bookmonkey Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm sorry about your Dad KM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 So sorry to hear your sad news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 So sorry for your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, KM. You and your family are in my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi everyone Thanks very much for all your kind messages I can't believe i haven't been on since February but i've just been so busy, first sorting out the funeral & then dealing with all my Dad's affairs & if that wasn't enough a week after the funeral my teenage son & his friends were mugged after a night out, this is actually the second time this has happened to him, about a year or so ago he had his phone & Ipod stolen, so we've been dealing with all that as well. But i'm finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel so i should be around more from now on, i've really missed coming on & finding out what everyone has been up to , readingwise & lifewise as well Needless to say even though i've been so busy i've still managed to buy a shed load of new books, not sure what you'd call it, therapeutic shopping or binge book buying, but i'm back on the slippery slope again I shall post a list of my indulgences shortly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Needless to say even though i've been so busy i've still managed to buy a shed load of new books, not sure what you'd call it, therapeutic shopping or binge book buying, but i'm back on the slippery slope again I shall post a list of my indulgences shortly Don't worry, you aren't alone. I just did my own spree. Photos in my thread if you want to look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I look forward to see which books you bought, Kidsmum ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Don't worry, you aren't alone. I just did my own spree. Photos in my thread if you want to look. I know i'm in like minded company when it comes to book bingeing Devi Loved looking at your book pics I look forward to see which books you bought, Kidsmum ! Hi Athena How are things with you, good i hope? I'll post my book list but it might take me awhile as i got another pile for Mother's Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Okay here goes......... book acquisitons since February :- The Stone Diaries Carol Shields Capital John Lanchester Frankie & Stankie Barbara Trapido The Fountain Overflows Rebecca West The Return Of The Soldier Rebecca West Smut Alan Bennett Waterland Graham Swift The House Of The Spirits Isabelle Allende Alys Always Harriet Lane Set In Stone Robert Goddard She Rider Haggard Purge Sofi Oksanen Mr Midshipman Easy Captain Frederick Marryat All In The Mind A Farewell To God Ludovic Kennedy The Death Instinct Jed Rubenfeld The Riddle Of The Sands Erskine Childers Genghis Khan John Man South Riding Winifred Holtby Lark Rise To Candleford Flora Thompson The Night Guest Fiona McFarlane The Tortoise And The Hare Elizabeth Jenkins Strange Affair Peter Robinson Daughter Of Fortune Isabel Allende Child 44 Tom Rob Smith Books received today as Mother's Day presents from my lovely family The Wolf Of Wall Street Jordan Belfort Lucky Jim Kingsley Amis The Odd Women George Gissing A Single Man Christopher Isherwood Bluestockings The Remarkable Story of the First Women to Fight for an Education Jane Robinson Paris Edward Rutherford A Game Of Thrones George R.R. Martin It's a lot isn't it....... i'm never going to get my TBR mountain down at this rate..... i feel guilty ..... but also really happy that i've got so many great books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Good to see you back, Km - and with an impressive haul, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Hi Athena How are things with you, good i hope?x Hey KM, I'm doing allright thanks . Congratulations on your books, I hope you enjoy them all ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Good to see you again KM, and those are great book acquisitions (lovely word too ) especially Alan Bennett's Smut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Good to see you back, Km - and with an impressive haul, too! Thanks Steve Yes, it is an impressive haul & as i don't have anywhere left to store them i've had to stack them up next to the bookshelves where i can admire them all x Hey KM, I'm doing allright thanks . Congratulations on your books, I hope you enjoy them all ! Thanks Athena, i'm sure i will Good to see you again KM, and those are great book acquisitions (lovely word too ) especially Alan Bennett's Smut. Thanks Marie, i do love Alan Bennett so Smut was an exciting find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 Child 44 Tim Rob Smith Amazon Synopsis In Stalin's Soviet Union, crime does not exist. But still millions live in fear. The mere suspicion of disloyalty to the State, the wrong word at the wrong time, can send an innocent person to his execution. Officer Leo Demidov, an idealistic war hero, believes he's building a perfect society. But after witnessing the interrogation of an innocent man, his loyalty begins to waver, and when ordered to investigate his own wife, Raisa, Leo is forced to choose where his heart truly lies. Then the impossible happens. A murderer is on the loose, killing at will, and every belief Leo has ever held is shattered. Denounced by his enemies and exiled from home, with only Raisa by his side, he must risk everything to find a criminal that the State won't admit even exists. On the run, Leo soon discovers the danger isn't from the killer he is trying to catch, but from the country he is trying to protect. I first heard about this book on Radio 4 in an interview with the author about his new book The Farm; i don't normally read at lot of thrillers & only buy them when other people recommend them to me but this story sounded so interesting not least because it was inspired by a real-life investigation that i felt compelled to buy it when i spotted it on a charity shop trawl. I would say for the first couple of hundred pages i was enjoying the story, the author certainly does a good job of portraying the fear & paranoia that people lived with under Stalin's regime but about halfway through the book the story just takes off & i was utterly gripped, couldn't put it down & had to stay up late into the night so i could finish it. I would definitely put this as one of my favourite reads this year. 6/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 The Sea John Banville Amazon Synopsis When art historian Max Morden returns to the seaside village where he once spent a childhood holiday, he is both escaping from a recent loss and confronting a distant trauma. The Grace family had appeared that long-ago summer as if from another world. Mr and Mrs Grace, with their worldly ease and candour, were unlike any adults he had met before. But it was his contemporaries, the Grace twins Myles and Chloe, who most fascinated Max. He grew to know them intricately, even intimately, and what ensued would haunt him for the rest of his years and shape everything that was to follow. Firstly thanks very much to Pontalba who recommended this book i might never have read any John Banville if she hadn't. This book was a wonderful read, Banville's writing is a joy to read. Unlike my previous book Child 44 it's not a book that's all about plot it's Banville's descriptions, the small details that make the story & his characters so real. I loved this book from start to finish & the ending was so moving that i had to read it twice. This is a book that will be staying on my shelves as i know i'll want to read it again. 6/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 Nearly forgot to mention i bought a few books yesterday..... for a change The Daughter of Time Josephine Tey - i've had this on my wishlist for a long time so was really pleased to find it in a charity shop for 99p A Clash Of Kings George R.R Martin - well i've got the first book & i'm expecting to enjoy it so why not buy the second as well. A Kiss Before Dying Ira Levin - the title sounded familiar so i bought it in case it's a classic & it was only 99p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 (edited) Oh, you're welcome! I'm so tickled that you loved The Sea! It's truly one of my favorites, ever. And Banville! I've read it three times, and it wasn't till the last reading I finally "got" all the levels. I read the Tey a long time ago and liked it a lot. I should reread as I don't remember details anymore. Edited April 5, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 I read A Kiss Before Dying last year (or possibly the year before) and really liked it. There's a movie with Matt Dillon starring, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 I've read it three times, and it wasn't till the last reading I finally "got" all the levels. I read the Tey a long time ago and liked it a lot. I should reread as I don't remember details anymore. I know it's one i'm going to want to read again so it's gone back on to the shelf rather than into the charity bag, at this rate i'll never get that book mountain down I've had the Tey on my wishlist for a long time, can't remember now how i heard about it now but good to hear you liked it I read A Kiss Before Dying last year (or possibly the year before) and really liked it. There's a movie with Matt Dillon starring, as well. That's great to hear Bobbly, the name seemed really familiar but i wasn't sure why but i'm glad i took a chance & bought it as i would have been kicking myself if someone else had snapped it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Putting Child 44 on my wish list after such a good review! It sounds fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Putting Child 44 on my wish list after such a good review! It sounds fascinating. It was a great read Alexi, with some really good twists that took me by surprise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 KM The Sea sounds very good ! Next time I get a new book I'll keep that one in mind ! All of Banville's sound interesting. I'm not sure why I've never tried one of them before ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) The books you read sound quite good, KM! I might have to put The Sea on the wishlist.. I hope you have fun with your new books . Edited April 8, 2014 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 KM The Sea sounds very good ! Next time I get a new book I'll keep that one in mind ! All of Banville's sound interesting. I'm not sure why I've never tried one of them before ? I'd never even heard of Banville, Julie, till Pontalba recommended him but i'm really glad i read The Sea it was such a good book & i'll be looking out for more of his stuff to add to my TBR pile The books you read sound quite good, KM! I might have to put The Sea on the wishlist.. I hope you have fun with your new books . Thanks Athena, i hope you enjoy it as much as i did I get a lot of my books from recommendations from other people, somehow even though i forget things like people's names i always remember if someone recommends a certain book or an author Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I was going through the first page on your reading log and you've had a pretty great reading year so far, I thought, going by the ratings! You've read 16 books, of which four books have received the highest rating (6/6), another four have gotten 5/6, and two books 4/6. That's ten books, which is more than half of the books you've read! Cousin Phillis Elisabeth Gaskell ... Cousin Phillis is a pathetic character but of course everyone loves her because she's so demure when for want of her lover she falls ill with a brain fever seemingly the whole village mopes about fearing that she wont recover & even the village idiot does his bit by diverting passing traffic so she wont be disturbed on her sickbed [/size] Personally i hoped she would rise from her torpor & run riot with an axe in the village this would have lifted the story considerably & elevated it from a 2* read to a 3*. On the plus side it does have some very nice illustrations & an interesting introduction on Elizabeth Gaskells life 2/6 I agree totally .. not one of Gaskell's best. I remember it just depressed me .. making Phillis into an axe murderer, or at the very least menacer, would have improved it no end. She never made that leap from page to imagination .. she stayed .. very drearily .. on the page for me. Oh, poor cousin Phillis... I'll make sure I will not start my Gaskell phase with this book (luckily I don't have it on my TBR)! Okay here goes......... book acquisitons since February :- The Stone Diaries Carol ShieldsCapital John LanchesterFrankie & Stankie Barbara TrapidoThe Fountain Overflows Rebecca WestThe Return Of The Soldier Rebecca WestSmut Alan BennettWaterland Graham SwiftThe House Of The Spirits Isabelle AllendeAlys Always Harriet LaneSet In Stone Robert GoddardShe Rider HaggardPurge Sofi OksanenMr Midshipman Easy Captain Frederick MarryatAll In The Mind A Farewell To God Ludovic KennedyThe Death Instinct Jed RubenfeldThe Riddle Of The Sands Erskine ChildersGenghis Khan John ManSouth Riding Winifred HoltbyLark Rise To Candleford Flora ThompsonThe Night Guest Fiona McFarlaneThe Tortoise And The Hare Elizabeth JenkinsStrange Affair Peter RobinsonDaughter Of Fortune Isabel AllendeChild 44 Tom Rob Smith Books received today as Mother's Day presents from my lovely family The Wolf Of Wall Street Jordan BelfortLucky Jim Kingsley AmisThe Odd Women George GissingA Single Man Christopher IsherwoodBluestockings The Remarkable Story of the First Women to Fight for an Education Jane RobinsonParis Edward RutherfordA Game Of Thrones George R.R. Martin Nice haul You totally deserved to go on a book buying binge I'm really excited about seeing Purge by Sofi Oksanen on the list! I hope you enjoy it A lot of other titles, too, that I've been wanting to read, as well. For example, The House Of The Spirits, Lark Rise To Candleford, The Tortoise And The Hare, Bluestockings The Remarkable Story of the First Women to Fight for an Education (this one I just wishlisted some minutes ago, after reading Ruth's reading log ), and A Game Of Thrones. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on these when you get to them =) Frankie & Stankie? Nearly forgot to mention i bought a few books yesterday..... for a change A Kiss Before Dying Ira Levin - the title sounded familiar so i bought it in case it's a classic & it was only 99p Ooh, an Ira Levin novel. I've liked all the books I've read by him. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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