Athena Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I haven't read that one yet! I'm glad you liked it a lot . It's one of her newer ones I believe? I might have to read it soon in December, it sounds so intriguing. Plus, it's staring at me from my 'TBR soon' shelf . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Amazon says it was published in 2013 so newish. I think I still have a few others of hers on my TBR pile. I always buy them whenever I see them on offer because they never disappoint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Haha, I do the same sometimes . And sometimes I just pre-order the paperback of the newest book. Diane Chamberlain has yet to disappoint me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Galapagos - Kurt Vonnegut This is the first Kurt Vonnegut book I have read, so I don't know how it compares to others, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an odd but interesting and quirky read. It is now 1 million years in the future, since the demise of humanity (caused by our big brains, which have started to work against us) and the last remaining humans have evolved into a kind of seal type creature. The story is told through the ghost of a former ship worker – Leon Trotsky Trout (apparently fans of Vonnegut will recognise him) - who was killed in 1986. Dotted throughout the book is a handful of references to what life is like now, as the story moves back and forth in time, from 1986 to 1,001,986, but the majority of the tale is about the events of the week when civilisation ended. In 1986, six people from varying backgrounds all signed up for a two week cruise to the Galapagos Islands, which was being marketed as Nature's Cruise of the Century. We follow the six characters throughout the day, as observed by Leon Trotsky Trout. Some we know in advance will die shortly, as the author puts an asterisk before their name and tells us this is because they will be dead within the day. Unbeknownst to the passengers, a financial crisis has struck, which leads to other disasters, and before the week is out, bombs are set flying and that's the end of it all. The remaining survivors manage to escape on this cruise ship, and end up stranded on the Galapagos Islands, where in a million years they have evolved into creatures which have sleek fur and flippers!! I thought it was very darkly humorous and quirky. Not having read Vonnegut before, I don't know how this one compares to any of his others, but his writing style in this one was very casual and friendly and personable, not dry or serious. I did enjoy the first part of the book more than the latter third, but on the whole it was very likeable. Anyone have any recommendations about which Vonnegut book to read next? 5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 The Cry - Helen Fitzgerald In Australia, baby Noah goes missing from the roadside, leaving his distressed parents – Joanna and Alistair - calling for help. But then, stories and witness accounts begin to emerge about the mother's behaviour towards Noah on the inbound plane flight, and doubt and suspicion creeps in. A few things I can't say without spoiling the book: Ok – so the baby doesn't go missing, but this is what the synopsis says, and I can't really say the truth without spoiling the book. I did find Joanna and Alistair's response to Noah's death very odd and I don't get why Joanna didn't override her husband and call the authorities. I know he is revealed to be far from the image of perfection, but still it didn't ring true for me. I enjoyed this. It had some good twists and turns, but you did have to suspend disbelief. However, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story, and I read through it pretty quickly. I'd happily read the author's other work, as she has shown that she can spin a decent story. 4/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Boy, you've really done a lot of great reading lately! I've only read The Stand one time, but would def read it again. I was surprised at the people that said the last part of The Goldfinch was either unnecessary or just plain bad. I thought it was well done, and added a lot to the story. I do think the book, as a whole, could have used some editing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Glad you enjoyed The Cry, I love that author. There's a lot of disbelief suspension with them, but they're always quite gritty (The Cry is probably the least gritty of her books). The Exit is another I'd heartily recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 Oh, cool, thanks for the recommendation. As The Exit is only £1.50 on Kindle, I've just bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Haha I'm a terrible influence! I hope you like it now. It was the first of hers I read and I was blown away by how dark it got. Loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I have to second this. I was intimidated before starting it, but it's so easy to follow and hooks you right from the start. I was a bit worried it would be a high-brow, difficult-to-grasp novel, but it was easy to read and a great story. It's so odd: I've been worried that it's a high-brow book and difficult, just like you said. And even though you've now told me that it's not, I'm still intimidated by it I just saw it at the library the other day and thought of you and peacefield, but left it there. I have a few too many doorstoppers on the go already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 The Cry - Helen Fitzgerald Ok – so the baby doesn't go missing, but this is what the synopsis says, and I can't really say the truth without spoiling the book. I did find Joanna and Alistair's response to Noah's death very odd and I don't get why Joanna didn't override her husband and call the authorities. I know he is revealed to be far from the image of perfection, but still it didn't ring true for me. 4/6 I read that in 2013 gave it 5/5, but I'm trying to be a bit tougher with my marking this year (I was having too many top scores, which meant the really fantastic ones didn't stand out!) so it would probably get a 4/5 now. I downloaded another of hers as soon as I'd finished this as it was a 99p Kindle deal, but I haven't even thought about it since! I should try to read it next year. I agree with your spoiler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 I've bought 77 books this year. 77!!! I've only read about 48 so far, so my TBR pile is going to go up by around 30 books. This is no good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Sounds great to me, plentiful supply of options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 I know! I shouldn't complain. Talk about first-world problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 I'm up by 39 books as it stands You've had some great reads lately I've got The Cry on my TBR - must try and read it next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 Yeah, I've been lucky with some of my reads lately. I've bought another few books. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. It's a Kindle Daily Deal, along with Fingersmith. Both only £0.99, and I loved Fingersmith so thought I'd give this one a go. I also bought Alone In Berlin by Hans Fallada (which I know is Brian's favourite book, and someone else on here had also been reading it recently) and The Good Father by Noah Hawley. They've both been on my Wishlist for a while, and I sorted my Wishlist by Items with price drops. These have been reduced by a fair bit since I added them, so it'd be a shame to not take advantage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I hope you enjoy your new books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 I've bought 77 books this year. 77!!! I've only read about 48 so far, so my TBR pile is going to go up by around 30 books. This is no good!! Hey, as long as it's not a three digit number... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 8, 2015 Author Share Posted December 8, 2015 I hope you enjoy your new books . Thanks Gaia. Who knows when I will get around to reading them?! Hey, as long as it's not a three digit number... Well, the year ain't over yet..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Dust - Hugh Howey This is the last book in the Wool Trilogy, and the one I struggled with the most. I ended up skimming through the majority of the book as it just couldn't hold my interest, and given that I read it a few months ago (or at least it feels like a few months ago....I'm am massively behind in reviews ), I really don't recall that much of it.....there was something about drilling a big hole underground, and a whole lot of disgruntled and skeptical grumpy silo folk.... I didn't love the series, but it was ok enough to pass the time with. The final book was just too long, and too uninteresting for me. The main problem was that I couldn't warm to any of the characters, and so ultimately didn't care about them. But, I am in the minority as this one has got many positive reviews on Amazon. 1/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Yikes! I hear so much good about Wool. Shame you didn't enjoy the last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Yeah, I wanted to like it, because I heard so many great things about it, but the reality is that I didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Now for a book I did enjoy.... The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt I bought this when it first came out but was intimidated by the size and my expectations (after just having re-read The Secret History at around the same time) so it has lingered on my virtual TBR shelf for a couple of years. I didn't know much about the plot going into it, and for some reason was expecting something very high-brow and not particularly accessbile. However, right from the start, it was easy to read and get into the story. Theo Decker is 13 years old, and at the start of the book he and his mother are caught in a terrorist attack at the New York Metropolitan Museum. Theo (separated from his mother at the time of the bomb blast) manages to crawl out of the rubble, carrying with him a famous painting - The Goldfinch - and heads home believing and hoping his mother will be there. After a couple of agonising days of waiting, he is eventually told that his mother died in the attack. After a brief stay with the family of a childhood friend, Theo moves to Las Vegas to live with his estranged father. Whilst there, he makes a solid friend in Boris, but his life in Vegas takes a nasty turn and he ends up making his way back to New York with The Goldfinch still in tow. There he finds himself at the doorstep of the business partner of another of the bomb blast victims – Hobie – who takes him under his wing. The story jumps a bit in time, as we next see Theo in his late twenties. His life has changed a fair bit, but he is now helping Hobie with his antiques business, all the while being haunted by his obsessive thoughts of The Goldfinch, which he still has after all those years. The story then goes off in a direction that took me a little bit by surprise, and in a way didn't seem to fit with the earlier 'feel' of the book. Loved the story, and the characters - especially Hobie (who was so gentle, and caring and the constant calm voice of reason). However, I wasn't massively keen on the plot of the last third of the book, but that is only a very minor criticism, as it was still interesting enough to go along with. On the whole, this was so beautifully written and engaging, while also being easy to follow. The book could have been a bit shorter, but I enjoyed reading all of it, and even though I think Tartt perhaps used 3 sentences where 1 would do, they were so lushly written sentences that I was glad for it. As such, it's not a short novel. It weighs in at 880 pages and does take it's time, and while I loved it, it probably wouldn't be the best book for someone who enjoys a quick fast-paced story. 5/6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Yay, Bobbly! I've been eagerly anticipating your review of The Goldfinch :D Tartt's ability to write 3 sentences when 1 might have sufficed is probably my favorite thing about her, especially when it comes to this book's subject matter. I so love her writing and her ability to show me in my head exactly what she's describing is brilliant. Hobie was probably my favorite character. I agree with your comments on the ending. While it was interesting, I was lost at first since it didn't seem to fit the earlier part of the book. Boris was not my favorite character, and by the end bit I was so angry with him for deceiving Theo and upset with Theo even for allowing Boris to do something like that (I know, weird of me). The situation also didn't quite seem like something in which Theo would be involved. I'm so glad you like this one! Have you read Tartt's second book, The Little Friend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) I think Hobie was my favorite character as well. The Little Friend is one that I didn't get on with, and I didn't even finish it. But as I was reviewing The Goldfinch I was thinking that I should give it another go. I have it on my Kindle, so I may give it a go over the Christmas break. Have you read it? If so, did you enjoy it - compared to The Secret History and The Goldfinch? Edited December 14, 2015 by bobblybear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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