Ben Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Ben's Reading Blog is back upon for business. .. and I've got ideas for it as well. So, with university over with I can now finally concentrate on working on reducing my 'to be read' pile, which despite reading forty-two books this year so far, hasn't really shrunk as much as I would have liked. Within the next five months I'm renewing my efforts to achieve a good dent in these unread books. I also have another plan, and that is a 'classics' challenge, as even though I'm young there are a lot of classic novels that I feel I should have read by this point as an voracious reader and a student of English literature. Now, I'm not sure whether I'll be making a new thread for this, or whether I'll just make a post on here for recommendations, but I've decided that the good members of the forum will be the people that decide where my literary journey for this summer goes. In any case, I'm excited for the fact that I can let myself go to the wonderful world that is my books, and I hope to take up more discussion with you lovely people soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 42 books is an impressive amount Ben I think I've read about half that so far this year. I have the same problem though my TBR pile never goes down because I buy books faster than I can read them, charity shops are my downfall I know that if I had to buy all my books new I wouldn't own half as many as I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 42 books is an impressive amount Ben I think I've read about half that so far this year. I have the same problem though my TBR pile never goes down because I buy books faster than I can read them, charity shops are my downfall I know that if I had to buy all my books new I wouldn't own half as many as I do. Ah, I just had a good start to the reading year that's all, the pace will inevitably slow down at some stage. Aha, it wasn't that long ago that I resigned myself that my TBR pile would never go down because I too buy books quicker than I read them. However, I had a new resolute attitude that comes with the start of the year, and as a result decided to give it one more shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 Reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier at the moment and I must say I'm enjoying it very much so. Synopsis: After a whirlwind romance and a honeymoon in Italy, the innocent young heroine and the dashing Maxim de Winter return to his country estate, Manderley. But the unsettling memory of Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter, still lingers within. The timid bride must overcome her husband's oppressive silences and the sullen hostility of the sinister housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, to confront the emotional horror of the past. Anyone else read this before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 YesI read it a couple of years ago, and I still remember gasping out loud at a revelation in it at one point that I wouldn't have seen coming in a million years. Fantastic book, Ben you're in for a treat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 YesI read it a couple of years ago, and I still remember gasping out loud at a revelation in it at one point that I wouldn't have seen coming in a million years. Fantastic book, Ben you're in for a treat! Oooh you've got me excited for this revelation now. Yay, glad to hear it, better get cracking then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 (edited) Recently started a book sent by Hodder to review, and so far it's fantastic. It's The Good Father by Noah Hawley. I'll post the synopsis below: Synopsis: Dr Paul Allen is a well-respected man. He lives a comfortable life with his second wife and their family. Until the night when a knock at the door blows his world apart: a hugely popular presidential candidate has been shot, and they say the young man who pulled the trigger is Paul's son. Daniel, the only child from his first, failed marriage, was always a good kid and Paul is convinced his quiet boy is not capable of murder. Overwhelmed by a vortex of feelings, Paul embarks on a mission to understand what happened and why. Following the trail of his son's journey across America, he is forced to re-examine his life as a husband and a parent, and every decision he ever made. Okay, so I know it's odd to recommend it when I'm only about two thirds of the way through, but you should pick this one up. Edited May 13, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Is the synopsis from The Good Father Ben? I have it on my wish list... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 (edited) Is the synopsis from The Good Father Ben? I have it on my wish list... :-) Oh my, I forgot to put the book. Yes it is indeed, it's really good so far - utterly fascinating. Edited May 12, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 So last night I wrapped up The Good Father by Noah Hawley, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. It was heart-wrenching, utterly compelling, and I wanted to go back to the beginning and start over once I had finished. I implore everyone to pick this up and give it a read. Full review coming later today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 (edited) Okay here's my review of Noah Hawley's The Good Father - the novel was absolutely brilliant. 5/5. Edited May 13, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 (edited) Next in line is another book sent from Hodder to review - Sandra Brown's Lethal. Synopsis: When her four-year-old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that 'sick' man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she had her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word. But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trust. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. And Coburn is there to retrieve it - at any cost. This one sounds like an interesting thriller - will be reading alongside Rebecca which is coming along nicely at the moment. Edited May 13, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Okay here's my review of Noah Hawley's The Good Father - the novel was absolutely brilliant. 5/5. Great review Ben, I must get this soon, I'll see if someone would like to buy it for my birthday!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Great review Ben, I must get this soon, I'll see if someone would like to buy it for my birthday!! Thank you, it really was one of the most compelling books I've read for a while. Ooh well here's hoping, would be a great present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Finished Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca not too long ago and I thought overall it was wonderful. Thoughts: Rebecca for me was an absolutely fascinating tale of love and of heartache. A young girl whisked away from her previously simple life, away to Manderley, home of Maxim de Winter, towards something she could have never imagined. Narrated from the future, the heroine of our novel describes life at the estate, where she struggles to adapt to the lifestyle around her, struggles to throw off the image of Rebecca, her husband's previous wife. Speculation surrounds her arrival and ultimately everyone talks of nothing else, frowning upon her upbringing, questioning her ability against the wonderfulness of the women who ruled Manderley before her. Maxim refuses to talk about the past, and the little she learns from those around her does nothing to alleviate the doubt that this isn't where she belongs; that she is an intruder who walks around Manderley handling the things that don't belong to her as they did his previous wife. The past to her is a locked door, but as the novel progresses, things that have remained buried for a long time will once again rise to the surface. A ship that has run ashore will bring the answers, but are they answers that our heroine really wants to hear? Daphne du Maurier writes with wonderful care, crafting images that at times can be both haunting and beautiful. Characters that range from the tactless sister Beatrice, the mad wanderer Ben who walks the seashore, and the ever-loyal and friendly Frank Crawley, the author creates a web of lies that wrap around Manderley, threatening all the while, to bring it to its knees. 5/5. Edited May 14, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Beautiful Ben ! You did a wonderful job describing the haunting atmosphere ,and didn't the author do well, making you feel as if you were also being treated the same way ? Odd how she could pull you in like that . Am I just too old and rickety to remember this,,or did they never mention the NAME of the girl who is living this life ? It's very unique that they call the book Rebecca and the book's most important person is Rebecca, yet it is more of the story and feelings of this poor new wife who feels so out of place ? Did you also get the feeling that her husband was a little bit more firm with her,or maybe a little bit unsympathetic or unfeeling ? It's been so many years since I read it ,it's hard for me to remember a lot . Wonderful review .You should get a job doing that for newspapers ! Wouldn't it be fun ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Beautiful Ben ! You did a wonderful job describing the haunting atmosphere ,and didn't the author do well, making you feel as if you were also being treated the same way ? Odd how she could pull you in like that . Thank you very much, Julie. I do think the author pulls in the reader extremely well in this novel, you're right about that. Am I just too old and rickety to remember this,,or did they never mention the NAME of the girl who is living this life ? It's very unique that they call the book Rebecca and the book's most important person is Rebecca, yet it is more of the story and feelings of this poor new wife who feels so out of place ? No, that's correct, she's never mentioned by name, only as Mrs de Winter. I can see why it's done. Although you say the story is about the story and feelings of our narrator who frames the narrative through a flash-back, I think the name is left out so that we can identify with her feeling like she doesn't belong at Manderly; like she will never take the place of Rebecca, who's name of course gives itself to the title of the novel. In a sense she never feels like she has her own title; she's always merely a shadow of the past given the name Mrs de Winter. Well, that's my view anyway, not sure if it makes any sense. Did you also get the feeling that her husband was a little bit more firm with her,or maybe a little bit unsympathetic or unfeeling ? It's been so many years since I read it ,it's hard for me to remember a lot . I think Maxim's attitudes towards her are certainly intentional on the author's part. I mean, partly because that's how husbands reacted to their wives in those days, but also perhaps because of the commanding atmosphere his previous wife had through Manderley, and the hold she had over him. In a way his reaction towards his second wife is a response to this in my opinion. I do agree that he didn't need to be like that though, all she had was love for him throughout. Wonderful review .You should get a job doing that for newspapers ! Wouldn't it be fun ? It's something I'd love to get involved with as a career, but it's almost impossible to find newspapers willing to take you on. I've asked around many times and I've managed to create contacts and do reviews for certain publishers (both on the board and outside of it), but it's such a difficult thing to get an actual job out of, at least while I'm this young. Perhaps sometime in the future. Edited May 15, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Well after the many recommendations from you lovely people and the insistence from Kylie that it should be next, I've decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I'm very excited to get started with this one, and I'll be reading it alongside Sandra Brown's Lethal which I haven't got started properly with but shall soon. Synopsis: 'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird'. A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much. The synopsis only makes it sound even better. I have a feeling I'll be one of those people who says 'why did I never read this before.' Edited May 15, 2012 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I have a feeling I'll be one of those people who says 'why did I never read this before.' And then I can say 'I told you so!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Well after the many recommendations from you lovely people and the insistence from Kylie that it should be next, I've decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I'm very excited to get started with this one, and I'll be reading it alongside Sandra Brown's Lethal which I haven't got started properly with but shall soon. I just bought a copy of this as well, I'm sure I should have read it earlier in my life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 And then I can say 'I told you so!' I'd expect nothing less. I just bought a copy of this as well, I'm sure I should have read it earlier in my life! I guess now is better than never though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 To Kill a Mockingbird is possibly my favourite book of all time, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 To Kill a Mockingbird is possibly my favourite book of all time, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Another glowing recommendation, and thanks, me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Well I must say Lethal is coming along very nicely thus far, seems to be one of those thrillers that get more intriguing with every page turn - and what a page-turner it is. It has a ferocious pace and although it's nearly five hundred pages I can see them scuttling away in no time at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gidgmon Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Count me as another who loves To Kill a Mockinbird. I first read it around the age of twelve and have read it countless times since then. Scout may be my favorite character of all time. I've been meaning to read Rebecca forever. I really need to get to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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