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shirleyz

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Posts posted by shirleyz

    A Home at the end of the World by Michael Cunningham

    in Previous Reading Circle Books

    Posted

    I really enjoyed reading this book, though I really have to say that it is not a book I would have ever chosen to read if I wasn't participating in this circle. I was surprised to find that it was a very fast read - once I started I really wanted to know how the story would develop. the character I identify most with is Bobby - in my opinion he is the eternal peacemaker. I find Clare and Johnathan are both as very selfish people... I'll be posting answers to the questions soon

    Lucy's Book Blog '11

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted · Edited by shirleyz

    300px-One_day_-_david_nicholls.jpg

    Synopsis (from Amazon)

     

    'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.'

     

     

     

    He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'

     

    15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.

     

    So where will they be on this one day next year?

     

    And the year after that? And every year that follows?

     

    Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.

     

    Review

     

    Ok here goes. I know lots of people love this book, I'm read so many fantastic reviews, and maybe I'm missing something but I was less than impressed. I wasn't expecting One Day to be so chick-litty, I have nothing against chick-lit as such but I rarely read it and when I do it's because I want an easy, lazy read, and that means I have to know it's chick-lit first. I found it somewhat predictable, to the point that I was getting frustrated at the length of time it took for the inevitable to happen

    and of course it did happen, eventually.

    I suppose it was romantic in a way, the idea of fate, but it's nothing new.

     

    I didn't like the characters either. I thought that Dexter was a bit of an idiot honestly, and so self-centred. He took advantage of Emma and I didn't think he was good enough for her. Emma I found kind of smug, not exactly self-assured but at the same time rather self-satisfied, despite her criticisms of herself. Emma did at least grow on me though

    however I wasn't sad so much as shocked when she had died.

     

     

    I did find the end quite good, and realistic.

    I thought the emotion of loss was done much better than that of love. I could imagine myself reacting in similar ways to Dexter.

    The ending really saved this story, and actually I would have liked more of it.

     

    2.5/5

     

     

    thanks for that Lucy - at last I feel that I'm not the only person in the world who "saw through" the ending to this book... I really cannot understand what all the fuss is about!

    Vodkafan's 2011 reading list

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted · Edited by shirleyz

    I started reading The Help last night but so far it is not grabbing me. But things have been busy last few days so maybe that's the reason.

     

    will look forward to your comments as I've recently bought this book... hope it gets better!

    Your Book Activity Today ~ Thread 14

    in General Book Discussions

    Posted

    Today I read a few chapters of Mr Rosenblum's List and a couple of chapters of Madame Bovary.

     

    I received a book voucher in the mail yesterday (from credit card reward points) and I was a little naughty and spent double the amount in the shop this afternoon. There's a promotion on Vintage books at the moment: 3 for $30, so I got 6. smile2.gif And another book on top of that. And I bought a book for a friend, but that doesn't count.

     

    Jorge Luis Borges: The Total Library: Non-Fiction 1922-1986

    Italo Calvino: The Castle of Crossed Destinies

    Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa: The Leopard

    William Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury

    Ford Maddox Ford: The Good Soldier

    Gunter Grass: The Tin Drum

    Franz Kafka: The Complete Short Stories

     

    biggrin.gif

     

    Hi Kylie - I see you got The Leopard after all :D good luck with that - hope you enjoy the read!

     

    and you're right - getting a book for a friend doesn't count :giggle:

    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - challenge

    in Reading Challenges

    Posted

    Shirley, what did you think of The Leopard? I've been getting curious about it lately; don't know why - I guess I just seem to see it everywhere I go. smile2.gif

     

    I read it about 20 years ago when I was studying for my Italian A-level. top of my head - it's a fascinating story about the risorgimento in Italy, told in a very colourful language, in a very different way. the author really delves into the different characters... it was one of the easiest to relate with in terms of plot and history

     

    hope this helps!

    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - challenge

    in Reading Challenges

    Posted · Edited by shirleyz

    I've read 37 from the list... and I must admit that some were "forced" reading due to studies...

     

    987. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

    940. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

    938. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

    937. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen

    936. Emma – Jane Austen

    933. Persuasion – Jane Austen

    923. The Red and the Black – Stendhal

    913. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

    904. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

    902. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë

    899. Shirley – Charlotte Brontë (just because it's about my name!! :smile2: )

    876. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

    863. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

    846. Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

    843. Daniel Deronda – George Eliot

    826. Bel-Ami – Guy de Maupassant

    758. Strait is the Gate – André Gide

    749. Sons and Lovers – D.H. Lawrence

    728. Women in Love – D.H. Lawrence

    725. Crome Yellow – Aldous Huxley

    610. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien

    605. Brighton Rock – Graham Greene

    589. The Power and the Glory – Graham Greene

    532. The End of the Affair – Graham Greene

    494. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien

    468. The Leopard – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

    294. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting – Milan Kundera

    276. The House of the Spirits – Isabel Allende

    275. Schindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally

    272. The Color Purple – Alice Walker

    242. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

    116. The Reader – Bernhard Schlink

    109. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood

    93. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

    49. Life of Pi – Yann Martel

    26. Everything is Illuminated – Jonathan Safran Foer (currently reading)

    19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

     

    quite a few others are on my TBR pile and my wishlist... if only I had more time!!!

    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - challenge

    in Reading Challenges

    Posted

    Come on people and join me, don't be shy, let me and the others know what you've already read from the list and what you thought of the books, and which are the books you're really looking forward to reading. Are there books that you wouldn't have chosen for the list yourself, books that you'd take off it if you had the chance? What would you like to see added to the list? Feel free to chime in! :smile2:

     

    WOW Frankie - this is an impressive list... I find that ately I have so many books I wish to read that I need to organise my thoughts, and this might be a good starting point... I'll try to give it some thought :giggle2:

    Your Book Activity Today ~ Thread 13

    in General Book Discussions

    Posted

    I got a wonderful surprise at work tonight. They had a huge rack of books they are getting rid of and let us pick over them first. Believe it or not, they are not going back to the publishers or to charity, they are planning on THROWING THEM AWAY! I 'adpoted' 15 new ones plus an advanced reader's copy of Cecelia Ahern's new book The Book of Tomorrow which I plan to start this evening. :) All in all, a very good day for my personal library.

     

    WOW!!! Aren't you lucky??!! wish I worked there too :smile2:

    Unpopular opinion!

    in General Book Discussions

    Posted

    I cannot stand The Da Vinci Code - I have tried three times to read it; not because I like Dan Brown's writing (I really don't) but I felt I should at least give something a shot before I totally wrote it off. I read Angels and Demons for what it was - complete tripe, but it was a page turner in the sense that is was so utterly unbelievable that I just had to finish it.

     

     

    It's the same for me... I read 2 of his books, but really can't stand this author :irked:

    Your Mode of transport

    in General Chat

    Posted

    a 14-year old, white, Peugeot 106 - my very first car bought with my very own money :D

    a 3-year old, silver, Honda Jazz - much more comfortable to drive!!

     

    In Malta, unfortunately, the bus system is so unreliable, that I would be completely lost without my trusty "steeds"

    Bargain Books!

    in Book Buying

    Posted

    you're all so lucky to have such great prices on books! In Malta book prices are really expensive (starting at Eur10 or thereabouts) in most bookshops - thanks God for Play and Amazon!

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