Little Pixie Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 x This is exciting! I'm hoping to read the whole trilogy once I've bought book three in paperback. Hope you enjoy them as much as everyone else - but no pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) Book # 96 A Clergyman`s Daughter by George Orwell TBR 734 Amazon Synopsis : Intimidated by her father, the rector of Knype Hill, Dorothy performs her submissive roles of dutiful daughter and bullied housekeeper. Her thoughts aretaken up with the costumes she is making for the church school play, by the hopelessness of preaching to the poor and by debts she cannot pay in 1930sDepression England. Suddenly her routine shatters and Dorothy finds herself down and out in London. She is wearing silk stockings, has money in her pocket and cannot remember her name. Orwell leads us through a landscape of unemployment, poverty and hunger, where Dorothy's faith is challenged by a social reality that changes her life. Oof, this was depressing. Good, but depressing. It feels like a journalist`s article on homelessness and poverty which has been turned into a book. There are scenes of hop picking in Kent and being cold on the streets of London which feel so true, that I turned to the end of the book just to see if Dorothy would be alright at the end. Edited November 7, 2013 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 Book # 97 Smokin` Seventeen by Janet Evanovich TBR 733 Goodreads Synopsis :Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie. With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke. I think if you`ve read one, you`ve read them all - which hasn`t stopped me from reading 17 of them. The ongoing adventures of Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. maybe not as funny as they used to be, but still a fun read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 Book # 98 The Death of Faith by Donna Leon TBR 732 Amazon Synopsis :Commissario Guido Brunetti is kicking his heels, pondering the recent lack of crime in Venice, when a beautiful young woman appears at his office door. Now calling herself Maria Testa, his visitor is more familiar to Brunetti as Suor’lmmacolata, the nun who once cared for his mother at the casa di cura in Dolo. But Maria has recently left her convent after the unexpected deaths of five patients. Brunetti offers to make some enquiries, but finds now obvious cause for concern. Is Maria simply creating fears to justify abandoning her vocation? Or has she stumbled on to a deeply rooted, far more sinister scenario - and put her own life in very grave danger . . . ? I`m obsessed with these books. Whodunnit and why seems less important than the story of Brunetti and his family - and a search for justice outside the Police. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) I do feel like it`s my No.1 task in life, to make her`s easier. I know that is what they think, at least! Great reviews LP. I particularly like the sound of the Orwell. Sounds quite mysterious. And the Leon as well. Edited November 7, 2013 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 I know that is what they think, at least! They are quite `me, me,me`, aren`t they. Especially when you get woken up at 5am `cos someone needs a cuddle. Great reviews LP. I particularly like the sound of the Orwell. Sounds quite mysterious. And the Leon as well. I find it difficult to review the Brunetti`s, `cos so much of what I enjoy would involve spoilers. A lot of the charm for me is getting a glimpse at quite a different culture ( like the yummy food descriptions ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Book # 97 Smokin` Seventeen by Janet Evanovich TBR 733 Goodreads Synopsis : Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list. Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie. With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke. I think if you`ve read one, you`ve read them all - which hasn`t stopped me from reading 17 of them. The ongoing adventures of Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. maybe not as funny as they used to be, but still a fun read. I am only up to number 8. Did you watch the film with Katherine Heigl Little Pixie? I think they got most of the characters pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Book # 97 Smokin` Seventeen by Janet Evanovich I think if you`ve read one, you`ve read them all - which hasn`t stopped me from reading 17 of them. The ongoing adventures of Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. maybe not as funny as they used to be, but still a fun read. I haven't read any since No 10, but as you say, they are all a good 'fun read' . Glad to hear that Ranger is still on the scene . I found hardback books of nos. 12 and 14 in a charity shop yesterday. I did manage to restrain myself and not buy them . It is quite a long time since I've seen parts of my bedroom floor, underneath all the piles of TBR books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Book # 96 A Clergyman`s Daughter by George Orwell TBR 734 Oof, this was depressing. Good, but depressing. It feels like a journalist`s article on homelessness and poverty which has been turned into a book. There are scenes of hop picking in Kent and being cold on the streets of London which feel so true, that I turned to the end of the book just to see if Dorothy would be alright at the end. It's pretty bleak, isn't it?! It's my favourite 'fiction' Orwell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 I`m so behind with things atm. I`m just up to date with the news sections of the papers, have got 14 of those glossy Sunday paper magazines to go through next. Just saw this - 5 apps to keep track of your library... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 I am only up to number 8. Did you watch the film with Katherine Heigl Little Pixie? I think they got most of the characters pretty good. I haven`t seen it yet ; I`m waiting for it to appear on a free channel ( I don`t have SKY movies ). I did see the trailer though, and thought Debbie Reynolds was inspired casting as Grandma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 (edited) I haven't read any since No 10, but as you say, they are all a good 'fun read' . Glad to hear that Ranger is still on the scene . I found hardback books of nos. 12 and 14 in a charity shop yesterday. I did manage to restrain myself and not buy them . It is quite a long time since I've seen parts of my bedroom floor, underneath all the piles of TBR books . I did feel the series dipped a bit around books 9 to11 or so, and then perked up a bit. The phrase ` can I make a great sandwich or what` - with variations - seemed to be used a lot and started to annoy me. I tend to think ` Those books will never be that cheap again ! Never ever ! ` and buy them, so well done on restraining yourself. Edited November 12, 2013 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 It's pretty bleak, isn't it?! It's my favourite 'fiction' Orwell. It made Bleak House look like a laugh-riot. I feel that Orwell is one of those ` Read it, it`s good for you` authors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Just saw this - 5 apps to keep track of your library... x That's interesting! Personally I use Book Collector on the computer, and then the CLZ Books app on my phone. Atm you can't add things using your phone (though with the CLZ Barry app you can scan ISBN codes that you can then send to the program on the computer) but it allows me to check my collection while I'm out, without needing wifi or 3G. Do you use any app on your phone? x I tend to think ` Those books will never be that cheap again ! Never ever ! ` and buy them, so well done on restraining yourself. x I do that too! Though I think in some cases, it may be true.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I`m so behind with things atm. I`m just up to date with the news sections of the papers, have got 14 of those glossy Sunday paper magazines to go through next. Just saw this - 5 apps to keep track of your library... I'd only heard of Good Reads on that list. Which I find not to be as user friendly as, for example Library Thing. Interesting. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 x That's interesting! Personally I use Book Collector on the computer, and then the CLZ Books app on my phone. Atm you can't add things using your phone (though with the CLZ Barry app you can scan ISBN codes that you can then send to the program on the computer) but it allows me to check my collection while I'm out, without needing wifi or 3G. Do you use any app on your phone? x x My phone only makes calls, it doesn`t even have a camera. I did wonder if I could download anything to my Kindle Fire, but it doesn`t look like that`s possible. More time saved to read actual books ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I did feel the series dipped a bit around books 9 to11 or so, and then perked up a bit. The phrase ` can I make a great sandwich or what` - with variations - seemed to be used a lot and started to annoy me. I tend to think ` Those books will never be that cheap again ! Never ever ! ` and buy them, so well done on restraining yourself. Yup, I was very proud of myself , as they were hardbacks in good nick, at a few pounds each! Then I went home, and bought a handful of ebook 'classics' for approx. 80p each! Oh well....I did try.....honestly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 My phone only makes calls, it doesn`t even have a camera. I did wonder if I could download anything to my Kindle Fire, but it doesn`t look like that`s possible. More time saved to read actual books ! x Ah sorry, I didn't know that. That's true . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 x Ah sorry, I didn't know that. That's true . I must be the last person left who actually has a phone just to make calls with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Yup, I was very proud of myself , as they were hardbacks in good nick, at a few pounds each! Then I went home, and bought a handful of ebook 'classics' for approx. 80p each! Oh well....I did try.....honestly . Hee. But 80p is bargainous ! I got my used Plum hardbacks from Amazon Marketplace ; I rarely payed more than £2.80, and most were cheaper that that. There must be a glut of them out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 I'd only heard of Good Reads on that list. Which I find not to be as user friendly as, for example Library Thing. Interesting. Thanks for posting. Anything to help other people with their libraries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Book # 99 The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva TBR 731 Amazon Synopsis :The chief of Israeli Intelligence recalls two former agents in order to eliminate a top Palestinian terrorist. One agent is now an art restorer, the other a fashion model. Ten years before, on a mission to destroy the Arab Black September group, they were briefly lovers. Now their pasts and their enemies come back to haunt them, as the terrorist murders ambassadors in Paris and Holland.Will the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks be his next target? And what motivates the terrorist? Is it politics, or is it possibly personal? Set mainly in London, but with forays into Paris, Amsterdam, the Middle East and north America, this thriller has all Daniel Silva`s hallmarks of strong characters, unusual backgrounds and a page-turning narrative. Edge of the seat thriller. Well drawn characters and a plot which really keeps you hooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) Book # 100 Die Laughing by Carola Dunn TBR 730 Goodreads Synopsis :Newlywed Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher must visit the dentist in 1924. Dr Talmadge is dead in the patient chair, nitrous mask strapped on his face, gas tank turned on full, not the accident of a careless dope fiend. The devastatingly handsome Talmadge didn't need laughing gas to make his female patients swoon, and his wife Daphne dallied illicitly herself. The 12th in the Daisy Dalrymple series. I`ve read a couple of the earlier ones and liked them well enough, but not nearly enough to get the whole series. This was a cheapie charity book though, so I gave the series another go. I found the mystery plot better than the other Daisy books I`d read, and quite enjoyed the different situation that Daisy`s in now - married with a stepdaughter instead of aristo girl-about-town, with a meddling mother-in-law and friends who aren`t the usual airheads. Edited November 18, 2013 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Book # 101 The Holy Thief by Ellis PetersGoodreads Synopsis :The 19th chronicle of Brother Cadfael. In the chill autumn of 1144, rising flood waters endanger the sacred remains of St. Winifred, the abbey's most cherished possession. When the bones disappear and a corpse is found, Brother Cadfael needs his prayers answered to catch a killer. Mediaeval murder mystery. Not my favourite period in history, but this had me hooked. It`s well researched and the mystery itself is really twisty-turny and keeps your attention to the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) Book # 102 The Shakespeare Curse by JL Carrell TBR 729 Amazon Synopsis :A brutally murdered body is discovered on a remote Scottish hillside - with a mysterious ancient knife beside it. The victim was a beautiful young woman, throat slashed by an unknown assailant. The circumstances of the murder suggest ancient Pagan sacrifice.Then a trench on that same hill is found filled with blood. The shocking discoveries all seem to be linked by the ancient curse of Macbeth.From the streets of New York to the twisting corridors of Hampton Court Palace to a remote loch in the Scottish Highlands, the race is on to stop a deadly modern serial killer who will do anything to uncover priceless ancient treasures... Thriller which jumps back and forth from present day to Elizabethan times; I thought the historical bits were far better written than the present day ones, which were action-driven rather than about the characters. At times, it felt like the book was trying to be sold as a film treatment. It`s still a real page turner, but feels like it could`ve been something more special. I was put off by the `sickening crime` plug on the cover and the nasty synopsis, but reading the book, it was rarely like that at all. Phew. Edited November 18, 2013 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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