Kylie Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Wow, congrats Pontalba! I wish I could read 100 (I think I did just once, a few years ago, but mostly I read much less). Glad to hear that the weather isn't affecting you too badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Great work Pontalba - I can only dream of hitting 100! Ive added The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case to my (ever growing) wish list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 LOL Not so much for us, we are far enough South that we were only brushed with the cold....we went down in the low to mid 20's two nights in a row. The pipes are all wrapped and we let the water run a little during the freezing hours. It could be a lot worse! Temperature example.... 25F equals minus 3.88C. A friend in New York told us last week that we were actually having colder weather up to that point then they were! That rather shocked us. That's changed by now though. Oh, also, BTW, the last book I read, reviewed up above was my 100th! That was my goal, and if I'd kept reading at the rate I read the first 8 months of the year, I'd have read a lot more, but I'm happy with this. First time I've broken a hundred. Nothing like some of you guys though!! I'm so glad you're okay, in the US . Also, congratulations on reading 100 this year ! It's your highest yet, I think that's something that should be celebrated . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I think that's something that should be celebrated . Yes indeed—I think you should celebrate by buying books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Yes indeed—I think you should celebrate by buying books! Seconded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 LOL Not so much for us, we are far enough South that we were only brushed with the cold....we went down in the low to mid 20's two nights in a row. The pipes are all wrapped and we let the water run a little during the freezing hours. It could be a lot worse! Temperature example.... 25F equals minus 3.88C. A friend in New York told us last week that we were actually having colder weather up to that point then they were! That rather shocked us. That's changed by now though. Whoah ! It`s supposed to be 7-13C here tomorrow ( near the Welsh border ) - thank you, Jet Stream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Oh, also, BTW, the last book I read, reviewed up above was my 100th! That was my goal, and if I'd kept reading at the rate I read the first 8 months of the year, I'd have read a lot more, but I'm happy with this. First time I've broken a hundred. Nothing like some of you guys though!! Wow, many congrats ! Once you know, you can crack 100, I found you read more in the following years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Seconded! Thirded ! I found that having a big TBR has meant a choice of lots of genres, so I`ve always had something to read if I`ve suddenly got a whim for South American authors, for instance. Oh, and having a stockpile of series/books by favourite authors, which I can turn to if I get the reading blahs, so I don`t stop reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Yes indeed—I think you should celebrate by buying books! This sounds like a good idea ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 These are very interesting questions, even if like you said they aren't exactly answered. Missing Person added to the wishlist. I know. If he'd attempted to answer those questions, it would have been a let down! I've ordered two more of his, second hand from Amazon. Wow, congrats Pontalba! I wish I could read 100 (I think I did just once, a few years ago, but mostly I read much less). Glad to hear that the weather isn't affecting you too badly. Thanks, Kylie. Being retired does have it's perks. Re the weather....it's much warmer now, and aside from the rain expected tonight will be pretty temperate for the next several days. Up and down. heh Great work Pontalba - I can only dream of hitting 100! Ive added The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case to my (ever growing) wish list Thanks Alexi. It's definitely a first for me! Glad to hear it, I'll be glad to read your opinion when you can get to it. I'm so glad you're okay, in the US . Also, congratulations on reading 100 this year ! It's your highest yet, I think that's something that should be celebrated . Thanks, Gaia. Our winters are variable, but the last couple have been colder, it seems. More freezes at night, I think. It is, last year I didn't quite make it.....99 last year and that was a first as well! Edit: due to this announcement...... "You have posted a message with more emoticons than this community allows. Please reduce the number of emoticons you've added to the message" I've edited some emoticons out.....sorry. /sigh/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Yes indeed—I think you should celebrate by buying books! Done!! : Seconded! LOL Done! Whoah ! It`s supposed to be 7-13C here tomorrow ( near the Welsh border ) - thank you, Jet Stream. Well, as I mentioned above, our weather is variable. Very much so. Today we have a high of almost 80F/26.6C. heh But a low around 43F/6.1C. Go figure! Wow, many congrats ! Once you know, you can crack 100, I found you read more in the following years. I think that's true. Last year I hit 99, and this year I've already hit 100, so who knows!? Thirded ! I found that having a big TBR has meant a choice of lots of genres, so I`ve always had something to read if I`ve suddenly got a whim for South American authors, for instance. Oh, and having a stockpile of series/books by favourite authors, which I can turn to if I get the reading blahs, so I don`t stop reading. Oh, absolutely!!!!! This sounds like a good idea ! LOL Done, and done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 So.. which books did you buy ? (or did you order them online but you haven't received them yet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) So.. which books did you buy ? (or did you order them online but you haven't received them yet) The latter. They are on the way.....The Search Warrant and Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas. A friend on Good Reads is reading the novellas, and loves them. So, I thought why not? :D One new and one second hand from Amazon. Edited November 22, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I hope you enjoy them both ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks! He is really an interesting author. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) I`m going to pass on Missing Person for the time being - this is why - fingers crossed that there`ll be cheaper editions in the future. I was really enchanted by the first few lines, too. Hurray for your lovely warm temps and new books ! Edited November 22, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 I`m going to pass on Missing Person for the time being - this is why - fingers crossed that there`ll be cheaper editions in the future. I was really enchanted by the first few lines, too. Hurray for your lovely warm temps and new books ! WOWEE!!! I was lucky! I think I paid 12 USD for mine. Keep an eye on it, it'll come down. Way down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 WOWEE!!! I was lucky! I think I paid 12 USD for mine. Keep an eye on it, it'll come down. Way down! It`s strange, isn`t it. You`d think the publisher would try to shift a few copies now, rather than putting UK people off a purchase. Looks like the same edition in the US as the UK, too. I see the book you`ve just bought - 3 novellas - is cheaper here and has a ` Nobel Prize Wimnner` sticker. Shall watch out for the Missing Person book ( which seems to be a 2004 edition ). Mebbe they`ll publish a new edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Hah, no, instead they seem to "milk" the situation. What I can never understand is the wide discrepancy in prices in the U.S. and the U.K. Doesn't make any sense to me. Lots of my second hand books come from used booksellers in the U.K. Even with the 3.99 USD postage attached, they can be cheaper than copies from Stateside. Weirdness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 What I can never understand is the wide discrepancy in prices in the U.S. and the U.K. Doesn't make any sense to me. Lots of my second hand books come from used booksellers in the U.K. Even with the 3.99 USD postage attached, they can be cheaper than copies from Stateside. Weirdness. I don't understand it either (between the UK, US and NL). Sometimes it can be annoying! It's good to shop around I think, when ordering online. Sarah / Pixie, I hope you find that book for a cheaper price somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) Hah, no, instead they seem to "milk" the situation. What I can never understand is the wide discrepancy in prices in the U.S. and the U.K. Doesn't make any sense to me. Lots of my second hand books come from used booksellers in the U.K. Even with the 3.99 USD postage attached, they can be cheaper than copies from Stateside. Weirdness. That`s exactly the same here but in reverse - if you get my drift ! I buy lots of books for £2.81 ( $4.40) from US used booksellers, `cos often they`re cheaper in the US . Bizarre indeed. Edited November 23, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I don't understand it either (between the UK, US and NL). Sometimes it can be annoying! It's good to shop around I think, when ordering online. Sarah / Pixie, I hope you find that book for a cheaper price somewhere! Thank you ! I shall have an occasional look at those prices and pounce when there`s a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Requiem For A Wren by Nevil Shute 5/5 Shute reveals the end at the beginning, but only part of it, the devastating part. A young woman's suicide that seemingly has no rhyme or reason starts the returning home Aussie pilot on a journey through his past. The attention to detail is fantastic and the reader learns much about the nitty gritty of maintaining the gunnery parts of British WWII ships. I had no idea that there was such a thing as Ordinance Wrens in the War. They were an integral part of the War Effort and they suffered as much of what we know now as PTSD as any of the soldiers that saw action. All of this plays into Shute's story and is worked beautifully into a story of love, war, regret and family. While the author pulls no punches, he does not dramatize, he tells it like it was, laying bare the hearts of the characters. Even knowing of the eventual end of the pivotal character does not take away from the dramatic tension Shute creates throughout the story. He brings us to slow realizations in a wonderfully artistic manner, dawn breaking finally revealing the true depth of each character. Highly Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Somehow a novella of Margaret Atwood arrived on my kindle. So, last night I started reading Positron....it's several novellas by Atwood set in a dystopian world, but it's black comedy. I read three of them last night and have the fourth on the kindle as well. Dipstick characters, bizarre situations. This is not the Atwood I've read before, and I like it. They are around 50(ish) pages long, so I suppose I'll lump them together and count them as one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Great review of Requiem For A Wren! I'm glad you enjoyed the book . I don't often read books about the wars, but your review makes it sound really interesting! I did like On the Beach a lot. I look forward to read your review on the Margaret Atwood novellas. I haven't yet read anything by her, I don't own any of her books, yet (though Devi is sending me a copy of The Handmaid's Tale some time). Anna tells me Atwood's books are complicated. I don't know if they'd be something for me but as she's pretty famous and some of the synopses sound interesting (ie The Handmaid's Tale), I would like to give her a go some time . Enjoy your book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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