pipread Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I love a good thriller but don`t think I`ve ever read anything by Lee Child, it sounds like I`d enjoy his Jack Reacher books. Can these books be read in any order or is it best to start at the beginning? I always enjoy reading your reviews by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed - a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home. This is an incredible book. I have only just put the book down (and put the dust jacket back on it, tenderly placing it upon my shelf - OCD ALERT!) and feel a bit glum at the fact that I've finished it. I love books that do that to you. This is set a few years before The Shadow Of The Wind, which I loved equally. The protagonist, David Martin, is not one might expect of a hero, or even of a central character, as he has sides to him that are quite unattractive. Interestingly, it's exactly those unattractive sides of his with which I identified...though what this illustrates about me, I'm loathe to explore. As I write these reviews, thoughts and 'issues' seem to keep cropping up and waylaying the keyboard, fingers possessed by the crazed analyst imprisoned within me. This book absorbed me from the start. Well, it was bound to, being about books, writers, bookshops and secret libraries, mystery, intrigue, spooky things - all that jazz. I very much think that Sarah, Kelly and Roxi would like these books, but highly recommend that you read The Shadow Of The Wind first. In fact, I think everyone would love these books. So - go for it, guys! An excellent novel. A must-read. 9.5/10 Edited June 9, 2009 by Mac Errrm...just thought I would, after ruminating a little on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I've read The Shadow Of The Wind and loved it, can't wait to read this one! Do you need to re-read Shadow, or is it all different characters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 There are related characters, but to tell you more would spoil things a little. So you should be fine without re-reading TSOTW. Oooh, Kelly, it is a brilliant book. You'll love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I've reserved a copy of The Angel's Game at the library, but there's no sign of it yet. I'm desperate to read it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Me too Chesil I might treat myself to it in the next couple of weeks if I can wangle some spare cash, I have 4 family birthdays in the next 2 weeks though, nightmare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 The Angel's Game sounds great Mac. I've added it (and shadow) to my wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Mac I'm so jealous you've already had the chance to read Angel's Game!! I'm really glad you enjoyed it though. I'm hoping to get my copy soon. Just like lexiepiper, I was thinking should I reread Shadow of the Wind first. But I think I'll read Angel's Game and then reread Shadow of the Wind. Thanks for the review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Cool Mac, thanks for the review, it's going on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past. This is the first real time I've ever tried to put my thoughts about a book down in words. Along with everyone else, I'm sure, I find certain books striking a chord within me and therefore feel them to be more personal. This is one of those times. Being a private sort of chap, I'm experiencing difficulty in saying how and why this book affected me so, but here goes. Apologies if I'm rubbish at it. The protagonist, Watanabe, focusses heavily on the past, on death and on the conflicts he finds between social situations and his own core beliefs. The skillful way Murakami (as usual) deals with this is extraordinarily thought provoking and made me wander off into my own world on more than one occasion. Obviously, because paralells can be drawn between Watanabe's past and my own, it is bound to have at least some effect upon me. Interestingly, I went out late last night, after I had finished the book, to pick up my girlfriend from a night out in town. Increasingly, over the last few years, I have really struggled with town night life, preferring a quiet one in my local pub, or even a bottle of wine at home. Driving through the town to the arranged pick-up point, I was watching the behaviours of the...shall we say lubricated?...revellers and feeling all sorts of anxieties (nothing unusual here, really) which made me want to remain in the safe confines of my car. The novel hightened these feelings, I'm sure. I connected with the prose, which is very gentle, evocative and beautiful. Do you know what I mean if I say it sang to me? Despite some of the content, I find Murakami's writing lullaby-like. Does that sound weird? Also, what I found curious is that, again - like Kafka On The Shore - the sex in the novel seemed to be detached, clinical, almost as if he was describing how to make a smoothie or the actions required to set up a PA system. In other words, I wouldn't have a problem recommending this to my mum, because it's so matter-of-fact. All in all, I loved the book. It's a novel that will stay within me. As chrysalis_stage says:- Read Haruki Murakami 10/10 definitely I really enjoyed reading your review of 'Norwegian Wood', its on my TBR pile, I agree with you and Chrysalis_stage ~ Read Haruki Murakami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver I have been vowing to read this fellow for a long, long time and so, rooting through my book shelves, I picked up the first one I lay my hands upon and commenced reading. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when I discovered that it was a book of his short stories! What better way to get acquainted with his style! And what a style! Each story was magnificently crafted, reeling me in from the very start of each one, keeping me wrapped in the prose until he surprises you with his twist - and, the thing is, he really did keep on surprising me. I'm not just any old daft bloke that wouldn't know his harris from his elbow, but I could not guess the outcome of (dare I say it?) any of them. This puts my brain to shame... I am very much looking forward to reading further books by him. I wonder if his novels are as punchy and gripping? I'm guessing they will be. 9.5/10 Brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Sounds good. I recently added Coffin Dancer to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver I am very much looking forward to reading further books by him. I wonder if his novels are as punchy and gripping? I'm guessing they will be. 9.5/10 Brilliant. Great review Mac! So glad you enjoyed this. At last you did the right thing and gave him a shot! I haven't read 'Twisted' yet but it is on my bookshelf along with 'More Twisted' but its nice to hear that its good and I've something to look forward to, perhaps the best thing if my mojo up and leaves again! His novels are just as good. The best one IMO that I've read so far is 'The Blue Nowhere'. I definately suggest you get a hold of this or start the Lincoln Rhyme series with The Bone Collector Its so good finding a new author! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipread Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Glad you enjoyed Twisted, told you JD was the master! And yes his novels are just as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Your ra-ra skirt and matching pompoms are in the post Mac - you are clearly a Deaverette! We should come up with a more masculine version for you blokes - What about Deaverone? Or maybe Deaverachi? Glad you enjoyed him Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Hurray Mac!! So happy you enjoyed Mr Deaver. Don't shy away from the Lincoln Rhyme -series We are ready for your introductory dance at the social group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter The sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, paediatrician and medical examiner, finds Sibyl Adams dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut: two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach. When a second victim is found, crucified, only a few days later, it becomes clear that Sybil's brutal murder wasn't a one-off attack. What Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver are dealing with is a seasoned sexual predator. A violent serial killer... Okay. For a long while I have been put off reading this author purely because of her name. Pathetic, isn't it? The reason I picked this book up is because I have been lending and passing books on to a friend of mine (well, not passing books on, per se...more like buying them for her) for some time and she has been nagging me to read this one. So, in the end, I relented. And I'm not disappointed. I found the novel gripping, even found it stopping me turning the light off to go to sleep so I could read just one more chapter...I liked the characters, both rounded and believable, I enjoyed the plot and I enjoyed the pace. Yes, I guessed 'whodunnit' quite early into the book, but this didn't spoil it too much - in fact, when the culpable party was revealed, it was almost in such a way that you felt the author was saying 'You already knew this, though'. I didn't feel that she believed her readers were morons. All in all, quite a good thriller, and I'll certainly read the next one, Kisscut before too long. I think I'm going to read The Other Hand by Chris Cleave next. We'll see how that goes. 7/10 - worth having a look at if you like character-driven serial killer crime fiction. Edited June 22, 2009 by Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCee Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter And I'm not disappointed. I found the novel gripping, even found it stopping me turning the light off to go to sleep so I could read just one more chapter...I liked the characters, both rounded and believable, I enjoyed the plot and I enjoyed the pace. Yes, I guessed 'whodunnit' quite early into the book, but this didn't spoil it too much - in fact, when the culpable party was revealed, it was almost in such a way that you felt the author was saying 'You already knew this, though'. I didn't feel that she believed her readers were morons. All in all, quite a good thriller, and I'll certainly read the next one, Kisscut before too long. I think I'm going to read The Other Hand by Chris Cleave next. We'll see how that goes. 7/10 - worth having a look at if you like character-driven serial killer crime fiction. Good review Mac! I have just picked up a Karen Slaugher (can't remember which one and it is upstairs ) at the charity shop. I haven't read any of hers before either for no particular reason really, just never had the opportunity. I just started The Other Hand yesterday and so far it is charming and very well written. I have high hopes for it so far and I have a feeling it won't disappoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Great review Mac! I've read Blindsighted and most of the series and also enjoyed them very much. I've also got Skin Privilage and Triptych on my shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 The Other Hand by Chris Cleave This is what the blurb says on the back: We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to but it so we will just say this: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice. Two years later, they meet again – the story starts there… Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds. And it is. Exploring love, loss, identity, hope set within the most appalling circumstances, Chris Cleave has created a work of art. Narrated by the two women, each taking turns at the chapters, Chris Cleave shows great skill at understanding the differences between two different culture’s speech and language. In the past, I have struggled with reading accents and taking in the vernacular, but have had no trouble here at all. The novel is extraordinarily moving, and yet at times had the power to make me chuckle (out loud) and smile. Easy to read, upsetting in places (this is the world in which we live?!?), difficult to put down, this book should be read. This is not just a masterpiece; this is a wake-up call. Unequivocally 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Thanks for the review, Mac. This one has been on my wishlist for a couple of months, but wasn't sure whether or not to pick it up, and you've convinced me it's definitely worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCee Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 The novel is extraordinarily moving, and yet at times had the power to make me chuckle (out loud) and smile. Easy to read, upsetting in places (this is the world in which we live?!?), difficult to put down, this book should be read. This is not just a masterpiece; this is a wake-up call. Unequivocally 10/10 Mac, I am still reading this as I have had very little tie to myself the last week. But I had to say that your saying it is a wake up callis just absolutely true! I have been finding myself looking at people differently in the last few days. It is a reminder of how much we have..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell One frozen January morning at 5am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he believes is a routine call-out. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse he discovers a blood bath. An old man has been tortured and beaten to death, his wife lies barely alive beside his shattered body, both victims of a violence beyond reason. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When this is leaked to the press, it unleashes racial hatred. Kurt Wallander is a senior police officer. His life is a shambles. His wife has left him, his daughter refuses to speak to him, and even his aging father barely tolerates him. He works tirelessly, eats badly and drinks his nights away in a lonely, neglected flat. But now, with winter tightening and his activities beong monitored by a tough-minded district attorney, Wallander must forget his troubles and throw himself into a battle agaiunst time and against mounting xenophobia. This is the first of Mankell's novels, and I loved it. I really must visit Sweden soon. Wallander is (again) a flawed hero with depth of character. I find myself responding well to the guy. There's something about the cool style of the prose that I find intoxicating and addictive - I've already bought the next three in the series. One of the points I really enjoyed was that the exposition in the novel is short and to the point. Mankell doesn't labour the issue. He whizzes through the investigative processes and focuses on the important parts. This kept the pace moving and me hooked into it. I'm looking forward to the next novel. 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetiiPie85 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 That sounds like a really good read Mac and something I would enjoy. At the moment i'm trying to get around to reading more of Harlan Coben's books, but will definetly be looking for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Damn, I nearly bought The Other Hand on Saturday with some birthday money but wasn't sure because of the lack of 'blurb'. I shall have to look out for it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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