Janet
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Posts posted by Janet
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I'm very behind on reviews (of course. It was ever thus!), but this is a snapshot of what I have read so far this year:
FICTION / CLASSICS (#006600) / CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT / NON-FICTION (#0000cc) / SHORT STORY (#ff3399) / PLAYS / POETRY
1. Father Christmas and Me (2017) by Matt Haig - 01.01.18 - 3/5
2. The Keeper of Lost Things (2017) by Ruth Hogan - ( K ) - 02.01.18 - 3/5
3. Village Christmas: And Other Notes on the English Year (2015) by Laurie Lee - 07.01.18 - 4/5
4. A Redbird Christmas (2004) by Fannie Flagg - 13.1.17 - 4/5
5. England, England (1998) by Julian Barnes - 23.01.18 - 3/5
6. Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864) by Jules Verne - 29.01.18 - 5/5
7. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (2017) by Gail Honeyman - 02.02.18 - 4/5
8. The Bette Davis Club (2015) by Jane Lotter - ( K ) - 14.02.18 - 3/5
9. Caravel (2017) by Stephanie Garber - ( BC ) - 22.02.18 - 4/5
10. A Vicarage Family (1963) by Noel Streatfeild - 23.02.18 - 4/5
11. Career of Evil (2015) by Robert Galbraith - ( K ) - 27.02.18 - 4/5
12. The Word is Murder (2017) by Anthony Horowitz - ( K ) - 03.03.17 - 4/5
13. Wives and Daughters (1866) by Elizabeth Gaskell - ( K ) - 16.03.17 - 5/5
14. Aberystwyth Mon Amour (2001) by Malcolm Pryce - ( BC ) - 20.03.18 - 4/5
15. The New Mrs Clifton (2016) by Elizabeth Buchan - ( K ) - 26.03.18 - 4/5
16. Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) by Jean Rhys - 28.03.18 - 4/5
17. Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country (2017) by Karen Perkins ( K ) - 30.03.18 - 3/5
18. Sky Chasers (2017) by Emma Carroll - 31.03.18 - 4/5
19. Our Man in Havana (1958) by Graham Greene - 04.04.18 - 4/5
20. A Time to Change (2017) by Callie Langridge ( K ) - 07.04.18 - 4/5
21. The Pickwick Papers (1837) by Charles Dickens - 17.04.18 - 3/5
22. The Couple Next Door (2016) by Shari Lapena - 20.04.18 - 3/5
23. The Silent Companions (2017) by Laura Purcell - 28.04.18 - 4/5
24. How to Stop Time (2017) by Matt Haig - ( BC ) - 07.05.18 - 4/5
25. Reservoir 13 (2017) by Jon McGregor - 16.05.18 - 4/5
26. My Family and Other Animals (1956) by Gerald Durrell - 31.05.18 - 5/5
27. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1963) by John le Carré - ( A ) - 03.06.18 - 4/5
28. Birds, Beasts and Relatives (1969) by Gerald Durrell - 06.06.18 - 4/5
29. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018) by Helen Morris - ( K ) - 11.06.18 - 4/5
30. The Walworth Beauty (2018) by Roberts, Michèle – 21.06.18 – 4/5
31. Less (2017) by Sean Andrew Greer - (K) - 06.07.18 - 3/5
33. Knots and Crosses (Rebus #1) (1987) by Ian Rankin - ( A ) - 11.07.18 - 4/5
34. The New Woman (2015) by Charity Norman - ( K ) - 11.07.18 - 3/5
35. A Lesson in Dying (Inspector Ramsay #1) (1990) by Ann Cleeves - ( A ) - 15.07.18 - 3/5
36. Alice (Alice Chronicles#1) (2015) by Christina Henry - ( K ) - 22.07.18 - 4/5
37. The Stormkeeper's Island ( 2018 ) by Catherine Doyle - 26.07.18 - 4/5
38. Hide and Seek (Rebus #2) (1991) by Ian Rankin ( A ) - 29.07.18 - 4/5
39. Tooth and Nail (Rebus #3) (1992) by Ian Rankin ( A ) - 07.08.18 - 4/5
40. Heartburn (1983) by Nora Ephron ( BC ) - 08.08.18 - 3/5
41. The Grand Babylon Hotel (1902) by Arnold Bennett ( K / C ) - 16.08.18 - 3/4
42. Secrets of a Sun King (2018) by Emma Carroll - 18.08.18 - 4/5
5/5 - I loved it
4/5 - I really liked it
3/5 - I liked it
2/5 - It was okay
1/5 - I hated it
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Ah, thanks.
I will give it a try.
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I don't know how to do that!
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I have tried searching, but to no avail. I have also tried copying/pasting to save my blogs, but that turned out to be too much like hard work as of course it copies everything - so I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be saving anything.
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29 minutes ago, Kylie said:
My favourite memory would have to be something that took place outside of BCF: meeting @frankie in real life and having her spend a couple of months with me. I would never have met my bestie and had that opportunity if it weren't this forum, and I'll be forever grateful to @Michelle for making this happen.
I think that's so lovely.
I have met some lovely people from here. I'm so lucky to regularly meet up with @poppyshake and @chesilbeach and I meet @Michelle every few years when I go up to Kent. I've also met @Chrissy and @Nici(but I don't think she's on here any more), albeit a long time ago. Such fond memories.
(I think that's it, but sincere apologies if I've forgotten anybody.).
I also exchange Christmas cards with a few members.
Behind the scenes, the Admins/Staff used to do a Secret Santa, which was always fun.
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Cool! Thanks 🙂
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Will you be doing this on the Facebook group, Gaia? I keep forgetting to look on here but I might be better on the FB page!
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1 hour ago, Michelle said:
I'm going to miss here myself, despite knowing this is the right thing to do - I've put a lot of time, effort, blood and tears into it, and I am proud of it. But, things have to change.
And so you should be proud 😍
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I haven't used LT for years - I have joined the group but I'm not sure how easy it will be to add all the books that I've got missing...!
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Waterstones are changing the way their loyalty scheme works.
At the moment they give 1 point for every £3 spent - plus, if you spend £10 you get a stamp on a paper card. Once the card is full (10 stamps, so £100 total spend) you were able to get £10 off a book purchase. However, the 'new' card replaces the paper one and now when you spend 10 x £10 (€12 in the ROI/European stores) you will get £10 off, but no more 1 point for £3.
If you spend between £5 and £9.99 on eligible items, they will earn half a stamp as a single item purchase 'Single Book Bonus'.
I have asked what will happen to the points I've been saving on my plastic card but so far have had no reply. I hope they don't reduce in value - I will have to spend them quickly if they will! Paper cards can be swapped for electronic points.
I hope all that makes sense!
I will be very sad to say goodbye to my card which is one from when Bath was one of five stores participating in the trial!
Terms & Conditions here
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13 hours ago, Echo said:
I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg over the weekend, and I absolutely loved it! I've always loved the movie, but the book went so much deeper into Idgie's and Ruth's relationship, into the way race relations changed in the South over time, and I felt like the characters were better developed.
I just started Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison last night, and I'm really enjoying it so far.
Hi Sarah.
We read Fried Green Tomatoes... for our book club last year (or maybe the year before). It was my choice and everyone liked it. I haven't seen the film! I ought to try to watch it.
I have Song of Solomon on my Wish List, so I'm glad you're enjoying it.
I'm having a change of pace and reading a YA novel called The Stormkeeper's Secret by Catherine Doyle. It's very engaging!
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11 hours ago, willoyd said:
Yes, I will. It's not great literature by any means (not intended to be after all!), but it was entertaining, the central character definitely has mileage in him, and my impression is that the history is pretty credible. It's the sort of book I'd read as relief after a big read or to while away a journey. I'm also particularly intrigued to read the third one as it's set at Fountains Abbey, which is near here.
I saw that one in Harrogate in December - it was heavily advertised there.
I'm currently reading Alice by Christina Henry. It's a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. It's much darker than I was expecting but I'm enjoying it.
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On 7/14/2018 at 10:20 PM, willoyd said:
Finished The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson. An entertaining, easy read of a crime story set in the eighteenth century. The setting of the Marshalsea (horrendous) and the mixing in of real characters were the most intriguing distinctive aspects. ***
I'm planning to read this at some stage.
Will you read the sequels?
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Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is one of the 99p deals in the UK today.
I'm tempted, but it's 852 pages long...! (I have never seen the film!)
Edit - I was hoping to Whispersync it, but it's not on Audible!
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I hope you enjoy your membership, @bobblybear.
The reading/listening thing does work - I was sceptical but now I find it really useful but I can see how it might not suit everyone.
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8 hours ago, bobblybear said:
Do you know how this works with the £7.99/month? I take it that the £7.99/month means I can get credit for one Audible book, rather than a credit to add Audible narration to a Kindle purchase? ie. I'd have to pay for that separately?
You can choose either - you're given the option to use your credit or to pay the reduced fee. I tend to use my monthly subscription for non-reduced books and pay the reduced price by card.
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I'm just over half way through The Walworth Beauty by Michèle Roberts. Two parallel narratives, one set in the Victorian era and one set 'now'. It's my first experience of this author but I'm really enjoying it. 🙂
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Yes, they still do a Daily Deal.
I don't know if you have a Kindle, or if you like classics, but if you do, once you download the free Kindle edition, the price of the matching Audible version drops, so for example Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens is currently £40.39, but by downloading the free Kindle you would then get it for £2.99.
They often do '2 for 1' offers, although the choices are limited.
If you download the Audible app to a smart phone you can listen on that via Bluetooth or a wire (I don't have Bluetooth in my car, but I do have the facility to play it through the Aux setting on my car stereo). The app will remember where you are in the story between listening - and if you do have a Kindle, lots of them 'Whispersync' between devices, so if you stop reading the book on page 275, the next time you listen on Audible it will sync to that point.
It is possible to buy a package that includes two (or more) books, but obviously that's more than £7.99 a month.
If you have your free book, make sure you cancel the trial within the time allowed - they will then offer you two books (one each for the next two months) at the reduced price of £3.99 to try to convince you to stay.
Personally I don't find them any more distracting than listening to the radio.
Edit - I can see from your signature that you do have a Kindle!
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13 hours ago, willoyd said:
Just over a hundred pages in, and have come to a halt with The Paying Guests. Nothing particularly wrong with the book, it just seems all a bit tedious and obvious. Having said that, I am starting to think it may be more my mndset than the books, as that's the fourth in the past six that I've not finished, more than I usually fail to finish in a year, so setting some sort of not particularly welcome record.
If you can face trying another, I think you'd enjoy Fingersmith. It has a similar feel to The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, which I think you liked (?) about it.
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I've read the first two books of Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy recently - I'd read My Family and Other Animals before, but Birds, Beasts and Relatives was new to me. I really enjoyed both of them! I have watched and enjoyed The Durrells on TV, but didn't know how close to the books it was and was pleasantly surprised to see that so many of the characters and incidents *are* in the books, albeit in a different chronological order!
I have Garden of the Gods to read too - I will probably read that next but have stopped to read my Book Club book, which is The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - I'm storming through it - it's a compelling read so far!
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3 hours ago, frankie said:
I've only just read about your flu and infections ordeal, I'm sorry to hear you've been so poorly!
I read in a later post that you've started feeling a lot better. Are you fully recovered by now? I'm feeling very much better now, thanks.
Thanks for asking -
21 hours ago, Alexi said:
It sounds really interesting Janet.
Like you, I loved Rebecca (definitely on the favourites list!) so will look out for this too.
8 hours ago, Madeleine said:I've read both of those so it sounds like a good comparison.
It was great - it has stayed with me for a few weeks (which is a good sign as I seldom remember the plot for long!)
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One review I've read likens it to cross between Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca and The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I preferred it to the Waters' book, and Rebecca is one of my favourite books, but I'd say that's a fair comparison. It's certainly not what my understanding of the horror genre is, but I would describe it as chilling. I think you'd enjoy it. You'd be welcome to borrow my copy next time we meet up
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I'm not sure we're the right place to help - we're a forum of book lovers, but as far as I know, none of us are experts in antiquarian books. Your best bet is to find a local antiquarian book shop - or an auction site - and start there. Good luck.
Happy Announcement!
in Forum Updates
Posted
Great news - thanks, @Hayley