Alexi Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 I loved Just One Damned Thing After Another as well. I have books 2 and 3 on my Kindle.....I really must get to them soon! I've just cracked open book 2! Just One Damned Thing After Another sounds great! Added to my wish list I hope you enjoy it if you get to it - but I read a couple of positive reviews on here which is how it made it onto mine, so hopefully you will! I didn't know The King's Speech was originally a book! I must read it. The film is great! The film is on Netflix and I keep meaning to watch and compare. I'm so bad with films though, I tend to fidget. Great review of Just One Damned Things After Another! I've never heard of it before, but the title is terrific and your review is excellent. But alas, it's another series! I'll be back to shake my fist at you (jokingly) if I end up adding another series to my wish list because of your review. Ah. Well, yes. There's six books so far and a couple of short stories in between.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre Synopsis: The enduring novel by one of our greatest storytellers. George Smiley, small, podgy and at best middle-aged, is one of the meek who do not inherit the earth. Yet he is also a senior British Intelligence officer, as devastating as he is self-effacing. In Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy we meet him in short-lived retirement, deserted by his beautiful wife, wrestling with idleness and disillusionment. And haunted by the secret fear that one day, out of a past so complex that he himself could not remember all the enemies he might have made, one of them would find him and demand a reckoning. At the dead of night, in the house of a member of the Cabinet Office, a mission is put to George Smiley. ‘You’ll take the job, clean the stables? Go backwards, go forwards, do whatever is necessary?’ As Smiley retraces path after path into his own past there is no longer any difference between the two: forwards or backwards, George Smiley has embarked on a blind night walk with God knows how many bodies at the end. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a world of hoods and lamplighters, scalphunters and pavement artists, where men are turned, burned or bought for stock; a world of moles, legmen, listeners and watchers. And George Smiley is one of le Carré’s most memorable heroes: a troubled man and superb professional of infinite compassion. (From Amazon) Thoughts: This is the second book by Le Carre that I have read, the first being The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. I really enjoyed that one and with TTSS supposedly an even better piece of work I was expecting good things. George Smiley is a wonderful character and the anti-thesis of James Bond as an old, sacked agent. Now he's employed to spy on the spies. In the same vein as the anti-James Bond, this book isn't glamourous. It's slow and methodical, but where I found it fell down was it was simply too convoluted. Jumping between time and narrator left me confused and even in the present time it was difficult to follow exactly where Smiley was in his investigation. In his attempt to keep the reader guessing and in a similar level of darkness as our protagonist, I felt Le Carre when too far and left me feeling in a blur for the majority of the novel. However, my total enjoyment of his previous work left me wondering - was this a lot more convoluted or was it simply my mood? I've been away with work a lot this month and maybe it required more concentration than I thought I was giving it! I will certainly be trying a third by the author to decide which book was the exception. 2/5 (It was ok) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I don't think I've read any Le Carre. I've heard of him (probably everyone has) but never felt inspired to pick up any of his books. Maybe I'll watch the movie first, see if it interests me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud by Ben Sherwood Synopsis: Charlie St. Cloud was a blessed boy, destined to do good things in high places. But all that changed the night he survived the car crash that killed his little brother, Sam. Years later, Charlie is still trying to atone for his loss. He has stayed at home, in his snug New England fishing village, tending the lawns and monuments of the ancient cemetery where his brother is buried. You see, Charlie is graced with an extraordinary gift: he can see, talk to, and even play catch with Sam’s spirit. Theirs is a perfect, magical world, untroubled until Charlie meets Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventurous, yachtswoman training for a solo trip around the world. Suddenly he is faced with a choice – between death and life, the past and the present, holding on and letting go. (From Amazon) Thoughts: I seem to be drawn towards books exploring the afterlife at the moment - not entirely sure what that says about me and I don't think I want to know! This one is different again. Charlie survives the car crash that kills his brother, but he discovers that he can see and play with his brother's spirit at sunset within the grounds of the local cemetery. Charlie has abandoned his own life and dreams to stay close to Sam and his feeling of guilt are well explored. Then Tess arrives on the scene and Charlie begins to realise he may be forced to choose between his past and his future. I enjoyed the world that Sherwood presented us with, but unfortunately I guessed both twists to the book - I felt they were too clearly signposted. The rest was simply a little too saccharine for my taste. I'm all for some romance (although chick lit isn't my bag) but this went too far and it like taking a large gulp of sugar every time I opened the book. However, the world Sherwood created and the relationship between Charlie and Sam saved this one for me and I enjoyed both those elements which is reflected in the rating. 3/5 (I liked it) Edited July 25, 2015 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 I don't think I've read any Le Carre. I've heard of him (probably everyone has) but never felt inspired to pick up any of his books. Maybe I'll watch the movie first, see if it interests me. I haven't seen the movie - I wonder if that might prove less complicated for me now I know the gist?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud sounds interesting, but I'm not keen on saccharine books. Might watch the film instead, if it ever appears on Netflix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 I know what you mean about the sugary feel to The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, but I did enjoy it. I read it quite a long time ago now, but I loved the description of the town and the community, but the other thing that does stick in my mind were the sections with Tess on the yacht, which I thought were very evocative and brilliantly described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 I know what you mean about the sugary feel to The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, but I did enjoy it. I read it quite a long time ago now, but I loved the description of the town and the community, but the other thing that does stick in my mind were the sections with Tess on the yacht, which I thought were very evocative and brilliantly described. Yes I quite liked it too, gave it 4/5, it was a little unbelievable but in the nicest possible way. It's a short read too so nice to slot in between heavier reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 Yes I quite liked it too, gave it 4/5, it was a little unbelievable but in the nicest possible way. It's a short read too so nice to slot in between heavier reads. Yes I do totally agree with this, it did feel like a nice holiday after Tinker, Tailor...! I loved the community feel too - do places like this still exist? If so, When I retire I'm going to settle in small town New England and just travel to NY for baseball and NFL. That sounds ideal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 'Charlie' was the first book our Book Club read so I have a soft spot for it, even though it was, as you say, saccharine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 When I retire I'm going to settle in small town New England and just travel to NY for baseball and NFL. That sounds ideal. We'll be happy to have ya How's the CRH going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 Brilliantly - to the point I've already finished it It had a slow bit in the middle for me, but she really tugged on my heart strings and she packed a lot of issues into one book. Will definitely be reading more by her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 What's CRH, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 Catherine Ryan Hyde I was persuaded to try one of her books after seeing Anna and Athena go on (and on ) about her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Ooh which one did you read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Brilliantly - to the point I've already finished it It had a slow bit in the middle for me, but she really tugged on my heart strings and she packed a lot of issues into one book. Will definitely be reading more by her Oh good! I'm so glad you liked it (after the Phillip K Dick recommendation, I was afraid you'd hate me ). She is a very reliable author. What's CRH, please? Oops, sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Ooh which one did you read? When I Found You. I picked it up cheap on kindle last year and the book box finally turned it up! Oh good! I'm so glad you liked it (after the Phillip K Dick recommendation, I was afraid you'd hate me ). She is a very reliable author. Haha, I blame myself for Phillip K Dick! I don't think I was in the right mood for it. I will give him another go at some point, and will definitely be looking out for more by Catherine Ryan Hyde so I shall still e paying attention to your recommendations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor Synopsis: Book Two in the madcap time-travel series based at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research that seems to be everyone's cup of tea. In the second book in the Chronicles of St Mary's series, Max and the team visit Victorian London in search of Jack the Ripper, witness the murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, and discover that dodos make a grockling noise when eating cucumber sandwiches. But they must also confront an enemy intent on destroying St Mary's - an enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself to do it. (From Amazon) Thoughts: After loving the first book in the St Mary's series, I was eager to start book two. Our favourite tea-drinking tribe are back careering their way through history - it's great fun seeing history through modern eyes as it were, however (in)accurate the pictured scenes may be. The plot isn't quite as good as the first in this series, but it's a fun, quick read with great characters. The pace fairly rattles along and I was tempted to immediately read the short story between books 2 and 3 as soon as I'd finished - but restrained myself, for now... It feels like a guilty pleasure as it is such an easy read (478 pages according to Amazon, I read it on my kindle) that utterly whiz by, but Taylor packs a lot in. Some might say she packs too much in - there's a lot of sub-plots here - but they're such fun reads. 4/5 (I really liked it) Edited August 1, 2015 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) Middlemarch by George Eliot I'm not including a synopsis because the ones I can see on Amazon are distinctly spoiler (!), while many of the ones on Goodreads seem to extoll the virtues of Eliot rather than actually describe what the book is about. I read this as a group read with Janet and Claire, and I decided to that mainly because the novel intimidated me. Why, I cannot say, except perhaps for length, and it's status as a classic - but without the familiarity of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen in today's literature/popular culture. The first thing to say is: please don't follow my lead. Please don't be intimidated by this novel. It's surprisingly accessible, and very readable. The only exceptions to that are the paragraphs were Eliot goes off at a slight tangent about her views on the society of the day - these often require multiple readings to get one's head around! However, they aren't that regular and even if you skipped them entirely it wouldn't detract from the actual plot. This weighty tome follows the lives of three couples, with the main heroine Dorothea Brooke - decades ahead of her time, rather like the author! It does take some time to get into and the first 100 pages feels a little meandering, but actually it's a clearly plotted novel and the prose is gorgeous. What I did like most about the book was that within the confines of West Midland society at that time, we are introduced to a snapshot of it. The differing couples have different levels of wealth and ambition and none are perfect - all have vices. Even if Rosamond had a few more than the others and I wanted to repeatedly slap her! Willoyd noted that it was best to read this novel in chunks and I definitely think he's right. I enjoyed it the most when I gobbled it up in big sittings, which makes it ever the more intriguing that it was published over a period of months (over year I think?) as a serial. I am deducting one mark because it took me a little time to get into and it seemed to end rather abruptly, but I certainly have no regrets in tackling this classic and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thanks for reading alongside me, Janet and Claire 4/5 (I really enjoyed it) Edited August 3, 2015 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Synopsis: When even Sherlock Holmes is threatened, it seems that no one can escape the death and dread that blight Victorian England. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: Hmm. This was the last collection of Sherlock short stories I had to read - although I still have two novels to go, and I'm glad I didn't finish my Holmes reading on this collection. Arthur Conan Doyle had clearly tired of the character by then and didn't intend to write any more Holmes, but did as a result of public pressure. I think that's obvious, and I wonder what the baying public made of this. Sort of like persuading your favourite player to come back for a swan song only to discover that the manager was probably right to move him on in the first place. Apologies for the sporting analogy... There are some touching moments in this collection, such as Holmes' genuine concern for Watson when he gets injured, and a few experiments by Conan Doyle - such as Holmes describing his own cases for the reader with no Watson as scribe - but on the whole, you're relying on the reader to already have a love of Holmes. Fortunately I do, so I enjoyed the collection but it is a bit odd in places and one story in particular seemed to lack any semblance of point. I'm glad I still have a couple of novels to go on which to end my experience of Holmes, and I can't rate this collection beyond a 3. 3/5 (I liked it) Edited August 31, 2015 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde Synopsis: When Nathan McCann discovers a newborn baby boy half buried in the woods, he assumes he's found a tiny dead body. But then the baby moves and in one remarkable moment, Nathan's life is changed forever. The baby is sent to grow up with his grandmother, but Nathan can't forget him and is compelled to pay her a visit. He asks for one simple promise - that one day she will introduce the boy to Nathan and tell him, 'This is the man who found you in the woods.'Years pass and Nathan assumes that the old lady has not kept her promise, until one day an angry, troubled boy arrives on his doorstep with a suitcase . . . (From Goodreads) Thoughts: I've had this on my kindle for a while now, but finally picked it up due to the continued praise of the author I read on this forum, mentioning no names...! I'm glad I did, for this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and a great introduction to an author I certainly hope to read more of. She packs a lot in to what appears, at first, to be a simple plot line, but there is a lot of emotion and depth in there and it is that that drives the reader on. The character of Nathan is wonderful, and I wondered if CRH had experience of adoption/fostering, because the relationship between the two main characters works wonderfully well, but I'm sure that Nathan is the exactly the sort of man that the social services system would hope is on hand to pick up the pieces when a damaged child is rehomed. Nathan and Nat are flawed, and both exasperated me at times during this read but I really could root for them, and that made it a very emotional read. The writing style might fool you into expecting an easy read, and while the book flies along at a fair lick, I wouldn't ever categorise something like this that tugs in so many heart strings as easy. More CRH needed on my TBR. 4/5 (I really enjoyed it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud Synopsis: From a writer “of near-miraculous perfection” (The New York Times Book Review) and “a literary intelligence far surpassing most other writers of her generation” (San Francisco Chronicle), The Emperor’s Children is a dazzling, masterful novel about the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way—and not—in New York City. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: This is rather an apt title for a book that seems to divide opinion in reviewers and critics. It is rather an unfortunate title, one suspects, for a book that attempts to be multi-layered and comment on society, but to this reader at least came across as pretentious, overrated twaddle. It seems to have gone down well with critics, but most reviewers on Goodreads seem to agree with my assessment. The prose is absolutely beautiful, but the plot is close to non-existent at times and it could have done with some heavy editing. The three friends mentioned in the synopsis met at college and are now living their meandering lives in New York at the turn of the century. Add to this, one of the character's famous literary father, and a cousin who idolises him and you have a cast of rich, vacuous characters it is impossible to care a jot for. They all appear, in their own ways to be on the verge of a mid life or third life crisis (delete according to generation), and at least three seem to be entirely self-destructive. But we never get any resolution on their arcs, so not only did we not care in the first place but we reach the end with all of them pretty much exactly where they started and me wanting to throw the book out of the window. We finish with the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 and it all feels like it is building up to a crescendo of drama and then... nothing. Nothing. The characters speak in a way that I have never heard anyone speak, and although the prose is wonderful in places, it does help the reader if occasionally a full stop is used rather than trying to cram five ideas into various parentheses. I gave this a 2 when I first finished it but this review is rather scathing so I feel that may have been generous. It was probably due to the prose I marked it up. Avoid. 2/5 (It barely reached ok) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Nice reviews. I really need to read some Catherine Ryan Hyde!! I just had a look on Amazon at The Emperors' Children, as there was a lot of praise in the synopsis, but it seems a lot of people feel the same way you did. It has quite a few 1 star ratings. I think I'll avoid it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde She packs a lot in to what appears, at first, to be a simple plot line, but there is a lot of emotion and depth in there and it is that that drives the reader on. The writing style might fool you into expecting an easy read, and while the book flies along at a fair lick, I wouldn't ever categorise something like this that tugs in so many heart strings as easy. More CRH needed on my TBR. 4/5 (I really enjoyed it) That is a wonderful way to put her writing! Great review! Glad to see more Hyde going on your TBR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Great reviews! I'm happy you enjoyed When I Found You by CRH ! It's one of the ones I've got yet to read, but I hope to do so somewhere this year (hopefully). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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