Frankie reads 2015

[frankie]

#62. Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

 

 

Amazon: Eighty-three-year-old Etta has never seen the ocean. So early one morning she takes a rifle, some chocolate, and her best boots and begins walking the 3,232 kilometers from rural Saskatchewan, Canada eastward to the sea. As Etta walks further toward the crashing waves, the lines among memory, illusion, and reality blur.

Otto wakes to a note left on the kitchen table. “I will try to remember to come back,” Etta writes to her husband. Otto has seen the ocean [...]. He understands. But with Etta gone, the memories come crowding in and Otto struggles to keep them at bay. […]

 

 

Thoughts: Noticed the unusual title at the library's new books section and wanted to read it after that. This started out so well and it felt really promising. I wanted to know all about the characters and what was going on and what had been going on before. Very readable and enjoyable. But towards the end it all turned sour for me: the book either lost it or I did. My brain might've switched off All I was left with was questions:

why did Etta leave to see the ocean? I was promised, or at least it was insinuated that I was promised the 'why' of the novel. And why didn't Otto follow. There were so many other questions, too, but it's too frustrating to remember them all. Those are the basics.

 

 

Don't go by my thoughts, read the book yourself if you're interested! 

 

 

3/5

Edited November 3, 2015 by frankie

[chaliepud]

I have Etta and Otto and Russell and James, I have to admit I was mainly attracted to the gorgeous cover though!  I'll let you know what I think when it pops out of the Book Box.. I was trying to cheat with the selections but Robbie is now being strict with me, he pulls out three titles and I get to choose fom them, it's proper nervewracking! 

[frankie]

#63. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 

 

 

Amazon: It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned; the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa—a large, silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants—life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.

 

With the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the “clerk class,” the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. […]

 

 

Thoughts: This is a long one, with almost 600 pages. It starts out rather slowly, and it takes a long time before something bigger actually happens. I think it was maybe after 150 pages. And the next spoiler is about this first twist, and I warn you: do not read it unless you've read both The Paying Guests and Fingersmith by the same author!

I've read F many years ago, and before that I didn't know anything about Sarah Waters and I knew nothing about her novels. The twist of the main character getting into sexual relations with another woman and developing feelings for her was a massive, massive twist for me, and it was so beautifully written! It's probably the only explicit (I don't remember how explicit it was, though) sex scene in any novel that I've ever read without cringing, and which I've really thought was well written. So beautiful. And I loved the whole novel. But it's not a twist if it happens in every novel and one's not supposed to realize it's going to happen again! Maybe it wasn't supposed to be a massive twist... But when it did happen again, I felt like, is this it? The whole thing? Luckily there was more, but that second twist wasn't all that thrilling, either....  

 

 

Maybe my expectations were too high. It's because I loved Fingersmith so much. But this book just didn't do much for me, which is a real shame because I was expecting and wanting to love it! 

 

2/5

Edited November 3, 2015 by frankie

[frankie]

I have Etta and Otto and Russell and James, I have to admit I was mainly attracted to the gorgeous cover though!  I'll let you know what I think when it pops out of the Book Box.. I was trying to cheat with the selections but Robbie is now being strict with me, he pulls out three titles and I get to choose fom them, it's proper nervewracking! 

 

Which cover do you have? There are quite a few ones out there, and I think they're all great Although I have to say, my least favorite is the Finnish one Here it is:

 

 

 

Haha, you've taught your kids not to cheat and now you're paying for it I'll be definitely interested to hear what you made of the book when you get to it And I will keep my fingers crossed for you, so that you'll like it more than I did! 

[chaliepud]

This is the one I have.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Etta-Otto-Russell-James-Hooper/dp/0241003342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446558562&sr=8-1&keywords=etta+and+otto+and+russell+and+james

I like both, especially the little fox on yours! 

[frankie]

#64. Mr. Monk and the New Lieutenant by Hy Conrad

 

 

Blurb: Monk and Natalie have finally settled into a new office routine – but the detectives soon have another problem to deal with: Captain Stottlemeyer's new Lieutenant, A. J. Thurman – a man of limited skills whom Monk finds insufferable.

 

Despite Thurman's presence, Monk and Natalie attend the funeral of Judge Oberlin, and it's a good thing. In typical fashion, Monk examines the body in the casket – and finds evidence of poison. The judge was murdered.

 

When Captain Stottlemeyer shows the same symptoms the judge exhibited, Monk detects the work of a diabolical killer who wants both men dead. With his friend in danger and an enemy close, Monk will have to put his reservations aside to crack the case in time.

 

 

Thoughts: And just when I was having a pity party and told you guys how I haven't read any great ones in the past few months, and then I told you I have a new Monk novel to read and that series has never failed me.... There's always a first!

 

The characters were just as lovable as always, but the actual case/s in the novel were just boring and unimaginative. Well, they were imaginative in the way Monk's cases always are, but they seemed rather forced this time. And I actually figured out the main murder plot half way through the novel, and that's saying a lot because I never get it right with Monk! I thought, this is a red herring and I'm probably now supposed to think I figured it out... and was happy to see what the real plot was. But I'd sussed it! Sigh.... 

 

2/5

Edited November 3, 2015 by frankie

[frankie]

This is the one I have.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Etta-Otto-Russell-James-Hooper/dp/0241003342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446558562&sr=8-1&keywords=etta+and+otto+and+russell+and+james

I like both, especially the little fox on yours! 

 

I hadn't even seen that version! That's a beautiful one, too! Seems like there are as many different covers as there are copies...  

 

I love the font and colors on this one: 

 

 

 

But this has a great idea, what with the feet going here and there and everywhere: 

 

 

This is the English copy they have at the library (borrowed it first in English but because I didn't have the time to read it and therefore had to take it back, the next time I saw the Finnish copy I decided to just borrow that one and read it in Finnish):

 

[Athena]

Shame all your latest reads were disappointing . I love those covers though .

[frankie]

They are really pretty, aren't they

 

I'm feeling so good that I'm going to venture out of the apartment today and I'm going to go and buy a plug for my kitchen sink, which will make it so much easier to wash the dishes in the future I've been needing to get one since the day I moved in, but there's always been something else, or the stores I've been to haven't had any. 

 

Anyway, I'm just having lunch before I go, and decided to watch last night's episode of the Finnish version of Married at First Sight, and I think at least two of the three couples live in Helsinki. Now that I live here, too, I'm always checking to see if I could spot my building, and I'm always thinking there it is and I'm always recognizing it everywhere, but it's never been the building, it's just my wishful thinking But today, in this episode, I did actually spot my building!! Well actually I spotted the three buildings opposite mine, as they are all different colors and one is blue-and-white. Mine's a very bland yellowish-brown so it doesn't stand out on its own. I started yelling, 'That's my building! That's my building!! On TV!!!'

 

Edit: A couple of my friends also watch the show, and the first episode was hilarious when it turned out that a Sari and an Antti made a couple, as one of the four close friends I have from my Nurmes times is called Antti And Sari's sister on the show is called Kirsi, which is the name of another close friend of the four  

Edited November 4, 2015 by frankie

[chaliepud]

I don't think those last three covers would have attracted me to the book although looking at my bookshelves I have a fair few in though hues, but they have nicer pictures on them. I do like a cover than gives you an inkling of what the book is about.

 

I hope you're feeling better today and that the weather is conducive to you getting some fresh air. It is a bit drizzly here but mild so the dog walks (I now walk Obi and Jojo seperately most days) were quite pleasant.

[frankie]

I don't think those last three covers would have attracted me to the book although looking at my bookshelves I have a fair few in though hues, but they have nicer pictures on them. I do like a cover than gives you an inkling of what the book is about.

I get what you mean: a few of the covers I showed weren't very telling of the plot. More detailed ones stick out more and one will be more curious about them.

 

Sometimes I'm just a sucker for certain colors and beautiful fonts

 

 

I hope you're feeling better today and that the weather is conducive to you getting some fresh air. It is a bit drizzly here but mild so the dog walks (I now walk Obi and Jojo seperately most days) were quite pleasant.

I managed to find the plug yesterday and it actually fit, so I was able to wash dishes like a normal person today! It's the small pleasures in life... (But then right after I'd done the dishes, I killed a light bulb Luckily the shop next door had just the sort of bulbs I needed. Phew!)

 

And all the walking around yesterday didn't do any damage, it didn't make me feel worse in any way Still not completely cured, but very close to it. Looking forward to a leisurely lurgy-free weekend!

[chesilbeach]

I was listening to a BBC podcast the other day, and they read out a letter from someone writing from Espoo ... I was ridiculously excited that I knew where it was, and all because of you!  I love it when odd little things like that happen

[frankie]

That is so cool! It's not a small town (at least on a Finnish scale) so it shouldn't be that surprising that someone there has written to BBC, but it's still very, very cool that Finland and Espoo were represented! I bet you felt very wise and sophisticated knowing where that place is  

[frankie]

I've just remembered that I've yet to finish the 30 days book questionnaire I'd like to finish it by the end of the year, for once... And not always leave it unfinished!

 

The last question was who is my favorite author and I said Augusten Burroughs. This was back in May. 

 

Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer

 

This is a tricky question. I've loved all of the books I've read by him, so it's a difficult choice. I'm tempted to say Running by Scissors, because that's the one I started with. But at the same time I'd like to say A Wolf at the Table, because it was so dark and so unlike RbS and all the other more funny and humorous novels by Burroughs. Okay, I'll say A Wolf at the Table.

 

From Amazon: "As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing we'd ever done together as father and son, and I promised not to tell. But unlike most dreams, the memory of this one never left me. And sometimes…I wasn't altogether sure about one thing: was it just a dream?"

When Augusten Burroughs was small, his father was a shadowy presence in his life: a form on the stairs, a cough from the basement, a silent figure smoking a cigarette in the dark. As Augusten grew older, something sinister within his father began to unfurl. Something dark and secretive that could not be named.

Betrayal after shocking betrayal ensued, and Augusten's childhood was over. The kind of father he wanted didn't exist for him. This father was distant, aloof, uninterested…

And then the "games" began.

With A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs makes a quantum leap into untapped emotional terrain: the radical pendulum swing between love and hate, the unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son. Told with scorching honesty and penetrating insight, it is a story for anyone who has ever longed for unconditional love from a parent. Though harrowing and brutal, A Wolf at the Table will ultimately leave you buoyed with the profound joy of simply being alive. It's a memoir of stunning psychological cruelty and the redemptive power of hope.

[frankie]

The next two questions are probably the most difficult ones... It's about favorite characters. There are so many characters that I've loved and liked and respected and admired, so many that have been interesting, surprising, and quite frankly, mind blowing. However, I forget about them all too soon That's not to say I forget about the characters altogether, but I forget about just how amazing they were  and in what unique ways they are set apart from other characters. 

 

I went through my manual read books -notebook to shed some light on the problem, but I didn't do very well. For some reason it was easier to remember the male characters

 

These are my choices, in the end: 

 

Day 15 – Favourite male character

 

I'm still very torn: is it Snape from the Harry Potter series or Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities? When I think about it, they have a lot of things in common. And I can't really say more without spoilers:

both are unpopular, both are battling their own personal demons, and both are in love with a woman they can't/couldn't get. Both would've made a great partner, though, I want to believe, if they had been given the chance. 

 

 

Actually I won't choose between them as nobody's holding any weapons against me. I'll say Snape and Sydney Carton, both!

 

 

Day 16 – Favourite female character

 

This was so difficult that it was made very easy: I couldn't really think of anyone but then I thought of Anastasia Krupnik, who is the main character in the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry. The series is one of my absolute favorites from my childhood. I identified with Anastasia on so many levels... And I envied what she had. She's so perceptive, and things make sense when one's reading the books. 

Edited November 6, 2015 by frankie

[frankie]

Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book

 

What an awfully unfair question! I read A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs back in 2008, long before I started keeping a notebook about books (including quotes, book lists etc etc.). I don't have any notes of the quotes! So, I decided to go on Goodreads and read all the quotes on the book that were posted on there by other users, and choose from those. This is what I chose:

 

"But I also knew that one day, I would grow up. One day, I would be twenty, or thirty, or forty, even fifty and sixty and seventy and eighty and maybe even one hundred years old. And all those years were mine, they belonged to nobody but me. So even if I was unhappy now, it could all change tomorrow. Maybe I didn't even need to jump off the cliff to experience that kind of freedom. Maybe the fact that I knew such a freedom existed in the world meant that I could someday find it."

 

It's part of a bigger quote, but I didn't want to quote the whole thing so as not to spoil anything for you guys. 

 

(I also realized that this is one of the first books I read after having joined the forum Hehe!) 

[frankie]

#65. The Bird of Night by Susan Hill 

 

 

From Goodreads: Francis Croft, the greatest poet of his age, was mad. His world was a nightmare of internal furies and haunting poetic vision. Harvey Lawson watched and protected him until his final suicide. From his solitary old age Harvey writes this brief account of their twenty years together and then burns all the papers to shut out an inquisitive world.

The tautness and control that characterize Susan Hill’s work are abundantly evident in The Bird of Night as she magnificently handles the heights and depths, the splendours and miseries of madness and friendship.

 

 

Thoughts: Susan Hill is the master of creating a dark atmosphere. Her books can make me so anxious! I loved the idea of this book, and I think it was written with great skill, but again, the timing probably wasn't right. I enjoyed reading the book but after having finished it I felt I might as well not have read it. I blame my mojo, or lack thereof, again. 

 

 

2/5

[frankie]

#67. The Accident by Linwood Barclay 

 

 

Blurb: Glen Garber's life has just spiraled out of control. His wife's car has been found at the scene of a drink-driving accident that took three lives. Not only is she dead, but it appears she was the cause of the accident.

 

Suddenly Glen has to deal with a potent mixture of emotions: grief at the loss of his wife, along with anger at her reckless behavior that has left their young daughter motherless. If only he could convince himself that Sheila wasn't responsible for the tragedy - but as more and more secrets begin to surface, Glen may have to face something much, much worse... 

 

 

Thoughts: Barclay doesn't disappoint I found this book to be a real page-turner and didn't really want to put it down. Another great thriller by Barclay. Not his finest, as I didn't find the case as interesting as most of his others, but it was gripping nonetheless. I did manage to figure out a few of the main things, though, which was rather surprising because I usually have no clue. 

 

Barclay's recommended, as always! 

 

4/5

[frankie]

There are still no copies of The Humans by Matt Haig in the library, and I find it very odd because there are copies of his other books ... So I finally caved, and sent a request to the library, in order to try and persuade them to acquire copies of the novel. 

 

I also sent a request for them to get the rest of the books in the Monk series that they don't yet own... I know I didn't like the last book I read in the series, but that must be just a one-off. I also know that I sent this exact request to the library last fall and nothing came of it, but one can always try! 

[frankie]

#68. Left of the Bang by Claire Lowdon

 

 

From the book jacket:  For failing concert pianist Tamsin Jarvis, the pressure is mounting. She thought she was happy with her adoring schoolteacher boyfriend Callum, but when Chris comes into their lives, that starts to change. In a few months Chris will be gone, leaving for his first tour of Afghanistan. Nothing seems to be working out the way Tamsin wants it to – in fact, she’s not even sure what it is she wants.

 

With sharp, satirical humour, unparalleled social observation, extreme sexual honesty and great empathy, Claire Lowdon has captured the foibles, hopes and difficulties that characterise a strata of young London today. A funny, unflinching insider’s view on the generation born in the 1980s – who are often having much less fun than it seems – this is a Vanity Fair for our times.

 

 

Thoughts: I borrowed this from the library on a whim, it was a new book and the title caught my eye. I think it's because it's almost like 'Left of the bank' I had no idea what 'left of the bang' meant, so I was very happy to see it explained on the first page of the novel. 

 

I've read Vanity Fair a few years ago, and while I liked it enough to give it 4/5, I can't remember anything about it. So I can't really compare it to this novel. But I guess it was meant as a reference to all the characters and their relationships. I can't remember if I liked any of the characters of VF, but I have a feeling I didn't... and so is the case with this novel, too. But that didn't make a difference to my reading experience. I really enjoyed reading the novel and it's the first book I couldn't wait to read more of in the past 2 or so months! The writing was good, I liked it that Lowdon used big words that I sometimes had to look up  

 

I also loved reading about how the different people came together and related to each other. There were some really interesting turns of events, and consequences to those events. 

 

It's actually very difficult to say or express why I loved this book so much. I think it was just the perfect book and the perfect mood and the perfect timing. Everything came together. I don't think this will mean that this book will be listed in my most loved books in any future lists, though, but that is neither here nor there. It got my mojo going and that's a pretty great achievement  

 

I don't think I'd be willing to recommend the book to anyone in particular, though, because I have no idea how other people would like it. The book was published this year, and it's gotten only 54 ratings on Goodreads (including mine) and it now stands at 3.59... I guess that's pretty good, but not quite as much as I'd thought and/or hoped. 

 

 

5/5

[frankie]

#69. Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

 

 

From Goodreads: Cedric Errol is a generous, kind, and exemplary middle-class American boy who is suddenly found to be the heir of the Earl of Dorincourt. Saying loving goodbyes to his working-class friends, Cedric goes to England together with his mother to embrace his new fortune. His grandfather, the old earl, is a bitter old man ridden with gout and a foul temper, trusting no one. [...]

 

 

Thoughts: This is a children's classic I've been meaning to read ever since I found out about the novel after reading The Secret Garden and The Little Princess by the same author. It's a very endearing read, even if one might consider it a tiny, little bit twee. I had no idea how the author would go about building the relationship between the Earl and the little boy and was rather surprised. I thought it was well executed A charming, enjoyable read! 

 

4/5

[poppyshake]

I haven't got around to reading The Secret Garden yet! 

 

I feel as if I should have read it a long time ago and feel guilty as it's my mum's favourite book. I do have a copy so it's time I put that right .. sometime .. in the not too distant .. next year .. hopefully I never realised though that Frances wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy .. I've only ever seen him in films and I get him mixed up with other little toffs (I've no idea of the story.) I can imagine though that its twee factor is quite high Oh The Little Princess .. that's another one I keep meaning to read   

This should all of been done when I was eight etc .. I can't believe that Enid swallowed up all or most of my reading time. I've long suspected her of sabotage She was so prolific though that even though you might have started reading her aged six or whatever .. you were still ploughing through her books at twelve  

Glad you enjoyed it lovely Hope you can get hold of a copy of The Humans soon! 

[frankie]

Ah, poppyshake, you have many nice books to read, if you still haven't read The Secret Garden, The Little Princess and Little Lord Fauntleroy I think you will enjoy them all. I would say my favorite out of the three is TSG. Have you see TLP movie? Surely you must have, it's a classic Such a sweet movie that one can't watch without tearing up Your Mom has good taste in books I don't think I found out about Little Lord Fauntleroy the novel until I read someone's review of the book on here... or they mentioned it in some thread or another. It may have been Jänet.... 

 

Haha, yes, you can blame it on Enid Blyton... I think even if you've read all of her books by now, she might still keep you from reading Frances Hodgson Burnett's books because I bet Enid's (auto?)biography is on your wishlist?

 

Funny you should mention Enid, though. I was reading Jacqueline Wilson's My Sister Jodie, where there was this woman who recommended books to the main character. She gave her The Secret Garden, Heidi, and Little Women to read. The Malory Towers books weren't mentioned as such, but there was a quote.... The main character in the novel has gone to live in a boarding school, and at the start of the term, here's what was written:

 

"There were lots of new teachers and a proper matron, a large woman who wore such efficient corsets she seemed as firmly plump as a sofa. She was firm in manner too, telling us what to do in a very no-nonsense voice. She didn't cajole the little ones ineffectually, like Undie. She threatened them with a 'good spanking with my hairbrush' and we weren't entirely sure she was joking." 

 

This cannot be a coincidence

Edited November 27, 2015 by frankie

[frankie]

#70. My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson 
 

Book jacket: Pearl and Jodie are sisters. Pearl is the younger one, small, shy and anxious. Jodie is nearly three years older, bold and brash and bad - and Pearl adores her. When their parents get new jobs at Melchester College, a Victorian gothic mansion, the girls spend a bizarre summer holiday with the boarding school with just a few leftover children for company. Things start to change now they are in their new home. Jodie has always been the leader - but now it's Pearl who's making new friends: tall, eccentric Harley and Mrs Wilberforce, the wife of the Head, with her library of wonderful books. Jodie just seems to be getting into more and more trouble - arguing with Mum, scaring the little children, flirting with the young gardener... [...]
 

Thoughts: Another great novel by Jacqueline Wilson. I've said it before and I'll say it again: she doesn't sugar-coat things. Things don't always go as planned, people have fights, people make mistakes. And Wilson doesn't preach about how to really deal with things in these sorts of situations. She lets the reader just get on with the reading and think for themselves. 

 

This is not my favorite Wilson novel, but I loved reading a boarding school book, even though much of the book took place during the summer, before the term began. Wilson also deals with sisterhood/brotherhood a lot and as I've never had a sister, it was kind of bittersweet to read what it might be like to have a sister. 
 
 
3/5

[Athena]

I haven't read that particular one, but it sounds like it's a nice read . I'm glad you liked it.