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[Jim]

Vanessa (aka Dumbo) wrote: "Didn't think you'd look twice at anything with English in it lol ;0) "

my lady wife is wondering why I'm chuckling at the computer :-)

[Jamie]

Just finished Finders Keepers . Really good. I have to admit I am quite enjoying King's crime novel efforts. Handy too because there's such a lack of crime novels about (massive sarcasm). Still, you know its King because he can't help throwing in a telekinetic twist at the end which I'm sure will feature in the third book.

[R.M.F.]

Vanessa (aka Dumbo) wrote: "R.M.F wrote: "Don't get me started on the English Patient! This is a new laptop, and it doesn't need to be introduced to a size ten boot! :)"

Didn't think you'd look twice at anything with English..."

Despite being a campaigner for Scottish independence, I like England, I used to live there. I don't mind admitting to being an Anglophile.

[Lexie]

I read Life of Pi - I think it's the only time when I thought the film was better than the book. Just got myself in a complete muddle over the Varg Veum series by Gunnar Staalesen, think I've ordered a hard copy of No.1 in German which is not one of my better languages, then started on what I thought was an English version of No.1 but now I read it's No.17. Shouldn't look at Amazon past my bedtime!

[Jud]

I thought the film was better than the book for Life of Pi too

I just finished Ripple, I can't believe it took me so long to get round to reading it! I loved it. I have started The Wrong Stuff now and frantically trying to remember what happened in the first book, shouldn't have left it so long before reading this one :o)

[Kath]

Review for Under the Skin by Michel Faber which absolutely bowled me over - but I see from looking at the reviews that it's split opinion. I'm on the 'read it, it's fabulous' side of that argument!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gave up on Miss Carter's War. One-dimensional characters - two would have been great! No chance of real-seeming three dimensions. Couldn't be doing with it. Now reading a YS dystopian story I got through Netgally which is stunning in concept and really good in execution.

[Levi]

I have just finished The Time Travellers Wife which I adore! Will definitely be re reading this as I enjoyed it so much.

I'm currently reading The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis, mainly because I saw it was a free eBook on a Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/planetebooksuk Seems quite good with lots of books to choose from. Has anyone read this one before?

[Patti (baconater)]

Loved Time Travellers Wife, Levi. Life of Pi as well. I thought the book was better.

Read a few books over the past week or so. The third Aspirin MYTH book, a history of Rome, started and set aside a James Herbert cuz it didn't fit my mood and read The Girl on the Train.

Three stars from me. The whodunit was obvious from the beginning and I felt no rapport with any of the characters.

I've now started Everything I Never Told You Only 2% in so can't say how it'll go.

[David]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "read The Girl on the Train.

Three stars from me. The whodunit was obvious from the beginning and I felt no rapport with any of the characters."

Yeah, me too. A weird bunch of uninteresting unlikeables.

Time Traveller's Wife though - yeah. Good stuff.

[Patti (baconater)]

A weird bunch of uninteresting unlikeables! Yes! You've summed it up perfectly!

[David]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "A weird bunch of uninteresting unlikeables! Yes! You've summed it up perfectly!"

I thought much the same of Ice TwinsThe Ice Twins, but to a slightly lesser degree.

[Patti (baconater)]

Don't know that one.

[Kath]

I liked Ice Twins. Was ambivalent about GOAT.

[David]

Kath wrote: "I liked Ice Twins. Was ambivalent about GOAT."

I thought IT had very similar unlikeable and uninteresting characters as GOAT as well as being just as obvious, but it was a slightly better book on the whole.

I was more worried about the fate of the dog in IT than anything else.

[Laura-Ann]

Just finished The Guest Cat and really liked it. Despite its sadness and actually how deep the book really was, I found it soothing to read.

Just started The Dealer And The Dead. Not sure where I got the book from - I found it in my bedside drawer and have no memories of buying it or who might have given it to me. Not sure what to make of it yet, but then I'm only 30 pages in.

[David]

Just finished Rubbernecker which was so good I gave it five whole stars.

Recommended highly.

Just started Yesterday's Gone: Season Two.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Thanks to the travelling I did on Fri, I got quite a lot of reading done. Finished Broken Dollsm, really enjoyed it and would have been a 4 star if he hadn't thrown my pet hate in near the end to tie things up.

Then read Hide and Seek, really enjoyed this too, would have liked the end to be fleshed out a bit more.

Then started Thriller: Stories To Keep You Up All Night because I'm not going to get much reading done this week, so thought a short story anthology would be good.

I'm trying to focus on Scarpetta this weekend, I'm struggling a bit as it's a while since I read one of hers (and rarely read them in order), so there are events that I'm not aware of that get a lot of references, so it's a bit confusing.

[Kath]

Just finished Vessel by John Bowen. Fast action and not all war!

http://www.ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk...

Now reading the wonderfully named Gargoyle Pixie Dog by Bill Todd. Enjoying so far.

[Guy]

Jim wrote: "Tim wrote: "I'm with Kath. There are not many books I've DNF'd -- The English patient, Life of Pi, Catch-22, World War Z -- that's basically it."

Catch 22 I did make my self finish and ended up th..."

I agree with you about the characters in Catch-22 Jim. I am about two thirds of the way through it, and don't think I'll be reading it a 2nd time either.

[Stuart]

Natasha (Diarist) wrote: "A friend of mine has read Catch-22 FOUR times."

I think it is one of the most poignant and beautiful books I've read

[Natasha]

Stuart wrote: "Natasha (Diarist) wrote: "A friend of mine has read Catch-22 FOUR times."

I think it is one of the most poignant and beautiful books I've read"

Interesting, Stuart. I mainly remember it for its sharp wit in ridiculing American patriotism and right-wing politics. But then I haven't read it for seventeen years. I'm torn between re-reading it and all the other books I've yet to read. I might wait another five years. ...

[Joo]

I tried Catch-22 but hated it.

[Natasha]

Joo wrote: "I tried Catch-22 but hated it."

My (American) friend who read it four times (once reaching the end then starting straight from the beginning again) did so because she was doubled up with laughter at the political satire--which I also found outstandingly funny. ... But Stuart's thrown something new in here: ... Beautiful?

[Natasha]

... I shouldn't really be awake at 4:50am, but The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (89% through) ...

[Kath]

Joo wrote: "I tried Catch-22 but hated it."You and me both, kid!

[Patti (baconater)]

Haven't read much the last few days as I've falling into bed exhausted.

Loved Darren's very short story and looking forward to more from him, as usual.

I set aside Everything I never Told You. Just wasn't doing it for me. Read another Asprin. That's four now.

Started something before I fell asleep last night but no idea what it was without checking my kindle.

[David]

I've read Catch 22 three or four times, and it is still one of those books I would like to read again sometime in the future.

[Patti (baconater)]

Bugged me all day so I had to check. Started The Executioner's Song last night. 1% in. I was so tired!

I read it years ago and recall it was good.

[Kath]

Just finished the charmingly named Gargoyle Pixie Dog by Bill Todd. I admit to being seduced by the name but I enjoyed it a great deal. He was written a series about an ex-soldier who turns private detective after losing a leg in Afghanistan and the thought of starting an unknown series deterred me. This is a great into.

http://ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk/201...

I've also started a few things I haven't finished but I don't think it's fair to review on a part reading. Speaks for itself that I was bored to death, though. I don't love everything!

[Kath]

Just finished two great books, very different in style, content and length!

Lambent Dreams by Jim Webster and others (!)

http://ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk/201... which is short, funny, clever and the first book I've seen written by the author's characters!

The other, longer, darker but very convincing, is The Threshing Circle by Neil Grimmett, and author I discovered a couple of months back. If you want a book set in an exotic place (Crete) which won't let go of you, this is it.

http://ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[David]

Just finished Yesterday's Gone: Season Two , which was somewhere between meh and ok.

Just started Dead Man's Land, which is about Dr Watson - Sherlock's mate - investigating murders in the trenches of WWI which I found an intriguing concept.

[Jim]

Glad you liked it Kath.

Just to tell people that Lambent Dreams will be free to download 31st July to 4th August

[R.M.F.]

Been looking at the man booker prize shortlist. Never heard of half that stuff. I don't think I've ever read a book that was on a literary prize shortlist.

Am I missing out?

[Natasha]

Just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, which I loved, despite it being a tad too grisly for me.

Just finished My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday, which lived up to saucy expectations.

Still trudging slowly through Peas & Queues: The Minefield of Modern Manners by Sandi Toksvig.

[Kath]

R.M.F wrote: "Been looking at the man booker prize shortlist. Never heard of half that stuff. I don't think I've ever read a book that was on a literary prize shortlist.

Am I missing out?"

Probably not. I've not read any of those. Occasionally I read a prize winner - for the good of my soul - and I'm often disappointed. The judges and I are evidently not looking for the same thing.

[Jim]

R.M.F wrote: "Been looking at the man booker prize shortlist. Never heard of half that stuff. I don't think I've ever read a book that was on a literary prize shortlist.

Am I missing out?"

I readSchindler's List but it's the only booker prize winner I've ever bothered with

[David]

R.M.F wrote: "Been looking at the man booker prize shortlist. Never heard of half that stuff. I don't think I've ever read a book that was on a literary prize shortlist.

Am I missing out?"

Not really no.

I read a fair few of them back when I thought that sort of thing mattered and very few of them left any impression on me.

It is possible these days to make a good argument that literary fiction isn't that important any longer. That its time is over.

Many do say that literary fiction is not written to be read, but to win prizes like the Booker.

[Jim]

Makes sense David
Given the amount of literary fiction produced, and the amount of prize money available, it might well be a better market than fantasy :-)

[Lexie]

The only Booker worth reading in recent years has been Hilary Mantel, in my opinion. Keep writing the fantasy - you'll have more readers who genuinely like your work!

[David]

Jim wrote: "Makes sense David
Given the amount of literary fiction produced, and the amount of prize money available, it might well be a better market than fantasy :-)"

Well, I have seen it said quite often that high quality genre fiction is often harder to write than literary fiction, so it might be worth a go.

[Jim]

It has to be said I'd prefer writing books people genuinely enjoyed.

But still, the chance to become unreasonably wealthy would be nice, if only to prove that it wouldn't spoil me.

[David]

Jim wrote: "It has to be said I'd prefer writing books people genuinely enjoyed.

But still, the chance to become unreasonably wealthy would be nice, if only to prove that it wouldn't spoil me."

If you want wealthy, then thrillers or romance seems the best bet, you could even think about buying a more up-to-date printer.

[Kath]

Just finished How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan. I loved his Two Boys Kissing but this one didn't do it for me to the same extent. Three and a half stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

On to Angela Marson's Evil Games

[R.M.F.]

Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one left empty by literary prizes.

[Sophie]

Just finished The Mall (didn't really enjoy it) and am now starting The Mermaids Singing which looks awesome!

[Jim]

R.M.F wrote: "Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one left empty by literary prizes."

Honest compels me to admit that were I ever to be awarded one I'm probably shallow enough to see their merits but until that day I'm probably firmly in the 'meh' camp :-)

[R.M.F.]

Jim wrote: "R.M.F wrote: "Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one left empty by literary prizes."

Honest compels me to admit that were I ever to be awarded one I'm probably shallow enough to see their..."

So you're in favour of fighting the system from within? Pick up the cheque and then call for them to be abolished? :)

I'd probably do the same.

[David]

Just finished re-reading Get Shorty which was good stuff.

Decided to re-read The Joke.
Back when I first read it in the late 70s/early 80s I remember people saying how lucky we were in the free West that, unlike the protagonist in this book living in the communist East, we would never lose our jobs and have our whole lives ruined just for telling a joke.

[Patti (baconater)]

I went on a prize winning book spree a few years ago.

I enjoyed most of them.

[David]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "I went on a prize winning book spree a few years ago.

I enjoyed most of them."

I have read some good Booker prize ones from a while ago, but more recent ones seem... well, meh.