Your Book Activity - December 2013

[Janet]

I'm about to start The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.    I read the first few pages in bed about three nights ago but I was so tired I stopped and I can't remember what I read!  I've been so busy it's been madness trying to find any reading time!

Well, I started it again on 14th and read about the first 10 pages before I fell asleep (in bed) whilst reading and Peter retrieved the book when he got home!    I hadn't had any more reading time until this morning and I still found I couldn't remember what I'd read, so I'm going to have to go back to the start! 

 

Goodness knows how long it will take me - reading times are few and far between at the moment. 

[frankie]

 And I've only been here a few months....

I know! This place can get to you really soon... Amazing people we have on here!!

 

We had Beta , you hardly had any decent films at the video rental shop for Beta.

Oh wow... When I was a kid, we didn't have any Beta films at the video rentals. I wonder if that's because VHS was more popular, or because I'm too young to know about the Beta rentals... But I'm still proud I am Beta people =D

 

 

I've finished The Howling Man this afternoon.Great stuff -  a fairy tale meets Rambo.... .

Hahaha I haven't read the book, but that's a wonderful description... I wonder if they would print that on the cover of a new edition...

 

 

 

I'm about 1/4 of the way through "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb... Decent so far, but I wouldn't say it's "riveting" or anything.

 

Glad to have you back on board, Bethany!

 

 

I've started to read Helen Fielding - Bridget Jones 3: Mad About The Boy and am enjoying it so far. I still have quite a few questions though about what happened in between book 2 and 3 (I'm not that far into the book yet), but hopefully it'll all be revealed in due time.

 

It takes a long time before all things are explained... I know I really wanted to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible, but I could only read on and wait. Don't worry, it will be explained. Glad to hear you are enjoying it!

 

 

I finally finished A Tale of Two Cities last night. It was ok, but not brilliant. I'm still glad I read it though.

Oh no =( I'd better go and read your review soon, I wonder what 'went wrong'.

 

 

I finished Marley & Me a few days ago, started reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist and really enjoyed it! Only the next night I picked it up where I left off, and I didn't remember what I'd read before and somehow couldn't catch up I think when I'm in the right mood and have my mojo, it will be a bloody spendid book, though I love the narrative... I don't want to force it now when I know I couldn't appreciate it as much as I can another time.

 

Then picked up The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.. Great start! But fearing I won't be into it tonight when I go to bed.

 

Oh. And got some amazing booky pressies today! (Have posted on my log about them)

[pontalba]

Read and reviewed When She Woke by Hillary Jordan, and probably will start Robert Crais's  Hostage, thanks to Ian's review. 

[86WM]

In the next day or so I shall begin reading All the Quiet Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Anybody read this book before? Have any good/bad words to say about it?

[bookmonkey]

This week I finished Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin - another good one in the Rebus series, and Cannery Row by John Steinbeck.  Thank you Frankie for telling me about this one.

 

Edited to fix title of the Rankin book. I keep getting this wrong.

Edited December 20, 2013 by bookmonkey

[chesilbeach]

I finished The Borrower yesterday.  It was okay, but veered into the unbelievable, and there ending was just too far fetched to make me believe it could happen, with one major problem that I just couldn't get past, which I can't discuss as it's a major plot spoiler.  I did talk to Kay about it yesterday when we met up, and we both agreed on that same thing!   Plus points were definitely that it had a librarian as a main character and a love of books ran through it.

 

I'm going to go back and try and finish Death Comes To Pemberley next, as I want to read it before the television adaptation over Christmas.

[chaliepud]

I finished A Christmas Carol, it was ok but I'm not sure if it was because I have seen the films (mainly the Muppets version which didn't help!  ) or because I am not a fan of the Classics that I wasn't so keen. I'm glad I read it though as so many others have loved it and I would have always wondered if I would.

 

After much deliberation I have now started Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes. I can't believe that I stood in front of my TBR shelf for so long and nothing was grabbing me.

[frankie]

This week I finished Saints of the Sinners Bible by Ian Rankin - another good one in the Rebus series, and Cannery Row by John Steinbeck.  Thank you Frankie for telling me about this one.

You're very welcome! How did you like it?

 

 

After much deliberation I have now started Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes. I can't believe that I stood in front of my TBR shelf for so long and nothing was grabbing me.

Very naughty mojo I hope Silver Bay will get you going!

 

I started reading Ignatius Rising in bed last night. I was tired so only managed a few pages but loved them.

[Athena]

It takes a long time before all things are explained... I know I really wanted to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible, but I could only read on and wait. Don't worry, it will be explained. Glad to hear you are enjoying it!

x

I'm glad to hear that, thanks ! Already a bit more is explained, the book is really good so far.

x

After much deliberation I have now started Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes. I can't believe that I stood in front of my TBR shelf for so long and nothing was grabbing me.

x

Awww I hope your mojo feels better soon .

[bobblybear]

Finished Gulp by Mary Roach last night. I really enjoyed it; I think it's my second favorite of hers, after Stiff.

 

I started The Secret History this morning as well, so hopefully I will finish it by the end of the year.

[frankie]

x

I'm glad to hear that, thanks ! Already a bit more is explained, the book is really good so far.

Good to hear you already know more than earlier. Just keep at it   I'm so happy you are enjoying the book. Bridget Jones is my heroine.

 

 

I started The Secret History this morning as well, so hopefully I will finish it by the end of the year.

Good luck with this! I hope you shall enjoy it muchly

[lauraloves]

My mojo is really good at the minute it seems! I finished Stolen Child by Laura Elliot and I've started The Worlds Most Shocking Ghost Stories by Samie Larcene (which doesn't seem very shocking at the minute!)

[bookmonkey]

You're very welcome! How did you like it?

 

 

Very naughty mojo I hope Silver Bay will get you going!

 

I started reading Ignatius Rising in bed last night. I was tired so only managed a few pages but loved them.

 

I really liked it Frankie, at least 4 1/2 out of 5.  

[Marie H]

Hahaha I haven't read the book, but that's a wonderful description... I wonder if they would print that on the cover of a new edition...

If only  .  

I can see it now...*fades to new, shiny book in the book stores* The Howling Man - Great stuff -  a fairy tale meets Rambo.... Marie H, Book Club Forums ... ... 

[frankie]

My mojo is really good at the minute it seems! I finished Stolen Child by Laura Elliot and I've started The Worlds Most Shocking Ghost Stories by Samie Larcene (which doesn't seem very shocking at the minute!)

I'm so happy to hear you and mojo are getting along so well at the moment, I hope it continues without a hitch!

 

 

I really liked it Frankie, at least 4 1/2 out of 5.

Wow, that's great! Do you think you are going to read the sequel? Sweet Thursday, I think it was called? I have it on the shelf but haven't gotten to it yet.

 

 

If only  .  

I can see it now...*fades to new, shiny book in the book stores* The Howling Man - Great stuff -  a fairy tale meets Rambo.... Marie H, Book Club Forums

 

:lol: I would buy the book just for that!! (And maybe a new pair of dry pants.. )

[lauraloves]

I'm so happy to hear you and mojo are getting along so well at the moment, I hope it continues without a hitch!

 

Thank you Its still going well as I've now finished The Worlds Most Shocking Ghost Stories by Samie Larcene and I've started Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.

[Kreader]

I've been reading Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series.  It starts with Soulless first, then Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and lastly Timeless.  Alexia Tarabotti really does use her parasol as a weapon usually striking someone one's head 

[bobblybear]

Read a bit more of The Secret History. Even though it's a re-read, my memory of it is so rubbish it is like reading it for the first time.

 

Also, Amazon have started one of their Christmas Kindle sales, so I bought the following:

 

Homeland: Carrie's Run - Andrew Kaplan

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Inferno - Dan Brown

Dark Eden - Chris Beckett

Stuffed and Starved: From Farm to Fork - Raj Patel

 

Obviously my TBR list is completely under control.

[bookmonkey]

I'm so happy to hear you and mojo are getting along so well at the moment, I hope it continues without a hitch!

 

 

Wow, that's great! Do you think you are going to read the sequel? Sweet Thursday, I think it was called? I have it on the shelf but haven't gotten to it yet.

 

 

 

:lol: I would buy the book just for that!! (And maybe a new pair of dry pants.. )

 

I didn't know there was a sequel.  I'll have to see if my library has it.

[karen.d]

Unfortunately I've had little time to read for a long time . However, now it's the Christmas holidays I can get some reading done! I'm reading 'The Kite Runner' by Khalid Hosseini. This is a book I have heard a lot about and wanted to read for a while, so when it appeared at the charity shop I volunteer at, I had to buy it.

[Athena]

Awww , I hope you get some reading done in the Christmas holidays. I haven't read The Kite Runner myself but I've heard good things from other people.

[karen.d]

Awww , I hope you get some reading done in the Christmas holidays. I haven't read The Kite Runner myself but I've heard good things from other people.

So do I Athena! I know that this has been turned into a film. Has anyone seen it?

[muggle not]

In the next day or so I shall begin reading All the Quiet Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Anybody read this book before? Have any good/bad words to say about it?

I believe you mean "All The Pretty Horses". I have read it plus the other two in the Trilogy and thought they were excellent. Cormac McCarthy is one of my favorite writers along with John Steinbeck. See the following:

 

In 1992, McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses was published. This book would be his first real breakthrough to a wide readership, selling nearly 200,000 copies in the first hardcover printing. It also won the National Book Award and paved the way for two more novels in the "Border Trilogy": The Crossing (1994) and Cities of the Plain (1998).

 

 

This week I finished Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin - another good one in the Rebus series, and Cannery Row by John Steinbeck.  Thank you Frankie for telling me about this one.

 

Edited to fix title of the Rankin book. I keep getting this wrong.

 

Did you enjoy Cannery Row. Also, did you first read Tortilla Flats. Sweet Thursday is the third book of what I call the Trilogy. I enjoyed all three. Another of Steinbeck's that I recommend is "Of Mice and Men".

 

In 1992, McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses was published. This book would be his first real breakthrough to a wide readership, selling nearly 200,000 copies in the first hardcover printing. It also won the National Book Award and paved the way for two more novels in the "Border Trilogy": The Crossing (1994) and Cities of the Plain (1998).

 

Edited December 22, 2013 by muggle not

[bobblybear]

I'm glad you have more time to read over the holidays, Karen. It's very frustrating, isn't it?

 

I loved The Kite Runner, but haven't seen the movie. I hope you enjoy it.

[karen.d]

I'm glad you have more time to read over the holidays, Karen. It's very frustrating, isn't it?

 

I loved The Kite Runner, but haven't seen the movie. I hope you enjoy it.

 Yes it's really frustrating! The worst part is, I keep buying books meaning to read them and now I've got a large TBR list and not enough to read everything :-( So far, 'The Kite Runner' is a very promising read.