Maureen Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 I've just started to read this, am about a page in, hope I enjoy it as much as you did I believe you will lauraloves, it's an easy book to enjoy. 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 Unfortunately I have not read much Gaiman, - I think I only read Neverwhere - but I will be reading more of his work for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 The Hiding Place - Trezza Azzopardi I have discovered a new author! Her first book - 'The Hiding Place' is a lovely lovely book. It won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for both the Booker Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, something which is certainly unusual for a first book. The story is about a family living in Cardiff in the 1960s, a Maltese father Frankie, his English wife Mary ,(about whom we do not get to know much background - except that she escaped from an abusive father when young ) and their six daughters. The kids have a rough upbringing - the father is a gambler, and the family is very poor, the mother having to beg and worse to raise her kids. The story is told through the pespective of Dolores (Dol) the youngest kid, who was burned when she was a baby, and suffered deformaties to her arm and hands, and some parts of her face as a consequence. The kids all had a pitiful life, most of all Dol, who also had to deal with bullying from her sisters and dislike and distrust from her father. The book is divided into two parts, the first part dealing with the time when they were all kids, and the second part when they have all grown up, and re-unite for their mother's funeral. The characters in Azzopardi's book are all very much alive and vibrant, even the secondary characters, such as Eva, Mary's friend and Sal, Frankie's partner and family friend. What Azzopardi did with this story is amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Great review, Maureen. I just added this one to my wish list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Finished all four Twilight books - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I never thought I would read them, still less enjoy them. I enjoyed the stories, especially the first and the last one. Some phrases which are repeated over and over get to be too much sometimes, (isn't that something which the editor/s should be checking for?) as is the notion that Bella stops breathing whenever she is excited and Edward has to remind her to breathe - for goodness' sakes who does that? Unconcsiously stop breathing? Yes right! Apart from these idiocities, they were quite original stories, and I can understand the hype. They are also the kind of books I am in the frame of mind for at the moment - so that added to the enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I read the Twilight series recently, and understand the hype. They may not be the best written stories, and are more than a tad corny, but there's something about them that is so appealing, especially to teenage girls. If I'd read these as a teenager, I'd probably be a bit obsessed with either Edward or Jacob (or both!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Oh I'm hopelessly not up to date here! Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. The book is so much richer than the film, in my opinion. The story is about a young vet who joins a travelling circus, and falls in love with the manager's wife. A nice story, and really easy read. Faithless by Karin Slaughter, Skin Privilege by Karin Slaughter, Undone by Karin Slaughter, Broken by Karin Slaughter . Another author which I love, I had been actually hoarding these books, so I could go on Slaughter reading spree Skin Privilege ended with quite a kick, ending the Grant County series - and giving rise to the Georga series. I think this author was very wise - she did not fall into the same trap as for example Patricia Cornwell, who kept flogging a very tired horse, but went on to have a nice new foal instead to keep things interesting Straight on to One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde. I actually could not get to grips with this book for the first couple of chapters....although I did enjoy it after that. Is Jasper going to get more mileage out of Thursday? I spent a couple of weeks with a curious lack of reading mojo, which upset me a bit. Could be the result of the Slaughter spree above.... Started on Captain Corelli's Mandolin, but gave up after a couple of chapters. Could be my missing mojo's fault.... Read nothing for a week or so, then started on Reading Lolita in Tehran for the August reading Circle. It took me a while to finish this book - my mojo was not all there yet, and the book is definately not an easy read, although an interesting one. Have now started on Wish you well by David Baldacci. This is a story about a normal family living in New York who were struck by bad luck and re-located to Virginia to live with relatives. Quite an easy read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 The Devil's Star, by Jo Nesbo. An enjoyable thriller, quite similar to Nesbo's other novels. Much as expected. Before I go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson. This was a surpise. Watson's debut novel, it kept me reading until I finished the book, and kept me on edge throughout. It is a great thriller, which I would definateley recommend to crime/thriller lovers. I hope Watson will follow with another book in the same calibre pretty soon. One Day by David Nichols. I enjoyed this book - although I was not expecting to. The story is about how one day in the life of two very normal people dictates the rest of their lives. Nothing out of this world, the story is very simple, but enjoyable, as the author manages to weave a story about two people who are just like the people next door - not very exciting or special, quite simple really. For my birthday my friend sent me two ebooks on my kindle, the first of which I have started. It is called Little Face by Sophie Hannah, who is a new author for me - although from what I have read so far, I will be reading much more of this author's work. Little Face is her debut novel, and I know I am going to keep turning the pages very late tonight..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Great reviews Maureen, I enjoyed 'Water for Elephants' too, its a fab read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Wow I really need to update this! After Sophie Hannah's Little Face, I read her second novel, called The Truth Teller's Lie. I liked both these books, and shall definately be on the lookout for more of the same. This was followed by Winterton Blue, by Trezza Azzopardi. It is the second book I read by this author, and both of them have a haunting quality that makes them all the more realistic. While on holiday I read Jasper Fforde's The last Dragonslayer, and The Song of the Quarkbeast, the first two of the Dragonslayer trilogy. These are aimed at a younger audience, but they are written in Fforde's normal witty style, and he did not spoil the fun by making them childish. I am actually looking forward to the last book in the Trilogy - The return of Shandar. I also read The Beach - by Alex Garland while in Thailand. I really got in the spirit of the book - I visited the places he was talking about. I had first read the blurb before I went to Thailand, and it was really an experience to read about places you had actually seen. I followed this by An Idiot Abroad - by Karl Pilkington. Defiantly one to make you laugh out loud. The book is much better than the TV episodes. To continue with my travel books, I read Lost in Shangri-La, by Mitchell Zuckoff. This is a true story about a plane full of American people which crashed in New Guinea during WW2. An enjoyable, if somewhat sad, book. This was followed by The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. I devoured all three books in four or five days, and now my son is doing the same. I am really looking forward to the movie in March - although as usual, probably this would be a poor adaptation of the books. Lastly I have finished Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. As with her excellent debut novel, one of my fav books, The Time Traveller's Wife, the ending leaves you somewhat unsettled, and harbouring a mixture of emotions, which I suppose shows what a talented story teller AN is. I have now just started Family Matters, by Rohinton Mistry. I am enjoying what I read so far, and I will probably be up late tonight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I also read The Beach - by Alex Garland while in Thailand. I really got in the spirit of the book - I visited the places he was talking about. I had first read the blurb before I went to Thailand, and it was really an experience to read about places you had actually seen. I really enjoyed that book, much better than the movie. Alex Garland hasn't written anything new in a while which is a bit of a shame. I followed this by An Idiot Abroad - by Karl Pilkington. Defiantly one to make you laugh out loud. The book is much better than the TV episodes. I saw a few episodes of this - thought they were brilliant, and such an eye opener to different cultures. I'm waiting for the book to become available at the library. It's interesting that you say the book is better than the TV episodes, as I thought it would be the other way around. Lastly I have finished Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. As with her excellent debut novel, one of my fav books, The Time Traveller's Wife, the ending leaves you somewhat unsettled, and harbouring a mixture of emotions, which I suppose shows what a talented story teller AN is. I found the ending very disturbing, but also quite fitting. I plan on re-reading The Time Traveller's Wife at some point, as I remember enjoying it but don't recall much of the detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 looks like you have your mojo back Maureen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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