Kell Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 Title: Wuthering Heights Author: Emily Brontë ISBN: 0141023546 Publisher: Penguin First Published: 1847 No. of pages: 395 Started: 13/9/07 Finished: 16/9/07 Rating: 8/10 Synopsis: The saga of two Yorkshire families in the remote Pennine Hills. Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at WutheringHeights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: of the intense passion between the foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and her betrayal of him. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past. The book has been interpreted as an historical romance, a ghostly thriller, a psychological love-story, a religious allegory and a nature poem. This is the author's only novel. Review: When reading what is arguably one of the most famous classic romances in literary history you expect a rip-roaring good read, and Wuthering Heights certainly delivers. It’s a complex tale told my Mr. Lockwood, as related to him by Nelly Dean, that covers three generations of the Earnshaw family and two of their neighbours, the Lintons, and the effect of one jealous relationship has on them all. Heathcilff is a most despicable character, though when his treatment is taken into consideration, one can understand the malice behind his actions when the woman he loves denies him, despite loving him beyond all reason. Her selfishness is the catalyst for the downfall of everyone in two generations of Earnshaws and Lintons., making her the more unlikeable of the two, yet because of her nature, she comes across as more lovable than the dark and dangerous Heathcliff. The supernatural element to the tale is one of the driving forces, along with the wild moor itself, which becomes an allegory of the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff. The prose is poetic and intense from start to finish; Brontë paints such a vivid picture with her words that one has to regret that she never wrote another novel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 Title: Stuck in Neutral Author: Terry Trueman ISBN: 0340805994 Publisher: Hodder First Published: 2001 No. of pages: 121 Started: 17/9/07 Finished: 18/9/07 Rating: 10/10 Synopsis: Shawn has cerebral palsy: highly intelligent, he has no control whatsoever over his body or its functions. His eyes wander or settle without control. His mouth, tongue, swallowing muscles all have a life of their own. No act of will by Shawn can affect anything he does or anything that happens to him. Yet Shawn's mental life is full of dreams and hopes and love and appreciation of all that is around him - music he happens to hear, things and people that happen to cross his line of vision. Then Shawn begins to fear that his father - from despair at Shawn's condition and believing that Shawn has no life, and never can have, is no more than a vegetable, and never will be - is planning the unthinkable - to put him out of his misery - to kill him... Terry Trueman was born in Alabama and has been writing since he was seventeen. 'Stuck in Neutral', Terry's first novel, is based very loosely on experiences related to the birth of his first son, Henry Sheehan McDaniel Trueman. Terry lives in Spokane, Washington, with his second son, Jesse. In addition to writing, he teaches college English classes on live television. 'Stuck in Neutral' was a Michael L. Printz Honor book in 2001. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Title: The Secret Life of Bees Author: Sue Monk Kidd ISBN: 9780747266839 Publisher: Headline Review First Published: 2002 No. of Pages: 274 Started: 19/9/07 Finished: 20/9/07 Rating: 7/10 Synopsis: Lily has grown up believing she accidentally killed her mother when she was four. She not only has her own memory of holding the gun, but her father's account of the event. Now fourteen, she yeams for her mother, and for forgiveness. Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her father, she has only one friend: Rosaleen, a black servant whose sharp exterior hides a tender heart. South Carolina in the sixties is a place where segregation is still considered a cause worth fighting for. When racial tension explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten, Lily is compelled to act. Fugitives from justice and from Lily's harsh and unyielding father, they follow a trail left by the woman who died ten years before. Finding sanctuary in the home of three beekeeping sisters, Lily starts a journey as much about her understanding of the world, as about the mystery surrounding her mother. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 Title: The Dumas Club Author: Arturo P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Title: Stuck in Neutral Wow that looks brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 21, 2007 Author Share Posted September 21, 2007 Wow that looks brilliant. I was - absolutely wonderful. I can heartily recommend it! It's not often I award 10/10 for ANY book, but this one really deserves it. It's not at all maudlin or depressing, and it has some surprises along the way that will make you smile. I'm very glad I picked this one up on a whim - it's definitely one I'll read again in the future! If you see it anywhere, do get hold of it. I really don't think you'll regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 From the synopsis I would have thought it is a depressing book. Certainly not one to make you smile in places. Wrong assumption it seems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 23, 2007 Author Share Posted September 23, 2007 Title: The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition Author: Stephen King ISBN: CN3446 Publisher: Guild Publishing First Published: 1978 (uncut edition first published 1990) No. of pages: 1007 Started: 24/9/07 Finished: 30/9/07 Rating: 10/10 Synopsis: This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defence Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides - or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail - and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man. Stephen King's best book is now even better. When The Stand was first published in 1978, 150,000 words were cut from the manuscript. With this new edition, those words are restored, providing new characters, a greater depth of characterization, and a new, expanded ending. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 If you see it anywhere, do get hold of it. I've added it (Stuck In Neutral) to my TBR mountain. It sounds like a very interesting and unique read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 Title: The Messenger Author: Andrew E. Shipley ISBN: 9781430325123 Publisher: Lulu.com First Published: 2007 No. of Pages: 292 Started: 1/10/07 Finished: 4/10/07 Rating: 8/10 REVIEWED FOR AUTHOR Synopsis: Is U.S. Senator Peters a prophet, a fraud, neither, both? Senator Peters vaults to worldwide fame and political prominence after his first speech from the Senate floor. According to Senator Peters, he delivered his speech in English, but according to amazed listeners from around the world, he could be understood by all who heard it, no matter what their language. When the 'tongues' phenomenon recurs, several parties, ranging from a political power broker to a Catholic Archbishop, seek to appropriate the apparent miracles for their own purposes. As Peters exploits his newfound fame to propel his career to heights beyond those he had ever dreamed possible, two men following different trains of thought reach an identical conclusion: the Senator must die. Meanwhile, a centuries old society known as the Order of Mani keeps watch. The Order believes that it alone holds the secret to the Messenger's true purpose, and it is determined to stop it. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nici Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 I can't believe you read The Stand that quickly! I'm still reading it after two months!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 I had a full week off work, Nici - from Saturday through to the following Sunday, so I had 9 whole days. So, I just read at a pace of 110 pages per day, which is only about 10 pages more per day than I usually do (so I didn't do as much reading as I thought I would during my time off!).Loved every second of re-reading The Stand though - marvellous stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I can't believe you read The Stand that quickly! I'm still reading it after two months!! My goodness, Kell! You finished already? I'm still going - just over halfway, and I've been at it for about 3 weeks. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 Title: Gulliver's Travels Author: Jonathan Swift Publisher: Librivox.org First Published: 1726 Started: 1/10/07 Finished: 17/10/07 Rating: 6/10 Synopsis: Shipwrecked and cast adrift, Lemuel Gulliver wakes to find himself on Lilliput, an island inhabited by little people, whose height makes their quarrels over fashion and fame seem ridiculous. His subsequent encounters - with the crude giants of Brobdingnag, the philosophical Houyhnhnms and brutish Yahoos - give Gulliver new, bitter insights into human behaviour. Swift's savage satire views mankind in a distorted hall of mirrors as a diminished, magnified and finally bestial species, presenting us with an uncompromising reflection of ourselves. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 Title: Carter Beats the Devil Author: Glen David Gold Publisher: Sceptre First Published: 2001 Started: 5/10/07 No.of pages: 563 Finished: Rating: Synopsis: Charles Carter, dubbed Carter the Great by Houdini himself, was born into privilege but became a magician out of need: only when dazzling an audience can he defeat his fear of loneliness. But in 1920s America, the stakes are growing higher, as technology and the cinema challenge the allure of magic and Carter's stunts become increasingly audacious. Until the night, President Harding takes part in Carter's act only to die two hours later, and Carter finds himself pursued not only by the Secret Service but by a host of others desperate to discover the terrible secret they believe Harding confided in him. Seamlessly blending reality and fiction, Gold lays before us a glittering and romantic panorama of our modern world at a point of irrevocable change. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child.of.God.1989 Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Kell, I was thinking about starting my own reading list, so I'm glad I looked at yours! It's a good example for a template, and that's what I need since I tend to ramble without a guideline:lol:. The Secret Life of Bees and Stuck in Neutral are definitely going in the sticky part of my brain. I'll be sure to let my cousin in Trueman's hometown know about the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 9, 2007 Author Share Posted October 9, 2007 I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did, CoG. Stuck in Neutral was one of the most surprisingly good books I've read all year - I wasn't expecting all that much, to be honest, and it really impressed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Title: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Author: Anne Bronte ISBN: -NONE- Publisher: Guild Publishing London First Published:1848 No. of Pages: 389 Rating: 8/10 Synopsis: Anne Bronte's second novel is a passionate and courageous challenge to the conventions supposedly upheld by Victorian society and reflected in circulating-library fiction. The heroine, Helen Huntingdon, after a short period of initial happiness, leaves her dissolute husband, and must earn her own living to rescue her son from his influence. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is compelling in its imaginative power, the realism and range of its dialogue, and its psychological insight into the characters involved in a marital battle. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Title: Join Me - The True Story of a Man Who Started a Cult by Accident* Author: Danny Wallace ISBN: 009188800X Publisher: Ebury Press First Published: 2003 No.of Pages: 383 Rating: 7/10 Synopsis: Danny Wallace was bored. Just to see what would happen, he placed a whimsical ad in a local London paper. It said, simply, 'Join Me'. Within a month, he was receiving letters and emails from teachers, mechanics, sales reps, vicars, schoolchildren and pensioners - all pledging allegiance to his cause. But no one knew what his cause was. Soon he was proclaimed Leader. Increasingly obsessed and possibly power-crazed Danny risked losing his sanity and his loyal girlfriend. But who could deny the attraction of a global following of devoted joinees? A book about dreams, ambition and the responsibility that comes with power, Join Me is the true story of a man who created a cult by accident, and is proof that whilst some men were born to lead, others really haven't got a clue. Review: * Just to let you all know, I am a Joinee myself - a fully-fledged member of The Karma Army. If you'd like to know more, PM me and I'll send you the details. You all look wonderful today, by the way! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Title: Howards End Author: E. M. Forster Publisher: www.Librivox.org First Published: 1910 Rating: 6/10 Synopsis: In "Howard's End", E.M. Forster unveils the English character as never before, exploring the underlying class warfare involving three distinct groups - a wealthy family bound by the rules of tradition and property, two independent, cultured sisters, and a young man living on the edge of poverty. The source of their conflict - Howards End, a house in the countryside which ultimately becomes a symbol of conflict within British society. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Title: The Yellow Wallpaper Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman ISBN: 0860862013 Publisher: Virago Modern Classics First Published: 1892 No. of pages: 63 Rating: 7/10 Synopsis: A nameless woman is driven mad by enforced confinement after the birth of her child. Isolated in a colonial mansion and craving intellectual stimulation, she secretly begins to write. Ordered to her bedroom, the tortuous pattern of the wallpaper invades the recesses of her mind. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Title: A Spot of Bother Author: Mark Haddon ISBN: 9780099506928 Publisher: Vintage Books First Published: 2006 No. of Pages: 503 Rating: 7/10 Synopsis: George Hall doesn't understand the modern obsession with talking about everything. 'The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely.' Some things in life, however, cannot be ignored. At fifty-seven, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then Katie, his tempestuous daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray. Her family is not pleased - as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has 'strangler's hands'. Katie can't decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by all the planning and arguing the wedding has occasioned, which get in the way of her quite fulfilling late-life affair with one of her husband's former colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials. Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind. The way these damaged people fall apart - and come together - as a family is the true subject of Mark Haddon's disturbing yet very funny portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely. Review: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Kell - my mother has justed finished reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and she really enjoyed the book. She likes those types of classics. I am glad you enjoyed it also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I've read it too and enjoyed it. I've also read The Yellow Wallpaper - quite a powerful piece of writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiseog Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I've read it too and enjoyed it. I've also read The Yellow Wallpaper - quite a powerful piece of writing. The author was in a mental hospital for a time apparently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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