chaliepud Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Welcome back frankie!! . Great pressie, you have lovely parents. I think in a few years The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman may have to be added to that list of best Aussie books... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thanks chalie, they are pretty great, my folks So what's the The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman about? I'm not sure if I've heard of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thanks chalie, they are pretty great, my folks So what's the The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman about? I'm not sure if I've heard of it... It's beautiful, the story of an Australian remote lighthouse keeper who has suffered the horrors of the First World War, and his wife who has lost 3 babies, a boat turns up on their shores with a dead man and a live baby girl.. The wife (Isabel) persuades her husband (Tom) to keep the baby and pass her off as their own for a few years, until everything starts to unravel on a trip home to the mainland.. I won't say anymore as it would ruin the story for anyone who wants to read it.. I haven't reviewed it yet but I think it will be a 4.5/5, no dogs sadly though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 yay glad to have you back cant wait to read your bookish thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 It's beautiful, the story of an Australian remote lighthouse keeper who has suffered the horrors of the First World War, and his wife who has lost 3 babies, a boat turns up on their shores with a dead man and a live baby girl.. The wife (Isabel) persuades her husband (Tom) to keep the baby and pass her off as their own for a few years, until everything starts to unravel on a trip home to the mainland.. I won't say anymore as it would ruin the story for anyone who wants to read it.. I haven't reviewed it yet but I think it will be a 4.5/5, no dogs sadly though! Sounds like an intriguing read, and eventhough there are no dogs, I've come to think you and I have a somewhat similar taste in books, so I trust your opinion That's going on my wishlist, thanks! yay glad to have you back cant wait to read your bookish thoughts Thanks Laura, it feels good to be back! Too bad it's a very busy time of the year so there's loads of other things to take care of (I still haven't figured out what to get my Mum and Dad for Christmas!! Any ideas??), but I'm going to steal away an hour here and there to get back on track with the forum Hm, maybe I should go for bookish pressies for parents. I wonder what dear old Daddy would like to read, and what dear old Mum would like to read. Mum's easier, she'll be happy with a thriller or a crime novel, Daddy's trickier. Hm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I know, it gets me every time And surely you noticed the hand gesture as well? Yeah As some of you know, I've been struggling with my computer for the past few months and haven't therefore been very active on here. I got a laptop as a combined Bday+Xmas pressie from darling parents today, so now I'm back with vengeance I have so much catching up to do, I have a lot of reading logs to read through, you people have been keeping busy with updating your logs, and I have all sorts of other unread posts to read through. And PMs and everything! On top of this, I think I have about 30-40 reviews to write before the end of the year if I want to start the New Year from a clean plate... I don't know how I'll manage. But I'm so happy to be back for real Yayy, more Sari reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Yayy, more Sari reviews. Did you mean: 'sucky'? Thanks for the reminder, I might as well get started now that I have the evening off! I will write very, very short reviews so I can get them all done by the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend From Amazon: The day her gifted twins leave home for university, Eva climbs into bed and stays there. For seventeen years she's wanted to yell at the world, 'Stop! I want to get off'. Finally, this is her chance. Perhaps she will be able to think. Her husband Dr Brian Beaver, an astronomer who divides his time between gazing at the expanding universe, an unsatisfactory eight-year-old affair with his colleague Titania and mooching in his shed, is not happy. Who will cook dinner? Eva, he complains, is either having a breakdown or taking attention-seeking to new heights. But word of Eva's refusal to get out of bed quickly spreads. Alexander the dreadlocked white-van man arrives to help Eva dispose of all her clothes and possessions and bring her tea and toast. Legions of fans are writing to her or gathering in the street to catch a glimpse of this 'angel'. Her mother Ruby is unsympathetic: 'She'd soon get out of bed if her arse was on fire.' And, though the world keeps intruding, it is from the confines of her bed that Eva at last begins to understand freedom. The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year is a funny and touching novel about what happens when someone stops being the person everyone wants them to be. Sue Townsend, Britain's funniest writer for over three decades, has written a brilliant novel that eviscerates modern family life. Thoughts: Don't we all just want to go to bed sometimes and stay there for the end of time, letting other people take care of the mess that is our life? I'd say yes please, and keep the coffee and chips coming And books. I'll write you a wishlist. No wait, you can just print the one I've got on the first page of this log. This is my umpteenth Sue Townsend novel. I've always loved her Adrian Mole diaries but for some reason it took me a long time before I took the chance and read her 'other' stuff, fearing it would disappoint me. Well, she never has. Not as funny as, for example, Queen And I, but still a very enjoyable read. It's for all the Townsend fans. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Did you mean: 'sucky'? Thanks for the reminder, I might as well get started now that I have the evening off! I will write very, very short reviews so I can get them all done by the end of the year. I don't mean sucky at all, I like reading your reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery From Amazon: Renee is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with society's expectations of what a concierge should be. But beneath this facade lies the real Renee: passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives. Down in her lodge, apart from weekly visits by her one friend Manuela, Renee lives resigned to her lonely lot with only her cat for company. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her, and decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever. Thoughts: This was a Reading Circle read for me, the theme being unusual/unlikely friendship(s). I liked it that there were two narratives in the novel, the one of Paloma and the one of Renee. Both were in their ways isolated and even unappreciated by the people in their daily lives and for me it was interesting to read on and see how these two came to learn to know one another. And what is the life like for a 12 year old girl if she's determined to take her own life? Will she end up doing it? It's all too interesting not to go ahead and read the book. I'm not sure how to put this, but after this novel I thought I would wish to read more French novels. I really do not know what it was in the novel that made it stand out, and made me think there's something unique to the French writing. It cannot simply be the French names of the characters. If anyone knows what it is, please tell me 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I'm so glad to have you back, and of course you are deserving of that laptop! I wasn't sure whether I should post this here or in my own reading thread, but because you posted the list, I thought I'd comment here. I hope that's OK. I've marked my Read and TBR books. I am going to make this list a long-term challenge - I want to read all of the books, but I've only marked below the ones that are highest on my wish list. Cloudstreet - Tim Winton Read The Book Thief - Markus Zusak Read A Fortunate Life - A.B. Facey ReadThese were the three books I voted for in the list! I obviously have great taste in books. The Harp in the South - Ruth Park ReadI studied this in high school. I think I like it well enough at the time, but I think I will like/appreciate it much more nowadays, so I'm looking forward to re-reading it. The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay Wish Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey Wish The Magic Pudding - Norman Lindsay ReadClassic Australian children's novel. Pretty good! The author lived in the Blue Mountains, near me. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas I can't make up mind whether or not I want to read this! The mini series was excellent, but the book just doesn't really appeal to me. The Secret River - Kate Grenville WishI really want to read this. It's set during Sydney's early convict days, which is a period I love to read about, and it's set in an area close to my place. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay TBRI've had this on my TBR for ages. It's an intriguing little mystery. The movie is excellent too. Seven Little Australians - Ethel Turner Wish My Brother Jack - George Johnston My Brilliant Career - Miles Franklin TBRI've had this on my TBR pile for ages. It should be really good, and I think the author once lived in my town! True History of the Kelly Gang - Peter Carey TBR Eucalyptus - Murray Bail TBRI can't wait to read these two (14 & 15)! Power Without Glory - Frank Hardy The Broken Shore - Peter Temple TBR Monkey Grip - Helen Garner The Riders - Tim Winton WishI hope to read all of Tim Winton's stuff eventually. The Tree of Man - Patrick White The Fatal Shore - Robert Hughes TBRI'm positive this will be a truly excellent non-fiction read of Australia's history. Unreliable Memoirs - Clive James WishHmm...I think I heard something about this recently and decided to add it to my wish list. The Tall Man - Chloe Hooper The Man Who Loved Children - Christina Stead TBR The Dressmaker - Rosalie Ham The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney - Henry Handel Richardson The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith - Thomas Keneally Wish Capricornia - Xavier Herbert Wake in Fright - Kenneth Cooke Ransom - David Malouf TBRI haven't read anything by Malouf yet, but he is regularly touted as one of Australia's greatest writers. The Year of Living Dangerously - C.J. Koch TBR The First Stone - Helen Garner Gallipoli - Alan Moorehead Maestro - Peter Goldsworthy The Monkey's Mask - Dorothy Porter Wanting - Richard Flanagan Come In Spinner - Dymphna Cusack & Florence James Grand Days - Frank Moorhouse 1788 - Watkin Tench WishThis includes two books written by Tench about Australia's first few years of settlement. They should be excellent reads. The river near my place has a reserve named after Tench. It's Raining in Mango - Thea Astley Riders in the Chariot - Patrick White Carpentaria - Alexis Wright The Tyranny of Distance - Geoffrey Blainey WishI have a couple of history books by Blainey, and I'd like to read this too. It looks at how Australia's remote location has shaped the country. That Deadman Dance - Kim Scott For Love Alone - Christina Stead An Intruder's Guide to East Arnhem Land - Andrew McMillan The Life - Malcolm Knox The Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony - Hal Porter Here's Luck - Lennie Lower Visitants - Randolph Stow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 I don't mean sucky at all, I like reading your reviews. Aww, fanks You are too kind, sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 I'm so glad to have you back, and of course you are deserving of that laptop! Awww thanks, but you are biased And you said you have your own interests invested in me getting a new laptop! I wasn't sure whether I should post this here or in my own reading thread, but because you posted the list, I thought I'd comment here. I hope that's OK. I've marked my Read and TBR books. I am going to make this list a long-term challenge - I want to read all of the books, but I've only marked below the ones that are highest on my wish list. Of course you are welcome to comment on the list! I was expecting some sort of thoughts/input by you at some point, hehe. A Fortunate Life - A.B. Facey Read These were the three books I voted for in the list! I obviously have great taste in books. A Fortunate Life seemed a familiar read, and it's no wonder because I'd just gone over your, Kay's and my recommendation lists and you had this one on yours. Should make it more of a priority to read it sometime soon! The Magic Pudding - Norman Lindsay Read Classic Australian children's novel. Pretty good! The author lived in the Blue Mountains, near me. Dang, you should've told me earlier, we should've gone and stalked him! The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas I can't make up mind whether or not I want to read this! The mini series was excellent, but the book just doesn't really appeal to me. Just as well then that I didn't send you this as a present this Christmas Remember, I had an extra copy of it and you and I talked about it and I said I'd save it for you and send it to you at some point? True History of the Kelly Gang - Peter Carey TBR I thought you'd read this already The Riders - Tim Winton Wish I hope to read all of Tim Winton's stuff eventually. Yeah you do! Unreliable Memoirs - Clive James Wish Hmm...I think I heard something about this recently and decided to add it to my wish list. I think someone's reading this on Goodreads or has marked it as TBR...? The Man Who Loved Children - Christina Stead TBR I will always remember this as a FTBC challenge read, first and foremost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Wonderful Fool by Shusaku Endo From Amazon: Gaston Bonaparte, a young Frenchman, visits Tokyo to stay with his pen-pal Takamori. His appearance is a bitter disappointment to his new friends and his behavior causes them acute embarrassment. He is a trusting person with a simple love for others, and he continues to trust even after they have demonstrated deceit and betrayal. He spends his time not sightseeing but making friends with street children, stray dogs, prostitutes, and gangsters. This novel charts his misadventures with sharp irony, satire, and objectivity. Thoughts: The brother of a friend of mine suggested this as a nomination for the Reading Circle on unusual/unlikely friendhips. It sounded curious enough to make me want to read it on my own. I haven't read much Japanese literature so I got to learn a bit about the culture and the Japanese mentality. I can't say I remember very much about the novel, but I do remember Gaston Bonaparte being a dear, dear man, and that he had a very unusual way in the world and especially to how he traveled and mixed with the locals. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Sounds like an intriguing read, and eventhough there are no dogs, I've come to think you and I have a somewhat similar taste in books, so I trust your opinion That's going on my wishlist, thanks! Thanks Laura, it feels good to be back! Too bad it's a very busy time of the year so there's loads of other things to take care of (I still haven't figured out what to get my Mum and Dad for Christmas!! Any ideas??), but I'm going to steal away an hour here and there to get back on track with the forum Hm, maybe I should go for bookish pressies for parents. I wonder what dear old Daddy would like to read, and what dear old Mum would like to read. Mum's easier, she'll be happy with a thriller or a crime novel, Daddy's trickier. Hm... I know what you mean about Christmas! I haven't brought any presents yet and I've got to still decide what to get everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 25, 2012 Author Share Posted December 25, 2012 I know what you mean about Christmas! I haven't brought any presents yet and I've got to still decide what to get everyone! Oh dear I hope you've figured something out by now? Oh, it was rather difficult. Luckily bro and I joined our forces (and money) and came up with stuff together. I think we did decent and need not be ashamed. Oh! I suppose I could also mention on here: I got two books as Christmas presents this year from my parents! It's been ages since they've given me books (apart from Mielensäpahoittaja by Tuomas Kyrö from Daddy the Christmas before last, and that was a lucky guess from him), but this year I ventured out and gave them a list of about 20 titles off my wishlist and said if they wanted to try and get me books, maybe they could order one from some online bookshop. Mum said she'd try it, and I thought okay cool! A few weeks ago Mum called me and we went through the steps of ordering books online over the phone, me trying to advice her on how to do it. Either she did something wrong or I couldn't decipher where she was at, but it came to nothing and we both lost our cool and decided it was of no use and there would be no bookish pressies for me However, when I came to stay at my parents over the Christmas, I asked Mum, just for fun, if she'd tried on her own afterwards, to order me a book. She hastily said 'no' but the tone of her voice revealed she was lying I screamed in delight and Mum got rather red in the face Oh you can imagine how many times I kept asking her what the book was, and if I could already have it. Yesterday was Christmas Eve, that's when we open our pressies. I was astounded when I discovered there was not only one book, but two books! Oh sweet lord. I got Faulks on Fiction by Sebastian Faulks, a book that I've coveted for a long time but which I haven't dared buy for myself as I've always thought it's a bit pricey. I also got The Prisoner of Heaven of Carlos Ruiz Zafon, so awesome! I'm well happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 I came home to Joensuu and checked out my lists, and realised that I've acquired 99 books this year, one more and it's three digits I was at 98 earlier today, but I had to go buy some pens because I have no good ones left and I have to have pens for writing. And where did I go to buy them if not the bookstore. Bloody hell, they were in the middle of setting up their book sale tables! I so need to keep out of the shop this week. Fortunately they'd only set up the Finnish titles and all the English titles were still sealed and in the storages, so I didn't have any temptations. Well except for one. I browsed the English fiction section and was happy to find they were all normal priced, but then I found a copy of The Passages of H.M. - A Novel of Herman Melville by Jay Parini, and it was only 4,95 (that's as low as the prices can get at that book shop if you're lucky) and I had to have it! Especially since I've been wanting to read Moby-Dick for months now. I'm kinda hoping I won't be acquiring any more titles this year, so I'll stay just under 100 titles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 I came home to Joensuu and checked out my lists, and realised that I've acquired 99 books this year, one more and it's three digits It's terrible isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 It's terrible isn't it? Oh it certainly is! And I thought I'd be good, because I know not to go to the bookstore and to town. But then remembered I'm supposed to meet a friend tomorrow in town and it's oh so likely she'll want to go to the bookstore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 And you should be receiving a couple of books in the mail before the end of the year. Oh, I so hope I'm the one who pushes you over 100! Mwahahahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 And you should be receiving a couple of books in the mail before the end of the year. Oh, I so hope I'm the one who pushes you over 100! Mwahahahaha. You are a cruel woman Although, I have to say, that if anyone pushes me over 100, I'd rather it was you I didn't get any books in the mail today. I think Monday is a normal day and they will carry mail that day, but it's still only one day before next year.... Keep your fingers crossed!! Oh. And I did go to the bookstore book sale today, and bought NOTHING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Yes, fingers are definitely crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Tassuterapeutti by Anna-Liisa Suni This was recommended to me by one of my favorite co-workers at the library. It's a must read for any Finnish dog fan, it was all about the various dogs the author has owned and come across with in her life. Too bad it's most likely not translated into English! 5/5 * Golden Road by L. M. Montgomery This is the second novel in the Story Girl series. I would say I wouldn't have enjoyed this book that much had I not seen The Road to Avonlea many, many times and loved the series. I've written down a few funny quotes, and here's one of them in short: When it was April Fools day, uncle Roger sent Peter to the vicarage to borrow the biography of Adam's Grandfather. Mr Marwood said it was doubtful Adam had a Grandfather and told Peter to go home and look at the calender. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Yes, fingers are definitely crossed! I have to say, eventhough I don't want to go over 100 books, I can't wait to see what you've gotten me I just know it'll be something good, you know me too well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Dog On It From Amazon: Chet might have flunked out of police school (“I’d been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn’t remember exactly, although blood was involved”), but he’s a detective through and through. In Dog On It, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of a teenaged girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters. Readers will be instantly captivated by Chet’s doggy ways and his endearingly hard-boiled voice. Full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief, he is intensely loyal to Bernie, who, though distracted by issues that Chet has difficulty understanding—like divorce, cash flow, and child custody—is enormously likeable himself, in his flawed, all-too-human way. There’s genuine suspense and intrigue, combined with humor and deep insight into the bond between dog and man. Thoughts: Another book I discovered by chance while I was working at the library. I picked it up to shelf it, but noticed the title and the dog theme and read the blurb and thought oh boy, I must read this! It's written from the point-of-view of Chet, the dog, and I had serious doubts whether that would be a good way to go with a detective novel. Turns out it was: I loved it through and through. Chet is a character, and I loved his loyalty towards his owner, Bernie. Reminded me a bit of Enzo and his owner in The Art of Racing in the Rain. A good detective story with a dog, and that's that, and what's not to love about it? I would heartily recommend the book (it's the first in a series!) to any doggy fans who enjoy a bit of mystery 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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