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Your Book Activity - August 2020


Marie H

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August! 

So, what is everyone else reading now?

 

Currently readings are Half a King by Joe Abercrombie, Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee and 

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Vol. 4 by Fujita.

 

Listening to Roal Dahl’s 2nd autobiography Going Solo.

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Finished Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, a  reread of a much loved book for one of my book groups.  As good as ever!  6/6

 

Moving on to another favourite for another book group: The Outrun by Amy Liptrot. 

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Completed The Outrun.  Slightly different to the way I remember it.  It's a memoir splt between the author's time in London (and her descent into alcoholism) and in Orkney (recovery and rehabilitation), and I remember the London section as being fairly brief.  It's certainly shorter than the later period, but felt to be a bigger part of the book than last time round.  It's physically around one-third of the book - and that's roughly what it felt like this time.  The author's writing is straightforwardly lucid and eminently readable, her style adapting to the context.  Well received my the group as a whole, with one or two caveats, but remains a favourite of mine.  6/6.

 

Moving on the JK Galbraith's The Affluent Society, part of a reading challenge at my local library.  I don't think I'll be reading this on its own though, as it's not exactly light or easy reading (economics never is for me!) so am aiming to take it a chapter at a time.

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I finished my Cassandra Clare reading extravaganza; three series (12 books), followed by three chunky short story collections. Enjoyable immersive reading that suited my mood. 

 

Since finishing I tumbled into a Lord Peter Wimsey mood, so enjoyed a re read of Dorothy L Sayers' books Clouds of Witness, Strong Poison, and Gaudy Night. 

 

I have now started Sunny Side Up by comedienne Susan Calman. I am not sure why I bought the book, and am uncertain as to why it appeals now, but I will continue to select my reading by whatever pulls me 'in the moment'. No plan, no pressure. :) Clearly the hippy in me is awake and happy. 

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21 hours ago, Chrissy said:

I have now started Sunny Side Up by comedienne Susan Calman. I am not sure why I bought the book, and am uncertain as to why it appeals now, but I will continue to select my reading by whatever pulls me 'in the moment'. No plan, no pressure. :) Clearly the hippy in me is awake and happy.  

Ooh, I hope you enjoy this one, as i loved it! At first I was slightly sceptical (I find that Calman can be irritate on TV sometimes), but I found her book really good.

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Just started reading Lisa Jewell's 'The Family Upstairs'.  Already feel engrossed.  Various interesting characters all interlinked.  This book on each page is telling me it will be a splendid mystery thriller.  I want to know what happened and why!!  Don't tell me though!

 

 

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Nearly finished manga BEASTARTS # 3. 

Began listening to Jodi Taylor Lies, Damned Lies, and History (The Chronicles of St Mary's #7). And it’s brilliant, as all the series! :D

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On 8/16/2020 at 9:42 PM, LindyLou said:

Just started reading Lisa Jewell's 'The Family Upstairs'.  Already feel engrossed.  Various interesting characters all interlinked.  This book on each page is telling me it will be a splendid mystery thriller.  I want to know what happened and why!!  Don't tell me though!

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few by her and find her a bit hit or miss, but this was a good'un.

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Recently finished The Flight by Julie Clark, which was pretty good but suffered from paying better attention to the development of one of the two main characters over the other.

 

Now reading The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish - I've read one or two by her before and enjoyed them, and am really enjoying this one so far. She's really good at making characters feel like actual people. And interesting ones, at that!

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On 15/08/2020 at 4:11 PM, Marie H said:

Ooh, I hope you enjoy this one, as i loved it! At first I was slightly sceptical (I find that Calman can be irritate on TV sometimes), but I found her book really good.

 

I did enjoy it!. A pleasant and warming read that meandered around the concept of kindness and joy, that left me feeling uplifted, which is a nice response to a book. :)

 

Having rummaged around my kindle, and not being able to easily access a bookshelf I think holds a tree book I had in mind, I have started Doing Time by Jodi Taylor. This is an offshoot series from her Chronicles of St Mary's series of historical timeline jumping romps/escapades. My brain needs to be entertained not challenged just at the moment, and I think this was the right direction to take. 

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1 hour ago, Chrissy said:

 

I did enjoy it!. A pleasant and warming read that meandered around the concept of kindness and joy, that left me feeling uplifted, which is a nice response to a book. :)

 

Having rummaged around my kindle, and not being able to easily access a bookshelf I think holds a tree book I had in mind, I have started Doing Time by Jodi Taylor. This is an offshoot series from her Chronicles of St Mary's series of historical timeline jumping romps/escapades. My brain needs to be entertained not challenged just at the moment, and I think this was the right direction to take. 

Yay for Sunny Side Up! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

I’m listening to Chronicles of St Mary’s #7 now, and that’s just the type of mad scapes I’m really enjoying! Doing Time is in my audiobook list too. I think that it should be as good of the St Mary’s series. :)

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15 hours ago, Chrissy said:

Having rummaged around my kindle, and not being able to easily access a bookshelf I think holds a tree book I had in mind, I have started Doing Time by Jodi Taylor. This is an offshoot series from her Chronicles of St Mary's series of historical timeline jumping romps/escapades. My brain needs to be entertained not challenged just at the moment, and I think this was the right direction to take. 

Did I tell you Chrissy, I got round to finishing listening to Little Donkey? Such a lovely wee story. I so love Jodi Taylor's Frogmorton series. I wish she'd write some more.

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4 hours ago, poppy said:

Did I tell you Chrissy, I got round to finishing listening to Little Donkey? Such a lovely wee story. I so love Jodi Taylor's Frogmorton series. I wish she'd write some more.

 

She is releasing a short story on kindle in November, entitled 'Joy To The World'. I am hoping that she may write a book sized story again for Frogmorton, maybe as Joy gets older? She may be in need of a Thomas sometime! :)

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On 8/20/2020 at 9:26 PM, Chrissy said:

 

She is releasing a short story on kindle in November, entitled 'Joy To The World'. I am hoping that she may write a book sized story again for Frogmorton, maybe as Joy gets older? She may be in need of a Thomas sometime! :)

 

Definitely! Baby sitting duties ... who wouldn't want a ginger biscuit smelling donkey for a childhood friend :wub:

Will keep an eye out for the new one :flowers2:

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On 8/17/2020 at 10:02 PM, Nollaig said:

 

I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few by her and find her a bit hit or miss, but this was a good'un.

Hello Nollaig,

Appreciate your response.  Didn't realise her books could be variable!  Would you be kind enough to suggest a second title by her, that is good to consider after I finish this one?

 

Many thanks,

Lindy

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Nothing posted here for a couple of weeks as, unusually, have been reading several books in parallel.  Finished the first of them tonight, Travels with a Donkey by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Beautifully written, as ever, but don't really feel I did it justice.  Got a little bit bogged down in his religious discussions and history of the Camisards. Good read though, 4/6.  Hopefully others soon to follow: currently reading JK Galbraith's The Affluent Society, Tim Dee's Greenery, and Andrew Jefford's The Whisky Island, as well as dipping into various books about Islay (guess where we went on hoiday!). 

 

On 17/08/2020 at 7:28 PM, Sonechka said:

Currently reading Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet and I am thinking of finally starting The Count of Monte Cristo for a book club. 

 

Loved this (and really enjoyed Monte Cristo too - worth the effort!).

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New book out is Lissa Evans’ V for Victory, a sequel to Crooked Heart (which I would recommend). The Kindle version is £9.99, so I went for the Audible version, and the narration sound good. :)

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Finished A Month In The Country by JL Carr, a reread for one of my book groups.  This has long been my favourite book, and a reread confirms why - simply but beautifully written (although intricately structured), Carr uses only 100 or so pages to say as much about the human spirit as many authors can't manage in three times the space.  For me, one of the greats of English literature.  6/6.

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Finished The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, read for one of my book groups.  The longest titled book I can recall reading, and, even though it only took a couple of days to read, it felt like an awfully long time too.  I can sort of see why it proved so popular; but,I found it ineffably dull.  However, I'm rarely a fan of picaresque novels - they all too often seem to try too hard, and this fitted the norm, so I'm probably not the best person to judge.  Glad to have got it out of the way.  2/6.

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