~Andrea~
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Posts posted by ~Andrea~
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19 hours ago, willoyd said:
Duffer of the Year
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
Oh no!! I'm pretty sure I bought that recently - only secondhand though.
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Ah, I read my first Robert Goddard this year and really liked it, so it's a shame to hear about the disappointing endings! (I can't remember the ending to the one I read). I'll look out for Sea Change though.
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Locke and Key - Welcome to Lovecraft - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Synopsis from Amazon: "Locke & Key" tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all!
I had this for Christmas. I've been wanting to get into graphic novels for a while, as for some reason, lately I've just been fancying a comic book format. I think sometimes I want a lighter read, with a bit of a different experience. I found this series recommended on here in the graphic novels thread. I enjoyed it, however I didn't realize it was going to be quite so dark and violent. I think I will read some more of them but I'm still on the lookout for some graphic novels I can escape into.
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The Wish List
Aaronovistch, Ben - Rivers of London recommendedAmbrose, David - Superstition
Alexander, Denis - creation or evolution: do we have to choose?
Beah, Ishmael - Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Bradbury, Ray - Farenheit 451
Bradbury, Ray - Something Wicked this way comes
Barker, Clive - WeaveworldBrother Lawrence - The Practice of the Presence of God
Buechner, Frederich - The Book of Bebb
Bugan, Carmen - Burying the Typewriter
Burton, Fiona - The Widow recommendedChallis, Sarah - Footprints in the sand
Chamberlaine, Diane - The Midwife's confession recommended
Cohen, Jeff - The Question of the Missing Head recommendedConran, Shirley - Savages
Coupland, Douglas - Microserfs/JPodCoben, Harlan - Six Years recommended
Du Maurier, Daphne - Rebecca
Du Maurier, Daphne - The House on the Strand
Dunant, Sarah - Transgressions (recommended)
Dick, Philip K - A Scanner DarklyFaber, Michael - The Crimson petal and the White recommended
Foster, Richard - Celebration of Discipline
Gaarder, Jostein - Sophie's World
Green, John - Turtles All the Way Down recommended
Greene, Grahame - Brighton Rock
Greene, Grahame - The Third Man & The Fallen IdolHaig, Matt - How to Stop Time recommended
Haugen, Gary (IJM) - Just Courage
Highsmith, Patricia - The Talented Mr Ripley
Hinton, Susan - Rumble FishHobb, Robin - Fool's Assassin
Hobb, Robin - Fool's Quest
Hobb, Robin - Assassin's Fate
Hodgson, Burnett Frances - The Secret Garden
Hodkin, Michelle -The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Humphries, Alistair - Microadventures recommendedJerome, Jerome K - My Life and Times
Jefferson Farjeon, J - Mystery in White recommended
Kasasian, M.R.C. - The Mangle Street Murders recommended (read by Emma Gregory)
Krauss, Nicole - Man walks into a Room recommended
Koontz, Dean - The Mask
Koontz, Dean - From The Corner Of His Eye
Koontz, Dean - False MemoryLennox, John - God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?
Lennox, John - Seven Days that Divide the World.
Lewis, C S - Till we have Faces
London, Jack - White Fang
Mandel, John - Station Eleven recommended
Marion, Issac - Warm Bodies recommended
McKinley, Robin - Sunshine
Mercer, Jeremy - Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs
Mitchell, Margaret - Gone With the Wind
Moran, Caitlin - How to be a Woman recommendedMoss, Sarah - Night Waking recommended
Moyes, Jojo - The Last Letter From Your Lover recommended
Neville, Adam - Apartment 16Scott, Fitzgerald F - recommended
Semple, Maria - Where'd you go Bernadette - recommended
Phillips, Caryl - A Distant Shore (recommended)Penny, Stef - The Tenderness of Wolves recommended
Pye-Smith, Charlie - Land of Plenty recommended
Rayner, Jay - The Oyster House SiegeSachar, Louis - There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom - recommended
Taylor, Jodie - Just One Damned Thing After Another - recommended
Tremayne, S.K - The Ice Twins recommended
Trueman, Terry - Stuck in neutral
Trigell, Jonathan - Boy AVerne, Jules - Journey to the Centre of the Earth - recommended
Wheatley, Dennis - The Haunting of Toby Jugg
Winter, Tom - Lost and Found recommended
Wyndham, John - The Kraken awakes
Watson, S J - Before I go to sleep
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos - The Shadow Of The Wind
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos - The Angel's Game
Ryan, Carrie - The Forest Of Hands & Teeth
Wroblewski, David - The story of Edgar SawtelleZevin, Gabrielle - The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry recommended
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Acquired pre 2018
- Minnette Walters - The shape of snakes
- Logic - A very short introduction
- Wilkie Collins The Woman in White
- Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales (modern translation)
- The Essential tales of Chekhov
- A Winter's tale
- Othello
- The Merchant of Venice
- Julius Caesar
- Twelfth night
- Collected works of Tennyson
- The Four Loves - C S Lewis
- Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan
- The Trial - Franz Kafka (audio)
- Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings - Edited by David Chalmers
- Ian Rankin - Watchmen
- Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities
- JoJo Moyes - The Girl You Left Behind
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The Road Less Traveled
- My Favourite Wife - Tony Parsons
- C J Sansom : Dark Fire
- Joanne Harris - Five quarters of the orange
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Ronnie Corbett - High Hopes -
Robin Hobb - Renegade's Magic
Books acquired 2018:
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The Philosopher and the Gospels - Keith Ward -
The Memory Game - Nicci French -
Rachel's Holiday - Marian Keyes -
This Charming Man - Marian Keyes
Books acquired 2019:
- Christian Theology: An Introduction - Alistair McGrath
- The adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
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Introducing Psychology a graphic guide - Nigel Benson -
Introducing Psychotherapy a graphic guide - Nigel Benson, Borin Van Loon -
The Psychology Book - Nigel Benson
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Cassandra Darke - Posy Simmonds -
Gemma Bovary - Posy Simmonds -
The Well - Catherine Chanter -
Frenchman's Creek - Daphne Du Maurier
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Previous logs:
2018 (14)
2017 (10)
2016 (9)
2015 (10)
2014 (19)
2013 (21)
2012 (19)
2011 (17)
2010 (19)
2009 (23)
2008 (26)
2007 (21)Completed:
Secrets in the Dark - Frederich Buechner
The Memory Game - Nicci French
The Philosopher and the Gospels - Keith Ward
Rachel's Holiday - Marian Keyes
Introducing Psychology, a graphic guide - Nigel Benson
High Hopes - Ronnie Corbett
Introducing Psychotherapy a graphic guide - Nigel Benson, Borin Van Loon
Gentleman Jim - Raymond Briggs
Vortex Butterflies (a Dr Who graphic novel with David Tenant's doctor)
Locke and Key, Head Games (book 2) - Joe Hill
Pride and Prejudice - Jane AustinCassandra Darke - Posy Simmonds
Back when we were Grown-ups - Anne Tyler
Renegade Magic - Robin Hobb
Gemma Bovary - Posy Simmonds
The Well - Catherine Chanter
Frenchman's Creek - Daphne Du Maurier
The Fault in our Stars - John Greene
Currently reading:
Christian Theology: An Introduction - Alistair McGrath
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8 hours ago, poppy said:
I was a child/teenager in the 60's and like you find it hard to believe people were so judgemental then. It would have been very difficult for solo mum's to keep their babies without the support of their families and they would have been the target of a lot of gossip and even ostracism. I can't imagine how terribly painful it must have been to be forced to give a baby up.
Where was she from, Andrea? Sounds a very interesting book to read, albeit heartbreaking at times.
She was living in or near London, England, but her family was from Ireland and were strict Catholics. It's amazing how times and attitudes have changed. I would definitely recommend it. It was so interesting, and really well written.
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The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers by Angela Patrick and Lynne Barrett-Lee
This is the true story of Angela Patrick, who gets pregnant at 19 in the sixties. Coming from a strict Catholic family, and being under the age of 21, she is forced to have the baby in secret and give it up for adoption.
This book is in three parts, the first part details her time at the harsh convent, which is more like a Victorian workhouse. This was the hardest part to read as it is so shocking and upsetting. I found it hard to believe the attitudes of society at the time, as well as the harshness of the life at the convent, in what feels like such recent history. Parts two and three cover her life afterwards and were so much easier to read I raced through them in one sitting. It's a haunting story, and even though it ha such a dark beginning, it's not all doom and gloom and there is a lot of positivity in it too. It was a fascinating read (if harrowing at times) and I'm glad I read it, and would definitely recommend it.
SpoilerOne thing I really liked was the way the Angela maintained her integrity, and found forgiveness for those who had hurt her, and managed to hold on to her faith even though her experiences could have been enough to turn her totally against it.
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Great reviews! I like the sound of The Coffin Path and Ghost Wall. I also enjoyed your review of Poppy Shakespeare which I've wanted to read for a while. I've seen the film with Naomie Harris which I thought was great, if a little confusing.
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Interesting thoughts on The Handmaid's Tale Ian. I too struggled a bit but overall really liked it. I found the subject a bit too extreme, but it was so beautifully written I could forgive it that. I was undeniably hooked as I read it, and found it to be the sort of book that stays with you afterwards, which is the best kind really.
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That sounds like a big job Kylie! Good luck with it and well done for what you've achieved so far.
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Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
This is book two of the Soldier Son trilogy. The Speck plague has devastated the city of Old Thares and the Cavalla training academy. Nevare Burvelle, who has made a remarkable recovery from the plague makes his way home for his brother's wedding, only to find a cool welcome awaits. Not only was he infected with the plague, he has also been infected by Speck magic, which leads to uncomfortable side-effects which only exacerbate his problems at home and make him unfit to serve in the army. Eventually he heads East, to the only regiment which will probably have him, and to the land of the Specks themselves.
Overall I enjoyed reading this but I did find it very slow, especially the second half. As usual I enjoy the characters and worlds that Robin Hobb creates however I have no idea why this book needed to be over 800 pages long. There aren't enough dramatic scenes and much of the second half of the book seems to focus on the main character's introspection which I found quite repetitive and somewhat irritating. I did wonder if she was writing to a publisher-set page count target as well as a deadline. I didn't love the main character either, I kept shaking my head at his apparent dullness. The reader is given much more insight than the protagonist, and it makes him comes across as stupid at times. The subject matter is also a little odd for me. The magic in this book is somewhat sexual and sensual and there are a few sex scenes which I just found a bit tedious and jarring after a while. So it's not her best book, but I still found it strangely readable and want to know what happens next. So I will be reading the third book, however from what I have heard, I wont get my hopes up.
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Ah mystery solved! Thanks Hayley. And welcome AdminBCF
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This is an intriguing new user. Who is the mysterious AdminBCF? Is it an existing admin in a new disguise? (Sorry, being nosy!)
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We did the chrysalids in school. I remember really enjoying it but don't remember if we read the whole thing or just bits of it. I ought to give it a re-read I think.
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Beneath the Bleeding by Val McDermid
From Amazon: When Robbie Bishop, star midfielder for the Bradfield Vics, is poisoned by a rare and deadly toxin, profiler Dr Tony Hill and trusted colleague DCI Carol Jordan have their work cut out for them. Robbie was adored, so the public want answers – but the answers aren't coming, and trails are running cold. Then a bomb explodes in the football stadium, causing massive casualties – and another man dies from poisoning. Is there a link between the cases? And what are the motives for these crimes? The clock is ticking for Tony and Carol – and the death toll keeps rising…
I picked this up because I really enjoyed Wire in the Blood on TV and this is from the same series. I enjoyed reading it and was engaged and interested in the story, but I didn't find the characters other the two main ones very interesting. They all seemed to merge into each other and I couldn't tell them apart. Like most detective novels I've read, I enjoyed it well enough but it didn't really stay with me. Perhaps whodunnits just aren't really my thing. I think many detective novels are pretty formulaic and I suppose that's the problem I had with this one. If you know what to expect though you'd probably find this enjoyable enough.
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The only one that springs to mind is Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, though I suspect you're looking for something a bit more recent?
There are some lists on Goodreads but I'm not familiar with any of them so I can't comment I'm afraid.
Good question though. Are there any that you would recommend?
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I'm not loving Jodie Whittaker either, though I do like her as an actor. I also have no problem with a female doctor. (I'd love to see Miriam Margolyes in the role). I find Jodie Whittaker plays a very flustered doctor, always on the back foot and yes a little forced. Hopefully she'll settle into the role though. I loved Capaldi, he was my favourite of the new doctors, so I guess she has a lot to live up to for me.
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It's not always at the end of a page when it's in a post. Sometimes it's just in the post:
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No I haven't. I would like to though, as I very much enjoyed reading this one, apart from the ending of course. (I just found it a let down after being so thoroughly hooked.)
Thank you I'll check out the Cicero trilogy. I've heard good things about his Roman historical novels!
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20 hours ago, Hayley said:
@~Andrea~ Thanks for letting me know, I've asked for it to be changed to a setting that specifically directs the ads to the end of posts, so let me know if that works. Were you on pc or mobile?
Thanks Hayley. I was on desktop PC.
EDIT: I'm still seeing it occasionally. I'll see an ad at the bottom of a page, and the same ad will appear in the middle of a post in that thread, on PC. It's not a huge issue for me though, just slightly annoying. It would be worse on mobile I suppose but I don't browse the forum on my phone.
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I saw an ad in the middle of a thread post just now.
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Conclave by Robert Harris
The Pope is dead, which means a new pope must be elected quickly and in absolute secrecy. Over a hundred cardinals from around the world must spend 72 hours confined to vatican city amidst the ambition and rivalry of the frontrunners.
I really enjoyed reading this. I didn't expect to. I didn't really know what to expect and actually as I started reading it, for at least 50 pages or so, I thought I wouldn't like it at all. I expected it to be dull and found it a slow start. However as the story unfolded I became thoroughly absorbed. The details of the world were very well researched and fascinating and as I got to know the characters and the factions, each round of voting became nail-biting. As I raced towards the end I thought this was going to be a real favourite of the year. Sadly I hated the ending and it ruined the book for me. So while I wanted to love this book, and almost did, I was ultimately disappointed.
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I've been meaning to re-read those two A Mole books at some point too, and then move on to the later ones. I just hope the later ones don't disappoint as I loved the teenage diaries!
Raven's Reads
in Book Blogs - Discuss your reading!
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That's twice as many as me. I've given up setting goals. Happy reading this year.