Jessi Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 The World Of Poldark - Emma Marriott (4/5) I really enjoyed this book – I love books that explore Behind the Scenes on shows and films, but this was a really lovely one. The colours and pictures are so bright and it is set out gorgeously. In addition to cast interviews and information on production, it is also packed with sources use to illustrate the points it is making and historical facts about the era. As a result of reading this book, I feel as if I understand get the society which ‘Poldark’ is set in better and man am I looking forward to season 2! (Not just for the gorgeous Aidan Turner, I swear!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Sisters of the East End - Helen Batten (3/5) Sisters of the East End was an ok read. I found it interesting and easy to get through but I must admit, there was just something missing for me. Batton’s narrative draws together the experience of multiple nuns together to tell the story of Sisters of St John the Divine and I can’t help wondering if this is what made the book a little jarring to read – the experiences were not her own and writing from the heart is what makes a memoir sometimes I think. I also found, despite the title, there was so much moving around of the principle nun that I feel as if the East End wasn’t that prominent (which is a pity, as the old East End is perhaps one of my favourite places to read about!) That said, I must admit if I maybe set myself up for a fall here. People who read the blogs I kept here a couple of years ago may remember how much I adored Call The Midwife. Worth’s book have so much heart and soul and passion and heartbreak in them. Seeing as this was a book about the sisters who Jennifer Worth stayed with, I was expecting more of the same – I didn’t get it. And so yeah, I am a little guilty of setting up Batton to not meet my expectations. So overall, not bad but not great. An easy read for a rainy day if you’re nothing urgent on your TBR pile (which I feel is an unlikely occurrence in this neck of the woods!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Happy Reading in 2016 Jessi ! Another vote from me for the wonderful The Eyre Affair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Happy reading to you too! I really will have to try and get to that this year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted February 28, 2016 Author Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) February TBR January 1st: 303 TBR February 1st: 298 Read: 7Brought: 8 Best books: Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy - Karen Abbott and Doctor Turner's Casebook - Stephen McGann TBR March 1st: 299 Ok, so this month was sort of in two parts. I feel like I had a strong start and I can’t complain that I got through 7 books – it keeps me just about on track for my ultimate 2016 goal – 100 books! But I must admit the last week has been hard. I am reading a few ‘bricks’ so I am not getting to the end of anything, and I have lost my mojo a bit. Here’s hoping it returns in March. I also managed to get one more book off my TBR pile. It may only be one, but it’s going the right way still. Yay! 29/02/2016: On reflection this morning, my maths was terrible last night - I added to the TBR pile by one, not shortened it by one! Whoops! Edited February 29, 2016 by Jessi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I think when you're reading bricks while trying to stay on track in a challenge it can be quite tough. I've read a couple of 450-500 page books recently which are not HUGE, but they're longer than I usually read so its more time consuming and I don't think I'm gonna meet my quota for the month. Maybe read something a bit shorter next to keep your mojo going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 I think that sounds like good advice - I might try to get through a few shorter ones. I have got a pile on my bookshelf so, it might be time to start working through them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Great reviews Jessi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 Thanks Weave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I think when you're reading bricks while trying to stay on track in a challenge it can be quite tough. I've read a couple of 450-500 page books recently which are not HUGE, but they're longer than I usually read so its more time consuming and I don't think I'm gonna meet my quota for the month. Maybe read something a bit shorter next to keep your mojo going That is so true. Last year I read 2 1000+ books in October and it really made a difference in not being able to read a lot of short(er) books instead. This year I've decided to just read what I feel like. Having just read the 1000+ The Stand, I can say reading long books really does make your total lower. But they can be very good though . Nice summary, Jessi ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 The length of books, getting to the end really makes a difference doesn't it? I need to keep at least one short one on the go all the time I think! Thanks! : ) March Read-A-Thon! Friday: 32 pages of A Nurse in Time and 100 pages of Out of The Hitler Time! Saturday: 90 Pages from The Churchill Secret KBO, 8 pages from Mary S Lovells The Churchill's, 13 Pages from The Savage Stone Age and 14 from Out of The Hitler Time Sunday: 32 pages from The Churchill Secret KBO,14 pages of The Churchill's, 16 of The Romanov's and 10 of Pride and Prejudice with Zombie's. So I feel like I had a pretty successful weekend : ) despite all the jumping around of books, I have now got to the end of The Churchill Secret KBO which I really enjoyed. That was the only book I have so far brought in March so I am back to 0! I also made progress with Out of The Hitler Time, managing to get on to the second book in the trilogy having finished the first. They were my main wins over the weekend. Everything else I made a little bit of progress with here and there, but it is all heading in the right direction. Not listed is War and Peace – I am not sure how many pages I got through on each day but I am now on book 4 out of 15 and the Poldark script book, which I read a few percent of on my kindle! Onwards to April! Total: 329! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I'm glad you had a good read-a-thon . I admire you're able to have so many books on the go, I really must stick with one at most times or it gets too confusing or I tend to gravitate towards one particular book, out of the two or multiple books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 I did - I more than doubled the pages I read in February Oh I definitely gravitate towards one (whatever I am most into at the time!). I enjoy reading multiple books and can generally follow them all, but sometimes I do worry that I lose party of the experience (some I read over months!) so I am always trying to cut the number I am reading down... but somehow it does not work lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Before I joined BCF I only ever read one book at a time, but now I generally have two or even three on the go! Well done with the reading totals for this month's read-a-thon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Thanks Janet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher (3.5/5) I enjoyed Billy and Me. In between all my bricks, it was quite nice to have an easier read that I got through relatively quickly. Billy and Me tells the story of a young women named Sophie who lives in a small community, working in the local tea shop. She has had a rough time and is reserved and prone to panic attacks, yet her luck changes with a film crew comes to the village to shoot Pride and Prejudice. There is a spark between her and Billy Buskin, none other than the new films Mr. Darcy himself, and her life changes pretty quickly after that. Like I said, I enjoyed this book. Fletcher certainly knows how to tell a good story and I liked her writing style, the way she told us a little bit here and there before revealing Sophie’s past. That said, I didn’t always sympathize with Sophie. While there were moments I definitely did, I also found myself rolling my eyes at her from time to time. That said, the ending was heartbreaking and I got a little misty eyed, so I would reread this and look forward to reading more from Giovanna Fletcher! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell (4.5/5) I loved North and South! Gaskell’s wrote Margaret Hale and John Thornton’s romance so beautifully and I just got swept up in the novel. While it did take me a while to get to through it, it was so, so worth it. There was plenty of heart break for poor Margaret (and John too) along the way but when the end came I was left with a huge smile on my face. I would absolutely recommend North and South. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I'll have to look that one up, Jessi! <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 The 1950s Housewife - Shelia Hardy (3.5/5) This book was a pretty quick read which lead you through the life of the 1950s housewife – what she wore, what she cooked, what she did for entertainment… how much she knew (or did not) about sex when she got married. What I really liked in this book was the detail it gave you – it really painted what it was telling me effectively in my mind and that always is a big plus for me. Why 3.5 then? I’m not really sure. I guess part of it was that while this book does make some mentions to upper and lower class housewife, it felt very middle classed focused to me. The life it described was not a universal experience. Not only that, but in spite of it being a quick read, if found it quite heavy in places too for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. Overall, I think I came to it hoping to enjoy it more than I did… but it wasn’t a bad read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) March TBR March 1st: 299 Read: 6Brought: 2 Best books: The Churchill Secret KBO - Jonathan Smith and East End Angel - Kay Brellend TBR April: 298 Once more I can’t quite work the math of my TBR pile. Somehow I still have 298 when theoretically, I feel as if it should be nearer 295, but there we are… March was an alright reading month. I feel a bit frustrated as I was ill over Easter which was when I planned to turn it into a great reading month! Instead of making my way through a couple of books, lasted weekend I barely read a page! That said I still got through six books overall and made some real progress with my ‘brick’ reads. So onwards and upwards! Sadly, I am now two books off the big hundred challenge. However, the year is still pretty young, so I am not saying die yet! In March, I suppose the best thing was how much I behaved myself book buying wise. Over the 31 days I only bought 2 and spent under £2 over all! So that was a win : ) Hope you all have a great reading April all : ) Edited April 2, 2016 by Jessi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 Nice summary . It's a shame you got ill over Easter that's really not nice. I'm glad you're feeling better now. Good luck with the challenge. Why are you calling it "brought" instead of "bought"? Is it some kind of English slang I'm unfamiliar with , or maybe a second meaning of the word 'brought'? I wish you a great reading month in April ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted April 2, 2016 Author Share Posted April 2, 2016 I am feeling much better now, thank you! It was a shame though - it wiped out the four day weekend for me! LOL nope - just a typo!!! Shall go and edit that out You too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 April Read-A-Thon Friday: 38 pages of Out of the Hitler Time and 39 pages of Outlander! Saturday: 28 pages of Out of the Hitler Time, 86 pages of Outlander, 24 from Mansfield Park and just 4 from The Sunne in Splendour! Sunday: 39 pages of Out of the Hitler Time (book finished!), 56 pages of Outlander, 16 from Mansfield Park and 21 from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! Again, I had a really fun read-a-thon! There was as normal a lot of jumping around books, but the main ambition of the weekend was to get to the end of the Out of the Hitler Time trilogy which I started for my first read–a-thon a couple of months back and I achieved that, so that was great! I also continued to get lost in Outlander. I barely realized how many pages were passing as I read the book – it is just so captivating and I feel really lost in the story at the moment, it’s wonderful! In addition to that, I finally got to start Mansfield Park, so I am definitely a happy reader! : ) Total - 351! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Well done ! I'm glad you had fun. How is Outlander? I have it on my TBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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