bobblybear Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Glad people struggle with positive reviews too! I thought it was just me, as all the reviews generally tend to be well written and I can get what appealed about the book. I do agree about negative reviews - they are fun to read and write. I've just finished The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. Loved it, and it's my 5th book of the year so I really need to get on with reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk KiddSet in the 1960’s, Lily Owens has just turned fourteen, and has grown up believing she accidentally shot and killed her mother when she was four. She is constantly in conflict with her father, T. Ray, and is not feeling loved or wanted by him. After a racially-fuelled incident which ends with her maid Rosaleen in jail, Lily decides to break her out and run away. Her mother had always been a mystery to her, and a while back she had discovered a box with her mother's belongings and some clues as to where she may have lived in the past. Desperate to find answers and the truth about what happened, she heads to a small town called Tiburon, which has a connection with her mother. There she meets three sisters – May, June, and August – who take her in, and introduce her to the secrets of beekeeping and their way of life.I really enjoyed reading this coming-of-age story. A lot had to do with Lily being such an interesting and likeable character. I really felt for her situation and how lost she was, and wanted her to get the answers she needed so she could move on. Actually, all the characters were pretty interesting, and unique in different ways (May was my favorite). Religion also plays a small part in the story, and told from a unique viewpoint which was quite fascinating. I thought it was very well written, and I enjoyed the little snippets about bees which prefaced every chapter. The ending surprised me a little when it was revealed that Lily really did shoot her mother (accidentally). I thought we would discover that it was T.Ray all along, and that he had blamed Lily to save his own skin. I like being surprised like that, as the ending I was expecting would have been a bit of a cliche. Highly recommended, and I will be looking for other books by the author. Also, apparently there's a movie. Anyone seen it, and is it worth watching? 4.5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 If you liked TSLoB I would highly recommend her latest book, The Invention of Wings.. A similar theme of oppression, it covers slavery in the early 1800's. I've not seen the film of TSLoB but keep meaning to look out for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) BB Glad you liked TSLoB --- I liked it a lot too. You're doing great on books, to have that many read already this year ! Edited January 25, 2014 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 We read that for our Book Club in 2007 and then watched the film together about a year after it was released. I remember us all enjoying it and thinking it was a fairly faithful adaptation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I read The Secret Life of Bees some years ago....can't remember exactly when. I remember liking it a lot at the time, but it wasn't one that stuck with me. I read your (teriffic!) review, and it was as though I had only read a synopsis as far as what I remembered of it. Hardly any bells rang at all. So, I guess it is ripe for a reread, someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Great review Bobbly, i shall have to get my copy down & read it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've just finished The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. Loved it, and it's my 5th book of the year so I really need to get on with reviews. x I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it . Great review of The Secret Life of Bees! The book is on my wishlist, I'm glad you enjoyed it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 If you liked TSLoB I would highly recommend her latest book, The Invention of Wings.. A similar theme of oppression, it covers slavery in the early 1800's. It's gone straight on my wishlist. BB Glad you liked TSLoB --- I liked it a lot too. You're doing great on books, to have that many read already this year ! Yeah, I'm quite happy with the amount I've read so far, and also that I'm reading some books that I've had on my TBR pile for a while. No doubt my reading will slow down a bit now that I'm studying again, but I still manage to read for at least 30 minutes a day. We read that for our Book Club in 2007 and then watched the film together about a year after it was released. I remember us all enjoying it and thinking it was a fairly faithful adaptation. I must keep an eye out for it....I'm glad it sticks closely to the book. I read The Secret Life of Bees some years ago....can't remember exactly when. I remember liking it a lot at the time, but it wasn't one that stuck with me. I read your (teriffic!) review, and it was as though I had only read a synopsis as far as what I remembered of it. Hardly any bells rang at all. So, I guess it is ripe for a reread, someday. Thanks, Pontalba. It's worth a re-read, I think. Great review Bobbly, i shall have to get my copy down & read it Thanks, Kidsmum....hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Great review of The Secret Life of Bees! The book is on my wishlist, I'm glad you enjoyed it . Thanks, Athena. I hope you enjoy it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Dracula - Bram StokerGenerally, I’m not a huge fan of the classics, so I was taken by surprise by how good this one was. Everyone knows who Dracula is, but I was never very familiar with the original story, and speaking to a few others, they weren't aware of the story either.Jonathan Harker is a newly qualified solicitor from England, who is visiting Dracula to aid him in a real-estate transaction. Shortly after his arrival, he finds himself prisoner in Dracula’s castle, and after some time observing him and exploring the castle, he discovers that things aren’t quite right with the Count.Soon after making Harker prisoner, Dracula hijacks a ship to England (a lot of reviews and synopsis' say that Dracula was in pursuit of Harker’s fiancé, Mina, whom he believed to be a reincarnation of his true love. I don't recall this ever being mentioned in my copy of the book so I wonder if I had an abridged version (although it didn't seem abridged, because everything else matched up to what others have said)?). Upon his arrival and over the course of many nights, he begins dining (couldn't think of the right word ) on Mina’s friend, Lucy. Her doctor is baffled by her ‘illness’, and calls in a favor from another doctor/friend - Van Helsing - who soon begins to suspect what is happening to Lucy. Eventually, Harker escapes and returns to England and he along with Mina and several others (including Van Helsing, of course), put together a plan to find and kill Dracula.I liked this book so much more than I thought I would, and it was also very different to what I was expecting. It came across as quite modern (except for gushy teariness of so many of the characters), and I imagine it must have been shocking when it was first published. It's a very detailed story, with every action being written about - I suppose this was the nature of the story being told in epistolary form, rather than having a narrator who isn't involved in the story, and can skim over large parts of it. When I first started reading, I was a little worried that I wouldn't like the style (I thought it would be like Dangerous Liaisons - a classic, also told via letters - which I couldn't even finish), but it was a great way of getting the whole of the story across in strong detail, from all characters viewpoints. Highly recommended, and one I will probably read again. 5/6 Edited February 1, 2014 by bobblybear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 The Observations - Jane HarrisThis is one of the first books I bought on my Kindle, back in 2010. As is often the case, I wish I’d read it sooner, because it was a very good read.The story is told by Bessy Buckley, a teenaged Irish ‘housekeeper’ living in Scotland during Victorian times. She is on her way to Edinburgh in the search for work, when she comes across a house, signposted Castle Haivers. The mistress (Arabella Reid) offers her the job immediately when she realises she can read, even though her housekeeping skills aren’t all that great. Arabella is a bit odd and makes some unusual requests of Bessy. One of them is that Bessy keeps a daily journal describing all her thoughts and opinions of events during her day; another one is that Bessy do some meaningless exercises such as sit and stand repeatedly, for no purpose, simply because it is what Arabella commands. I don't want to give too much away, as much is revealed later on, but there are some stories circulating about what has become of the previous maids of Castle Haivers, and big part of the story hinges around that.Bessy is a brilliant and likeable character…very down to earth, blunt and intelligent, and the story is told in her very original voice, using some twists on language and slang (ie. ‘phiz’ instead of face). It’s easy to read, and adds more character; she also comes out with some great and funny turns of phrase. You just can't help but like her, and she has certainly led an interesting life, but there's not a trace of self-pity to be seen.A near perfect read, only let down by what I thought was a rather safe ending.5.5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 BB Funny , that is the book I'm currently reading ! I don't wanna read too much of your review in case I read something I shouldn't know just yet. I think I'm at the part where I'm discovering a bit more about the maid and what she recently discovered , but not far enough to see if there was anything sinister going on. I hope so. It'd make the book more enjoyable ! Will stop back in after completing it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I didn't give any spoilers away...my review was quite vague because a fair bit happens and is revealed in the book, that I didn't want to spoil for anyone who may read it. I'd also recommend avoiding Amazon reviews, as a few on there give the plot of the whole book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 We have similar thoughts on Dracula. I didnt think I would like it much but I ended up really loving it. Great review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks Laura. It's nice to be surprised by a book that you weren't expecting to enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 BB I read your review, and thanks for the warning about the Amazon spoilers. I won't go in and read those . I've reached a really interesting and good part of the book. almost halfway done now. I'm enjoying it a lot, Very funny in parts, the things the main character says and does ! I'll post a review when I finish it . hopefully this weekend . I'm notoriously slow at reading lately and am too easily distracted, but I think the story has me hooked enough now that I want to know what happens so i'll keep at it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 I like the sound of The Observations. Great review, BB. I have to say, it reminds me of a Sherlock Holmes story I read ages ago. hmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 Very funny in parts, the things the main character says and does ! She's such a great character, isn't she? Thanks, Pontalba. I've never actually read any Sherlock Holmes - though I have the collection on my Kindle. But if I do ever get around to reading it, maybe I'll be reminded of The Observations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre - Rod GlennI always promise myself that I won’t fall for hyped up reviews on Amazon, but I still do, and this is a perfect example. The synopsis is a bit sick: Hannibal Whitman moves to a small town in Northumberland on the pretense of writing a novel. His actual intention though, is to befriend and then murder all of the towns 392 inhabitants.Now, the only reason I can think I bought this book was because I was in my ‘I just got a Kindle so I’m going to fill it with anything I find’ phase, because a plot like this doesn’t interest me. I am, however, a sucker for a book that has received many positive reviews. I’m not necessarily against violence in books, as long as it is there for a purpose or to illustrate a point. The violence in this book is shamelessly and utterly gratuitous and repellant, and repetative to the point where it becomes boring to read. We follow Hannibal Whitman as he stalks and murders his victims, and we read about all the gore in infinite detail. And, we are expected to believe that he can outwit all of the towns inhabitants (even those with military backgrounds, while he has none) plus several police officers. It's unintelligent, pointless and revels in violence. In short, it’s crap, don’t bother with it. Going back to the positive reviews it has received on Amazon, they must be written by friends of the author. There's no way that many people can really enjoy rubbish like this. There are several sequels, and guess what.....?! I won't be reading any of the them! 1/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Wow, BB ... Too bad. That's a disappointment, isn't it, when you read a really good book then a DUD for the next one. Hopefully your newest pick will be better ! I finished The Observations today -- REALLY good ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Must admit the synopsis sounds a bit dodgy...... one man to murder 392 people, it must have been a seven day a week job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Sorry to hear the read was rubbish BB . I hope your next read will be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre - Rod Glenn In short, it’s crap, don’t bother with it. 1/6 Just tell it like it is bobbs The book sounds like a total nightmare .. poor bobbs .. You need to be compensated now with an excellent read I'm not touching it with a barge-pole but I'm sorry you had to suffer in order to keep me from harm ... better luck next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre - Rod Glenn It's unintelligent, pointless and revels in violence. In short, it’s crap, don’t bother with it. There are several sequels, and guess what.....?! I won't be reading any of the them! 1/6 As poppyshake said - Tell it as it is! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I thoroughly enjoyed your review of Sinema BB - will make sure not to touch that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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