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Vodkafan's 2010 reading log


vodkafan

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Hi VF

but White Teeth i didn't think much of, one of those books that doesn't really live up to it's hype in my opinion.

 

 

 

Kidsmum, I know what you mean, I probably will not finish White Teeth. Which is very unusual for me, not to finish a book.

 

Chrissy, that is interesting. I have a photo of her on the back of the book. Her eyes do have that look of being a tad "up herself". Yet I do like her face. She looks like she has been "chiselled" by a sculptor, but in a quick, rough way with only a few strokes, and left unfinished.

(I kind of like to look at faces)

 

My mojo? I have lost it. There is too much going on at the moment

Edited by vodkafan
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(I kind of like to look at faces)

 

 

You would make me very uncomfortable if I knew you in person, vodkafan. ;)

 

I am sorry things have been so tough for you, by the way. :hug2: I have lost my reading mojo a bit as well, as I have issues of my own I am dealing with.

 

If you ever finish We Need To Talk About Kevin, I would love to hear your thoughts.

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You would make me very uncomfortable if I knew you in person, vodkafan. ;)

 

I am sorry things have been so tough for you, by the way. <img src='http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hug.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hug2:' /> I have lost my reading mojo a bit as well, as I have issues of my own I am dealing with.

 

If you ever finish We Need To Talk About Kevin, I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

I just finished We Need To Talk About Kevin tonight. Mmm, yes.

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I take it that means it was a good read. :lol:

 

It was very good read with a twist at the end. It didn't touch me as much as it should have done just because I am preoccupied with life stuff at the mo. I read it mechanically to pass time. But I would recommend it.

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It was very good read with a twist at the end. It didn't touch me as much as it should have done just because I am preoccupied with life stuff at the mo. I read it mechanically to pass time. But I would recommend it.

Thank you, vodkafan. I understand about the "life stuff" and reading mechanically.

I hope things are getting better for you.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Not reading very much. But I managed to finish Duel today by James Landale. It is the true story of the last fatal duel to take place in Scotland back in 1826, the surviving duelist being the authours ancestor!! It was an interesting read and contained a lot of anecdotes, funny, sad or just strange about other duels.

 

Probably more of a man book really

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I gave up on a book today. It was Either Side Of Winter by Benjamin Markovits. It was basically stories about the private lives of teachers at a school. I got half way through and just didn't see the point.

Sorry Benjamin, life is just too short. I am sure I have some belly button fluff that needs attending to. :rolleyes:

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I am still not reading very much but I have just finished The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld.

I did enjoy this one, it was a sort of turn of the 20th century murder mystery with psychoanalysis thrown in and lots of historical characters such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to name only two. It is 1909 and Freud is making his one only ever visit to the United States to promote his new , rather shocking theories that neuroses have sexual origins. At the same time, a dead girl is found: a sexually deviant killer is at loose in New York City.

Can Freud help? Or are the two events connected?

It was very good , the pace of the book never let up, loads of red herrings and two love stories in it too.

Freud comes over as a heavyweight intellect, but getting older and failing in his physical powers. I will leave the next reader to make their own minds up about Carl Jung!

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Great review VF. I have this on my TBR pile. I'm not really sure what induced me to buy it, but I'm really looking forward to it now.

 

Oh yeah Kylie, read it soon and let me know what you think. Funny enough I was the same way, I don't know what made me buy it. Thought it was going to be dry and boring, it is anything but.

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I read this shortly before joining the BCF (I think) and really enjoyed it. I liked the way it was written during a period of Freud's life which hasn't been documented and gives a suggestion as to why he never returned to the States. A really good read! I'm glad you liked it. biggrin.gif

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I am still not reading very much but I have just finished The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld.

I did enjoy this one, it was a sort of turn of the 20th century murder mystery with psychoanalysis thrown in and lots of historical characters such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to name only two. It is 1909 and Freud is making his one only ever visit to the United States to promote his new , rather shocking theories that neuroses have sexual origins. At the same time, a dead girl is found: a sexually deviant killer is at loose in New York City.

Can Freud help? Or are the two events connected?

It was very good , the pace of the book never let up, loads of red herrings and two love stories in it too.

Freud comes over as a heavyweight intellect, but getting older and failing in his physical powers. I will leave the next reader to make their own minds up about Carl Jung!

 

What a coincidence, I borrowed TIoM from the library a couple of months ago, it seemed really intriguing. Too bad I didn't have time to read it though but I'm definitely going to at some point, especially now that I've read your thoughts on it :smile2: And another coincidence: there was this library booksale a few weeks ago, you could get a bagful of books for 3e. I happened to notice The Aussault on Truth - Freud's Suppression of the Seduction Theory by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. I think that book might give more insight to the novel :giggle:

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  • 3 weeks later...

My mojo is coming back. I read Pay It Forward last week . We saw the film ages ago and the plot of the book is not significantly different. However reading it stirred up powerful emotions and I admit I got quite choked up at points in the story.

I particularly liked the authors painting of the character of Arlene and chuckled at her dialogue.

Reading one from my TBR pile now, The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. After that I only have 5 books left but 3 of them are doorstops. I have also thrown out about 30 books I have read, I am only keeping my Jack Vance, Sarah Waters and one or two others.

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Reading one from my TBR pile now, The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. After that I only have 5 books left but 3 of them are doorstops. I have also thrown out about 30 books I have read, I am only keeping my Jack Vance, Sarah Waters and one or two others.

 

 

Eeek!!!!!! Hope you don't mean that literally :o

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Eeek!!!!!! Hope you don't mean that literally :o

 

 

Yep 'fraid so. :giggle2: Got fed up seeing them around so collected them all up and put them in a bin bag. I only buy second hand books for pennies so I am not losing money. I used to offer them up here for swop or giveaway but nobody is really interested.

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Just finished The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri.

 

Quite a nice little story. Inspired a by a true life man who the author knew who lived and died on the landing of an apartment building in Bombay. He earns food by doing odd jobs for the apartment dwellers on his floor. But now he is in the process of dying, hovering over his body in a heightened mental state part dream, part memories and part out of body projection where he can observe the lives of the families and couples in the building around him.

I enjoyed the idea although many of the references to Hindu religion were lost on me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just updated my list of read books (on page 1 of this blog.) I have read 45 books this year so only seven to go to reach my target before Christmas. I have felt really out of it lately, the reading is coming back but I have missed talking to punters on here.

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Looks like your reading mojo is returning just in time for you to meet your target of 52 books before Christmas without too much pressure. Good timing! I hope everything is going well with you, and you soon feel back to your normal self. :)

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Looks like your reading mojo is returning just in time for you to meet your target of 52 books before Christmas without too much pressure. Good timing! I hope everything is going well with you, and you soon feel back to your normal self. :)

 

 

Thanks Ooshie! I have just added some cracking books to my small TBR pile.

They are:

 

Courtesans by Katie Hickman;

Mrs Kimble by Jennifer Haigh;

Dina's Book by Herbjorg Wassmo. The last is a famous book in Norway. I don't know if I will like the book but I have a thing about Norway. :giggle2:

 

I am looking forward to reading these.

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Hi Vodkafan. Nice to see you back :) :) 52 books, 7 to go- hmmm - doable but depends which books too. I am reading Les Mis ( a doorstep at over 1000 pages) for the Nov circle at the moment, and I must admit it took a bit of getting used to. Doing fine now... :) Would definately not manage to read 7 such books before Christmas, but I think that counts as 3, doesn't it ? :)

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