Janet Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 My son went to see the film - he said it was the longest however long the film is of his life! Mind you, he doesn't have the best attention span... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 No never! That one came off my OH's Mum's shelf and I was thrilled she passed it on, because Slaughter is an author I've heard a lot about and never read. I've heard lots of good things though so hopefully I will find the time for that one soon! You are in for such a treat, if you like thrillers and crime novels! In my humble opinion, Slaughter is one of the best there is. Just remember that if you want to get the most out of the book(s), please read them in the correct order She has a few different series, the Grant County -series and Will Trent -series overlap so I'd go with the order of publication. You'll find it here on wikipedia, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 High Fidelity by Nick Hornby Synopsis: It has been said often enough that baby boomers are a television generation, but the very funny novel High Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This funny novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early-thirty-something English guy who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way-on vinyl-and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music.(from good reads) Thoughts: My only previous experience of Hornby' writing was reading Fever Pitch a few years ago. I very much enjoyed it as a football obsessive, although not an Arsenal fan. I picked this up because it was on the quick selection shelf at the library, and I thought I'd see how his fiction stood up to the previously autobiographical novel. I found it a light, refreshing read after getting so bogged down with Life of Pi. I raced through the first half of the book, laughing and groaning in equal measure along with the well-meaning yet idiotic Rob, the main character, who's just been dumped by his long-suffering girlfriend Laura. I enjoyed the supporting cast, particularly Dick and Barry, his employees at the shop, and liked meeting the ex-girlfriends from years past, having previously viewed the breakup through the blinkered eyes of Rob as he remembered them from his youth. I did think Hornby could have made more of this though, they were dispensed with in just a couple of pages! However, as I approached the end of the book, Rob became progressively more irritating and idiotic. Possibly, this is because he reminds me of one of my younger siblings who also treats his poor girlfriend like she's an irrelevance! By the end, I had concluded that Laura was way out of his league and she could do far better!! That made me downgrade it from a 4, to a solid 3. I'll probably look out for more of Hornby's work though. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 You are in for such a treat, if you like thrillers and crime novels! In my humble opinion, Slaughter is one of the best there is. Just remember that if you want to get the most out of the book(s), please read them in the correct order She has a few different series, the Grant County -series and Will Trent -series overlap so I'd go with the order of publication. You'll find it here on wikipedia, for example. Oh thanks Frankie! I'll try and get the first in the series out of the library then, definitely don't want to spoil her if she's as good as you say! I do love thrillers and crime, right from the very first time I read my first Sherlock Holmes as a 12 year old. I'm currently reading the rest, having downloaded the complete set for kindle. My 12 year old self would have loved it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 I finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and didn't enjoy it as much as the Adventures of.. collection. While I did enjoy most stories, there were a couple in this collection that I found quite weak, which didn't happen in the previous collection. Don't read the below if you haven't read the last story in this collection - The Final Problem. The last story did take me by total surprise, but that's because I'm reading in publication order, so the ending really didn't sit right with me! Did ACD intend to stop after this collection, but realised there was more money in not doing?? Anyway, thanks to reviews on this forum I bought the Book Thief by Markus Zusak yesterday, and have picked it straight up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Oh thanks Frankie! I'll try and get the first in the series out of the library then, definitely don't want to spoil her if she's as good as you say! I do love thrillers and crime, right from the very first time I read my first Sherlock Holmes as a 12 year old. I'm currently reading the rest, having downloaded the complete set for kindle. My 12 year old self would have loved it!! I'm definitely not the only one on here who's a fan of Slaughter, I actually started reading her books just based on the recommendations by other members on here! I should try and get reading my Sherlock Holmes, too, I think I have The Adventures collection... Anyway, thanks to reviews on this forum I bought the Book Thief by Markus Zusak yesterday, and have picked it straight up Excellent choice, I dare say you won't be disappointed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Oooh, I loved that, Alex. I hope you do too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Synopsis: This is the tale of the book thief, as narrated by death. And when death tells a story, you really have to listen. It's just a small story really, about, among other things: A girl An accordionist Some fanatical Germans A Jewish fist fighter And quite a lot of thievery. (From book jacket) Thoughts: Wow. Just wow. I'd heard a lot about this book, and in a way I put off reading it because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the (considerable) hype, and/or I expected too much as a result. I expected much, but it delivered on every count. I'll always pick a good yarn ahead of flowery prose, but this little treasure combined a great story with writing that I wanted to devour. I fell completely in love with the lead character, Liesel, right from the get go. Her love of books gives the reader an easy 'in', but her relationships with Hans, Rudy and Max were joyous to watch as they developed. I've read a lot about World War II, particularly from a civilian viewpoint, but it never fails to sober me when you think of all those wasted lives, and for those who did survive, all those lost years. Partly it's the event itself that insures that, and part of it is the skill in the writing I think. Liesel and Rudy are just 11 when we meet them in the early part of the war, and have fathers who do not suffer much at the hands of the army (in relative terms, obviously) and yet through the normality of their lives is woven the true horror of war, Nazism, prejudice, and death. I did require tissues! 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I've just bought this book, so I'm glad to hear you liked it! It sounds like an emotional read, I look forward to read it when I'm in the mood for that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Glad you enjoyed it! It's an excellent book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 The Dinner by Herman Koch Synopsis: An evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet for dinner. They need to discuss their teenage sons. The boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on CCTV. They remain unidentified - except by their parents. How far will each couple go to protect their child? (From Amazon) Thoughts: I picked this up on a kindle daily deal, partly because it counted as Netherlands for my world challenge. But mainly because the premise sounds great - moral dilemma ahoy, and how four different people react to that. Frankly, the execution was poor. The discussion of "what should they do" is dealt with in about 10 minutes and the ending feels rushed. I was 70% of the way through when they began to discuss it, and then it roared along and the end took me by complete surprise. Although prior to that we had been treated to some interesting flashback scenes from the life of our narrator (one of the boys" parents) we're also 'treated' to what feels like endless descriptions of a really posh restaurant. Of course the small portions can be irritating and the enthusiasm of the waiting staff misplaced, but we all KNOW that, it's irritating to have a good story constantly derailed by it. Although the ending was deliberately left hanging and a but intriguing, it's a major event that occurs in the end that will derail their lives, regardless of what they decide about their sons. It would have been nice to have their reactions to that second event explored. I didn't abandon the book because it held my interest enough to want to know what happened, but on the whole it was disappointing and it didn't deliver on my expectations of the synopsis. 2/5 Can't decide what to read next but leaning towards some non-fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 It's a shame that The Dinner was a let down. Like you say, the synopsis sounds really promising and its the kind of thing that probably would have appealed to me as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 The Dinner by Herman Koch Synopsis: An evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet for dinner. They need to discuss their teenage sons. The boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on CCTV. They remain unidentified - except by their parents. How far will each couple go to protect their child? (From Amazon) Thoughts: I picked this up on a kindle daily deal, partly because it counted as Netherlands for my world challenge. But mainly because the premise sounds great - moral dilemma ahoy, and how four different people react to that. Frankly, the execution was poor. The discussion of "what should they do" is dealt with in about 10 minutes and the ending feels rushed. I was 70% of the way through when they began to discuss it, and then it roared along and the end took me by complete surprise. Although prior to that we had been treated to some interesting flashback scenes from the life of our narrator (one of the boys" parents) we're also 'treated' to what feels like endless descriptions of a really posh restaurant. Of course the small portions can be irritating and the enthusiasm of the waiting staff misplaced, but we all KNOW that, it's irritating to have a good story constantly derailed by it. Although the ending was deliberately left hanging and a but intriguing, it's a major event that occurs in the end that will derail their lives, regardless of what they decide about their sons. It would have been nice to have their reactions to that second event explored. I didn't abandon the book because it held my interest enough to want to know what happened, but on the whole it was disappointing and it didn't deliver on my expectations of the synopsis. 2/5 Can't decide what to read next but leaning towards some non-fiction. Oh dear I picked this book from the library last week (I'd seen the book when I was working there and I'd read the blurb and really liked the premise), and I started reading it on Friday. I only read 10 pages but it was very much about the restaurant already! And it didn't engage me as I'd hoped. And now I'm very much worried after reading your review on the book and how the main thing was discussed in 10 minutes They should've said that in the blurb!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it . Despite the fact that it's a Dutch book, I haven't read it so I can't comment on it myself. It sounds like a book to avoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 I've just gone and had a look at the reviews on Amazon, and while they are mixed, there are PLENTY of 5 star reviews! So it might do something for you yet Frankie! I agree with you all, the synopsis sounds cracking! I'm currently reading a biography of Justin Fashanu, a gay footballer who committed suicide, alongside The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, by John Le Carre. Enjoying both so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I I'm currently reading a biography of Justin Fashanu, a gay footballer who committed suicide... You know how much of a football fan I am not!, Alex, but I remember where I was when I heard about his suicide on the news. I was parked outside a newsagents in a village called Timsbury! </Random> Seriously, I was so sad to hear of the news of his death (I had actually heard of him as well as his brother!) - it was very tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 It is incredibly sad it happened at a time when I was a football fan, but I was a kid, so I lived in a blissful world where I knew what happened on the pitch and not off, so it passed me by. It was pre-widespread internet use of course, no twitter, facebook or Daily mail online. a simpler time. That's the main reason I'm reading this really, I see it referred to a lot and I don't know much about it. It's quite scary some of the things people apparently said about him and to him - the football world of the 1980s was a scary, scary place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - John Le Carré Synopsis: Alec Leamas is tired. It's the 1960s, he's been out in the cold for years, spying in the shadow of the Berlin Wall for his British masters. He has seen too many good agents murdered for their troubles. Now Control wants to bring him in at last - but only after one final assignment. He must travel deep into the heart of Communist Germany and betray his country, a job that he will do with his usual cynical professionalism. But when George Smiley tries to help a young woman Leamas has befriended, Leamas's mission may prove to be the worst thing he could ever have done. In le Carré's breakthrough work of 1963, the spy story is reborn as a gritty and terrible tale of men who are caught up in politics beyond their imagining. (from Amazon, although I have taken the liberty to correct the name of the lead character from Alex to Alec ) Thoughts: This isn't the first of Le Carré's novels, but it is the one that signalled the start of a successful career for the author, and the first book of his that I have read personally. Spy games in the Cold War sounds like a premise for a rip roaring read, and while there is an excellently constructed plot, which slowly unravels, the book also deals with the human element of espionage - how our lead character feels and how he suffers. It's a brilliant mix, expertly crafted together in 250 pages. It's quite complicated in places, and I spent the first quarter of the book with my head in a whirl, but it slowly becomes clear as the story progresses. However, Le Carré doesn't hold your hand on a way to a solution, some things are left for the reader to work out for themselves. It's a dark story, and most of the writing conveys a grey, cold, depressing world which really sets the story in early 1960s London and East Berlin. The sacrifice of individuals for the collective (for the East Germans) and individuals for a certain gain (in Western parlance), really does show that perhaps they were more alike than they cared to imagine. It's on the 1001 list, but it's extremely readable and an excellent example of a bloody good spy yarn. 4/5 I'm currently skint, so wondering if I should attempt to give up buying books for lent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Excellent review, Alex. I'm quite tempted to try it. Good luck if you do decide to give up book-buying for Lent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 i've added it to my wish list thanks to your review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I've only read The Constant Gardner by Le Carre & wasn't blown away by it but this sounds like a good read so i'll add it to my wishlist. Thanks for the review Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Oh I do hope you like it if you get round to it I've changed pace and am reading a YA spy novel now, and the jump in style but not subject matter is rather odd! Enjoying it for very different reasons though. It's Scorpia Rising, the last in the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Excellent review, Alex. I'm quite tempted to try it. Good luck if you do decide to give up book-buying for Lent. Ah. Well. I may have popped into HMV today and got lost in the book section whilst I was waiting for my BF to finish in the games section. Dangerous... I got: Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel The New York Trilogy - Paul Auster I'm Not Really Here - Paul Lake Cat and Mouse - James Patterson The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett At least they were all on large sale I also very much enjoyed my previous book - Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz. I really must explore the YA genre further, got quite a few on my TBR but always seem to shy away from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 Chocolat by Joanne Harris Synopsis: When an exotic stranger, Vianne Rocher, arrives in the French village of Lansquenet and opens a chocolate boutique directly opposite the church, Father Reynaud denounces her as a serious moral danger to his flock - especially as it is the beginning of Lent, the traditional season of self-denial. As passions flare and the conflict escalates, the whole community takes sides. Can the solemnity of the Church compare with the sinful pleasure of a chocolate truffle? (from book jacket) Thoughts: I found this book really difficult to review. I picked it up from the library because it came very highly recommended from a wide range of people, some of whom I have extremely similar reading tastes too. I remember there being a bit of a stir about it a few years ago - probably when the film was made. And I just didn't get it. At all. Additionally, I'm not really sure why. The prose was gorgeous, a wonderful flowing writing style. But the plot didn't grab me. Essentially, we have a lesson on tolerance of others. Priest and town crowd don't like interlopers, especially those that - shock, horror - don't attend church. Or live on boats, or a little bit different. For me, it rambled along these lines without really giving me anything to sink my teeth into, or breaking any new ground. The most interesting layer was the small histories of the main characters - particularly Vianne and the priest - yet these were alluded to and swept by in a couple of pages. I don't think it's something that belongs in bygone years though. I was at primary school in the early 1990s with a girl in our class and a younger brother. My best friend at the time dragged me into a classroom at lunchtime to reveal that she lived with her Mum and Dad in a caravan. The venom in my best friend's voice as she declared - she's a GYPSY - remains me with me now. I wasn't sure why that was such a terrible thing at all - I'd just read Danny the Champion of the World and thought caravans sounded quite cool! We would have been about 10 at the time so I can only assume that attitude came from her parents, because we would have had very little exposure to gypsies in our part of the world. Anyway, this one just wasn't for me I'm afraid. 2/5 I'm now moving on to The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy - I bought it about six months ago on recommendation from Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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