Janet
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Posts posted by Janet
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I joined LJ recently but haven't posted anything yet. Good idea - I will probably use that to post my thoughts/reviews. Is bagpuss_books on LJ? I did a search for it but couldn't find it.
Although it says bagpuss_books with the underscore, in the address it comes up as a dash for some reason, which is probably why you didn't find it.
(It's not very exciting!).
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'Your' blurb makes it sound much more interesting than 'my' blurb does!
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I'm thinking of writing a small review for each book I read, or just making some kind of note about important plot points, so that it helps me remember. I mean, some books are easily forgotten, but it bothers me when I know I have really enjoyed something, but I can't for the life of me, remember why.
You should do reviews in an LJ or something! That's what I do now and I love reading back over it - even though it's only been going for 20 months!
bagpuss_books if anyone wants a look - it's not that exciting but I like it!
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Mostly I only read much older books. I have a couple of Ian McEwan's books on my TBR pile, and if I enjoy them I'll probably track down On Chesil Beach one day, but whether or not it wins an award won't affect my decision.
I might look for this one too.
Mister Pip has made it onto the shortlist! I'm so thrilled - it's a great novel
what is it about?
Synopsis
'You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames.' It is Bougainville in 1991 - a small village on a lush tropical island in the South Pacific. Eighty-six days have passed since Matilda's last day of school as, quietly, war is encroaching from the other end of the island. When the villagers' safe, predictable lives come to a halt, Bougainville's children are surprised to find the island's only white man, a recluse, re-opening the school. Pop Eye, aka Mr Watts, explains he will introduce the children to Mr Dickens. Matilda and the others think a foreigner is coming to the island and prepare a list of much needed items. They are shocked to discover their acquaintance with Mr Dickens will be through Mr Watts' inspiring reading of "Great Expectations". But on an island at war, the power of fiction has dangerous consequences. Imagination and beliefs are challenged by guns. "Mister Pip" is an unforgettable tale of survival by story; a dazzling piece of writing that lives long in the mind after the last page is finished.
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I looked at this in Waterstones on Wednesday afternoon, but luckily for me I decided it didn't sound like 'me'!
Thanks for reaffirming that!
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A spot of bother is the first book I have read of Mark Haddon's and I really enjoyed it, is it worth me purchasing the Curious Incident?
Hello - welcome to the BCF.co.uk.
Curious Incident is very different to this book. It's classed as a 'young adults' book, I believe and tells the story from the perspective of Christopher - a teenage lad with Asperger's syndrome (a type of autism).
I thought it was a great book, and it certainly got rave reviews. It's just very different, and not very comparable to TCIOTDITN!
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Hi Sarah and welcome.
I'd like to ask, how did you go about getting published? Did you find an agent or did you send your story off to publishers yourself?
I would imagine that it's quite difficult getting your manuscript read by publishers without an agent to push it for you (and with the benefit of them having a foot in the door), but I don't really know much about the system so I'd be interested to know how it worked for you.
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I find I tend to forget the details very quickly too - unless a book has made a major impression on me. If I reread a book I find it coming back to me though!
Me too. I forget major things sometimes until I re-read the book. I also forget why I liked it and it makes it hard to write reviews. Maybe I should stick a notebook inside the front of each book I read.
That's why I keep a book LJ about all the books I've read (well, since I started it in January 2006) - it's nice to look back on it and read my comments.
I started copying it all into a lovely notebook, but soon got bored with that! I ought to do it as soon as I finish - I have about 25 books to write up if I'm going to catch up!
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Is it me, or is the print rather small? I bought a 'normal' copy (so I thought) in Smiths, but I don't know whether I'll read it - it's not that I need large print or anything like that, but when it's in a smaller than normal font I find it difficult to read!
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I've read "My lover's lover" by maggie o'farrell!
Did you enjoy it?
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The Secret River - Kate Grenville
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
I really enjoyed those! I think Kite Runner is probably slightly better but they are both good! Enjoy (if you get round to them!).
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The 'Shopaholic' ones are best read in order. So;
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic
Shopaholic Abroad
Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Shopaholic and Sister
Shopaholic and Baby
Can You Keep a Secret? and Undomestic Goddess can be read alone.
Hope that helps.
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The ‘Blurb’
Everyone thinks they know the real Gordon Ramsay: rude, loud, pathologically driven, stubborn as hell. But this is his real story…
For the first time Gordon tells the full inside story of how he became the world’s most famous and infamous chef: his difficult childhood, his brother’s heroin addiction, his failed first career as a footballer, his fanatical pursuit of gastronomic perfection and his TV persona - all the things that have made him the celebrated culinary talent and media powerhouse that he is today.
“He’s the genuine b****cks… and this is the tale of his personal class struggle.”
(Observer review)
I don’t often read biographies or autobiographies but I do like Gordon Ramsay (well, certain things about him, anyway) - a friend lent me this book as she knows I like him.
The writing style is very basic - it’s obviously all from Gordon himself and not ghost-written because the writing is fairly bad in places, but that is okay because you get the sense that he’s genuine.
There were a few places where I had to read things through a few times to make sense of them! I’m not sure whether it’s a typo, but the phrase “Chris picked up him from the airport…” had me cringing! LOL
Did he change his name from Ramsey to Ramsay, I wonder? In the book there are lots of newspaper cuttings about his time as a footballer and all of them have the surname spelt with an ‘e’.
As you’d expect, there is a fair amount of colourful language in it, but it’s not over the top.
I think Gordon is a great chef (not that I’ve eaten at any of his restaurants - that’s something I’d love to do though) and I love his TV programmes Kitchen Nightmares and especially The F Word and really admire his passion.
I still think, despite his denials, that he is a chauvinist. When he talks about the fact he’s never changed a nappy in his life you can tell he’s proud of that. But let’s face it, it’s not a job that anyone chooses to do! I can’t help wondering whether he and Tana have a nanny (there is no mention of it) because surely she must have had a night off from the children once in a while, surely?! I guess that they can afford babysitters and you get the impression that Tanya’s not the sort of person who has to leave the baby with her husband while she pops out to buy more milk!
I didn’t actually know much about Gordon’s life, other than the stuff you see in the headlines, so it was nice to read about the man behind the public personality!
The paperback is 316 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The ISBN number is 978- 0007229680.
6/10
(Read August 2007)
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Is it open only to members in the U.K., or can folks from other countries also receive a free book? I looked on their website, but they didn't address this question.
Someone somewhere said it's only open to the UK/Eire, unfortuanately.
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Oh nightmare! Can't you just stick it at the bottom of mount TBR?
If you do take it make sure you take something you want to read as well. I hate to think of someone not enjoying their holiday books!
That's a mare as at 997 pages it will take you a while to get through it. It is very different from Octavia though so maybe you might enjoy it.Thanks guys. I will pack another book (or two!). Hopefully it'll be okay though!
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Some busybody who had nothing better to do gave me a beautiful copy of this book on my 12th birthday in 1967 and despite several attempts, could not maintain my concentration beyond the Fantine chapter.
Surely the though they were being kind when they gave it to you though?
The wives of bath - Wendy Holden. The most appalling drivel! The characters were gross caricatures and mostly very annoying. Ugh I hated it - utter nonsense.I read something by her (I can't even remember what it was called, but it wasn't that one) and it was awful too!
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A friend bought me Jilly Cooper's Wicked for my birthday and I really don't want to read it.
I read one of hers years ago - Octavia? - and thought it was rubbish, but obviously I have to read this one as a friend bought it for me, so I thought maybe holiday would be a good time to do that.
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I've found it hard to settle into a book since HP and the Deathly Hallows, and I've now settled for some good old Marian Keyes easy reading chick-lit to try and get me back in the mood!
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Does it have to be books published in 2007? Or read in 2007?
I've hardly read any contemporary books this year so far.
I'm pretty certain it was 'read this year'.
ETA: From last year:
At the very beginning of 2006, we voted on the very best & worst of books from the previous year. There were a lot of different categories, so we've cut it down a little this year, but there are still plenty to choose from, so here's how it works:1. The categories will each have nominations threads set up and you can nominate books throughout December (this it to allow people to nominate the books they read throughout this month too).
2. The voting will take place through the first 2 weeks in January.
3. Nominations for the best book overall will be taken from the winners of the "Best of" categories & will be voted on through the third week of January, after which time the over-all winner will be announced.
4. All nominations should be of books you have read during 2006.
However this is subject to change for 2007 but I would think that it would still be books read.
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Boy in the Striped Pajamas - it gave me nightmares, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.
Aww that book was fab. I read it because someone on here (can't remember who - PP, Gyre...? ) recommended it.
One of my real-life bookworms has nominated it as her choice, so I'm going to read it again as we're discussing it in September. I think it'll make for some interesting debate/discussion.
I'm not sure about my favourite of the year so far. Either The Secret Life of Bees or The House at Riverton, I think.
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The town I live in (albeit a pretty small one) doesn't have a bookshop at all. There is a Martin's newsagents that sells a few books and Tesco on the edge of town but there is not actual bookstore, independant or chain.
I tend to buy most of my books in the Bookbarn - all paperback fiction except sci-fi is £1 at the moment - or Tesco because I work there and get staff discount.
I like The Lion's Bookshop in Warminster when I visit my parents - books are 40p each or 3 for £1 and the money goes to good causes.
If we had an indpendant bookstore then I would try to use it.
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Actually, it was just one of those things.. I mentioned a death, and she thought I meant that one.
Oh, that's not so bad then.
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It had to happen, didn't it.. someone told me one of the people who died!
Noooo.
How awful - some people are so thoughtless.
Where is your favourite reading place?
in General Book Discussions
Posted
I was going to ask that too. It seems very unfair.