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Charm's Choices for 2009


Charm

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I've finished Grave Sight ~by~ Charlaine Harris yesterday.

 

Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones

Harper Connelly had a lucky escape when she was hit by lightning: she didn't die. But sometimes she wishes she had died, because the lightning strike left her with an unusual talent: she can find dead people - and that's not always comfortable. Everyone wants to know how she does it: it's a little like hearing a bee droning inside her head, or maybe the pop of a Geiger counter, a persistent, irregular noise that increases in strength as she gets closer. It's almost electric: a buzzing all through her body, and the fresher the corpse, the more intense the buzz. Harper and her brother Tolliver make their living from finding the dead, for desperate parents, worried friends ...and police departments who have nowhere else to look. They may not believe in her abilities, but sometimes the proof is just too much for even the most sceptical of police chiefs to deny. But it's not always easy for someone like Harper, for the dead *want* to be found - and too often, finding the body doesn't bring closure; it opens a whole new can of worms.

 

I loved this book. It was a quick fast paced read and was really easy to get into. I loved the idea behind the story and it was plausibly written. I liked the main characters and the storyline unfolded brilliantly. Simple as that ;).

 

I'm really looking forward to the next in the series. thank you Gyre for submitting it as a bookring, it was brilliant! :blush:

 

9/10

Edited by Charm
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I am glad you enjoyed 'Grave Sight' Charm, it is fast paced, which I enjoyed too, you don't get much time to think and it is all happening.

 

I liked the storyline too, the death of the son of a wealthy family and a daughter of not so well to do family. I liked how even though everything was happening, you got insights into the victims family, that everything was just not on face value and town gossip.

 

A great introduction to the series, I can't wait to hear what you think of the rest of the series Charm :D

 

Happy reading :)

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I finished The Picture of Dorian Gray ~by~ Oscar Wilde yesterday, the first classic I've knowingly read. :lol:

 

Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones

Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was a succes de scandale. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins, and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895.

 

The story is of Dorian Gray, a beautiful and somewhat innocent young man who, when his artist friend paints his portrait capturing his youth perfectly, swears he would trade his soul to stay beautiful and young looking for the rest of his life. Somehow he does exactly that and the painting actually bears all the flaws, wrinkles and darkness both of his face and of his character. At first Dorian is shocked by his discovery but soon takes pleasure in the fact that nothing he does affects his beauty, inside or out. With the unwitting encouragement of his friend, he lives life to the full, not caring who he destroys along the way until at last his conscience catches up with him ...

 

I liked this book at first. Oscar Wilde writes beautifully and his discriptive writings are second to none. I can fully appreciate why he is considered one of the greats. However.... there just wasn't enough happening in the book for me and after a while Oscar's writing style began to become tedious and overbearing. Add that to the fact that I didn't like any of the characters, with Dorian Gray even coming across as a petulant brat, it became more and more of a chore to read. It did pick up in the last half a dozen chapters and these piqued my interest again probably because

that's where all the killings started!

I'm still glad I read it and it hasn't put me off reading another classic :D.

4/10

:D from Roxi!

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Oh dear, someone didn't enjoy that. :lol: Better look with your next classic. :D

 

Thanks :)

 

Well at least you tried, Charm. :)

 

 

I did, and I understand why you like it too, but it was just a bit overdone for me :( I haven't given up on classics though! :(

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I did, and I understand why you like it too, but it was just a bit overdone for me :) I haven't given up on classics though! :lol:

 

I'm an extraordinarily arty, dramatic, philosophical thinker when it comes to literature. Overplayed, dramatic, flowery language-manipulation and underlying concepts appeal to me even at the expense of a well structured storyline! :)

 

So whatcha reading next?

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I'm an extraordinarily arty, dramatic, philosophical thinker when it comes to literature. Overplayed, dramatic, flowery language-manipulation and underlying concepts appeal to me even at the expense of a well structured storyline! :)

 

So whatcha reading next?

 

I know! That's why I understand how you like it! :)

 

I'm reading Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris. Its great, complete change from Oscar, a nice light quick read! :lol:

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I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Dorian so much, Charm. I struggled through parts of the story but for me it picked up enough at the end that I gave it a 9/10, as I recall. Better luck with your next classic! :)

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Dorian was probably a bit heavy for a first classic. We'll have to find you something a bit lighter! Maybe you should try something Gothic?

 

What do you suggest?

 

You read Treasure Island? :lol: Now that's good. :) Well in my opinion.

 

Do you mean me? I've never read Treasure Island :)

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Have you read Jane Eyre? That's a quite easy classic. Although I must admit it took me some time to get into

 

I agree with Jane Eyre, my all time favourite. What about Pride and Prejudice?

 

Aren't they sort of chicklit? I find it hard to get into contemporary chicklit nevermind classic stuff :) Any good classic horror read suggestions apart from Dracula? (I've read it but am gonna read again :) )

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Yeah was talking to you.. I'm not sure whether you'd enjoy Treasure Island. I wrote a mini-review somewhere, I think it was first or second review I ever did though. Terrible in comparison to newer ones.

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Aren't they sort of chicklit? I find it hard to get into contemporary chicklit nevermind classic stuff :) Any good classic horror read suggestions apart from Dracula? (I've read it but am gonna read again :) )

 

I wouldn't say Jane Eyre is really. It does have a romance element. But there are also gothic element, kind of mystery elements, and the bits when she is young. And Jane is certainly not the type of woman who would think she needs a man!

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I wouldn't say Jane Eyre is really. It does have a romance element. But there are also gothic element, kind of mystery elements, and the bits when she is young. And Jane is certainly not the type of woman who would think she needs a man!

 

Oh? I might just look these up. Thanks :)

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