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chesilbeach

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Posts posted by chesilbeach

  1. I would also like to read a magazine about books, even if it was only out a few times a year. Its often hard to know exactly what books are coming out and when.

     

    I would recommend getting one of the broadsheets on a weekend then. I promise I don't work for them, but I do seem to be pushing their paper a lot, but I like the Guardian for their book coverage. The Saturday edition has a books supplement which covers both fiction and non-fiction, mostly looking at the latest hardback releases, which will give you a heads up for what will be out in paperback later in the year. I read their books website regularly to find out about new releases and it's easy to catch up using the archives if you miss a few weeks worth.

  2. I saw 'A Serious Man' again over the weekend and found more parts to laugh at, surprisingly! :lol: Such a lovely film :ditto:.

     

    I'm glad you got to see it, peacefield :lol: It seems absolutely ages since I saw it!

     

    I saw it nominated in the Oscars, but then because A Single Man is also nominated, I kept getting the two mixed up as they look so similar when skim reading the screen, so was thinking to myself "I don't remember Colin Firth in it?" :lol:

  3. Title: A Touch of Dead

    Author: Charlaine Harris

    Publisher: Gollancz

    Rating: 2/5

     

    Synopsis: (from fantasticficiton.co.uk)

    Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written - in one special volume - from the New York Times bestselling author.

     

    New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her 'spunky' (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written - together in one volume.

     

    Stories include 'Fairy Dust,' 'One Word Answer,' 'Dracula Night,' 'Lucky,' and 'Giftwrap.'

     

    Review:

    Well, I'm really not having much luck at the moment - another disappointing book! However, I should clarify that I did enjoy it, but, boy am I glad that I got it from the library and didn't spend my hard earned cash on it. A hardback book, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to 208 pages, with a large typeface, big spacing, blank pages, a title page for each story plus a double page illustration at the start of each one, it did smack of publishing a book just to make money.

     

    The stories themselves were entertaining enough, but overall, I found them unsatisfying, and I even felt the reveal at the conclusion of "Giftwrap" was slightly sickening. A quick and easy read for true Sookie fans only, but otherwise, one to avoid and poor value for money.

  4. Jasper states quite clearly on his website that he's never going to sell the rights to the TN books and that if ever a miniseries was to be made out of them, he would be behind it all, so if it ever does happen I think they would at the very least be pretty awesome :roll:!

     

    I'm still not sure even that would be a good idea! :)

  5. Title: Cranford

    Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

    Publisher: Bloomsbury

    Rating: 3/5

     

    Synopsis: (from waterstones.com)

    "Cranford" is the best known and most charming of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels. It is a comic portrait of an early Victorian country village and its genteel inhabitants, mostly women, whose social attitudes remain firmly unchanging against the modernising world, and whose domestic details dominate conversation. Gaskell describes the uneventful lives of Cranford's inhabitants in this witty and poignant classic which deserves to be read and re-read.

     

    Review:

    Oh dear, my second disappointment in a row! While I loved the writing style, the subject and the characters, I found I'd been spoiled by watching the BBC adaptation first. The trouble with reading the book second was that the stories and events were in a different order to the adaptation, different characters got married (or even died!) than did on the television, and whereas dialogue is obviously important in the visual medium, the style of the writing (similar to a journal) didn't include much actual dialogue and the nature of conversation is implied rather than written.

     

    I think if I'd read the book before having seen the series I would have loved it, and although I can usually isolate the two mediums and view them as separate entities, in this case, I just couldn't achieve that. I will, however, look to read North and South by Gaskell, as I've never seen it on screen, and I think I will enjoy the style, and the period, characters and society the author writes about.

  6. Title: Ox-Tales: Earth

    Author: Various authors

    Publisher: Profile Books

    Rating: 2/5

     

    Synopsis: (from waterstones.com)

    "Ox-Tales" is a set of four compelling and collectible books, each themed on one of the elements. 'Water' features stories by Esther Freud, David Park, Heri Kunzru, ZoA" Heller, Michel Faber, William Boyd, Joanna Trollope, Giles Foden and Michael Morpurgo, and a poem by Vikram Seth. The idea behind "Ox-Tales" is to raise money for Oxfam and along the way to highlight the charity's work in project areas: agriculture in Earth, water projects in Water, conflict aid in Fire, and climate change in Air. The four books will play a central role in the first ever Oxfam Bookfest, a new annual event launching in July 2009. Created in partnership with Hay Festival, the program includes more than 300 events across the UK.

     

    Review:

    I've thoroughly enjoyed my ventures into short stories over the last few years, and I so wanted to enjoy this book what with some of my favourite authors contributing and it being sold in aid of Oxfam, but unfortunately, I found it rather unsatisfying on the whole. The Earth collection included one poem, eight short stories, and one extract from a work in progress. Of these, I did enjoy the Rose Tremain story, and as she's an author I've only read one book by, I was pleased to find I liked this contribution, as I have another book on my TBR list, and lots of recommendations for her others, so I will definitely be reading more. I also loved the extract called "Telescope" by Jonathan Buckley, although I've never actually heard of him, the extract was the most intriguing piece in the collection, and I definitely want to read the book when it's published!

     

    Despite not being particularly inspired by this one, I think I will probably get the others, as they are only �5 each and some of that goes to Oxfam, plus I want to see what some of the other authors I admire have contributed, but I have lowered my expectations after this instalment and will be on the look out for some other short story collections by individual authors, as these have been more rewarding.

  7. Also, Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books - 'nuff said.

     

    I don't know if I could bear it! Could it ever live up to the books? I think I'd rather just stick with the version in my head.

     

    I'd still love to see a decent version of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. All the adaptations I've seen haven't captured the essence of the book at all as far as I'm concerned, so if someone could get that right, I'd be delighted.

  8. Can you let me know what 'Carbon Diaries' is like I have been tempted by it, as I read recently that the author had turned down Johnny Depp tp play and produce it because he wanted to set it in the US.

     

    Will do. I'll be writing a review in my reading blog when I've finished, so I'll drop you a note in a visitor message when it's there :)

     

    I read Beyond Black a couple of years ago, and still remain in two minds as to whether I liked it. It was certainly different but it didn't make comfortable reading.

     

    I read it for my reading group a couple of years ago, and I felt uncomfortable reading it too. Not my cup of tea at all, and it's put me off reading any more of her books :roll:

  9. I think it's actually really difficult to find a good magazine about books. All the ones I've found and liked have stopped being published, and the only ones I know about are newbooks which I find a bit bland, and the Waterstone's one BJ has already mentioned, but is obviously very much geared to selling the books so objectivity isn't its strong point.

     

    I tend to more often browse through the online newspaper book pages - usually either the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books) or The Times (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/). I prefer the Guardian as I find it better organised than The Times, but both cover a wide range of books and book related issues.

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