chesilbeach Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 You're welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Glad you enjoyed Restless; I liked it a lot when I read it a couple of years ago. I'm (slowly) working my way through Boyd's other books, but my favourite so far is Any Human Heart. I enjoyed 'Restless' too, although my absolute favourite book by William Boyd is 'Brazzaville Beach'. I will have to look out for 'Any Human Heart'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Thanks for the recommendation Chrissy! Think I will have to add this too. My reading list continues to grow and grow!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Although I enjoyed Brazzaville Beach, for some reason I just didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others I've read, but still a great read He certainly writes well from a female perspective though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Thanks for the recommendation Chrissy! Think I will have to add this too. My reading list continues to grow and grow!! I should do an evil laugh here and tell you it's all part of the plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Am a bit concerned with what that plan could be? Do you have shares in Amazon or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Am a bit concerned with what that plan could be? Do you have shares in Amazon or something? My husband thinks I might! I have recently had to clear some more shelves in order that I had somewhere to stack all the books I have bought in the past nine months. I start with a wishlist and it quickly turns into a I-have-just-bought list. Oh well, we are made richer on the inside from all our reading ~ sadly it also happens to make us poorer financially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 My wife is also finding I have similar problem in that a wish list is actually just another word for order form. Your are certainly right about poorer financially though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) Am still currently reading Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant and about 100 pages in. Still really enjoying it so far. Have not read much today as have been fairly busy but hope to get a good session in before bed. I have however added 4 more books to my TBR pile, though in my defence they were all a bargain. When I went to the gym this morning the library that is attached to it had signs up for a sale so I was instinctively drawn in. Although the wife was in a hurry and only allowed me a short look I did pick up a couple of bargains. Bloodline - Mark Billingham (hardback) for 50p The Twilight Time - Karen Campbell (paperback) for 20p Really excited about the Billingham book as have read all the other Thorne novels and the paperback was on my wish list for when it came out in March. Have never heard of the other book before but the blurb sounded good and you can't really go wrong for 20p. Have looked at some reviews on amazon and people seem to really like it, so looks promising. May have to sneak back to the library over the weekend to see what else they have got. The other two books I picked up while doing the weekly shop. I got Wish You Were Here - Mike Gayle for 50p at Sainsbury's in the reduced section and then when I had to go to Tesco to get a few other bits and bobs later got A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini for just �2 in their reduced section. Have read nothing by either author before but have heard good things about both on here. All in all I think a great haul of 4 books for just �3.20. Chuffed. Edited August 6, 2010 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Have been a tiny bit naughty and bought another 2 books in Asda's 2 for �7 offer. Have added Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane - Because I really like the trailer for the film which comes out in early March and want to read the book first. The Road - Cormac McCarthy - Heard very good things about the book and the film. My to be read pile is getting far too big now. When I joined I could not believe the size of some peoples piles and wondered how that happened. Now I know, they probably joined these forums like me with a smallish pile and all the recommendations made it grow and grow. Right no more books till payday now. Luckily that is only Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Synopsis (Amazon) 1570 in the Italian city of Ferrara, and the convent of Santa Caterina is filled with noble women who are married to Christ because many cannot find husbands outside. Enter sixteen-year-old Serafina, ripped by her family from an illicit love affair, howling with rage and hormones and determined to escape. While on the other side of the great walls, counter-reformation forces in the Church are pushing for change, inside, Serafina's spirit and defiance ignite a fire that threatens to engulf the whole convent. SACRED HEARTS is a novel about power, creativity and passion - both of the body and of the soul. Hidden history brought alive by a wonderful storyteller, renowned for her Italian Renaissance novels. Review I decided this year to not only read more books but also a greater range of genres. To aid me in doing this I vowed to read all the Tv book club selection, despite the fact some do not appeal to me at all. The books I have read so far have all been in my comfort zone (The Little Stranger being a little outside). This book is one I would not normally look twice at in a bookshop as I have never read any books in this genre before and it has never appealed to me. Even the blurb did not excite me. So it was with some trepidation I began reading this book. But WOW what a book. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Dunant's description of the convent and City around are amazing and her characters are so detailed and deep. I found myself fully immersed in this Italian city in 1570. The story is excellent and full of suspense and thrills that would put many thriller books I normally read to shame. I found myself wiling certain characters on and really caring about what happened to them. I will not give away any plot points as it really needs to be read and enjoyed. i thought this book would really slow my reading down but I found myself constantly picking it up to find out what happens next. The chapters are fairly short with breaks within and it is very easy to read. Dunant keeps the language fairly simple and I only had to Google a few words to find out their meaning. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it as an excellent read. It did take a couple of chapters to get into but after that there was no looking back. Really glad I took the risk of reading it. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Started Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane today. About 130 pages in and loving it so far. Already love the suspense that is building and the main two characters work so well together. This is making me anticipate the film even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Ok no reading done since Sunday as the first few days back at work are always tiring. Will get some done before bed tonight. As it is payday today have added the Charlaine Harris True Blood boxset, The GIrl Who Played with Fire - Steig Larsson and Down River by John Hart to my TBR pile. Think that may be it this month though as have far too many books to read now. However am sure something else will tempt me before the month is out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Excellent additions to your TBR pile! Well, I haven't read the Hart book, but I can highly recommend the Sookie Stackhouse series and the Stieg Larsson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 Well have finished Shutter Island tonight. Will post full review tomorrow, but safe to say I thought the book was excellent. Have joined a couple of book rings thanks to some very kind members of the forum and have added the Five People You Meet in Heaven and The Heretic's Daughter to my TBR pile. While I am waiting for them to arrive I am going to read Gold by Dan Rhodes. It is a short book at only about 200 pages. Have never read anything by this author before but saw his books on the back cover of the latest Waterstones' books magazine and thought they looked interesting. This is one of his earlier books and managed to pick it up off RISI. Will hopefully get this finished over the weekend allowing me to start on the book-ring books when they arrive next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Synopsis (Amazon) US Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to find an escaped murderer named Rachel Solando. As a killer hurricane bears down on the island, the investigation deepens and the questions mount. How has a barefoot woman escaped from a locked room? Who is leaving them clues in the form of cryptic codes? And what really goes on in Ward C? The closer Teddy gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes. And the more he begins to believe that he may never leave Shutter Island. Because someone is trying to drive him insane... Review I saw the trailer for the film of this book a couple of weeks ago and thought it looked excellent. It stars Leonardo Dicaprio and is directed by Martin Scorsese. I then saw the book in the paperback chart and felt I had to read it before watching the film. I have never read any of Lehane's work before but I have watched Mystic River, which is again based on one of his books. I found Shutter Island to be a highly entertaining read. Although nearly every book nowadays contains a quote by someone saying it is a real page turner, this is the genuine article. There is so much action and constant plot twists that you always want to read on. I would have finished the book much quicker if work stopped getting in the way. The characters are expertly developed and the deeper into the book you go, the more complex they become. This is a real skill and I have to say he is excellent at it. His description of the island and the institution itself is also incredibly detailed and paints an excellent picture of the backdrop of this story. The ending of the book is fantastic and a real bolt from the blue when you discover it. It has been a long while since a thriller threw up such an unexpected ending yet had plenty of clues along the way. At the end of the book I felt every loose end had been tied up nicely and everything explained adequately. I am purposely not discussing the plot at all as to do so would ruin your enjoyment completely. If I had one criticism of this book it is that flashback sequences can sometimes merge into present day action with no clear switch between the two and this meant i had to re-read a few passages. However this may have been because I did most of the reading at night after work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller, it really keeps the action rate ramped up and as I said the ending is such a surprise. I now look forward to the film, which is out in 2 weeks. I can only hope it stays true to the book and I think with Scorsese at the helm we have a decent chance of a great film too. I certainly hope so! 10/10 Will definitely be adding Mystic River to my TBR pile. Edited February 27, 2010 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Dan Rhodes's 'Gold' is one of the books I'm going to read soon so am interested to know what you make of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Will be adding Shutter Island to my TBR pile, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Princess Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Oooo great review on Shutter Island! I really want to read it now, you made it sound so good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Have finished Gold by Dan Rhodes in just one day and will post a review over the next couple of days. Am now going to start The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent as it is a book-ring book. Have just noticed that I have managed to read 8 books in February which is probably the same amount I read in the whole of last year. I was aiming for 2 books a month when I made my resolution to read more but am enjoying it so much I am easily surpassing it so far. Right off to start the Heretic's Daughter as I am really looking forward to this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Have just noticed that I have managed to read 8 books in February which is probably the same amount I read in the whole of last year. I was aiming for 2 books a month when I made my resolution to read more but am enjoying it so much I am easily surpassing it so far. Excellent progress, you must be quite surprised and pleased I wonder if your TBR pile has also grown rapidly since joining the forum, that's the usual hazard of becoming a member of this place Quite a few people on here have read The Heretic's Daughter, I'll be interested to hear what you think of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Excellent progress, you must be quite surprised and pleased I wonder if your TBR pile has also grown rapidly since joining the forum, that's the usual hazard of becoming a member of this place I am surprised, but have really caught the reading bug at the moment. Have definitely fallen into the buying books trap though have just worked out I have added 29 books to my TBR pile since joining at the beginning of February. There are just far too many good recommendations on the forums!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 If you keep it up at this rate you'll have more than 100 books on your TBR by summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Synopsis (Amazon) Miyuki Woodward; lover of pints and instant food has been taking a holiday to the same seaside town for eight years. She is made to feel at home, at least during pub-quiz nights, when Short Mr Hughes, Tall Mr Hughes and Mr Puw are especially glad to recruit Miyuki and her trivia prowess to their team. This year, following an act of raw creativity involving some cans of gold spraypaint, Miyuki will take part in the most turbulent events the village has seen since Tall Mr Hughes returned from the pub toilet without remembering to button up. Review I saw this author advertised on the back cover of the latest issue of Books Quarterly and was intrigued. I quite fancied giving him a try and managed to pick up one of his books of RISI. The book is fairly short at just under 200 pages of fairly large type and is a very easy read, I finished it in less than a day. I found the writing style highly entertaining and so well paced. Each chapter is devoted to a day of her trip and is broken into small paragraphs of events. It is hard to summarise the book as very little actually happens. this is not to say it is boring,in fact it is the complete opposite and I was riveted. The story is centred around Miyuki who spends two weeks every year visiting the same village and has done for many years. The book details one years particular visit but provides anecdotes from her many other visits. You spend the whole book getting to know all the life stories of the weird and wonderful people who inhabit this place. The book is very light hearted and while there aren't many laugh out loud moments there are many many amusing passages. The characters are so brilliantly done and I came to like each one in their own special way. The ending of the book is so sad but also very in keeping with the humour in the rest of the story. I really enjoyed this book as a light hearted read and have already managed to get another of Rhodes books. I expected something of a Hornby style book but found something much better. Don't expect a riveting storyline of plot twists if you read this book but do be prepared to be highly entertained. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 If you keep it up at this rate you'll have more than 100 books on your TBR by summer I know when I joined the forums and saw peoples TBR piles at over 100 books long I thought how is that possible. Now I know!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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