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Janet's reading 2010


Janet

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I finished The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan tonight. One of my favourite reads of 2010 so far! :D

My friend just bought that yesterday for her book club. Might have to borrow it.

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I finished The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan tonight. One of my favourite reads of 2010 so far! :D

My copy is still gazing at me from (one of) my TBR shelves. I must make sure I read it sooner rather than later, as you have me all excited about it. :)

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I hope you enjoy it, Noll - I'm sure you will. :friends0:

 

I finished Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell today.

 

I think I might read Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer next. It's the third of a trilogy about the same character, but I believe it works as a stand-alone and the other books are out of print.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My mojo went awol again so I read a young adult novel - The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson. I'm now reading Lovely Green Eyes by Arnošt Lustig, but I might try to pick up something to read along side it as I'm finding it slow going.

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035-2010-Jul-14-CharlotteSometimesj.jpg

 

Charlotte Sometimes

 

The ‘blurb’

Charlotte was thinking, horrified, that perhaps she had changed into someone else - if she was Charlotte, why did they call her Clare? Why was she suddenly living in a world of forty years ago? And what was the secret of the great cedar tree? Did its sinister branches hold the key to the mystery?

 

I haven’t read anything by this author before but was drawn to the 1970s cover of this enjoyable time-switch story which I found in a second-hand shop.

 

It’s 1963 and on her arrival at her new boarding school, Charlotte is sought out by a young girl called Sarah who shows her to her dormitory. She offers Charlotte a choice of beds and Charlotte chooses the one closest to the window as she’s drawn to its unusual wheels.

 

She sleeps restlessly the first night, imagining shadows on the window from a large tree. But of course there is no tree outside. When she wakes up there is a different, more tranquil feel to the room and Charlotte soon discovers why - she has woken up in 1915. Not only that, but she appears to be called Clare and to have a sister called Emily. Will things ever been the same for her again? After all, it appears that she’s only Charlotte Sometimes…

 

Apparently the 1985 reprint removed some elements from the end of the story, such as when

Charlotte receives a package from Clare’s then adult sister.

I really don’t understand why publishers have to mess around with stories in this way. It’s a quick read, and obviously slightly dated, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

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wow that brought back a memory as soon as I saw the cover of that book, I vaguely remember reading it a long time ago.

It's so 1970s, isn't it! :lol:

 

I finally finished Lovely Green Eyes by Arnošt Lustig - I'm so relieved to have got to the end! It picked up about half way through but I found it really dragged in the beginning. It got really high reviews on Amazon so I must have missed something. I'd give it 6½/10 max!

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I really enjoyed it, but some people think it's too twee, and there are also criticisms about factual inaccuracies with regards to rationing.

 

It's perfect as a light read but perhaps it doesn't have much depth about it! Don't be cross with me if you hate it! :lurker:

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I started keeping a record of books acquired in 2010.

 

I have acquired 47* new books this year (some of them sent to me so I didn't pay for them) and spent £109.41 in total. That works out at £2.33 per book - not bad! :D

 

Of these I've read 30.

 

*This does not represent my entire 'to read' pile, which has books from last year and before on it.

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I think keeping a record of it has helped me, because I like watching it change colour. On my Excel spreadsheet and on post #2 of this thread I change the colour to red once I've finished a book and seeing it visually is spurring me on!

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  • 1 month later...

I have a dilemma now. I'm currently reading Jane Eyre, and although I'm only on page 97, I'm really enjoying it, but I haven't much time to read at the moment.

 

My problem is that I want to see The Girl Who Played with Fire at the cinema, so I don't know what to do. Should I put down Jane Eyre and try to read this before the film disappears from the cinema (I can't see the film without having read the book first) or should I just wait for the film to come out on DVD? I really enjoyed the first film on the big screen. Hmmm. :unsure:

I had to stop Jane Eyre to read The White Queen by Philippa Gregory for my book club - I thoroughly enjoyed it, but was in a minority as most of our other bookclubbers found it dull, especially the end. I gave it 8/10 though, and will definitely read The Red Queen when it's out in paperback.

 

I went back to Jane Eyre and plodded to page 111 which took ages as my mojo went AWOL, but I finished it in just two days this week and I really enjoyed it in the end! :D I don't think I watched the BBC 1983 version with Timothy Dalton, although I remember my parents watching it, but I must have taken some in because I knew the rough story and remembered the ending!

 

I also knew the

famous line "Reader, I married him", although until I got to it I wasn't aware it was from this book!

 

 

I was initially irritated by the references to 'Janet', which I assumed were typos, but eventually I decided they must be a nickname as there were so many!

 

Another irritation, and this isn't just in this book and I know it's of the period because it happens in Pride and Prejudice (and doubtless many other classics) but the use of __Shire or __Church, Spanish Town, or A.D__ (a date of fifteen years back), or __House in the county of ___

 

I know why the dashes are used, but it's frustrating (for me) to read them!

 

:blush:

 

That aside, I loved the story and I'm so glad I read it! :giggle:

 

I've just started The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

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Not sure if you know, Janet, but there was a more recent 2006 Jane Eyre adaptation with Toby Stephens (one of my favourites ;)) and Ruth Wilson, which I thought was pretty faithful to the book and a pretty good series - perfect Sunday evening viewing.

 

I can't wait to hear what you think of The History of Love. I read it a few years ago and thought it was a wonderful book.

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I finished The Very Though of You by Rosie Alison yesterday. Thoughts here.

 

I've got this to read but somehow I keep putting it off.

 

I read The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett on Monday (it's tiny!). I now have fewer than 50 pages left of Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith, which is most amusing! :giggle:

 

I've got an audio of Alan reading 'The Lady in the Van' and everytime I hear it it makes me laugh .. bless her she certainly was an original and bless him too for letting her park on his drive .. I don't think many people could have put up with the disruption, let alone the smell.

'Diary of a Nobody' is another book that I picked up at a charity shop months ago. I'm glad to hear that it's funny Janet, I look forward to reading it.

 

I'm about half-way through and I'm really enjoying it. Such an easy reading style. :)

 

Loved 'The History of Love', it was one of my favourite reads last year.

Loved 'Mr Rosenblum's List' also .. I didn't find it particularly twee, I was expecting it to be more so. On the Barbara Pym scale (and I love a bit of Barbara Pym) of twee it would have hardly registered.

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Not sure if you know, Janet, but there was a more recent 2006 Jane Eyre adaptation with Toby Stephens (one of my favourites ;)) and Ruth Wilson, which I thought was pretty faithful to the book and a pretty good series - perfect Sunday evening viewing.

I appear to have only answered the second bit of your post - I was sure I'd answered this bit too! Anyway, no, I didn't know there was a recent version but I've now added it to my Amazon Wishlist - thanks. :)

 

I also managed to miss poppyshake's post - I'm not sure why I didn't get notifications for these as I can see by the 'mushroom' that I've subscribed to this thread. :huh: Anyway...

I've got this to read but somehow I keep putting it off.

This bit of your post was referring to The Very Thought of You - it's a good read, and also a quick one, but I felt the ending was rushed. Probably one to pick up when you want something light to read. :)

 

I've got an audio of Alan reading 'The Lady in the Van' and everytime I hear it it makes me laugh .. bless her she certainly was an original and bless him too for letting her park on his drive .. I don't think many people could have put up with the disruption, let alone the smell.

'Diary of a Nobody' is another book that I picked up at a charity shop months ago. I'm glad to hear that it's funny Janet, I look forward to reading it.

He must have had the patience of a saint! :lol: I did enjoy it, and as it's only tiny. If nothing else it's a perfect loss-of-mojo reviver!

 

Diary of a Nobody isn't what I'd call laugh-out-loud funny - it's gentle humour. :)

 

Loved 'The History of Love', it was one of my favourite reads last year.

Loved 'Mr Rosenblum's List' also .. I didn't find it particularly twee, I was expecting it to be more so. On the Barbara Pym scale (and I love a bit of Barbara Pym) of twee it would have hardly registered.

I thought they were both really good. :) I'm not familiar with Barbara Pym - I shall head to Amazon and have a pog.

 

Thanks for posting. :)

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