tunn300 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 (edited) Brilliant, have just ordered it off Amazon. I loved his secret love for Mamma Mia on the programme. It was almost as funny as the period of about 10 weeks when he said no one intelligent could enjoy Sex and the City and then every week would get letters from doctors etc. But as he always says, other people are entitled to different opinions but they are just wrong. Edited February 17, 2010 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 That makes me laugh, just imagining him saying it! I still can't forget the rant over The Da Vinci Code - when I hear anyone else talk about it or see the book or DVD of it in a shop, and I have his voice in my head shouting "SOMEONE TURN THE LIGHTS ON" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) Title: It's Only A Movie Author: Mark Kermode Publisher: Random House Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: (extract from waterstones.com) To avoid fainting keep repeating, It's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage expose of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic. In It's Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode takes us into the weird world of a life lived in widescreen. Written with sardonic wit and wry good humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely 'inspired by real events'. Review: When it was announced that Simon Mayo was leaving Five Live to take over the Drivetime slot on Radio 2, I turned into a five year old - stuck my bottom lip out and sulked. A few minutes later, I found out that he would stay with Five Live for the Friday afternoon film reviews with Mark Kermode and it would now be a whole two hours long. Perfect, I thought. Just a few weeks later, I find out that not only to I get an extra long helping of wittertainment each week, I now get to read a book by the good doctor too! And, what a great read it was. If you're a fan of Mark Kermode and his style of reviewing, you'll love this book. You'll understand how, where and why he came to love films, you'll get the full story behind some of his anecdotes, and you'll get the lowdown on why Mamma Mia! is so bad, it's brilliant. This is a memoir rather than autobiography, and it focuses solely on the importance film has had on Dr Ks life. To add a nice thread to run through the book and tie it all together, he imagines that he's retelling his story as if it was being made into a film with all the different actors who would be playing the various roles (Hello to Jason Isaacs). The good thing about the book is that it is obviously written by Kermode, as his distinctive style runs throughout, it's very funny, covers a wide variety of films, and is full of name dropping anecdotes about some big names and some more obscure ones too. The bad thing is that it's obviously written by Kermode, with plenty of in-jokes for listeners to the show (Hello to Fairport Convention, Stephen Fry, David Morrissey, Michael Sheen and David Tennant) which I loved but I'm not sure that it makes it accessible to film fans who don't listen to him. I guess the intended audience is his listeners anyway so maybe that isn't such a negative. I laughed out loud, I nodded knowingly, I chuckled to myself, I cringed and I giggled, and I know I will go back and read it again at some point. I would definitely recommend it to fans of wittertainment. If, however, you haven't come across Mark Kermode but love films and wondered if you should read this, I would suggest you download an episode of the weekly podcast first to see if you like his style, because if you don't I suspect you might find the book annoying. Edited February 22, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Decided to add a rating out of five to each book, so this has been added on the post with my book list towards the beginning of the thread, and I will update each review with the rating as well. Rating (out of 5): 0 So awful, words cannot describe. 1 Poor, but still readable, or possibly just not my cup of tea. 2 Ok, acceptable but could do better. 3 Good, enjoyable read. 4 Very good, recommended to others who like this author/genre/subject. 5 Excellent, an incredibly memorable work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Due to sewing commitments, I've got a bit behind with this thread, although I haven't actually read much either. Still, I'm now taking the opportunity of a free afternoon, so catch up with reviews and updates on my reading blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 (edited) Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Author: J. K. Rowling Read by: Stephen Fry Publisher: Bloomsbury Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from http://www.waterstones.com): Harry Potter is preparing to leave the Dursleys and Privet Drive for the last time. But the future that awaits him is full of danger, not only for him, but for anyone close to him - and Harry has already lost so much. Only by destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes can Harry free himself and overcome the Dark Lord's forces of evil. Review: Not having time for proper reading, and having run out of podcasts, I decided it was about time I listened to the mellifluous Mr Fry reading the final instalment of the Harry Potter series. I hadn't actually read the book since the day it was released, so while I could remember the plot, it was nice to go back and remind myself how the series that I know so well (as I've read and listened to all the other books many, many times). I remember how I felt when I read the book (the camping section was far too long, self indulgent at times, and liked the epilogue but it was a bit twee), but I have to say, I actually enjoyed it much more having it read to me. I no longer felt it dragged while under canvas, and it actually rocked along at quite a pace. I suspect this has more to do with hearing the dulcet tones of my favourite narrator sweeping me into a fantasy world of wizards and witches than the actual quality of the writing, which actually proves that there is definitely a benefit to audiobooks! My favourite of the series is Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, which I think was the strongest in terms of story, plotting and writing, and all the subsequent books were too long and, for my money, needed some serious editing, but I suspect the publishers may have become slightly sycophantic towards their leading moneymaker, and allowed her to do whatever she wanted. Deathly Hallows is by no means the worst of the series (that falls by a long margin to Order of the Phoenix), but still suffers from an over indulgence of a popular author. Edited April 18, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 (edited) Title: A Spot of Bother Author: Mark Haddon Publisher: Vintage Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): George Hall doesn�t understand the modern obsession with talking about everything. �The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely.� Some things in life, however, cannot be ignored. At fifty-seven, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then Katie, his tempestuous daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray. Her family is not pleased � as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has �strangler�s hands�. Katie can�t decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by all the planning and arguing the wedding has occasioned, which get in the way of her quite fulfilling late-life affair with one of her husband�s former colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials. Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind. Review: This was one of my reading group books last month, and I have to admit, I was apprehensive before I started it, as I've never managed to get past page 22 of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Easy going writing, and a great characterisation of the male lead, I found this a comfortable book to sit and read. The short chapters, in turns focusing on different characters, were a god send for someone with limited reading time and the small number of characters (the main focus is on the four members of the family, George in particular) meant it was easy to dip in and out when time allowed. I thought the characterisation of the men was very good, but the females seemed to be slightly more sketchy, although their stories were all there if you looked carefully enough, and picked up the details from a small, often throwaway line in their own chapters. I was unfortunate enough to be reading while having lunch one day, when I read the squirm inducing scene where George decides to cut away the lesion , but it was actually one of the best chapters in the book for me, as it really seemed to show the depth of what George was going through mentally, and yet how he managed to make it seem to himself like a perfectly sensible thing to do. Overall, I thought it was a good read, although I'm still not sure I'd read any more by this author unless I was prompted to by a book group or reading circle. Edited August 4, 2010 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Title: Twilight Title: New Moon Title: Eclipse Title: Breaking Dawn Author: Stephenie Meyer Publisher: Atom Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from fantasticfiction.co.uk): About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him----and I didn't know how dominant that part might be----that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him. Although my books have this quote on the cover, the actual wording inside is ... and I didn't know how potent that part might be ... Review: I'm not going to dwell too long on these, except to say, this is my umpteenth time of reading the series, and it was only because I'd had little reading time, no reading mojo, and these were perfect for reading before bed to send me off to sleep. (I only re-read books at bedtime, as I forget what happens or fall asleep in the middle of sentences of new books, and have to go back and read again sentences/pages/chapters). I give the series 3/5 overall, but this is probably 2/5 for quality of writing and 5/5 for my own enjoyment of them, and I'm still entranced every time, and never tiring of reading them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I'm glad you enjoyed A Spot of Bother. Every review I've ever read (including my own!) mentions *that* chapter! I agree about it being a great one and really showing George's state of mind so very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 11, 2010 Author Share Posted April 11, 2010 (edited) Title: Our Farm Author: Rosie Boycott Publisher: Bloomsbury Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): What's a city girl doing in the country? After leaving the editorship of the Daily Express in 2001, Rosie Boycott wasn't sure what to do next. The natural step would have been to stay in London and continue her highly successful media career. But an horrific car accident which left her on crutches for eighteen months forced Rosie to rethink her life, turning her in a direction she would never previously have imagined. When an opportunity arises to rent a small farm in Somerset, Rosie and her new husband Charlie decide to take it, determined to throw themselves into a new challenge and to make the land profitable. It proves a daunting task, but it also reaps rewards that have nothing to do with money, rewards they never expected. For what follows is an immersion in rural living which is often hilarious, sometimes profoundly moving. Pigs, ducks and geese are fattened for the butcher, occasionally with lamentable results; vegetables and cut flowers are grown for a reluctant marketplace, as Rosie and Charlie discover more and more about the hard graft of running a smallholding. Gradually they, the land and the seasons being to work harmoniously together. They learn, too, about the boisterous personalities of the animals in their care, and about weightier issues that affect the local community of Ilminster - particularly the new supermarket which threatens the soul of the local town centre. As well as giving this compelling and endearing account of a new life in the country, Rosie finds recovery in the rhythms of the seasons and the complex patterns of the natural world. Throughout, she reflects deeply on our intimate relationship with nature and, ultimately, its power to heal. Review: I love books about the countryside, farming, rural and village life, or those concentrating on people getting out of the rat race and going back to basics, so I was delighted when this was picked as one of my book group choices this month. It's obvious fairly early on, that this is not as I was anticipating, the story of someone who takes on a smallholding, but of a couple of city folk, who decide that they will invest some of their money and weekends in someone else running a smallholding on their behalf. Despite the authors altruistic reasons for this decision, reducing food miles, the production of local food in order to reduce reliance on national supermarket chains and the impact of global food systems on climate, I never felt that there was any real peril in the ongoing saga of the business, as it always felt just like that, a business, not a lifestyle or vocation, and it's demonstrated that it's not always the quality of your produce but the quality of your contacts that will probably get you out of a sticky situation, when a top London chef (who happens to be a friend) takes some stock off your hands and helps gets you out of the red financially. From the point of view of the writing, my goodness, can this woman go off on a tangent! The story of her smallholding seems to drift off to encompass her two marriages, her involvement with the protests of the introduction of a new supermarket into the local town, her life as a hippy in the 60s, climate change, economics ... the list goes on. I don't mind these excursions away from the smallholding, but at times although they may have been factually interesting, they didn't add to the main story of the book which was supposed to be about a year in the life of their smallholding. In fact, the actual smallholding seems to almost take a back seat to the authors views on the politics of farming, climate, local economies and many other subjects. I think the overall problem I had with it was that I never felt connected to David, the man they employ for the day to day running of the smallholding. The only emotional attachment I got from the book was her affection for the pigs, who I have to admit, sound completely wonderful. I wanted to feel the ups and downs of the first year of a fledgling smallholding trying to make a profit while going back to the basics of food production, but because the author is a weekend investor, this just doesn't come across in the writing. I suspect David is the heart and soul of the business, despite Boycott's attempts to portray a connection with nature and her little patch of land, I couldn't find a sense of place and home in the business she writes about. Edited April 18, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 (edited) Title: No Way To Say Goodbye Author: Anna McPartlin Publisher: Penguin Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): Five lost souls in search of redemption ...To outsiders it looks as if Mary was born unlucky, but deep down she believes in a happy ending. She just needs someone to remind her. And Sam looks like a waster and a disappointment - the man who had it all and then threw it all away. He needs a fresh start. Penny is the life and soul of every party. She's also a drunk and some would say a home wrecker. She needs someone to understand her. Ivan's a sucker - a man who still cares about the woman who broke his heart and took his children from him. He needs to be brave. And Adam is in a loveless marriage and cheating on his wife, though only he knows why he married the wrong woman. He needs a wake-up call. For these five souls change is going to come, and, when it does, they all get more than they bargained for. Review: I really have to thank Nollaig for introducing me to this author. Despite the pastel cover with added glitter obviously aimed at the chick-lit market, this book is a good amount steps up from the romantic comedy of a chick-lit story. McPartlin creates real people with real lives, and weaves their stories together effortlessly but without any sense of predictability or inevitability. Within a couple of chapters you feel as if you know all the characters as friends, and want to be involved in their stories. I love that their histories are as much a part of the novel as their present day story line is, and all are woven together gradually throughout the book. But it's not only the main characters who play their part in this book, the town of Kenmare and all the smaller characters who make up the community give a real sense of place to the story. There is laughter, sorrow, pain, anguish and warmth expressed throughout the book - I even had to hold back the tears at one point. My only grumble would be that Adam really doesn't get enough page time to be included in the blurb as one of five main characters, and is actually underdeveloped as a character. I wanted to know more about him, and why he made the choices he did that had a such a far reaching consequences. Oh, and just to blow my whole "this is not your average romantic novel" stance, I think I'm actually in love with Ivan Highly recommended. Edited April 18, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Good lord, you've already read my target number of books for the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 I'm delighted that you enjoyed it Chesil! I love Ivan too, he's such a sweetie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Good lord, you've already read my target number of books for the year! Yes, but let's face it, there haven't been too many taxing ones so far I've taken the easy path, and will probably continue to do so for a while, as my indulgent batch of "entertaining" books arrived from amazon today Having said that, there was one book in there that isn't a light read and I'm really looking forward to reading ... Nature's Numbers which looks like it's going to be fascinating. I'm delighted that you enjoyed it Chesil! I love Ivan too, he's such a sweetie! I can totally picture myself on his boat with him, sitting in the pub with him, going out to dinner with him - aaaahhh, the delights of the fantasy life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 After I'd decided to read Anne of Green Gables next, my delivery of books from Amazon arrived: Ghost Hunter - Michelle Paver Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick The Immortals: Blue Moon - Alyson Noel Bel-ami - Guy Maupassant Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K. Jerome The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong Queen of Babble Gets Hitched - Meg Cabot I Was Told There'd Be Cake - Sloane Crosley The Jewel Box - Anna Davis Nature's Numbers - Ian Stewart This meant, I'm afraid, there was no way I was going to not be able to start Ghost Hunter, as I've been (not so) patiently waiting for this to come out in paperback for what feels like forever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Ooo I've been waiting for it in paperback for ages too so I could buy the whole series, I must get ahold of them now Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Thanks Kelly! I have actually already finished it , but I was out last night and again this evening, so I'll probably write the review on Friday. I've moved on to some library books I've already renewed twice, and need to get a move on with, so I'm now reading Anne of Green Gables, as I've never actually read the book despite being completely in love with the mini-series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 so I'm now reading Anne of Green Gables, as I've never actually read the book despite being completely in love with the mini-series. Wonderful, Chesil! I hope you like the written version just as much as the miniseries . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Thanks Kelly! I have actually already finished it , but I was out last night and again this evening, so I'll probably write the review on Friday. Oo was it a good ending? I've only read the first three but I can't wait to read the last three Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Yes, a great ending to a throroughly enjoyable series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 (edited) Title: Ghost Hunter Author: Michelle Paver Publisher: Orion Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from back cover of book): "Her cry rips the souls from your marrow. With her spear she snares them. She devours them. Eostra truly is an eater of souls." Winter is coming. Souls' Night draws near. Eostra the Eagle Owl Mage holds the clans in the grip of terror. Torak must leave the Forest and seek her lair in the Mountains of Ghosts, while Renn faces an agonizing decision. Wolf their faithful pack-brother, must overcome wrenching grief. And in the final battle against the forces of darkness, Torak will make the most shattering choice of all. Review: The last book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness books, Ghost Hunter is a fitting, thrilling, heartbreaking finale to a fantastic series of books. I have loved reading the six books that make up the series, beautifully written with a wonderful use of language, but full of action and, although firmly based in the real world, the fantasy elements seem otherworldly yet still completely realistic and believable. Torak is now fifteen, and although his life is far removed from the modern world we know, he still has to struggle with all the emotions and choices any teenage boy would need to make, but added to that, he knows he is special and must face his destiny and defeat Eostra to save the Clans. The beauty and the importance of nature and the elements in a prehistoric world have been one of the many joys of reading these books. So much research has gone into hunting methods and the landscape of the world, but with seemingly effortless ease, it blends into an thrilling, action-packed tale of good against evil. The plot it kept tight, and there is no meandering off onto tangents, or introducing characters or plot lines which are merely padding. Every word seems to be necessary and this makes the books incredibly readable and genuine page turners. I loved every book in the series, and this last one did not disappoint. Edited April 18, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Great review Chesil, I really must get ahold of this ASAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 Thanks, Kelly, I really have loved every single word of these books, and I'm a little bit sad they're finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I know I kinda hate that too, it's always such a shame when a good series finishes, but hopefully she'll start writing something else that's equally as good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 That last review intrigues me but I didn't see any of the others. Are they somewhere in this thread? I'll go back and look if they are. It's been ages since I got into a good series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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