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Frankie reads 2018


frankie

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13 hours ago, frankie said:

I've gotten my mojo back! :D At least for now!   After the Manson book, I read Fiona Barton's The Widow in only a few days!! :smile2:  I didn't want to put the book down!! And then I started reading The Cold Song by Linn Ullmann and I only have maybe 60 pages left, and I've really enjoyed this one, too!! :smile2: I'm so happy!! 

 

My initial plan was to read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine after the Manson book, and I did start it, but I couldn't remember most of what I had read the next day! :(  I did like what I was reading when I was reading it, but the story just didn't stick in my mind. I think it has to do with me having read a huge non-fiction book in English, and I just had to read something in Finnish. I read The Widow in Finnish and I'm reading The Cold Song in Finnish too. I just needed something in my own language for a change. I'm sure I'll be able to get back to English novels any time now :)

Although, I have borrowed the latest Herman Koch book from the library! I do want to read that one, too. (It's in Finnish.) 

 

Yay for you having your mojo back :D!!

 

I get about wanting to read something in your own language, I need a mix of reading Dutch and English books.

 

12 hours ago, frankie said:

I forgot: 

 

Since my last post I've acquired a few books.

 

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - a book swap book. I've read the book before, wanted to have it as I will re-read it at some point

 

Jännittääkö? by Kari Aavasto, Pia Kaulio and Sirpa Syrjälä - a book about being anxious and stuff. A charity shop find. 

 

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - A charity shop find. A few friends have recommended this to me. Quite a heavy novel :D

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - A charity shop find. I was so happy to find this!! I loved reading the book a few years ago, I devoured the whole thing. It's not for everyone, and it won't be my favorite novel ever, or even in the top 100, but it was such a great read at the time :smile2: I hope to enjoy it once again!

 

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain - A charity shop find. I've read some positive reviews of this novel and so I had to buy it :) 

 

Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter - A charity shop find. I've borrowed the book from the library a few times but I never managed to read it. Now I can read the book whenever :)

 

 

Yay for new books :D!! Great finds!

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  • 2 months later...
On 29.4.2018 at 1:02 AM, Little Pixie said:

 

Ooh, I would love to have space for just one more bookcase. :lol: Never mind 10. I`m shying from considering a book cull, but I may have to release some books to new homes. :)

 

Book culls are so brutal! I'm so glad that I have so much space in my apartment and that I can live here for as long as I want and don't have to move out. I can indulge! :D Have you done any book releasing? 

 

On 29.4.2018 at 1:04 AM, Little Pixie said:

Congrats on the mojo return and the new books. :D  I got a charity shop copy of Fangirl recently, looking forward to reading it ( eventually ). I wouldn`t have known about the book, if it hadn`t been mentioned on BCF. :) 

 

I think the mojo left but it came back already :D I don't think I would've known about Fangirl either, if it weren't for this forum. Unless it was a new book at a library and the title caught my attention. In any case, this place is a plethora of book recs :D

 

 

On 29.4.2018 at 9:48 AM, Athena said:

 

I get about wanting to read something in your own language, I need a mix of reading Dutch and English books.

 

I knew you would! :smile2:  I was able to manage to read Surprise Me in English, but Kinsella is very readable, isn't she. The other books I've read have been in Finnish. I hope I can read more in English soon enough! 

 

 

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Books read:

 

The Widow by Fiona Barton 

 

Amazon: There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment. 
 
Now [...]  and there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like [...]. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage. 
 
The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything...

 

Thoughts: It was ages since I read this book, but I remember it was great! I loved how the story was (partly) told from the perspective of a suspect's wife. The focus was on how she felt and how she perceived things and what she knew and didn't know. I don't think I've read a book from this perspective before. The foreword by the author I found really interesting! 

 

I really liked it! 

 

4/5

 

 

 

The Cold Song by Linn Ullmann 

 

Amazon: Siri Brodal, a chef and restaurant owner, is married to Jon Dreyer, a famous novelist plagued by writer’s block. Siri and Jon have two daughters, and together they spend their summers on the coast of Norway, in a mansion belonging to Jenny Brodal, Siri’s stylish and unforgiving mother.
 
Siri and Jon’s marriage is loving but difficult, and troubled by painful secrets. They have a strained relationship with their elder daughter, Alma, who struggles to find her place in the family constellation. When Milla is hired as a nanny to allow Siri to work her long hours at the restaurant and Jon to supposedly meet the deadline on his book, life in the idyllic summer community takes a dire turn. One rainy July night, Milla disappears without a trace.[...]

 

Thoughts: My first Ullmann novel. I liked the first half or so of the book and was devouring the story, but then it got a bit tedious for me. I think it's my own fault because I was hoping it to be more about a certain event that was well hyped in the blurb of my Finnish copy. I should've had a more open mind. I liked the book but it wasn't my cup of tea in a broader sense and I didn't like any of the characters. Sometimes one needs to find a likable character in a novel! 
 

3/5

 

 

 

Pormestari by Herman Koch

 

This is the latest novel by Koch, but I don't think it's been translated into English yet. At least I couldn't find any English copies of the novel online. I guess the name of the book would translate into The Mayor. Unfortunately I don't remember much about the novel :unsure: I think it was a typical Koch novel, but my least favorite by him. I loved The Dinner, and personally I think none of the other novels by him have matched the genius of it :(  I didn't like this novel all that much and I don't know if I will be reading any more of Koch's books. I will always compare them to The Dinner and they will never compare :(

 

 2/5

 

 

 

The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon (re-read) 

 

Amazon: Michelle doesn’t believe in fairy tales. She’s a hard-headed businesswoman, making a fresh start in a new town. And when she decides to take over a neglected book shop, she knows the perfect manager. 

For book-loving Anna, it’s a dream come true—and not just because it gives her an escape from her three demanding step-children and their adorable but hyperactive Dalmatian. Although she’s been thinking that her own fairytale ending hasn’t really turned out the way she hoped, Anna’s passion for the classics is transforming the shop. The customers, and even Michelle, are falling under the spell of the magical stories of romance, adventure, and lost dogs. 

But when secrets from her past threaten Michelle’s new beginnings, and trouble strikes at the heart of Anna’s household, can the wisdom and courage of the stories in the bookshop help the two friends—and those they love—find their happy ever after?

 

Thoughts: A re-read that I enjoyed as much as I did the first time!  :smile2:

 

5/5

Edited by frankie
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Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella 

 

AmazonAfter ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in. 
            
They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all.

 

Thoughts: A classic Kinsella. I reserved a copy of the book from the library when I saw they'd recently acquired it. Going into the novel, I found out it was about a married couple, which I think is rare for Kinsella... I think her protagonists are always single? So it was refreshing. Although I have to say I almost didn't read the novel because of it :D 

 

The book was okay and easy enough to read. Not my favorite Kinsella, and I don't think it stood out in any way. 

 

3/5

 

 

The Beach House by Jane Green 

 

AmazonEver since her life took an unexpected turn, Nan Powell has enjoyed living alone on the sun-drenched shores of Nantucket. At sixty-five, she’s just as likely to be found at Windermere, her beach front home, as she is skinny dipping in her neighbor’s pool.  But when the money she thought would last forever starts to dwindle, Nan decides to do something drastic to keep hold of her free-spirited life: open up Windermere to strangers. 

After placing an ad for summer rentals touting water views, direct access to the beach, and a sexagenarian roommate, Nan’s once quiet house is soon full of noise, laughter, and the occasional bout of tears. Between her eclectic new tenants and the sudden return of her son, Nan gets a taste of what life is like when you have someone to care for besides yourself. But just as she starts to happily settle in to her new existence, the arrival of a visitor from her past threatens to turn everyone’s lives upside down...

 

Thoughts: I was in the mood for rom-com, something easy, and I found this at the library. At first it seemed it might be too easy and too boring, but I kept on reading and then I was really enjoying the novel! It'll be forgettable, I think, but it was a page turner when I was reading it! :smile2:

 

3/5

 

 

 

Kaikki anteeksi by Laura Manninen 

 

This is a Finnish debut about a 30something woman who meets the man of her dreams, and takes on his family even though she doesn't want children herself. The perfect man turns out to be something quite the opposite after a while. The book is about domestic violence of all nature. 

 

I wasn't a huge fan of Manninen's way of words, but I was engrossed in the story. I think it was a powerful debut and I was well impressed. I think this was one of the meatiest books I've read this year. 

 

4/5

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I've acquired some books, these are from May and June:

 

Awareness by Anthony de Mello 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 

The Little Vampire (omnibus) by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg 

The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric 

Poket by Sakari Luoma (A book about Finnish bouncers. A very random topic :D )

The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon

Introverteissa on voimaa! by Sylvia Löhken (This is about introverts!)

Ilosia aikoja, mielensäpahoittaja by Tuomas Kyrö (from Dad!)

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 

The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

Wedding Ring by Emilie Richards

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (I bought this Finnish paperback copy of the novel at a flea market. I own an English copy and a Finnish hardback, but I liked the look of this paperback so I wanted to buy it)

Emma by Jane Austen (A Finnish copy. I've been wanting to re-read Jane Austen lately but I don't think I could read her in English, not now. It would be too tricky for my scatter brain these days!)

Jemima J by Jane Green 

I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe 

Feeling Good Together by David D. Burns 

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15 hours ago, frankie said:

I knew you would! :smile2:  I was able to manage to read Surprise Me in English, but Kinsella is very readable, isn't she. The other books I've read have been in Finnish. I hope I can read more in English soon enough!

 

She's definitely very readable :)! I should be getting my copy of Surprise Me this week :). I hope you can read more in English soon too :smile2:.

 

14 hours ago, frankie said:

I've acquired some books, these are from May and June:

 

I hope you enjoy all of them :D. I have a few of the Little Vampire books on my TBR (in Dutch) which I bought at a library sale, as well as Jemima J, Sharp Objects and Miss Pegegrine's.

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22 hours ago, frankie said:

 

Book culls are so brutal! I'm so glad that I have so much space in my apartment and that I can live here for as long as I want and don't have to move out. I can indulge! :D Have you done any book releasing?

 

 

Nope, just done a 3-month Kindle Unlimited thingy, so haven`t had an `actual` book in my little paws for a while now. Some books got damaged in the 2018 Diningroom Burst Pipe Catastrophe, so there might be a forced book cull. :(

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/1/2018 at 12:49 PM, Athena said:

 

She's definitely very readable :)! I should be getting my copy of Surprise Me this week :). I hope you can read more in English soon too :smile2:.
 

 

Did you get your copy already? I'm sure you have, and I probably will know as much when I get around to reading your thread, as I'm doing rounds today :D  I hope you will like it!! 

 

Haven't done any reading in English yet, but I'm not too worried. I read an interesting book on depression by a Finnish author, and now I'm reading a Finnish novel so obviously I needed to read them in Finnish as they've not been translated into English :D

 

On 7/1/2018 at 12:49 PM, Athena said:

I hope you enjoy all of them :D. I have a few of the Little Vampire books on my TBR (in Dutch) which I bought at a library sale, as well as Jemima J, Sharp Objects and Miss Pegegrine's.

 

I love the Little Vampire books! I used to read them when I was a kid, and I still do, every now and then :wub:  Jemima J is good, too and Sharp Objects I thought was riveting! :smile2:

 

On 7/1/2018 at 7:27 PM, Little Pixie said:

 

Nope, just done a 3-month Kindle Unlimited thingy, so haven`t had an `actual` book in my little paws for a while now. Some books got damaged in the 2018 Diningroom Burst Pipe Catastrophe, so there might be a forced book cull. :(

 

The DBPC sounds awful, What horrible crap to have to go through! :(  Did you at least read your Kindle TBR or did you go for new books :D Has Mount TBR reduced at all? :D

 

On 7/11/2018 at 2:39 PM, ~Andrea~ said:

I love the sound of The Widow! I've added it to my wish list. Very promising if you still rated it highly as a re-read!

 

It wasn't a re-read I'm afraid! :unsure: It was a new to me -read. Very good, though, I hope you will still like it if you decide to read it! 

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2 hours ago, frankie said:

 

It wasn't a re-read I'm afraid! :unsure: It was a new to me -read. Very good, though, I hope you will still like it if you decide to read it! 

 

Ooh whoops! My bad! I totally misunderstood. It sounds great anyway! :D

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2 hours ago, frankie said:

The DBPC sounds awful, What horrible crap to have to go through! :(  Did you at least read your Kindle TBR or did you go for new books :D Has Mount TBR reduced at all? :D

 

I read lots of new books on Kindle U. and found some great, new (to me ) authors. :D It`s a fab way to try out books. :)

 

Mount TBR ( :lol: ) has climbed steadily. :hide:  I haven`t dared do a count this year, for fear that it`s now above 900. :blush:

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1 hour ago, ~Andrea~ said:

 

Ooh whoops! My bad! I totally misunderstood. It sounds great anyway! :D

 

I think I said it was ages since I read the book and you inserted _first_ between I and Read :lol:   Oh well!! 

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53 minutes ago, Little Pixie said:

 

I read lots of new books on Kindle U. and found some great, new (to me ) authors. :D It`s a fab way to try out books. :)

 

I'm sure it is! :)  BF recently entertained the idea of me getting a Kindle but I do like the feel of a physical book in my hands... :wub:

53 minutes ago, Little Pixie said:

 

Mount TBR ( :lol: ) has climbed steadily. :hide:  I haven`t dared do a count this year, for fear that it`s now above 900. :blush:

 

Yes, best to stop counting! :D Just keep on reading and writing reviews and such lovely things :D

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56 minutes ago, Little Pixie said:

Mount TBR ( :lol: ) has climbed steadily. :hide:  I haven`t dared do a count this year, for fear that it`s now above 900. :blush:

 

Don't worry - mine's over 1400!  Mount TBR is a good description!

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3 minutes ago, frankie said:

 

I'm sure it is! :)  BF recently entertained the idea of me getting a Kindle but I do like the feel of a physical book in my hands... :wub:

 

Know how you feel.  I have found a Kindle useful though - great for keeping in bag and reading in odd places, whilst travelling, after dark in bed (I have a Paperwhite, so the light doesn't disturb OH's slumbers!) etc.

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7 minutes ago, willoyd said:

 

Know how you feel.  I have found a Kindle useful though - great for keeping in bag and reading in odd places, whilst travelling, after dark in bed (I have a Paperwhite, so the light doesn't disturb OH's slumbers!) etc.

 

It would be great for travels, I agree! But I don't think I travel enough for a Kindle :D

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57 minutes ago, frankie said:

It would be great for travels, I agree! But I don't think I travel enough for a Kindle :D

 

Then probably not worth it - I use mine a lot when travelling round home on bus or train - but then I'm neurotic about damaging books, especially paperbacks (I just hate any creases in covers!), which I find difficult to avoid if keeping a book in a bag.  The other thing I like about the Kindle is the ability to change the font size - too many paperbacks (mostly non-fiction) have typefaces that are just too small to read pleasurably, especially in lower light (and my Kindle has a built-in light). But, and it's a big but, there is nothing more satisfying than settling down with a book in my hand - Kindle just can't compete on that one!

 

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16 hours ago, frankie said:

Did you get your copy already? I'm sure you have, and I probably will know as much when I get around to reading your thread, as I'm doing rounds today :D  I hope you will like it!! 

 

Nice to 'see' you on the forum :D. I hope you are doing well :)?

 

Ah sorry I don't post about every newly acquired book in my thread anymore. I did receive the book!!

 

Here is a picture :):

 

SophieKinsella-SurpriseMe_05.jpg

 

I haven't read it yet though, but I plan to :).

 

16 hours ago, frankie said:

I love the Little Vampire books! I used to read them when I was a kid, and I still do, every now and then :wub:  Jemima J is good, too and Sharp Objects I thought was riveting! :smile2:

 

Sounds good :wub:.

 

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21 hours ago, frankie said:

 

I'm sure it is! :)  BF recently entertained the idea of me getting a Kindle but I do like the feel of a physical book in my hands... :wub:

 

And Kindles don`t have an exciting scent either. ;)  I do prefer `real` books, but having got to `know` lots of authors through giving their books a go on Kindle... :)

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On 15.7.2018 at 9:52 PM, willoyd said:

 

Then probably not worth it - I use mine a lot when travelling round home on bus or train - but then I'm neurotic about damaging books, especially paperbacks (I just hate any creases in covers!), which I find difficult to avoid if keeping a book in a bag.  The other thing I like about the Kindle is the ability to change the font size - too many paperbacks (mostly non-fiction) have typefaces that are just too small to read pleasurably, especially in lower light (and my Kindle has a built-in light). But, and it's a big but, there is nothing more satisfying than settling down with a book in my hand - Kindle just can't compete on that one!

 

The ability to change the font size does sound appealing! And of course the idea of being able to take to bed a Kindle version of a tombstone - no, wait it was called doorstop over here :D In any case, a book that's just too heavy to be easily and comfortably held in bed! I do have a 20-30 minute commute to work, and when I visit my BF, it's a 70 minute commute, so I do travel a bit, but I guess I didn't really think about how much I actually travel. Of course a Kindle can't compete with an actual book, but it might be handy at times. 

 

 

On 16.7.2018 at 9:26 AM, Athena said:

 

Nice to 'see' you on the forum :D. I hope you are doing well :)?

 

I'm doing well, thanks! I'm on my summer holiday :smile2::D  It's the second week and I have next week off as well. I'm super happy about that :D I've been to my hometown. Actually, I took my BF there for the first time :)  He said he likes my parents and next time we could stay there a bit longer (we only did two full days there this time, because he was nervous and I didn't want to stress him with a longer stay, when it was his first time there). 

 

We also went to visit some of his relatives and oddly enough I wasn't all that nervous about that. I got to talk more to his sister and I got to hold her 9 month old baby and this time the baby didn't start crying! :smile2: She was sooo cute! 

 

I also finally got my bed that I ordered online, so that's great :D I don't have to sleep on a mattress, on the floor, anymore! :D Wohoo!! 

 

On 16.7.2018 at 9:26 AM, Athena said:

 

Ah sorry I don't post about every newly acquired book in my thread anymore. I did receive the book!!

 

No worries, of course you don't have to post about all of your acquired books! :)  But I'm happy you received the book :smile2:

 

On 16.7.2018 at 9:26 AM, Athena said:

 

Here is a picture :):

 

SophieKinsella-SurpriseMe_05.jpg

 

 

I have to say, and this is off-topic, but I love the design on the fabric on which you put the book. Is it a chair or an ottoman or something? :wub:

 

On 16.7.2018 at 6:13 PM, Little Pixie said:

 

And Kindles don`t have an exciting scent either. ;)  I do prefer `real` books, but having got to `know` lots of authors through giving their books a go on Kindle... :)

 

There are varies pros and cons, aren't there! :)

 

 

On 16.7.2018 at 6:15 PM, Little Pixie said:

 

:lol: So now I`m thinking, `only ` 500 more books till I need to feel worried about my TBR ! ;)

 

How long do you think it would take you to acquire 500 new titles :D

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Wedding Ring by Emilie Richards 

AmazonNeeding time to contemplate her troubled marriage, Tessa MacRae agrees to spend the summer helping her mother and grandmother clean out the family home in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. But the three women have never been close. Helen, the family matriarch, is domineering and sharp-tongued. Nancy, Tessa's mother, appears to be little more than a social climber. And Tessa herself is in turmoil following a family tragedy that has affected them all.  [And then they spend time and stuff unravels.]

 

Thoughts: I bought this book at a charity shop, even though I thought the title sounded really corny (the Finnish title is Quilt Blanket of Life). The cover looks like a cheap mass production semi Harlequin romance, but I was feeling whimsical and bought it. 

 

I got right into it and I loved how the novel slowly unravelled the lives and experiences of the three women who did not really get along at the start of the novel. I could've read more! The book is forgettable, but it flowed really nicely and it helped me to recover my mojo and for that reason I don't think I can part ways with the copy :)

 

4/5

 

 

I also started and finished a Finnish non-fiction book on depression, by a Finnish author. She'd written novels and when she was diagnosed with depression, she thought writing about it would be therapeutic, and she ended up making it into a book. I liked it and I got some great insight from it. I actually wrote some quotes down, first time in ages. Good stuff!

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