frankie Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Haha you are down to 22 Claire? I am on 33 tree books. I will race you and see who gets to zero first. I'm sorry VF but you've lost even before you started Do you know how quick a reader chesilbeach is?! She's like super fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 I think you've earned that book, Claire. I can't wait to read your thoughts on The Children's Book. I'm rather daunted by the size. I don't know whether to be sad, jealous or excited that your TBR pile is so small *runs out of thread before head explodes* Thanks Kylie, it is starting to feel like a Herculean task, and although I may have earned it, I just wish it had been a book of my choice! I'll certainly let you know what I think about The Children's Book, I'm hoping it will be positive, as I haven't enjoyed many of my reading group books recently. Haha you are down to 22 Claire? I am on 33 tree books. I will race you and see who gets to zero first. I'm sorry VF but you've lost even before you started Do you know how quick a reader chesilbeach is?! She's like super fast. Normally, I'd agree with frankie, but in this instance I wouldn't bet money on me beating vodkafan - I have two thick, full of fact science/maths books to come which I know will take me a long time, and some of the fiction books look pretty daunting too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I read 10 this month..am I still in with a chance? Maybe I could sneak round to Chesil's place and put something in her cocoa to slow her down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 I think it could be close! Better make a start .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Normally, I'd agree with frankie, but in this instance I wouldn't bet money on me beating vodkafan - I have two thick, full of fact science/maths books to come which I know will take me a long time, and some of the fiction books look pretty daunting too! That's OK Claire at least 4 of mine are huge doorstops- one of them is 700 pages. History of the British Raj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Normally, I'd agree with frankie, but in this instance I wouldn't bet money on me beating vodkafan - I have two thick, full of fact science/maths books to come which I know will take me a long time, and some of the fiction books look pretty daunting too! That's OK Claire at least 4 of mine are huge doorstops- one of them is 700 pages. History of the British Raj There! I think Claire's still gonna win. I think it could be close! Better make a start .... The games have begun! Vodkafan, go ahead. Catch 22! Hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Just got back from a week away, and as last time, I downloaded some ebooks to take with me, rather than dragging a huge bag of paperbacks. Weather was lovely, so not as much reading as the previous holiday, but I did still manage to read six books, and am a quarter of the way through another. One of the books was one I've been reading on my iPad for ages, and actually sat down and finished it yesterday, so at least I did make a small dent in my TBR pile, which is still sitting nicely at 21 books. Unusually for me, I'm consciously going to start two more books over the upcoming long weekend, which means I have a holiday book to finish, the paperback I started before I went away, plus The Children's Book for my local reading group, and The Opposite of Fate for the Rory Gilmore challenge on here. I'm hoping to get all of those finished by the end of next week (I.e. 15th June), which sets me up nicely to start the July Reading Circle book, Cloudstreet after that. The four books are quite a good mix to read actually, with two fiction, one travel and one memoir/autobiography, so I think it'll work to dip in and out of them all. I'll write up some reviews later on the books I've read this week, but I'm off now to find some coffee and a quiet table to get over the long drive home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Before I went away, I read Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds. This is a graphic novel that I'd heard a lot about, and I'd even seen the recent film adaptation, but had never read the book. I've always had the impression that graphic novels were sci-fi, fantasy or thriller/noir style books, and they've never interested me, but I'd read an article about this book and was intrigued. I have to say, it was a fantastic reading experience, although I can't deny, it did feel like I was ten years old again, reading the comic strips in my magazine (I can't actually remember which ones I used to read, but I don't think it was Jackie, the famous one from around that period). The difference was that this was a grown up reading experience. Sprinkled through the pictures (are they called comic strips in this format?) are bits of text telling a bit more of the story from a particular characters point of view. I'm not sure if my experience was actually better having seen the film, as I knew where the story was going, and it made it easier to follow the pictures and text in the right order, something I'd been concerned about, as sometimes the layouts aren't in a strict linear fashion, depending on where the text it placed. The film version is actually incredibly close to the book, but one of the characters storylines ends in a completely different way, something I'm sure was done to help sell it to its demographic and please the studio, but gives a much grittier, realistic plot in the book. As an alternative to the traditional novel, I thought it was very entertaining and a very satisfying reading experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) On to my holiday reading, and one of my indulgences on holiday is to sink into the purely entertaining experience of reading kids books. My first choice was Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Fatal Phantom by Emma Kennedy. The third book in the Wilma Tenderfoot series finds our young heroine on a mysterious case after Pickle interferes in an archaelogical dig and finds some mummified remains, which leads to a treasure quest and the villainous plans of her arch nemesis, Barbu D'Anvers. These books are such good fun, with their comic tone and their loveable heroine with her canine sidekick, and the ongoing element of her determination to become a proper detective and find out where she came from. I imagine they would be excellent bedtime books for parents to read to their children, with lots of opportunities for multiple character voices, a thrilling plot, and enough comedy to entertain both the young and old alike. I loved it! Edited June 2, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 More indulgence with an author I use as a go-to when I either need to be cheered up, or to read something with an entertaining plot that doesn't require too much thinking about, I chose Abandon by Meg Cabot. Pierce died last year. She fell in the pool and drowned. Fortunately, she was resuscitated, but her near death experience was more than a light at the end of a tunnel. She met John, whose job is to help souls to their final destination ... and with whom association now that she is alive in the world again may have fatal consequences. I did enjoy it, but I sort of felt it never really got going. I already knew this was to be part of a series (although I'm not sure how many books it will be), but by the end, I just felt that it was almost all scene setting and character introduction without much development of story or character, and so many loose ends left at the end, I just wanted to start the next book immediately to find out where it's actually going. I wish I'd left it to read later when more/all of the series had been released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) I wanted to read another of my Jane Austen inspired books, and decided to try Letters To Alice by Fay Weldon. Her niece Alice, the daughter of her estranged sister, is studying English at University and is struggling to enjoy the assigned Jane Austen works. Fay writes these letters to her, and by explaining the life that Jane would have lived, the role of women in society, the class system of the time and the expectations of females with regards to marriage, she gives her niece, and the reader, another dimension to Austen's writing and shows how important a view of that period her novels are. This was a totally absorbing read, and has genuinely given me more food for thought for when I'm re-reading the novels in my challenge, and has made me rethink the books I've already read. For anyone who loves Jane Austen's work, I would recommend this book as a thought provoking work to read alongside them to give an additional insight into their genesis. Edited June 2, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 An author I discovered through Doctor Who is Paul Magrs. I read a couple of his Brenda and Effie books last year, and thoroughly enjoyed them, and have had him on my wishlist ever since. When choosing my holiday reads, I couldn't resist trying his latest novel 666 Charing Cross Road. Shelley works in an obscure Manhattan art gallery, and for her first exhibition as a curator, Women and Madness she finds the oddly strange sculpture, The Scottish Bride, in storage in the basement of the museum and it proves a crowd attracting exhibit. Meanwhile, her aunt Liza (who reads books for a living!) loves supernatural and paranormal fantasy books, but bored with all the specialist shops only selling new authors, she is delighted when her new friend Jack stumbles upon an advert for the antiquarian bookshop at 666 Charing Cross Road. When they send her an unusual tome she never ordered, Liza finds it unsettling and repellent, and Shelley's boyfriend Daniel takes it off her hands, and sets in motion a chain of horrifying events, which will change all their lives. An absolutely cracking book! Magrs British humour mixed in to a pan Atlantic story of supernatural powers and creatures, with believable characters who you want to spend time with, and generally a fantastic romp of a story. By far my favourite character has to be Aunt Liza, not only because she has the perfect job - reading books - but she's delightfully eccentric, quick witted and with a wicked tongue, she also has an unknown past which reveals itself gradually as the story progresses. There is a small amount of sexual content and occasional violent scenes, but none are too graphic, and are essential to the story with nothing gratuitous. Although I think this is intended to be a stand alone novel, I wonder if we'll see some of the characters in different stories or even appear in some of his other series of books in the future. I, for one, would definitely love to read more with Liza in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari has been on my radar since it won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize last year. I'm finding it difficult to write a synopsis so have decided to just include the one from amazon: Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her. An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life. This book is wonderful. I'm welling up just thinking about it again now, and it will stay with me for a long time. I was fortunate in that I didn't have to deal with the grief of losing anyone until I was in my thirties, and I can only imagine how difficult it is for a teenager, and for a parent who has to explain death to a child. This book does that with humour, warmth, honesty and emotion, and is very, very touching. A whole-hearted recommendation for teenager and adults alike, and one I won't forget easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari has been on my radar since it won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize last year. I'm finding it difficult to write a synopsis so have decided to just include the one from amazon: Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her. An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life. This book is wonderful. I'm welling up just thinking about it again now, and it will stay with me for a long time. I was fortunate in that I didn't have to deal with the grief of losing anyone until I was in my thirties, and I can only imagine how difficult it is for a teenager, and for a parent who has to explain death to a child. This book does that with humour, warmth, honesty and emotion, and is very, very touching. A whole-hearted recommendation for teenager and adults alike, and one I won't forget easily. Maddie (my 11 year old daughter) loved this book and has just started the next in the series, Jasmine Skies. Lovely artwork on the covers too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Finally, a traditional chick lit story, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk. I've actually been reading this for a few months (mostly snatching a few pages here and there while I blow dry my hair in the morning) but sat down on holiday and finished it. I didn't realise it was actually part way through a series, but I don't think it really matters. It's standard chick lit fare, with boyfriend troubles, best friend troubles, work troubles, in a light frothy story set against the romantic backdrop of Paris. Nothing wrong with it, perfectly fine, and if you're a fan of chick lit, I'm sure you'll love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Maddie (my 11 year old daughter) loved this book and has just started the next in the series, Jasmine Skies. Lovely artwork on the covers too! I only realised she had another book out just now when I was looking for the synopsis, and didn't know it was the next in the series. Looking at the description on amazon, I can't help thinking I wish she'd written this second book about a different girl, but I'll definitely read it at some point and hope she proves me wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 I'm back tracking a bit on the four books plan for this weekend, and sticking with three. I've decided to leave The Children's Book until I've finished the others. I'm about 60 pages in to The Opposite of Fate and enjoying it a lot, think this is going to be a great read. Two chapters into The Factory of Light and it's also shaping up nicely, although a little slow going. Finally, almost half way through There But For The by Ali Smith - my favourite author - and it's wonderful, but don't want to rush it, so savouring small amounts inbetween the other books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 The Opposite of Fate is a collection of essays and writing from novelist Amy Tan, author of, amongst others, The Joy Luck Club. The pieces vary in length, and cover topics such as growing up as a first generation American to Chinese parents, being required reading in educational institutions and the papers written about her work, moving to New York when her friend was diagnosed with a terminal illness and even a letter of apology for having to decline an invitation to join a panel at a literary event. I received this as a present after requesting it because it was on the Rory Gilmore Challenge book list, but as with a lot of my other recent reads, it's been languishing on my bookshelf for a while now. When I first asked for it, I thought it was a novel, so when I actually looked at the notes on the back and realised it was non-fiction, I was a bit put off. Why would I want to read a memoir of an author I'd never read any of their novels? It was only when frankie suggested we made it a group read for the Rory club that I was convinced to start it, but it's been such a joy to read. I loved the variety of the various pieces, from what the biographical remembrances to the reasons why she started to write, to what she loves to read. My favourite piece of all is entitled Required reading and other dangerous subjects. Since her book The Joy Luck Club has been added to the educational curriculum under the heading of Required Reading or Multicultural Literature, she often encounters students who are/have written essays, papers or their thesis on her and her books. She talks about the variety of inferences and suppositions people have made about her work, and the analysis performed where the writer has found a particular symbolism or association with, for example, the number four. This is something I've always struggled with as a reader as opposed to a literary academic. I've often heard people talking about themes and symbols within text, which I've never noticed. I'm a reader who loves the story and the characters and wants to be entertained, so in depth analysis of books has always eluded me. It was wonderful to read the writers perspective on reading what other people have thought about her novel, and it made me feel less unworthy as a reader not to have noticed these themes and symbols in books before. In fact, this lack of pretension and her honesty about what and how she has written and lived is one of the joys of reading this book. Throughout the essays, Tan describes coincidences and experiences that she has had which can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on your views and beliefs, so you might consider some of them being blessed by a higher deity, or for another incident, it could be you believe in ghosts, or you could just be a proponent of coincidence. Never once does Tan make a judgement or a conclusion on who is "right" about what has occurred, she simply explains what has happened and lets the reader make up their own mind about what they believe in themselves. It makes for a very inclusive experience as the reader never feels isolated from the Tan and her beliefs. Her style of writing is very comfortable to read, and I loved dipping in and out of this book over the last week. I'm also now very much intrigued to read her novels, particularly The Joy Luck Club, and have added them to my wishlist for future consideration. Very enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Great review Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Thanks Paula! Haven't seen you around much lately, how's the job going? Hope you're well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Great review Claire I've read The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan & really liked it . I'm sure I've got another of her books in one of my boxes, will have to go have a dig around & see what it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Thanks Kidsmum I can't wait to finish my last 20 books so that I can start buying some new ones, and The Joy Luck Club is definitely going to be one of the first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Claire, how is it going to work once you get to 0? Are you going to try to buy just one book at a time, or are you going to go mad (like I would) and buy several months' worth of books in one go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Thanks Kidsmum I can't wait to finish my last 20 books so that I can start buying some new ones, and The Joy Luck Club is definitely going to be one of the first! I'm full of admiration only 20 books on your TBR pile you're the very picture of restraint Claire. I can't remember the last time I had such a tidy pile but it was definitely before I joined the BCF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Claire, how is it going to work once you get to 0? Are you going to try to buy just one book at a time, or are you going to go mad (like I would) and buy several months' worth of books in one go? The plan is to read mainly ebooks, and to buy one book at a time, so as soon as I've finished one book I can pick whatever I fancy next straight off my wishlist. However, I won't be exclusively buying ebooks, and I've got a challenge in mind which is to buy and read the entire Persephone books catalogue (currently 96 books of which I've read 5) because it's not just the content, but the aesthetic of the paperback editions themselves, which are simple, elegant and beautifully published, so I'll still be scouring bookshops for those, or buying them direct from Persephone. I suspect I will build up a few of these in advance and then just scatter them through my reading. My OH also has an extensive collection of books, and there are a few of his I've already put on a list in my head that I want to read, including the works of J. L. Carr, E. H. Young and P. G. Wodehouse (anyone would think he only read authors who published with their initials ), but this won't be an official TBR, just a collection I can dip into whenever I feel like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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