Your Book Activity - April 2016

[chesilbeach]

I finished reading The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer today. I know she won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. Although it's essentially meant to be a romance novel, it was actually a really good story of the beginning of a marriage in the Georgian period.

I'm probably about three quarters of the way through listening to A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor... she definitely puts us through the ringer with this instalment! Definitely had something in my eye at on point
 

I finished Half Lost, the last book in Sally Green's Half Bad trilogy, it was ok but the weakest of the three books, and I didn't like the ending, always a disappointment after investing in a book series.

What a shame. I have to admit, after being so keen on the first book, I haven't been interested in getting the next two books, and now I'm wondering if I'll bother. Haven't felt like reading many YA books recently, but I'm sure my interest will peak again at some point.

[chaliepud]

I've not read much YA lately either, I only read this as wanted to see how it ended. I'm happy to send them to you? Pretty sure they'll end up in the charity shop anyway, I only keep the cream of the crop! That way you can try them and not feel bad about spending the money, plus you may actually enjoy them!

[chesilbeach]

Thanks for offering, but we still don't have many bookshelves at the moment and most of my books are in storage boxes.  I know I've bought books recently, but I've filled the last bit of shelf we did have free after a clear out, and I just don't have anywhere to put any more books at the moment!    I might download the Kindle version if I feel like reading them in the future, but not anywhere near the top of my list at the moment.

[chaliepud]

Thanks for offering, but we still don't have many bookshelves at the moment and most of my books are in storage boxes. I know I've bought books recently, but I've filled the last bit of shelf we did have free after a clear out, and I just don't have anywhere to put any more books at the moment! I might download the Kindle version if I feel like reading them in the future, but not anywhere near the top of my list at the moment.

No problem Claire, I don't blame you, I'm sure there are plenty of other better reads out there!

[Janet]

I was poorly over the weekend - on Saturday I spent all but one hour in bed and couldn't even cope with listening to an audio book.    Yesterday I felt a bit better and finished South Riding by Winifred Holtby (an English Counties Challenge book) and read 'April' from Meadowland: the private life of an English field by John Lewis-Stempel (non-fiction).  Last night I started The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss and finished it this morning! 

 

I'm not sure what's next...

[Nollaig]

I finished Half Lost, the last book in Sally Green's Half Bad trilogy, it was ok but the weakest of the three books, and I didn't like the ending, always a disappointment after investing in a book series.

 

I'm not going to bother with the second two, so. I wasn't blown away by the first and I trust our similar taste enough to believe I wouldn't be impressed either.

[chaliepud]

I'm not going to bother with the second two, so. I wasn't blown away by the first and I trust our similar taste enough to believe I wouldn't be impressed either.

I did really like the first one, and quite enjoyed the second, but I do think it could've been wrapped up in two books, that was what I liked about the books I read recently by Connie Willis, Blackout and All Clear, she stopped at two books, when the story was complete, rather than this trend of having to make so many series a trilogy.

[Nollaig]

I did really like the first one, and quite enjoyed the second, but I do think it could've been wrapped up in two books, that was what I liked about the books I read recently by Connie Willis, Blackout and All Clear, she stopped at two books, when the story was complete, rather than this trend of having to make so many series a trilogy.

 

I think I actually really like the idea of pairs of books, actually. I find it difficult to invest in trilogies for this exact reason. A pair of books sounds quite nice though! Just looked up Blackout and it sounds.... busy! It has incredibly mixed reviews too. I'm intrigued. Will put it on the wishlist.

[chaliepud]

I think I actually really like the idea of pairs of books, actually. I find it difficult to invest in trilogies for this exact reason. A pair of books sounds quite nice though! Just looked up Blackout and it sounds.... busy! It has incredibly mixed reviews too. I'm intrigued. Will put it on the wishlist.

I suppose they were quite busy books and I did get confused at times but that isn't difficult! What I especially loved about them was how much factual information she put into them about the Blitz and some other aspects of WWII. I got thoroughly invested in the characters and was very nervous at times not knowing how things were going to work out for them.

[Nollaig]

I suppose they were quite busy books and I did get confused at times but that isn't difficult! What I especially loved about them was how much factual information she put into them about the Blitz and some other aspects of WWII. I got thoroughly invested in the characters and was very nervous at times not knowing how things were going to work out for them.

 

I might read them just for that alone, as I'm starting to go on a bit of a WWII reading binge and anything heavily factual/true-to-life is precisely what I want.... even if it has time-travel!

[chaliepud]

I might read them just for that alone, as I'm starting to go on a bit of a WWII reading binge and anything heavily factual/true-to-life is precisely what I want.... even if it has time-travel!

Whilst the time travel is an integral part of the books it isn't at all sci-fi so I found it blended well into the story, I hope you enjoy them. WWI and WWII are my favourite time period to read about, I wouldn't mind time travelling there myself!

[Anna Begins]

I might read them just for that alone, as I'm starting to go on a bit of a WWII reading binge and anything heavily factual/true-to-life is precisely what I want.... even if it has time-travel!

It doesn't have time- travel and it's non fiction, but When Paris Went Dark is awesome. I also just finished The Girl From Krakow, fiction, but a great read.

 

I'm now half through This Perfect Day, hope to finish today, but I'm a bit burned out from the read a thon!

[willoyd]

I suppose they were quite busy books and I did get confused at times but that isn't difficult! What I especially loved about them was how much factual information she put into them about the Blitz and some other aspects of WWII. I got thoroughly invested in the characters and was very nervous at times not knowing how things were going to work out for them.

 

 I really enjoyed this story (it's really one book split into two volumes), but a big word of warning: Connie Willis is NOT reliable factually.  Indeed, some of the blunders she makes are quite jaw dropping.  Just two that I remember off the top of my head:  she has one character taking the Jubilee Line, a line that wasn't built until the 1970s (the clue is in the word 'Jubilee': the Silver Jubilee of the present queen).  She also has a character paying for a phone call with a 20p piece, a currency, and coin, that wasn't introduced in the UK until 1971!  These may seem small to some readers, but stuck out like a sore thumb to me as a British reader.  Along with her erratic accuracy on the way British English is spoken (especially at this time!), I regard her as a good storyteller, but a distinctly unreliable historian.

Edited April 5, 2016 by willoyd

[chaliepud]

I think the mistakes she made were made as she is an Anerican? From what I remember the 'war' facts were more spot on? I found the V1/V2 parts very interesting and coincidentally visited the Science Museum the same week as I read the book and found they had one on display!

[Janet]

I was staggered at how big the V2 (I think it was that one) actually is.  It's HUMONGOUS!  One landed on the house a few doors away from my Mum's house (she and her siblings were at school) and flattened most of the row.  My Granny, who survived, was upstairs at the time painting the girls' bed and when they dug her out of the rubble they couldn't work out why she was covered in wet, bright pink stuff - it was the paint!    

 

I started Room by Emma Donoghue last night for book club, and this morning I started listening to North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.   I also picked up Revolting Rhymes and Rhyme Stew, both by Roald Dahl, for my Dahl challenge from the library.

[LankaDivore]

Already read 300 pages of Mystic city #1 by Theo Lawrence (2nd day of reading it ) I really looove it. I (actually) always love dystopian books and this one is one of one best books I've read this year so far

Edited April 5, 2016 by LankaDivore

[Ben]

Finished Clinch by Martin Holmén earlier tonight. Really good, gritty noir, with an ending that makes me glad a sequel is apparently in the works. Due out from Pushkin Press May 5.

[More reading time required]

I finished Revival and started Finders Keepers, also by Stephen King. I've not got too far in it yet though as I've been concentrating on reading weaning books!

[Nollaig]

It doesn't have time- travel and it's non fiction, but When Paris Went Dark is awesome. I also just finished The Girl From Krakow, fiction, but a great read.

 

I'm now half through This Perfect Day, hope to finish today, but I'm a bit burned out from the read a thon!

 

Oooh will look them up. Lack of time travel is perfectly acceptable

 

 I really enjoyed this story (it's really one book split into two volumes), but a big word of warning: Connie Willis is NOT reliable factually.  Indeed, some of the blunders she makes are quite jaw dropping.  Just two that I remember off the top of my head:  she has one character taking the Jubilee Line, a line that wasn't built until the 1970s (the clue is in the word 'Jubilee': the Silver Jubilee of the present queen).  She also has a character paying for a phone call with a 20p piece, a currency, and coin, that wasn't introduced in the UK until 1971!  These may seem small to some readers, but stuck out like a sore thumb to me as a British reader.  Along with her erratic accuracy on the way British English is spoken (especially at this time!), I regard her as a good storyteller, but a distinctly unreliable historian.

 

I think the mistakes she made were made as she is an Anerican? From what I remember the 'war' facts were more spot on? I found the V1/V2 parts very interesting and coincidentally visited the Science Museum the same week as I read the book and found they had one on display!

 

I'm not British so I wouldn't even notice those things anyway!

 

I read some more of The Ice Twins last night, I'm about halfway through now. It's alright, but I'm not sure why people are raving about it. I got disctracted for the rest of the evening playing a time-management game called Cook Serve Delicious. My restaurant is now 1 star.

[Peacefield]

I read the first 20 pages of At the Edge of the Orchard last night but couldn't read more as my eyes were very droopy.  

[chesilbeach]

Finished listening to A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor, so need to decide whether to buy the next book in the series, or start one of my other audiobooks.

 

Reading wise, I started One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez yesterday, and I'm finding it quite a slow read.  Two hours reading, and I'm still only on page 71, but it's good so far.

[Anna Begins]

I started One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez yesterday, and I'm finding it quite a slow read.  Two hours reading, and I'm still only on page 71, but it's good so far.

Hmm. That's too bad, this is on my "sometime in my life " tbr . I'll be curious to follow your thoughts on it.

 

I abandoned Ira Levin's This Perfect Day at 52% yesterday and started my fourth Ayn Rand book, We the Living.

[Nollaig]

I abandoned Ira Levin's This Perfect Day at 52% yesterday

 

Oh dear, that's a bit of a backwards step for Ira! The premise sounds interesting. What didn't you like about it?

[Kylie]

I abandoned Ira Levin's This Perfect Day at 52% yesterday and started my fourth Ayn Rand book, We the Living.

 

Aw  

 

Looking forward to your thoughts on We the Living, which is on my TBR pile.

 

I just finished Jeeves in the Offing. Loved it!! I'll now get back to A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, which I had put aside temporarily when I became absorbed in Wodehouse's writing.

[Anna Begins]

Oh dear, that's a bit of a backwards step for Ira! The premise sounds interesting. What didn't you like about it?

My god, it just dragged on and on with hardly any surprises- imo, nothing that made Rosemary's Baby or Stepford Wives great. There were no tricks. The fact I had almost every detail correct about the end at 52% was disheartening when I read the end. As far as the philosophy in it, I found it average and posed no questions that haven't already been explored- which is what I like about Levin, he looks at those simple humanistic questions in different ways. Too bad, but I will keep reading his material. And I still highly recommend SW and RB.