Madeleine Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Michelle Paver has a new book out soon, which sounds similar to Dark Matter. Glad you enjoyed it, bobbly, it's fabulously atmospheric isn't it? I loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 23, 2016 Author Share Posted October 23, 2016 Thanks for the heads up, Madeleine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Michelle Paver has a new book out soon, which sounds similar to Dark Matter. Glad you enjoyed it, bobbly, it's fabulously atmospheric isn't it? I loved it. Thanks for the heads up, Madeleine. It's out https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thin-Air-Michelle-Paver/dp/1409163342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477391713&sr=8-1&keywords=thin+air+michelle I plan to get it on payday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 Hey, I'm sure I saw that at my local library last week. It was marked as a new item, but I didn't borrow it because I wanted to catch up on Kindle books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 Snowdrops - AD Miller Nicholas is a British lawyer, who has been working in Moscow for a few years. One day on the subway he helps a woman, Masha, from being mugged and over the next few months gets deeply involved in her life and that of her friends. I am quite puzzled over the fuss made about this book. It was short listed for the Man Booker Prize, but I honestly don't see why. It is a very ordinary, pedestrian novel in which literally very little happens. There is no room for emotional impact or a moving story arc....believe me, I am not exaggerating when I say that very little happens. The story is told from Nicholas' point of view, and he is not the most exciting of characters. We don't get to hear a great deal about the background of the other characters either, so along with a non existant story line, there isn't much left to appreciate. The title, 'snowdrops' refers to the Russian term for bodies which are uncovered when the snow beings to thaw. Because of this, I thought the book would be about a serial killer, or some kind of detective story, but that is not the case. There really is no significance of the term 'snowdrops' as the title or within the novel. Having said all that, it's not a bad novel....I just don't think it's worthy of all the praise and attention it has received. 3/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 What a shame it was a letdown. How odd about the title. I'm glad it was still an allright novel, but it's a shame it was something different than you thought it was going to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 Nevermind.....at least it's one off my TBR pile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Always look at the bright side of life.. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 A Life In Death: Memoirs of a Cotwsold Funeral Director - James Baker James Baker wanted to be an undertaker/funeral director from when he was a teenager. While in school, he wanted to find something that didn't require a lot of future education, and he came across the idea of this career path after seeing something on TV which piqued his interest (I think this is right – I'm struggling a bit to remember! ) He secured a work experience position in a local funeral business (based in the Cotwolds) and shortly after finishing high school he got a full time job there. He writes about his many experiences in all aspects of death. Obviously he writes about the impact of seeing his first few dead bodies, and the shock of seeing his first one that had deteriorated quite a bit (he had to leave the room while the more experienced colleagues dealt with it). Eventually, he managed to go into business for himself (after many years), and is still slowly growing his business. He also delves into differing methods – burial, cremation, green burials – with many detailed stories.The thing I liked is that he was so matter of fact about things – he didn't try to make things gory or dark – he just explained processes and also experiences of what can go wrong and how he dealt with it. It was just under 300 pages, but it seemed to be read as much longer (took my quite a while to finish!) but it never dragged. Highly recommended if you have an interest in this sort of thing. 4/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 Follow You Home - Mark Edwards I got this Kindle book as a freebie, and chose it after constantly seeing it highlighted on Amazon as a groundbreaking and exciting read. Unfortunately, I didn't find it all that great. The book starts off with a young couple, who are travelling across Europe. A few things happen which results in them being thrown off a train in the middle of a forest in Romania. Trying to find their way to the nearest village, they stumble across a run down house in the middle of this forest. The story then leaps ahead in time where they are back in London. It's clear something very traumatic has happened, but we aren't given any information about it, except for a few hints that actually turn out to be red herrings. Over the course of the book, the story moves between their life in London, and then back to Romania, each time taking us a little bit further towards this big event that took place. The whole story isn't revealed until the end, and to be honest it was just ridiculous. There were a few twists which were ok but not enough to salvage this messy story. I won't bother reading his other books, but according to Amazon I am very much in the minority as this book has over 1,300 5 star reviews. 2/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 Wonder - RJ Palacio August Pullman is a young boy who was born with a severe facial disfigurement. At the start of the book he is reluctantly preparing to go to school for the first time – joining the 5th grade (he had previously been homeschooled). He is well aware of how he looks, and has never been able to get used to people's reactions to him, however hard they try to cover it up. The book takes us through his experiences at school, his struggles to get people to accept him for who he is and to rise above the inevitable bullying that he has come to expect. The book is divided into several sections, each of which is told by a character (sometimes a minor character) from their own perspective. Most of the sections are from Augusts' point of view, as it is his story. The other sections are often another view of an event that August has just experienced, so you get to read about another perspective, which gives you a bit of understanding and sympathy for peoples' actions. It also shows that often things are not what they appear. I enjoyed it. It's clearly written for children, so the dialogue and descriptions are very basic, but it can be enjoyed by all age groups. The obvious message is to not judge people on appearances, but the reader isn't bombarded with this. Instead you get a very readable story about a young boy's struggle to find his place in the world. Recommended. 4.5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Great reviews! What a shame about Follow You Home, and strange so many other people liked it. I really liked Wonder, I'm glad you enjoyed it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 I also read Follow You Home and while I found it readable and I recall thinking the twist could have been interesting in a better book (I don't remember it now), I was also baffled by the reviews Edwards gets for all his books. And there's a lot of them. I find that a lot, in the thriller genre - no matter how bad it is (e.g. The Ice Twins) it's gonna get rave reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 Great reviews! What a shame about Follow You Home, and strange so many other people liked it. I really liked Wonder, I'm glad you enjoyed it too. Thanks! I think a lot of these books gain momentum with people who don't read much so they don't have many good books to compare it to. I also read Follow You Home and while I found it readable and I recall thinking the twist could have been interesting in a better book (I don't remember it now), I was also baffled by the reviews Edwards gets for all his books. And there's a lot of them. I find that a lot, in the thriller genre - no matter how bad it is (e.g. The Ice Twins) it's gonna get rave reviews. Very true, which is why I'm pretty careful now about buying those kind of books based on Amazon reviews alone. I've been burned a few times now. The twist was that the female lead (Laura) killed her boyfriend's best friend by pushing him off a bridge, and kept his phone hidden in her drawer. At the end her boyfriend found the phone, didn't realise it was his best friends, and made a note to ask her whose it was. The book ended before we could find out what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 I vaguely remember that. What was in the house in the woods in Romania? Or was that a different book? They all get muddled after a while hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Excellent reviews, BB, as always. A mixed bag, but that's pretty usual for all of us I suppose. Glad some were pleasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 I vaguely remember that. What was in the house in the woods in Romania? Or was that a different book? They all get muddled after a while hehehe Some nutter was keeping women tied to a bed, raping them to get them pregnant....but I can't for the life of me remember what he was doing with the babies that were born. I think he was selling them?? Clearly it wasn't very memorable for me. Excellent reviews, BB, as always. A mixed bag, but that's pretty usual for all of us I suppose. Glad some were pleasing. Thanks pontalba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 That was it, yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers This is a science-fiction novel, primarily set aboard The Wayfarer which is a space ship tasked with building hyper-tunnels between far away locations. The ship has many varied species on board, all vastly different but working together in (mostly) harmony. A young human, Rosemary Harper is their latest employee joining them to help keep the clerical side of the ship running smoothly. The employees of The Wayfarer have just been given the opportunity of a lifetime, which is to build a hyper-tunnel to a very distant planet which will provide them with a huge bounty of credits. The book was very easy to read, and not heavy in any way. I sometimes struggle with science-fiction, when it is heavy on the 'science' rather than the story. This one was very light on the science, which I was glad for. The most interesting part of the book was the detailed descriptions of the different species and their cultures – and these were extremely detailed, covering what they look like, how they interact, and also their histories and how they ended up where they are now. Inter-species relationships are very normal and for the most part they are out in the open. The majority of the book is told aboard The Wayfarer, with large sections focusing on each alien character giving us some more background into their race. It's almost as though the story is secondary to the aliens descriptions. This isn't a bad thing, but it may be a problem for those who prefer to read something more story-driven. That's not to say that there isn't a story - there definitely is - it's just that the emphasis was more on the characters. I will definitely be reading the sequel, but I just need to wait for it to be a bit cheaper on Kindle. 4.5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Great review! I'm glad you liked The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I keep looking at Wonder, yet somehow haven't read it yet. Your review makes me want to bump it up a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Oh wow, I didn't realize I was so behing on reading your reviews! I'm going to add the Columbine book and After Dark by Haruki Murakami to my wishlist, thanks! Well, I've an idea to read all of Murakami's books, but I don't think I've read a review on this particular novel by him before. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay Unfortunately I didn't think this was as good as the first book. It is down to two main reasons, which I can't spell out because they would be pretty big spoilers! But it comes down to not liking what happens to one character, and not liking what is likely to happen to another character in future books. It strained credulity a bit and I know it's just supposed to be a fun read, but I felt uncomfortable reading about it. What were the two spoilers? I mean the one where something happened to a character and something that might be happening to another one in the future? I mean I have an idea but I'm not sure if those things happened in this book or a later one, so I can't ask you any specific questions... But yeah, it gets rather graphic! And the third novel is not my favorite in the series, I hope you shall like it better than I have. But yes, best to take a break from all the brutality Smoke Gets in Your Eyes sounded great, it's going on my wishlist! And A Life In Death: Memoirs of a Cotswold Funeral Director, as well. I see a pattern in someone's reading But happily there's been books on not just death, but life, too... This Is Life - Dan Rhodes Aurelie Renard, is a young student in Paris, who is trying to find motivation for an art project. She comes across an idea of throwing a stone into a crowd, and filming the response. Unfortunately, the stone hits a baby in the head, and through a series of very strange events, Aurelie agrees to look after this baby for a week. From this, we follow Aurelie as she struggles with this big change in her life, whilst trying to hide the truth from neighbours/friends for fear of the trouble it will bring. In parallel to this, Le Machine is back in town. Le Machine is an artist, who tours the world staging an exhibition where he puts himself on display for a week or so, stark naked, and everyone can come and watch this process of 'life' through him. There is an awful lot of fascination with his various bodily functions as well. The book follows the two main characters (as well as a handful of anciliary ones) through this one week of their lives, finding what drives and motivates and changes them. It was perhaps a touch too quirky for me, and I couldn't fully lose myself in the story. I mean, I enjoyed it but it didn't grab me like it has other people. 3/6 Wasn't this rather a bizarre book? Such random stuff happened. Like Aurelie throwing the stone and what happened then. And Le Machine This book made me laugh so hard... It's my favorite read this year. I'm sorry it didn't quite grab you the way it did me, but that's... life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 4, 2016 Author Share Posted December 4, 2016 What were the two spoilers? I mean the one where something happened to a character and something that might be happening to another one in the future? I mean I have an idea but I'm not sure if those things happened in this book or a later one, so I can't ask you any specific questions... But yeah, it gets rather graphic! And the third novel is not my favorite in the series, I hope you shall like it better than I have. But yes, best to take a break from all the brutality It's been a while since I read it, but from what I remember I didn't like what happened to Doakes (he got dismembered!), and also that Rita's son has the same tendencies as Dexter who is now helping to nurture them (as his father did for him). Smoke Gets in Your Eyes sounded great, it's going on my wishlist! And A Life In Death: Memoirs of a Cotswold Funeral Director, as well. I see a pattern in someone's reading Yeah, I know....sometimes I feel a bit morbid! Wasn't this rather a bizarre book? Such random stuff happened. Like Aurelie throwing the stone and what happened then. And Le Machine This book made me laugh so hard... It's my favorite read this year. I'm sorry it didn't quite grab you the way it did me, but that's... life It was very strange, and random. Le Machine was just bizarre. I liked how all the characters sort of linked together towards the end. I still want to read Gold by him as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 It's been a while since I read it, but from what I remember I didn't like what happened to Doakes (he got dismembered!), and also that Rita's son has the same tendencies as Dexter who is now helping to nurture them (as his father did for him). Yes, those are the very things I was thinking you might be talking about. I really disliked Doakes's fate, too! And I was shocked!! I wasn't expecting it at all... I would've hate the TV series Doakes to get mutilated, but I've made my peace about the book Doakes having that happened to him. I wish I could say one other thing about it, but I can't, I must wait until you've read on - whenever that will be. No pressure, of course! And yes, Rita's son... It was unexpected, too, but I wasn't that bothered by it. I actually find that a very interesting turn of events. I think he was predisposed to turn out the way he did... And let's just hope that Dexter will take good care of him and curb his enthusiasm, so to speak. I now feel like re-reading the book series!! Yeah, I know....sometimes I feel a bit morbid! Morbid is fascinating! And how can one fight fascinating? It was very strange, and random. Le Machine was just bizarre. I liked how all the characters sort of linked together towards the end. I still want to read Gold by him as well. I, too, liked how all the characters were linked in the end. I like that sort of thing, and Dan Rhodes did it very well Gold is definitely worth a read! It might not be quite as strange as this one, but still, it's really really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 The Heart Goes Last - Margaret Atwood The financial markets have crashed and many people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Stan and Charmaine are one of those unfortunate people and have resorted to living in their car. One day at work, Charmaine sees an ad on TV about a new place called Consilience. This newly built town promises the perfect life – safety and security, three meals a day and a home to call their own. The only catch is that they have to pass a test in order to be accepted, and once inside they are locked down behind the town walls. It seems like the answer to their prayers and a far better situation than they are in now, so they apply, pass the test and move into their new house. And of course, nothing is what it seems.... I enjoyed it. It had a dystopian feel to it, and while somewhat far-fetched, given a long enough timeline you start to wonder if what happens in the book is a possibility (some of it at least). There are a few twists and turns, with enough unpredictability (and the occasional bit of dark humour) to keep you guessing about what is going to happen next. I haven't kept up with many of Atwood's latests. I recall struggling through Oryx and Crake, and I think I gave up on MaddAddam and didn't even pick up Year of the Flood (or maybe that was the other way around ). Not sure why, as those books should be right up my alley, so maybe I will give them another try. It wasn't a very long book, and I only found out recently that it was originally released as an e-book serial. Not that it made any difference to me, but some reviews have questioned whether this format worked or not, and that it may have left the chapters feeling a bit disjointed. Personally, I didn't notice anything, but I'm glad I read it as a full story as reading in serials has never appealed to me. Recommended. 4.5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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