nursenblack
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Posts posted by nursenblack
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Finished today Jan. 2nd
#1
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (read via Kindle per library loan)
568 pages
synopsis from amazon.com
It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned; the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa—a large, silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants—life is about to be transformed as impoverished widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.
With the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the “clerk class,” the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. Little do the Wrays know just how profoundly their new tenants will alter the course of Frances’s life—or, as passions mount and frustration gathers, how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.
Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize three times, Sarah Waters has earned a reputation as one of our greatest writers of historical fiction, and here she has delivered again. A love story, a tension-filled crime story, and a beautifully atmospheric portrait of a fascinating time and place, The Paying Guests is Sarah Waters’s finest achievement yet.my review
I had heard a lot of buzz about this novel and was compelled to pick it up. I didn't really know what to expect, but my expectations were high. Sadly, I was disappointed in this predictable tale that had a lackluster end. The characters where not likeable at all and there was no one I could root for or rally behind at all. I thought the story had all been done before with the only unique thing being the romance. Nothing much happens for the first 150 pages- definitely a wordy, slow burner.
All that being, the writing was nice and Waters can tell a story well, even if it is an unsurprising story. The dialog really put me in the scene and I enjoyed that most of all.
The Paying Guests was just okay and did not live up to the hype I've read about it. I do like the Waters writing style, but haven't decided if I would pick up something else from her or not. (3/5)
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In 2014 I didn't read a single classic. These are the classics - what I consider classics anyways- I would like to read. A couple of these I own.
Classics Wishlist
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (reread)
1984 by George Orwell
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Emma by Jane Austen TBR
The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins
Beloved by Toni Morrison
A Separate Peace by John Knowles TBR
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey TBR
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess TBR
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EngleMurder on the Orient Express by Agatha ChristieDracula by Bram StokerLolita by Vladimir NabokovBreakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote -
My Wishlist (In no particular order)
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Eve by Anna Carey
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
If Everyone Knew Every Plant and Tree by Julia C Johnston
Wuthering Heights: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Annabella Bloom, Emily Bronte
The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle, Patrick Arrasmith
Fortune's Rock by Anita Shreve
Born of Illusion by Teri BrownReadSay Her Name by James Dawson
One on One by Tabitha King
We Were Liars by E. Lockhar
The One & Only by Emily Giffin
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
Panic by Lauren Oliver
Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve
Under The Light by Laura Whitcomb
The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
What Was She Thinking? Notes On a Scandal by Zoë Heller
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Tideland by Mitch Cullin
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Nursenblack's (Laura's) Reading List 2015
This years reading goal: 40 books (I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but in 2014 I only read 34!)
Rating Scale (1-5)
1) Awful. Only fit for a birdcage liner
2) So so. Probably will not recommend
3) I liked it okay, but it was lacking
4) Enjoyable read. Will recommend
5) I loved it! Will shout it from the rooftops!
TBR Books (Owned-Physical Books)
Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev YA
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare YA
The Land of Stories:The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer Children's
Dark Places by Gillian Glynn
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente Children's
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs YA
Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted YA
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier YA
The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw
Anita and Me by M. Syal YA
Jasmyn by Alex Bell
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey YA
She's Come Undone by Wally LambThe Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Kafka By the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen YA
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause YA
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternThe Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors YA
Wither by Lauren DeStefano YA
Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone by Kate Rosenfield YA
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Anthropology of An American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann
The Bloody Chamber (short stories) by Angela Carter
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor
Slated by Teri Terry YA
The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller YA
All You Desire by Kristen Miller YA
Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
Transgression by Sarah Dunant
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck YA
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Ransom by Julie Garwood
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
The Body in The Library by Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
Heaven by V.C Andrews YA
Ruby by V.C. Andrews YA
Long Man by Amy Greene
The Cave, The Cabin & The Tattoo Man by Tim Callahan
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson YA
A Song For Summer by Eva Ibbotson YA
Griffin's Castle by Jenny Nimmo Children's
Temptation by R.L. Stine YA
The Boy In Striped Pajamas by John Boyne YA
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Children's
Mrs. Darcy and The Blue-Eyed Stranger (short stories) by Lee Smith
Same Sun Here by Silas House & Neela Vaswani
Wuthering Heights: The Graphic Novel by Emily Bronte, Sean Michael Wilson, John M. Burns
Splintered by A.G. Howard YA
Murder on Sugar Creek by Michelle GoffRead -
Wow what a giant TBR! You're so organized too. We have some of the same books in our TBR pile. I can't wait for you to read Gone Girl and I Capture the Castle. Also Carson McCullers's books are wonderful.
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I really enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane too. I really need to read more of his stuff though. I've only read this and The Graveyard Book, which I loved.
The Magician books sound interesting. Are they a trilogy or a series?
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I can't wait for the third book of The 5th Wave trilogy. I have no clue what the title is though. At this point I'm not really aware of any others to be excited about.
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Didn't you just get a couple of those for Christmas? Gees, you are fast! How many books have you read this year?
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I received a Kindle Fire HD (32GB) as a Christmas gift, and though I am extremely appreciative of the gift, I find myself a little hesitant to use it. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite literate when it comes to tech devices, but in a weird sort of way using a Kindle feels like a bit of a betrayal to my beloved bound and paged books.
Logic has me realising that I am being pathetically silly.
Was anyone else reluctant to take that first estep into modernity? And if I am to embrace my Kindle what are the best ways to get the most out of it?
I sympathize with your reluctance to use your Kindle. I was the same way and was very anti-kindle for a while. I've had my Kindle for a few years and I use it very often. Sometimes I'll read one real book and one book on my kindle at the same time. One thing I found, it makes reading a lot quicker because it is so accessible and if you are busy, say doing housework, you can have the kindle read to you with most books. When I got mine the Kindle Fire didn't exist, but I think I would be more reluctant of the Fire because of the other features that might distract me from reading. I think when my Kindle becomes a dinosaur (it almost is) I will opt for one of the new versions that is strictly for reading, but it is your own personal preference.
Well, the point I am trying to make is give it a try and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I don't know if this will sway you, but my grandmother got a Kindle identical to mine that same Christmas and she loves hers. She will be 90 in April, and if she can get into something so modern I'm sure you can.
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The Barbers had said they would arrive by three.
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
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I was comparing my list on here to my Goodreads list and realized that the count was off by one. I had accidentally counted #20 twice and had to go back and relabel each one from there! So, I have actually read 34 books this year instead of 33. Didn't quite hit my goal though.
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The Rabbit Back Literature Society is going on my wishlist. It sounds like my kinda read. It gets released here in the States on January 20th.
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Scarlet Ibis looks really good. At first I thought is was the short story The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. I wonder if it's based on it.
I'm definitely adding The Imaginary to my wishlist. I love that cover.
Happy reading!
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Finished Dec. 26th
# 34
The Infinite Sea (The Second Book of The 5th Wave) by Rick Yancey
synopsis from amazon.com
How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.
Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.
Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.my review
The Infinite Sea, the second book of The 5th Wave trilogy, is definitely just as action packed and almost as enthralling as the first novel. I anticipate these becoming very very popular, possibly even to Huger Games status, because they appeal to both genders and young adult to adult. The trilogy is labeled young adult, but don't let that fool you because the graphic violence and language is often of an adult nature.
All that being said, even though I enjoyed The Infinite Sea, I didn't find myself totally immersed as I did in the first novel. The reason is that the MCs change throughout the series and supporting characters become narrators. This is a trend in YA trilogies lately that really annoys me. Thank goodness that Cassie was still a narrator, but Ben's pov was replaced by Ringer's. Other than that I don't have too much to complain about. I did like the second book and can't wait to find out what happens next. (4/5)
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Woohoo! Received books for Christmas! If you look closely you'll see that Wuthering Heights is actually a graphic novel. My first graphic novel ever. Excited!
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1. Sense & Sensibility
2. Mansfield Park
3. Persuasion
I've got your back on this Claire! I love the idea of Pride & Prejudice, and can watch every film version known to man, and swoon with the best of the them, but the novel itself just didn't do it for me as much. It used to be up there until I read the MP and Persuasion.
My disclaimer is: I haven't read Emma nor Northanger Abby, and have only read the others once.
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77 books is quite impressive. Think you might squeeze one or two more in before the new year?
I see you've read Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy. I haven't read the third one yet, but I hope I like it better than the second.
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I feel like a teenager talking about this, but I was at someone's house tonight and in walked my TV celebrity crush from the 1980s. She just said her friend was coming over, but not who it was. When she said his first name, it clicked. It was all I could do to keep from blushing! Not at all what I expected to do with my evening.
I have to know who it is!
In the '80s, I remember having a crush on Michael J Fox because of Back To The Future. Also, of course, Zack from Saved By The Bell in late 80's early 90's.
David Bowie has always been an idol of mine. And to me he will always be the Goblin King! <3
I had a friend whose mom wouldn't let her watch The Labyrinth because of Bowie's bulge. She said it was vulgar.
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I really really wanted to watch this show, but I already have HBO and can't afford to add STARZ on right now. Guess I'll just have to read the books.
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I'm thoroughly disappointed in my reading list this year. I had a pretty crappy year as well, and often found it hard to read through my depression.
Your favourite read of the year? The Book Thief by Mark Zusak
Your favourite author of the year? Mary Kubica. I love her style and can't wait to read more from her.
Your most read author of the year? Three way tie between Lois Lowry, Charlaine Harris, and Veronica Roth
Your favourite book cover of the year?
To bad the book wasn't good.
The book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin and Fallen by Lauren KateThe book that most disappointed you? Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The funniest book of the year? I don't think I read anything funny
Your favourite literary character this year? Hetty from The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Your favourite children's book this year? Being Wendy by Fran Dresher. I love the message of this picture book.
Your favourite classic of the year? Didn't read any! I'm so disappointed
Your favourite non-fiction book this year? Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman
Your favourite biography this year? Didn't read any
Your favourite collection of short stories this year? Didn't read any
Your favourite poetry collection this year? Didn't read any
Your favourite illustrated book of the year? The Neverending Story
Your favourite publisher of the year? No clue
Your favourite audiobook of the year? Didn't listen to any
Your favourite re-read of the year? Didn't reread any
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#33
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
synopsis from goodreads.com
Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.
Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.
An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a compulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems….my review
The Good Girl is a unique debut novel. Each chapter switches narrators from three characters perspectives (Mia's mother, the detective, and the kidnapper), which sometimes I find really annoying and unnecessary, but in this case, it works. Personally, I wouldn't categorize this novel as a thriller, but more of a psychological mystery.
There have been many comparisons between The Good Girl and Gone Girl, which, in my opinion, are not alike but fans of the later will probably enjoy it. I know I did. (5/5)
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#31
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
my review
When I first read about this YA novel about a brother and sister that fall in love, I thought it sounded pretty edgy and I knew I had to read it. Sadly, I thought Forbidden was a major disappointment. For something so taboo, it was so so boring. Nothing happens for the first half of the novel, and when it does I just didn't buy it. The ending was a bit of a shocker, but other than that it was a real snoozer. (2/5)
#32
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
my review
What more can I say than, I really enjoyed this book in the series more than the others. The suspense kept me reading, and I liked learning more about the Queen. There's been many times that I haven't been a fan of the series, but for some unknown reason I keep on going. I guess it's because they are such fun. (4/5)
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Oh, I forgot one.
# 30
The Sisters by Nancy Jensen A very well written and dark novel about estranged sisters and their journeys through life. It was so bleak, and almost too real, with an unsatisfying ending that I made me not love it. (3/5)
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I am behind again.
#27
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta. I heard about the novel after watching the HBO series and was hoping it would shed more light on what was going on in a world where people literally vanished into thin air. It was interesting, but I needed more closure. (3/5)
#28
Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky This is not my usual sort of read (book club pick), but I thought the story sounded promising. It could have been great, but the dialog was so terrible I couldn't stand it. The characters were also painfully one dimensional. I've never read anything by this author before this and probably never will again. (1/5)
#29
The Storekeeper's Daughter by Wanda Brunstetter. This is the second time I've read this, once on my own and once for my book club. This is definitely an easy read that is categorized as "inspirational fiction" but the ending ruined it for me both times. I had no idea that this was the first of a trilogy, but I don't know if I even want to find out what happens next. (2/5)
Game of Thrones
in Music / TV / Films
Posted
I've been off from work for Christmas break and have binged watched Game of Thrones this week at night when my little girl is asleep, like my very life depends on it. I started with season one episode one and am now on season four episode nine (one and a half episodes to go). I had watched parts of episodes with the hubby before, but never straight through. I have become obsessed! How can I possibly wait until spring for season five?!