Madcow's Book List 2007 [Archive]

madcow

31st December 2006, 20:30

Ok here goes.....

Total Read Since January 2007 (44)
Anchee Min - Empress Orchid 6/10
Torey Hayden - Ghost Girl 8/10
Amy Tan - The Bonesetter's Daughter 7/10
Karin Slaughter - Kisscut (Audio book) 8/10
Philippa Gregory - The Virgin's Lover 8/10
Mineko Iwasaki - Geisha of Gion 6/10
Karin Slaughter - A Faint Cold Fear 9/10
Karin Slaughter - Faithless 9/10
Jennifer Donnelly - A Gathering Light 8/10
Kathy Reichs - Death Du Jour 8/10
Kathy Reichs - Bare bones 8/10
Natsuo Kirino - Out 8/10
Kathy Reichs - Monday Mourning 7/10
J.M. Warwick - An Open Vein 9/10
John Grogan - Marley & Me 9.5/10
Richard Montanari - The Rosary Girls 8/10
Jodi Picoult - Mercy 8/10
Jojo Moyes - The Ship of Brides 7/10
Torey Hayden - One child 7/10
Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace 7/10
Richard Montanari - The Skin Gods 8/10
Torey Hayden - Beautiful Child 8/10
Torey Hayden - Twilight Children 8/10
Kathy Reichs - Cross Bones 6.5/10
Stephen Foster - Walking Ollie 7/10
Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake 7/10
Stuart MacBride - Cold Granite 8/10
Lisa Gardner - The Killing Hour 7.5/10
Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal & The White 9/10
Stuart MacBride - Dying Light 8/10
Stuart MacBride - Broken Skin 9/10
Michel Faber - The Apple 9/10
Richard Montanari - Broken Angels 8/10
Mia Dolan - Haunted Homes 7/10
Julian Clary - A Young Man's Passage 6.5/10
Lisa Gardner - The Other Daughter 7.5/10
Jenny Tomlin & Kim Challinor - Silent Sisters - 6.5/10
Kathryn Fox - Malicious Intent - 7/10
Kerry Hardie - The Bird Woman 6/10
Koren Zailckas - Smashed 6/10
Vicky Halls - Cat Confidential 7.5/10
Kathryn Fox - Without Consent 8/10
Jeremy Clarkson - And Another Thing 7/10
Mia Dolan - The Gift 7/10

I have removed my 'To Be Read' list as it was getting too big, library books keep me from reducing it. What can I say I'm addicted to going to the library, I just can't walk out empty handed...lol
Instead I am just going to list the books read to date (it looks a lot less scary now!):readingtwo:

Louiseog

31st December 2006, 20:40

I've read the Dan Brown ones on there and they are good, Tess Gerritsen in great too and I really liked Empress Orchid

madcow

31st December 2006, 20:41

Thanks Louise, I think I might start Empress Orchid when I finish The Winter King.

Louiseog

31st December 2006, 20:42

Another one I loved on there is Queen of the Tambourine, I really liked that one too!

madcow

31st December 2006, 20:43

Cool, looks like I'm in for some enjoyable reading in 2007 :mrgreen:

Lilywhite

1st January 2007, 11:16

Don't forget all the books on my tbr list which are currently on your to be borrowed when Kat has read list ;)

madcow

1st January 2007, 15:40

Don't forget all the books on my tbr list which are currently on your to be borrowed when Kat has read list ;)
Darn i forgot about them :lol:

madcow

1st January 2007, 18:20

Starting Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, 17 year old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor's wives. When she is chosen as a lower ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. But beneath its emmaculate facade lie whispers of murders and ghosts, and the thousands of concubines will stoop to any lengths to bear the Emperor's son. Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch, drawing the attention of dangerous foes. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and that she will be its last Empress.

madcow

4th January 2007, 19:43

I've been rummaging around (as you do) and 'found' a few more books to add to the 'To Read' list. :lol:

5th January 2007, 00:51

Okay, I'm trying not to be peeved here, madcow...but I don't see ANY books by moi on your list...no, not one!

;)

Dupin

5th January 2007, 01:13

Michelle

5th January 2007, 08:03

Okay, I'm trying not to be peeved here, madcow...but I don't see ANY books by moi on your list...no, not one!

;)

That is worrying, isn't it? It's a good job she's entered the competition for win one of your books! hehe

Sugar

5th January 2007, 14:25

However, I've already determined that I won't be able to read my copy on a bus, coach or train trip (as I'd like to do) because of the artwork. There are (ahem) breasts on the front cover and I don't relish the thought of funny looks from my fellow commuters.
Sorry to hijack your thread, Jules, but I though Dupin might like to download some "Literary Guilty Pleasures" covers from http://www.costabookawards.com/reading/literary_guilty_pleasures.aspx.

5th January 2007, 15:15

Has she??? Oh. Well. All is forgiven then.:smile2:

madcow

5th January 2007, 22:06

Okay, I'm trying not to be peeved here, madcow...but I don't see ANY books by moi on your list...no, not one!

;)

KW this list is of books that I have here waiting to be read. Your books, apart from DWHH are on my 'To Read As Soon As' list. And as Michelle said I have entered the comp to win a signed copy of one of yours :mrgreen: .

madcow

5th January 2007, 22:11

Having compared our respective lists, Madcow, I see we only have one book in common. That being Women in Love. I'm sure we can swap notes on that when the time comes though.

However, I've already determined that I won't be able to read my copy on a bus, coach or train trip (as I'd like to do) because of the artwork. There are (ahem) breasts on the front cover and I don't relish the thought of funny looks from my fellow commuters.

I know, it sounds like I'm overreacting, but they're a pretty prudish bunch around here – in spite of DH's legacy. So it looks like I'll either have to read it all at home or else stick a dust cover over it!

How we suffer for our art!
Hmm my copy hasn't got any of those on the front cover :lol: . I have to admit I have had this book for a couple of years now and keep putting off reading it. But since joining this forum I've bumped it up a bit and I going to read a couple of 'classics' this year, I want to try some Thomas Hardy books this year as well.

Dupin

6th January 2007, 01:44

(Of course, we all know that it was the artwork that convinced me to buy the book in the first place!)

Yes, I too have been putting off reading Women in Love for a while now. In truth, I didn't care much for The Rainbow, which is a prequel of sorts, and so I guess my reluctance stems from there. However, it's persistent presence on lists of greatest novels makes it impossible to ignore so I've resolved to do the deed before much longer.

I saw Ken Russell, who made the 1969 film version, being interviewed the other night (with regard to his bizarre appearance in the Celebrity Big Brother house) and he alluded to how sexuality “drips from every page” of Lawrence's book.

We shall (both) see!

Lilywhite

6th January 2007, 13:54

I bought you that book mum!! It must have been at least 10 years ago, glad you decided to read it finally :)

6th January 2007, 14:30

'To Read As Soon As' list. :mrgreen: .

:friends0:

madcow

6th January 2007, 19:55

I bought you that book mum!! It must have been at least 10 years ago, glad you decided to read it finally :)

Oops is it that long ago :lol: , will definately have to read it this year then ;) .

Dupin said:
(Of course, we all know that it was the artwork that convinced me to buy the book in the first place!)

well you said it :lol:

Purple Poppy

7th January 2007, 00:12

Loved The Rainbow and Women in Love. Hope to read them again someday.

PP

madcow

7th January 2007, 11:49

Thanks PP, I'll bump it up the list some more now :smile2:

madcow

8th January 2007, 21:07

Finished Empress Orchid today. It was okay, it didn't grab me like Memoirs of a geisha did. Glad i've read it, there was some interesting parts to the book especially how the concubines lived and were treated, on the whole I'd give it 6/10.

Starting Ghost Girl by Torey Hayden.
Jadie never spoke, never laughed, never cried. She spent every waking hour locked in her own private world od shadows....

Gyre

8th January 2007, 21:15

Funny story:lol:

I have been trying to 'Angels' for about six months, I got a copy for a pound, and I swear that book does not want me to read it, I keep misplacing it!

:lol:

madcow

8th January 2007, 21:54

You've lost me Gyre!!!!!

Gyre

9th January 2007, 07:11

You've lost me Gyre!!!!!

I know, sorry, I mean I keep misplacing my copy of 'Angels' so I am never getting the chance to actually read it.

everydayxangels

10th January 2007, 01:45

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philipa Gregory - She's a very inconsistant author, though the Other Boleyn Girl, atleast i've heard, is wonderful. One book I should anti-reccomend is Virgin Earth by her.

Jemima J by Jane Green - I enjoyed it! it was a classic chiclit though. :)

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Reading that right now! and enjoying it! However, it is very detailed, and well written, the downfall is that the story material is rather depressing, and since you are so drawn in, it made me a little sad too :P

Wicked Pleasures by Penny Vincenzi - I've only heard fabulous things about her "No Angel" Series, which I want to get ahold of as fast as I can.

madcow

12th January 2007, 16:36

List updated after a trip to the library (L). Also going to try an audio book for the first time just need to find my personal cd player and batteries now :roll: . They didn't have a great selection but Karin Slaughter's Kisscut was only 50p for 3 weeks.

madcow

13th January 2007, 20:17

Finished Torey Hayden's Ghost Girl today, this was the first of her books I have read and I have to say I enjoyed it. I'll look forward to reading some more of her books as and when I get the opportunity.

Now starting The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan.

LuLing Young is getting old and - while she still can - she begins to write down her memories of life as a girl in 1930's China. One day while tending to her ailing mother, LuLing's daughter Ruth uncovers this extraordinary memoir of a childhood spent in the remote mountain village known as Immortal Heart. In this ancient world, steeped in magic and superstition, lie the deep secrets of LuLing's heart and the tragic events that changed the path of her life.....

Also listening to Kisscut by Karin Slaughter (my first venture into audio books!).

Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember. But when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out Sara Linton - the town's paediatrician and medical examiner - finds herself entangled in a horrific tragedy.....

madcow

21st January 2007, 22:38

Finished The Bonesetter's Daughter tonight. What a lovely book, a facinating insight into another culture and way of life. One to recommend. 7/10

Still listening to Kisscut, halfway through it. My only problem with audio books is that there has to be nothing else going on whilst i am listening to it or i get distracted.

madcow

21st January 2007, 22:59

Next one I am starting is The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory...

In the autumn of 1558, church bells across England ring out the news - Elizabeth is Queen. One woman hears them with dread; Amy Dudley, wife of Sir Robert, knows that with Elizabeth on the throne he will return to the glamorous Tudor court. Amy's hopes that the ambitions of the Dudley family had died when Robert's father was beheaded are ended. The triumphant peal of bells summon her husband once more to power - and to a passionate young queen.

madcow

25th January 2007, 21:15

Nipped to the library today to collect Geisha of Gion which I had ordered and whilst i was there i picked up a couple of Karin Slaughter books too. I am currently listening to her Kisscut book and really enjoying it so i thought i'd give a couple more of her books a try. I've gone back to hand held books because i find it difficult to concentrate listening to the audio one unless i am on my own with no distractions!

Kell

26th January 2007, 08:35

OOh, I hope you enjoy Geisha of Gion - I enjoyed that one a LOT!

madcow

26th January 2007, 15:44

Thanks Kell, I'm going to start this one when i have finished The Virgin's Lover.

madcow

27th January 2007, 12:46

Nearly half way through The Virgin's Lover. This is my first Philippa Gregory book and in a word it's great, i've always loved historical fiction so this is right up my street.

Kell

27th January 2007, 18:06

Nearly half way through The Virgin's Lover. This is my first Philippa Gregory book and in a word it's great, i've always loved historical fiction so this is right up my street.Well, if you're enjoying that one, try The Other Boleyn Girl too - it's the one I've enjoyed most by Philippa Gregory to date.:readingtwo:

madcow

27th January 2007, 18:51

Well, if you're enjoying that one, try The Other Boleyn Girl too - it's the one I've enjoyed most by Philippa Gregory to date.:readingtwo:
Already got it lined up on my 'To Be Read' mountain, looking forward to it.

mrstrecool

27th January 2007, 21:47

I managed to get The Other Boleyn Girl for a £1 from the local charity shop yesterday. I've never read any Philippa Gregory before and I've only ever read good things about this book so I'm really chuffed with it. Yet another book for Mount TBR!

Lilywhite

27th January 2007, 22:20

I love Philippa Gregory and it totally broadened my reading horizons. The only one I haven't enjoyed so much was The Wise Woman, it's good but not as great as the others.

Kell

28th January 2007, 11:16

The only one I haven't enjoyed so much was The Wise Woman, it's good but not as great as the others.I agree - I found The Wise Woman rather dull and just didn't like the lead character at all, so I felt no sympathy for her, but all the others i've read have been really great.

madcow

30th January 2007, 11:58

Finished listening to Kisscut last night. This is the first Karin Slaughter book i have read/listened to and i really enjoyed it, so much so that i have a couple more of hers from the library to read. As i listened to Kisscut i could visualise the characters and the scenes and also felt like i got to know the main characters too. I have given this an 8/10 and can't wait to read more of her work.

madcow

30th January 2007, 17:40

Took Kisscut back to the library tonight and picked up Kathy Reichs' Death Du Jour and Jennifer Donnellys' A gathering Light whilst i was waiting for the librarian so they've been added to the list! Got some serious reading to do in the next couple of weeks :readingtwo:

madcow

3rd February 2007, 23:45

Finished The Virgin's Lover tonight. Loved it. This was my first Philippa Gregory book and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her style of writing and i could picture myself there whilst reading it. 8/10.

Next on the list to read is Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki.

I can identify the exact moment when things began to change. It was a cold winter afternoon. I had just turned three.

madcow

8th February 2007, 16:29

Finished Geisha of Gion this afternoon, although I did enjoy it I wasn't as captivated by it as I was Memoirs of a Geisha.

Next to read is A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter.

Sara Linton, medical examiner in the small town of Heartsdale, is called out to an apparent suicide on the local college campus. The mutlilated body provides little in the way of clues - and the college authorities are keen to avoid a scandal - but for Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, things don't add up.
Two more suspicious suicides follow, and a young woman is brutally attacked. For Sara, the violence strikes far too close to home. And as Jeffrey pursues the sadistic killer, he discovers that ex-police detective Lena Adams, now a security guard on campus, may be in possession of crucial information. But, bruised and angered by her expulsion from the force, Lena seems to be barely capable of protecting herself, let alone saving the next victim...

madcow

9th February 2007, 15:51

I'm half way through this already, can't put it down. Also can't believe i'm on my seventh book since New Years Day!

Since joining this forum my reading has increased dramatically!

Liz

10th February 2007, 16:58

Since joining this forum my reading has increased dramatically!

I agree, mine has as well!

madcow

10th February 2007, 22:52

Just finished A Faint Cold Fear, loved it. It kept me hooked to the end, so much so I am going to read another one of hers now.

Faithless - A Walk in the woods takes a sinister turn for police chief Jeffrey Tolliver and medical examiner Sara Linton when they stumble across the body of a young girl. Incarcerated in the ground, all the initial evidence indicates that she has, quite literally, been scared to death. But as Sara embarks on the autopsy, something even more horrifying comes to light. Something which shocks even her. Detective Lena Adams, talented but increasingly troubled, is called in from vacation to help with the investigation - and the trail soon leads to the neighbouring county, an isolated community, and a terrible secret.....

Lilywhite

11th February 2007, 10:24

Don't you have work to do??? ;)

madcow

11th February 2007, 21:04

Don't you have work to do??? ;)
Nah...thats what having kids at home is for...lol.
I decided to have a couple of days off and I have been very busy doing...nothing! except reading.
Back to work tomorrow :roll:

Lilywhite

11th February 2007, 21:15

Me too :(

Just not enough hours in the day for all my reading.

Icecream

11th February 2007, 22:36

Ditto that..

madcow

12th February 2007, 12:23

Just not enough hours in the day for all my reading.
How true.

madcow

13th February 2007, 20:49

Finished Faithless this morning (before I went to work!). Another great read. I feel like I am getting to know the main characters in Grant County and look forward to the next installment.

Next on my list...
A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Based on a real murder at the turn of the century, this outstanding debut novel is a powerful and moving coming-of-age book. Mattie is torn between her familial resposibilities, her desire to be a writer, and the excitment of a first romance. Her dilemmas and choices are quietly reflected in the life of a young woamn found drowned in a lake, a woman that Mattie only gets to know through reading her letters...

madcow

18th February 2007, 23:20

Finished A Gathering Light last night. What a lovely book, I really enjoyed it, it made me think I am glad to be around now and not then (all the hardships they endured (I love my creature comforts!)). A very easy read and one i would recommend.

Next on the list....
Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs.

March in Montreal: it is a bitterly cold night and in the eerie silence of an old church forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan digs carefully. She is there to exhume the remains of Sister Elisabeth Nicolet, a nun who died in 1888 and is now proposed for possible sainthood. But the body has been moved to an unmarked grave in a far corner of the cemetery. Why have the nun's remains been disturbed? And what will Tempe discover when the frozen ground finally yields to her tools and she lifts the rotting coffin lid?...

madcow

24th February 2007, 19:15

Finished Death Du Jour yesterday. This was my first venture into a Kathy Reichs book and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Not as engrossing as Karin Slaughter or Martina Cole but still worthy of 8/10.

Next book...
Bare Bones - Kathy Reichs
It's a summer of record-breaking heat in Charlotte and Dr Temperance Brennan is looking forward to her first vacation in years. She's almost out the door when the bones start appearing. First there's the little skeleton of a newborn found in a wood stove. Who put her there? The mother, hardly more than a child herself, has disappeared....

Angel

24th February 2007, 20:54

I've recently discovered Kathy Reichs, currently reading Grave Secrets which is very good. I will look out for Bare Bones - it sounds good

madcow

24th February 2007, 23:30

Only 4 chapters in at the moment but enjoying it. I've got Cross Bones on my 'To Read' pile. I love things to do with forensics so these books are very interesting.

madcow

26th February 2007, 17:02

Angel

26th February 2007, 17:14

Now that's a brave decision! I wish I could be so principled about it! Everytime I return my books I think the same, but end up taking out 4-5 books. Now I've 2 more books to arrive soon, so the pile is just getting bigger!! I'm beginning to think I need help :lol:

madcow

26th February 2007, 22:44

I know i said i wouldn't but when i take the latest lot back one or two might just jump into my arms on the way out...lol (I need help too, I can't help myself, no will power :lol: )

Finished Bare Bones tonight, another good read. I enjoyed this one slightly more than Death Du Jour. 8/10.

Next on the list....

Out by Natsuo Kirino
In the Tokyo suberbs four women work the draining graveyard shift at a boxed-lunch factory. Burdened with chores and heavy debts and isolated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way out of their dead-end lives.
A young mother among them finally cracks and strangles her philandering, gambling husband then confesses her crime to Masako, the closet of her colleagues. For reasons of her own, Masako agrees to assist her friend and seeks the help of the other co-workers to dismember and dispose of the body. The body parts are discovered, the police start asking questions, but the women have far more dangerous enemies - a yakuza-connected loan shark who discovers their secret, and a ruthless nightclub owner the police are convinced is guilty of the murder. He has lost everything as a result of their crime and he is out for revenge....

Kell

27th February 2007, 07:01

Out sounds like it'd be right up my street - I'm popping it on my wish list right now!

JudyB

27th February 2007, 19:17

I made a decision today not to get any library books out for the month of March (which will be very difficult to stick to, but i'll try). The reason for this is to try and get my 'to be read' mountain down in size a bit and also because there are quite a few books on there that i really want to read soon.

Think I should adopt this idea - came back from work empty handed today - but temptation passed through my hands on more than one occasion (occupational hazard!)

Lilywhite

27th February 2007, 21:38

I really enjoyed Out I hope you do too :D

madcow

5th March 2007, 14:42

I really enjoyed Out I hope you do too :D
About a third of the way into it and enjoying it.

Just update my list with the books borrowed from Kat!

madcow

6th March 2007, 19:30

Well I did it (kind of). I went to the library and only came away with Out because i haven't finished reading it. I resisted temptation even whilst waiting for my daughter to pick her books! :D
Which means when I have finished Out I can read a few of the books on the 'To Read' mountain. :mrgreen:

madcow

11th March 2007, 19:13

Just updated my mount 'To Be Read' list with the new books I got today.
Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (I remember watching this as a kid and loving it)
Jane Harris' The Observations (3 for 2 offer and needed a third book!)
Sophie Hannah's Little Face (wanted to read this for ages)
Lee Server's biography of Robert Mitchum Baby I Don't Care (the front cover took my eye!)
and the best one....
A signed copy of KW's book An Open Vein :D (Belated birthday pressie from Kat).

Michelle

11th March 2007, 19:21

A signed copy of KW's book An Open Vein :D (Belated birthday pressie form Kat).

Aww, that's sweet. Isn't it handy having authors as members here! :D

madcow

11th March 2007, 19:44

Aww, that's sweet. Isn't it handy having authors as members here! :D

It sure is, plus Kat wants to read it too. :lol:

Lilywhite

11th March 2007, 20:15

Aww, that's sweet. Isn't it handy having authors as members here! :D

It is :D

And a massive thank you to KW for helping me out with the book. You're a star and I'm sure mum thinks so too.

madcow

11th March 2007, 21:15

It is :D

And a massive thank you to KW for helping me out with the book. You're a star and I'm sure mum thinks so too.

I think both you and KW are stars, you made my day :)

12th March 2007, 18:44

Thank you to you both for calling me a star...I'm in good company with the other stars here. (( curtseys))

I hope she enjoys the read.

KW

Lilywhite

12th March 2007, 21:12

I hope she enjoys it quickly so she can pass it over to her other star to read :D

madcow

12th March 2007, 23:05

:lol: :lol: :lol:

madcow

15th March 2007, 12:34

Finally managed to finish Out last night, it wasn't because i didn't like it (i did), but finding enough time to sit and read lately is very difficult. So last night i sat in another room and indullged myself with 3 hours of uninterupted reading (bliss!). I enjoyed Out and as it was over 500 pages it will be going on my 'Chunky Challenge' list. I look forward to reading another of her novels 'Grotesque' as and when I get a copy.

Next read is Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs, this is the last of my library books (it's been on reserve for a few weeks).

madcow

20th March 2007, 10:02

Finished Monday Mourning last night, although this one wasn't quite as good as the other 2 of hers I've read I still enjoyed it.

Next on the list....
An Open Vein by J M Warwick

I haven't eaten since yesterday. He had scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. The smell seeps at me from beneath the locked door. The gnawing in my stomach never goes away but it's not from lack of food. Up until yesterday. I've been able to eat. Until yesterday. I was able to do almost anything I wanted within the two thousand square feet of this place. Things are different now....

21st March 2007, 00:47

...waiting....biting nails...

Lilywhite

21st March 2007, 07:51

me too KW, because I want to get my mitts on it next :D

madcow

21st March 2007, 23:29

What can I say but WOW and I'm only half way through An Open Vein! I'm lovin' it :mrgreen:

Just updated my 'To Read' list as Kat kindly bought me Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, I've always wanted to read this and now I can.
(Thanks babes :friends0: )

22nd March 2007, 16:41

YAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad you're loving it! ((Doing the happy dance ))

madcow

22nd March 2007, 22:48

I sure am KW it's a real page turner. It's got to the point where I am only picking it up to read if I know I will be uniterupted for at least half an hour. I can't just read it for a few minutes I need to be able to keep turning the pages lol.

Michelle

23rd March 2007, 11:07

YAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad you're loving it! ((Doing the happy dance ))

Considering I've been running around recommending your books, I'm pleased too! ;)

madcow

23rd March 2007, 22:33

Finished An Open Vein tonight, great book, real page turner. KW has a flare for this style of writing and as Michelle put it..."It left me wanting more". Would recommend this to anyone, a well deserved 9/10.

(Kat I'll drop this off on Sunday when I come through, I know your dying to read it)

Next one to read is Marley & Me by John Grogan

John and Jenny, just beginning their life together, were young and deeply in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy.
Life would never be the same.....

Ps I have the tissues at the ready Kat!

24th March 2007, 19:44

I'm glad you liked it, Madcow. Sooo glad. Thank you for spreading/passing/viraling the book, lol.

KW

madcow

27th March 2007, 12:06

Been an ickle bit naughty today and went to the library, my excuse was I had to take my daughter's books back and whilst I was there a couple (well 3) books leapt out and landed in my arms crying out to be taken home and read plus one that I have ordered :roll: . So i've updated my list accordingly :lol: . Well it is nearly the end of the month!

Polka Dot Rock

27th March 2007, 15:35

Been an ickle bit naughty today and went to the library... a couple (well 3) books leapt out and landed in my arms crying out to be taken home and read plus one that I have ordered :roll:

Oh don't you just hate it when books do that?! :lol: I have the same problem in bookshops - they practically pummel me to death.

Louiseog

27th March 2007, 17:25

Oh don't you just hate it when books do that?! :lol: I have the same problem in bookshops - they practically pummel me to death.
Its like when they leap into the shopping trolley

JudyB

27th March 2007, 17:56

Three books followed me home from work on Saturday!

madcow

27th March 2007, 19:08

They are such sneaky little devils, I usually find one or two have jumped in my bag when I leave my daughter's! :lol: And the ones in the charity shops are equally bad :lol:

Angel

27th March 2007, 19:28

It's funny how books do that! They look at you with pleading -"please take me and give me a good home" - and then you are made to feel guilty if you walk away so you just have to let them follow you:lol:

madcow

28th March 2007, 11:12

Well I finally finished Marley & Me last night and I cried buckets! I've not cried like that over a book in a long long while. This was a great book I have laughed out loud at the antics of Marley, the things he got up to and did mirror my own Lab Jasper and Collie/Lab cross Jake. You could feel for John and his family, all the emotions etc and the difficult choices that have to be made when you have a dog or any pet for that matter. A great book but be prepared to cry!

Next on the list....
The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari.
In the most brutal killing crusade Philadelphia has seen in years, a series of young Catholic women are found dead, their bodies mutilated and their hands bolted together. Each clutches a rosary in her lifeless grasp.
Veteran cop Kevin Byrne and his rookie partner Jessica Balzano set out to hunt down the elusive killer, who leads them deeper and deeper into the abyss of a madman's depravity. Suspects appear before them like bad dreams - and vanish just as quickly. While the body count rises, Easter is fast approaching: the day of resurrection and of the last rosary to be counted...

29th March 2007, 15:20

MArley and Me sounds like a great read...anything with animals gets to me... :(

KW

madcow

29th March 2007, 22:24

It was a lovely story KW, but it does tug the heart strings!

madcow

1st April 2007, 19:40

I've just finished The Rosary Girls and loved it. Bit of a slow start but then I was hooked, every time I thought I knew who the 'doer' was things twisted and I had to re think. Yet another new author to keep track of!

Next to read:

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Cameron MacDonald has spent his life guided by duty. As the police chief of a small Massachusetts town that has been home to generations of his Scottish clan, he is bound to the town's residents by blood and honour. Yet when his cousin Jamie arrives at the police station with the body of his wife and the bald confession that he's the killed her, Cam immediately places him under arrest.
The situation isn't as clear to Cam's wife, Allie. While she is devoted to her husband, she finds herself siding against Cam, seduced by the picture Jamie paints of a man so in love with a woman that he'd do anything for her...even if that meant taking her life.
Into this heated atmosphere drifts Mia, a new assistant at Allie's floral shop. When an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?

O's

1st April 2007, 19:47

Wow, its surprising you get any work done...

Oh wait...

madcow

1st April 2007, 19:51

Work???? what's that? lol

Oh yes i remember, it's that place where i go to for a quiet read ROFL

madcow

5th April 2007, 08:16

Finished Mercy last night. Another great read from Jodi Picoult.

Next to read:

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
The year is 1946, and all over the world young women are crossing the seas in their thousands en route to the men they married in wartime, and an unknown future. In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other brides on an extraordinary voyage to England - aboard the Victoria, which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers and men.
Rules of honour, duty, and separation are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier's captain down to the lowliest young stoker. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined in ways the Navy could never have imagined.
And Frances Mackenzie - the enigmatic young bride whose past comes back to haunt her thousands of miles from home - will find that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination...

Gyre

5th April 2007, 10:34

Marley and Me sounds like a book I would blub over too x

madcow

5th April 2007, 12:03

I'd be surprised if you didn't Gyre!

6th April 2007, 18:47

Work???? what's that? lol

Oh yes i remember, it's that place where i go to for a quiet read ROFL

See, that's what I say about CLEANING...:lol:

KW

madcow

6th April 2007, 19:36

See, that's what I say about CLEANING...:lol:

KW
Please don't swear KW it's Easter :lol: :lol: :lol:

madcow

8th April 2007, 21:12

Finished The Ship of Brides this morning, I enjoyed this and although it was a fictional story it was taken from actual accounts from around that time. Some facinating facts about war brides and a brief insight into what it must have been like to leave family and friends and travel thousands of miles to be reunited with your husband, thats if he still wanted you.

Next to be read:
One Child by Torey Hayden
Six year old Sheila was abandoned by her mother on a highway when she was four. A survivor of horrific abuse, she never spoke and never cried. She was placed in a class for severely retarded children after commintting an atrocious act of violence against another child. Everyone thought Sheila was beyond salvation - except her teacher, Torey Hayden. With patience, skill and abiding love, she fought long and hard to release a haunted little girl from her secret nightmare - and nuture the spark of genius she recognised trapped within Sheila's silence. This is the remarkable story of their journey together - an odyssey of hope, courage, abd inspiring devotion that opened the heart and mind of one lost child to a new world of discovery and joy...

madcow

11th April 2007, 09:46

Finished One Child this morning whilst waiting for hubby to surface. Quite a thought provoking book i thought, that left me asking loads of questions and above all wondering what happened after the book had finished.

Next to read (thanks to you guys on here!) is
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Synopsis curtesy of Amazon:
In 1843, a 16-year-old Canadian housemaid named Grace Marks was tried for the murder of her employer and his mistress. The sensationalistic trial made headlines throughout the world, and the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Yet opinion remained fiercely divided about Marks- -was she a spurned woman who had taken out her rage on two innocent victims, or was she an unwilling victim herself, caught up in a crime she was too young to understand? Such doubts persuaded the judges to commute her sentence to life imprisonment, and Marks spent the next 30 years in an assortment of jails and asylums, where she was often exhibited as a star attraction. In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood reconstructs Marks's story in fictional form. Her portraits of 19th-century prison and asylum life are chilling in their detail. The author also introduces Dr Simon Jordan, who listens to the prisoner's tale with a mixture of sympathy and disbelief. In his effort to uncover the truth, Jordan uses the tools of the then rudimentary science of psychology. But the last word belongs to the book's narrator--Grace herself.

Forgot to add that at over 540 pages this will be going towards my 'Chunky Challenge'.

Polka Dot Rock

11th April 2007, 10:15

Hey Jules! I've had Alias Grace hanging around for ages, but never seem to get around to reading it, so I'll be keeping track of your progress to see if it tempts me to bump it onto my TBR pile ;)

madcow

11th April 2007, 10:23

I'm looking forward to reading it, I remember seeing it nominated for last months reading circle and it sounded interesting so I picked it up from the library. Going to be starting it very shortly.

madcow

15th April 2007, 20:07

Still reading Alias Grace, went to the library yesterday morning to return some books and had every intention of walking back out empty handed. But hey there was no point in not enjoying a little browse round whilst there and ended up with the following...
Kathy Reichs - Cross Bones
Richard Montanari - The Skin Gods
Torey Hayden - Beautiful Child & Twilight Children
Hubby pulled a face when I walked in with them (cos he reckons I have far too many books as it is!), but I just said at least I didn't buy them :lol:

Louiseog

16th April 2007, 10:34

I've got Skin Gods from the library. I liked Rosary Girls.

madcow

16th April 2007, 10:53

So did I so I am looking forward to The Skin Gods, it's going to be my next read after Alias Grace.

madcow

18th April 2007, 16:12

Picked up The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood today for the princely sum of 25p! Also got a chic lit book, Penny Vincenzi's Forbidden Places for 15p so I'm a happy bunny :mrgreen:

Lilywhite

18th April 2007, 17:23

:roll:

dad will be pleased :lol:

madcow

18th April 2007, 19:25

He hasn't seen them, i snook them upstairs whilst he wasn't looking :lol:

Polka Dot Rock

19th April 2007, 08:34

Picked up The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood today for the princely sum of 25p!

That's also on my TBR list. Waiting for my hols! Everyone I know who's read it has flipped over with praise so really looking forward to it :)

madcow

20th April 2007, 19:36

Just finished Alias Grace, it was a good read and at 545 pages is part of my 'Chuncky Challenge'. I have The Blind Assassin on my shelves but it will have to wait as I have 4 library books to read plus I got Triptych through the post today and I itching to read that.

Next:
The Skin Gods by Richard Montanari
When a series of seemingly unrelated crimes shatter the silence of the city, their worst fears are confirmed. A beautiful secretary is slashed to death in a grimy motel shower. A street hustler is brutally murdered with a chainsaw. Piece by piece, a strange and sickening puzzle presents itself: someone is meticulously recreating Hollywood's most horrifying murder scenes, capturing them on film on film and inserting clips into videos - for an unsuspecting public to find. While Kevin begins furtive investigations of his own, Jessica goes undercover to work the back alleys of Philadelphia, entering a violent world of underground film, pornography and seedy nightclubs, hidden to all but the initiated. Discovering that none of The Actor's victims are as innocent as they appear, the two detectives arrive at a terrifying reality: they are not just chasing a homicide suspect. They are stalking evil itself...

Louiseog

20th April 2007, 19:57

Kell

20th April 2007, 20:17

I'm reading this one too! have you read Rosary Girls?If you haven't and fancy a borrow, I've offered this one up for a book ring. :)

madcow

20th April 2007, 20:21

Yes I read Rosary Girls a couple of weeks ago and loved it, that's why I picked this one up when I was at the library. Looking forward to it.

madcow

21st April 2007, 22:58

I'm hooked already...off to read some more :smile2:

madcow

24th April 2007, 20:44

Finished Skin Gods a few minutes ago. Loved it. It was every bit as good as The Rosary Girls, a few times I was convinced I knew who the 'doer' was but my ideas were thwarted at every turn! If you liked The Rosary Girls you'll not be disappointed with The Skin Gods.

I'll decide later on which book I will read next.

madcow

24th April 2007, 21:42

Ok next one to read is Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden

Seven year old Venus Fox never spoke, never listened, never even acknowledged the presence of another human being in the room with her. Yet an accidental playground 'bump' would release a rage frightening to behold. The school year that followed would prove to be one of the most trying, perplexing, and ultimately rewarding of Torey's career, as she struggled to reach a silent child in obvious pain. It would be a strenuous journey beset by seemingly insurmountable obstacles and darkened by truly terrible revelations - yet encouraged by sometimes small, sometimes dazzling breakthroughs - as a dedicated teacher remained committed to helping a 'hopeless' girl, and patiently and lovingly leading her towards the light of a new day...

Lilywhite

25th April 2007, 08:05

Good choice, I have that one to read soon as well.

madcow

28th April 2007, 21:59

Finished Beautiful Child last night. Really enjoyed this one, better than One Child. So I am going to read another one of hers, Twilight Children.

Two children trapped in a prison of silence and a woman suffering in the twilight of her years - these are the cases that would test the extraordinary courage, compassion and skill of Torey Hayden and ultimately reaffirm her faith in the indomitable strength of the human spirit. While working in the children's psychiatric ward of a large hospital, Torey was introduced to seven-year-old Cassandra, a child who had been kidnapped by her father and was found dirty, starving and picking though rubbish bins to survive. She refused to speak, so Torey could only imagine what she'd been through. Drake, by contrast, was a charismatic four-year-old who managed to participate fully in his pre-school class without uttering a single word. Then, there was Gerda, eighty-two, who had suffered a massive stroke and was unwilling to engage in conversation with anyone. Although Torey had never worked with adults, she agreed to help when all other efforts had failed...

madcow

4th May 2007, 09:24

Twilight Children was another great book from Torey, it made a change reading about her in a hospital environment rather than a school one.

Next one...
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
An orthodox Jew is found shot dead in Montreal, the mutilated body barely recognisable. Extreme heat has accelerated decomposition and made it virtually impossible to determine the bullet trajectory. But just as forensic anthrapologist Dr Temperance Brennan is attempting to make sense of the fracture patterning, a mysterious stranger slips her a photograph of a skeleton, assuring her it holds the key to the victim's death. The trail of clues leads all the way to the Holy Land where, together with detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe makes a startling discovery - but the further Tempe probes into the identity of the ancient skeleton, the more she seems to be putting herself in danger...

Louiseog

4th May 2007, 09:27

Twilight Children was another great book from Torey, it made a change reading about her in a hospital environment rather than a school one.

Next one...
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
An orthodix Jew is found shot dead in Montreal, the mutilated body barely recognisable. Extreme heat has accelerated decomposition and made it virtually impossible to determine the bullet trajectory. But just as forensic anthrapologist Dr Temperance Brennan is attempting to make sense of the fracture patterning, a mysterious stranger slips her a photograph of a skeleton, assuring her it holds the key to the victim's death. The trail of clues leads all the way to the Holy Land where, together with detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe makes a startling discovery - but the further Tempe probes into the identity of the ancient skeleton, the more she seems to be putting herself in danger...
Be interested in what you think about this one.

madcow

8th May 2007, 12:23

Well I finished Cross Bones last night. I wasn't as impressed with this one as I personally thought it was a bit far fetched in places, and I'll admit to getting a bit lost with some of the technical aspects i.e. certain strands of DNA analysis. On the whole it was ok so i gave it 6.5/10.

Next one
Walking Ollie by Stephen Foster
One winter's afternoon, Stephen Foster walks into a dog re-homing centre with the intention of picking up a retired greyhound. Instead, he acquires an abandoned lurcher pup. Foster's knowledge of dogs is so vague that he has to look up 'lurcher' in the key reference work The Giant Book of the Dog, to find out what sort of animal is coming to join the family.
Walking Ollie is for anyone who has ever loved a dog - a hilarious and very touching account of one man's struggle to turn a decidedly difficult animal into something resembling a domestic pet....

madcow

10th May 2007, 11:04

Finished Walking Ollie yesterday, a light very enjoyable read. It had me giggling in places as a previous lurcher owner i could relate to what he was saying although our lurcher was a very well behaved sweet thing, she too was a rescue dog and to the day she died she was afraid of feet because apparently she was kicked as a puppy and she never forgot.

Next is The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

Lilywhite

11th May 2007, 21:42

Where did you get Walking Ollie from? I was looking at it in Waterstones the other day but O's said I couldn't have it as the last dog book made me cry. :lol:

madcow

12th May 2007, 22:01

Where did you get Walking Ollie from? I was looking at it in Waterstones the other day but O's said I couldn't have it as the last dog book made me cry. :lol:
I picked it up at the library, tell O's not to panic it won't make you cry....honest :tong: (Ps he's still alive!!!!!
Pps... its a quick read (well I got through it in a day!)

Lilywhite

13th May 2007, 11:20

Mmmm I may invest when I am allowed to buy more new books. I'm feeling a trip to Borders coming on.....

madcow

25th May 2007, 21:12

I've put Rebecca on hold for the moment as Oryx and Crake is due back at the library so that takes priority, and it's also a very good read.

madcow

28th May 2007, 19:00

Finished Oryx and Crake and really enjoyed it. Before joining BCF I would never have looked at this sort of book, glad I did it was an entertaining read once I got into it.

Next:
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
This shouldn't have been his case. Not on his first day back. But the rest of Aberdeen's CID were either off on a training course or getting pissed at someone's retirement bash. So here was Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, heading up a major murder inquiry and praying to God he didn't screw it up before he could hand it over to someone else. Welcome back...

Kell

28th May 2007, 20:05

Cold Granite by Stuart MacBrideI hope you'll enjoy this one - I devoured it and then swiftly followed it up with the sequel and have just finished reading the third one. He's one of my new favourites!

madcow

29th May 2007, 06:38

I hope you'll enjoy this one - I devoured it and then swiftly followed it up with the sequel and have just finished reading the third one. He's one of my new favourites!
I'm loving it so far, thanks to you this is another new author to keep tabs on!

madcow

30th May 2007, 20:33

Been a bit naughty today and ordered The Runaway by Martina Cole, it's supposed to be signed too. Now just need a copy of The Graft and I've got the lot :mrgreen:

Nici76

30th May 2007, 20:35

Martina Cole is an excellent author - I really enjoy her books (if that's the right word! :lol:)

madcow

30th May 2007, 20:39

Martina Cole is an excellent author - I really enjoy her books (if that's the right word! :lol:)
I do too Nici, The Ladykiller was the first one of hers that I read and I've been hooked since. Before that I never touched that sort of genre (hope that is the right word for it) and now I love a good criminal read :D

Nici76

30th May 2007, 20:41

I always get excited when she mentions Romford (where i work) and Brentwood (where i live) and a whole bunch of other places that I know!!! It's sad i know! :blush:

JudyB

31st May 2007, 20:49

I'm the same with books about Manchester.

Lilywhite

1st June 2007, 16:52

Thanks to mum, I'm a big Martina Cole fan too, they are a great read.

madcow

6th June 2007, 20:16

Finished Cold Granite a few days ago. I loved this book (thanks Kell for the recommendation) and look forward to reading more of his work, I've just heard from the library that a book I reserved a couple of weeks ago has arrived (Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino) so that will be my next read after The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, and as this is a great tome of a read it will be my chunky challenge for June.

Synopsis curtesy of Amazon
Gripping from the first page, this immense novel is an intoxicating and deeply satisfying read. Faber's most ambitious fictional creation yet, it is sure to affirm his position as one of the most talented and brilliant writers working in the UK. Sugar, an alluring, nineteen-year-old whore in the brothel of the terrifying Mrs Castaway, yearns for a better life. Her ascent through the strata of 1870's London society offers us intimacy with a host of loveable, maddening and superbly realised characters. At the heart of this panoramic, multi-layered narrative is the compelling struggle of a young woman to lift her body and soul out of the gutter. The Crimson Petal and the White is a big, juicy, must-read of a novel that will delight, enthral, provoke and entertain young and old, male and female.

Kell

7th June 2007, 05:25

Finished Cold Granite a few days ago. I loved this book (thanks Kell for the recommendation) and look forward to reading more of his work, You're welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed it. His other two, Dying Light and Broking Skin are both excellent too. :)

angerball

7th June 2007, 20:18

...(Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino) so that will be my next read after...

Oh awesome! I loved this one, and created a thread for it under Specific Authors/Books when I'd finished it. I'd be interested to see what you think of it, given that it has received quite mixed reviews. :D

Louiseog

7th June 2007, 20:41

madcow

17th June 2007, 13:42

Ok I went away last weekend and couldn't take TCP&TW as it is such a huge book so I took The Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner...

Synopsis (curtesy of amazon)
For three summers, the residents of Atlanta have been gripped by terror when the temperature creeps up to a hundred. For with the relentless heat comes a vicious killer. Each time, he takes two girls. When the first body is discovered, it contains all the clues investigators need to find the second victim, who waits, prey to a slow but certain death. The police are never in time; the bodies always found months later in remote and dangerous places. As a heatwave of epic proportions descends, the game begins again. Two girls disappear and the clock is ticking. Rookie agent Kimberly Quincy stumbles across the first body in the grounds of the FBI training facility at Quantico. She's been face-to-face with a serial killer before and knows only too well why the killer has chosen Quantico to start the chase. This time he's raising the stakes; he wants the FBI's finest to come out and play...

I enjoyed this very much the twists and turns kept me hooked from the beginning. This is yet another author I will keep a look out for. I am now back reading Michel Faber's Crimson Petal and the White and thoroughly enjoying it. It's just a pity it is too big a book to carry around, I am also still reading Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca and aslo Jamaica Inn! Very unusual for me to have more than one book on the go at once but hey I'm having fun.

madcow

24th June 2007, 20:36

Daphne's books have gone on hold for now whilst i concentrate on finishing TCP&TW, it's a very enjoyable read and once I start reading it I don't want to put it down, I'm really enjoying the narrative style of writing to. I will definately read more of Faber's work.
Just had a quick recount of mount TBR and the total had risen to 96! I'm sure they are breeding whilst I'm at work :tong:

Lilywhite

24th June 2007, 20:58

And I don't want to know how many of them will be coming back to me when you've finished :lol:

I have managed to get mine to 89 but it is payday tomorrow.......

madcow

24th June 2007, 21:03

And I don't want to know how many of them will be coming back to me when you've finished :lol:

Ok I'll not tell you :lol:

madcow

28th June 2007, 22:06

Nearly finished TCP&TW, going to slow down a bit now as I don't want it to end!

madcow

1st July 2007, 15:27

Finally finished TCP&TW yeasterday, what a fantastic book the only thing which stopped it being a 10/10 is the ending.
it left a few loose ends that could have been tied up. It left me wanting more. IMHO
I put spoiler tags on it in case anyone else is going to be reading it.
Highly recommended.

Next to read:
Dying Light by Stuart MacBride

It starts with Rosie Williams, a prostitute, stripped naked and beaten to death down by the docks - the heart of Aberdeen's red light district. For DS Logan McRae it's a bad start to another bad day. Only a few short months ago he was the golden boy of Grampian police. But following a botched raid that leaves a PC in a coma he's palmed off on a DI everyone knows is jinxed, waiting for the axe to fall with all the other rejects in the 'Screw-uo Squad'....

madcow

5th July 2007, 20:39

Just finished Dying Light and loved it. Had me hooked from the start, I enjoy his style of writing it's easy to read and left me wanting more, so I am going to start his next one 'Broken Skin' later on this evening.

There's a rapist prowling the city's cold granite streets, leaving a string of tortured women behind. But while DS Logan McRae's girlfriend is out acting as bait, he's dealing with the blood-drenched body of an unidentified male, dumped outside Accident and Emergency.
When a stash of explicit films turn up, all featuring the victim, it looks as if someone in the local bondage community has developed a taste for violent death, and Logan gets dragged into the twilight world of pornographers, sex-shops and S&M.
To make matters worse, when they finally arrest the Granite City Rapist, Grampian Police are forced by the courts to let him go: Aberdeen Football Club's star striker has an alibi for every attack. Could they really have got it so badly wrong? Logan thinks so, but the trick will be getting everyone to listen before the real rapist strikes again. Especially as his girlfriend, PC Jackie 'Ball Breaker' Watson, is convinced the footballer is guilty and she's hell-bent on a conviction at any cost....

Kell

5th July 2007, 21:03

Glad you're enjoying the MacBride books - he's one of my new favourites!

madcow

5th July 2007, 21:06

Glad you're enjoying the MacBride books - he's one of my new favourites!
I can honestly say he is one of mine now :mrgreen:

madcow

13th July 2007, 22:53

Just finished Broken Skin, I think it was the best of the three although the other two are great. I feel like I know the main characters and could see these books being made into a tv series! If you love crime you'll love Stuart MacBride's books.

Don't know what I'm going to read next, maybe a trip to the library in the morning will help :tong:

Kell

14th July 2007, 07:11

Glad to hear you enjoyed Broken Skin so much - I agree - it's my favourite of the three too (although, like you, I loved the first two as well!). I can hardly wait for MacBride's next book!

madcow

14th July 2007, 11:14

I can hardly wait for MacBride's next book!
Neither can I!

Ok went to the library this morning and came back with Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino, Broken Angels by Richard Montanari and Fingersmith by Sarah Waters and whilst I was there I have reserved The Apple by Michel Faber, really looking forward to reading this one.

So I am now going to read Grotesque, i enjoyed Out by the same author so hopefully this will be too.

angerball

14th July 2007, 20:20

So I am now going to read Grotesque, i enjoyed Out by the same author so hopefully this will be too.

I hope you enjoy it. I loved both those books. :D

madcow

17th July 2007, 22:42

Can't get into Grotesque, it's not the book I've just lost my reading mojo. A very close family friend passed away unexpectedly on Sunday and I'm at sixes and sevens. Hopefully things will settle down next week after the funeral on Saturday. My youngest has taken it really hard so I am trying to be strong for her and it's just leaving me drained.

Echo

18th July 2007, 04:51

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss! :console: I hope you're doing all right...I know the next few days are going to be tough. I'll be thinking about you!

maclsj

18th July 2007, 08:01

I'm so sorry to hear that. It's very draining when someone you care about dies. Let yourself grieve, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. I made that mistake recently, letting someone I thought cared about me tell me to get over it, move on with my life and go back to work the day after my Grandma died. If you ever need to chat to someone, just e-mail me (I'm sure my address is on my profile!). I may not reply immediately due to the move but I promise I will reply if you contact me.

I'm sure you shared some really special times with that friend. Remember those and they'll never be gone.

Janet

18th July 2007, 08:11

Just... hugs :friends0:

angerball

18th July 2007, 13:14

I'm very sorry for your loss, madcow. :friends0: Like maclsj says, give yourself time to grieve. :)

Michelle

18th July 2007, 13:18

I'm sorry to hear that... :friends0:

carm

18th July 2007, 14:15

madcow- im so very sorry about your loss- its a very difficult experience to go through- i lost my husband and mother within 2 days of each other in october 2005 and i never thought i could make it through that- but a little faith and talking to people to ease your grief will help- carm

Nici76

18th July 2007, 16:44

I'm so sorry Madcow :friends0:

Louiseog

18th July 2007, 17:19

:friends0:

Liz

18th July 2007, 18:10

Take Care, Madcow. :friends0:

Esiotrot

18th July 2007, 18:16

Sorry to hear of your loss
:friends0: to you and yours - take care
KxXx

Renniemist

18th July 2007, 18:39

I am sorry to hear of your sad loss Jules. My thoughts are with you.:friends0:

madcow

18th July 2007, 19:06

Aww thanks guys, keeping busy helps take my mind off things, plus having a good cry whilst out with the boys. :friends0: to Kat too cos I know she is feeling the loss too.

JudyB

18th July 2007, 19:44

Sorry to hear about your friend Jules - as has already been said remember the good times - keep them alive in your heart. :friends0:

Angel

18th July 2007, 21:08

sorry to hear of your loss Jules:friends0:

Kell

19th July 2007, 05:26

More hugs from me too, Jules. :friends0:

Polka Dot Rock

19th July 2007, 15:22

Oh Jules, I'm so sorry about that :( We're all here for you. I know you said you were trying to be strong and it is very draining: but you know that you can be all wibbly and sad on here. You don't have to be strong with us! :friends0:

Take care, much love x x x x x

lovesreading06

19th July 2007, 18:01

Sorry to hear about that madcow.

Carm that must of been awful for you.

Lilywhite

20th July 2007, 20:12

Aww thanks guys, keeping busy helps take my mind off things, plus having a good cry whilst out with the boys. :friends0: to Kat too cos I know she is feeling the loss too.

Thanks mum, and everyone else too :friends0:

carm

20th July 2007, 20:52

lovesreading- i cant even begin to say how awful it was-it still gets to me and i get all weepy and sad... so my heart goes out to anyone who's suffered a loss- carm

madcow

22nd July 2007, 21:30

Ok I haven't read anything bookwise since ermm the 14th because I just haven't felt like it, but I have just received an email from the library and a copy of Michel Faber's The Apple is waiting for me and I can't wait to pick it up! Lets' hope my reading mojo is returning.

madcow

23rd July 2007, 11:31

Been to the library and picked up The Apple, More Crimson Petal stories by Michel Faber and I am going to indulge myself and start reading it this afternoon whilst Hannah and Sam are in the cinema watching the HP film :mrgreen:

madcow

27th July 2007, 22:39

Started this last night and finished it this morning. It was good to find out a bit more about some of the characters from Crimson Petal. It cleared up a few things left hanging in the air from TCPATW but i just wish there had been more!!!!!
If only Michel would write a proper sequal (sigh).

Not sure what to read next.

madcow

4th August 2007, 10:41

Still reading Broken Angels, reading mojo still very poor but went to the library this morning and came away with...

The Other Daughter - Lisa Gardner
Haunted Homes - Mia Dolan
Foreign Fruit - Jojo Moyes
A Young Man's Passage - Julian Clary

I've gone for some smaller books to try and ease my way back into reading. Fingers crossed I'll manage to get through these in 3 weeks!

madcow

12th August 2007, 14:24

Managed to finish Broken Angels on Friday evening. Another good read from Richard Montanari. Next to read...

Haunted Homes by Mia Dolan

Mian Dolan, Britain's most famous female psychic and bestselling author of The Gift, can see dead people. Since she discovered she could talk to the spirit world, Mia has encountered many kinds of ghosts, from the kindly and confused to the more mischievous and malevolent. In Haunted Homes, ITV's first series on real-life ghost-busting Mia investigates the plight of seven ordinary families too terrified to stay in their own homes - strange noises in the night, dark figures standing over them and unprecedented accidents. Here, Mia revelas the true story of what she found, as well as the incredible things the TV series didn't show...

lovesreading06

12th August 2007, 14:29

madcow just read books at you own peace and when you ready.

madcow

12th August 2007, 19:13

Thanks loves to be honest I would probably read more if I wasn't on here!!!! I try to set aside some time every day to read and if I feel like it I will otherwise I'll do something else :mrgreen: I have to say though I am enjoying Mia Dolans book, I love all things psychic and paranormal they intrigue me.

madcow

18th August 2007, 13:43

Finished Haunted homes last night, very interesting, as I've said before I love all things psychic and paranormal and this book gave an insight into the Haunted Homes tv show i saw with a few updates.

Next one...

A young Man's Passage by Julian Clary
From the box room of the suburban semi where I grew up I propagated a new and exciting me that few knew about. The clear-skinned schoolboy who doffed his cap, brushed his hair and polished his black slip-on shoes every Sunday had a secret alter ego. Behind closed doors and under the blankets the other Julian spread his wings and opened his legs. He wanted fame and infamy, love and sorrow, money and boys, revenge and adoration. He wanted to be Jean Genet, Miss Jean Brodie and Larry Grayson.....

madcow

23rd August 2007, 20:55

Finished Julian Clary's book earlier today. It was, shall we say, an interesting read! I am not into biographies as such but I was intrigued by the blurb on the back. Most of the book was fairly predictable with a few funny stories thrown in, a light read not too taxing on the brain.

Next up...
The other Daughter by Lisa Gardner

A nine-year old girl is abandoned, unconscious, in a hospital ER. When she comes round, she remembers nothing about herself or her past. One of the doctors on duty that night is Dr. Stokes, whose own four-year old had been tragically murdered. The doctor and his wife decide to adopt the abandoned girl, and for twenty years Melanie considers herself very lucky....
Lucky, that is until a has-been reporter starts investigating Mealnie's true parentage and an FBI agent becomes involved in the tangled mystery of her past. And when threatening notes start arriving, accompanied by chilling gifts, Melanie begins to fear that the family she loves the most may be the very people she should trust the least....

Maureen

24th August 2007, 18:42

hmmmm, sounds good Madcow

madcow

24th August 2007, 18:44

So far so good Maureen, I read another of hers a few weeks back and I have one more on mount TBR.

madcow

27th August 2007, 19:31

Finished The Other Daughter yesterday. Another enjoyable read from Lisa Gardner, next up....

Silent sisters by Jenny Tomlin & Kim Challinor

Jenny and Kim had a brutal childhood, growing up in a house where no-one was safe and violent beatings and sexual abuse were part of everyday life. Both girls escaped the family home as soon as possible but in a sickening pattern of violence, Jenny went on to suffer unimaginable degredation at the hands of her violent partner and Kim had to cope with the agony of watching history repeat itself. Through all the horror, what kept the sisters going was the extraordinarily powerful bond between the two of them, which has survived terrifying pain and given them the strength to triumph over the past.
This is a profoundly courageous tale of the strength of the human spirit and the redemptive power of love...

4th September 2007, 20:13

Ooooh, Silent Sisters sounds pretty interesting. Will watch for your comments, Jules!;)

madcow

4th September 2007, 21:54

Whilst i have been 'off line' i managed to finish silent sisters, I enjoyed this one and the fact that Jenny is Martine McCutheon's mum also gave it a more down to earth feel. At times I felt like shouting at the book to try and get Jenny to see what was happening. At the end of the day the sisters remained close and both managed to come through the terrible traumas they suffered, and I think it was brave of them to put pen to paper and write about the abuse they suffered.

I also read Malicious Intent by Kathryn Fox and although I would not class her in the same league as Karin Slaughter or Kathy Reichs I did enjoy the book and look forward to reading more of her work.

Next one to read is The Bird Woman by Kerry Hardie

Ellen McKinnon, red haired, clairvoyant, fiercely independent, finds her marriage, her health, her sanity threatened when she 'sees' the death of a man in a bomb attack before it has really occurred. Terrified, she leaves her home and her husband to live with a man she barely knows in Ireland.
She is determined to supress her 'gift' but, with the birth of her children, the clairvoyance changes and broadens into a power to heal. Slowly, the rumours spread and the sick seek her out. She reluctantly begins her work as a healer.
But, when news of the final illness of her long-estranged mother forces her to return to her native city, everything falls apart and she finds there's no safe grounf beneath her feet...

madcow

15th September 2007, 20:30

Well I managed to finish The Bird Woman this morning, it was an okay book it didn't grab me like i thought it would.

Next on the list...
Smashed by Koran Zailckas
The day Koran turned fourteen she emerged from her friend Natalie's kitchen clutching a bottle of Southern Comfort. At fifteen she and Natalie sneaked out on a summer night, then the next morning had to piece back together forgotten fragments of drink, men and misplaced clothes. At sixteen she was carried through the hospital doors unconscious. And so it began...

madcow

21st September 2007, 19:27

Hardly done any reading this week, hubby keeps finding things for me to do instead :irked:.
Might have to invest in some sleeping pills for him so that I can get some reading done, I'm getting withdrawal symptoms :lol:

Louiseog

21st September 2007, 19:59

Angel

21st September 2007, 21:24

Jules, that could be construed as good nursing care, ensuring that he gets plenty of rest :lol:

Icecream

21st September 2007, 22:17

madcow

22nd September 2007, 20:11

Thanks guys :mrgreen:, still not managed any reading but did get out for a couple of hours to do some shopping! Mother in law coming round tomorrow morning to 'hubby sit' and make dinner whilst I take Hannah to a hockey tournament :). Might sneak in a few pages whilst she plays.

madcow

5th October 2007, 20:54

Finally managed to finish Smashed as it was due back at the library. I had high hopes for this book but for me it fell flat and I ended up thinking to myself why put yourself through it? Ah well did managed to come out of the library empty handed! Going to concentrate on reading some of Kat's books so she can have them back but first I'm starting my Penguin Classic Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. I have to admit I'm not looking forward to this as it isn't my type of book but needs must...lol

happyanddandy

5th October 2007, 22:46

but first I'm starting my Penguin Classic Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. I have to admit I'm not looking forward to this as it isn't my type of book but needs must...lol

you can do it - just jump in whilst holding your nose :mrgreen:

madcow

6th October 2007, 19:41

you can do it - just jump in whilst holding your nose :mrgreen:

:lol: Thanks for that H&D

Louiseog

7th October 2007, 17:23

First line of each paragraph and then the last one used to do me for really boring History text books!

madcow

27th October 2007, 19:51

Still struggling with Silent Spring! It's not really my cup of tea, a bit too factual for me. So I've decided to start another book inbetween and picked up Cat Confidential by Vicky Halls, very enjoyable so far.

madcow

11th November 2007, 19:59

Finished Cat Confidential the other day, a really enjoyable read that had me laughing to myself more than once. Now moving on to Without Consent by Kathryn Fox:

All of the victims have a blade-shaped bruise on their chests. All heard the rapist utter the words 'If you can't be hurt you can't be loved'. And all were told they would die if they went to the police.
Forensic physician Dr Anya Crichton is on the trail of a violent serial rapist. When two of the women are later found stabbed to death in apparently frenzied attacks, police suspicion immedialtely falls upon Geoffrey Willard, recently released from twenty years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of a fourteen year old girl.
Unravelling the forensic evidence, however, Anya's just not sure...

Louiseog

11th November 2007, 21:14

happyanddandy

12th November 2007, 18:55

Now moving on to Without Consent by Kathryn Fox:

All of the victims have a blade-shaped bruise on their chests. All heard the rapist utter the words 'If you can't be hurt you can't be loved'. And all were told they would die if they went to the police.
Forensic physician Dr Anya Crichton is on the trail of a violent serial rapist. When two of the women are later found stabbed to death in apparently frenzied attacks, police suspicion immedialtely falls upon Geoffrey Willard, recently released from twenty years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of a fourteen year old girl.
Unravelling the forensic evidence, however, Anya's just not sure...

Sounds really horrific :blush:

burghead lass

12th November 2007, 18:59

Originally Posted by madcow http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=111980#post111980)
Now moving on to Without Consent by Kathryn Fox:

All of the victims have a blade-shaped bruise on their chests. All heard the rapist utter the words 'If you can't be hurt you can't be loved'. And all were told they would die if they went to the police.
Forensic physician Dr Anya Crichton is on the trail of a violent serial rapist. When two of the women are later found stabbed to death in apparently frenzied attacks, police suspicion immedialtely falls upon Geoffrey Willard, recently released from twenty years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of a fourteen year old girl.
Unravelling the forensic evidence, however, Anya's just not sure...

That sounds like a great book :D

Louiseog

12th November 2007, 19:23

I love the difference of opinion!

madcow

26th November 2007, 16:39

Finished Without Consent last night and really enjoyed it, definately up there with Karin Slaughter and Kathy Reichs. For those of you who like 'crime' novels I would recommend Kathryn Fox.

My next read will be Novembers reading circle book Atonement by Ian McEwan.

madcow

28th December 2007, 16:22

Well this last few weeks my reading mojo has been, to put it mildly, PANTS!
Only read a few pages of Atonement then got the 'can't be bothered to read any more' feeling, managed to read And Another Thing by Jeremy Clarkson which was hilarious. Got a James Patterson audio book from the library and tried to listen to it but gave up after 6 attempts (I never got past the first cd!) it kept sending me to sleep. Popped into the library yesterday and came home with Mia Dolan's first book The Gift, half way through it and enjoying it a lot. Also another Clarkson book Born To Be Riled and Lauren Weisbergers' The Devil Wears Prada. Hopefully they will kick start my reading mojo back into shape.
I was hoping to have read 50+ books this year but alas it is not to be. I will aim to do this in 2008.