Anna Begins Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 I"m glad you are now a Stephen King convert It is a good story isn't it? I's glad you liked it as much as I did. I had the same feelings about 13 Reasons Why, and I didn't even finish the book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 I'm so glad you enjoyed 11/22/63. I forgot you hadn't read any King before, so it's great that the first book you've read is one you really enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 (edited) Great reviews, Alexi! Even though you hated the Auster. I hated it the first time I attempted it, and only made it less than half way through. Second time, 6 years or so later, was the charm for me. But I'm really glad you enjoyed the King! It was great, I agree, def! And, yays on seeing the highlights, NYC! Were the tourists still sticking their ipads out through the bars? Man, they gave me the shivers! Did you get a picture? Edited September 23, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Great that you enjoyed your trip so much ,but sorry you hurt your foot or ankle . At least it didn't stop you from doing the things you had on your list ! Good for you . Also glad you enjoyed 11-22-63 . I thought it was a pretty doggone good story too ! Thanks Julie! It was a magical trip, still having some of the post holiday blues if I'm honest! I love visiting the USA and would love to live there but getting a green card is nigh on impossible. Sigh. I"m glad you are now a Stephen King convert It is a good story isn't it? I's glad you liked it as much as I did. I had the same feelings about 13 Reasons Why, and I didn't even finish the book! Yep, totally converted and interesting you had the same thoughts on 13 reasons why, I wasn't sure if it was because I read it on a plane but there was so little emotion there. *shrug* onwards and upwards! I'm so glad you enjoyed 11/22/63. I forgot you hadn't read any King before, so it's great that the first book you've read is one you really enjoyed. Thanks BB. I'm not really sure how I've reached 28 and only just read one to be honest. My Mum now tells me she has read every single one of his books and gets them as soon as they come out! Great reviews, Alexi! Even though you hated the Auster. I hated it the first time I attempted it, and only made it less than half way through. Second time, 6 years or so later, was the charm for me. But I'm really glad you enjoyed the King! It was great, I agree, def! And, yays on seeing the highlights, NYC! Were the tourists still sticking their ipads out through the bars? Man, they gave me the shivers! Did you get a picture? Thank you! That's interesting on Auster. I'll leave it a few years and then give another of his books a try and see how I get on. Yes they were sticking cameras, phones iPads you name it out of the bars! I got some amazing pictures. I think my highlight was going to see the New York Giants (sorry, but I love them!) but the Empire State was pretty spectacular and we did a helicopter ride which was amazing too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Thanks Julie! It was a magical trip, still having some of the post holiday blues if I'm honest! I love visiting the USA and would love to live there but getting a green card is nigh on impossible. Sigh. What's a green card? I presume it means permission to live there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) Sorry Athena, I missed that totally! Yes, it means permission to live there permanently I believe - any less than permanently and they I've you a visa. My company has an office in the USA but not keen on transfers. Sigh. I've been doing quite a lot of reading this week. I'm up to date with my Nicholas Nickleby group read and am now galloping along with The Wedding Gift - I'm 60 pages in, but it's a fantastic read so far centering on slavery and two girls fathered by the same man, only - you guessed it - one illegitimately. Shaping up to be awesome. Couple of reviews.... Edited October 1, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 #46 Capital by John Lanchester Synopsis: Celebrated novelist John Lanchester (author of The Debt to Pleasure) returns with an epic novel that captures the obsessions of our time. It’s 2008 and things are falling apart: Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers are going under, and the residents of Pepys Road, London—a banker and his shopaholic wife, an old woman dying of a brain tumor and her graffiti-artist grandson, Pakistani shop owners and a shadowy refugee who works as the meter maid, the young soccer star from Senegal and his minder—are receiving anonymous postcards reading “We Want What You Have.” Who is behind it? What do they want? Epic in scope yet intimate, capturing the ordinary dramas of very different lives, this is a novel of love and suspicion, of financial collapse and terrorist threat, of property values going up and fortunes going down, and of a city at a moment of extraordinary tension.(GoodReads) Thoughts: I'm not sure what to say about this. I got to the end and wasn't sure it could be called an end as such because this books focuses on people's ordinary lives so the story begins without us and carries on on we've left. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. We follow the fortunes of the different residents of Pepys Road, once a working class haven now being sold off to millionaires. The last resident standing from the working class era is dying, and living alongside a teenage football prodigy and a city banker. But it's 2008 so we suspect that the rich characters in this scenario are under threat. Yes, the characters are stereotypical. We have the family from Pakistan running the corner shop presided over by the scary matron mother-in-law due to visit from the homeland, Roger is never there for his kids while his wife spends his money, employs nannies and thinks her life is hard, the Polish builder...you get the idea. And yet, and yet. This is fun. It's a great read, which zipped along and I found it difficult to stop reading. I cared about these characters and the glimpses I to their lives, and I even came to sympathise a tad with Roger the banker and inept father. I felt like I shouldn't enjoy this and yet it's so damned readable, I loved it. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 #47 Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell Synopsis: From the hugely popular blog, a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments.(Amazon) Thoughts: Does what it says on the tin! This had me laughing out loud at moments, and other times wondering...this stuff's made up, right?! Some of these customers I recognise from my own work in pubs in a former life, others were just behind what I ever imagine experiencing. Some favourites: Hi, I just wanted to ask: did Anne Frank ever write a sequel? (!) Do you sell screwdrivers? Plus the customer who wanted money off because their own child had ripped some pages. Nearly as amusing was the following review of the book on Amazon: A series of light anecdotes that reminds me why I left Britain, and never intend coming back. Excellent. It's a very quick read, and I do question the wisdom of charging £3.80 full price (I got the daily deal) but I really enjoyed it. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I'm glad you enjoyed Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops . I believe I paid a couple of pounds for both books (this and the sequel), in paperback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Great review of Capital, Alexi. I agree with almost everything you say! I sort of got the impression that the characters were meant to appear stereotypes at first, but as you found out more about them, you found they were unique and individual to show that it shouldn't be right to make assumptions about them and their lives just because of stereotypes that are often characterised in media and society. That's was my feeling, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 I agree, but I found Roger's wife (and Roger himself to an extent!) terrible stereotypes who we never really learned much about - except I felt a bit sorry for Roger having to put up with her! Of course, he was in financial difficulties which makes a difference, but I found little to redeem her in it all. I've now finished The Wedding Gift, which I must review! It was a 4/5 for me, started brilliantly and raced a long but lost its way at the end somewhat. I'm now reading Sky of Red Poppies which counts for Iran in my World Challenge, which I have rather neglected this year! The first Nancy Drew mystery also just fell into my kindle basket for some good nostalgia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 #48 The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden Synopsis: In 1852, when prestigious Alabama plantation owner Cornelius Allen gives his daughter Clarissa's hand in marriage, she takes with her a gift: Sarah—her slave and her half-sister. Raised by an educated mother, Clarissa is not the proper Southern belle she appears to be, with ambitions of loving whom she chooses. Sarah equally hides behind the façade of being a docile house slave as she plots to escape. Both women bring these tumultuous secrets and desires with them to their new home, igniting events that spiral into a tale beyond what you ever imagined possible. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Sarah and Theodora Allen, Cornelius' wife, Marlen Suyapa Bodden's The Wedding Gift is an intimate portrait of slavery and the 19th Century South that will leave readers breathless. Thoughts: I can't remember what made me pick this up from the library, but really glad I did. Sarah and Clarissa are sisters, but while Clarissa is the legitimate child of the master of the plantation and his wife, Sarah's mother is a slave who the master takes to bed (for want of a better phrase!). The two girls grow up side by side, but when they reach teenager years, Sarah becomes Clarissa's maid. The story switches between narrators - Sarah, and also Theodora, who is the plantation master's wife which helps the reader understand that while slaves enjoyed no rights whatsoever - they could not even legally marry and you can't murder your own property so masters could and did kill their own slaves as punishment - white women enjoyed few rights in practice. Theodora is also a prisoner, although she has a more comfortable cell. The first half of this ripped along for me. I really rooted for Sarah and her mother Emmeline instantly. We initially meet Theordora through the age of a childhood Sarah, and then when we are introduced to her a few chapters in it removes a lot of what we have already learned. Hearing from both women works well, initially seeing two different versions of the same event and then filling in the blanks when the two are later separated. Let's be honest. I loved this. It was an emotional ride through the horrors of slavery, and the hopes and dreams Sarah has of one day running away to freedom. The two plantation masters we meet provide perfect villains while the women we meet all draw incredible sympathy. It's a great plot, the characters are great and it's emotional stuff. The only thing that let it down was the ending, I felt like the author didn't really know how she wanted it to end and it sort of dribbled off a bit. But no matter, it's a great read. Recommended (and only £2.99 on kindle.... ) 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 #49 Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Ghahremani Synopsis: Sky of Red Poppies begins with a casual friendship between two schoolgirls coming of age in a politically divided 1960's Iran under rule of the Shah. Roya, the daughter of a prominent family, is envious of the fierce independence of her religious classmate Shireen. But Shireen has secrets of her own. Together, Roya and Shireen contend with becoming the women they want to be, and in doing so, make decisions that will cause their tragic undoing. In the unraveling of family secrets, Roya begins to question how she was raised and how to become the person she wishes to be. Set against the backdrop of a nation forced to mute its profound identity, Sky of Red Poppies is a novel about culture, politics and the redeeming power of friendships. Thoughts: This counted for Iran in my world challenge. It was a great choice for it, it really gave me a flavour of the culture and history of a country I know little about other than the news reports. Roya, the daughter of a wealthy family whose father has undoubtedly benefited under the rule of the Shah, is our narrator through a decade of change and upheaval in Iran. Her best friend, Shireen, comes from a devout family who are active in opposition to the Shah and must evade the eyes of SAVAK, the secret police. It's a slow start, as the two girls meet in their early teenage years, but by the end I needed a good cry! Essentially it's a coming of age thing, Roya questioning and searching for her own identity, trying to live her life and graduate from university, fall in love etc while the Iranian regime faces increased opposition and SAVAK are increasingly brutal - a scene her best friend Shireen is caught up in. It's a tear jerker, really well written and the characters well drawn. If the pacing feels a bit odd at times, persevere, it is worth it a thousand times. I finished this three days ago and it's still haunting me. 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Wow- I will definitely read this, it sounds really good. I'm a tad obsessed with Iran. You should check out Reading Lolita in Tehran, I think you'd love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 So far behind with reviews again! An attempt to improve this... #50 Alice in Time by Penelope Bush Synopsis: Things are at a crisis point for fourteen-year-old Alice. Her mum is ruining her life, her dad is getting remarried, and Sasha, the most popular girl in school, hates her guts. . . Then a bizarre accident happens, and Alice finds herself re-living her life as a seven-year-old through teenage eyes - and discovering some awkward truths. But can she use her new knowledge to change her own future? Thoughts: This is young adult, so I'm not the target audience, but I have read an enjoyed young adult and this missed the mark a bit. Alice is a "typical teenager", angry at the world around her and everything is everyone's fault but her own. Then Alice goes back to being seven and learns that perhaps her Mum isn't so bad, and that she's a bit to blame as well. The interesting thing to deal with here I feel would be her Mum's PND after the birth of her younger brother, which happens a week or so after her trip back in time, but this is a bit brushed under the carpet and it's more about how Alice deals with her problems with Sasha which emanate from choices made at the age of seven. We learn she'll get he Mum help with PND but we don't witness the experience of it, which seems a wasted opportunity. It kept me entertained for a few hours, but nothing more. 2/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 #51 The Second Half by Roy Keane Synopsis: Memoir by one of the greatest of modern footballers, and former captain of Manchester United and Ireland, Roy Keane - co-written with Man Booker Prize-winner Roddy Doyle. Thoughts: This, as the title suggests, is the second of Roy Keane's autobiographies following his first written in the early 2000s. This one deals with his controversial departure from Manchester United and the start of his career after football and into management. The departure from United was the big selling point of the book, but I personally found that to be covered adequately by the press when it happened back in 2005. I was far more interested in his exploits since then, and it definitely proved the more interesting part of the book. It talked about how his last experiences in playing caused him to fall out of love with football and Sunderland caused him to fall back in love again with the game. It's a shame what happened to him up there really, no manager since has done any better and many have done far worse really! I don't love Roy the man, although I bloody love Roy the player, but he's hardest on himself and I found this a good read if you ignore the headlines about all the controversial bits - stuff you probably read about back in 2005 anyway! 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 #52 The Shining by Stephen King Synopsis: Danny was only five years old but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he was a "shiner", aglow with psychic voltage. When his fathe became caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control. As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seemed to develop a life of its own. It was meant to be empty, but who was the lady in room 217, and who were the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? Any why did the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive? Somewhere, somehow there was an evil force in the hotel - and that too had begun to shine... (Goodreads) Thoughts: I read my first Stephen King, 11.22.63, earlier this year and loved it so much I was keen to try another almost immediately. I don't "do" horror, so I approached this with some trepidation urged along by friends, family and a recently found love of Mr King. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it might be, but I think that is because the evil was portrayed as supernatural, from the sounds of the introduction the film portrays it as one man's madness and that sounds like it could be far more scary on film - but I will reserve judgement until I have been forced to watch it! King is such a natural storyteller and his characters are ones to fall in love with, entirely. I loved his descriptions of the old hotel coming alive with parties in the 1920s and 1940s, and the little boy Danny is just a delightful character with so many levels. He can "Shine", which means he can read the thoughts of others even if at five years old he doesn't always understand them. But what he does understand through his visions guided by an "imaginary friend' is that someone is coming to get him in the hotel. His father's descent into madness and captivity by the hotel is wonderfully drawn, aided by the past scenes we are shown. He's struggled with alcoholism, flies into rages, has broken his son's arm and been thrown out of the school he teaches in for beating up a pupil. How much is the hotel and how much is Jack Torrance? There in lies King's mastery, and the horror of the story. It's great, and has reinforced by mission to read everything King has ever written. 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Good to see you around!! I liked the review of The Shinning, it sounds a lot scarier than the movie! Shame Alice in Time was a disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Great reviews ! I'm glad you enjoyed The Shining, I read it last month and also gave it 4.5 / 5 (or 9 / 10 in my own system). I fully agree with your review, King has a way of making things come to life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Good to see you around!! I liked the review of The Shinning, it sounds a lot scarier than the movie! Shame Alice in Time was a disappointment. Thanks Anna! I haven't read many disappointments this year, I was probably due one Great reviews ! I'm glad you enjoyed The Shining, I read it last month and also gave it 4.5 / 5 (or 9 / 10 in my own system). I fully agree with your review, King has a way of making things come to life. He really does. I can't believe I reached the grand old age of 28 without reading one of his works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I'm much older than that and I've never read him. I think I've only seen one film (Pet Cemetery, maybe - was that one of his?) but remember it being pretty dire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Ah, but I have a mother who claims to have read everything he's ever written! (I haven't been able to verify the accuracy of this claim, but I know she will believe she has read everything he's ever written!) Have you never seen The Shawshank Redemption? Yes my Mum did make me watch that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Ah, but I have a mother who claims to have read everything he's ever written! (I haven't been able to verify the accuracy of this claim, but I know she will believe she has read everything he's ever written!) Have you never seen The Shawshank Redemption? Yes my Mum did make me watch that. The Green Mile and Stand By Me are great movies too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I haven't seen either of those films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I've only seen IT (many years ago), with a version of Carrie and The Stand still to be watched. I also have the DVD of IT which I was going to rewatch at some point but I haven't done so yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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