Jump to content

Janet's Reading 2012


Janet

Recommended Posts

You don't have to, you know! It's about reading what you want to read!

But I want to read the books on my TBR too! That's the problem - too many books, too little time! :lol:

 

 

Oh, you are in for a great treat, I loved The Shadow of the Wind! I enjoyed it so much that I've been too scared to read anything else by the author :D I'm fearing the other novels won't compare :blush:

 

Ditto. The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favourite books :smile:

 

Double ditto! Fabulous book and if you enjoy it half as much as I did, you're going to love it! :smile2:

Edited by chesilbeach
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 405
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

But I want to read the books on my TBR too! That's the problem - too many books, too little time! :lol:

You have my complete sympathy - I know exactly how you feel! It was just that the way you said it seemed to suggest (to me at least) that it was a bit of a self-imposed obligation. Obviously not!

 

Oh, you are in for a great treat, I loved The Shadow of the Wind! I enjoyed it so much that I've been too scared to read anything else by the author :D I'm fearing the other novels won't compare :blush:

I'm another one who absolutely loved The Shadow of the Wind, and can only agree that I think (and hope!) that you're in for a treat. I did try The Angel's Game. Beautifully written, but not in the same league narrative-wise, so reckon you might be right frankie.

 

Great news about the Peter Grant series by the way! :smile2:

Yes, thanks for that Janet - can only echo everybody's pleasure!

 

(Which now reminded me of the Mr Bean movie, where he learns some new interesting hand gestures in the States...)

I don't always find Mr Bean funny (least of all the movies) - but almost died laughing during the Olympic opening ceremony - particularly at the opening shot as they gradually revealed who the keyboard player was!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double ditto! Fabulous book and if you enjoy it half as much as I did, you're going to love it! :smile2:

I'm another one who absolutely loved The Shadow of the Wind, and can only agree that I think (and hope!) that you're in for a treat. I did try The Angel's Game. Beautifully written, but not in the same league narrative-wise, so reckon you might be right frankie.

I'm pleased to hear so many positive reviews - I'm definitely in for a treat. :)

 

Yes, thanks for that Janet - can only echo everybody's pleasure!

 

I don't always find Mr Bean funny (least of all the movies) - but almost died laughing during the Olympic opening ceremony - particularly at the opening shot as they gradually revealed who the keyboard player was!

It's great news about the Peter Grant books - I imagine there will come a time when they become too 'samey' but all the while they have good story lines I will read them. :)

 

I agree about Bean - and that that particular section of the Opening Ceremony was one of the best/funniest! :giggle2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

047-2012-Jul-16-AMonthintheCountry.jpg

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

The ‘blurb’
In the summer of 1920 two men, both war survivors meet in the quiet English countryside. One is living in the church, intent upon uncovering and restoring an historical wall painting while the other camps in the next field in search of a lost grave. Out of their meeting comes a deeper communion and a catching up of the old primeval rhythms of life so cruelly disorientated by the Great War.

I’m not sure what made me pick this book up in the library* but I’m glad I did.

It tells the story of a young man called Tom Birkin, a man scarred by the First World War and cuckolded by his wife, whose work involves restoring old church artwork. He is employed by the dour Rector of Oxgodby church, the Reverend J G Keach, to uncover a possible medieval painting following a bequest in the will of a former parishioner, Miss Hebron.

At the same time, a man called Charles Moon is digging outside the church, looking for a grave belonging to Piers Hebron - an ancestor of the same woman - who was thought to have been excommunicated. He and Birkin become friends as they work at their separate endeavours and Birkin also forms a tentative friendship with Alice Keach, the Rector’s wife. Although an agnostic, Birkin finds himself spending more and more time with the stationmaster and his family and other members of the chapel. He starts to feel very at home in Oxgodby.

Spoilers if unread

As Birkin is uncovering the painting, it becomes apparent that one of the figures was covered up earlier than the rest of the picture. Birkin and Moon uncover the secret of the painting, and of the grave, and discover something about Miss Bebron’s ancestor that has remained buried in the annals of time – he was the artist of the painting... and was a Muslim. They have to decide whether to reveal the secret or allow it to remain buried in the past.



Simple but with a highly entertaining storyline, this book examines the relationships that Birkin has with the people he encounters in Yorkshire. It has a poetical feel about it and the author manages to capture exactly the feel of 1920s rural Yorkshire. I really enjoyed it and I keep thinking about it – a sure sign of a great book. I can see myself reading this one again sometime and I certainly intend to read some more of Carr’s works.

*I was recently tidying up my Amazon Wish List and found I’d added this book in January 2009 - although I have no recollection of doing so or why, but I suspect someone on here must have recommended it. :) As I said, when I picked it up I felt I was doing so on a whim!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Janet. I think it was probably Willoyd's recommendation that would have made you add it to your wishlist, I think it's one of his favourite books if I remember rightly. I know it's one of my partners favourites too, and if you can get hold of a copy, there is a fantastic film with Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth and Natasha Richardson as well.

 

I loved it when I read it years ago, and funnily enough, we were talking about Carr at home the other day, and went round the bookshelves collecting them all together as I want to read the rest of his books in the future (we actually have two or even three copies of some of them!).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It probably was him then. :) Although it is possible I just randomly came across it whilst on Amazon - I tend to look at the 'customers who bought this also bought...' and add the ones I like the sound of. Either way, it was great and has definitely whetted my appetite for more. :)

I didn't know there was a film until I Googled the book after reading it (it has Colin Firth in it - how could I have missed it?!!) but it seems to be very expensive second hand (I think the cheapest I've found it is £32!) or only available in Spanish!! :giggle2:

I will add it to my alert list on TVguide.co.uk in case it pops up on the TV. ETA: It's not on there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's one of his favourite books if I remember rightly. .... as I want to read the rest of his books in the future.

Well remembered Claire. Indeed, if push came to shove, I think I would rate it as my favourite (and certainly in my top two or three).

As to his others: Carr is very hard to pin down as his writing is so varied, but there is a strong streak of eccentric, very British, humour that I love (A Month in the Country is probably the most serious of his books I've read). Possibly his best known, aside from AMITC is The Harpole Report, a wonderfully ironic take on our education system (if a bit dated in places now), but I can recommend pretty much all his work. Carr himself was a fascinating (and almost equally eccentric in some eyes) man, and his biography (The Last Englishman by Byron Rogers) is well worth a read As you may gather, I'm a bit of a fan!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I added a couple to my Amazon Wish List when I finished it, and I particularly liked the sound of The Harpole Report (I don't mind dated!). Thanks for the info about the biography. There are two versions for Kindle (one cheaper than the other, although they seem identical!) so I've downloaded a sample chapter. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

048-2012-Jul-18-TheRoad.jpg

 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

 

The ‘blurb’

A father and his young son walk alone through burned America, heading slowly for the coast. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the men who stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food – and each other.

 

A novel about trying to survive against the odds…

 

Teetering on the brink of starvation and the ever-present threat from other travellers a nameless father and son travel across America heading for the coast. America is blackened and fires smoulder after an unknown catastrophe. Survival means keeping on the move, finding food and shelter where they can. The pair must keep their wits about them and trust nobody as they keep travelling – but the whole time one gets a sense that their journey is completely futile…

 

I won this book in a competition on here back in February 2009 and fully intended to read it straight away, but for some reason it got put to the bottom of the pile and I’ve only just got round to it!

 

Firstly I must say that the writing technique won’t suit everybody. The dialogue is sparse and at first I felt it might grate on me but I soon got into the style and I actually felt it added to the bleak feel of the story.

 

If I can avoid it, I don’t read Amazon reviews until I’ve finished a book. Whilst I don’t agree with the following 1 star review, it did make me chuckle!! (Cut for length - might be considered a little spoilery?)

 

 

They started walking along the road again, turning into a fairly empty Waterstones. The boy tugged at the man's arm.

Is this a good book?

No.

Why not?

I dont know.

Can I read it?

No.

Can we go home?

There is no home.

They sat on the floor outside and looked at the bleak, empty high street. Everyone was dead. They had all read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, then went to sleep and died. The dialogue was repetitive and banal. The punctuation was wrong, on purpose. Nothing happened. It killed them.

Im scared, the boy said.

Its ok.

Will we be ok?

Yes.

Are you sure?

As long as we dont read The Road, we'll be fine.

 

 

The reviewer is correct about the punctuation. For some reason McCarthy used an apostrophe in words like I’m and that’s, but not in dont or cant and the review at least gives a taste of what the writing is like.

 

I'm not sure enjoyed is the right word... and yet I did enjoy it, very much! I found it compulsive reading and couldn't put it down! I read it really quickly. Scary stuff! I don't think I've read any post-apocalyptic books before (I must see if there is a list of such books somewhere) - this was great, although I've since looked at reviews and a lot of people disliked it. It really seems to divide opinions. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope you get on ok with the last one Janet .. it was my least favourite but as it's the conclusion ... I soldiered on with it. The first two were easily the best which is a bit of a shame in a way but they are both very good stand alone books anyway. I only read TLTW&TW as a child and somehow or the other (must have been living under a rock) never knew it was part of a series.

I don't know if they will be making any more films because the last two struggled a bit (and the stories don't exactly improve) but it would be so good if they went back and made The Magicians Nephew :smile:

I've been struggling to write a review of it, Kay. I didn't really enjoy it and I certainly agree that none of them have lived up to The Magician's Nephew or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

 

I can't remember where I read it, but I'm pretty certain that the rights to the remaining films have expired - so if the original company (or someone new) wish to make TMN they'll have to apply for rights again. It's a shame as I'd like to see a version of that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

049-2012-Jul-19-TheLastBattle.jpg

 

The Last Battle by C S Lewis

 

The ‘blurb’

"To my side, all true Narnians! Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all, one by one?"

 

It is Narnia's darkest hour. A false Aslan is commanding all Narnians to work for the cruel Calormenes and striking terror into every heart. King Tiran's only hope is to call Eustace and Jill back to Narnia, in an attempt to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. But a mighty battle lies ahead.

 

This is the final part of the Narnia Chronicles and is set during the reign of the 4x great-grandson of King Caspian X - King Tirian. Narnia has enjoyed many years of peace and success under Tirian’s reign, but one day a centaur called Roonwit visits Tirian and tells him that the stars predict that an evil is coming to Narnia.

 

Meanwhile an ape called Shift spots something floating in a river and persuades Puzzle the donkey to retrieve it. It’s a lion’s pelt and Shift comes up with a cunning plan that will enable him to fool the people of Narnia that Aslan has returned and that Shift is doing Aslan’s bidding. He persuades an unwilling and naive Puzzle to don the skin and pretend to be Aslan. At the same time, he forces the Narnians to work for him, cutting down the talking trees to sell to the Calormene people on the pretence of raising money for Aslan. He also manages to convince the people that the Aslan and the Calormene god Tash are one and the same.

 

Tirian and his supporters take on Shift but are overpowered. As Tirian is tied up he calls on Aslan for help and sees a vision of Digory and Polly (from The Magician’s Nephew) the Pevensie children (with the exception of Susan) and Eustace and Jill – and they, in ‘our world’, see him. Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia for the titular Last Battle.

 

None of the books have lived up to The Magician’s Nephew or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - this one felt like a book of two halves – the first being the conflict caused by Shift pretending Aslan had returned and the second

where the real Aslan does return and makes his judgement on everyone – those who have followed him and led good lives will go on to live happily ever after, whilst those who haven’t will go to a nameless place. It is revealed that the human children, with the exception of Susan, and the Pevensie’s parents, are dead back in ‘our world’ and they, too, head to eternal life in Aslan’s world

 

 

Of all the books in the series, this is the one that I remembered least about from when I first read them many, many years ago as a child. As a child I am sure I didn’t really take in the religious aspect of them. As an adult it is very obvious. It’s not this aspect of it that left me feeling rather cold towards the book, but I just didn’t enjoy the story, and I didn’t like Lewis’ treatment of Susan. I guess he had his reasons but it seems a shame that she was treated the way she was, just to make a point. Overall I was left feeling unrewarded by making it to the end of the series. In future if I do decide to revisit Narnia it will only be to re-read The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

050-2012-Jul-27-BrickLane.jpg

 

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

 

The ‘blurb’

At the tender age of eighteen, Nazneen’s life is turned upside down. After an arranged marriage to a man twenty years her elder she exchanges her Bangladeshi village for a block of flats in London’s East End. In this new world, where poor people can be fat and even dogs go on diets, she struggles to make sense of her existence – and do her duty to her husband, a man of inflated ideas (and stomach), he sorely tests her compliance.

 

But Nazneen submits, as she must, to Fate and devotes her life to raising her family and slapping down her demons of discontent

 

Nazneen lives a happy life in Bangladesh with her sister Hasina and her parents – she knows that an arranged marriage is on the cards and when it happens it is to a Bangladeshi man who lives in far away London and who is about 20 years her senior. She moves to Brick Lane in the borough of Tower Hamlets where she feels isolated, being unable to speak the language. Her husband, Chanu, is a kind man with many ambitious plans, but sadly none of these seem to come to fruition and he soon becomes disillusioned as he slips down the career ladder.

 

Nazneen settles into her new life and starts making friends within her community, including a spirited young woman called Razia who works from home making clothing. Nazneen longs to do the same but Chanu is not keen. Eventually he relents and buys Nazneen a sewing machine – he is keen for the family to return “home” to Bangladesh and knows the extra money will eventually help him realise this ambition.

 

Life plods along for Nazneen, Chanu and their two girls, Shahana and Bibi until the eventful day on 11 September 2011 when the attacks on America take place and life suddenly changes. The area becomes one of unrest where cultures who have rubbed along okay suddenly become wary of each other. Nazneen finds herself unwittingly drawn to the man who brings the clothing to her flat, Karim as he gathers the Bangladeshi community together to decide how to defend themselves against attacks on their culture, whilst Chanu desperately makes plans for the family to leave the country – but Nazeen, Shahana and Bibi aren’t going to go without a fight…

 

Brick Lane is mostly set in London (well, d'uh!) but there is some of it set in Bangladesh. I think I'd have preferred a bit more of Bangladesh in it to experience the culture in situ, so to speak, but the reader does at least experience some of this in the regular correspondence from Nazneen’s sister Hasina, who ran away for a ‘love match’ which went wrong and now, shamed and unable to return to the village, lives life as best she can in difficult circumstances.

 

Reading about it on Wikipedia now there was a lot of controversy about it and the way Bengali people were portrayed but I think most readers are intelligent enough to know that the characters are stereotypical rather than typical. I really enjoyed this book – the writing and the characters – and was sorry when it came to an end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favourite books :smile:

Ohhh :( and it was going so well :D

 

Great news about The Rivers of London books Janet :) how exciting.

 

Agree totally with all you wrote about The Last Battle .. it's impossible not to get the allegory in this one, even as a child I think I would have twigged. Poor Susan .. she was never a favourite of mine before but I felt quite sad about the outcome of her story and his reasonings behind it. In addition I thought the whole story was uninspiring when it should have been the opposite. There is no way in the world that film would ever get made and at least we can be glad about that. I was always surprised that Lewis' friend Tolkien hated the Narnia books .. until I read this one.

 

Stardust is brilliant .. glad you enjoyed it Janet. Neil is another reader who was cross with C.S. Lewis over Susan .. he wrote a really dark and twisted short story about it called The Problem of Susan .. actually I'm not sure I would recommend it as it's quite shocking but it was interesting to read Neil's musings on the subject.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I definitely can't see this one being made. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the series never gets filmed (although I guess that would be a shame). I don't mind shocking - has Gaiman published a book of short stories?

 

*Goes to Google*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think he has a couple of collections Janet. I can't remember which one it was in .. Fragile Things possibly. They are a bit different to his novels .. he takes more of a risk with them I think and as a result they're a bit hit and miss not to say sick and twisted :D (I still enjoyed them though .. in the main).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My book buying did reduce drastically in the last 5 months of 2011. I bought 31 books up to the end of July. After then I took out 8 library books and acquired 14 more books, but 3 were gifts, 3 were bought for ‘real life’ book club and 1 for the reading circle here (I like to annotate) 2 were borrowed from friends, 2 were bought for my decades challenge (and not available in library), 1 bought at Church Christmas fete (I thought if I had to buy something it might as well be a book!) and 2 were bought because I’ll re-read them.

 

I am going to try to buy fewer books this year! :D

At this date in 2011 I had acquired 32 new books. By the end of 2011 it had gone up to 53. I therefore made the above resolution (in the last sentence).

 

This year so far:

 

Total new books acquired in 2012 (including library books): 41

Number of these read: 21

Total cost* of books acquired: £34.16

Library Books: 8

Library Books Read: 7

 

:doh:

 

It's ridiculous. I just can't seem to help myself. :(

 

I am now resolving - once again - to buy fewer books. For the remainder of this year I am going to do my best to reduce my 'to read' pile which must be in excess 50 unread books, taking into account previous years.

 

The caveat to this statement is that I have an Amazon gift voucher which I must spend before its expiry date - but it doesn't expire for ages (I've made a note on my calendar so I don't miss the deadline!) so if there is a 'must have' book then I will use this - and I will also buy Book Club books. Finally, I will get books from the library for my World Challenge (or download them to my Kindle) as I'm keen to continue with this challenge. :)

 

Claire gets a mention here - she's inspirational, having reduced her own 'to read' pile into single figures!!! I'm not sure how well I'll do at it - as you can clearly tell, my willpower is pathetic - but I will give it my best shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Claire gets a mention here - she's inspirational, having reduced her own 'to read' pile into single figures!!! I'm not sure how well I'll do at it - as you can clearly tell, my willpower is pathetic - but I will give it my best shot.

Yay .. Go Janet!! :D I was wondering who our next medal hope would be (after Claire and VF :D) .. clearly it wouldn't be me but now you've taken up the challenge .. I look forward to another podium finish :friends0:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You only appear to have acquired a few more books than you had at this time last year, which I think is very admirable. :) And what's even better is that you've read over half of the books you've acquired this year!

 

Based on those stats, I reckon you have the strength and willpower to get your TBR pile down to where you want it. :) Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At this date in 2011 I had acquired 32 new books. By the end of 2011 it had gone up to 53. I therefore made the above resolution (in the last sentence).

 

This year so far:

 

Total new books acquired in 2012 (including library books): 39

Number of these read: 21

Total cost* of books acquired: £34.16

Library Books: 8

Library Books Read: 7

 

:doh:

 

It's ridiculous. I just can't seem to help myself. :(

 

I am now resolving - once again - to buy fewer books. For the remainder of this year I am going to do my best to reduce my 'to read' pile which must be in excess 50 unread books, taking into account previous years.

 

The caveat to this statement is that I have an Amazon gift voucher which I must spend before its expiry date - but it doesn't expire for ages (I've made a note on my calendar so I don't miss the deadline!) so if there is a 'must have' book then I will use this - and I will also buy Book Club books.

 

Claire gets a mention here - she's inspirational, having reduced her own 'to read' pile into single figures!!! I'm not sure how well I'll do at it - as you can clearly tell, my willpower is pathetic - but I will give it my best shot.

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You only appear to have acquired a few more books than you had at this time last year, which I think is very admirable. :) And what's even better is that you've read over half of the books you've acquired this year!

 

Based on those stats, I reckon you have the strength and willpower to get your TBR pile down to where you want it. :) Good luck!

I need to compile a list of all my 'to read' books. I have some left from those that I bought last year and some from previous years (before I started keeping a note of books purchased. I will get onto it so I know exactly what I'm up against.

 

Thanks, Kylie. :)

 

Good luck!

Thanks, Karen. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst compiling my comprehensive 'to read' pile I've found another couple from this year, taking my total acquired in 2012 to 41.

 

It looks like my total 'to read' pile is going to come in a little under 100. Scary biscuits. noes-1.gif This doesn't include Kindle books - I'm not counting those as they don't take up any physical room.

 

At the rate I read, it'll take me over a year to read them all. I'm not sure I want that kind of pressure. I think I might thin out some that I think I'm unlikely ever to read.

 

I feel quite intimidated by it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...