Little Pixie Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Somehow a novella of Margaret Atwood arrived on my kindle. Things just mysteriously appear, don`t they. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Things just mysteriously appear, don`t they. It's true..... It's uncanny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 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. Interesting, I just looked them over. I may have to try them for a read a thon. While we did have a bit of a struggle this year, Atwood and me, I'd still give her another chance- especially if they are short Thanks for the tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Positron by Margaret Atwood 3.5/5 The "book" consists of 4 novellas. I'm Starved For You, Choke Collar, Erase Me, and The Heart Goes Last. Dystopian setting, rather Orwellian. Our protagonists, a married couple, live in what I believe the closest I can come it would be called a Company Town. Atwood has a fine sense of the bizarre, and I could almost call this a Bizarro World setting. For those unfamiliar with that concept, here is a wiki link to explain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_World While the comparison is not exact by any means, it is somewhat appropriate. Perhaps with a dash of The Stepford Wives thrown in. Early on we find that the people that sign into this Town have signed a contract that excludes their ever leaving, even in a box. Many sign up mostly because of the horrible conditions that exist "outside", rampant crime, roving gangs and the like. There is shared housing, one couple occupies a home for a month while another couple is in the town prison. Then on the first of every month they switch places. The four novellas consider all the peculiarities that can follow from such an arrangement. Atwood is tackling a plethora of issues to do with freedom, and just what humans may give up, or acts they will commit for a comfortable life. I don't want to commit spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. Suffice it to say that the story pulled me along, wanting to know what happens in the next installment. Of course number four was a sort of cliff hanger, so I'll be looking out for the next installments to come along. Having purchased them on Kindle, they were very inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 That's an interesting premise! I'm glad you enjoyed this book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Great review, Pontalba. Sounds right up my alley! It appears that the stories have only been published as ebooks. Do you think there's a chance they'll ever be published in hard copy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) I just bought the first e-book, sounds really good. Edited November 27, 2014 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 That's an interesting premise! I'm glad you enjoyed this book . Thanks, Gaia! It is different, I love the humor, black as it is. Great review, Pontalba. Sounds right up my alley! It appears that the stories have only been published as ebooks. Do you think there's a chance they'll ever be published in hard copy? I wondered myself. I can't find anything on it, but I have to think that if it continues to be popular, and she writes more (a 5th is evidently about to come out) that eventually it'll be printed in a "real" book. Here are a few links you might find interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GfnHy9IJvE It's only 5 minutes long. And this review with some information.....it's not up to date as it mentions only three of the stories and the fourth one is out already. http://prismmagazine.ca/2013/04/10/review-positron-by-margaret-atwood/ I just bought the first e-book, sounds really good. Great! I'll look forward to hear your take on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Thanks for the links, Pont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 (edited) The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan 4/5A motor car accident leaves one dead and one survivor. Thomas Ford doesn't remember how he survived the crash that killed his wife, only the bird like face of the other driver he swerved to avoid. The twists and turns the story takes encompass the other driver and his passenger's guilt and fear of being caught and what they will do to avoid that capture. Do "bad seeds" reoccur generationally? What causes someone to be so twisted from practically infanthood? Does the past come back to haunt us in inexplicable ways?Logan manages to write a gripping psychological thriller with beautiful and descriptive prose that carries the reader along, creating a tension that keeps us reading. We have to know what happens. The story is told in alternating voices allowing the reader to know where the protagonists are in their thinking processes.Recommended. Edited November 30, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 That's an intruiging synopsis, I'm glad you enjoyed the book . About ratings.. you rate some books but not others. Is there a specific reason for this? I'm just curious . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 The Margaret Atwood sounds really interesting - on to my wishlist and no doubt to be swiftly downloaded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 The Margaret Atwood sounds really interesting - on to my wishlist and no doubt to be swiftly downloaded I've deleted your double post, I presume that's okay with you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 That's an intruiging synopsis, I'm glad you enjoyed the book . About ratings.. you rate some books but not others. Is there a specific reason for this? I'm just curious . Thanks. Whoops! No, not intentionally. I post the reviews on GoodReads as well, and they have the stars to rate, so I don't write in the numbers when I originate the review over there. When I originate the review over here, I put the numerical ratings in after the author's name. I copy and paste from one to the other. Easiest that way. 99% of the time, though, the rating will be on the first page of this thread, on the Master List I keep up there. Just now I noticed that I didn't rate all the Jim Butcher/Dresden File stories, but they are all the same rating anyhow. I'll go ahead and update. Thanks for mentioning, I didn't realize! The Margaret Atwood sounds really interesting - on to my wishlist and no doubt to be swiftly downloaded Glad to hear it! I wonder if they are "typical" Atwood, as I've only read one, Handmaid's Tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Whoops! No, not intentionally. I post the reviews on GoodReads as well, and they have the stars to rate, so I don't write in the numbers when I originate the review over there. When I originate the review over here, I put the numerical ratings in after the author's name. I copy and paste from one to the other. Easiest that way. 99% of the time, though, the rating will be on the first page of this thread, on the Master List I keep up there. Just now I noticed that I didn't rate all the Jim Butcher/Dresden File stories, but they are all the same rating anyhow. I'll go ahead and update. Thanks for mentioning, I didn't realize! You're welcome, that makes sense ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 1, 2014 Author Share Posted December 1, 2014 A Fortunate Life by Robert Vaughn 5/5 I wish that Mr. Vaughn wrote fiction. His prose is that good. It's smooth, articulate and entertaining. This is not a "kiss and tell" by any stretch of the imagination, although there is a laid back telling of a few tales. He remains a gentleman throughout and treats his ladies as Ladies. No, this book is more a homage to his parents and grandparents and the good basis they gave him. But that is hardly all it is, either. Our Man From U.N.C.L.E. is far more than "just an actor". He is a responsible human being that has lived his life in such a way as not to have hurt those around him, and has tried to make the world a better place. The book goes into his philosophical and political beliefs and he backs it all up with passion, but never in an overbearing manner. The reader never feels browbeaten or burdened with Vaughn's views. His life has juxtaposed with so many of the giants of the time. Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jack Kennedy. Entertainment people, Lee Strasberg, Yul Brenner, Richard Harris, even the wonderful Jack Barrymore. A cast of thousands. As with Vaughn's beliefs, the reader does not feel inundated with names. And, importantly context is kept throughout. The reader always knows where we are in the stream of time. A lovely book, written by a lovely man. Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 .. by Robert Vaughn 5/5 I wish that Mr. Vaughn wrote fiction. His prose is that good. It's smooth, articulate and entertaining. This is not a "kiss and tell" by any stretch of the imagination, although there is a laid back telling of a few tales. He remains a gentleman throughout and treats his ladies as Ladies. No, this book is more a homage to his parents and grandparents and the good basis they gave him. But that is hardly all it is, either. Our Man From U.N.C.L.E. is far more than "just an actor". He is a responsible human being that has lived his life in such a way as not to have hurt those around him, and has tried to make the world a better place. The book goes into his philosophical and political beliefs and he backs it all up with passion, but never in an overbearing manner. The reader never feels browbeaten or burdened with Vaughn's views. His life has juxtaposed with so many of the giants of the time. Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jack Kennedy. Entertainment people, Lee Strasberg, Yul Brenner, Richard Harris, even the wonderful Jack Barrymore. A cast of thousands. As with Vaughn's beliefs, the reader does not feel inundated with names. And, importantly context is kept throughout. The reader always knows where we are in the stream of time. A lovely book, written by a lovely man. Recommended. Ooooh, I noticed this book quite recently, and I thought I might have a look at it . It's winging it's way from the library to me now . Glad you enjoyed it pontalba. I always loved Napolean Solo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I don't know much about Robert Vaughn, but I'm really glad you enjoyed his book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) Thanks Gaia! The Final Silence by Stuart Neville 3.5/5 There are few "good" moments, and fewer positive outcomes to balance the insidious stink of corruption that permeate the bones and fiber of this story. Of course one expects to find corruption in any detective story. But Neville highlights only the negative, there are few positive outcomes, and even those are imbued with violence and deep unhappiness. A serial killer, a child removed from a parent, a possibly terminal illness are the main themes of this book. We see into the diseased mind of the killer, but the analysis is incomplete, somehow superficial. It is as though Neville didn't quite have the depth of knowledge to delve very deeply into that sort of mind set. The ending is abrupt and too inclusive for my taste. I don't have to have all the threads tied off, just some...and none were in this case. This is the fourth in Neville's Belfast series and, unusually, I think the first one was the best. I think because it contained some redemption of character, and oddly enough some hope for the hopeless. I saw hardly any of that in this installment. And yet. There is something that will make me go back and read another, if he writes more. I have hopes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lord John and The Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon 2/5 meh In order to milk the Outlander series for all it's worth, Ms. Gabaldon has penned a series featuring Lord John of aforementioned series. It takes place within the time frame of the Outlander series, without any of the other characters that we love to read of. Jamie is referred to a few times, as is Claire. She is nameless however in this book. Lord John is taken up in a spy scandal, with some rather improbable side stories and characters along the way. Seventeenth century London is represented fairly well, featuring all the muck and dirt that is allowed. The whole thing comes off rather pompously and unrealistically. Edited December 2, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 We stopped at the second hand bookstore this morning and here are the results. The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro Tabloid City by Pete Hamill Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell Perfidia by James Ellroy .....and in the mail, from Amazon, second hand The Polish Boxer by Eduardo Halfon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) Awww, it's a shame the Lord John book wasn't great . Nice reviews, though ! I hope your next read will be more enjoyable. EDIT: Whoops I hadn't seen your last post. I hope you enjoy all the new books ! Edited December 2, 2014 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks! It is.....I'm reading Malice, by Keigo Higashino. I've read three books by him before. Japanese author that really knows how to tell the tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 That sounds good! I looked up the synopsis online, it sounds intruiging. I hope you enjoy the whole book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 pontalba, on 02 Dec 2014 - 1:54 PM, said:Thanks! It is.....I'm reading Malice, by Keigo Higashino. I've read three books by him before. Japanese author that really knows how to tell the tale. Ah, Pontalba, Another one of your tempting mini-reviews. I suppose you'll be handing it across to me soon with a strong urging. You read twice as fast as I do and it is hard to keep up. j/k I will be glad to see it when you are done -- at least to add it to my pile. Mwah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Awww.. I love the relationship you two have, so sweet ! My boyfriend isn't much of a reader, sometimes I wish he was more of one. But he's great the way he is, though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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