vodkafan

I finished The Help. I put my thought (not a review really) in the section on the Fiction part of the forum because I knew there would be a topic started. Don't seem any point repeating it here. It was great though.

I finished this 2 days ago and I just don't want to pick another book up yet. I just don't know what I am going to read that can follow that. It was superb. It kept me awake at night. I think it got under my skin because it was a real story What I mean is that some books, you have a cast of characters and they each do their thing in the plot but the end effect is like players on a stage, you feel they go home at the end of the book and nobody was really affected by events. The Help is very different. The characters are being changed by the events taking place and when it is finished nobody can ever be the same. Simply brilliant. Definitely a women's book though because all the protagonists are women.

Frankie I know you like Hobnobs but how do you feel about custard creams or bourbon biscuits? Do you have those in Finland?

Hi Ben, you have a lot of books I have never heard of; some of them look interesting though. Is the Rembrandt Secret a little like Da Vinci Code? Superficially the plot looks similar.

Sounds like something I could read for sure.

For the first time EVER reading a book I woke up worrying about what was going to happen next. After only 3 hours sleep.

Hi shirleyz forget my last comment it suddenly got good in the second chapter.

I started reading The Help last night but so far it is not grabbing me. But things have been busy last few days so maybe that's the reason.

Actually Vinay it's a pretty big and valid excuse ! Sorting out things like that does take a lot of mental energy and focus. Good luck with your chosen career path. Are you studying locally or do you have to travel? I have a friend in Bangalore and he has to commute about an hour each way every day on a crowded bus and his journey is in no way restful!

I couldn't believe Room was like £1.99 or something to download on the kindle...thanks to you Weave that was the first one I snapped up.

Hi catwoman, Lot of good reading there for a couple of quid ! So Dean Koontz has done a version of Frankenstein? Interesting...how does it compare to the original? About Vonnegut, one which really made an impression on me was Dead Eye Dick. But I have heard a lot of people say they didn't like it. But it made me think a lot about choices in life, accidents that change us, and about us becoming what we do .

Don't know haven't read them yet! I have 1/4 of a book to finish then I will start on one of the new ones tonight...looking forward to choosing.

Hi all, I haven't been using my mobile phone much the last 2 weeks so the money I would have spent on top ups I spent on books from Amazon downloaded onto my kindle. I am really chuffed because I got all the ones I have been recommended on here recently plus a couple of random purchases. All in all I got 7 books for £20.49. They are: The Help Room Never Let Me Go The Girl Who Played With Fire The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest Return Of The Men Galaxy Unknown The only one which was expensive was The Help at £6.49, all the others were far cheaper than buying a new physical book. Compared to my old habit of browsing Charity shops , this is more expensive, BUT for once I can be reading the same contemporary books that everyone else is...

Ho Weave Room sounds like a must read, I think my wife would like it too, adding that one to my list right away thanks !!

I bought my 14 year old the first couple in this series for Christmas. She read them in a day each , I bought her the next 3 and then she bought herself the rest of the series. She is a voracious reader, just like me when I was her age; she reads a few years beyond her age though and I have to keep an eye on what she is reading; I don't really believe in censorship but don't want her getting into novels that are too dark.

It was the same with me Kidsmum, I always knew I would have to read it but kept putting it off, but then my wife saw the film (without me) and bought me the book for Christmas. Now I will have to get the other two on my kindle, I was in WHSmith today to check on prices so I could compare..read a page of The Helpwhile I was there...

I totally agree with Chrissy, that friend was out of order. Although I now have a kindle, a library is still like hallowed ground to me. I would never mock someone's choice of books. I hope the reading group thing works out for you Frankie. How much does your bf read ? What does he do when you are deep in a book? Is that when he reads too?

Hi lopeanha I certainly will. I am curious as to where the story is going to go next. There was an extract of the second book at the back of the first but I did not read it.

I just finished The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I devoured it in two days, it was great.

I read Dune and Dune Messiah about 30 years ago. I do remember even now that Messiah was a disapointment, nothing like the original novel at all.

You are missing a treat Kylie !! If you are good and read that straight away I will send you a different Vance book. How about that ?

Jack Vance books are hard to find Giulia. I can send it to you if you want?

review: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville I finally got around to reading this book that I had heard so much about on here. How to review this one without giving anything away? Well, if you like your sci-fi based on hard science fact then this book is not for you. But if you want to let your mind be taken on a walk among the what-ifs then this is a treat. You just have to suspend disbelief and go with it. This is an alternative universe where single shot flintlocks coexist with steam powered robots and punch card difference engines (computers). Not to mention all the various races (great, not an elf or a dwarf in sight!) and a sprinkling of magic. I enjoyed it very much. It is a slow read I would say, there is a lot of description, which is not wasted because you do get the feel for this vast dirty city. I was from the first pages sucked into the story but I had no idea where it was going. That just blew me away!! What was Mr Mieville smoking when he thought this up ?

Review: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville I finally got around to reading this book that I had heard so much about on here. How to review this one without giving anything away? Well, if you like your sci-fi based on hard science fact then this book is not for you. But if you want to let your mind be taken on a walk among the what-ifs then this is a treat. You just have to suspend disbelief and go with it. This is an alternative universe where single shot flintlocks coexist with steam powered robots and punch card difference engines (computers). Not to mention all the various races (great, not an elf or a dwarf in sight!) and a sprinkling of magic. I enjoyed it very much. It is a slow read I would say, there is a lot of description, which is not wasted because you do get the feel for this vast dirty city. I was from the first pages sucked into the story but I had no idea where it was going. That just blew me away!! What was Mr Mieville smoking when he thought this up ?

haha I make no apologies for bumping this thread back up. Kasa did you read The Dying Earth yet? And you Kylie did you get around to Emphryrio?