Janet Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 Thanks, Kay. There is a sequel (and another in the pipeline) which I might try if I happen upon them in a charity shop or something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 A Child’s War by Molly BihetThe ‘blurb’The Channel Islands were the only British Territory to be occupied during the 1939 to 1945 war. Islanders were immediately imprisoned and amongst thousands of unsmiling enemy troops, all armed with daggers, bayonets, guns and rifles. Our world was suddenly turned upside down, so what was everyday life like for a child and her family?This story has been a tribute to my mother and to all mothers who had the worry and frustrations of bringing up children during the five years of German Occupation on the Island of Guernsey. I have appreciated being allowed to bring up daughters without traumatic experiences such as my parents had to face. I appreciate the many blessings of today and feel very privileged and fortunate to live in freedom on such a beautiful island, Sarnia Cherie, Molly BihetAnother ‘World Challenge’ book – this time for the Channel Islands.In June 1940 when Molly Bihet was nearly nine years old, Guernsey was occupied by Germany and the occupation lasted for the rest of World War II. This memoir tells of Molly’s experiences of life under German rule. Life was hard with a shortage of food and strict regulations to be followed and the islanders had to be fairly inventive and a bit sneaky in order to make life more bearable. The book is very short (80 pages including lots of photos) and although it was written when Molly was an adult, the writing is very childlike. That said, it was enjoyable enough and having read and enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows it was nice to read a factual account – even if a bit more depth would have been nice!The revised paperback is 128 pages long and is published by Amberley Publishing. It was first published in 1985. The ISBN number is 9781843547471. I read this on my Nook.2½/5 (it was okay)(Finished 08 August 2013) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 You're ripping along with the world challenge J My reading has slowed to a halt but once I get going again I intend to tick a few more off. The Guernsey books sounds really interesting if a bit more detail could have been provided! Given you only rated it 2.5 I will probably search out another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Thanks, Alex. I have been on a bit of a roll recently! I probably wouldn't have read the Guernsey book if I hadn't bought it home from the books I got when my mother-in-law died. I have no idea where she got it from but it's signed inside (but not dedicated to my m-i-l) - I don't know if B ever met the author?! I'm currently reading Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I'm really enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablo VillalobosThe ‘blurb’Tochtli lives in a palace. He loves hats, samurai, guillotines and dictionaries, and what he wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo: a pygmy hippopotamus from Liberia. But Tochtli is a child whose father is a drug baron on the verge of taking over a cartel, and Tochtli is growing up in a luxury hideout that he shares with hit men, dealers, and the odd corrupt politician or two. Down the Rabbit Hole, a masterful and darkly-comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a child's wish. Another World Challenge book – this time for Mexico. This was one of the Kindle 99p deals a few weeks ago.Tochtli (the word means ‘rabbit’ in an indigenous Mexican language) lives with his father, a drug baron. His upbringing is anything but conventional and Tochtli has been exposed to some terrible things in his short life. This book, which is narrated by Tochtli, is the story of a bright but lonely child who lacks any interaction with children of his own age, and as a result he comes across as rather a lonely character – his one wish is for a Liberian hippopotamus to add to his collection of zoo animals, and so Tochtli, his father Yolcaut (meaning rattlesnake) set off for Monrovia…This was a strange novella and I’m finding it hard to put down coherent thoughts! I quite enjoyed the quirky nature of it, but the characters are not likeable (well, they wouldn’t be, would they?!) and one has to suspend disbelief as Tochtli lives his young life in a very adult environment. I’m not sure what else to say about it really!The paperback is 92 pages long and is published by And Other Stories. It was first published in 2011. The ISBN number is 9781908276285. I read this on my Kindle.3/5 (I quite enjoyed it)(Finished 12 August 2013) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 19, 2013 Author Share Posted August 19, 2013 Eskimo Folk-Tales as told to Knud RasmussenThe ‘blurb’These stories were collected in various parts of Greenland, taken down from the lips of the Eskimo story-tellers themselves, by Knud Rasmussen, the Danish explorer.No man is better qualified to tell the story of Greenland, or the stories of its people. Knud Rasmussen is himself partly of Eskimo origin; his childhood was spent in Greenland, and to Greenland he returned again and again, studying, exploring, crossing the desert of the inland ice, making unique collections of material, tangible and otherwise, from all parts of that vast and little-known land, and his achievements on these various expeditions have gained for him much honour and the appreciation of many learned societies.Another world challenge book, this time for Greenland. Knud Rasmussen was born in Greenland in 1879 and spent his early years living amongst the Inuit people. He returned in later life and took down tales from these indigenous people. As one might expect, a great number of these concern hunting – some are funny and some are downright bizarre! I did find that after a while it became a bit samey – there are only so many folk tales about blubber that one can read ( ) and being short tales I could have stopped but I carried on to the end. I’m not sure I could recommend this to anyone not doing the world challenge, but at least it is free on Kindle and there aren’t many choices for Greenland (this is the only one I’ve found where the author was born in country).This is 128 pages long and is in the public domain. It was first published in 1921. The ASI number is B008400HL0. I read this on my Kindle.3/5 (it was okay)(Finished 16 August 2013) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 19, 2013 Author Share Posted August 19, 2013 The President’s Hat by Antonie LaurainThe ‘blurb’Dining alone in an elegant Parisian brasserie, accountant Daniel Mercier can hardly believe his eyes when President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him. Daniel's thrill at being in such close proximity to the most powerful man in the land persists even after the presidential party has gone, which is when he discovers that Mitterrand's black felt hat has been left behind. After a few moments' soul-searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir of an extraordinary evening. It's a perfect fit, and as he leaves the restaurant Daniel begins to feel somehow... different. I saw The President's Hat in paperback in Watestone's in Birmingham when I was there for a lovely weekend meeting up with some good friends back in March. I liked the sound of it and took a photo of it on my phone to remind me to add it to my wish list when I got home and when I spotted it as Amazon’s 'Kindle Deal of the Day' recently I snapped it up!Daniel Mercier dines alone in a Parisian restaurant whilst his wife and son are away and as he is enjoying his meal President Mitterrand is seated at the next table. After Mitterrand has left, Daniel discovers that the President has left his hat behind, and in a moment of recklessness Daniel hides the hat on his lap until nobody is looking and then leaves the restaurant with it. Daniel feels good in the hat and it gives him confidence and things start to go really well for him – but Daniel’s impulsive action starts a chain of events which will affect the lives of other people too…This book is an easy read and would make a great holiday read – I started it on Friday morning and read it from start to finish in one sitting – I can’t remember the last time a book made me want to do that. Despite it being an easy read it’s a great story which made me smile and I really enjoyed it – good fun! The paperback is 208 pages long and is published by Gallic Books. It was first published in 2013. The ISBN number is 9781908313478. I read this on my Kindle.4/5 (I really liked it)(Finished 16 August 2013) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Northanger Abbey is on my TBR, I'm glad to hear you liked it! I also liked reading your other reviews . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Thanks, Athena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Black Beauty by Anna SewellThe ‘blurb’Black Beauty begins life in a loving home. But his owners are forced to sell him, and Black Beauty's fortunes change. He is moved from place to place and job to job, often suffering cruel treatment and harsh conditions - until a chance encounter leads to a new turn of events. I don’t like horses! I wouldn’t hurt one or anything like that, but they scare me and they make me sneeze! So maybe Black Beauty seems like an unlikely choice to be my first ever Kindle download on Christmas day 2011, but I chose it because it was the first free title I came across… but it’s taken me until now to actually read it!Black Beauty was Sewell’s only novel and was published shortly before her death. She wrote it for people who worked with horses to “induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses" although it is now considered a children’s book.The novel is narrated by the titular Black Beauty, who lives the first few years of his life on a farm. It is a happy life, but circumstances mean that Beauty moves from owner to owner. Some of them are kind to him and some are cruel, but through all the ups and downs, Beauty does his best. It’s an easy read, but one with a fair bit of religious undercurrent in it. This is hardly surprising given Sewell’s devout beliefs, and despite this it manages not to come across as preachy. As someone non-horsey, I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it.The Kindle edition is 216 pages long and is also available in book form from various publishers. It was first published in 1877. The ASIN number is B0084B132Q.4/5 (I really liked it)(Finished 19 August 2013) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Nice review ! I'm also not a horsey person (they make me sneeze too!), but despite that I really liked the book. Great to read your thoughts on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Thanks, Athena. I was fully prepared not to enjoy it so I was pleasantly surprised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 I always feel like a bit of a monster for saying this, but I really didn't like Black Beauty, and for exactly the reason you mentioned - its rather preachy tone. I'm glad you enjoyed it more than I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Really like the sound of The President's Hat Janet .. I've seen it and been curious about it but didn't know if it would be my thing. Thanks to your great review I'm definitely going to add it I've got Black Beauty on the shelf .. I think I've been putting it off because I'm not the biggest fan of horses but I really should give it a try (it's possible that I might join Kylie's monster party though .. it could go either way ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 I always feel like a bit of a monster for saying this, but I really didn't like Black Beauty, and for exactly the reason you mentioned - its rather preachy tone. I'm glad you enjoyed it more than I did. I didn't find it too preachy though - I've read far worse. Little Women, for example - ugh! I guess the book is 'of its time'. I did like the quote "...there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham..." I think that's true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 The President's Hat was great fun, Kay. Re: Black Beauty - it's not very long! We can't all like the same things. As I said, I'm not horsey at all, but that didn't matter in the end - the story was good and I'm glad to have finally read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 The President's Hat was great fun, Kay. Brilliant .. just what I like Re: Black Beauty - it's not very long! We can't all like the same things. As I said, I'm not horsey at all, but that didn't matter in the end - the story was good and I'm glad to have finally read it. I do feel as if I should read the children's classics .. the ones I didn't read as a child that is. What Katy Did was a bit 'religious' and very tame compared to contemporary children's fiction but it was ok .. and times were different then .. people were more devout. I agree with you about Little Women though .. they were insufferable at times. It was quite a shock to me because I've always loved the films. I couldn't bear to read Good Wives or Little Men or Sanctimonious Twits ( ) etc. I thought their's was the sort of smugness that probably got worse with time I still love the films though .. they're only preachy with a small p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 I didn't manage any of the other books written by L M Alcott (although I do like the sound of Sanctimonious Twits ) - I've seen the very old film before, many years ago, but not the Winona Rider one - is that any good do you know? I haven't read What Katy Did either - I think it's on my Kindle but I don't suppose I'll hurry to read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I didn't find it too preachy though - I've read far worse. Little Women, for example - ugh! x Oh dear! I'll have to put off reading that one, for a while, then. I really don't like it when books are being too preachy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carelia Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 (edited) Speaking of little women, my mom got me a copy when I was young which I read and enjoyed. However, none of us realised this was only part one of two, so I thought the book ended with The dad coming home for christmas after Beth had been ill, but recovered. A happy ending for everyone... Imagine my surprise when I saw the film several years later... Edited August 21, 2013 by Carelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I didn't manage any of the other books written by L M Alcott (although I do like the sound of Sanctimonious Twits ) - I've seen the very old film before, many years ago, but not the Winona Rider one - is that any good do you know? I haven't read What Katy Did either - I think it's on my Kindle but I don't suppose I'll hurry to read it! .. I quite like the Winona Rider one .. Claire Danes is in it also (and Kirsten Dunst and Christian Bale.) My favourite though is the June Allyson/Elizabeth Taylor/Margaret O'Brien/Janet Leigh one which is pretty silly but somehow cosy and comforting (and I count it as a Christmas film because its opening scenes are so Christmassy). I'm not as keen on the Katharine Hepburn one but I still like it .. I like them all because they keep the essence of the story in and leave most of the smugness out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 It appears that my mojo is back! This is largely thanks to The Night Circus which I read in 2 days and really enjoyed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Oh the mojo has returned .. brilliant! Glad you enjoyed The Night Circus Janet .. it's quite outstanding I agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I'm glad to hear your mojo is back!! I'm also glad to hear you enjoyed The Night Circus . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Good going, Janet! Two days is very fast for a book the length of The Night Circus, IMO. What are you planning on reading next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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