Jump to content

Charm's Choices for 2009


Charm

Recommended Posts

Charm - sounds like a good book! Another suggestion, if you haven't read any of his already is books by John Nance. I've read 3 of his books - Pandora's clock, Medussa's child & The last hostage & I thought they were all really good reads.

 

Great!! :she: I shall check him out. :P

 

I think i going to add that to my TBR file.

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 452
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I have watched the first episode but once I'd learnt the series was based on books I decided I wanted to read the books first. I'd far rather read the book on which something is based before seeing it, I like to make up my own mind how I see the characters ;), I do have to say though, the actor who plays Dexter is somewhat how I would imagine him :P

 

 

Smart idea - I fell in love with the TV show, then went to read the books and was a little disappointed. I had the characters so set in my head from the show that the differences in the book seemed jarring. I think you are doing it in the better order!

Edited by Kell
fixed quote code
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter' ~by~ Jeff Lindsay this evening and I have to say thank you to Frankie for recommending it to me :P. I think it's helped me get my mojo back!

 

This isn't like any serial killer book I have ever read before.

 

I loved it. ;) I found it to be quite a light hearted read, considering its genre, and would say its more of a black comedy than a serious thriller (although that might be due more to my sense of humour than fact :lol:). I would definately buy more of the series.

 

8/10

 

Charm, you're more than welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :D And I am surprised that you who have read so many thrillers and murder+serial killer books thought that this managed to be a unique read! Like I already said, just you wait for the next one, it's gross :she:

 

I also have to say that I too found it quite amusing at times, in a dark ha-haa (not funny giggle ha-haa) sort of way.

I do recommend the TV-series as well but I guess you started that already. For me it took maybe 3 episodes (I almost hated the first episode, can you believe that), then I was hooked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just you wait for the next one, it's gross

 

Hopefully I won't have to wait too long :) I've already added it to my wishlist too along with the next ones! That makes 9 adds in total ... just today! :D

 

(If I go among the missing just tell them to look under the evergrowing pile of books in my house ;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished 'The Gift ~by~ Cecelia Ahern last night.

 

Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones

Step into the magical world of Cecelia Ahern If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else. On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room. But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time? As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. He sees what is truly important in life yet at the same time he learns the harshest lesson of all. This is a story about people who not unlike parcels, hide secrets.They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what's inside.Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are. For Lou Suffern, that took time.

 

This is a moral tale set in Dublin about a high flying business man who loses all sight of what's important in life. It reminded me a lot of the film 'A Wonderful Life' with James Stewart and in that respect I thought it was a bit predictable. I did think it was still quite an enjoyable read and found myself hating the main character one minute and feeling sorry for him the next, I even came close to a wee tear towards the end :)

 

If you like Cecelia Ahern then I imagine you will enjoy this although in my opinion 'P.S. I Love You' and 'Where Rainbows End' have been her best so far.

 

5/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Charm!!!

 

I am soooo sorry if I ignored you..... I didn't know what to do!!!!:D:lol:

 

I confess to not being very technically minded - Is it easy???

 

The only book I have read on your wish list is Life Swap. I can't really remember enough to give an opinion except that it can't be very memorable :).

 

I have both feet very firmly in the read-book-first camp. I have always been disappointed with the films/series after having read a book. I think our own minds can imagine a character that will enhance our personal enjoyment of a book. I think a book is able to tap into, and enhance, my imagination far more effectively than a movie/series.

 

Some of your books and authors I have never heard of........ there are just too many books and so little time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Charm!!!

 

I am soooo sorry if I ignored you..... I didn't know what to do!!!!:):lol:

 

I confess to not being very technically minded - Is it easy???

 

The only book I have read on your wish list is Life Swap. I can't really remember enough to give an opinion except that it can't be very memorable :tong:.

 

I have both feet very firmly in the read-book-first camp. I have always been disappointed with the films/series after having read a book. I think our own minds can imagine a character that will enhance our personal enjoyment of a book. I think a book is able to tap into, and enhance, my imagination far more effectively than a movie/series.

 

Some of your books and authors I have never heard of........ there are just too many books and so little time.

 

Don't worry :lol: I never thought you were ignoring me at all! Don't just check out my lists though, check out some of the others too, there are great reviews on them and you should get loads of new titles to add to your own lists ;)

 

Have fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished reading Devil Bones ~by~ Kathy Reichs last night.

 

Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones

When a careless plumber accidentally knocks through a wall, he is horrified by what he uncovers. Called to the scene is forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan. Fighting her claustrophobia, and the unmistakeable sweet, fetid odour of rotting flesh, Tempe descends the precariously steep, makeshift wooden steps. What awaits her below is a ritualistic display: slain chickens and a goat - and a skull, ghostly pale, rests on a pedestal, the lower jaw missing, the empty orbits starring back at her. The forehead is darkened by an irregular stain the exact red-brown of dried blood, and lined with remnants of desiccated tissue. Two cauldrons stand nearby, beads and antlers suspended overhead. Age, race and sex indicators confirm the skull as that of a young, black female - but how did she die, and when? Then, just as Tempe is working to determine the post-mortem interval, another body is uncovered. The corpse is headless, the torso is carved with Satanic symbols. Could there be a connection? Must Tempe face the sickening possibility that Devil-worshippers are sacrificing human victims?

 

This book was typical Kathy Reichs stuff. This time she covered devil worshipping, paganism and wicca beliefs. It was all very interesting stuff although I have to say a bit predictable. She seems to use a tried and tested formula when writing this one but unfortunately for me it just meant I got a bit bored with it half way through. I felt as if I had heard it all before, if you know what I mean. It was still an OK read and did hold my interest until the end, but I think that was because I was interested in reading about the book's topic rather than the actual storyline.

If you like the Kathy Reich series then you will probably enjoy this one too.

6/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(harvest and stolen) if you get to them before me (which im sure you probably will)

 

I doubt it! I keep adding faster than I'm reading, I've bought 9 books already this week ... and the week ain't over! :)

 

If I happen to read any of them before you I will most certainly post what I think of them. I don't review books half as well as members on here do but I will probably write a few comments about what I think of them. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I finished The Broken Window ~by~ Jeffrey Deaver yesterday. Yey! I got it finished before the end of Jan! That makes 4 books in total last month. :lol:

 

Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones

Rhyme's cousin has been arrested for murder. The evidence clearly shows he did it, but Rhyme agrees to check things out. It turns out that the cousin along with other people has been wrongly convicted because the true killer knows every single detail about the lives of the victims he kills and the men he sets up to take the fall for those crimes. This allows him to get close to the victims under false pretenses, murder or rape, and escape safely. And then he sets up others to take the fall for his crimes, planting incontrovertible evidence Rhyme, Sachs and the rest of the team have to find out who at the huge, ominous data mining company is getting access to this information. Meanwhile the villain--known only by a number to us--realizes he's being pursued and turns his knowledge of data and information into a weapon. Oh, and lest things seem too delicate, he also gets information through good old-fashioned murder and torture too.

 

This is the first Jeffrey Deaver book I have read and I'm now really looking forward to the other two books of his I have in my bookcase!

 

It's a book about a murderer who is emotionally disturbed and has become an OCD hoarder, collecting everything from old cigarettes to information and data. He uses this information and data about his victims to lure them into a false sense of security before killing them, and info on other unsuspecting people to frame them for his crimes. The more Lincoln Rhyme and the police close in on him, the more violent and angry he gets leading to more torturous murders. In short, this book is about identity theft to the extreme.

 

It really made me wonder though. Is there the technology out there that the author talks about or has he used a hell of a lot of poetic license? Do these big data mining companies exsist? I for one am glad I burn all info and envelopes with my name or details on them and I shall certainly think twice before filling out some stupid survey or guarantee form in the future! I did like the storyline and the plot was full of twists and turns making it very hard to try to guess who the murderer was, I was gobsmacked when he was revealed! Great book and if you like writers like Tess Gerritsen you should like this too. :lol:

 

thank you Ceinwenn for sending this to me. I really enjoyed it :lol:

 

9/10

Edited by Charm
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love, love love love, books with such a creepy twist to them. I've never picked up anything by Jeffrey Deaver either, but from the looks of The Broken Window, he might have a few books that would definitely interest me. This one in itself looks quite promising.

 

Oh and once again (as I already posted in the book's specific thread), I truly hope you enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray. Can't wait to see what you have to say about it :lol:.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check this out. or this, or this - I could keep going you know! But I won't. Too scary to contemplate.

 

Good book, though & glad you enjoyed it! :D

 

Omg those sites are scary! ;)

I'm not gonna look any more lol

 

I love, love love love, books with such a creepy twist to them. I've never picked up anything by Jeffrey Deaver either, but from the looks of The Broken Window, he might have a few books that would definitely interest me. This one in itself looks quite promising..

 

Like I said, its the first one of his I've read and really enjoyed it. I'm gonna try and get my hands on 'The Bone Collector' as I loved the film with Denzel Washington in it, I'd love to read the book too :lol:

 

Oh and once again (as I already posted in the book's specific thread), I truly hope you enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray. Can't wait to see what you have to say about it :lol:.

 

:lol: again. I'll probably write my thoughts on this when I've finished. Not a review though, I don't think I review books very well, but just what I think myself ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Omg those sites are scary! :lol:

I'm not gonna look any more lol

 

Tell me about it! The horrible inspeakable things that people do in the name of market research!

 

 

I don't think I review books very well, but just what I think myself :lol:

 

And what is a review of a book if now "...but just what I think myself"? Your thoughts, or reviews of a book just might encourage someone to pick up a book they might have otherwise missed out on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And what is a review of a book if now "...but just what I think myself"? Your thoughts, or reviews of a book just might encourage someone to pick up a book they might have otherwise missed out on!

 

Ok .. good point. But I still don't think I write my thoughts very well, sometimes I feel that I ramble too much about nothing worth mentioning and not enough about the stuff people want to hear. I also have a certain amount of fear of looking stupid especially if I don't cover the important points. I mean I've read a good lot of reviews on here and each time I think god I wish I could do that. I think you need to have a certain amount of writing talent to be a good reviewer and I don't think I have. I'm a reader not a writer and I'd be the first to say it. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I disagree, but that's ok. I think that whatever you talk about is important. It's obviously something that struck you about the book, or why would you be talking about it? Besides, thinking like you are, your reviews will only get better, because you are questioning the content of your reviews.

 

You know what they say: "Practice makes perfect!". Im sure that my reviews aren't going to be classified as great, but that's ok. They're my reviews & as I write more they will grow & become more refined.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grave Sight ~by~ Charlaine Harris arrived today and I think I'm gonna start it and give Dorian Gray a break, I'm still gonna keep Dorian in my currently reading post though, I plan to go back to it after Grave Sight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...