bobblybear Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Revenge of the Tide - Elizabeth HaynesI have read all three of Elizabeth Haynes books now, having been blown away by Into The Darkest Corner which was her first novel. Ultimately I was disappointed by Revenge of the Tide, as I was expecting something very similar to her debut, in terms of originality and emotion, and depth of character.Revenge of the Tide is told in two timelines, which is the same style as her first book. The book introduces the main character, Genevieve who is just starting a new life on a houseboat (called Revenge of the Tide). She has recently moved from London, where we learn she was a saleswoman turned pole-dancer, and it's hinted that she is hiding from someone. At her housewarming (or should that be 'boatwarming'?) party, a body washes up alongside her boat. The body belongs to a friend and former colleague from the club she worked at. The story then backtracks to Genevieve's life in London, and how she got started with pole dancing and the events that followed which led to her eventually leaving London. It interchanges with the present, with certain current events triggering off more revelations from her past. It actually started off as a pretty good mystery, but the ending was a real letdown. The story was building up to something dramatic but what actually happened at the end was a whole lot of nothing, so it turned out to be quite disappointing. With a different ending, I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. 3/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 The Dummy Line - Bobby ColeJake is an avid hunter and loves the outdoors. He has instilled a similar enthusiasm in his 9 year old daughter Katy. He decides to take them both away on a hunting trip in some remote woodlands. However, they soon are attacked by a local gang, out to make trouble. Taking refuge in the woods, it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse, with Jake trying to stay one step ahead of the gang. At the same time, a young teenage couple run into the same local gang. The girl - Elizabeth - makes a run for it, and ends up running into Jake and Katy. Together they need to plan a way to escape from the woods and get help.Well, there's not much to say. This wasn’t very original or particularly well-written. It was readable, but there wasn't any sense of excitement or tension, given the storyline. I just didn't particularly care for the characters and it was all written in way that there wasn't much below the surface. I know it wasn't meant to be a 'deep and meaningful' book, and was clearly a fast-paced thriller, but it just lacked any kind of 'oomphf'. It's part of a series based around the main character, but I won't be reading any more of them.2/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Great reviews Bobblybear, I have 'The Rosie Project' on my kindle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Thanks, Weave. The Rosie Project is a great read - hope you enjoy it as much as I (and others) have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 1,227 QI Facts To Blow Your Socks Off - John Lloyd, John Mitchinson This is based on the long-running TV series, which I've never actually seen so can't comment on. However, I like trivia books, and this fit the bill perfectly, with it's list of short snappy facts - usually only a line or so long - which makes it perfect for picking up when you have only a few minutes to read. At the conclusion of the book, the authors give the website which contains references to support each fact, and it's interesting to read up on a few of the more dubious ones (ie. 'The centre of the galaxy tastes like raspberries'). Unfortunately there are so many facts, covering all topics you can imagine, that I can't really remember many (though I highlighted quite a few on my Kindle). It's the kind of book that leads you on to reading up more on a whichever topic piques your interest. A fun read, and recommended for those who like trivia. I bought it when it was on offer - £0.20 for Kindle version - but it looks like it has gone up to £3.99. 4/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I'm glad to read you liked this book ! I have QI: The Noticeably Stouter Book Of General Ignorance, QI: The Second Book Of General Ignorance and The QI Book Of The Dead on my TBR. I love the TV series, it's such a shame we can't receive the BBC in this house due to lack of cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think I have another QI book on my Kindle. They are very good for picking up when you only have a few minutes to spare. Can you watch it via the BBC website, or is it blocked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 No I can't . I think they blocked all countries outside UK. Maybe when I have my own house we'll have cable and then we should be able to receive BBC one and two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I wish BBC would stream via their website. We have BBC News here on Public Broadcasting Network, but it's only a 1/2 hour, sporatic and made for Americans. I love it- lots of world news the US news doesn't even speak of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 I just went through my recent orders to update my 'Purchased' list. Thought there would only be one or two books to add (because that's all I could remember buying), but I've bought 7 this month. Dearie me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Pets In A Pickle - Malcolm WestermanI like animals, and generally I like stories about animals – providing they are not too sad. This was a Kindle cheapie with good reviews, so onto my Kindle it went (as so many before it ). I was confused when I first read this, as the main character’s name is Paul Mitchell, and I originally thought it was an autobiography. The author draws on his own experiences as a vet, but I’m assuming a fair bit of it is fictionalised (perhaps not the parts relating to the animals, but the storyline around his personal relationship). There is personal drama in there alongside his veterinary experiences, which wasn't my favorite part of the book as my interest was in the animals. I liked reading about the animal regulars, and the stories were quite interesting, but it’s a generally forgettable book and has been done better before (ie. James Herriot).3/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I just went through my recent orders to update my 'Purchased' list. Thought there would only be one or two books to add (because that's all I could remember buying), but I've bought 7 this month. Dearie me. Whoopsie! I hope you enjoy the books though . Great review! It's nice it was enjoyable, though it's a shame it was more fictionalised than you thought. Have you read books by James Herriot? I have some on my TBR. My grandma really likes them if I remember it correctly, but she doesn't seem as keen anymore to talk about books these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 I read the James Herriot books many years ago (when I was a child), so maybe I have a more positive view of them that I should (through child's eyes). I think I have his collection on my Kindle, so no doubt it will be re-read at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Ah, I hope you enjoy them upon re-read . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 The Drawing of the Three - Stephen KingThis is the second book in The Dark Tower series, and a re-read for me. It’s a long time since I read the series, so it’s almost like reading it for the first time. The book starts mere hours after The Gunslinger, with Roland walking up on the beach. After being attacked and injured by lobster-like creatures – ‘lobstrosities’ – he makes his way down the beach. Along the beach, he finds three doors (not all at once, but throughout the novel). Each door takes him to New York, but at a different time, and leads him to people who are key to his quest to find the Dark Tower. This book really sets the stage for the start of Roland’s journey to his Dark Tower. I really enjoyed this, a lot more than The Gunslinger (which I struggled with). This one seemed to have a bit more coherence, and I think having some ‘modern’ characters - like Eddie Dean - made the story more enjoyable to me, as Roland is still a bit of a mystery. The book is divided into three sections - each one covering Roland's trip through the door, and his developing relationship with the people he finds there. The Dark Tower itself is a mystery, but that doesn't matter here, as the story is setting a background for each of the people who accompany Roland on his quest. It was enjoyable to read it again, and I had forgotten significant chunks of it. I remember the next two books (especially Wizard and Glass) as being my favorite, so I look forward to reading those ones again. 4/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Good review, BB. I have the Dark Tower series sitting here.....want to get to it. /sigh/ I will! I will! Love the All Creatures Great and Small series. Both the books and the BBC version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Thanks, Pontalba. The Dark Tower is a great series, but I know what you mean about wanting to get to it - there always seem to be so many other books that demand to be read as well. It's an endless struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I'm glad you're enjoying re-reading the series . I have two books by the series on my TBR (and one that's kind of a novella or something?) and the rest is on my wishlist. Great review . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Pandora's Star - Peter F Hamilton This is the first of the two books in the Commonwealth Saga series (or should that be 'duology'. Can two books be a 'series'? ) , and is an epic novel that is nearly 1,000 pages long. Set around AD 2300, human civilisation has populated hundreds of planets across many hundreds of light years of space. All these planets are linked by wormholes – travel takes place using ‘trains’ - using faster-than-light technology. The main thread of the story follows the investigation of a pair of stars which has been enclosed by some kind of impenetrable barrier. Further studies reveal that the enclosure of both stars happened simultaneously and instantaneously. Many theories abound over who put the barrier up and why. Was it the inhabitants of planets around the star, to keep an enemy out? Or was it outsiders, who want to keep the inhabitants in? Following much speculation, the Commonweath decides to build a spaceship - called Second Chance - in order to travel to the stars and determine if there is a threat. This book is detailed and epic in it's scope and the world that the author has created, and it's the complexity of the world that I enjoyed most. Death and aging are things of the past. Memories are uploaded to the network, and in the event of death, a clone is created and memories are downloaded back into that person, and they continue their lives unimpeded. The majority of people undergo regular 'rejuvenations' which take them back to their twenties (physically). Network implants are commonplace which interface people with the cybersphere - like the internet but more complex. There is just so much there - my mind was somewhat blown by it all, even though it's a re-read. There are several storylines - some more interesting than others - all converging on the Second Chance’s expedition. There are also many characters and it is quite easy to get confused as sometimes they appear quite sporadically throughout the novel. My copy has a character list at the front, which is very helpful in keeping up with who is who. I enjoyed most of the book, but there were some storylines where my mind did wander, as they didn't capture me as much as the others, but overall it's a brilliant book. Highly recommended. 5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 The Invisible Ones - Stef PenneyRay Lovell is a private investigator, who at the start of the book wakes up in hospital partially paralysed, but with no recollection of how he got there.The story then backtracks to several weeks earlier, in which an elderly gypsy seeks Ray’s services to find his daughter (Rose Janko) who went missing seven years before, following a marriage into another local gypsy family.The story is told in split narrative between Ray, and JJ - a 16 year old gypsy who is part of the family that Rose married into. The timelines were somewhat confusing as the story jumped around a bit, but it's followable. The story itself was very engaging. I loved The Tenderness of Wolves, and so was hoping for something similar, but you can't really compare the two as they are completely different stories. There is a bit of a twist at the end. I'm not sure how plausible it was, but it was a good one! Recommended. 4/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Great reviews ! I'm glad you enjoyed both books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King This is the second book in The Dark Tower series, and a re-read for me. It’s a long time since I read the series, so it’s almost like reading it for the first time. The book starts mere hours after The Gunslinger, with Roland walking up on the beach. After being attacked and injured by lobster-like creatures – ‘lobstrosities’ – he makes his way down the beach. Along the beach, he finds three doors (not all at once, but throughout the novel). Each door takes him to New York, but at a different time, and leads him to people who are key to his quest to find the Dark Tower. This book really sets the stage for the start of Roland’s journey to his Dark Tower. I really enjoyed this, a lot more than The Gunslinger (which I struggled with). This one seemed to have a bit more coherence, and I think having some ‘modern’ characters - like Eddie Dean - made the story more enjoyable to me, as Roland is still a bit of a mystery. The book is divided into three sections - each one covering Roland's trip through the door, and his developing relationship with the people he finds there. The Dark Tower itself is a mystery, but that doesn't matter here, as the story is setting a background for each of the people who accompany Roland on his quest. It was enjoyable to read it again, and I had forgotten significant chunks of it. I remember the next two books (especially Wizard and Glass) as being my favorite, so I look forward to reading those ones again. 4/6 I keep hearing great things about Stephen King's books and want to read them, but then I remember that I'm a scaredycat and would totally have nightmares for a week after reading one of his books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 It depends on which ones you read. Not all of them are horror - think of The Shawshank Redemption for instance. He writes a pretty wide range of novels....I'm sure there will be something you'd enjoy, rather than be scared by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Hi bobbly bear I have put Pandora's Star on my wish list. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) I keep hearing great things about Stephen King's books and want to read them, but then I remember that I'm a scaredycat and would totally have nightmares for a week after reading one of his books. I would sugest Shawshank Redemption also The Green Mile or 11/22/63. Nothing scary His latest, Mr. Mercedes was good too. It depends on which ones you read. Not all of them are horror - think of The Shawshank Redemption for instance. He writes a pretty wide range of novels....I'm sure there will be something you'd enjoy, rather than be scared by. Regarding The Invisible Ones, have you read King's Thinner? That one is a tad scary, but really good. Edited July 17, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.