lauraloves Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Good luck with trying to reduce your TBR pile this year It would be a lovely situation to be in, just to buy a book and read it straight away. I'm doing a read 4 buy 1, type thing this year because I just couldnt give up the book buying altogether! Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 I haven't yet made my way to answering the questions and reading other people's thoughts on the book, but I loved the novel and I believe that the thread is going to be quite overflowed with comments! I consider myself warned by your eager enthusiasm over it and the fact that you keep on having new stuff to comment on the thread, I fear I might be the same. I was also looking into Nevil Shute's other novels, I'd never read anything by him before but having read the RC book and loving his way of writing, I definitely want to read some other novels by him. I'm going to keep an eye out for your possible future reviews on his books. You might have to wait a while frankie! I'm determined not to buy any more books, so I can't see me getting to anything else by him until much later this year at the very earliest Can't wait to start discussing Pied Piper with you over in the discussion thread. I have no answer for you, but you have my sympathy and believe me, you are not in this alone. It's so dangerously inviting and tempting to go on different online 'bookshops' and browse for new books to buy... and then one notices how time's sneakily passed by, and that time could've been spent by reading actual books! You've done a great job, you've actually reduced your TBR by 50%, so you know you can do it again. I don't know if you know, but there's a support group, or maybe rather a 'commitment' group for people who are trying to reduce their mount TBR, by doing a 'read 3, buy 1' sort of thing, maybe that might be something that would aid you in your efforts in managing your TBR? Whilst I applaud you guys in the support group, I need to go cold turkey and just stop buying books until I've got rid of this TBR. I'm determined, I tell you, DETERMINED. I may be asking you to remind me of this in a few weeks time when I've been broken by that darned Kindle I'm glad you gave this one another go and ended up in enjoying it. I personally think that it's Kinsella's best standalone book, and definitely up to par with the Shopaholic series. I think I was just in the wrong frame of mind the first time, and when I looked back at my book database yesterday evening I realised I've actually had this book for two years sat on the shelf waiting to be read I can't believe it's been that long! Good luck with the reducing your books I like you though end up just getting a new book rather than finishing or even starting something I already own, to be fair though I do usually come back to the original and read it but best of luck with the book reduction. And its great to save all the ones you want to read for the kindle for your holidays I ended up downloading 9 from wish list onto my kindle and read them all on holiday just what I needed, there was even some varity from Vampires to crime. Btw also read the 4th part of the Jane True series by Nicola Peeler?? great series loved it new one is out later this year. I might have a look at Siren as judging from your commenst above its worth it. Thanks pickle - I haven't read the fourth book yet. It's right near the top of my wishlist, but I can't get it now after the declaration I made yesterday, can I? Still, I think it will be one of the ones I allow myself to buy when I go on holiday - perfect escapism holiday reading Good luck with trying to reduce your TBR pile this year. It would be a lovely situation to be in, just to buy a book and read it straight away. I'm doing a read 4 buy 1, type thing this year because I just couldnt give up the book buying altogether! Good luck. Thanks laura - it WILL be a fantastic feeling to get to the stage where I just buy the next book I'm going to read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 You might have to wait a while frankie! I'm determined not to buy any more books, so I can't see me getting to anything else by him until much later this year at the very earliest Can't wait to start discussing Pied Piper with you over in the discussion thread. Okay, fair enough! (Although if you get really desperate, I suppose you could try a library? ) Whilst I applaud you guys in the support group, I need to go cold turkey and just stop buying books until I've got rid of this TBR. I'm determined, I tell you, DETERMINED. I may be asking you to remind me of this in a few weeks time when I've been broken by that darned Kindle Haha! I've been Kylie's personal 'don't buy books!' trainer since the start of the year, so I've gotten the hang of it and I think I could squeeze in another client Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Well for the first day since I think they started it, I haven't looked at the Kindle Daily Deal! I have no idea what it is, or whether it's on my wishlist, and I'm not going to look. I'm almost finished Moonwalking With Einstein, and I took a few books into work with me today so that I can maybe change to one of those if I finish a Kindle book during my lunchbreak, and make a dent in the paperbacks I have left on TBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Haha! I've been Kylie's personal 'don't buy books!' trainer since the start of the year, so I've gotten the hang of it and I think I could squeeze in another client I've acquired 24 books so far this year...just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I've acquired 24 books so far this year...just sayin'. Well you are an impossible client and I may have to cancel your membership. Claire might have more potential! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Well you are an impossible client and I may have to cancel your membership. Claire might have more potential! Don't give up on me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Don't give up on me! Then you need to start listening to me again and taking my advice to heart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 I've acquired 24 books so far this year...just sayin'. Well you are an impossible client and I may have to cancel your membership. Claire might have more potential! I think 24 books so far this year is quite a low number for you, isn't it Kylie? It seems to me that frankie's not doing too bad I would definitely love to be included in your client base frankie (as long as I can afford the fees ). I've been very good today. Finished one book and started another from my existing TBR list, and also haven't looked at Amazon Kindle store for the second day in a row Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) One of my reading group books for this month is Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer. Foer is a journalist who embarks on a journey to become a "mental athlete" and compete in the annual US Memory Championship. Along the way he looks in to history of memory training and techniques dating back as far as Cicero, as well as the medical background of the brain and memory, meeting amnesiacs and scientists, as well as savants, and explores the impact and meaning of memory in our lives. I found this book absolutely fascinating. I loved how it mixed the light hearted sections of Foer's training, with the historical and cultural look at the history of memory training, and the scientific neurological investigations that are being undertaken today to try to understand more about the brain and memory. My favourite part of his journey was when he met a man who had lost his short term memory after a virus destroyed part of his brain, leaving him unable to recall anything earlier than a few seconds before, but whose long term memory from before the illness was fine. It was heartbreaking to read although the man lives a happy life, but the explanation of how it had happened and how the brain works was really interesting. A fantastic book! Edited March 9, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) Then you need to start listening to me again and taking my advice to heart! Yes, Mum. I think 24 books so far this year is quite a low number for you, isn't it Kylie? It seems to me that frankie's not doing too bad Yes, I suppose you're right! I've bought just a few less books than this time last year, but I'm about to be way ahead because I bought 130+ books in March last year (book fair) and I'm definitely not going to the fair this month! (as long as I can afford the fees ). Payment? Shhhh! Don't go putting ideas in her head! I haven't been paying her at all. I would like to think Frankie's doing it out of the goodness of her heart. Edited March 8, 2012 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 It's almost two weeks since I bought a book, and I'm not getting too frustrated by it yet! Perhaps it's because I've been really happy with the books I've been reading, particularly my latest read, Captain Wentworth's Diary. I'm reading this as part of my Jane Austen challenge, and I have to admit, despite challenging myself to read them, I had low expectations for any of the novels inspired by the great author, but this has been a very pleasant surprise. In only two sittings, I'm already half way through, and I'm absolutely loving it. I suspect I will have finished it by the end of the day, as it just dances along with characters I already know and love, but giving a totally different perspective on the story. Of course, the next big milestone in my TBR isn't too far away, the big 50. I can't remember the last time I had less than 50 books waiting to be read, and getting past that will be a real achievement as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping I might make it by the end of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Well, as predicted, I've just finished Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange. The premise of the book is that it is the story of Jane Austen's Persuasion told from Captain Wentworth's point of view. It starts eight years before Persuasion, and takes us back to when the Wentworth first meets and falls in love with Anne Eliot, before picking up again when Wentworth returns from his naval duties in the Napoleonic Wars to find his sister and her husband have rented Kellynch Hall from Anne's father, and the couple meet again. Although I have set myself a challenge to read some of the contemporary novelists that have been inspired by Austen, I have to admit, I never expected to find any that would captivate me as much as this. I loved that in addition to reading the story from a fresh pair of eyes, it was delightful to have such a convincing episode covering the period when Anne and Frederick first fall in love and how their engagement faltered. The author makes a very clever decision to write in the form of a diary, which allows her to write in the first person and therefore makes a distinction between Austen's style and her own interpretation. I think she captures the period wonderfully, and really grasps the essence of Persuasion while giving an alternate view of the whole story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish, and I will definitely be reading more of her books, and there is one for each of the male heroes in Jane Austen's novels, and even one for the villain in Pride and Prejudice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 That's good to know Claire. I've never got on with Jane Austen sequels before, the main problem being I could never recognise the characters, or they all seemed to act completely out of character. It seems like that's not the case here. Good luck with getting to the big 50 and beyond .. I can only dream of achieving that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 I wonder if it's because it's essentially the same story from just another point of view? It's definitely recognisable as the story I read a few weeks ago, but different enough to be an interesting read. She's not trying to artificially extend the story of the characters because she wants to imagine their life after the end of Austen's novel, but give you a different perspective on the familiar story you already know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Went out with OH today and while we were out, had a wander around Waterstone's but came away with nothing (does this sound as smug in writing as it does in my head? ), but looking in the second hand bookshop window, they had a display of books by female writers to support International Woman's Day and he spotted Jenny Wren by E. H. Young. This prompted a discussion, as he's read a lot of her books and said this one was particularly lovely, and he's going to re-read it, and we ended up looking her up on fantasticfiction.co.uk and realised that she'd written at least another couple of books that he hadn't read. I'm sure I read one of her books at his prompting when we first got together, but it's over twenty years ago now and I can't remember which one, but it was either The Curate's Wife or Celia, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, the upshot is, we got home and I've found that we already have five of her books, and eight we don't. I'm not officially adding them to my TBR and wishlist at the moment, but like the J. L. Carr books that are on the shelf just behind my chair, in my head, they will be read at some point in the future, and charity shops scoured for the missing books (I think they were all published by Virago, so their dark green spines stand out nicely when scanning bookshelves ) although obviously the purchases would be for him, not me, and wouldn't count against my plan to reduce my TBR shelves before buying any more books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Run Rabbit Run by Kate Johnson is the fifth story in her Sophie Green series. Sophie worked for an airline before she was recruited by SO17, a little known branch of the security services and started working as a spy, albeit a rather naive and very untrained one. The series follows her on the various jobs she ends up on for SO17, but at the end of book four, SO17 has been disbanded, and Sophie is back working in a bookstore in the airport. At least that's where she should be. Where she actually is, is on the run after becoming the chief suspect in the murder of an intelligence agent that she didn't commit. I really enjoy Kate Johnson's books. Although they're classed as chick lit/romance (her last book, a stand alone novel called The UnTied Kingdon was nominated for this years Romantic Novel of the Year award) that's only one aspect of the story. All of them have actually been good spy stories or thrillers, quite light-hearted and at times comic, with some romance thrown in for good measure. This latest addition to the Sophie Green mysteries is actually a bit more serious in tone than the previous books, and Sophie really has to come into her own in order to try and clear her name. It really comes across that she can't trust anyone and has to rely on the skills she's learned and the own instincts, and even then it gets darker than it's ever been before. I loved that the narrative switched between Sophie in first person and Luke in third person, and it really kept you on your toes trying to work out what was going on, seeing the events unfold from two different perspectives. Having said all that, it's still a read for pure entertainment, and I've had a lovely relaxing Saturday reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 11, 2012 Author Share Posted March 11, 2012 It's officially now over two weeks since I bought a book! In that time, I've reduced my TBR by 9 books so I'm well on the way to attempting to reach my goal of getting that down to 0. I'm in need to a new book to read, but looking at my reading list I realised I have three books I've already started, two non-fiction and one fiction, so I thought I'd try and pick up one of the non-fiction books again, and maybe start a new fiction book as well, as I did have a sneak peek at the first couple of pages the other day and it's tempting me to read it. So with that in mind, I've decided today to pick up Corvus by Esther Woolfson again, and to make a start on A Backward Place by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 11, 2012 Author Share Posted March 11, 2012 My book database tells me that it's been almost a year since I first started Corvus by Esther Woolfson, which makes me realise it must be time for the MOT on my car, as I know I first picked it up as something to read while I was waiting for the garage to phone back to say if the car had passed! It's definitely been a dip in and out sort of book, but one I've really enjoyed. The authors daughter rescued a fledgling rook (called Chicken) sixteen years ago, and as the bird became part of their family, Woolfson's interest in the corvid family grew, as did their own family, joined by Spike the magpie and Ziki the crow, and surprisingly these rescued birds have formed unique sibling relationships with their human counterparts. The books is part memoir of the lives of the birds in the Woolfson household, mixed with the evolution, biology, natural history, and intelligence of corvids, along with their reputations in cultural history. I loved the the scientific look at the birds and was fascinated by their intelligence, but I have to say it was the story of the three characters in the book, particularly Chicken and Spike which touched me the most. I don't often quote from books, but some of the descriptive writing is beautifully observed, including this: From the grey attenuated light of this February afternoon, a heron assumes bird shape from a haze of flying shadows, drifts down to stand with ancient, ancestral dignity, his air of grey ecclesiastical solemnity, in the shallows in the fringes of the reeds. We watch him intently in silence for a long time, until at last he takes of with slow, considered grace, flies low to merge languidly back into the faint winter mist from which he emerged. Fascinating and touching, and a beautiful book to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Day 16 on the No New Books (NNB) challenge, and I'm doing ok. No visits to Amazon, walked through WHSmith without stopping and straight past Waterstone's. I know there is a new book out tomorrow in a series of YA books that I really enjoy, so that will be my biggest test so far. Will I fall off the wagon? I'm determined to cling on for dear life, but you never know ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) I think A Backward Place by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has been at the number 1 spot on my TBR list for as long as I've been keeping a record of my books, but my NBB challenge is encouraging me to pick up some of these older books that I've been looking at for such a long time. I've loved every book I've read by this author, and this was no exception. There is actually very little plot, it's more of a character study and a glimpse into the society of expats in 1960s Delhi. From Judy, the young English wife of an Indian actor, to Etta, the elegant blonde whose beauty is fading, to the Hochstadts, the husband of whom is on a two year assignment at the university, the story follows an episode of change in each of their lives. Although it's probably my least favourite of her books I've read so far, I still loved reading it, and will be searching out more of her books in the future. Edited March 12, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Day 16 on the No New Books (NNB) challenge, and I'm doing ok. No visits to Amazon, walked through WHSmith without stopping and straight past Waterstone's. I know there is a new book out tomorrow in a series of YA books that I really enjoy, so that will be my biggest test so far. Will I fall off the wagon? I'm determined to cling on for dear life, but you never know ... Well done Claire! I feel quite guilty now that I took you for a walk through Waterstones and Oxfam Books .. I'm not sure if that was before your challenge or not (hopeless at Maths ) but anyway you coped with it marvellously. It's going to give you a real sense of achievement when you've read all or most of your TBR's. What WILL you do then though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well, as predicted, I've just finished Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange. The premise of the book is that it is the story of Jane Austen's Persuasion told from Captain Wentworth's point of view. It starts eight years before Persuasion, and takes us back to when the Wentworth first meets and falls in love with Anne Eliot, before picking up again when Wentworth returns from his naval duties in the Napoleonic Wars to find his sister and her husband have rented Kellynch Hall from Anne's father, and the couple meet again. Although I have set myself a challenge to read some of the contemporary novelists that have been inspired by Austen, I have to admit, I never expected to find any that would captivate me as much as this. I loved that in addition to reading the story from a fresh pair of eyes, it was delightful to have such a convincing episode covering the period when Anne and Frederick first fall in love and how their engagement faltered. The author makes a very clever decision to write in the form of a diary, which allows her to write in the first person and therefore makes a distinction between Austen's style and her own interpretation. I think she captures the period wonderfully, and really grasps the essence of Persuasion while giving an alternate view of the whole story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish, and I will definitely be reading more of her books, and there is one for each of the male heroes in Jane Austen's novels, and even one for the villain in Pride and Prejudice! That's good to know Claire. I've never got on with Jane Austen sequels before, the main problem being I could never recognise the characters, or they all seemed to act completely out of character. It seems like that's not the case here. Good luck with getting to the big 50 and beyond .. I can only dream of achieving that I wonder if it's because it's essentially the same story from just another point of view? It's definitely recognisable as the story I read a few weeks ago, but different enough to be an interesting read. She's not trying to artificially extend the story of the characters because she wants to imagine their life after the end of Austen's novel, but give you a different perspective on the familiar story you already know. I loved Persuasion (but then again I love most Austen books). I like the sound of Captain Wentworth's diary, as I do love books which tell the same story from different points of view. I found Mr Darcy's Diary the other day in a charity shop (I forget who the author is), which is basically telling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. It's had some good reviews ( ) so hopefully will be quite enjoyable. I do agree with Poppy's point though - the problem with a lot of sequels written by different authors is that the characters are so different to how they appear in the original works. I actually have Scarlett, which is the sequel to Gone With The Wind, at home, and keep eyeing it up on my bookshelf, but am wary about reading it, in case it changes the characters of Rhett and Scarlett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Well done Claire! I feel quite guilty now that I took you for a walk through Waterstones and Oxfam Books .. I'm not sure if that was before your challenge or not (hopeless at Maths ) but anyway you coped with it marvellously. It's going to give you a real sense of achievement when you've read all or most of your TBR's. What WILL you do then though? It was a couple of days before I bought my last book, so no guilt required! What I didn't tell youat the time was that I'd been there for about an hour before we met, so I'd already spent quite a while browsing the shelves and adding to my wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I loved Persuasion (but then again I love most Austen books). I like the sound of Captain Wentworth's diary, as I do love books which tell the same story from different points of view. I found Mr Darcy's Diary the other day in a charity shop (I forget who the author is), which is basically telling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. It's had some good reviews ( ) so hopefully will be quite enjoyable. I do agree with Poppy's point though - the problem with a lot of sequels written by different authors is that the characters are so different to how they appear in the original works. I actually have Scarlett, which is the sequel to Gone With The Wind, at home, and keep eyeing it up on my bookshelf, but am wary about reading it, in case it changes the characters of Rhett and Scarlett. Mr Darcy's Diary is by the same author, Amanda Grange. I bought it in the Kindle sale at Christmas for 99p, but I want to re-read Pride and Prejudice before I read that one - now I've enjoyed Captain Wentworth's Diary I'm less apprehensive of the series now. She's actually written a diary for each of the male heroes in Austen's books, and even one for Mr Wickham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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