Kidsmum Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 I got some lovely books off my wishlist for Christmas The Goldfinch Donna Tartt - i've so been looking foward to reading this one Cousin Phillis Elizabeth Gaskell - i found this by chance while browsing the internet published by Nonsuch Classics it's one i've never heard of before. The Old Wives Tale Arnold Bennett - looking forward to reading this for the English Counties Reading Challenge Clayhanger Arnold Bennett Hilda Lessways Arnold Bennett - why have 1 Arnold Bennett book when you can own 3 The Orchard On Fire Shena Mackay - heard about this on the radio & added it to my wishlist The Harpole Report J.L.Carr - Loved A Month In The Country so looking forward to reading more of his books House Of Sand & Fog Andre Dubus III - came highly recommended by Pontalba I also have some Christmas money to spend..... now i wonder what i'll be buying with that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Sounds as if you got some really good books, and may be coming in to list some more new ones after your shopping trip . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Nice haul, I hope you enjoy your books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Sounds as if you got some really good books, and may be coming in to list some more new ones after your shopping trip . I hope so Julie I plan on spending my money in Waterstones instead of on the internet for a change i know i'll get less bang for my buck but it's nice coming home with a bag full of books......instant gratification Nice haul, I hope you enjoy your books . Thanks Athena , i still have them piled up where i can admire them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Thanks Athena , i still have them piled up where i can admire them x I often do that too, not putting them away until a few days later . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixen Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 In our house there is no such thing as space, Pixie Thanks Vixen Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favourite books & films, it's listed on my TBR list as i'm going to reread it for the English Counties Challenge. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it but i guess it's not everybody's cup of tea. Do you have a favourite classic ? Sorry haven't been around for a week, went away on a little break My favourite classic would have to be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 You must read The Rook - it's absolutely brilliant and hilariously funny - Burial Rites is good too. Great to see how it has sparked so much interest in Icelandic literature and no doubt Iceland in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 (edited) Hope you have a good reading year in 2014, Kidsmum - looking forward to joining you in the English Counties challenge! Edited December 31, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Your TBR looks at least as long as mine (and very similar) so I'm less chastened than I was .. however you have tempered yours with a very small wishlist which shows a responsible attitude towards getting the job done Happy Reading in 2014 KM I must put in a good word for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell .. it'll be on TV hopefully this year so good time to start reading it .. on the other hand there's no hurry to read Carter Beats the Devil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Happy reading in 2014 Kidsmum, I hope it'll be good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 You must read The Rook - it's absolutely brilliant and hilariously funny - Burial Rites is good too. Great to see how it has sparked so much interest in Icelandic literature and no doubt Iceland in general. Thanks Talisman, they're new authors to me so i'm looking forward to reading them Sorry haven't been around for a week, went away on a little break My favourite classic would have to be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Hope you had a nice break vixen I really enjoyed Pride & Prejudice as well.Have you heard of Longbourn by Jo Baker ? It's the servants view of life in the Bennett household, it's on my want to read list for this year Hope you have a good reading year in 2014, Kidsmum - looking forward to joining you in the English Counties challenge! Thanks Claire, i'm planning on making a start on the challenge this month just not sure which book i'm going to kick off with Your TBR looks at least as long as mine (and very similar) so I'm less chastened than I was .. however you have tempered yours with a very small wishlist which shows a responsible attitude towards getting the job done Happy Reading in 2014 KM I must put in a good word for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell .. it'll be on TV hopefully this year so good time to start reading it .. on the other hand there's no hurry to read Carter Beats the Devil Thanks Poppyshake, my TBR list is still a work in progress, hopefully when the children go back to school i shall get round to finishing typing it all up. This year is definitely the year i will manage to get my book mountain down now that i've managed to kick the charity shop habit I loved JS&MN as well, it was VF reading it that made me want to read it again & if it's coming on the TV i shall have to get round to it sooner rather than later I can't imagine that the programme will be able to match the book though. Ah yes.... Carter Beats The Devil.... i'm sure that Ruth gave it a lukewarm review as well, i think it was the book cover that attracted me to it in the first place but it's not one i'm in a hurry to read. Happy reading in 2014 Kidsmum, I hope it'll be good Thanks Athena, i look forward to reading your reviews & posts this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Happy reading in 2014 km, i always look forward to reading your reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Happy Reading his year Kidsmum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Wow...long lists there...good luck with it all...and very colourful. My list is very boring as have issues with using some of the colours etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Happy reading in 2014 km, i always look forward to reading your reviews. Thanks Devi, one of my New Years resolutions is to try & keep up with my reviews Happy Reading his year Kidsmum. Thanks Chrissy, hope you have a good reading year as well & your mojo behaves itself Wow...long lists there...good luck with it all...and very colourful. My list is very boring as have issues with using some of the colours etc... thank you Diane, it's scary how easy it is to amass a huge amount of books ..... i'm wondering what your colour issues are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Happy reading in 2014, Km! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Oooh, nice long TBR you have there. That will keep you busy for a while! I bought The Goldfinch recently and will read it in the next few months. I also bought Half Of A Yellow Sun a couple of weeks ago on the Kindle (it was a deal of some kind), so I have that to look forward to as well, as I have heard it mentioned a fair bit. Other recommended ones on your list: A Short History Of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson Prey Michael Crichton Ubik Phillip K. Dick The Secret Life Of Bees Sue Monk Kidd Gone Girl Gillian Flynn The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox Maggie O'Farrell Happy reading in 2014. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) The Old Wives Tale Arnold Bennett - looking forward to reading this for the English Counties Reading Challenge Clayhanger Arnold Bennett Hilda Lessways Arnold Bennett - why have 1 Arnold Bennett book when you can own 3 I read Anna of the Five Towns a few years ago and enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to The Old Wives' Tale too. Happy reading in 2014. ETA: The colour issues are a browser problem - it's something to do with Internet Explorer which is the work of the devil causing the problem. Edited January 4, 2014 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Happy reading in 2014, Km! Thanks Steve, happy reading to you too Oooh, nice long TBR you have there. That will keep you busy for a while! I bought The Goldfinch recently and will read it in the next few months. I also bought Half Of A Yellow Sun a couple of weeks ago on the Kindle (it was a deal of some kind), so I have that to look forward to as well, as I have heard it mentioned a fair bit. Other recommended ones on your list: A Short History Of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson Prey Michael Crichton Ubik Phillip K. Dick The Secret Life Of Bees Sue Monk Kidd Gone Girl Gillian Flynn The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox Maggie O'Farrell Happy reading in 2014. Thanks for the recommendations Bobbly, Ubik & the Bill Bryson are actually my hubby's books but i intend to read them as well & Prey was recommended to me by a woman who came round to the house doing market research one day, all of them are outside of my reading comfort zone so it's good to hear you enjoyed them I read Anna of the Five Towns a few years ago and enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to The Old Wives' Tale too. Happy reading in 2014. ETA: The colour issues are a browser problem - it's something to do with Internet Explorer which is the work of the devil causing the problem. Thanks Janet I loved AOTFT, such a good ending & i've also read The Grand Babylon Hotel as well, which i enjoyed but not as much. Oh so the colour issues are a computer problem that makes sense, i'm at a total loss when things go wrong with the computer & usually rely on the older children to come to my rescue, which they do..... begrudgingly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixen Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hope you had a nice break vixen I really enjoyed Pride & Prejudice as well.Have you heard of Longbourn by Jo Baker ? It's the servants view of life in the Bennett household, it's on my want to read list for this year Had a fantastic break thanks I haven't heard of that book, but I will go ahead and purchase it. Any book related to pride and prejudice takes my interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Had a fantastic break thanks I haven't heard of that book, but I will go ahead and purchase it. Any book related to pride and prejudice takes my interest My library book group has it on order so fingerscrossed we wont have to wait too long to read it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 The Orchard On Fire Shena Mackay Amazon Synopsis When Percy and Betty Harlency abandon their seedy Streatham pub, for the Copper Kettle Tearoom in Kent, life for their daughter April changes dramatically. She is befriended by the wonderfully dangerous Ruby, whose red hair and brutal home life emphasise her love of fire, and by the immaculately dressed Mr Greenridge who likes to follow her around the village. Mingling the innocent with the sinister and laced with the tragic and the bizarre, this is a rare evocation of a 1950s childhood. Having read I Capture The Castle Dodie Smith & The Greengage Summer Rumer Godden books written from a child's view which i loved i was really looking forward to reading this story. Although the book has some nice descriptions of village life & some childhood moments that i could identify with i didn't find the characters very convincing or April's relationship with her best friend Ruby. There was also a part to the story which involved child abuse, although not particularly graphic certainly by today's standards it made for uncomfortable reading it & did affect my enjoyment of the story. However if this had been the first book i'd read of it's type i think i would have enjoyed it more but i couldn't help but compare it with the two books mentioned & for that reason it fell short of being good. Still i've been generous & given it a 3 as 2 seems a bit harsh. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 My library book group has it on order so fingerscrossed we wont have to wait too long to read it Went to my bookgroup meeting & one of the other ladies got Longbourn for Christmas, she offered to lend it to me & she's going to drop it at my house tomorrow, really happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 I went to Waterstones today to spend my Christmas money, i spent ages trying to make up my mind but eventually came out with Cousin Henry Anthony Trollope The Light Years Elizabeth Jane Howard Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont Elizabeth Taylor Two on a Tower Thomas Hardy I know i could have got more for my money online but it was nice just to have some time out doing something that i enjoy shopping for books. Life has been so stressful for the last few weeks, my dad who's 88 went into hospital just before Christmas for tests & treatment for what we thought was just a water infection but they found that he's had some bleeds on the brain & they told us this week that he's not going to recover so at the moment we're waiting for him to be transferred to a nursing home where he'll be looked after for the last few weeks of his life. I know 88 is a good age & he's been fairly lucky with his health up till now but i guess i thought he'd go on for ever. He's been living in a residential home for the last few years & i'd go up & visit him every week , i admit that sometimes it just felt that life was so busy & this was one more thing that i had to find time to do, both my sisters live abroad so it's always felt like all the responsibility for my dad has been on my shoulders & at times that's been really hard but now that i know he's not going to be here for much longer i would give anything to turn back time & still have those weekly visits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I'm very sorry to hear about your Dad Samantha Don't be hard on yourself .. we all feel that way. Life is so busy that we rarely get time to think straight and it must be extra stressful with your sisters not there to share the visits etc. It's not that it was a burden it's just that it's burdensome on top of everything else you have to do. I think parents could live to be a hundred plus and it still would be too soon to lose them These last few visits with him will be sad but hopefully special too. Glad you were able to give yourself a little treat. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont is a lovely book .. quite sad and very poignant .. especially given your Dad's situation but beautifully written. Hope you enjoy reading all your new books, love and hugs xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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