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Northernnutters reading list 2009.


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Bit of a FForde reading fest this week!

 

Finished both 'The Big Over Easy', and 'The Fourth Bear'. Fforde's Nursery Crime Division novels. And they didn't disappoint!!

 

I've placed my thoughts of 'The big Over Easy', on the designated 'reading Circle' thread, so won't repeat myself here!

 

Will just say, I loved it and give it 5/5!

 

So... onto 'The Fourth Bear'.

 

The Blurb-

 

It's four months on since Spratt and his NCD team cracked the 'Humpty' murder, but Jack finds himself suspended from duty, awaiting a psych evaluation following a botched attempt to stop 'the Wolf' swallowing 'Red Riding Hood'!

Whilst suspended, 'Goldilocks' disappears, then turns up dead, highly esteemed cucumber growers are inexplicably being blown to smithereens and Jack's nemesis, the notorious serial killer, 'The gingerbread Man' has escaped from incarceration and is running free.....

Jack. Mary and the NCD team are soon on the case to find out what links these, seemingly, unconnected events.....

 

The Verdict.-

 

Once again, Fforde takes us on a roller coaster ride of intrigue, murder and dastardly deeds, all centred around the domain of The Nursery Crime Division and it's man in charge, DCI Jack Spratt!!

 

Jack has to deal with 'The Gingerbread Man', a villain easily on par with the great Hannibal lecter, in terms of his evil deeds and notoriety.

The murder of 'Goldilocks', which brings him in contact with the secretive society of the bear community, and all the while trying to prove that he is fit for duty, by not being crazy!

In this novel, Jack also has to face the problem, of which he is fully aware, that he, himself is also a PDR! (Person of Dubious Reality.). This causes domestic problems between Jack and his wife, as she is totally unaware of this and feels betrayed by being kept in the dark.!

 

By far the most enjoyable characters I found in this story though, were the characters of Punch and Judy! Jack's new neighbours....and the neighbours from hell!! Constantly fighting and arguing! Giving a whole new meaning to 'anti-social behaviour'!! But totally still in love, and as such, the most renowned marriage counsellors in the country! Classic!!

 

I also enjoyed the budding 'romance' story between Mary and Ashley, and the 'inter-species' difficulties they both face perhaps in future novels.

When Mary flashes her boobs at the astronauts on the international space station, whilst out on a date in Ashley's space ship, I laughed so much, tea came out of my nose!! Comic gold!! :17:

 

 

All in all, I enjoyed this book even more than 'The Big Over easy'. You get to know the main characters more, and the main investigative plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right to the very end!!

 

Fantastical, crazy read!! 5/5.!!!:D

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Bit of a FForde reading fest this week!

 

Finished both 'The Big Over Easy', and 'The Fourth Bear'. Fforde's Nursery Crime Division novels. And they didn't disappoint!!

 

I've placed my thoughts of 'The big Over Easy', on the designated 'reading Circle' thread, so won't repeat myself here!

 

Will just say, I loved it and give it 5/5!

 

So... onto 'The Fourth Bear'.

 

 

Just reserved The Big over easy. Look forward to reading it.

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Just finished 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', by Truman Capote.

 

A bit of a change for me, this one, as I'm usually a bit of a 'doorstop' reader, so this short read was quite refreshing!

 

Having seen the movie version quite a few times, and loving Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly, I was a bit apprehensive about reading this, but I needn't have been!

 

Capote's writing style is easy and lusciously descriptive. I particularly liked his use of dialogue between the characters, which really brought them to life.- natural and freeflowing, unforced and revealing.

 

I felt the character of 'Holly' in the novel was more robust than the movie version. Yes, she has the same fragile quality about her, but also, I felt, she was more hardened, and fully aware of her choice of life than the 'flighty' Holly of the movie.

 

Because of this difference, I particularly liked the end of the novel. (Different from the movie.) I felt the ending stayed true to Holly's character.

Disappearing, never to be seen again. Out there somewhere, still searching for that feeling of 'belonging' to somewhere, and someone.

 

 

At the end, I couldn't help wishing that Holly finally found what she was searching for!

 

A great read. 4/5.

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I've seen Capote, which I thought was excellent. I've also seen the movie of In Cold Blood (the original) and I have a remake as well, but I can't remember if I've watched it. :lol:

 

I'd like to see Infamous one day. :hug:

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Well, I've been holed up with a cold this week, so was able to get through two books- Bitten, by kelley Armstrong, and, The Time traveler's wife, by Audrey Niffenegger.

 

Bitten

 

Haven't read any of Armstrong's novels before, so this was a pleasant surprise!

An easy to read, well written supernatural thriller, this book follows Elena Michaels, the only 'female' werewolf in existence, struggling with her human and werewolf persona's, and trying to lead a normal life...until a call from her 'pack' leader plunges her back into the world of werewolves, and into a war with renegade wolf 'mutts', murder and a battle for survival.

 

The Verdict.

I really enjoyed Armsrong's writing style.- Wonderfully descriptive when portraying the 'wolf' characteristics of the characters, and vivid action/hunting scenes. Also, her description of the 'pack' and it's hierarchy came across as well researched.

I also loved how she kept the 'wolf' characteristics in the forefront even when the characters were in human form- 'nuzzling', 'cavorting' and with a bit of 'rough and tumble', intertwining their werewolf and human persona's well.

 

The plot keeps you interested- The 'pack' is under threat, and they must come toghether to ensure their survival, and to protect their way af life, and Elena must decide where she stands, and, ultimately, what the true meaning of family and security means to her..

I'll definately be looking for the next installment of this series!

 

Forget Vampires..werwolves are the way to go!!! 3.5/5.

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The Time Traveler's Wife.

 

Having read this book, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it!!

 

There's no denying that the premise of the novel is unique and engrossing. The love affair between Claire and Henry, pinned by fate and which transcends time itself, is beautiful and sorrowful all at once, and I loved the way the author allows us to follow the path of this love through both the experiences of Harry and Claire, but at differing points in time. You never quite know how things will turn out, (like Henry and Claire themselves), until events finally fall into place towards the end of the novel. A beautiful, poinant love story in it's own right.

 

And whilst this theme left me feeling joyous for Henry and Claire through the good times, and sorrowful for them through the hard times they face together, there was another, underlying theme of the novel which made me feel more profoundly saddened....

 

I felt throughout the novel, Niffenegger constantly reminds us of the inevitability of pain, loss and ultimately..death, through her use of 'illness' and 'disease' as a recurring theme.

Claire's mother's death through cancer, Henry's AIDS suffering friend, Ben. In fact, reading the novel, I felt the author portrayed Henry and Claire's experiences very much like a family coping, and coming to terms with a loved one with a terminal illness...the 'highs', the 'lows', Claire's acceptance and support of Henry, the 'disclosure' of Henry's condition to their closest friends, and Henry's search for answers, (and even perhaps a cure), through the medical profession.

This theme set up the inevitability of henry's death, and ultimately Claire's fate as the one left behind....and it is this side to the story that left me feeling truly moved.

 

As for the ending, I felt it was fitting that Henry's fate ultimately is decided by a seemingly random event, but I feel the author ensures that we get a glimpse of what ultimately Henry leaves behind through his love with Claire, his friendships and his need to 'understand', and that is his legacy to his daughter and the future. That legacy we glimpse in the art gallery, when he meets Alba and her 'condition' CPD is known to her teacher...a legacy of understanding and, hopefully, a full and happy life for Alba....

 

Moving, thought-provoking and poignant...4.5/5

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Well, I've been holed up with a cold this week, so was able to get through two books- Bitten, by kelley Armstrong, and, The Time traveler's wife, by Audrey Niffenegger.

 

Bitten

 

Haven't read any of Armstrong's novels before, so this was a pleasant surprise!

An easy to read, well written supernatural thriller, this book follows Elena Michaels, the only 'female' werewolf in existence, struggling with her human and werewolf persona's, and trying to lead a normal life...until a call from her 'pack' leader plunges her back into the world of werewolves, and into a war with renegade wolf 'mutts', murder and a battle for survival.

 

The Verdict.

I really enjoyed Armsrong's writing style.- Wonderfully descriptive when portraying the 'wolf' characteristics of the characters, and vivid action/hunting scenes. Also, her description of the 'pack' and it's hierarchy came across as well researched.

I also loved how she kept the 'wolf' characteristics in the forefront even when the characters were in human form- 'nuzzling', 'cavorting' and with a bit of 'rough and tumble', intertwining their werewolf and human persona's well.

 

The plot keeps you interested- The 'pack' is under threat, and they must come toghether to ensure their survival, and to protect their way af life, and Elena must decide where she stands, and, ultimately, what the true meaning of family and security means to her..

I'll definately be looking for the next installment of this series!

 

Forget Vampires..werwolves are the way to go!!! 3.5/5.

 

 

Now I must be the only person on here who was not that impressed with it. It was Ok but I have read better, the book I am reading now, is I feel A LOT better. Charm said that the next book (Which I have just obtained from my library) is a lot better, so hopefully I will get into the series.

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