Just finished - just started Showing 11,601-11,650 of 13,832

[Kath]

She's such an intelligent writer. Emotionally as well as in literary terms. I especially loved her Merlin books.

[Lexie]

Those are the ones I haven't read, for some reason. I really felt I learned loads in my youth from the thrillers, though, and they were a pleasure to reread.

[Kath]

I've just finished a short read whicxh I enjoyed very much. Mind you, I've enjoyed the author's novels, so I knew what I was in for.

Death of a Cuckoo: An Esme Quentin Short Read

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

[David]

Just finished No Other Darkness which was very good indeed.

Just started The God's Eye View.

[Kathy]

Lexie wrote: "Just read two Mary Stewarts (rereading them after years for a blogpost), The Gabriel Hounds and Touch Not the Cat. Have to say I really enjoyed them still!"

I read these years ago and loved them too, especially Touch Not the Cat.

[Lexie]

Kathy wrote: "Lexie wrote: "Just read two Mary Stewarts (rereading them after years for a blogpost), The Gabriel Hounds and Touch Not the Cat. Have to say I really enjoyed them still!"
..."
I'm going to try and fit in Thunder on the Right, too, amongst my TBR pile - mostly because it's the one on my shelves that I remember the least. Looking forward to it!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Was going to read Life in The ER: After Midnight - the first couple of pages were a bit confusing - it was dialogue between people with no speech marks, I flicked forward a few pages and when I saw 'we won't know how much of his site we saved', I decided to ditch it, and read something else.

[Pam]

Lexie wrote: "Those are the ones I haven't read, for some reason. I really felt I learned loads in my youth from the thrillers, though, and they were a pleasure to reread."

Loved the Merlin ones Lexie and I am sure I read Touch Not the Cat, though I don't have that and can't recall anything about it.

[Pat ()]

Lexie wrote: "Just read two Mary Stewarts (rereading them after years for a blogpost), The Gabriel Hounds and Touch Not the Cat. Have to say I really enjoyed them still!"

Superb writer I loved Touch Not the Cat my favorite was The Ivy Tree I have enjoyed every thing she wrote including her Merlin books.
Must reread them all again too.

[Pat ()]

Oh, I just checked on line and there is reissue of one I haven't read. so I bought it. and the audible issue too. Perfect for when I get back from having my eye done!

[Lexie]

I thought The Ivy Tree was very clever, putting an extra twist on Brat Farrar.

[Patti (baconater)]

Dave's been telling me how much he's enjoying My Brilliant Friend so I looked at the blurb.

Not something I'd think he'd enjoy in a million years!

His son reccied it to him.

I'm intrigued and will have to take a look at it!

[Kath]

Just finished one for the psychological thriller lovers - Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey.

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

Just started a very promising, looong sci-fi book. I may be gone some time!

[Karen]

Finished Rather Be the Devil , bit disappointed. Malcolm Fox has never come across as a character, for me, and Siobhan wasn't much better. Then, surprise surprise, the Donna Leon's The Waters of Eternal Youth was really warm and wonderful, I thought - after a few lacklustre books of late. Now enjoying book 3 Blacklight Blue

[Kath]

Just finished ABANDONED!, a short story about the Romans' retreat from Britain - 4*

And Mathematics of Eternity by David M Kelly which got a 5*

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

[Jim]

I glanced at Abandoned and realised why authors should be willing to hunt down the illustrators of their book covers and terminate them with extreme prejudice.
The helmet looks to be Imperial Gallic (2nd century seems to be when they stopped being issued), the shield design is taken from Trajan's column (113AD ) and the shield itself isthe early 2nd century type. (So actually yes, that design on that shield is just fine. but for 2nd century, not fifth)
Legio secunda Augusta's shield is known, no wings or lightening bolts and goats heads and necks facing in to the central boss.

(I won't even mention going into action with helmet unfastened and in his underpants, even though he'd had time to do something completely counter productive like put his cloak on!)

Sorry, the book may well be a work of genius but the cover kills it for me :-(

[Kath]

Not genius, but a good read. I confess I barely glanced at the cover. You don't see it on the kindle.

[Kath]

I'm not defending some unknown cover designer, but the fighters were not legionaries. They were native Britons with a few retired auxiliaries and whatever equipment they could find or scrounge. I'm surpised at the absence of saucepans and colanders.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Started Name and Number

[Jim]

Kath wrote: "I'm not defending some unknown cover designer, but the fighters were not legionaries. They were native Britons with a few retired auxiliaries and whatever equipment they could find or scrounge. I'm..."

scrounging is one thing, but this stuff would be over three hundred years old! :-)

It's like somebody in the Home Guard turning with a full back and breast plate set from the war of the Spanish succession

[Kath]

Shouldn't think there was much else. Britain hadn't needed to defend itself for hundreds of years. What did the Romans do for us?
Anyway, not my cover.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tva...

[Jim]

Kath wrote: "Shouldn't think there was much else. Britain hadn't needed to defend itself for hundreds of years. What did the Romans do for us?
Anyway, not my cover."

oh I know, and 99.999% of readers won't care, but it's enough to make me rant in a small and irrelevant way

[Kath]

Ah, we all love our small irrelevant rants!

[Jim]

absolutely
I remember somebody talking about a senior common room he was part of
Apparently there are a lot of hobby horses propped against one wall.
A lot of them are new, well used and everybody rides on them.
There are a few more which get an outing every so often.
finally at the back there are a handful which are only used occasionally by elderly members who ride them occasionally :-)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Finished Serial Killers Uncut very shocking, but I will read more from all the authors

[David]

Finished The God's Eye View which was a pretty decent yarn. Teetered on the verge of having too many italics, though.

Just started Night Soldiers, which has very long chapters - the 1st is 90-odd pages, which is a bit of a bugger if you are one who likes to read to the end of a chapter before putting it down.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Decided to start Jack Daniels Stories today - it seems I have a lot of Crouch/Konrath/Kilborn stories, so decided on one of the short story collections.

[Tim]

I take it that's more than just reading the back of the bottle . . .

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Tim wrote: "I take it that's more than just reading the back of the bottle . . ."

Definitely - hate the stuf

[Elizabeth]

Just finished Ready Steady Dig by Rosalind Winter. Enchanting, funny and witty are a few adjectives that come to mind. What do you do if you're a Lar who was left behind to guard the family treasure and an archaeological TV team want to dig up the site of the villa?

Just started the sequel Gnome or Mr Nice Guy. Say it quickly...

[Kath]

I loved those, Elizabeth. I looked for a third but I don't think it ever happened.

[Marie]

Just finished Growing Garlic - A Complete Guide To Growing, Harvesting and Using Garlic: Successfully Grow Your Own Garlic At Home which explains everything you could really want to know about growing garlic as well as its history and uses. Great read for vegetable gardeners.

Started The Summerhouse by the Sea which has lovely descriptions of Spanish food (makes me constantly hungry) but I have yet to really warm to the characters. I know a book hasn't truly grabbed me if I'm not staying up to the early hours of the morning to finish it off.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Kath wrote: "I loved those, Elizabeth. I looked for a third but I don't think it ever happened."

Same here :) They were hilarious!

[Natasha]

68% through Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, which I'm really enjoying.

And have just started How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel. Hard to ignore a title like that.

[Elizabeth]

Kath wrote: "I loved those, Elizabeth. I looked for a third but I don't think it ever happened."

I went to have a look too, and according to her Amazon author bio. she is writing a third (not sure when that was updated though).

If I get time, I'll see if FB says anything useful.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I did a review of the first 2, and she put a comment on one of them that she was writing a third and she would tell me when it was published. That was a few years ago and I haven't heard since.

[Elizabeth]

Gingerlily - Mistress Lantern wrote: "I did a review of the first 2, and she put a comment on one of them that she was writing a third and she would tell me when it was published. That was a few years ago and I haven't heard since."

Oh, disappointing. Just finished Gnome or Mr Nice Guy and enjoyed it as much as the first.

Just about to re-read Katherine by Anya Seton after goodness knows how many years to see if it remains one of my favourites. Bits keep popping into my memory every so often.

[Kath]

Just finished Good Girl Bad Girl which I know Patti will have a lot off about, as the kids say round here - but I didn't give it the title!

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

Just nicely 10% in to Empire by Paul Dale. Clever and funny - oh and dark. It says.

[David]

Just finished The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger , which was quite interesting, if a bit dry in a couple of places.

Worth reading, but maybe not as good as Deep Sea and Foreign Going for an overview of the modern shiping trade.

[Marie]

Just finished The Summerhouse by the Sea which had a really relaxed and gentle pace to it - all about new beginnings for those truly in need. The setting made me want to escape on holiday, somewhere warm and sunny. And the descriptions of Spanish food made me permanently hungry!

Review here

Just started The Cornish Escape and looking forward to putting my feet up with this tonight after a very trying day.

[Kath]

Oh, the Cornish one is by Lily Graham, isn't it? I've read a couple of hers. She has a lovely writing style.

[Marie]

Yes it is, Kath. I am so looking forward to reading it. I do hope it features a mention of Cornish scones and Cornish pasties - yum!

[Phill]

Karen (Kew) wrote: "I thought that I might duplicate a popular thread on the official forum - many of us read and contribute to the Just finished - just started thread to look for recommendations. It's a bit less form..."
Interested to see your post starts with a collection of short stories. I love short stories, and some of the best ones are masterpieces of writing. However, it's incredibly difficult to get them published, with the result that the reading community underrates them. So well done!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Phill wrote: "Karen (Kew) wrote: "I thought that I might duplicate a popular thread on the official forum - many of us read and contribute to the Just finished - just started thread to look for recommendations. ..."

I have to be in the right frame of mind for short stories, but I read more since getting the kindle

[Marie]

I'm not keen on short stories just because they finish too soon for my liking. My husband really enjoys short stories and he enjoys buying Kindle books filled with them.

Just finished The Cornish Escape and am still feeling emotional from the ending. That was such a good read and I really recommend it.

Sadly no Cornish pasties or cream teas. The main character was not really much of a cook although she tried. But, perhaps good for watching my waist not to have a book dripping with amazing food descriptions.

Instead it had a heart-wrenching romance from the past and the wonderful modern setting of Cornwall with rugged cliffs, charming scenery, flowers and so much more. So sad it ended ...

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

Now reading a couple of books: One Endless Summer and Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Greenhouse Gardening.

[Jim]

Just finished Ode to a Banker

It's the first Falco story I've read. I've caught a couple of them on the radio and enjoyed them and I bumped into this for a pound in a charity shop (which embarrassingly is a fifth the price of the kindle edition)

Enjoyed it. It's one of those books where the writer enjoyed themselves taking a pot at writers, publishers etc, but she does it so well that if anything it enhances the book ;-)

[Lexie]

Jim wrote: "Just finished Ode to a Banker

It's the first Falco story I've read. I've caught a couple of them on the radio and enjoyed them and I bumped into this for a pound in a charity shop (w..."

She's very funny. I like her cast lists and the fact she says that writing the Falco books is one long resignation letter from the civil service.

[Lexie]

Just finished The Woman in Blue which had lots of good churchy stuff in it for me - now reading Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation which is almost as churchy. First I've read of the Grantchester ones: I mostly like them, I think.

[Jim]

Lexie wrote: "She's very funny. I like her cast lists and the fact she says that writing the Falco books is one long resignation letter from the civil service.
.."

yes, the stories are funnier than the radio adaptations, and yet the humour doesn't interfere with the genre
I do love the idea of them being a long resignation letter :-)