bobblybear
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Posts posted by bobblybear
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I finished Beatrice and Virgil this morning......definitely something to think about. I'm now reading Micro by Michael Crichton.
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Thanks, Athena!
Yes, The Abominable was not what I was expecting at all!! A lot of people who reviewed it on Amazon had the same quibbles as I did. 
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I'm nearing the end of Beatrice and Virgil and still can't figure out what it's about. There's got to be a message somewhere in there.
I just bought Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Happens in the End by Atul Gawande. I'm very curious about him and hear him mentioned now and then, so as it was on offer....
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The Abominable - Dan Simmons
The book starts with the author himself - Dan Simmons - visiting an old man in a nursing home – Jake Perry - who claims to have a story to tell about his experiences on Mount Everest. Jake wants his story told and so writes the manuscript. Upon his death several months later it finds its way to Dan Simmons who publishes it. I fell for it and only googling it I learned it was a plot device. Jake Perry is very fictional indeed.
Anyway, the story starts in the 1920s with George Mallory and Sandy Irvine having just gone missing on Mount Everest. Jake Perry and his companions – who are all alpine mountain climbers – devise a plan to go to Everest to search for them. Their trek is funded by the mother of another climber who went missing along with Mallory, on the condition that they are to thoroughly search the mountain site for his body.
Once they get to Everest, things aren't quite what they seem and it appears there is another more sinister reason that their climb has been funded.
Boy, did this story take long to get going! It's a massive book to start with (736 pages but I'm sure my hardback was over 1,000!!!), and they didn't start their climb of Everest until the last third. It was very, very detailed about mountain climbing, almost too detailed, with every single aspect being described to the nth detail, over and over and over again.
Seriously, I am not exaggerating. On top of that, the blurb is completely misleading! The inside cover leads the reader to believe that a creature (ie. a yeti) is following them and hunting them, when this is not what happened at all. Not even close to what happened.
It weaves fiction with non-fiction, but unfortunately certain aspects of fiction was utterly, utterly ludicrous and when a key part of the story was revealed it was so over the top that I gave up on the book (100 pages from the end). It's a shame, as this part of the story was so unnecessary, and just ruined it for me.
2/6
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Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami
Tsukuru had four very close friends in high school – 2 boys and 2 girls - all very different from one another, except that their names had a colour in them (and Tsukuru's didn't). He has always felt that this reflects his personality compared to his friends, with them being far more noticeable and memorable than him, while he is the ordinary one.
They remain solid friends through high school and university, when he is the only one of their group to move away. Then one day, when he returns home for a visit, his friends tell Tsukuru that they want nothing to do with him and he is no longer to contact them.
He shuts down inside, but respecting their wishes he carries on with his life alone. Sixteen years pass and he is now starting a relationship with Sara. When he tells her the story of his four former friends she senses that it is still raw, and pushes him to find out the cause of it all.
And so he makes a journey back into his past, reminiscing about what happened in his young adult years, and finally getting the courage to track down his former friends to get to the bottom of what happened.
This is another typical Murakami, and was a very enjoyable and introspective book, with the usual attention to the minutiae of the everyday items and objects. The characters were well drawn, and Tsukuru is a likeable enough person who you feel didn't deserve what happened to him. There was only a small bit of surrealism, and on the whole it was a mystery novel. It was also a novel that I felt had a proper conclusion, unlike some others of his that I have read.
Recommended.
4/6
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I read 1Q84 in (gasp) 2011. Didn't realize it was that long ago. oy. Anyhow, found my review, and here 'tis. http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/7824-pontalbas-2011-reading-list/?p=280470
As you will see I thought it was a bit overdone, but def worth it.
I have a copy of The Little Friend, but honestly, the cover puts me off! /blushing/ I'll be interested to see what you think of it.
Have you read any Murakami? He does like to go into infinite detail about what people are wearing, what they are eating and how they cook it, etc. I don't recall his other books being repetitive about his characters though....maybe that explains why the book is so long?
I will give it a go...it always seems to be available at the library, so I can borrow it pretty much whenever I feel like it. Book 1 + 2 are in one volume (in my local library) with Book 3 being separate.The Little Friend is on my shortlist of books to read this year. Is yours the cover with the dolls face? It's a bit freaky!
Great review of Doctor Sleep
. I'm glad you liked it. I have it on my TBR, I plan to read it some day, but after reading The Stand two months ago, I need a bit of a break from Stephen King and American slang.Thanks! I know what you mean....I often need a break from an author, even if I really enjoyed the book.
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Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
This is the sequel to the very famous The Shining, written over 30 years after the first book was published.
It starts off a very short while after the events of The Shining, and I think it's mainly to refresh readers memories about the main character (Danny Torrance), his 'shining' abilities and what happened at the Overlook Hotel.
The story really gets started when it jumps forward to Danny as a middle-aged man. After a few false starts in getting his life back on track, he is reasonably on the level, working at a hospice and having devised a method of keeping his shining under control. However, he is also aware of the presence of a nearby powerful “shining” power, who turns out to be Abra, a young child.
Alongside this, is a group of travelers known as The True Knot who have discovered immortality and youth by sucking up the power (what they call "steam") that is released from torturing people who have the shining. They too have honed in on Abra, and plan on killing her to get the 'steam' that they desperately need.
You don't need to have read The Shining to enjoy this, although I guess it helps fill the story out a bit if you have a fuller understanding. I think it can easily be read as a stand alone novel, as what happened in The Shining is never mentioned, aside from the introductory prologue. It was well written but maybe a touch longer than it could have been. It was a fairly lengthy book, and while I liked it it won't be one of my favourite King novels (nor is The Shining for that matter). Also it wasn't particularly scary – not like The Shining was – so I wouldn't class it as horror at all.
4/6
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I keep seeing And The Mountains Echoed at the library, but haven't borrowed it yet. I enjoyed The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns enough, though I thought the former was a bit saccharine. It's always available at the library, so maybe I will give it a read this year.
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Henry's second novel, written, like his first, under a pen name, had done well.
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
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I love these bookcases - both of you.
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Hmmm, I've had The Virgin Suicides on my TBR pile for a while, but have never read it because I always thought it would be a bit too....complex. I think I have Middlesex on my list as well, but again it has never grabbed me enough to pick it up. I haven't seen the movie.... have you seen it, and does it follow the book closely?
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ETA: The price is because of the cover, which apparently extends the battery life and means you don't have to charge as often.
Even with daily use, the Paperwhite only needs charging once a month - if that - and this is with WiFi on all the time!! I don't think they will sell that many....I don't see how they can justify the price.
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I hope you enjoy all of your new books
!!Thanks - I'm sure I will!
I've decided to try and get back into Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, which I think I started reading nearly a year ago!
For some reason, I stopped reading this about 60 pages from the end, because I felt like reading a fiction book. Unfortunately I've never picked it up again (it's on my bedside table!) and it has now been probably a good 6 months!
I will need to finish it, I just hope I haven't forgotten all I have read so far (I don't think I have, except for some of the finer details).I finished Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller....a good read, but it didn't blow me away. Just to make sure I was reading it right:
Was she pregnant by her father?
Next up for me is Beatrice and Virgil, by Yann Martel. I loved Life of Pi, so hope this one is as good.
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I watched the series a while ago, which I really enjoyed, but no I haven't read the books. I don't know anything about the books or whether the TV series follows them closely, so it will be interested to see how they compare. I will keep you posted on how I get on.
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I'm about halfway through Our Endless Numbered Days. Good so far.
I went to the library to return To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, and didn't intend to borrow anything. But I figured as I'm there I may as well have a browse...I came away with some great books.
I got:Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (I hope this is the first in the series, as the blurb on the cover wasn't very clear)
Go Set A Watchman - Harper Lee (I wasn't expecting this book to be available for ages!!)
Gillespie and I - Jane Harris (I loved The Observations and have been keeping an eye out for this one)
The Ice Twins - S K Tremayne (wasn't expecting to find this one either. It's been mentioned a couple of times very recently, with differing views).
I also saw Night Film by Marisha Pessl, but I already bought it this morning for £0.99 as a Kindle Daily Deal. I loved Special Topics in Calamity Physics and have been keeping an eye out for this one too).
All in all, a good 'book day'.
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Yikes!! £269.99!!
I won't be getting it as I'm very happy with my Paperwhite. I'll be surprised if many people buy it as I can't see that many benefits over the Paperwhite. I know it's lighter and thinner, but that doesn't matter all that much....I mean it's not as though the Paperwhite is a brick!! -
Yeah. I don't usually like surrealism so I decided to try that one. I thought it was absolute garbage. Frustratingly pointless with ridiculous, unbelievable and unlikeable characters. I was so annoyed after reading it
Oooh, that's made me really curious about it now! Unfortunately my library doesn't have a copy so I've added it to my Amazon wishlist.Sorry you didn't like the CRH so much... I hope you don't give up (Don't Let Me Go, hint, hint
).Don't worry, I won't give up....I shall give her another go at some point.
You can read this short story for free online here
.Thanks for the link. I will read it when I get some time free.
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1Q84 is intimidating me too! It's huge.
Yeah, it's massive! I know that should be a good thing if I'm enjoying it, but it's still intimidating. I hope to get to it this year (at least Book one), but I have so many that I plan on reading that who knows when I will get around to it.
Norwegian Wood and some short story with a long woman's name. Sher-something.
Heard of Norwegian Wood. I think Raven said that one had the least amount of surrealism, but I could be mistaken.
Was it Scheherazade?
Does it have a different name?? I can't find it on Amazon UK.
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I've added it to my wishlist. I have read a couple of her books and enjoyed them. She seems to write mainly historical fiction, which is always interesting.
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It is that! I nearly gave up 40-50 pages in I think, but then something clicked and I loved it.
It has picked up again, and I'm only 50 or so pages from the end so I will stick with it. It's a very odd book......the long rambling passages about the religion don't interest me, but the details of the main character's life does (like his dentistry, even though it's a bit gross!).
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Which one did you like the best, or which ones have you read?
I haven't read that many - The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, Sputnik Sweetheart, and Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage. The last one is on my list of books to be reviewed. I also read Kafka on the Shore, but that was so long ago and I don't remember anything about it, so it doesn't really count.
My favorite is The Wind Up Bird Chronicle because it was just so original and bizarre.I also want to read 1Q84, but every time I see it at the library I get intimidated by the size of it!!
I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Little Friend when you get around to reading it, Bobbly!
Hopefully I will get to it soon! I loved The Secret History and The Goldfinch, but gave up on The Little Friend when I tried it years ago. Maybe things will be different this time around.
Great reviews as ever BB
I've read too CRH books now, the first I loved, the second far too saccharine and average! Hum. I shall also choose my next one of hers carefully and avoid that one!
Thanks, Alexi!
Can you remember which CRH book you loved? -
Well done on catching up on some reviews
.Sputnik Sweetheart sounds nice, I should read some more of Haruki Murakami's books (though I don't own this one). It's a shame you didn't like Take Me With You a lot. I haven't read that particular one yet myself. I hope the next CRH you try, will be more enjoyable for you
.Thanks! I still have about 5 reviews to write, but I'm nearly there!
Take Me With You was just very ordinary....I wasn't particularly moved by it because it just seemed too sickly sweet. Considering the subject matter I thought it would be a bit more raw.
Sputnik Sweetheart was a good read, but not the best one I have read by him. I just love his way of writing, but you do have to be in the mood for it.
Great reviews
You make that Murakami book sound almost interesting - I've had two run-ins with him and neither was pleasant!Hope you enjoy Our Endless Numbered Days.
Which Murakami books have you read?
Thanks - I'm sure I will enjoy it as it sounds like my kind of book.
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Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson
This is another Jackson Brodie book; the only other one in the series I have read is Case Histories.
There are a number of stories running in parallel, which seem completely unrelated until you get a fair way through the book. Tracy Waterhouse is a retired police officer now working as a security guard in a shopping mall. On a complete impulse, she makes a very unusual purchase, which gets the attention of an older actress, Tilly, who can't get it out of her mind. Tilly is unfortunately showing the early signs of dementia which is causing problems with her recurring role on a detective TV show. In the same location where this purchase takes place, is Jackson Brodie, who is tracking down information for a woman who was adopted as a child.
Through these very disjointed and rambling dramas, the story is slowly built and as the book carries on you see the common threads.
Unfortunately I found this method of storytelling to be confusing and hard to keep track of. Things jump all over the place in time and storylines and you have to be really concentrating to keep up with what is going on. And the way it's told didn't make it very easy for me to concentrate.
However, I did like the way the stories came together at the end....there was something very satisfying about it all.This is the third Kate Atkinson I have read, and I can't see why so many people rave about her. I didn't enjoy Life After Life, but I enjoyed Case Histories. So, very undecided about her and I think I will take a break from her for a while.
3/6
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Take Me With You - Catherine Ryan Hyde
August is on a solo road trip heading to Yellowstone in his motorhome. He gets into mechanical trouble in a small town, and pulls into the workshop of the only mechanic around. After hearing his story, the owner of the garage offers him a deal. If August takes his two young boys – Seth and Henry – along with him on his road trip for the summer, there will be no charge for the repairs.
The book then follows the relationship August has with the boys, and the friendship they form on the roadtrip as August struggles to come to terms with the death of his son, and the boys try to come to terms with their father being unreliable and possibly an alcoholic.
Well, it's hard to classify this book. I wanted to love it, but I found it average at best (sorry Anna!
). I thought it was very ordinary and lacked spark and originality. The story moved along at a good pace, and it was all very touching, but I think the problem was that it was very middle of the road. Everyone had their problems, but the approach to these problems was so “simple” and just...plain. There was no 'oomph' to the story for me, and it just felt saccharine sweet.It's my first Catherine Ryan Hyde, so I won't give up on her yet. When I read the synopsis I did wonder if it would be my type of book, so the next one I read will be one where the blurb grabs me.
3/6
Bobblybear's Book List - 2016
in Past Book Logs
Posted
Ok, here it is for you Noll:
The climber whose body they were looking for turned out to be a spy, who had some top secret information on him at the time he was killed (it was suspected he was murdered). When the climbers are on Everest a bunch of angry Germans are trying to kill them, and it turns out they are also looking for this top secret info. The Germans were briefly disguised as Yetis (mostly to scare the sherpas), but the climbers realised they were humans (the guns gave them away....yetis don't tend to shoot people
) pretty soon after. And this whole thing of the Germans chasing them only lasted one or two chapters....certainly not the whole of the book which is what you are led to believe. Anyway, this top secret info they were after turns out to be a series of photographs taken of Hitler in compromising positions with young boys. And that is 'the abominable' from the title. 
Pretty pants, huh?