Your Book Activity - April 2017

[shirley]

On ‎11‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 8:28 PM, Alexander the Great said:

 

I look forward to reading your review. I wasn't 100% convinced when I bought it, so I'm curious what you'll think of it.

 

sorry I have not replied sooner, went away for a long weekend. 

 

I will let you know my thoughts  

[chesilbeach]

I'm almost finished listening to The Well of Loneliness now, with just a couple of hours left to listen to, and I've read almost all of Jenny Colgan's Quick Read book A Very Distant Shore but it's only about 160 pages, and it's going really quickly.

[willoyd]

11 hours ago, Alexi said:

Worried now!  

 

I think I am going to save Cold Comfort Farm of the ones I have left. 

 

9 hours ago, Janet said:

I'm saving  Mansfield Park, I think.

 

Loved both of those.  They were both rereads for the challenge, and I think I enjoyed them more second time round too.  Hope you both enjoy them equally.

 

[Janet]

Thanks, @willoyd.     I enjoyed Cold Comfort Farm more the second time round too. 

 

I am on the homeward stretch of Beyond Black, thank goodness!   About 20 pages to go.  Phew!

[Alexi]

Thanks both.  Hopefully I shall enjoy my final read (when I get there!). 

 

Just finished The Go-Between. Not sure whether to go on with another ECC book or have a little break. 

[Athena]

14 hours ago, chesilbeach said:

I'm almost finished listening to The Well of Loneliness now, with just a couple of hours left to listen to, and I've read almost all of Jenny Colgan's Quick Read book A Very Distant Shore but it's only about 160 pages, and it's going really quickly.

 

I recently bought A Very Distant Shore and would be interested to hear if you liked it or not once you've finished it. I abandoned Operation Sunshine a few years ago, but I'm definitely willing to give Jenny Colgan another chance (also, I normally like the QuickReads books so).

 

I'm currently reading Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim, a memoir written by a woman with Asperger's Syndrome. I'm liking it a lot so far, I recognise quite a few things.

[Janet]

I finished Hilary Mantel's Beyond Black last night.  Hurrah! 

 

I have found two positives...

 

1.  I think the contents (I'm loathe to use the word story) will make for a good discussion at Book Club!

2.  I will never have to read it again.   

[Athena]

8 minutes ago, Janet said:

2.  I will never have to read it again.   

 

Oh dear, if that's one of two positive things about having finished the book.. that doesn't bode well at all! I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it . I hope your next read will be more enjoyable!

[shirley]

I have nearly finished Never Never by James Patterson - I have picked this up to read as I find you don't really have to be in the mood for reading as you can pick up what is going on quite easily.

[chesilbeach]

9 hours ago, Athena said:

I recently bought A Very Distant Shore and would be interested to hear if you liked it or not once you've finished it. I abandoned Operation Sunshine a few years ago, but I'm definitely willing to give Jenny Colgan another chance (also, I normally like the QuickReads books so).

 

I finished it today, and I enjoyed it.  I would say that it's a companion piece to The Summer Seaside Kitchen and although it's not required, I think you'll probably get more out of it if you've read that first, as you'll understand the setting and know the most of the characters.  I only read Jenny's first book back in the 1990s and then came back to her in the last few years, so haven't read Operation Sunshine but I've really enjoyed her books since she started writing more about women changing their lives to do something they love, starting with Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe.

[chesilbeach]

After finishing A Very Distant Shore today, I've started Venetia by Georgette Heyer.  I've also picked my audible book for the month with my credit, and bought Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

[Athena]

17 hours ago, chesilbeach said:

I finished it today, and I enjoyed it.  I would say that it's a companion piece to The Summer Seaside Kitchen and although it's not required, I think you'll probably get more out of it if you've read that first, as you'll understand the setting and know the most of the characters.  I only read Jenny's first book back in the 1990s and then came back to her in the last few years, so haven't read Operation Sunshine but I've really enjoyed her books since she started writing more about women changing their lives to do something they love, starting with Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe.

 

Thanks, that's good to know . I'll put The Summer Seaside Kitchen on my wishlist. I own Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe, so I plan to read that some day .

[Janet]

I'm reading The Professor by Charlotte Brontë.  I'm not very far in, but so far, so good. 

[Madeleine]

Isn't the Professor by Charlotte - my copy is!

[Janet]

D'oh - yes of course it is! Emily only had one novel published! 

[Raven]

All over the shop, reading wise at the mo. 

 

I think I've started half a dozen books since Christmas. Still reading Guards! Guards! But have a sneaking suspicion I'm not reading as much because I need glasses. 

 

Also started reading a friend's book this week, however, and am finding to be much better than I expected! 

[chesilbeach]

I finished The Well of Loneliness a couple of days ago, so that's another English Counties book finished.  

 

Got my next library group book last night - Blood and Beauty by Sarah Dunant.  I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction from this period, but I've long been meaning to try Dunant's books, so I've no excuse now!

[Athena]

On 20/04/2017 at 10:52 PM, Raven said:

I think I've started half a dozen books since Christmas. Still reading Guards! Guards! But have a sneaking suspicion I'm not reading as much because I need glasses.

 

Oh no .

I hope you enjoy your friend's book .

 

I finished Becky Albertalli - The Upside of Unrequited. I'll probably pick another book to read later today.

[willoyd]

Finished Tom Brown's Schooldays - a better and easier read than I expected, if a little bit too moralistic and even sanctimonious (at least by modern standards) in places - but that's the nature of this sort of Victorian novel.  Now moving on to The Mill on the Floss - a true doorstopper by the looks of it but one I've been looking forward to as I loved Middlemarch.

Edited April 22, 2017 by willoyd

[Onion Budgie]

Where Angels Fear to Tread was a great read; I'll definitely be picking Forster up again before too long.

 

I'm about to start The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind, which is only 77 pages long so I should whizz through it.  Existential angst, here I come!

[shirley]

Moved onto Woman of God by James Patterson been on the shelf for a while so thought I would give it a go.  Not bad so far.

[frankie]

I finally finished Chart Throb by Ben Elton. It was a semi let-down. 

[Janet]

I bought another version of A Christmas Carol on Saturday! I think that takes my collection up to eleven!  I'm not sure if this photograph will work or not it might be enormous!

 

 

I also bought Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene.

[Madeleine]

Clever design!  Bit scary....

[Lau_Lou]

I like that cover, Janet