Maureen's reading blog (started 2007)

[Maureen]

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg.

 

I have just finished this book, and I am in two minds about it. I enjoyed the first half of the book, how the character of Smilla was slowly unfolding, and how much she cared for the boy, although in other ways she was quite cold in her other relationships (especially the one with her father - and I still do not get why this was so). However the second part let me down - the way she got all of the required information so quickly, the way a lot of people were falling all over themselves to help her on her quest, her actions aboard the ship, the way she got out of physical danger, when she was not trained to do so etc. I also thought the ending was abrupt, as if it was time to wrap things up quickly.

It is the first Hoeg book I have read, and I did enjoy the setting - the fact the book is set in Denmark and Iceland, which are both places where I have never been before, never read about and know nothing of.

[Maureen]

A quick update:

 

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory - I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers - esp those who red the Tudor books by Gregory and enjoyed them.

Traitors of the Tower - Alison Weir - This is a quick read - perfect for a bus ride/train journey. It describes the whys and hows of the seven people who were killed in the Tower of London.

 

The Hanging Garden - Ian Rankin. More about Inspector Rebus. I really like his character. I love these books because it is easy to follow the story, and are great for when you do not need much concentration.

 

 

 

[Janet]

A quick update:

 

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory - I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers - esp those who red the Tudor books by Gregory and enjoyed them.

Traitors of the Tower - Alison Weir - This is a quick read - perfect for a bus ride/train journey. It describes the whys and hows of the seven people who were killed in the Tower of London.

I enjoyed both of those, Maureen. I'm looking forward to The Red Queen, when it's out in paperback.

[Maureen]

Yes Janet - that's another book I want to read.

 

Les Misérables - Victor Hugo

It's difficult to explain what I think about this book in just a couple of sentences. It is a great book, with a heart wrenching story as its main focus, other minor stories that give life to the secondary characters, and the political backdrop of France in the 19th century. It is also a sort of diary of the author, where he recounts the Battle of Waterloo in detail, other policital and religious beliefs and thoughts - such as religious orders. Hugo's masterpiece is a complex piece of literature, certainly requiring concentration and time to read and enjoy. The style it is written in, obviously a sign of its time, makes reading it tiring at times, perhaps because of the voluminous descriptions of everything and everyone.

I found myself sympathising with some of the characters, while harbouring a dislike for others - certainly a sign of Hugo's success in making most of the characters come to life, not only during his time, but long after his death, when life as he describes it is fortunately almost non-existent. Having never read the book before, and never watched any of the film adaptations or the theatrical shows, I was taken a bit by surprise at the ending - I had imagined a slightly different ending and was glad to be caught out.

 

I am glad I read this book - I had certainly been meaning to for quite a while, and as this month's Reading Circle choice, I am sure it has the potential for lots of great and interesting discussions.

[Maureen]

Oh I haven't updated the last books I read!

 

Ian Rankin's Mortal causes - The sixth Rebus Novel. Lots of political background about Northern Ireland and Scotland.

 

Jasper Fforde's - First Among Sequels. This is the fifth book in the Thursday Next series, and once again Thursday has a multitude of crisises to solve, between defeating bad guys and laying carpets, raising 3 children and a pet Dodo, and keeping an eye on the dreaded Goliath Corporation. As usual Fforde's work is extremely witty, and peppered with double meanings and jokes, but compared with his previous novels, I was left with a sense of unfinished business when I finished this book - and impatience as the next Next book is not yet available!

[Kylie]

I'm glad you enjoyed it Maureen. I'm halfway through it at the moment and today I added the next one to my wishlist - I can't wait for it to be released!

[Maureen]

Oh, I have abandoned this for a while...

 

While on holiday I read: The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Original story, although too many coincidences sometimes. It is a story about a young boy and a book which he found in the cemetery of forgotten books. As he gets older, he tries to find more books by the same author, and failing that, the author himself. This book is part adventure, part fantasy, part romantic, with a pinch of thriller thrown in for good measure.

 

 

I also read The Redeemer, The Redbreast, Nemesis, and now The Snowman. Yep, on a Jo Nesbo roll at the moment - great author, a genre I love, crime thrillers, gripping stories and lovable characters. Would certainly be reading the other two of his novels which have been translated to English - The Devils' Star, which I should have read after Redbreast and Nemesis, but before Redeemer, and the last book just out - The Leopard.

 

 

 

 

[Maureen]

Oh, I have not updated this for a while.....

 

I read Susanna Clark's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell, and it took me around a month to finish. At first I could not get into this, and was reading in little fits and bursts, but after around a quarter of the book, the story picked up. The book is a hefty 1000+ pages, and not for the faint hearted

 

The story is set in England around Napoleon's time. It is very much a fantasy novel, but much attention has been given to the historical aspect of the story - something which I really enjoyed.

The main characters themselves - Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norell, change throughout the story. Strange starts off as a shallow selfish person, but by the end of the novel his character has taken on a big transformation. Norell - his teacher and mentor, starts off as being a devious, unlikeable, selfish fellow, but I felt a tiny bit sorry for him at the end. (Do not want to elaborate much). The character I liked most is Arabella, Strange's wife - she came across as the perfect lady, and Steven, the black butler working for Sir Walter Pole, a cabinet minister.

 

The book is peppered with footnotes - which make it a bit tedious to go back and forth while reading, so at the end I started reading these at the end of every chapter. Obviously these footnotes are all ficticious, but they create a sort of reference, giving more credence to the story.

One thing I really did not like is the ending - I felt it could have been done differently after such a long story.

[Weave]

Oh, I have not updated this for a while.....

 

I read Susanna Clark's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell, and it took me around a month to finish. At first I could not get into this, and was reading in little fits and bursts, but after around a quarter of the book, the story picked up. The book is a hefty 1000+ pages, and not for the faint hearted

 

The story is set in England around Napoleon's time. It is very much a fantasy novel, but much attention has been given to the historical aspect of the story - something which I really enjoyed.

The main characters themselves - Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norell, change throughout the story. Strange starts off as a shallow selfish person, but by the end of the novel his character has taken on a big transformation. Norell - his teacher and mentor, starts off as being a devious, unlikeable, selfish fellow, but I felt a tiny bit sorry for him at the end. (Do not want to elaborate much). The character I liked most is Arabella, Strange's wife - she came across as the perfect lady, and Steven, the black butler working for Sir Walter Pole, a cabinet minister.

 

The book is peppered with footnotes - which make it a bit tedious to go back and forth while reading, so at the end I started reading these at the end of every chapter. Obviously these footnotes are all ficticious, but they create a sort of reference, giving more credence to the story.

One thing I really did not like is the ending - I felt it could have been done differently after such a long story.

 

Great review Maureen, I liked Arabella too, she and Jonathan were a good match

Edited March 7, 2011 by Weave

[poppyshake]

Great review Maureen. I think Susanna is working on a sequel, though I think it's going to centre on other characters so how much we find out about the destiny of Jonathan or Mr Norrell I don't know, still I'm looking forward to it and hope she doesn't take as long to write it as she did JS&MN.

 

My favourite characters were like yours, Jonathan and Arabella and Steven but though I didn't like him I was fascinated too by the 'gentleman with the thistledown hair' .. absolutely amazing literary creation.

 

I heard it read in it's entirety (narrated by Simon Prebble) .. which took ages but was fantastic. It made the footnotes so much easier to deal with because they were just read out, I don't mind footnotes but sometimes it feels like someone is constantly nudging you and interrupting your reading flow. These footnotes were worth the interruption though.

[Kidsmum]

I loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in fact it is one of the few books I've hung on to as I know I'll want to re read it someday.

[Maureen]

Thanks Weave.

 

 

Great review Maureen. I think Susanna is working on a sequel, though I think it's going to centre on other characters so how much we find out about the destiny of Jonathan or Mr Norrell I don't know, still I'm looking forward to it and hope she doesn't take as long to write it as she did JS&MN.

 

My favourite characters were like yours, Jonathan and Arabella and Steven but though I didn't like him I was fascinated too by the 'gentleman with the thistledown hair' .. absolutely amazing literary creation.

 

I heard it read in it's entirety (narrated by Simon Prebble) .. which took ages but was fantastic. It made the footnotes so much easier to deal with because they were just read out, I don't mind footnotes but sometimes it feels like someone is constantly nudging you and interrupting your reading flow. These footnotes were worth the interruption though.

 

Thanks Poppyshake.

I do hope we will get to find out what happened to Jonathan and to Mr Norell, as the ending of this book left too many loose ends.....whether it was done intentionally or not.

Re the footnotes - I do think they gave something towards the enjoyment of the story, but at the same time they were a bit of a nuisance They should have been situated at the end of paragraphs so as not to interrup the flow of reading

[Maureen]

Finished A Home At The End Of The World, by Michael Cunningham, for April's Reading Circle. An enjoyable read, the author manages to bring the characters to life, with all their imperfections and traits. The story is about two teenaged boys who found friendship and strength in one another, and managed to build an unconventional relationship for the rest of their lives. The book should raise great discussions - hope that a lot of members here will join in

[Maureen]

My first Karen Rose novel - Don't tell. Was really expecting much more from this author, and was actually disappointed as this glorified Mills & Boon/Barbara Cartland with a dash of wife beating and rape. Certanly not an author I'm in too much of a hurry to read again.

[Ooshie]

I have read quite a few Karen Rose novels, as my Mum buys them and passes them on to me once she has read them. I find them entertaining enough, but wouldn't actually spend money on them myself.

[Maureen]

Never let me go - Kazuo Ishiguro. A book which I enjoyed greatly, although the story upset me. It is about a dystopian society during our times, and focuses on three young children and the life that is planned out for them, by others who think have the right to do so. Made me mad, sad and glad I read it

[Weave]

Never let me go - Kazuo Ishiguro. A book which I enjoyed greatly, although the story upset me. It is about a dystopian society during our times, and focuses on three young children and the life that is planned out for them, by others who think have the right to do so. Made me mad, sad and glad I read it

 

Its definitely a book that stays with you Maureen, I felt the same way, I am glad you enjoyed it What are you planning on reading next?

[Maureen]

Devil Bones - Kathy Reichs. As enjoyable as always - Tempe is so easy to read about Even though the general outline of these books are so similar, I really enjoy them. Might read the next in the series - its on my tbr pile , and the title is intiguing.

[Weave]

Devil Bones - Kathy Reichs. As enjoyable as always - Tempe is so easy to read about Even though the general outline of these books are so similar, I really enjoy them. Might read the next in the series - its on my tbr pile , and the title is intiguing.

 

Happy reading Maureen

[Maureen]

Two more Tempe Brennen - 206 Bones and Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs. My comfort reads.

 

Also Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. This was not what I was expecting. Set in a dystopian future society known as Chromatacia, this is definately darker than all the previous Fforde novels I have read so far, but although the first few chapters were tough to reconcile with, and once I went on Fforde's website and read a bit of background about the characters, the rest of the book was a delight. In fact I had Fforde wirthdrawal symptoms for a while......and now I have to wait for ages to read the sequel. I almost wish I had not read this yet, but waited until the sequel was out so that I could continue with the mystery. I am itching to learn why spoons were not produced any more, why Reds cannot marry Greens, and various other little mysteries, which will remain unsolved for me till 2013.

[Chrissy]

Another big fan of Tempe here, although I have some catching up to do on her books. I also have Shades Of Grey, but haven't read it yet. Having read your review I wonder if I should perhaps leave it for at least another year so I don't have as long to wait for the sequel................mmmmmmmm.

[Maureen]

Ohhhh, I haven't updated this in a while!

 

I have read Brooklyn, by Colm toilbin, for the May Reading Circle. A sweet, easy read book, set in Ireland and Brooklyn in the 60s. It tells the story of Eilis, a young girl who left Ireland to try and make a better life for herself in America, and her first few months of living there.

 

 

 

 

Keeping Mum by Marianne Talbot

ISBN 978-1-84850-291-8

 

Published by Hay House

 

Marianne Talbot was a middle-aged, busy, single woman when her mother was diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s. She took the difficult decision of caring for her in her own home. This book is a diary-like account of the best and worst moments of the ensuing years, peppered with tips, practical information, useful contact references and advice which the author gained from her harrowing but life-enriching ordeal. Describing her personal feelings, such as when she feels she is going to burst with love for her mother, or when she feels she actively dislikes her, and her resentment for robbing her of her life, or her pride in her mother’s performances make this book a very intimate chronicle of her experience. She describes incidences which make people like me, who have never been in her shoes, appreciate and understand a little bit better this debilitating disease, which robs a normal, articulate and intelligent human being of even the basic skills which we acquire during the first two or three years of our lives, and she does this very honestly as well. Some people assume that taking care of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s is similar to caring for a baby or a small child. But whilst caring for a cute little baby, which one can pick up and put down, who looks cute and smells great at the best of times, is difficult, looking after an older person is very different to that. It is a laborious, exacting ordeal, which requires skill, patience and most of all, a lot of love.

 

This book is a must –read for anyone who could be a carer in the future, as well as siblings or close relatives of carers. It is also a good source of information and understanding for those who are not carers, but have felt bored to tears when visiting their old grandma in a nursing home, and feel guilty for having these thoughts and feelings.

[Maureen]

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, for the June Reading Circle.

 

 

I did not know what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a short book, aimed at young adults, so it is a pretty quick read. The story is fantastic and unusual - a young boy's parents and his older sister were killed at home, but he - still a baby - manages to escape the killer. He finds his way to a graveyard and is then brought up by ghosts.

I loved the whole idea of the book - the unusual story line, the adventures of Nobody Owens, as he is named by the ghosts, the allogries, and the ending. Would definately recommend.

[lauraloves]

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, for the June Reading Circle.

 

 

I did not know what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a short book, aimed at young adults, so it is a pretty quick read. The story is fantastic and unusual - a young boy's parents and his older sister were killed at home, but he - still a baby - manages to escape the killer. He finds his way to a graveyard and is then brought up by ghosts.

I loved the whole idea of the book - the unusual story line, the adventures of Nobody Owens, as he is named by the ghosts, the allogries, and the ending. Would definately recommend.

 

I've just started to read this, am about a page in, hope I enjoy it as much as you did

[poppyshake]

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, for the June Reading Circle.

I did not know what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a short book, aimed at young adults, so it is a pretty quick read. The story is fantastic and unusual - a young boy's parents and his older sister were killed at home, but he - still a baby - manages to escape the killer. He finds his way to a graveyard and is then brought up by ghosts.

I loved the whole idea of the book - the unusual story line, the adventures of Nobody Owens, as he is named by the ghosts, the allogries, and the ending. Would definately recommend.

I thought it was great too and loved all the images it conjured up in my head. He's such a clever writer and so imaginative, I love reading his books