bobblybear

I'm reading Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. I haven't seen the Netflix series so I'm going into it cold and i have to say, it's very good so far.

I'm toying with the idea of signing up to Audible, as I have a hour drive each way to work and often don't feel like listening to music. But, is it distracting to drive while listening to an audiobook? I imagine it's the same as listening to talkback on radio, but you're more likely to get 'drawn in'. Also, how would I listen while driving? Do I download the books to my phone and listen via Bluetooth? What about books I already own in Kindle version....can I buy the audible version at a reduced price? Does the £7.99/month fee mean I can download as many books as I want per month for no extra charge? Sorry for all the questions, but the Audible site isn't very clear and I don't want to start a free trial unless I know what I'm actually doing. Edit: I found the Help section which answers most of my questions. So, the £7.99 gives you credit for one book a month? If I want to buy two books then the second one will be at full price (which isn't cheap!)? Do they still do Daily Deals, per the pinned thread?

Yeah, Beatrice and Virgil was a book which took me by surprise. When the ending is revealed it just changed the whole book for me.

Six Jodi Picoult books are on sale for £0.99 each on Kindle today. They are: The Storyteller Leaving Time House Rules Handle With Care Sing You Home Lone Wolf

Maggot Moon was very good. It's a pretty short read as well. I haven't read anything else by her, but I'd heard so many things about Maggot Moon that I had to give it a go.

I'm now reading The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, which for some reason isn't blowing me away. I mean, I'm enjoying it, but not loving it.

No, unfortunately not. I'm still 16 reviews behind for last year, and I haven't even counted this year!!

I've just started watching Season One. I've also started watching The Rain on Netflix. It's ok....it'll pass the time.

The Princess Bride. I haven't seen it in many years and it was great to watch it again.

I'm reading The Princess Bride, after finishing As You Wish by Cary Elwes (which is about his experiences filming the movie) . I also watched the movie this morning!

Yeah, I've read The Invisible Ones but didn't find it nearly as good as The Tenderness of Wolves.

I think I enjoyed The Bees more than you did. Is that the first Liane Moriarty book you have read? I read Big Little Lies and loved it, but have yet to read any of her others.

Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty We know immediately this story revolves around a death (possibly murder?) as that is the opener of the book. We are also told that this death involves a group of school mums. Little excerpts from these characters are given and we later realise that this is what they are telling journalists and detectives. The story is revealed slowly with more depth as you get further into the book. There were many twists and turns and it comes together brilliantly at the end. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Highly recommended. 5/6 What Every Body Is Saying - Joe Navarro A very thorough book on body language. I haven't read other books on body language so can't compare as to how accurate, but it makes sense what the author is saying. Also he has plenty of experience from his years in the FBI, and backs up his ideas with real life examples which is always interesting. Recommended. 4.5/6 Christine - Stephen King Stephen King classic novel about a possessed 1950s Plymouth Fury and the boy who is reeled in by it. It's a bit dated, and perhaps rather bloated but I enjoyed it especially given that it is maybe 20 years since I last read it. I ended up buying the DVD shortly after reading it again. 3.5/6 The Host - Stephenie Meyer An alien species has taken over earth and are inhabiting humans, using them as hosts. But, of course a select group of humans are fighting back to rid earth of these parasites. Oh, this was utterly dire. Utterly! It started off interesting, but about half way through it devolved into a sappy and not very original romance. The females were portrayed as quivering flinching nervous wrecks who spent most of their time trembling with fear. But never mind, the men were there to protect them, comfort them and to carry them around!! Honestly, the lead female character had legs of her own but she never got to use them because the men were always scooping her up to carry her around!! It was embarrassingly daft. The characters were poorly written....the extent of descriptive writing was that their eyes were always “blazing” or “tightening”. It seemed like every couple of pages these descriptions were used. Such a shame as it could have been an interesting story. Not recommended, and the kind of book I would have hurled against the wall in disgust if it hadn't been on my Kindle. 1/6

I've just bought this - it's only £0.99 on Kindle. I've heard so much about this book, and the general sense is that it is a book one must read, but I can't recall many people who have actually enjoyed it! I bought it last year, and I've toyed with the idea of reading it but keep putting it off in favour of something else.

Catch up time, with a few short reviews. The Machine That Changed The World - James Womack and Daniel Jones This is an extremely detailed look at the car manufacturing industry, starting from craft production and it's evolution to the current focus on lean manufacturing. The focus is on manufacturing concepts, which are of interest to me because of my job (but also because I find manufacturing itself quite interesting). It was very long and elaborate; the authors didn't leave any stone unturned. I have to say, some of the complexity 'spoiled' the book for me, as there was almost too much detail and I struggled with it. It's probably only for people with a niche interest, and is often touted as one of the best books about manufacturing. 3.5/6 How The Mind Works - Steven Pinker This book focuses on the computational theory of the mind, and how our intelligence developed and the factors that pushed us ahead. The first three chapters were a struggle as they were very heavy on theory and not applied to practical examples. But after that it got very interesting. Not an easy read though, and once I put it down I did struggle to pick it up again. 3.5/6 The Idiot Brain - Dean Burnett A very enlightening study into how our brain works and why it often acts in a manner which makes no sense. Overall a good read, but I did struggle with some chapters. Unfortunately I don't remember much else! 3/6 Maggot Moon - Sally Gardener This is a very dark book (took me by surprise!), marketed as for young adults but there is enough depth and seriousness to be enjoyed by adults ( this adult enjoyed it anyway!). The setting is dystopian England and our young protagonist is Standish, who slowly reveals this world they live in. The story is told in exactly 100 chapters. The main thread of the story is Standish's involvement in the Motherland's space race. A powerful read, with a brilliant but shocking ending. So highly recommended. 5/6

I've got this on my wishlist....just waiting for it to come down in price a bit. Glad you enjoyed it. Is it better than The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (my favourite)?

Nice reviews. I know what you mean about the sex scenes in Under A Pole Star; there were so many of them that eventually I was rolling my eyes, thinking 'Here we go again.' It's a shame as it was so different from The Tenderness of Wolves, which I loved. Anyway, I never ended up finished Under A Pole Star as I had to return it to the library. I do have it on my Kindle though and I will probably finish it at some point.

I am so behind on everything! We have just moved house and been without internet for about 2 weeks, so I have a lot of catching up to do. I still have so many books to unpack (among other things to do) but have managed to get some reading done here and there. Recently I finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which was just ok for me. I'm now reading The Spinster Wife by Christina McKenna and also A History of 20th Century Britain by Andrew Marr. Both are good but I feel like I need more time to concentrate on them. Hopefully things will settle down and I can visit here a bit more regularly.

I can recommend Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I read it last year, and it was one of the top reads of the year for me.

I'm now reading A Fraction of The Whole by Steve Toltz which is very good so far!

Welcome to the forum, Sam.

I've just added this to my wishlist (I thought I may have already bought it). Like you say, this book was mentioned everywhere last year and this year, and it sounds like it's worth a read.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Alias Grace. It's one of my favourite books.

I'm towards the end of The Alienist by Caleb Carr. It is really dragging on now. Apparently I have 40 minutes left to read it.....it's going to be a long 40 minutes. Hopefully I will be finished tonight.

I just have one list, separated by the year my books were purchased. This is kept on my Kindle, and on the front of my Book Log (which shamefully I have yet to set up for 2018).