Your Book Activity - September 2015

[Kylie]

I've been trying to read The Martian the past couple of days but I'm not enjoying it, really don't like the narrative voice.  Don't know whether to push on with it or put it aside and read something else

 

HUZZAH! Finally, someone else who feels the way I do about that! If it helps, I managed to push on, and I got used to the way the character talks. The plot was brilliant enough to overcome that niggle for me.

[chaliepud]

 

Shame you didn't enjoy The Grapes of Wrath all that much. I loved it, and I keep meaning to read more Steinbeck but I just never get around to it.

 

 

Is that After You (the sequel to Me Before You)? Did you buy it?

 

I finished The Stand this morning, and after a bit of studying I think I will carry on with Guns, Germs and Steel.

I have a few Steinbeck on my shelves but have still only read Of Mice and Men, and that was in my teens. 

 

Yes, BB, it is After You, it has the most uninspiring book cover so hopefully it is better inside! I am struggling a little with the latest Sebastian Faulks but I think more because I don't have much time to read at present and he is a reader you realling need to get into as he is quite intense, once I have finished that I need to read After You and Library of Souls.

[Karsa Orlong]

HUZZAH! Finally, someone else who feels the way I do about that! If it helps, I managed to push on, and I got used to the way the character talks. The plot was brilliant enough to overcome that niggle for me.

 

I've put it aside, just wasn't enjoying it, hated the main character.  All the 'yays' and 'boos' and such were irritating me too much.  I may come back to it at a later date.

 

 

Started A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan instead.  So far, wonderful stuff

[Athena]

I finished my re-read of Anna Enquist - Het Geheim. I liked it a lot but it wasn't as good as I remembered it. I started Terry Pratchett - Discworld 23: Carpe Jugulum. So far it's a little bit confusing but I'm enjoying the humour.

[Alexi]

 

 

 

Did you see me wave?   Hope you had a great time in the US, the jet lag is indeed terrible.  When I come home from Amsterdam, it usually takes me about 7 days to recover!  Also hope you read some good stuff

 

Anticipating making it to 300 pages in Robert K Massie's Romanov history, Nicholas and Alexandra.  Would be more than 50%, so that's nice.    Being that it is so Fall like here already, I'd like to start one of the books I have slated for October. 

 

I did indeed Thank you I'm over the jet lag now I think, but just been so busy since returning I feel all at sixes and sevens! I have Nicholas and Alexandra on my TBR and keep meaning to get to it. I need to take a year off work and just read. 

 

Alexi, hope your trip was wonderful! I'll look forward to your take/review of The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan. I have it, and actually started it last year, but for some reason couldn't get into it. Anna, I read N&A some years ago, and loved it. I've finished both The Silence and Claire North's Touch. High marks to both. I'm temporarily back to Havana Nocturne by T.J. English. All about the Mafia in Cuba back before Castro.

 

Thank you! It was incredible. I love the USA and so does my OH, but he'd never been to the West Coast before this time so it was fun to do that together. I love San Francisco - we are now deciding whether to move to New York or California! 

 

I must admit I am struggling badly with The Panopticon. I'm only on page 42. I've been really busy, but it isn't making me want to pick it up when I have a spare few minutes either. 

[chesilbeach]

As my TBR pile was looking a bit forlorn I thought I'd better prop it up, so I've had a bit of a splurge over the last week.  I've bought the following books on Kindle:

 

The Desirable Duchess by M. C. Beaton

The Westerby Sisters by M. C. Beaton

A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor

A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor

No Time Like The Past by Jodi Taylor

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

 

And, although I rarely buy hardbacks, I just couldn't resist The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell as it's just beautiful and I've heard lots of good things about it, so I thought I'd treat myself.

 

I've also read quite a few books over the last week, as I've got myself engrossed in the St. Mary's Chronicles series by Jodi Taylor and I'm now on book four out of the five I have, and book six was a bit more expensive but now I've started, I don't think I can stop, and I've found a few short stories as well, so I guess they'll be arriving on my Kindle very shortly too!

[woolf woolf]

Today I went to a Waterstones and bought three books. The clerk was about my age and remarked that it was some heavy reading, but instead of developing conversation I just answered "yes". Sometimes not even I can understand myself.

 

George Eliot - Middlemarch
Virginia Woolf - Mrs Dalloway
Richard Yates - Revolutionary Road

 

I'm really fond of RR's cover. I'm afraid of even touching it.

 

Edited September 28, 2015 by woolf woolf

[Janet]

It is a gorgeous cover.    Enjoy your new books.

[woolf woolf]

Thanks, Janet.

[Kylie]

I have the same copy of Revolutionary Road. I love the Vintage covers.

[Athena]

As my TBR pile was looking a bit forlorn I thought I'd better prop it up, so I've had a bit of a splurge over the last week.  I've bought the following books on Kindle:

 

The Desirable Duchess by M. C. Beaton

The Westerby Sisters by M. C. Beaton

A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor

A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor

No Time Like The Past by Jodi Taylor

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

 

And, although I rarely buy hardbacks, I just couldn't resist The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell as it's just beautiful and I've heard lots of good things about it, so I thought I'd treat myself.

I hope you enjoy your new books !

 

Today I went to a Waterstones and bought three books. The clerk was about my age and remarked that it was some heavy reading, but instead of developing conversation I just answered "yes". Sometimes not even I can understand myself.

 

George Eliot - Middlemarch

Virginia Woolf - Mrs Dalloway

Richard Yates - Revolutionary Road

I hope you enjoy your new books ! That is a good looking cover.

 

I gave up on Terry Pratchett - Discworld 23: Carpe Jugulum, which I wasn't enjoying at all. I feel extra bad because the other 25 books I read by Pratchett I all loved. I am instead reading the short story collection Manhattan in Reverse by Peter F. Hamilton.

[Karsa Orlong]

Finished A Natural History of Dragons this morning.  Haven't decided what to read next.  Something completely different, I think.  With dragons 

[woolf woolf]

My mother went to the bookshop, so I tagged along.

 

Yukio Mishima - Spring Snow
Alice Munro - Selected Stories

[Alexi]

Claire - I'm loving the Jodi Taylor books but after racing through books 1 and 2 and the first short story I'm trying to pace myself

 

They are my new favourite guilty pleasure.

 

I abandoned The Panopticon. Just couldn't be bothered to pick it up even after trying to make myself persevere. Not the right time for us. So I've started Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey instead.

[bobblybear]

I'm reading Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain. It's great, up to her usual high standard.

[chesilbeach]

Claire - I'm loving the Jodi Taylor books but after racing through books 1 and 2 and the first short story I'm trying to pace myself

 

They are my new favourite guilty pleasure.

You have better will power than me … I've just finished book 5! I didn't know there were short stories until I was reading book 4, so I thought I might as well finish all six books and then go back to the short stories afterwards. Just off to download the last book now.