/06/16
1 star - the sort of book that makes YA look like Reading Lite. Trite, shallow, foolish and really annoying. I'm sure I read something by Ms Kinsella before but it was so memorable that I can't work out what book it was!

[Darkpool]

Deborah wrote: "#9 - book 6

by Sophie Kinsella
read: 18/06/16
1 star - the sort of book that makes YA look like Reading Lite. Trite, shallow, foolish and really a..."
*crosses Finding Audrey off the list of potential reads for this challenge*

[Lesley]

Darkpool (protesting GR censorship) wrote: "Deborah wrote: "#9 - book 6

by Sophie Kinsella
read: 18/06/16
1 star - the sort of book that makes YA look like Reading Lite. Trite, shallow, fool..."

ditto. I think I tried to read one of her Shopaholic series titles for a challenge once.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#5

Book 2



by Geraldine Evans

Finished 20/6

2★

Very average & I was skimming by the end. Enough writing ability shown that later books in this series may be better. Maybe.

[Annie]

#21
book 1

finished 23/6
4 stars

[P.D.R.]

June 25th
#8
Book #10
Family Matters
Family Matters

Not for me - rotten families I know all about!!

Book #11
The Painter's Apprentice
The Painter's Apprentice

Very sweet a candy floss read.

[Mariana]

#16
Book: #1
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson
Date finished: 25 June
Rating: 3

Not a bad novel, just not my cup of tea for the most part. I've taken a few insightful gems from it though.

[Nicki]

# 19
Book #1

Book:
Date Read: 24 June
Rating: 5 stars

I can't remember the last time I cried so much over a book. I have other thoughts about the story but I need to work them out in my head a bit.

[Darkpool]

#2
Book #2

Date read: 25 June
Rating: 4 stars.
A lighthearted romp with a spunky heroine. I'll be reading more of this series for sure.

[Bronwyn]

#12
Book 4
Terry Pratchett
Finished 28 June
4.5 stars

Good of course, like all Terry Pratchett's books. I just didn't think this last one (sadly) didn't give me all the amusement of others I have read. So the 4.5 is in relation to his others.

[P.D.R.]

June 29th

#8

Book 12
The Obsession


Oh boy! Am I impressed by Nora Roberts's skills as a writer. She takes the tropes of her genre and uses them all but still makes 'em sparkle as a cracking good story.

[Bronwyn]

#12
Book 5
Fleur Beale
Finished 30 June
5 stars

[Eion]

#7 Book 2The Doubt Factory
Finished 01/07/16
4 stars

[Nicki]

# 19
Book #2

Book:
Date Read: 1 July
Rating: 4 stars

Really enjoyed this and will definitely read the next in the series. Cormoran Strike is a great character and looking forward to getting know him better.

[Eion]

#7 Book 3
Finished 2/7/16
2 stars

[Annie]

#21
Book 2

finished 30.6.16
4.5 stars

[P.D.R.]

July 3rd
#8
book 13
Child 44


Nope. Too grim and nasty and I think , but can't remember who, the material has been better covered.

[Sharlene]

P.D.R. wrote: "July 3rd

Nope. Too grim and nasty and I think , but can't remember who, the material has been better covered."

Hi PDR, make sure to put your rating in the posts. Some people are crossing off books that people are rating 1 or 2 stars.