bobblybear

It's been a while since I read it though, so I can't remember exactly.

I can't remember that, but I remember Big Jim Rennie constantly pounding on his chest to keep his heart beating properly.

I'm now reading We Were Liars by E Lockhart. Very good so far - I'm about a third of the way in. After that I plan to re-read IT by Stephen King, after having seen the trailer for the new movie out later this year.

Wow - that's a shame. I loved The Book Thief! Did you find it boring, or just not your kind of book?

Glad you enjoyed it! Yup, the twist was brilliant. I had to go back and re-read some of it because I couldn't believe what I was reading. I can't remember the epilogue but I recall thinking that there was one twist too many at the end which spoiled an otherwise great read.

I didn't enjoy Midnight's Children either. In fact, I don't think I finished it. I wanted to like it because like you say, it's a modern classic, but it just didn't do it for me.

I've started watching Santa Clarita Diet. Loving the dark humour.

Cliffhanger. It was so corny! I can't believe it's 24 years old. Makes me feel old. I also watched Me Before You which is on Netflix. It was ok - watchable, but nowhere nearly as good as the book.

Steven Pinker and Jared Diamond write books that might be up your alley, and I think they are a bit more readable than Dawkins.

I'm feeling quite restless with my reading lately. I've nearly finished Insomnia by Stephen King, and I should pick up How The Mind Works by Stephen Pinker which I started a while ago, but I'm so indecisive with what to read next. I was going to read The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner, but after browsing Amazon I've just now bought Grunt by Mary Roach, which I'll probably read next. It's a nice - if not frustrating - problem to have, with so many books to choose from.

I also have struggled to enjoy The Dark Tower. The series gets better, and I think peaks with Wizard and Glass, and then sort of tapers off. I think I wanted to enjoy it a lot more than I actually did. Still, I keep hoping that a re-read will change my mind.

I loved IT and have read it a couple of times. I plan on re-reading it this year. I don't recall being too confused by the timelines as one is when the characters are kids and the other ones is when they are adults. My other favourite is The Stand, and I can't recommend it highly enough....especially if you are enjoying IT. I have mixed feelings about The Dark Tower. The first two books are difficult, the next two were very good and the rest were just ok. I do want to read it again though, to see if I enjoy it more this time around.

My mojo took a major nose dive after I struggled through Death and the Devil by Frank Schatzing. Really, I should have given up on it, but you get to a certain point when you figure you may as well finish it. So, I've now picked up Insomnia (a re-read) by Stephen King to kickstart my mojo. Seems to be working.

I have the first book - Leviathan Wakes - on my Kindle, but haven't got around to reading it yet. I take it, it's good if you have bought the sequel?

Great reviews, Kay. I'm a big fan of Bill Bryson and enjoyed The Road to Little Dribbling. A Kestrel For A Knave sounds heavy, but it also sounds like something I might enjoy so I have added it to my wishlist.

^ Oh dear, so not a good one then? I only bought it because it was £0.99 and it won so many awards, but I wasn't sure it would be my kind of book. I will still give it a go though....I hope I enjoy it more than you did.

I finished Bird Box this morning. Overall it was disappointing as not a whole lot happened. I might have to give up on The Selfish Gene. As much I want to read it and the topic interests me, I just find it such a struggle. It's not told in an easily understandable way (for my mind anyway), and I find I'm doing more skimming rather than actual reading. I've started Death and the Devil by Frank Schatzing. I bought it way back in 2012, after loving The Swarm, and also I want to read the books that I've had on my TBR pile for ages. It's not blowing me away at the moment, but I don't know if it's the mood I'm in. I'm feeling very restless and picky with my reading lately. Part of it is being overwhelmed by my TBR pile (which happens every so often). I start browsing through my Kindle and there are so many I want to read that I can't seem to just settle on one.

Thanks Madeleine. Sounds like it might be worth a watch then.

Apple Tree Yard - Louise Doughty The story beings in a courtroom, where the narrator is on trial for something not yet revealed. She is a 52 year old geneticist, and many months earlier she started an affair with a married man. Presumably, this had consequences which resulted in her being in court now. The story is told in the first person, as though she is telling her lover everything that has happened. She refers to him as 'you' throughout which sometimes I found a bit confusing. The narration is a bit stilted but the main character isn't supposed to be someone you can warm to....she is quite clinical and this comes across strongly. I liked it, but I thought the start of the book – when she begins her affair – was a bit impulsive. It just didn't fit, and the person she had the affair with was so ordinary and it was never revealed why she was so attracted to him. The story is slowly eked out over the course of the affair, with occassional intermissions from the courtroom setting in the future. The reader knows it doesn't end well, and the suspense that leads to the endpoint is quite effective. Unfortunately I missed watching the mini-series of this. It's such a shame as I had just finished the book and I would have liked to compare the two, but I didn't know it was on until it was all over. I'm sure I can catch up with it on BBC iPlayer if I'm so inclined. Not sure what I think of Emily Watson as the lead character. Did anyone manage to watch this? How does it compare to the book? 4.5/6

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon This is the story of two cousins, who over a number of years built up a comic book empire in New York. The setting is just before the start of WWII. Clay is a young lad of about 15 who works as an illustrator at a comic book business. One day, his cousin Joe turns up needing a place to stay. Joe has just migrated from Prague, escaping from the German invasion. It turns out that he is equally passionate about illustrations and maybe a touch more talented. Together they create a comic book character – The Escapist - which soon becomes a best seller. But in meantime Joe is also desperately working to get his remaining family over to New York from Prague. The story moves in many different directions and spans a long time period (about 15 years), however comic books and their history provide a backdrop for most of the book. It was very well researched with so much trivia about the history of comic books (I can only assume it's all true), and well written but for me it was too long. It was just over 600 pages, but I feel like the actual story could have been told in 400 pages. It often went off on many tangents and these sections were so long that I struggled to keep my focus. I read it in chunks and in between I had to put it to one side to read something a bit lighter. I think I'm in the minority though, and most people seem to have enjoyed it a lot more than I did. Had it been trimmed down, it still could have told a brilliant story without losing much depth or character. 3.5/6

Oh no, that doesn't bode well! Maybe just skim read the start in the hopes that you'll remember? Bird Box is going well, and seems like a fairly quick read.

Still struggling with The Selfish Gene, so I'm going to read some fiction. I've decided on Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

I'm hoping this is a good read. I bought it late last year in one of the Kindle sales, but not sure if it's my kind of book. I'm still reading The Selfish Gene. I'm struggling a bit, as I find it a bit convoluted rather than explained in a simplistic way.

Fifteen, which is really good for me! Way behind on reviews though.

I finished Ready Player One last night, and really enjoyed it. Now I've started The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.