Just finished - just started Showing 13,501-13,550 of 13,832

[Pam]

Just finished the latest in the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, The Golden Tresses of the Dead. Loved it but thinking about it afterwards, the mystery it revolves around doesn't make sense!

Reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3059403450.

[Natasha]

Just finished A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne, which was pretty gripping.

Just started Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse by Martin Davies.

[Kath]

Just finished let it snow by Nigel Bird. Cracker of a story that looks like the start of a series.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Pam]

A big catchup on reviews:

1. H. Warner Munn's Merlin's Godson - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1391792506.

2. The sequel, Merlin's Ring - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1391792872

3. Abraham Merritt's supernatural tale - Burn Witch Burn - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1954250635

4. Thomas Burnett Swann's The Gods Abide - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3032010135

Most are OK 3-star reads but one was a 2 star.

[Natasha]

Just finished Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse by Martin Davies, in which it's Sherlock Holmes's housekeeper who solves the mysteries. That was fun.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, LGBT YA.

[Natasha]

Just finished Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, which was a wonderfully engaging and emotional YA LGBT read.

Just started The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh dear, it's been months since I looked in this thread. Lovely to see mention of a few books I consider as old friends.

I've managed to read only a handful of books this term. I'm going to make more of an effort next term and read during lunch break rather than work through it.

Currently I'm reading Where the Crawdads Sing
It's quite good.

I'll probably read Vox next. I tried the first few pages a few weeks ago but it was too dark to suit my brain then. I hear so many good things about it.

[David]

Finished Dangerous Hero: Corbyn’s Ruthless Plot for Power .

Now about halfway through The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity.

[Jim]

how did the Corbyn book stand up?
I suspect it might be remaindered soon

[David]

Jim wrote: "how did the Corbyn book stand up?
I suspect it might be remaindered soon"

Before I started it I didn't think it was possible to have a lower opinion of the gentleman in question than I already had.

The book proved me wrong.

There was much in there I remembered from the events at the time, and some stuff I didn't know or had forgotten about.

The book was far better than I first expected and was well worth the 99p I paid for it.

[Jim]

Thanks for that, fascinating, I'll pick it up if I see it for that sort of price :-)

[David]

Jim wrote: "Thanks for that, fascinating, I'll pick it up if I see it for that sort of price :-)"

Like you said it will probably be remaindered or going cheap quite soon.

[Natasha]

Just finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

Just started My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing.

[Pam]

Read book 3 in the Noughts and Crosses series by Majorie Blackman, Checkmate and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3090697596. Thought this was better than the first two.

[Pam]

Enjoyed book 2 of Den Patrick's series, The Boy who Wept Blood, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2639528434.

[David]

Finished The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity .

Very good. Well worth reading.

Just started Why We Get the Wrong Politicians, probably a question we've all asked at some point.

[Natasha]

Just finished My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing, which was great fun.

Just started A Life Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip by Alexander Masters.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

First book of the year is First Term at Malory Towers

Also aiming to start The Murder on the Links and In Cold Blood

[Natasha]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "First book of the year is First Term at Malory Towers

Also aiming to start The Murder on the Links and In Cold Blood"

Wow. Three excellent, if highly varied, choices, Desley :-)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Yes, a huge variation, yet there is a theme!

[Natasha]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Yes, a huge variation, yet there is a theme!"

The 1950s ... give or take a couple of decades??

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Very close actually, I'm reading classics this month, at least my take on them, some may disagree about Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton

[Pam]

Finally managed to review the last book I read in 2019 - Other Dimensions volume 2 by Clark Ashton Smith - reviewed here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998994965

[Natasha]

Just finished A Life Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip by Alexander Masters.

Just started A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, which is hilarious. ... And Claudine Married by Colette.

[David]

Finished Why We Get the Wrong Politicians .

A fairly good examination of why very little of any good emerges from the system.

Just started The Irrational Ape: Why Flawed Logic Puts us all at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World. Possibly a follow-on from the above.

Just finished London . Long and episodic like his other books, but a good read.

Just started Dumped, Actually.

Also reading The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations for Clarity, Effectiveness, and Serenity , one day at a time for the whole year... possibly.

[David]

Finished Dumped, Actually which got better as it went along.

Started The Offing - pretty good so far.

Started rereading A Kestrel for a Knave - one of the few books we had to read at school that I liked at the time.

[Kath]

Got a bit of catching up to do here! Recent reads are Right Behind You by Rachel Abbott - 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Salt Lane by William Shaw, 4*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

No Mercy by Robert Crouch - 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

More tomorrow!

[Jim]

Just read The Broken Earth trilogy by N K Jemisin,

The Fifth Season

The Obelisk Gate

The Stone Sky

Daughter bought them for me as a Christmas present and I enjoyed them.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Finished two books this weekend The Murder on the Links and First Term at Malory Towers Not sure when I last read Mallory Towers, but I could remember a lot of the story. Looking forward to reading In Cold Blood. Still trying to read the 1000+ page books I started last year.

[Kath]

More recent reads - Lambing, almost live. by our own Jim Webster. Funny, wise and true!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And a Young Adult book, Nothing Ever Happens Here is something different. A story about a young girl and the problems caused by her dad Daniel transitioning to become Danielle. Well worth a read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jim]

Glad you enjoyed it Kath
mind you the second one, Nothing ever happens here must put mine in the shade for tacking the complexities of modern life.
Could it have been written in the 20th century?

[Kath]

Probably not. Even now, it seems extraordinary to some people. Yet in previous times such situations must have been hidden, with much heartache.

[Jim]

Now it seems the fear is that the heartache will be the other way, young people bounced into something unchangeable :-(

[Kath]

There's a middle way.

[Jim]

Yep
Although I always remember an American comment, "The only thing you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and road pizza"

But yes, there has to be a middle way

[Kath]

There would be if everyone were allowed to follow their own nature and not be persuaded to be what they're not.
Except murderers, obviously.

[Jim]

and child abusers, and those who hold extreme views on politics or religion :-(

[Kath]

Indeed!

[Pam]

Review catch up since start of the year:

Book 8 of the Indigo series by Louise Cooper - Aisling - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2784951413

Then a Thomas Burnett Swann - The Tournament of Thorns - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3134110298

and finally another Swann, The Weirwoods - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3158569984.

Unfortunately not a great bunch. The Cooper was a real disappointment as the series finale when books 4 - 7 had been enjoyable after a dodgy start in books 1 - 3.

[David]

Finished The Offing . Rather good.

Started Tightrope

[Karen]

Kath wrote: "More recent reads - Lambing, almost live. by our own Jim Webster. Funny, wise and true!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And a Young Adult book, [book:Nothing Ever ..."

I have to read the Lambing book - my late stepdad was a sheep farmer in north Devon. The tales he told... not many laughs as I recall!
I've been reading a few more crime/mystery books, enjoyable but nothing outstanding. They all blur into one another after a while!

[Karen]

Well, I've bought Lambing, almost live. and while I was there, bought Women of the Dunes as it sounded intriguing and had a beautiful cover! - a bit like a linocut.

[Jim]

Karen wrote: "Well, I've bought Lambing, almost live. and while I was there, bought Women of the Dunes as it sounded intriguing and had a beautiful cover! - a bit like a linocut."

I see what you mean about the book cover, the style looks sort of 1930s doesn't it

Hope you enjoy the lambing, wrap up well and wear a waterproof :-)

[A.L.]

I just finished The Rise of Darth Vader and and In The Eye of The Beholder: A Novel of The Phantom of the Opera. I'm going to read Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary and Ahsoka next. Also listening to Red Dwarf on audio - not sure when that's finished.

[David]

Finished The Irrational Ape: Why Flawed Logic Puts us all at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World .

Which was all right.

Just starting Monarchy: England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors

[Kath]

Catching up!
The Ninth Child Sally Magnussen- 4*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Coming Up for Air Sarah Leipciger, 4*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

One Last Prayer for the Rays 4.5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Lochgorm Lament 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lost Innocents 4.5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I Could Be You 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rise of the Rays 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

All high ratings because I now abandon those I don't get on with. I've also abandoned the blog - at least for the moment. Not enough time!

[Pam]

Starting to catch up with reviews - read Tudor: The Family Story by Leandra de Lisle and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3158568843.

[Pam]

Next one - book 1 in a series by Tanith Lee, The Storm Lord, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915124909.

[Kath]

The Whisper Man by Alex North is chilling and quite unsettling. Loved it! 5* from me.

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

[David]

Finished rereading A Kestrel for a Knave . Still good however many times I've reread it.

Must try and see the film again sometime.

Started The White Peacock.