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Your Book Activity - July 2018


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We're in July already!  :cool:  What's everyone currently reading?

 

I've just finished Unfinished Business by James Van Praagh.  It was fascinating, and gave me a lot to think about.

 

I'm now carrying on with Rupert Everett's autobiography, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins.  It's v. entertaining, and has made me snort aloud a few times.

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Just finished Gossip from the Forest by Sara Maitland, read as a book group choice.  Looking at Goodread reviews, it's very much a marmite book; Amazon reviews are generally more positive.  Whilst there are some holes and faults, overall I loved it and found it a profoundly thought provoking read.  Of the ten of us sat round the table, two of us loved it, one found it fine but in small chunks, whilst the other seven hated it.  Their antagonism towards it mystified me, but it's a group where few read non-fiction, and few read anything other than narratives, and this in some places challenges our thinking and is definitely no narrative!  It's going to take some thought writing the review!

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I've started my annual re-read of Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist. It's what I would describe as "spine-tingling". I read it every year, but weirdly enough, it's not very well-written. It's as though the author is an alien from another planet and described human behavior the way he sees it, as a total outsider. Nevertheless, I love it. :)

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Finished The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson.  An entertaining, easy read of a crime story set in the eighteenth century.  The setting of the Marshalsea (horrendous) and the mixing in of real characters were the most intriguing distinctive aspects. ***

Edited by willoyd
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On 7/14/2018 at 10:20 PM, willoyd said:

Finished The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson.  An entertaining, easy read of a crime story set in the eighteenth century.  The setting of the Marshalsea (horrendous) and the mixing in of real characters were the most intriguing distinctive aspects. ***

I'm planning to read this at some stage.  :)  Will you read the sequels?

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10 hours ago, Janet said:

I'm planning to read this at some stage.  :)  Will you read the sequels?

 

Yes, I will.  It's not great literature by any means (not intended to be after all!), but it was entertaining, the central character definitely has mileage in him, and my impression is that the history is pretty credible.  It's the sort of book I'd read as relief after a big read or to while away a journey.  I'm also particularly intrigued to read the third one as it's set at Fountains Abbey, which is near here.

 

 

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11 hours ago, willoyd said:

 

Yes, I will.  It's not great literature by any means (not intended to be after all!), but it was entertaining, the central character definitely has mileage in him, and my impression is that the history is pretty credible.  It's the sort of book I'd read as relief after a big read or to while away a journey.  I'm also particularly intrigued to read the third one as it's set at Fountains Abbey, which is near here.

I saw that one in Harrogate in December - it was heavily advertised there.  :)   

 

I'm currently reading Alice by Christina Henry.  It's a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll.  It's much darker than I was expecting but I'm enjoying it.  

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I have not been around much recently... but still reading!

 

I'm just cracking open 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. It is one of my Round Robin Challenge books and given I have 12 out of 18 still to go, I better get going :D

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On ‎14‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 10:20 PM, willoyd said:

Finished The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson.  An entertaining, easy read of a crime story set in the eighteenth century.  The setting of the Marshalsea (horrendous) and the mixing in of real characters were the most intriguing distinctive aspects. ***

I love this series, Devil... was my favourite book a of the year when it came out in paperback, the sequel isn't quite so good but still very readable, and the Fountains Abbey book (number 3) is also very good.  It was fascinating reading about the Marshalsea in the first one, what a horrific, strange place it was.

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I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg over the weekend, and I absolutely loved it! I've always loved the movie, but the book went so much deeper into Idgie's and Ruth's relationship, into the way race relations changed in the South over time, and I felt like the characters were better developed.

 

I just started Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison last night, and I'm really enjoying it so far.

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13 hours ago, Echo said:

I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg over the weekend, and I absolutely loved it! I've always loved the movie, but the book went so much deeper into Idgie's and Ruth's relationship, into the way race relations changed in the South over time, and I felt like the characters were better developed.

 

I just started Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison last night, and I'm really enjoying it so far.

Hi Sarah. :)  We read Fried Green Tomatoes... for our book club last year (or maybe the year before).  It was my choice and everyone liked it.  I haven't seen the film!  I ought to try to watch it.

 

I have Song of Solomon on my Wish List, so I'm glad you're enjoying it.

 

I'm having a change of pace and reading a YA novel called The Stormkeeper's Secret by Catherine Doyle. It's very engaging!  :)

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I haven't read anything for a few weeks due to a reading slump. 

Anyhow I have slowly got back into reading. Read a chapter and a bit of Personally I Blame My Fairygod Mother. So far I'm not really hooked. Just the constant descriptions of how gorgeous the main character's boyfriend is, is getting boring. Early days so may change. 

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I finished Song of Solomon on the bus this morning. It was so magical! That book is going to stay with me for a long time. I have no idea what to read next.

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Taking a break from Mary Beard's SPQR to read The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey for my book group next week.  About a hundred pages in, it's an easy read, promising, if a bit overloaded with detail and rather too gushy for my taste in a history book - it's a bit like some of these popular TV documentaries that every before and after each advert break, repeat what they've told you and the teaser for the next section, leaving you muttering 'get a move-on!'.  It's all very dramatic - hope it lives up to the billing!

 

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