~Andrea~ Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks LMB - I was beginning to think I probably wouldn't bother reading the rest of the series. By the sounds of it I wouldn't enjoy it much anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Well last night I did something I never do - which is give up on a book less than 100 pages from the end! I had been finding The Clan of the Cave Bear flagging as soon as it hit the Clan Gathering; all the described competitions were very tedious - and then just as the story starts to perk up, we see Mog-ur telepathically linking minds with the other mog-urs and Ayla - and Ayla seeing into the future of the human race which I just found ridiculous. So I started Donna Tarts The Little Friend instead. I have also started Bywyd Blodwen Jones - a novel for welsh learners, a humorous diary formatted story about a welsh learner. It's really good so far - very funny, but I have been advised to read it out loud so that the hearing part of my brain learns along with the understanding part, which means I need a different book to read in bed (otherwise Alex may complain lol) which is why I started the Donna Tartt one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 My goodness I have done so little reading in the last month. I am about half way through Blodwen Jones (which is only 80 pages) and just a few chapters into The Little Friend. I think I need to buck my ideas up! I think the reason is that I've started keeping my old dyddiadur (that's diary in Welsh) again and I write in it before bed, which eats into my reading time and also sometimes replaces my reading altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Phew - finally finished Bywyd Blodwen Jones last night. It was a little bit challenging but very enjoyable and I've picked up lots of new vocabulary. I'm being a bit slow with my reading this year and really want to pick up the pace! Off to read some more of The Little Friend right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 Oh my - it's quite a while since I wrote in here! A quick update: I was finding The Little Friend a tad slow to begin with but at the half way point the story picks up at a pace and I am really enjoying it now. It's a much more literary book than I normally read, and I am enjoying that. The prose is flawless, the characters well drawn and the imagery vivid. I am definitely enjoying it and both looking forward to, and not looking forward to finishing it - as a good book should be. I'm about half way through "Why I'm still an anglican" which is a collection of essays from writers as diverse as Anne Atkins, P D James and Ian Hislop. Some essays are more enjoyable than others, but it is quite an easy and interesting read. I'm just under half way through "God of Suprises" which is a re-read. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and quite reflective book full of spiritual exercises as well as being a light and encouraging read. I have just stared Oliver Twist on audio and looking forward to getting stuck in. Clean Code, after an enthusiastic start (on my part) is being sadly neglected. It's a book I'm reading for work. Useful and readable but not great escapism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 I finished The Little Friend last night. Absolutely superb. Review Donna Tartt - The Little Friend I have to admit I found this quite slow going to begin with, enjoyable but lacking pace. I was tempted to give up, however, since the book was a gift and something someone thought I'd enjoy I perservered, and boy was I glad I did. This is my favourite read of the year so far. It's as though somewhere in the middle of the book is a hidden stick of dynamite and the story just bursts into life, gathering momentum right up to its climactic conclusion. The second half of this novel is a complete success, managing to marry literary brilliance with utterly compelling story, two components not often found together. I was on the edge of my seat to the end. The story centres around Harriet, a 12 year old girl who is part of a family coming to terms with the death of her older brother Robin many years earlier. As a way of dealing with the resulting brokenness of her only family life, she embarks on a mission to find his unpunished killer and take revenge on him herself. At first I found it difficult to warm to Harriet, but as it went on I found myself caring very much about her and the other people in this story. Vivid, populated with complex characters, and gathering suspenseful momentum to the end, Donna Tartt creates a world that draws you in and, once finished, makes you sad that you have to leave it behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 I am muttering your name as I type this! Having just made myself go on an end-of-year book buying freeze, you go and write a review like that! Maybe my e-o-y freeze can start at midnight tonight, rather than midday today.........Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Andrea Good to hear such great things about The Little Friend . I have this buried someplace here too. Been wanting to read it,but doggone, I need to get a new system organized for myself so I can read things in a timely manner . I loved Tartt's first book,so was hoping this would be just as good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 oops Chrissy Why don't you add it to your dear santa? My xmas list has been ready for ages. Bring it on Hi Julie, welcome to the board. I haven't read her other book, but will definitely be adding it to my wish list now! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts when you do read The Little Friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 This has been sat on my TBR pile for quite a long time, not least because it's had mixed reviews. Must move it up the list! Thanks Andrea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 (edited) Finally finished It last night I thought it was very good BUT - in places I'm afraid it was just too unpleasant for me. I was finding it bad enough that all this bullying and cruelty and violence was happening to children but when it came to the part where Patrick Hockstetter murdering his baby brother and all his animal cruelty I was thoroughly repulsed. I am sorry to say it has put me off Stephen King a bit. Yes I know his stuff is generally dark or downright horror but I had enjoyed everything I had read so far. I also thought the writing wasn't as tight as in some of his other stuff. However I loved the reflections of childhood aspect of the story, and the main characters, who were, as ever, well drawn. Another part I really didn't like was the bit where Beverly has sex with all of the others, which I thought was just plain wierd! So overall I thought it was good, but with reservations. Hi Andrea , I know you read this a while ago but it was only a few posts back on here. I read IT recently but didn't enjoy it enough to review it. I agree with everything you wrote in the spoilers, especially the last one, as the character in question is only 11!. All in all I thought the whole book was a bit messy. I have only read 2 and a half King books but I don't really rate his writing. I don't believe gore can replace atmospheric horror Edited October 15, 2011 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I enjoyed 'IT' but its not one of my favourites, I much prefer a bit of atmosphere with horror and IT went down the road of the slightly questionable, great review Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 (edited) Hi Andrea , I know you read this a while ago but it was only a few posts back on here. I read IT recently but didn't enjoy it enough to review it. I agree with everything you wrote in the spoilers, especially the last one, as the character in question is only 11!. I know! It was just plain wierd!! All in all I thought the whole book was a bit messy. I have only read 2 and a half King books but I don't really rate his writing. I don't believe gore can replace atmospheric horror Yea messy is a good word for it. It was strange to read this having read Misery, in which the writing is very tight I thought. But even Carrie, his first novel is quite well written I thought. I was surprised, (not pleasantly) by this book. I wonder if he was at the height of his drug and alcohol abuse when he wrote this. It was published in 1986 (and he quit drugs in the late 80s according to wikipedia) and in '87 he published Misery, an altogether better written book which he has said is actually about his struggle with addiction (with the Annie Wilkes character representing cocaine and the hold it had over him). My theory is his addiction marred IT. I enjoyed 'IT' but its not one of my favourites, I much prefer a bit of atmosphere with horror and IT went down the road of the slightly questionable, great review Andrea I definitely found bits of it (a lot in fact) enjoyable, but yes the questionable bits were off-putting. Thanks Weave Edited October 16, 2011 by ~Andrea~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 I started "About Time" by Paul Davies last night. A pop science book, about, well, time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 I finished listening to Oliver Twist yesterday. I found it generally enjoyable, the prose entertaining and lively, peppered with wry humour. However, the plot is quite rich and I found myself struggling with the last few chapters as there was a lot of information to take in, and a lot of summarising of new revelations - whether the problem was that I was listening on audio in the car, or that my version was abrdiged and therefore denser than the original, or perhaps both, I can't say. I enjoyed it, but would not rush to listen to it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 I've just realised there is a book I read a few months ago which I have not commented - Keith Ward's "Why there almost certainly is a God". So better late than never here are my comments: This book is a riposte to Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion which I had intended to read before I read Ward's book. However, I tried to read Dawkin's book earlier in the year, but I'm afraid I didn't get much further than the half way mark, finding his poor logic, polemical and condescending style more than I could bear. Ward's book is a short, interesting book which points out some of the flaws in Dawkins arguments, which I found myself nodding in agreement with. The unnecessarily controversial title of this book is perhaps a bit misleading, since the existence of God cannot be proved one way or the other, although I suppose it stands itself as a riposte to Dawkins title. The aim of this book is to point out that belief in a God is a reasonable philosophical position to hold. Ward has an easy going style and I enjoyed his book very much. It contained some interesting ideas, which I hadn't considered before. I have already read another of Ward's books, and I will certainly be reading more in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 I finished "Why I am still an anglican" the other day, Caroline Chartres book of essays from various writers. It was enjoyable, but perhaps not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. The essays were from diverse authors from diverse backgrounds and traditions within anglicanism and with views just as diverse. Needless to say some essays I enjoyed more than others and some writers I agreed with more than others. I did come away with a better understanding of the flavour and diversity of anglicanism though. It's a broad old church alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Great reviews Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thanks Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 (edited) Last night, after a rubbish day, I really wasn't in the mood for science before I went to bed, so I picked up Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb for a little light relief. It's part two of a trilogy. I read part one about a year ago I think, so this is long overdue. Edited November 1, 2011 by ~Andrea~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 I finished About Time over the weekend and have now got cracking with Robin Hobb's Royal Assassin. It's 750 pages long - so I doubt I'll get much else in by the end of the year!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 About Time - Paul Davies I found this to be this an incredibly engaging and gripping read, and often didn't want to put it down, in spite of the heavy (you would think) subject matter and the fact that this was my bedtime read. Paul Davies discusses the weird 'thing' that is time, delving into various aspects of it - by his own admission simply discussing the ideas that interest him the most rather than providing a comprehensive study. He covers a range of subjects, including relativity, quantum theory, and - one of the most interesting topics in the book IMO - consciousness and experiential time. As always Davies delivers an informative yet entertaining read, even if he does relentlessly plug all his other books throughout the course of this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 ^ Have now added this to my wishlist. It's the kind of topic that interests me, though reading physics books can give me a headache! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Oh goody I hope you enjoy it BB - let me know if you read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Ooh glad I stopped by I am going to add About Time and Why There Almost Certainly Is a God to my purchase list thanks Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.