chesilbeach Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 I've finished Brazzaville Beach, and although I enjoyed it, I preferred the two other books by William Boyd that I've read. I definitely want to read some more though, and will be on the lookout for my next read from this author when I go to the bookshop next time. I've also started and finished Chosen, the third in the House of Night series. I like these books as light entertainment, even if they are a bit formulaic. I was going to read March by Geraldine Brooks next (for my reading group next week), but I've only started the first page, and I've put it down already as I'm not in the mood for it, so I'll probably try Mourning Ruby by Helen Dunmore instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 Well, I've finished Mourning Ruby by Helen Dunmore and I'm confused. I don't know if I liked it or not. (I'm going to sound a bit pretentious now, but this is exactly how I felt when reading some sections of the book, so please bear with me). There were passages when the grief and sorrow of Rebecca seemed to flow off the page like a huge wave that threatened to overpower me and drag me under the surface, and I had to stop reading, but, I never felt that it was too much and I couldn't continue on with the book. However, I personally got confused by the inclusion of Boomdiara into the book (I can't really explain what this is without giving some of the plot away), and wondered whether it added anything to the story or whether it actually detracted from the main focus of the plot. Because of the emotions I felt, and how the reading of the book brought some of my own memories and experiences to the fore, overall, I would have to say that it was a successful and moving read, but I'm still not sure if I liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Well, after having very little reading time for a few weeks, and only getting half way through The Moonstone, I thought I'd better pick up one of my reading group books since we meet next week and I haven't read either book So, I started The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks on Monday, and I've just finished it this evening. I haven't read an Iain Banks novel since 1989 (Espedair Street), and I'm not sure why. I remember reading a few of his early books (not the Iain M. Banks ones) and enjoying them, and I don't know why I was mildly concerned about reading another one now, but there was something niggling in the back of my mind suggesting that I wasn't going to like it. In fact, I thought it was a cracking good read. I hadn't read any of the blurb on the back or any reviews, and I had no idea what the book was about, and I was quite surprised to find it was a family saga of sorts. I loved Banks' writing, and there are some beautiful phrases through out the book which I suspect are probably Scottish in style, for example, "The waters run on away beneath them both". I've seen and heard Iain Banks interviewed a lot over the years, and when I read this sentence, I felt I had to read it with his voice in my head for it to sound comfortable, but once I did that, it seemed beautiful and lyrical. There was also a paragraph where the main character Alban recollects his gap year travels, and Banks writes a hugely long sentence punctuated with hyphenated asides, multiple "ands" and seemingly endless commas to keep the thought going for the description. I thought this was so clever, as it's captures the essence of the process of remembering a particular episode in your past, when all the event come rushing on top of each other, and crashing into one another, as if once the brain has opened that particular memory it has to keep presenting the information to your conscious thoughts as quickly as possible, in case there is a time limit that the door to that memory can stay open before it slams shut again. Anyway, I'm rambling on a bit here - I thoroughly enjoyed the story, engaged with the main character, and loved the writing. The only complaint I have is that I did guess what the ending would be, but even then, after all the build up to it, the closure seemed a little bit rushed. This is a very minor quibble though, and I think I will probably go back and have another look at Banks' back catalogue and read some more of the novels he's written since I last read one of his books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Great review! It makes me want to go back & read more of Banks' work - I haven't looked at anything of his since reading Crow Road or studying Wasp Factory at uni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Thanks Fi :eek2: I really need to get through my shelves full of books I haven't read before I think about buying any more (who am I kidding? I know I'll be buying more sooner rather than later), but Banks is another author added to the list for when I do start buying more books. I've finished Untamed today. It's the fourth in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. They are pretty predictable, but they're entertaining enough for a lazy Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 I've forgotten to update this for a couple of books, but I've completed both The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong and Hunted by P.C and Kristin Cast. I enjoyed The Awakening and I like that the books in the trilogy are so concentrated in their world, and this one was interesting in that it covered such a short period of time. I'm glad that she's already stated it will be a trilogy, so I know that the next book will complete the story, and it will keep the narrative constrained to this small piece of the supernatural world. I'm also enjoying the House of Night series - pure entertaining escapism. They're easy reads, and one of the few books I don't mind reading in bed, as it doesn't really matter too much if I fall asleep during a chapter, I can quite easily pick it up again the next time. I'm interested to see where the series goes after this book, and I see there is already a sixth book in the series due out in hardback later this month, and a seventh book title due for release next year. Not sure if I can wait a year for the sixth book in paperback, so I'll either be searching for a cheap hardback or seeing if the library have got it! My reading group won advanced copies of a book due for publication next month which we have to review before the end of October, so I need to crack on with that next, and then I'm really looking forward to reading Bonjour Tristesse and A Certain Smile by Fran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I've finally finished the review book I was reading, and decided to follow on with some light entertainment, so I started and finished Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong today. A library book which I was the first person to borrow, so it was like having my own pristine hardback copy! It was fantastic to be back with the werewolves again, and I loved the new location, the new supernaturals and the new characters. It was a fun, thrilling read. I've also picked up The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith from the library today, very pleased that I got it so soon after publication, and I'm only the second person to borrow it, so it's in fantastic condition! As always with the new Isabel Dalhousie books, I can never resist starting it as soon as possible, and read the first three chapters this afternoon. I've also had my next two books for my book group since my last update, but I've already read one of them, so that leaves me with Keeping The World Away by Margaret Forster to put to the top of my TBR pile, along with the other book I borrowed from the library, a collection of short stories called The First Person by Ali Smith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I've finally finished the review book I was reading, and decided to follow on with some light entertainment, so I started and finished Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong today. A library book which I was the first person to borrow, so it was like having my own pristine hardback copy! It was fantastic to be back with the werewolves again, and I loved the new location, the new supernaturals and the new characters. It was a fun, thrilling read. So pleased to hear this, I bought a copy with birthday vouchers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 So pleased to hear this, I bought a copy with birthday vouchers! Good choice! I'm sure you'll love it Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 I finished The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith this evening - the latest in his Isabel Dalhousie series. Isabel is the editor of a philosophy and ethics journal, and the book continues to follow her life in Edinburgh, but the most enjoyable thing I find about these books is when she considers the moral and philosophical dilemmas that anyone can face in their day to day lives. The drama is the drama of the everyday, bound together with the slightly more sensational story of of her encounters with an old adversary, Minty Auchterlonie. I'm always impressed with how well McCall Smith writes in a woman's voice, and Isabel is my favourite of all his characters. I've found all the books very uplifting and inspiring, and Isabel is the type of person I aspire to be - intelligent, caring, moral, considerate and generous - but she's far from perfect and makes mistakes but part of the joy is how she deals with those mistakes. These books are not for everyone. They are gentle and meandering at times, and there is very little drama or conflict, but what there is, is simply but eloquent, and it's one of my highlights of each year looking forward to the next book in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 I read Ali Smith's collection of short stories The First Person today. Wow. I just love this writer. I've been impressed with every book of hers I've read, and this was my first read of her short stories, and they were at times lovely, funny, sad, unsettling, with occasional forays into the surreal. An absolutely wonderful read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 (edited) Every once in a while, a book or author comes along that blows everything or everyone else out of the water. Fran Edited November 17, 2009 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Finished Keeping The World Away by Margaret Forster - feeling ambivalent towards this book - some intriguing and thought provoking ideas on how life can affect a female artist, but unconvincing coincidental relationships and meetings between the various lead characters. I've never read any of her books before, and only read this one because it's for my reading group this month. The story is centred on a painting but considers not only the social history of woman who painted it and those who subsequently own it, but also the impact the feminine relationships of lover, wife, mother, etc have on women's role as an artist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I've read two by her - Is There Anything You Want? and The Memory Box (I think that's what it was called) - both were... okay, but failed to live up to expectation. She's very popular though so I thought maybe it was just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 I've read two by her - Is There Anything You Want? and The Memory Box (I think that's what it was called) - both were... okay, but failed to live up to expectation. She's very popular though so I thought maybe it was just me. Well the reviews from the reading group weren't great either. Most felt it was a good premise but poorly executed. There were some who'd read a lot of her earlier books who said they were much, much better, but overall, everyone was disappointed by this one. Apparently the people who'd read a lot of her books said there was an early one called The Park which was quite unique and memorable and one they'd felt she was at her best, but it's gone out of print now, and the author herself is pleased that it has, as she doesn't like it any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 My favourite chick-lit authors have a new book out, so couldn't wait for it to come out in standard paperback, and forked out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 Just finished Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz, the latest in his Alex Rider series. Another exciting, action packed, thrilling ride for our teenage spy - I loved it! Next up, I've got a library book to read, Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith, plus I've just added the two books for my reading group next month to my TBR list - A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry and The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard. I haven't heard of either of them, but the meeting is four weeks away, so I'll put them on the back burner for a couple more weeks yet, and catch up with some more of the eagerly anticipated books of my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 26, 2009 Author Share Posted November 26, 2009 I enjoyed Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith, another one of his serial novels, first published in The Telegraph newspaper, and following the lives of the inhabitants of apartments in a single property in London. I love his 44 Scotland Street series of novels based on the occupants of the a block of flats in Edinburgh, so I was prepared for the style and flavour of Corduroy Mansions, and although I did like it a lot, I didn't quite feel the same warmth for the characters I've come to know so well in the Edinburgh books, and there was too much of a similarity to the 44 Scotland Street characters and style, and that made it feel too formulaic. While I eagerly look forward to going back to catch up with my favourite characters in Edinburgh, I'm not sure I'll bother with a return to Corduroy Mansions if a series develops from this initial book. Moving on, I've started Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce, another book I have mixed feelings about after the first 80 pages, but I'll persevere and see how it progresses before passing judgement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Finished Aberystwyth Mon Amour today. I'd been attracted by the cover for a long time, and decided that I'd give it a go despite being a crime book. I usually only read quirky, funny or historical crime books, and this looked like it might fit into that category. It did start with promise, but overall, I don't think it was a successful book. Written in the style of a 1950s gumshoe private eye story, but transported to the period of the 1980s and instead of being set in the big smoke of a city, it's moved to the Welsh town of Aberystwyth. I never really felt the sense of the time period, and the surreal elements merely grated on me (for example that there is a world of Punch & Judy acts who perform in back rooms of pubs). I think maybe my expectations were too high, assuming this would do for the detective story what The Eyre Affair did for the classics, but it just fell flat for me, and it was too fantastical without ever feeling like it could be real. At least I know now, and won't be tempted by the other books in the series, no matter how intriguing I find the covers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Had a day out today which involved 3 hours on the train, and on the outward journey, I realised I was going to finish the book I had with me, so that meant a shopping trip was in order. As I felt a bit guilty buying books this close to Christmas, and not wanting to buy something on my wishlist in case anyone had already ordered them as Christmas presents, I just had a mooch around trying to find something. Decided to try Borders, as they obviously have a massive sale on at the moment, but realised I had no idea what I was looking for. And then ... the BCF part of my brain kicked in and I thought of all the books and authors I'd been considering after reading reviews and recommendations on here! But, Borders still didn't have any of the ones I was thinking of, so I wandered 100 yards down the street to Waterstone's, and lo and behold, I'm now the proud owner of Pack Up The Moon by Anna McPartlin courtesy of (quite a few) recommendations from Nollaig! I then had more time to kill later on, and found hitting the bookshops again, this time searching for a book recommended on The Book Show on Sky Arts last week that I'd suddenly remembered I wanted to read, but Waterstone's didn't have it, so headed back into the Borders m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 I finished Which Witch? before I went to bed last night. Great kids book, lots of fun with an ounce of grossness added into the mix. Took Pack Up The Moon to work with me to start at lunchtime. So, I'm sat at my desk with my earphones in drowning out the noisy oiks in my office, and within 10 minutes I've got tears streaming down my face, and I'm completely engrossed. Luckily, I had a reminder on my phone pop up at the end of my lunch hour to do a particular task, otherwise I suspect I'd have sat there until I'd finished the book and not realised I'd gone way past the end of my break! 100 pages in, and it's excellent so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 courtesy of (quite a few) recommendations from Nollaig! Eep Sorry, I get quite passionate about books that really strike a chord with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Eep Sorry, I get quite passionate about books that really strike a chord with me Well if the rest of the book lives up to the first 100 pages, I'm not gonna complain! Recommend away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 I loved Pack Up The Moon. I've written my thoughts over in the Anna McPartlin thread. I've got a quick read for this evening - The Best of Times by Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark - which was a present from OH and is a small children's Christmas story book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 5, 2009 Author Share Posted December 5, 2009 Didn't get round to The Best of Times the other day, but treated myself to it this morning. Another lovely Christmas fairy tale from Michael Morpurgo. Loved it. Need to make a start on my reading group books for next week, so I'll be starting The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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