Bobblybear's Book List - 2014

[bobblybear]

I've never had cheesecake . I'd like to try some at some point, though . I did once look up how to make it but it looked very complicated.

 

Oh, cheesecake is lush!! I've tried making it once, and it was disaster....only because I didn't know how to zest limes and lemons. I ended up grating the whole thing (even the write stuff), and it was so bitter that it all ended up in the bin.  

[Athena]

Awww . I've never zested lemons before either. Maybe one day though I can try and make a cheesecake, but there are other, simpler things I want to try cooking first.

 

I think I will get more used to the kitchen if I cook and bake more things (usually my boyfriend does most of the cooking and I lay the table and prepare the cold vegetables and such). So my plan is to do more cooking, but atm I'm ill so not this week but maybe next week.

[pontalba]

Oh, cheese cake is a Good Thing. 

 

For example, blueberry cheesecake........

 

 

 Creamy and ever so delish!

 

BTW, lazy sod that I am, I haven't and very likely won't ever make one.  The bakery has perfectly lovely varieties..........

Edited September 2, 2014 by pontalba

[Devi]

I thought they would be hard to make too! The recipe I found though made it so easy, I can almost do it without the recipe.

 

I am making a baked cheese cake with two different sauces that I will make from scratch. My family is so fussy, one likes it without any sauce, another likes passionfruit but hates berries, and another, raspberries and strawberries but hates pips so wont touch passionfruit.

 

I was thinking at making a third sauce, a lemon based one.

 

Sorry Bobbly for taking over your thread with cheesecake!

Edited September 2, 2014 by Devi

[frankie]

Regarding the negative reviews (eg. The Slap), I think you are right that it is very cathartic to write them. It helps to vent which is why they tend to be the longer and more detailed reviews.

Oh yes indeed You know you've nailed it when the hatred and dislike oozes out of the review

 

 

The sequel to The Rosie Project caught my eye on Amazon a few days ago. I was a bit surprised to see a sequel out so soon, but hopefully it will be as good as the first one.

The first two chapters are available online, already! You can check Kylie's post about it on here and you will find the link in the post, if you're interested.

[Athena]

I thought they would be hard to make too! The recipe I found though made it so easy, I can almost do it without the recipe.

 

I am making a baked cheese cake with two different sauces that I will make from scratch. My family is so fussy, one likes it without any sauce, another likes passionfruit but hates berries, and another, raspberries and strawberries but hates pips so wont touch passionfruit.

 

I was thinking at making a third sauce, a lemon based one.

 

Sorry Bobbly for taking over your thread with cheesecake!

Wow three sauces! Good luck . (yes, sorry BB!)

[bobblybear]

Oh, cheese cake is a Good Thing. 

 

For example, blueberry cheesecake........

 

 

 Creamy and ever so delish!

 

 

Oh, that looks absolutely divine! I might try making a cheesecake this weekend. Then again, I'm hoping the blackberries will be ripe because I want to try my hand at Apple and Blackberry Crumble. I don't do much baking, so I lack the confidence.

 

 

I thought they would be hard to make too! The recipe I found though made it so easy, I can almost do it without the recipe.

 

I am making a baked cheese cake with two different sauces that I will make from scratch. My family is so fussy, one likes it without any sauce, another likes passionfruit but hates berries, and another, raspberries and strawberries but hates pips so wont touch passionfruit.

 

I was thinking at making a third sauce, a lemon based one.

 

Sorry Bobbly for taking over your thread with cheesecake!

 

I don't mind at all! Good luck for your cheesecake - I hope it turns out well!

[bobblybear]

Got the books from the Hodderscape competition I won:

 

 

I just need to finish my current book, then I'm going to get started on Time Bomb.

[Athena]

I hope you enjoy your new books !

[bobblybear]

Thanks! Enjoying Time Bomb so far.

[Devi]

Congrats on the win!

[bobblybear]

Thanks, Devi!

[Michelle]

Got the books from the Hodderscape competition I won:

 

P9100002 - Copy.JPG

 

I just need to finish my current book, then I'm going to get started on Time Bomb.

They do look good when you see them all together!

[bobblybear]

Mr China - Tim Clissold

In the late 90’s China seemed like the ideal place for foreign businesses to invest, so a glut of US firms started looking to invest money, in the hopes of reaping plentiful rewards. The author was involved in quite a few of these investments and details his experiences about the difficulties dealing with Chinese officials and their particular idiosyncracies.

 

Some of the areas covered were the odd foods being served (though the author was nonplussed by it, given that he had lived in China for quite a while), the corruption within the businesses and banks, especially at the top levels. There was also the impossibility of getting rid of a factory director (he just wouldn’t leave the premises and was giving conflicting orders to workers, contradicting the new factory director), which was somewhat amusing but also shocking. There were many instances of fraud and corruption, where the invested money was stolen and used for other side-businesses by factory owners or managers.  There was also the irony of the Anti-Corruption Bureau asking the author for a car and working capital in order to investigate one of the many cases of fraud.

I don't know much about China, and I can't really remember why I bought it (I get swayed easily, I think). Many Amazon reviewers say that the author's experiences are authentic, which make it all the more interesting to read. I enjoyed it, and it is a bit of an eye-opener to read about experiences that are so different from our Western ones.

 

4/6

[bobblybear]

Company of Liars - Karen Maitland

The story is told through the eyes of "a camelot, a peddler, a hawker of hopes and crossed fingers" who simply calls himself Camelot. He is in the business of selling religious trinkets and artefacts, and is always on the move, making his way through the small villages of England. The timeframe is at the dawn of the plague, and news is slowly filtering inland about the disease spreading from the sea ports. 

 

Although Camelot prefers to travel alone, he finds himself slowly and reluctantly accruing a band of fellow travelers, each with a story to tell and a secret to hide. Among their group is a young child – a reader of runes – who has a dark and seemingly paranormal side to her. Over a short space of time, they grow to a band of nine, as foretold by the rune reader, and they make their way across England in an attempt to outrun the plague.

 

On the whole I enjoyed it though it didn't hold my interest constantly throughout the book. There were some very good parts followed by sections that were a bit slower and more ordinary. There is a slight bit of the supernatural in the story which I wasn’t that keen on and the story would have probably been better (and more realistic) without this, but that is just my preference. There was a twist at the end, but enough clues had been given before, so it was not much of a surprise, though it does change the story a bit when you think back on it with this new bit of information.

 

Recommended if you enjoy historical fiction; it's also not as long a book as some historical novels tend to be.

 

4/6

[bobblybear]

The Secret River - Kate Grenville

 

Set in the early 19th century, the book tells the story of William Maitland (fictional, but I have read he was based on Grenville's grandfather), who was one of the first convicts to be sent to Australia. The beginning of the book details Maitland's working life on the Thames, and the overwhelming weight of poverty. Eventually when it becomes too much, he begins stealing and running some rackets in order to keep his head above water. Soon, he is caught by his employer, found guilty of theft, and sent to Australia as a convict, with his wife, Sarah (Sal) designated as the person responsible for him.

 

After he serves his time as a convict, he takes on some work in New South Wales in order to earn some money with the aim that he and his wife can return to London for a better life. However he finds himself getting more attached to the land, and on one of his trips up the Hawkesbury River, he spots an outcrop in the shape of his thumb that he feels was destined to be his. He and his wife set up camp there in order to begin growing crops so that they can claim the land as their own. The land bordering his camp is lived on by Aborigines and Thornhill begins to feel they are encroaching on his territory, and vice versa. There are some clumsy attempts at communication and trade between the two groups, but you know (through history, and also the building tension in the book) that things aren’t going to end well.

On the whole I enjoyed it, but I did find the first half a bit slow, and it felt like there was a lot of waiting for things to unfold. I particularly enjoyed the details of his life on the Thames, and his post-convict times in Australia, but the section in between those two parts seemed to drag a bit.

 

It's pretty obvious that there is going to be a strong climax through the tension build up and I had a sense of dread reading it, because you just know it will be violent and unpleasant. So, although it was a good read, I wouldn't necessarily call it an enjoyable one, due to the subject matter.

 

4/6
 

[pontalba]

Company of Liars - Karen Maitland

 

The story is told through the eyes of "a camelot, a peddler, a hawker of hopes and crossed fingers" who simply calls himself Camelot. He is in the business of selling religious trinkets and artefacts, and is always on the move, making his way through the small villages of England. The timeframe is at the dawn of the plague, and news is slowly filtering inland about the disease spreading from the sea ports. 

 

Although Camelot prefers to travel alone, he finds himself slowly and reluctantly accruing a band of fellow travelers, each with a story to tell and a secret to hide. Among their group is a young child – a reader of runes – who has a dark and seemingly paranormal side to her. Over a short space of time, they grow to a band of nine, as foretold by the rune reader, and they make their way across England in an attempt to outrun the plague.

 

On the whole I enjoyed it though it didn't hold my interest constantly throughout the book. There were some very good parts followed by sections that were a bit slower and more ordinary. There is a slight bit of the supernatural in the story which I wasn’t that keen on and the story would have probably been better (and more realistic) without this, but that is just my preference. There was a twist at the end, but enough clues had been given before, so it was not much of a surprise, though it does change the story a bit when you think back on it with this new bit of information.

 

Recommended if you enjoy historical fiction; it's also not as long a book as some historical novels tend to be.

 

4/6

 

Great review, BB.  I read this a bout 4 yeas ago, so don't remember lots of details, however what I do remember was being very let down by the ending.  The twist that was put on it was a cop out, imo.  I did like lots about it though. 

[Karsa Orlong]

Company of Liars - Karen Maitland

 

The story is told through the eyes of "a camelot, a peddler, a hawker of hopes and crossed fingers" who simply calls himself Camelot. He is in the business of selling religious trinkets and artefacts, and is always on the move, making his way through the small villages of England. The timeframe is at the dawn of the plague, and news is slowly filtering inland about the disease spreading from the sea ports. 

 

Although Camelot prefers to travel alone, he finds himself slowly and reluctantly accruing a band of fellow travelers, each with a story to tell and a secret to hide. Among their group is a young child – a reader of runes – who has a dark and seemingly paranormal side to her. Over a short space of time, they grow to a band of nine, as foretold by the rune reader, and they make their way across England in an attempt to outrun the plague.

 

On the whole I enjoyed it though it didn't hold my interest constantly throughout the book. There were some very good parts followed by sections that were a bit slower and more ordinary. There is a slight bit of the supernatural in the story which I wasn’t that keen on and the story would have probably been better (and more realistic) without this, but that is just my preference. There was a twist at the end, but enough clues had been given before, so it was not much of a surprise, though it does change the story a bit when you think back on it with this new bit of information.

 

Recommended if you enjoy historical fiction; it's also not as long a book as some historical novels tend to be.

 

4/6

 

Great review.  I felt pretty much the same about it.  I thought her next book, The Owl Killers, was much better, though

[bobblybear]

Great review, BB.  I read this a bout 4 yeas ago, so don't remember lots of details, however what I do remember was being very let down by the ending.  The twist that was put on it was a cop out, imo.  I did like lots about it though. 

 

Thanks. I wasn't very surprised by the ending, and I just didn't really see the point of the twist (unless I missed something - wouldn't be the first time! ).

 

Great review.  I felt pretty much the same about it.  I thought her next book, The Owl Killers, was much better, though

 

Thanks.   I have The Owl Killers on my wishlist, so I will be reading it at some point.

[bobblybear]

After Tomorrow - Gillian Cross

All the major banks in the UK have crashed, and money is effectively worthless. Civilisation has deteriorated, and raids on ‘Scadgers’ (those seen to be hoarding food) is a daily occurrence.

 

Matt (who is the narrator) is a young teenager (not sure of the age, I’m guessing 13) whose family has become repeated victims of the raiders. After being attacked one too many times, his mum and step-dad come up with a plan to smuggle them over to France (to Les Mondeaux or ‘Lemon Dough’ as Matt calls it ), into one of the refugee camps where they believe they will have a better chance of survival.

It’s a young adult book, and quite short (just under 300 pages). It’s an easy read, with short chapters and sections, so it’s easy to pick up when you have a moment spare, without getting completely lost where you are up to. Although readable it was quite superficial and simple, but that could be because of the age-group it’s aimed at. I found it a little bit inconclusive, but there's the chance that things were left as they were for the possibility of a sequel.

 

I'd say it was an ok read, but not one that I'm likely to remember or think back on. There are many other books in the genre that have more depth to them, unless it could be that is is aimed at the younger end of the Young Adult market, and so the story has been kept quite simple.

 

3/6

[bobblybear]

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all my books, so I have gone through them and done up a plan of the ones I really want to read next. Hopefully I will stick to it. A lot of them are books I purchased this year and I really wanted to clear down the older books on my TBR pile, but none of them really appeal at the moment.

 

The Ocean At The End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

I Am Pilgrim - Terry Jones

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan

Blubber - Judy Blume

Deenie - Judy Blume

Forever - Judy Blume

Capital - John Lanchester

The Crow Road - Iain Banks

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops - Jen Campbell

[Athena]

I really liked The Ocean At The End of the Lane and Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (this one is short so it shouldn't take that long to read it). I hope you enjoy all your books ! I'm sorry to hear though the older books don't really appeal. I have that sometimes too with some of the books on my TBR that have been on there for a long time. But our reading tastes do change so I hope you can enjoy these newer ones at least . Maybe in a while the older ones will appeal again. I'm sure you've posted this before, but is your TBR mainly paperbooks or ebooks? With paperbooks you could always give them away or such if they really don't appeal anymore, can't do that with ebooks though.

[bobblybear]

It's mostly ebooks....in fact all of the ones on my list above are ebooks.

 

With the older ones that don't appeal.....it's more that I don't feel in the mood to read them. I'm sure if I started any of them, I would most likely enjoy it....it's just that I don't feel like starting them.   I've bought so many really good books recently that those are the ones that seem to have taken priority. Maybe once I finish those, then I can go back to my older ones and see how I feel.

[Athena]

I hope they will appeal to you at a later time .

[bobblybear]

I'm behind on reviews again, so will need to spend some time catching up.

 

Over the last couple of days I bought:

 

The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection - L Frank Baum

Ellie Quinn: Episode 1 - Alex Scarrow

Not A Drop to Drink - Mindy McGinnis

 

Updated reading plan:

 

The Ocean At The End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

I Am Pilgrim - Terry Jones

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan

Blubber - Judy Blume

Deenie - Judy Blume

Forever - Judy Blume

Capital - John Lanchester

The Crow Road - Iain Banks

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops - Jen Campbell

 

I think I will read Blubber next, as that is a pretty short read. Not sure after that - I'll see what I feel like.