tunn300 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Well you must put your head around the Swindon library door every so often Tunn .. I'd hate it to close. The Cirencester library is awful .. all style over substance, and their 'try something new today' stand had 'Being Jordan' on it .. I nearly chewed up my library card. I still go to the libraries at the North Orbital and Swindon town centre. If they close Tunn .. I'll hunt you down and make you read Dan Rhodes's 'Anthropology' again Should anything happen to North Swindon Library Poppy I am going to have to plead not guilty as I moved out of Swindon just before Christmas. So you will have to find someone else to force-read Anthropology Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest - Stieg Larsson Synopsis Amazon THE TRIAL: Lisbeth Salander - outsider and apparent enemy of society - is charged with attempted murder. The state has also ruled that she is mentally unstable, and should be locked away in an institution once again. But she is closely guarded in a hospital, having taken a bullet to the head, so how will she prove her innocence? THE ENEMY: Pulling the strings of the prosecution is the powerful inner circle of Sapo, the state security police. Determined to protect the secrets and corruption at Sweden's rotten core, Sapo is not an adversary to take on alone. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST: Only with the help of Mikael Blomkvist and the journalists at Millennium magazine can Salander avoid the fate that has been decided for her. Together they form a compelling and dynamic alliance. This final volume of the Millennium Trilogy is the culmination of one of the mesmerizing fictional achievements of our time. Review WOW! That is all I can say about the concluding part of the excellent Millenium trilogy. The series has had me gripped from first to last and this book continued to offer surprises. I wondered after the conclusion of the last book how we could have another complete story for Lisbeth Salander. However this book was superb and again was so well written, really drawing me in and and I finished it in a 3 hour session this morning. The plot really can not be summarised without spoiling points from the other books and I would hate to do that to anyone. Safe to say this is a series I highly recommend and think most people would enjoy. The only disappointment is that this will be the final book by this author. 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Made a start on the Michael Bennett series of books written by James Patterson. Am two thirds though the first book already. I forgot how quickly James Patterson books move on. During my teenage years I could not get enough of James Patterson but as I read more and more by other authors I began to find his writing style to simple and eventually gave up on him. I still have not finished the Alex Cross series or the Womens' Murder Club. I thought I would give this new series a try and have to say I still find his writing rather simplistic, with simple sentences and very basic description. I understand that this is used to move the story on a pace but coming of the back of reading a Larsson it almost appears to lack effort. I suppose if you turn out the number of books a year he does there has to be some sacrifices. The story is still pretty enjoyable though and I will carry on with the series, I have already bought the next 2 books on Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Step On A Crack - James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge Synopsis Amazon The world’s most powerful people have gathered in St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, to mourn the unexpected death of a former first lady. Then suddenly they find themselves trapped within one man’s brilliant and ruthless scheme. Detective Michael Bennett – father of ten – is pulled in to the fray. But as the danger escalates, Michael is hit with devastating news – his beloved wife has lost her battle against cancer. Grief-stricken, he has no choice but to carry on and try to save the 34 hostages – and raise his ten children. With the entire world watching and the tension boiling to a searing heat, Bennett must face the most ruthless man he has ever dealt with – or face for the greatest debacle in history. Review As I said in my previous post this is my first Patterson book for some time. After reading this book I still have the same problem with his prose in that it is overly simple and he really lacks detail of description. I also find the plot has many holes and the ending is reached rather conveniently. Despite this I still could not put the book down and just had to know how it finished. It had me gripped right from the off and because of the short chapters constantly had me saying, I will just read one more. The character of Michael Bennett is a new one and I still don't really empathise with him yet as the book moves on so quickly we only get a broad outline about how he feels about issues. Even his wife's death is not lingered on for more than a couple of chapters. But that is Patterson's style, foot flat to the floor and never let up. No this book is not a classic and nor will I remember it in a few months time but for yesterday afternoon and the early part of this morning it had me hooked. It is a very quick, easy and reasonably compelling read and I will certainly be continuing with this series. 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Should anything happen to North Swindon Library Poppy I am going to have to plead not guilty as I moved out of Swindon just before Christmas. So you will have to find someone else to force-read Anthropology Bother!! I'm going to have to accost perfect strangers in Asda now and force them (I mean persuade them) to take a detour on their way back to the car. I must start reading the Stieg Larsson's, I feel like I'm the only person in the world who hasn't read them and they always get good reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Bother!! I'm going to have to accost perfect strangers in Asda now and force them (I mean persuade them) to take a detour on their way back to the car. I must start reading the Stieg Larsson's, I feel like I'm the only person in the world who hasn't read them and they always get good reviews. I am planning to move back in a year or so Poppy so if you can do that until then I will rejoin the fight. The Larsson books are definitely worth a read. I have made a start on 1222 by Anne Holt. It was a £1 book in the 12 days of kindle. Pretty good so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Am about half way through 1222 now and can't really make my mind up if I am enjoying it or not. One thing that certainly lets it down is the poor translation from Norwegian, in some places it is incredibly hard to follow what is happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Had a bit of a busy week at work so have only managed to read a few chapters of 1222 before bed each night. Don't think it helps that I have enjoyed the book less and less as it has progressed. Managed to polish it off in one long read last night and am glad it's over really. Now what to read next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 1222 - Anne Holt Synopsis Amazon 1222 metres above sea level, train 601 from Oslo to Bergen careens of iced rails as the worst snowstorm in Norwegian history gathers force around it. Marooned in the high mountains with night falling and the temperature plummeting, its 269 passengers are forced to abandon their snowbound train and decamp to a centuries-old mountain hotel. They ought to be safe from the storm here, but as dawn breaks one of them will be found dead, murdered. With the storm showing no sign of abating, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate. But Hanne has no wish to get involved. She has learned the hard way that truth comes at a price and sometimes that price just isn't worth paying. Her pursuit of truth and justice has cost her the love of her life, her career in the Oslo Police Department and her mobility: she is paralysed from the waist down by a bullet lodged in her spine. Trapped in a wheelchair, trapped by the killer within, trapped by the deadly storm outside, Hanne's growing unease is shared by everyone in the hotel. Should she investigate, or should she just wait for help to arrive? And all the time rumours swirl about a secret cargo carried by train 601. Why was the last carriage sealed? Why is the top floor of the hotel locked down? Who or what is being concealed? And, of course, what if the killer strikes again? Review I picked this book for £1 during the 12 days of kindle at the start of the year and thought it had an exciting premise. It started out really well, with a sudden train derailment trapping all the passengers of said train in a deserted and cut-off hotel whilst one of the worst storms in Norway's history rages outside. Not long after arrival a relatively well known passenger is murdered. Unfortunately for me after this the book went down hill quickly. Our main hero of the book, a retired police officer, for me was an unlikeable and arrogant character and I had no feeling whatsoever for her or any other character throughout the book. I have to say the book is let down by a particularly poor translation which makes things even worse. However the story itself really began to drag for me about and a third in and I had to push myself on to finish it. I found the reactions of the survivors of the train crash increasingly less believable as the book went on, especially after yet another murder and no-one really bats on eye-lid to the fact they are trapped in a remote location with a murderer. Hopes were once again raised that final show down may provide some intrigue as to how the murderer had been identified, but instead it again disappointed. There is absolutely no clue whatsoever in the book as to the final outcome and it felt bolted on for convenience. Overall a disappointing read, my first of the year. A book I would not recommend. 5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 ^ That's a shame, because the premise sounds really interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 At least you only spent a £1 on it, I find that as well, if I don't like the characters then it doesn't matter how exciting the plot line is it ruins the book for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 ^ That's a shame, because the premise sounds really interesting. That's exactly what I thought and one of the main reasons I pushed myself on to finish it, as I thought it must get really good soon. At least you only spent a £1 on it, I find that as well, if I don't like the characters then it doesn't matter how exciting the plot line is it ruins the book for me. I suppose that is a good way to look at it. I also agree that characters are one of the most crucial elements of a book for me. Anyway I have decided to read the next book in the Michael Bennett series next. A quick, fast paced read is exactly what I need after slogging through the last book. When I popped into Waterstones yesterday I noticed two of my favourite authors had new books out, Simon Kernick and Simon Beckett. Both are in hardback currently and are £5.26 and £7.88 respectively on kindle store, which is considerably cheaper than in shops. Pay day is Wednesday, do I buy or wait until both are released in paperback and the price drops? Decisions, decisions, decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 Am a good 70% into Run For Your Life by James Patterson and am enjoying the plot a bit more than in the first book in the series. There is still the poor writing and the need to suspend your belief but underneath it all a real fast paced thriller that always makes me want to read on. Will go for something more challenging with my next book. I may even force myself to read an actual paperback book, rather than use my kindle. Have not done that in about a month!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) Run For Your life - James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge Synopsis Amazon A man who calls himself ‘the Teacher’ is devising a meticulous plan. Cold-hearted and cunning, it is time for everyone to learn his name as he teaches New York a lesson it will never forget. Intent on exacting revenge and causing mass hysteria, he embarks on the worst killing spree the city has ever seen. The whole New York Police Department is tested to its limits; none more so than Detective Michael Bennett as the Teacher leads him on a terrifying chase that brings danger perilously close to home. Review After struggling through 1222 I decided I wanted a bit of an easier read next, so plumped for the next book in the Michael Bennett series. This time I decided to ignore the simplistic writing and really concentrate on the story. For the vast majority of this book I thought the plot was pretty good and for a Patterson at least fairly believable. I enjoyed the way 'the teacher' was introduced to us and how the hunt for him was orchestrated. I still find the character of Bennett a little hard to swallow and I am still not yet fully convinced by him. Yet again I raced through the book, finishing it in a couple of days and always wanted to read on to discover what happened next. However this book was let down by an ending so ridiculous that it was just too hard to swallow. There were so many gaping holes in the plot it spoilt the book a little for me. In addition to this Patterson tries to create a cliffhanger for the next book in the series in a very unconvincing way. If a policeman had just survived the ordeal Bennett had there is no way the press would be immediately outside his house to interview him about a case that went slightly wrong a few weeks ago. Overall I did enjoy the book right up till the final 40 or so pages, which simply went too far. I will continue with the series, but in the hope the action is reigned back to being a little more realistic next time. 7/10 Edited February 25, 2011 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 27, 2011 Author Share Posted February 27, 2011 Well with February drawing to a close I have to report it's 4 books read for me this month, taking my 2011 total to 11. Unfortunately with book purchasing I have only whittled my TBR pile down by 1! The stand out book for me this month has been The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, which was a fantastic conclusion to the Stieg Larsson Milenium trilogy. The two Patterson books have been fairly average and 1222 by Anne Holt a real stinker. My reading habits this month have again focused around my Kindle. The only real book I have read was borrowed from the library as it is simply not available on Kindle but the rest of the series is. Every book I purchased this month was an ebook. I have found so far I have not really missed holding a real physical book in my hands. In fact the Patterson book I borrowed from the library was only available in hardback and I found myself becoming annoyed at having to hold this heavy book and cart it wherever I went. Will be intrigued to see if my attitude to physical books changes again throughout the rest of this year. Anyway here is to March! I have started with a sure fire classic, An Idiot Abroad - The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington. Not particularly highbrow I admit but it was a Christmas present and I did really enjoy the TV series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I loved the TV series, once or twice I thought I would die laughing. Poor Karl, he may have been visiting the seven wonders of the world but they weren't holidays/trips that anyone would envy. Just the sight of his poor stressed out puzzled face made me laugh ... and the way that he wasn't particularly enthralled with any of the wonders. He was more impressed with the Elephant Baba than anything else Is the book written in diary format Tunn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 I loved the TV series, once or twice I thought I would die laughing. Poor Karl, he may have been visiting the seven wonders of the world but they weren't holidays/trips that anyone would envy. Just the sight of his poor stressed out puzzled face made me laugh ... and the way that he wasn't particularly enthralled with any of the wonders. He was more impressed with the Elephant Baba than anything else Is the book written in diary format Tunn? Totally agree! The TV series was incredibly funny. The book is written in diary format and so far has been a very entertaining read. Karl's voice really comes through on every page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) I am about to do something I never really do and that is have 2 books on the go at once. I am enjoying An Idiot Abroad but find it hard to read for long periods of time. I am going to keep reading diary entries from the book but am going to start another book. Have decided to finally give The Book Thief by Markus Zusak a read. Have heard many excellent things about this book and I hope it lives up to expectations. I confess I have done something naughty as even though I have this book in paperback I have now also downloaded it to my Kindle. This is mainly because I am away the next couple of weekends and it will save me having to cart the book around with me, but also because I do generally prefer reading on the Kindle. Edited March 6, 2011 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hope you enjoy The Book Thief Tunn I thought it was really good read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I loved The Book Thief. Such a wonderful, original story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Hope you're getting on ok with 'The Book Thief' Tunn, it does take a while to really get going but I thought it was just fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Well after being recommended a book by a friend I didn't actually get around to starting The Book Thief! Have now finished reading It's Your Time You're Wasting but rather than then start The Book Thief I fancied trying Never Let Me Go and as it was only just over £2 on the kindle store I have purchased and started that instead. I will eventually get around to reading The Book Thief!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) It's Your Time You're Wasting - Frank Chalk Synopsis Amazon FRANK CHALK is an ordinary teacher in an ordinary British school... a school where the kids get drunk, beat up the teachers and take drugs - when they can be bothered to turn up. IT S YOUR TIME YOU'RE WASTING is the blackly humorous diary of a year in his working life. Chalk confiscates porn, booze and errant trainers, fends off angry parents and worries about the conscientious pupils whose lives and futures are being systematically wrecked, recording his experiences in a funny and readable book. He offers top tips for dealing with unruly kids, muses on the shortcomings of the staff (including his own) and even spots the occasional spark of hope amid all the despair. Prepare to be horrified and amused by the unvarnished truth about the bottom end of our state education system. A must-read for parents, teachers and anyone who cares about our country's future. Review I read this book as I thought it would shed some light on the state of secondary education and there would be some fairly humorous tales in it to boot. It starts off quite well with a few stories about the difficulties teaching in a large secondary school in a rather deprived area of London. However this book quickly descends into the authors personal moan about every single aspect of the education system. He does not like decision makers in the government, he does not like the leadership of his school, he doesn't even like most of his fellow teachers. He bemoans the fact that nobody does anything worthwhile about sorting out the education system and then does nothing himself other than offer some seriously deluded ideas, his favourite appearing to be bring back the cane! There are some good stories in the book and even a few promising moments for some children however Chalk's attitude is so poor you really can't begin to take his ideas seriously. He freely admits he does not want to teach and thankfully by the end of the book he is not. I think this book was intended to shock the public about the state of some of our secondary schools and yes there are concerns there, but I was equally as shocked by the authors blase attitude to his job. I have also read the authors blog and it appears he may be thinking of releasing another book along a similar theme. I think I will avoid that! 5/10 Edited March 20, 2011 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) An Idiot Abroad - Karl Pilkington Synopsis Amazon Karl Pilkington isn't keen on travelling. Given the choice, he'll go on holiday to Devon or Wales or, at a push, eat English food on a package holiday in Majorca. Which isn't exactly Michael Palin, is it? So what happened when he was convinced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to go on an epic adventure to see the Seven Wonders of the World? Travel broadens the mind, right? You'd think so...Find out in Karl Pilkington's hilarious travel diaries. Review This book was a Christmas present as I had enjoyed the tv series of the same name so much. The book is Karl's travel diaries from each of his trips to see the wonders of the world. It is written in his own unique style and I found myself laughing constantly throughout it at his comments and thoughts. There is very little in this book that is not in the series but it does contain a lot of reflection by Karl that we do not get to hear in the show. Overall as a fan of the show I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone else who enjoyed the series. My only criticism is that it is a little short at only 250 odd pages with lots of those taken up by photos or long telephone conversation pages. 8/10 Edited April 15, 2011 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro Synopsis Amazon Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailsham - an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for what reason were they really there? It is only years later that Kathy, now aged 31, finally allows herself to yield to the pull of memory. What unfolds is the haunting story of how Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, slowly come to face the truth about their seemingly happy childhoods - and about their futures. Never Let Me Go is uniquely moving novel, charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of our lives. Review I became aware of this book after the release of the film adaptation earlier this year. Whilst I have not yet seen the film the trailer was enough to encourage me to read this book. It is a fairly short book at just over 250 pages and is easy to read. Whilst it took me a little while to get into the book I flew through the last half desperate to discover exactly what these 'students' actually were and what donations were about. The story is told through the eyes of Kathy and is written almost as a reflection on her life up till the point she becomes a donor. She reflects back on her youth which was spent at Halisham with Ruth and Tommy. Slowly we begin to realise that the children here are not normal and something strange is going on. I wouldn't want to reveal what as it would spoil the build up of the book. Information is very slowly drip-fed to the reader throughout the book and I could see this may frustrate some people, however I found all the recollections of the events at Halisham captivating. The characters are an interesting bunch and I am still unsure now if I actually like Ruth. This book raises some very interesting moral questions and I am still pondering a few now. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it as an interesting, slow burning read. Yes the ending is probably guessed much before we get there and there is a lot of padding but I really enjoyed it. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.