Heffalumpi Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) I appreciate that I have joined this a little bit late, but thought that it would be a good place to start logging the books that I read over the year and a little bit about them. So far this year I have read: Watching the Ghosts - Kate Ellis (Jan) Giants Bread - Mary Westmacott (Jan) Entry Island - Peter May (Jan) The Plague Maiden (Jan) Not Another Diet - Pauline Quirk (Feb) The Shadow Year - Hannah Richell (Feb) Bonkers - Jennifer Saunders (Feb) Monster In The Box - Ruth Rendell (Mar) The Hangman's Song - James Oswald (Mar) The Library of Unrequited Love - Sophie Divry (Mar) Longbourn - Jo Baker (Mar) A Stranger at Green Knowe - Lucy M Boston (Apr) A 1950's Housewife - Shelia Hardy (Apr) Just One Evil Act - Elizabeth George (Apr) Just a Girl Standing in Front of a Boy - Lucy Ann Holmes (May) The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard (May) Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops - Jen Campbell (May) A Spoonful of Sugar - Brenda Ashford (May) Witch Hunt - Syd Moore (May) Edited May 24, 2014 by Heffalumpi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I've got The Library of Unrequited Love on my TBR (to be read), what did you think of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heffalumpi Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 The Library of Unrequited Love What a bizarre book - no paragraphs, and just one dialogue from the librarian. When I started the book I didn't think that I would continue with it due to the style however I soon found myself rather engrossed in the book. The librarian has been very much stereotyped in my opinion, with all of the traits that an old fashioned person would have, but this didn't detract from the story but added to it as it could not have been written from the point of view of a young person. The book is very short and I read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book to others and let them decide what they think, one friend of mine would not like it at all due to the style that it is written in however I know others would love the quirky nature of it. Give it a try, it might surprise you :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heffalumpi Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 Hi Athena! Just as you posted I added my review of The Library of Unrequited Love. I liked it, I have never read anything else quite like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Nice review ! I look forward to read the book and see how I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Hi Heffalumpi! It's never too late to start one's reading log for the year I was going to ask about the Sophie Divry book and how you liked it, but then Athena beat me to it, and then I read that you'd just posted the review at the same time when Athena posted her question Great review! I've been wanting to get a copy for a while now, I think it'll be a great read. Books with libraries, librarians and books... What's not to love! How did you like Bonkers by Jennifer Saunders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heffalumpi Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hi Frankie! The Library of Unrequited Love is definitely worth a read and a book that I would re-read too. Bonkers was really good and one of my favourite books read so far this year, however I may be slightly biased as I love all things with Jennifer Saunders in It was funny in places and also quite touching when she talked about her battle with cancer. It is quite a quick read but if you like her I think you'd enjoy the book. There are some great sections about her time with Joanna Lumley when they were filming Ab Fab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heffalumpi Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Longbourn by Jo Baker I really wanted to love this book however parts of it made me quite cross. The book is based around the lives of the servants to the Bennett family from Pride and Prejudice and I don't think that this link is a particularly good one, or indeed necessary. It would have been far better as a stand alone book about the lives of servants below stairs in a country house, any country house. The way in which the Bennett family were portrayed made me dislike them greatly in places and their actions didn't fit all that well with the story being told, although I did guess the twist between upper and lower stairs. The characters of the servants were good but lacked a roundness and depth in places. I liked Ptolemy but thought his character could have been developed and expanded upon, he was also too conveniently placed at times. The character of Sarah was well written but some of her actions just did not ring true. These are just my opinions of the book and I am sure others will love it. I'm afraid for me the book is not a keeper, it passed the time and was OK, it was the Pride and Prejudice link that ruined it entirely for me as that is one of my all time favourite books. The being said I didn't think much at all about Death Comes to Pemberley either - think I'll stick to the originals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Not Another Diet - Pauline Quirk (Feb) Hello Heffalumpi (cool user name! ) - I don't think we've spoken properly before? How was the Pauline Quirk book? I nearly bought Longbourn but changed my mind in the end. It sounds like I had a lucky escape! I haven't read Death Comes to Pemberley but I did watch it over Christmas. I liked it as a period murder mystery but I didn't really think the characters did the book characters justice - although I thought Lydia Bennet was spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) Bonkers was really good and one of my favourite books read so far this year, however I may be slightly biased as I love all things with Jennifer Saunders in It was funny in places and also quite touching when she talked about her battle with cancer. It is quite a quick read but if you like her I think you'd enjoy the book. There are some great sections about her time with Joanna Lumley when they were filming Ab Fab. I've watched my fair share of Absolutely Fabulous, but I've kind of grown out of it. It's just not for me, personally, anymore. I know I'm the only person to think this out of my circle of friends! I know loads of Finnish people who absolutely love the fabulous show, it's an institution, the show The thing is, I'm curious about Jennifer Saunders (especially when I heard she is married to Adrian Edmondson, whom I know from Bottom) and I'm wondering what kind of a person she is. Or rather, if I might find her other stuff funny. I didn't know she's had cancer I might give the book a go if I happen to see a copy of it in the library or something Longbourn by Jo Baker I really wanted to love this book however parts of it made me quite cross. The book is based around the lives of the servants to the Bennett family from Pride and Prejudice and I don't think that this link is a particularly good one, or indeed necessary. It would have been far better as a stand alone book about the lives of servants below stairs in a country house, any country house. The way in which the Bennett family were portrayed made me dislike them greatly in places and their actions didn't fit all that well with the story being told, although I did guess the twist between upper and lower stairs. The characters of the servants were good but lacked a roundness and depth in places. I liked Ptolemy but thought his character could have been developed and expanded upon, he was also too conveniently placed at times. The character of Sarah was well written but some of her actions just did not ring true. These are just my opinions of the book and I am sure others will love it. I'm afraid for me the book is not a keeper, it passed the time and was OK, it was the Pride and Prejudice link that ruined it entirely for me as that is one of my all time favourite books. The being said I didn't think much at all about Death Comes to Pemberley either - think I'll stick to the originals Great review! I'm sorry you didn't like the book though I nearly bought Longbourn but changed my mind in the end. It sounds like I had a lucky escape! I haven't read Death Comes to Pemberley but I did watch it over Christmas. I liked it as a period murder mystery but I didn't really think the characters did the book characters justice - although I thought Lydia Bennet was spot on. My friend's (not a member on here) reading Longbourn at the moment and she's really enjoying it. I think that how we view the originals is rather crucial in how we like the new books that are to do with the originals. If we fiercely love the originals and like them the way they are, maybe any other books on the subject will never do. Although of course the skill of the author of a new 'version' has to do with it, too... I loathed Death Comes to Pemberley. But for some reason I'm still going to give Longbourn ago... But if it's any sort of bad, I'm going to allow myself to give it up without finishing, because it's just not worth it My blood pressure was through the roof with DCtP and it was stupid of me not to just let it go Edit: Oh and I did want to like DCtP, I think... At least I didn't go into it thinking 'I want to hate this!' Edited March 28, 2014 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heffalumpi Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi Janet! I've been a bit of a lurker on here for a bit in order to get some great recommendations for books to read although it has all got a bit out of hand now with a whole bookcase of books 'to be read' and an ever increasing wishlist on Amazon I did enjoy the Pauline Quirk book but in places it did feel a bit like an advert for Lighter Life. It focused mainly on her time with Emmerdale and had very little about the rest of her life which I was a bit disappointed about as I wanted to know more about her time on Birds of a Feather. It was worth a read but maybe get it from the library as I don't think that it is the sort of book that you would re-read. I think Frankie makes a very good point about how you feel about a sequel to a book the you previously loved and I am sure that some people will love both Longbourn and Death Comes to Pemberly. I picked up Longbourn not overly aware that it was connected with the Bennetts from Pride and Prejudice, if I had been more aware of this I might have given it a wider berth as Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books. Your right Frankie, sometimes you just have to let a book go even if you really wanted to like it, after all there are too many books and too little time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Hi Janet! I've been a bit of a lurker on here for a bit in order to get some great recommendations for books to read although it has all got a bit out of hand now with a whole bookcase of books 'to be read' and an ever increasing wishlist on Amazon This place is truly dangerous My book buying doubled and trippled and fourdled and fivddled ( something like that!) ever since I joined this forum. There are so many members who read so many books and recommend them to others... And the wishlist has a life of its own... I'm happy that you've set up your own reading log. You now have a chance to get back at the others, by writing reviews and tempting people to wishlist and buy books that you've read and loved Your right Frankie, sometimes you just have to let a book go even if you really wanted to like it, after all there are too many books and too little time It's true (Sometimes it's fun to read a bad book, though. I mean it's not fun while you're reading the book, but writing a review on a book you've loathed is very cathartic. The idea of it is sometimes enough to keep going with the book ) Edited April 7, 2014 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 This place is truly dangerous My book buying doubled and trippled and fourdled and fivddled ( something like that!) ever since I joined this forum. There are so many members who read so many books and recommend them to others... And the wishlist has a life of its own...x I fully agree! Also . I just wanted to say, it's quadrupled (4x) . I don't know if there's a word for 5x, I don't know of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) x I fully agree! Also . I just wanted to say, it's quadrupled (4x) . I don't know if there's a word for 5x, I don't know of it. I know it's quadrupled, I was joking x 5 is quintupled. Edited April 8, 2014 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I know it's quadrupled, I was joking x 5 is quintupled.x Sorry , this is me not realising when something is a joke. Quintupled.. that's good to keep in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 x Sorry , this is me not realising when something is a joke. Quintupled.. that's good to keep in mind. No worries, it's really not always easy to know when someone's joking when one's online, when you can't see their facial expressions and hear the tone of their voice etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 No worries, it's really not always easy to know when someone's joking when one's online, when you can't see their facial expressions and hear the tone of their voice etc. x That's true , though I mess up in real life too sometimes . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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