lauraloves Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Enemy Coast Ahead - Guy Gibson Synopsis - First published in 1944, Enemy Coast Ahead combines Gibson's RAF career, including the famous Dambuster raid which he himself led, with the inside story of life in Bomber Command and is still a riveting read for the immediacy and vibrancy of its writing. And yet, what has not been widely known is that the published edition of Enemy Coast Ahead was carefully cut by wartime censors. Now, Gibson's original manuscript which was archived for almost 60 years has been be brought to light. This uncut edition provides not only previously unpublished details of Gibson's career, but also reveals his true view of the course of the war, of the wartime population, of his pilots and crews and of Bomber Command tactics. Combined with newly added photographs and diagrams Enemy Coast Ahead - Uncensored remains one of the outstanding accounts of WWII seen through the eyes of one of its most respected and controversial personalities, but now allows the reader to know Gibson's own story in his own words. my thoughts - I've been interested in the dambusters raid since I went on holiday to woodall spa when I was about 14. the person Wing Commander Guy Gibson also intregued me. this is the book that he wrote himself about his times during the second world war. it is very well written, I almost got chocked up at parts, for example when he says he has always come back from a raid. his plane crashed on the way back from a raid and sadly died. I thought that this book was very interesting as he is always spoken about in other books about the dams raid and this was a chance to read about it from his perspective. also it was interesting to read about the other operations he had flown in, his progress through the RAF and also his personal life too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 How strange! I was out in London last night and, walking along the Grand Union Canal path, we passed a house with a blue plaque, which turned out to have been Guy Gibson's house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 How strange! I was out in London last night and, walking along the Grand Union Canal path, we passed a house with a blue plaque, which turned out to have been Guy Gibson's house. funny how coincidences happen there is a section in the book that mentions some plaques actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 these are all the books I got today for £7 how to kill your husband - kathy lette where rainbows end - cecelia ahern marshmellows for breakfast - dorothy koomson my best friends girl - dorothy koomson remember me - sophie kinsella the sweet taboo - carole mathews be careful what you wish for - alexandra potter confessions of a shoppaholic - sophie kinsella step on it cupid - lorelei mathias just married - zoe barnes 10 reasons not to fall in love - linda green thanks for the memories - cecelia ahern me and mr darcy - alexandra potter the further adventures of a london call girl - belle de jour its a kind of magic - carole mathews caught in the act - gemma fox shopaholic and baby - sophie kinsella things I want my daughters to know - elizabeth noble the love trainer - julia llewellyn in other book related news I'm thinking about doing the rory gilmore challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 in other book related news I'm thinking about doing the rory gilmore challenge That's great news Laura! We'd love to have you join us. We've been reading some pretty great books (in my opinion ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopeanha Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 be careful what you wish for - alexandra potter me and mr darcy - alexandra potter I've got these books on my TBR shelf for quite a while now. Would be interesting what you'll think of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 That's great news Laura! We'd love to have you join us. We've been reading some pretty great books (in my opinion ). I think ill have a bit of a catch up of the ones that you have already read I've got these books on my TBR shelf for quite a while now. Would be interesting what you'll think of them. ill give them a read and then let you know what I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Synopsis - "In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active. "It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord - well, you know who I mean - is alive and among us again," said Fudge." These dramatic words appeared in the final pages of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". In the midst of this battle of good and evil, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" takes up the story of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with Voldemort's power and followers increasing day-by-day. My thoughts - I flew through this book this time round. it was a really good read again and found it really difficult to put down. this book always gets to me, especially the part with dumbledore. I feel a bit gutted to be honest only having one more harry potter book to read in the series, really wish that their was more books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 15, 2010 Author Share Posted August 15, 2010 The Sky Suspended a fighter pilots story - Jim Bailey Synopsis - In 1939, at the age of nineteen, Jim Bailey was conscripted into the RAF to train as a fighter pilot. What happened over the next five years to Jim and the men he met, the men who fought, died and survived, is related with candour and quiet modesty in this book. It describes the youthful heroism of his companions, and he captures the atmosphere of everyday life on the ground in wartime Britain, as well as the air battles. my thoughts - I have to say I was very disapointed with this book. I've had it on my shelves for quite a while and was quite looking forward to it but found it pretty disapointing. the author studied at oxford and he had a very high vocabulary and in some parts the book is almost philosipical. I found this very off putting as one minute it was about fighter pilots and then he was off on a tangent. also there was over 30 chapters in this book, most only lasted two or three pages, this did not help my wandering concentration. in the end I just scan read the last 50 or so pages. not a book I would read again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 15, 2010 Author Share Posted August 15, 2010 The Buttercup Farm family - enid Blyton synopsis - Mike, Belinda and Ann are delighted when Dad buys two caravans for them to live in. They become the Caravan Family and they are really lucky - not only do they have wonderful homes but they go on amazing holidays and see the world. In this story, they travel to Buttercup Farm. My thoughts - this book was one of my mums from when she was younger, and I used to read this lots and lots when I was younger. it is a lovely little story, very easily identifable as an enid blyton book. it is only about 80 pages long so would be perfect for a younger child to read. I decided to read this as I struggled with my previous book and this book has brought my mojo right back up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 You see, this is what I do when me mojo's off on a jaunt. Read something from me childhood - Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin - rattle through them and BOSH, my mojo comes a-waltzing back. Pleased you're back together. MMxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 15, 2010 Author Share Posted August 15, 2010 I have a shelf full of enid blyton books so I think I'm a bit spoilt for choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Beyond the Dams to the Tirpitz - Alan Cooper Synopsis - The continuing story of 617 Squadron - the Dambusters who followed their successful 1943 mission with almost 100 further raids on special targets needing the determination of exceptional crews to destroy them. Viaducts, solid U-boat pens, V-weapon sites, German battleships and aircraft factories all needed to be illuminated, marked and bombed at low-level. The story of these unique men is told in detail and the book is supplemented by a complete listing of 617 Squadron aircraft and a roll of honour. my thoughts - this book is really really simular to a book that I read a couple of weeks back so the enjoyment kind of went of this book because of that. it is the story of what happend to 617 squadron after their most famous raid, the dambusters. I did not realise that they had such a long list of raids that they had taken part in. it was well written, however their was quite a bit of technical detailing and honours lists that I did skip though. one thing I learnt was that 617 squadron are now based at RAF Marham which is my local RAF squadron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 26, 2010 Author Share Posted August 26, 2010 my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird arrived yesterday am just going to finsh my current read and then get on with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 2, 2010 Author Share Posted September 2, 2010 The Sea Garden - Sam Llewellyn Synopsis - The Walton-Jones family have inherited a beautiful garden set on an island off the southwestern tip of England. Upon digging up a skeleton, that could be an archaeological find or a murder victim, a series of events unfolds that shatters their idyll. my thoughts - this is the time that I had attempted to read this book but this time I managed to get through it. to start with the jump between past and present was a bit confusing and I also found the writing style at the begining a bit difficult, put after I had got about 50 pages in this soon disappeared. I was a little disapointed by the ending though. however it was a great read and would recommend it, I got very hooked on the plot and wanted to know the outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 4, 2010 Author Share Posted September 4, 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Synopsis - Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him. In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again. my thoughts - over the last couple of months I have re-read the entire series, I especially wanted to read this one because the film is coming out soon and I wanted to have the plot fresh in my mind. when I first read this book I read it in a day and this was the case again, every time I picked up this book I couldnt put it down. the section at the end makes me wish that she would write more books in the series, I could read a book about every one of the characters in this book. I'm now a bit sad that I now have no more harry potter books to read, but possibly in my opinion the best series of books ever written. now that I have re-read the harry potter series I'm going to stick with reading just the one book at a time so that I can give each book my full concentration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share Posted September 7, 2010 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee Synopsis - 'Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.' A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much... my thoughts - I read this book as part of the Rory Gilmore reading challenge and I really don't know why I didnt read this book before. I found it an amazing read. I laughed at some of scouts quotes and cryed at some of the parts with Tom in. a fantastic read that I would highly recommened to anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 Angels and Demons - Dan Brown Synopsis - When a world renowned scientist is found brutally murdered, a Harvard professor, Robert Langdon, is summoned to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. His conclusion: it is the work of the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years - now reborn to continue their bitter vendetta against their sworn enemy, the Catholic church. In Rome, the college of cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. Yet somewhere within the walls of the Vatican, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivion. While the minutes tick away, Langdon joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to decipher the labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome to the long-forgotten Illuminati lair - a secret refuge wherein lies the only hope for the Vatican. But, with each revelation comes another twist, another turn in the plot, which leaves Langdon and Vetra reeling and at the mercy of a seemingly invincible enemy. my thoughts - I've had this book on my shelf for about a year and I have to say it was a huge let down! it has the same plot as The Da Vinci code, their are so many simularities in this book. I got really hooked in the middle of the book but I got really fed up towards the end and decided that I would just skim read the end. a very big disapointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 (edited) How to talk to a Widower - Jonathan Tropper Synopsis - When Doug Parker married Hailey - beautiful, smart and ten years older- he left his carefree Manhattan life behind to live with her and her teenaged son, Russ, in a quiet Westchester community. Three years later, Hailey has been dead for a year, and Doug, a widower at 29, just wants to drown himself in self-pity and Jack Daniels. But his family has other ideas...Russ is furious with Doug for not adopting him after Hailey died, and has fallen in with a bad crowd. Claire, Doug's irrepressible and pregnant twin sister, has just left her husband and moved in uninvited, determined to turn his life around. Then there's Debbie, their younger sister, engaged to Doug's ex-best friend and maniacally determined to pull of the perfect wedding at any cost. Soon, Doug finds himself trying to forge a relationship with Russ, reconnecting with his own eccentric nuclear family, and reluctantly dipping his toes into the shark-infested waters of the second-time-around dating scene. It isn't long before his new life is spinning hopelessly out of control, cutting a harrowing and hilarious swath of sexual missteps and escalating violence across the suburban landscape. my thoughts - I was a bit unsure about reading this book at first but I really shouldnt have worried. it was fantastic. the main character doug is dealing with grief and I found I was crying with him and also laughing out loud at some parts too. it is written in such a normal way that it is so belivable that doug could actually be real, the stages he goes through are so normal and not at all contrived. I could not put this book down at all, I read it in a day. it is such a fantasic book I would highly recommend it. I have been researching all his other books this morning to add to my wishlist! Edited September 16, 2010 by lauraloves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Great review of How To Talk To A Widower! I read it a few years ago on holiday, and I can still remember being sat on the harbour wall in Padstow on a beautiful sunny day, with lots of tourists milling around me, while I sat reading it with tears streaming down my face intermingled with chuckles at the funny parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Umm ... don't go out much, and not many other interests? Plus, I read whenever I can - lunchbreak, evenings, weekends, waiting for friends to arrive at cinema, etc! Plus, I'm a pretty quick reader anyway, and most of the books I read are for entertainment rather that needing to study them in depth, and lots this year have been YA so have been fairly quick reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 Umm ... don't go out much, and not many other interests? Plus, I read whenever I can - lunchbreak, evenings, weekends, waiting for friends to arrive at cinema, etc! Plus, I'm a pretty quick reader anyway, and most of the books I read are for entertainment rather that needing to study them in depth, and lots this year have been YA so have been fairly quick reads. are you sure your not me? lol. I get to read at work though and as wednesday was a quiet day I got almost through one whole book at work. I do generally read most evenings too, and once I get hooked into a book thats it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Enchanted - Nora Roberts Synopsis - Passion. Power. Suspense. It's time to fall under the spell of Nora Roberts. Rowan Murray needed the space to make an important choice, so she ran to a cabin on the wild coast of Oregon. But her new house was isolated, and Rowan was a woman alone. Hiking in the woods one day, Rowan's solitude was threatened by an encounter with a stranger. Liam Donovan was mysterious, temperamental, frightening - and Rowan's nearest neighbour. In a terrifying storm, with the power out in her tiny cabin, Rowan desperately needed help. When Liam arrived just in time, she had no choice but to accept his aid. Rowan would have to trust an enigmatic stranger with her whole future. my thoughts - I have to say I thought I would enjoy this book but I have to say I didnt. I just couldnt get into it with the combinations of the 'real' world and also the eliment of fantasy thrown in. it was well written and a good story but it just wasnt for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 King's Ransom - Diana Palmer Synopsis - Who was the stranger living in Brianna Scott's apartment? Ahmed ben Rashid claimed to be a foreign diplomat in need of a hiding place. And though Brianna needed Ahmed's generosity to take care of her brother, she wasn't about to play housemaid to some overbearing sheikh! In such close quarters it wasn't long before Brianna discovered Ahmed had the demeanor of a king. Yet the biggest surprise was "His Majesty's" demand that she become his bride. But Brianna wasn't walking down the aisle until her royal suitor learned a much-needed lesson in love. my thoughts - I enjoyed this book it was very well written,and I enjoyed the plot, a lovely book, but one that I would not reaf again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 25, 2010 Author Share Posted September 25, 2010 In the family way - Maria Ferrarella synopsis - The Baby of the Month" Club is back--in a new family way! The original single title, "In the Family Way", is based on Marie Ferrarella's "Baby of the Month" miniseries! Dr. Rafe Saldana knew babies inside and out, but had never experienced fatherhood. The handsome pediatrician was too busy for romance--until independent single mom Dana Morrow appeared in his waiting room. my thoughts - I really got into this book really quickly, I thought that the main character of dana was very easily identified with. the ending made me cry when she finally had the baby, although it was fairly obvious what she would call it. the only thing I would have to say that was negative was that the character Mollie who was five, seemed quiet grown up for a child of her age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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