Ooshie's Reading List 2013

[bobblybear]

I've just remembered that someone had mentioned their version was around 200ish pages long, and mine was just over 400, but I'd completely forgotten to post about it, and those 400 pages are *just* the novel itself, not including introduction, notes, foreword, afterword and shopping list (or whatever else they include in these things).

 

That might have been me! I remember saying I was surprised by how short it is. I'm a bit puzzled now - I shall compare the two at some point. I've deleted the old one off my Kindle but hopefully I can just download it again.

[Ooshie]

That might have been me! I remember saying I was surprised by how short it is. I'm a bit puzzled now - I shall compare the two at some point. I've deleted the old one off my Kindle but hopefully I can just download it again.

 

My version had about 55 pages of introduction, then 340 pages of text to the book itself (actually, maybe closer to 330, as it had quite a few illustrations in it).

[Ooshie]

I'm glad you really liked this book . I've bought it but haven't read it yet (it's on the TBR).

 

 

I like the sound of this one! Added to my wish list.

 

I hope you both enjoy it if you get the chance to read it; the stories were quite different from each other, but all quite powerful I thought

[Ooshie]

I agree. I'd be much happier with Jim and Bob. Nigel, definitely!

 

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the book, can't wait to discuss the book with you and the others!

 

I'm thinking there have to be at least two different movie adaptations of the book. I've never seen the Glenn Close one, I've only seen the Colin Firth one (and no, not because I'm a fan and chose to go with that one, but because it was on TV years ago and that's, for me, the 'real' one. Just because I saw it first.), but that's called Valmont. The Glenn Close one must be the one that's named by the book.

 

I'm glad it's not just me that gets confused with names! 

 

I hadn't even realised there was a Colin Firth one, must look out for it!  But the Glenn Close one really was good and well worth a watch I would say.

 

Ok, stopping DL discussion until Friday now! 

[AbielleRose]

*ears perk* 

 

Colin Firth? 

 

[Ooshie]

*ears perk* 

 

Colin Firth? 

 

 

Perhaps we should have a Watching Circle as well as a Reading Circle

[Ooshie]

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

 

Synopsis - from Amazon

 

Fabulous historical by No.1 bestseller Philippa Gregory, the queen of Tudor novels.

Set
in the court of King Henry VIII, Mary Boleyn attracts the attention of
the young king and becomes his mistress; when he tires of her, she sets
out to school her sister, Anne, as a replacement.

Politics
and passion are inextricably bound together in this compelling drama.
The Boleyn family is keen to rise through the ranks of society, and what
better way to attract the attention of the most powerful in the land
than to place their most beautiful young woman at court? But Mary
becomes the king’s mistress at a time of change. He needs his personal
pleasures, but he also needs an heir.

The unthinkable
happens and the course of English history is irrevocably changed. For
the women at the heart of the storm, they have only one weapon; and when
it’s no longer enough to be the mistress, Mary must groom her younger
sister in the ways of the king. What happens next is common knowledge –
but here it is told in a way we’ve never heard it before, with all of
Philippa Gregory’s characteristic perceptiveness, backed by meticulous
research and superb storytelling skills

 

I read quite a few Philippa Gregory books when I was in my twenties, but had forgotten just how much I enjoyed her writing.  I found this interestingly written and quite gripping and really looked forward to getting back to it every time I had to put it down.  There are over 20 books listed as references at the back, so I hope it should be fairly accurate on a lot of the history of things.  I have just realised it was the first book of a series, though, so I will have to decide whether to go on and read the rest!  Also, it has a couple of mentions of Oliver Cromwell, and as I have just ordered Wolf Hall for next month's Reading Circle, it is an interesting little introduction to that.  I wonder whose writing style I will prefer, Philippa Gregory's or Hilary Mantel's?

Edited March 2, 2013 by Ooshie

[willoyd]

Also, it has a couple of mentions of Oliver Cromwell, and as I have just ordered Wolf Hall for next month's Reading Circle, it is an interesting little introduction to that.  I wonder whose writing style I will prefer, Philippa Gregory's or Hilary Mantel's?

 

Just to avoid disappointment, Wolf Hall is about Thomas rather than Oliver. (Is that who you mean, given The Other Boleyn Girl's time-frame?).  Hope you enjoy Wolf Hall - I absolutely loved it, but Mantel's habit of referring to Cromwell as 'he' and 'him' takes a bit of getting used to.

[Ooshie]

Just to avoid disappointment, Wolf Hall is about Thomas rather than Oliver. (Is that who you mean, given The Other Boleyn Girl's time-frame?).  Hope you enjoy Wolf Hall - I absolutely loved it, but Mantel's habit of referring to Cromwell as 'he' and 'him' takes a bit of getting used to.

 

I definitely hadn't been paying attention there, had I?   You are quite right, of course, it is Thomas Cromwell in The Other Boleyn Girl!  I'm looking forward to Wolf Hall, glad to hear you enejoyed it so much Willoyd

Edited March 8, 2013 by Ooshie

[Ooshie]

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
 

 
Synopsis - from The Folio Society
 
To what extremes can the human body and spirit be driven? Whether out of passion or violence, this question is central to Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong. When 20-year-old Stephen Wraysford arrives in Amiens in 1910 to learn about the textile business, he has little idea to what extent his life is about to change. Staying with the prosperous manufacturer, Azaire, Stephen begins a passionate love affair with his host’s wife, Isabelle.
 
Their ultimately doomed relationship – beautifully, hauntingly drawn – is the focus for the first part of the book. Six years later, Stephen prepares to march into no-man’s-land in the Battle of the Somme. Birdsong offers unflinching descriptions of the First World War: the dangerous, claustrophobic tunnelling work; the grotesque injuries suffered by the men; the mix of terror and adrenalin that keeps them going.
 
Faulks’s characters compel our attention, and his narrative, whilst never eschewing the horrors of war, remains tender and moving to the end. Powerful, evocative and utterly compelling, Birdsong is literature at its finest. The author’s introduction, included in this edition, explains the personal and creative journey he undertook in producing his masterpiece, while evocative illustrations by Swava Harasymowicz perfectly capture the novel’s progression from love story to chronicle of war.
 
I had seen the recent BBC tv adaptation of Birdsong, and will be going to see the play in a few weeks, so I thought it was time I finally got round to reading the book.  However, I had forgotten just how much I dislike books about the two World Wars.  I just find the misery the men went through too depressing.  There are other strands to the story as well which I got on better with

although I did struggle a bit to see the point of Elizabeth's story, I didn't think it added much to the book overall

. It is a good, well-written book and for those who enjoy books set in the wars I would think it well be just just the thing, but I only gave it 3/5 as I couldn't say I enjoyed it.

[Ooshie]

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

 

Synopsis - from Amazon

 

'Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning,' says Thomas More,
'and when you come back that night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion
eating larks' tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.'

England,
the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal
Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope
refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas
Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor.

Cromwell
is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political
genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly
expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his
own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for
himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a
self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic
passions and murderous rages.

From one of our finest
living writers, ‘Wolf Hall’ is that very rare thing: a truly great
English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual
psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and
richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor
England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion,
suffering and courage.

 

Well, I absolutely loved this book.  I liked it from the start, although I did have some problems with the writing style like quite a few others, but I was devastated to be getting towards the end of it - that doesn't happen often with my reading!  I came to really like the character of Thomas Cromwell, and have pre-ordered the paperback of Bring Up The Bodies.  I am very much looking forward to the Reading Circle discussion in May

 

Both Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl have sparked my interest in the Tudor period of history, although I don't read much non-fiction.  Does anyone have any recommendations on a factual history book on the period? 

[Ooshie]

Well, I'm devastated.  I have been reading The Morland Dynasty series of books by Cynthia Harrod Eagles since 1980, and for most of the series the blurb at the front of the book has mentioned that she would be taking the series up to the present day (it started with The Founding, set in 1434).   However, when I picked up the most recent book (The Winding Road beginning in 1925) I noticed that it didn't mention the name of the next book to come in the series, and was dedicated For my readers, faithful followers of the Morland Story, who always wanted to know What Happened Next. 

 

Well, I thought, I still want to know What Happens Next and this seems somewhat mysterious! 

 

Looking on her website, it appears her contract was only extended to write 34 books, so The Winding Road will be the last.  I feel cheated!  Cynthia Harrod Eagles, you really did not need to spend five books on the Second World War (I seem to remember complaining about that as I was reading them, maybe a lot of your faithful followers became too bored to carry on)!  Had you been more restrained in your wartime descriptions then perhaps I would be looking forward to a complete series to the present day as promised!

 

[Janet]

Goodness - that's a huge investment of your time to be left so disappointed.      Maybe she'll have a change of heart? 

 

ETA:  Fantastic Fiction mentions book 35 - The Phoenix! 

[Janet]

It's available for pre-order on Amazon. 

[Ooshie]

Goodness - that's a huge investment of your time to be left so disappointed.      Maybe she'll have a change of heart? 

 

ETA:  Fantastic Fiction mentions book 35 - The Phoenix! 

 

 

It's available for pre-order on Amazon. 

 

 

Oh Janet, you have made my day!   Thank you so much for that I can go back to having smilies now instead of rants! 

[bobblybear]

Both Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl have sparked my interest in the Tudor period of history, although I don't read much non-fiction.  Does anyone have any recommendations on a factual history book on the period? 

 

I can't recommend any books on that period, but I'm glad you enjoyed Wolf Hall. It really does seem to be a 'love it or hate it' type of book. I think I might borrow it from the library, rather than buy it, just in case I fall into the latter category!

[Ooshie]

I can't recommend any books on that period, but I'm glad you enjoyed Wolf Hall. It really does seem to be a 'love it or hate it' type of book. I think I might borrow it from the library, rather than buy it, just in case I fall into the latter category!

 

Yes, it definitely seems to divide opinion very sharply.  Borrowing it seems a sensible first move!    I have been really tempted by a slipcased edition of the two books - I really, really want it, but if it's going to be a trilogy then it just doesn't make any sense!

[Kidsmum]

Glad to hear you enjoyed Wolf Hall Ooshie; i just started it today so too soon to know if i'll like it or not but i look forward to reading your thoughts on it in the reading circle 

[willoyd]

Both Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl have sparked my interest in the Tudor period of history, although I don't read much non-fiction.  Does anyone have any recommendations on a factual history book on the period?

There's a huge range of books on the subject - almost overwhelming. Ones that I've enjoyed include:

 

England under the Tudors - GR Elton (I read this some years ago when it was the standard text on the subject. It may be a bit dated, but I remember it as being a good overall read, even if a bit of a textbook, which is what it is and was!)

A History of England Volume II: The Tudors - Peter Ackroyd (as readable as Peter Ackroyd always is - a really good intro. Starts with Henry VIII though!!).

 

Books about more specific subjects:

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada - Garrett Mattingley

Winter King - Thomas Penn (biog of Henry VII)

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser

Mary Queen of Scots - Antonia Fraser

Mary Tudor - Linda Porter

Elizabeth I - Anne Somerset

Henry VIII - JJ Scarisbrick (more of an historical tome than, say, Starkey, but I loved it when I read it as a student, and it's still one of the best).

 

Quite a lot of people recommend Alison Weir's books, but having found some of her books occasionally wanting on accuracy, and to be honest been rather bored by both her writing and her speaking, I can't say I'm a fan, but I'm in a minority. Starkey is a bit more sensationalist in style at times, but I still enjoy his story telling.

 

Hope that helps.

[Ooshie]

There's a huge range of books on the subject - almost overwhelming. Ones that I've enjoyed include:

 

England under the Tudors - GR Elton (I read this some years ago when it was the standard text on the subject. It may be a bit dated, but I remember it as being a good overall read, even if a bit of a textbook, which is what it is and was!)

A History of England Volume II: The Tudors - Peter Ackroyd (as readable as Peter Ackroyd always is - a really good intro. Starts with Henry VIII though!!).

 

Books about more specific subjects:

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada - Garrett Mattingley

Winter King - Thomas Penn (biog of Henry VII)

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser

Mary Queen of Scots - Antonia Fraser

Mary Tudor - Linda Porter

Elizabeth I - Anne Somerset

Henry VIII - JJ Scarisbrick (more of an historical tome than, say, Starkey, but I loved it when I read it as a student, and it's still one of the best).

 

Quite a lot of people recommend Alison Weir's books, but having found some of her books occasionally wanting on accuracy, and to be honest been rather bored by both her writing and her speaking, I can't say I'm a fan, but I'm in a minority. Starkey is a bit more sensationalist in style at times, but I still enjoy his story telling.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks, willoyd, that's really helpful - in fact, it reminded me that I bought the Antonia Fraser book on Mary, Queen of Scots years ago but have never got round to reading it.  I will have to have a look for it.

[pontalba]

Regarding Birdsong, I know what you mean...being tired of WW books.  Me too, for the most part.  Been there, done that both fiction and non-fiction.

 

Very happy to hear you enjoyed Wolf Hall.  That is my one after this next one book. 

[Ooshie]

Regarding Birdsong, I know what you mean...being tired of WW books.  Me too, for the most part.  Been there, done that both fiction and non-fiction.

 

Very happy to hear you enjoyed Wolf Hall.  That is my one after this next one book. 

 

I always feel a bit guilty about the WW books, I know people went through dreadful horrors, but I just don't want to read about them

 

I hope you enjoy Wolf Hall as much as I did, I wasn't sure what to expect as there have been comments very much at both ends of the spectrum, but I absolutely loved it.  I would happily read it again quite soon, which doesn't happen often, particularly with such a long book.    I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it when you get to it, pontalba

[Ooshie]

Well, everybody, did you think I had completely forgotten about my reading list for 2013?  Oh no, at least that would have given me an excuse!t was just that the pile of books I had read and not added to my list had got so long I knew there was no chance I would ever catch up with it.  So, I finally decided to just make a list with my scores and start properly again with my books from September

 

I should say that lots of books have suffered from my having read Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies this year.  Both of those got 5/5 from me, and are two of the best books I have ever read.  So my 5/5 scoring is now ... ok, it was great ... but did I enjoy it as much as those?  And the answer is usually a resounding no.  So the books that have scored 4.5/5 would usually have got 5/5.  Maybe I should have made Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies 6/5, and just put them in a category all on their own!

 

OK, enough Mantel-inspired gushing, here is my list with scores:

 

March - August

 

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel 5/5

The Sea Change by Joanna Rossiter 3/5

Gerald's Game by Stephen King 2.5/5

The Zero Game by David Baldacci 2.5/5

Phantom by Jo Nesbo 4/5

Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid 3.5/5

Fault Line by Robert Goddard 3/5

The Winding Road by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 4.5/5

Stonemouth by Iain Banks 3.5/5

Lisey's Story by Stephen King 3/5

Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov 4/5

Beastly Things by Donna Leon 4.5/5

The House by the Sea by Santa Montefiore 2.5/5

Eloise by Judy Finnigan 2.5/5

The Complaints by Ian Rankin 4/5

River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine 3.5/5

King Solomon's Carpet by Barbara Vine 4.5/5

The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke 3/5

Summer by Edith Wharton 4.5/5

The Racketeer by John Grisham 4/5

The Bat by Jo Nesbo 2.5/5

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell 4/5

Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie 3.5/5

Hotel Vendome by Danielle Stelle 4/5

The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell 3.5/5

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 3/5

Joyland by Stephen King 4/5

The Red House by Mark Haddon 4/5

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton 4/5

The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones 4.5/5

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain 4/5

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 4/5

A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene 3/5

Clarissa Oakes by Patrick O'Brian 5/5

Bitter River by Julia Keller 4/5

[poppyshake]

I should say that lots of books have suffered from my having read Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies this year.  Both of those got 5/5 from me, and are two of the best books I have ever read.  So my 5/5 scoring is now ... ok, it was great ... but did I enjoy it as much as those?  And the answer is usually a resounding no.  So the books that have scored 4.5/5 would usually have got 5/5.  Maybe I should have made Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies 6/5, and just put them in a category all on their own!

Couldn't agree with you more .. they're in a league of their own I can't wait to read the third.

[Ooshie]

Couldn't agree with you more .. they're in a league of their own I can't wait to read the third.

 

Me too!  Glad you enjoyed them as much as I did, poppyshake