chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Homage To Catalonia by George Orwell is the authors story of his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It's an unflinching, very personal account of war, from the lice infestations to the feeling of being hit by a bullet, alongside the wider story of the various factions in the Civil War. I've never got on with Orwell's fiction, but this is the second non-fiction book by him I've read - the first being Down and Out in Paris and London - and I loved reading them both. I don't really know what to say about this book, but his experiences come alive on the page, and it's a very rewarding story to read. Edited March 26, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Both of those Orwell books are going on my wishlist, I've heard many good things about Down and Out in Paris and London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hope you like them both, Brian. Down and Out in Paris and London I read as a teenager, and it certainly made an impact on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) Bit of light relief needed after a few rather serious books, so I decided to read For A Few Demons More, the fifth book in the Hollows series following witch Rachel Morgan, and her life as a runner in the supernatural world in Cincinnati. The previous books, although having their own discrete story, have all been building Rachel's story to this point, and by the end there are a few plot lines and characters that appear to have come to a conclusion, and it will be interesting to see where the story goes from here. I'm hoping for an injection of new people as well as developing with the existing ones, and perhaps a little lightness in Rachel's life which has been dragged down a bit this time around. Overall though, entertaining and a nice diversion from real life war and serious fiction. Edited March 30, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Five weeks since my last book purchase, and I'm starting to feel way too smug for my own good. Needed to start a new book today, and decided on A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks. I also have Birdsong by the same author, but I've had quite a few war books recently, so decided to wait until a bit before starting on that one, plus Human Traces, but decided on A Week In December for this weekend. I've got a few other books I've been reading for a while, just dipping in and out, so hoping to finish some of those over the next couple of days too. Can't wait to finish my next book so that my stats for this year will be Read = 40; TBR = 40. I wonder if that means I'll be a well balanced individual? Not sure anyone who knows me would agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I picked up copies of both Birdsong and A Week In December so I shall excitedly await your reviews. Your Read/TBR ratio is pretty good, I have no idea what mine is but recent discoveries of second hand book shops has ruined mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Birdsong has been on my TBR list for ages - my OH has been telling me to read it for years, and I've only seen good reviews of it, so I don't know why I keep putting it off. I suspect it's because I'm not really a big reader of novels set in wars, but I've a much higher number of those this year than I think I've ever read before, and enjoyed all of them, so I think it's likely that it will be sooner rather than later before I finally start Birdsong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Birdsong has been on my TBR list for ages - my OH has been telling me to read it for years, and I've only seen good reviews of it, so I don't know why I keep putting it off. I suspect it's because I'm not really a big reader of novels set in wars, but I've a much higher number of those this year than I think I've ever read before, and enjoyed all of them, so I think it's likely that it will be sooner rather than later before I finally start Birdsong. I know I'm repeating myself but Birdsong is a fabulous read (though I'm glad I read it before all the hype). Human Traces is even better in my opinion though, some of it is set during the war but it's not about the war. I'll be interested to hear what you think about A Week in December as it is one I've not tried though I think I have it somewhere in my MIRIOD (maybe I'll read it one day drawer)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 I've just read The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett. It's a children's book about two young sisters who find a soldier in the forest who says he is on his way home after his mother has written to him saying his dying brother has been asking for him. Although never explicitly stated, the book is set in Northern France, probably close to Calais, and during the second world war. The British soldier cannot see, and appears to have deserted from the army, in order to get home. The girls want to help him and in return he tells them various stories, each one with a donkey in it, the lucky charm he carries with him. This is a wonderful book. It has echoes of Whistle Down The Wind and although there is nothing too graphic in the descriptions of war, there is enough to give children an idea of the horrors of war. Each of the children who help Monsieur Lieutenant, with his tales of the bravery, tenacity and generosity of the humble donkey, comes to a decision about who and what they want to be in life. I had no idea what the book was about, and purely chose it for the cover alone, so I had no idea I was adding another war story to my book list, but I'm very glad I did. Like Michael Morpurgo, Hartnett writes in a way that doesn't talk down to children, but does teach them some of the realities of war, in a way that doesn't expose them to unnecessary graphical descriptions or horrifying images. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 As I suspected, being well balanced didn't last long! Although my Read:TBR ratio was 1:1 with both being 40 after I read my last book, it's now slightly uneven already. When I first said I was going to reduce my TBR shelf, I did add the caveat that I would acquire books for either the BCF reading circle, my library reading group, or for My Year With Jane Austen challenge. I've just come back from visiting my new local second hand book shop, and have come away with The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing for April's Reading Circle, for the princely sum of just £2! I had been waivering as to whether I would read it, but picking it up and realising it was only about 150 pages, and it was a cheap copy in good condition, I felt it was too good an opportunity to miss, so I'll be reading this soon so that I can join in with the discussions from tomorrow Unfortunately, that now means by Read:TBR is 40:41 and I'm just going to have to work a tiny bit harder to get that TBR below 40. Still, hardly a chore, is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 I spotted on another thread that the Kindle Spring Sale had started, a fact I was totally unaware of as I've stopped browsing Amazon at the moment. I knew I shouldn't, but decided to have a look anyway. I made a conscious decision before I started to only consider buying books that were either in one of my "allowed" groups (see previous post) or were at the top of my wishlist for my holiday, when I know I'll have to buy some more to top up my Kindle, as I don't want to be taking a bag full of books away with me (been there, done that, and jeez, it's hard to fit in the car! ). I trawled through all 365 books, and although I was tempted by some new books I'd not seen before, there was nothing that matched my criteria, and I logged off with zero purchases! Is there a maximum smugness a person can have? I think I may just have beaten the world record for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 After buying The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing for the April Reading Circle, it's only now I've read the blurb and found out it's a horror story. I'd not voted for any of the nominations as it's not a subject I'm interested in , and I'd only bought it because I came across a cheap second hand copy. So looking at it now, I know it's a book I don't want to even start, so it will now be going straight back to a charity shop, and taken off my TBR list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 I'm reading A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks, but I think it's going to be a slow read. Review on the cover includes the word "Hilarious" which I think is stretching it quite a bit so far, and there are a lot of characters with the story flitting between them, so you have to keep remembering who's who. There's also little dialogue, which always makes reading quicker I find, whereas here, everything is story or character development. That said, I've not even read the blurb, so I don't really know what the story is supposed to be about, and it's interesting to find out where it's all going at the lead to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Wow reading through your blog chesil you are so organised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 It's been a long time coming, but I've finally got round to reading A Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I've never seen or heard any of the adaptations of it, so I had little idea what to expect, but so many people have recommended it to me I finally decided to read it. I can't believe how visionary Douglas Adams was. I sat reading about the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy being read on an electronic device that can hold enough books to fill a couple of large buildings, and what was I reading this book on? An iPad and even at time a mobile phone! Now, science fiction isn't my cup of tea, although I have read some, but I do love humour and there was plenty on display here. I chuckled quite a lot to myself as I read it, but it wasn't as laugh out loud as I'd been told to expect. Imaginative and amusing, and a very entertaining read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 Wow reading through your blog chesil you are so organised! Thanks! If only I was this organised in every day life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Well I'm still reading A Week In December. I'm almost half way through and new characters are still being introduced and developed! I'm struggling with a couple of the characters stories, but loving others, and I think I can see where the story is going, but not how it's going to get there and what the resolution will be. Tomorrow could be the biggest test of my willpower for my not buying new books as the new Kelley Armstrong book, The Calling (the second in the Darkness Rising YA series) is out. I'm hoping to be able to resist it until my holiday purchases, but it's going to be a struggle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) It's taken me the best part of a week, but I've finally finished A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks. This year, I've been trying to write a brief summary of the books I read myself, but I'm finding it difficult for this book, without either giving too much away, or simply paraphrasing the blurb on the cover, so I might as well just quote that: London, the week before Christmas, 2007. Seven wintry days to track the lives of seven characters: a hedge fund manager trying to bring off the biggest trade of his career; a professional footballer recently arrived from Poland; a young lawyer with little work and too much time to speculate; a student who has been led astray by Islamist theory; a hack book-reviewer; a schoolboy hooked on skunk and reality TV; and a Tube driver whose Circle Line train joins these and countless other lives together in a daily loop. With daring skill, the novel pieces together the complex patterns and crossings of modern urban life, and the group is forced, one by one, to confront the true nature of the world they inhabit. Sweeping, satirical, Dickensian in scope, A Week in December is a thrilling state of the nation novel from a master of literary fiction. For me, the book got off to a bad start when a character who isn't one of the main seven listed above, decides to throw a dinner party and in a bullet point list describes the people she is inviting (about 30 or so people) describing who they are and why she will seat them next to other people, and including some of the seven main characters. I found it difficult to cope with so many names and idiosyncrasies being thrown at me in the space of a few pages, and as I had not read the blurb, I had no idea who would become the core characters of the plot. But that wasn't the only thing about the characters that puzzled me; the professional footballer in mentioned in the bullet point list, and then isn't introduced as a character in his own right until about half way through the book, at which point I was getting annoyed that here was another new character I needed to get to know. Now that leads me onto another problem I had, the plot. Is there one? No, there are seven, one for each character. Some of them lead to each other, but others just seem to be there to be able to add one of the elements of modern London society that Faulks wants to discuss. For example, one of the main characters is a banker, except he's a very specific type of banker in hedge funds, and at one point Faulks spends three or four pages getting his character to describe in layman's terms how the banking crisis came about and the economics and business behind it. I really had to push myself to get past that and continue with the book, but there are a couple of instances where this sort of thing happens, and they felt shoe horned in to me. And one character is suddenly revealed to have hypoglycemia at a crucial point in their story, which was just way too convenient for my liking. Having said that, I did continue with the book, as I did want to see where it was going to end up. The majority was written so that it focused on the actions and thoughts of an individual character with little dialogue, and this made it quite dense to read, and is why I think it has taken me so long. There is nothing wrong with the writing style or the tone of the book, and it does have some interesting characters and points to make, but the structure and content made it difficult to engage with it. I did like some of the characters, including the train driver and her lawyer, and the professional footballer, and their stories were interesting to read, so there were some definitely some parts of the book I enjoyed. One final point about the book itself, the reviews on the cover suggest this is satire and "hilarious" - I couldn't find one moment of humour in it at all, but I don't know if this is a failing on my part as perhaps I'm not clever enough or familiar enough with London as a society to be able see this aspect of the book. This is the third Faulks novel I have read, but I have a couple on my TBR shelf, including the much acclaimed Birdsong. All I can say is that it's a good job I've read other books of his that I enjoyed, as if this was my first venture into his writing, I'm not sure I'd give him the benefit of the doubt to read more, but as it stands, I will still continue to read his earlier books that I've already bought. Edited April 6, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) I see your TBR stands at 38 at the moment, I'm truly and utterly impressed. You definitely did not need my personal training services, and you've actually brought me to shame, in this case the trainee has far exceeded the skills of the trainer I was wondering if you could give me some pointers... Sunday mornings are the hardest time for me to resist buying books, as I normally settle down and make sure all my book lists, databases and spreadsheets are up to date (yes, I'm that much of a geek ), and then head over to Amazon and check if any of the books on my wishlist have been reduced in price, check the recommendations section to see if there's something new I fancy trying, look at my favourite authors/series to see if anything new has been added, and then read the Guardian review section for extra inspiration. I love the sound of your Sunday mornings! I spotted on another thread that the Kindle Spring Sale had started, a fact I was totally unaware of as I've stopped browsing Amazon at the moment. I knew I shouldn't, but decided to have a look anyway. I made a conscious decision before I started to only consider buying books that were either in one of my "allowed" groups (see previous post) or were at the top of my wishlist for my holiday, when I know I'll have to buy some more to top up my Kindle, as I don't want to be taking a bag full of books away with me (been there, done that, and jeez, it's hard to fit in the car! ). I trawled through all 365 books, and although I was tempted by some new books I'd not seen before, there was nothing that matched my criteria, and I logged off with zero purchases! Is there a maximum smugness a person can have? I think I may just have beaten the world record for it. You went through 365 (did you notice, that would be a book a day ) books and, even considering your allowed groups, you came off with no purchases at all? You amaze me. I, btw, agree that the RCs and other book reading groups do not factor in the actual bought books -criteria, in the sense that they should be and are allowed. How are you otherwise to take part in the group discussions? Thanks! If only I was this organised in every day life Would you rather be organized with your books and lists, than with real life? Yep, I thought so Edited April 6, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 I see your TBR stands at 38 at the moment, I'm truly and utterly impressed. You definitely did not need my personal training services, and you've actually brought me to shame, in this case the trainee has far exceeded the skills of the trainer I was wondering if you could give me some pointers... I'm not sure about that - just knowing that I would have to admit to you on here that I had bought a book in enough incentive to stop me clicking on that "Buy Now with 1-Click" button Seriously though, the things that help me are: 1. From my chair with my laptop in front of me, up to the right on the other side of the room is my TBR shelf. Seeing the gaps appear has been the biggest thrill for me, as it's always be chockerblock full of books, and in the past has been spread over two or three shelves. 2. Not having to scroll down my book spreadsheet to see the full extent of my TBR as it fits on a single page is a brilliant sight. 3. After each book I read, knowing I can reduce by one the number in my BCF signature gives me a little tingle of pleasure. I love the sound of your Sunday mornings! I can't wait for the day when I can start doing the browsing through Amazon and my wishlists again, it's the one thing I really miss. All my spreadsheets and databases I keep updated up to the minute now, and I try and get my reviews done while everything is still fresh in my mind, but that Sunday morning browsing time is sorely missed. You went through 365 (did you notice, that would be a book a day ) books and, even considering your allowed groups, you came off with no purchases at all? You amaze me. I, btw, agree that the RCs and other book reading groups do not factor in the actual bought books -criteria, in the sense that they should be and are allowed. How are you otherwise to take part in the group discussions? Absolutely! I knew I would have to buy or borrow some books, so as long as I made it clear to myself at the start of my challenge, then I wouldn't make myself feel bad when I had to veer off the path. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Would you rather be organized with your books and lists, than with real life? Yep, I thought so You're right, you're right, I know you're right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I'm not sure about that - just knowing that I would have to admit to you on here that I had bought a book in enough incentive to stop me clicking on that "Buy Now with 1-Click" button Haha, my scariness is established on the forum Seriously though, the things that help me are:1. From my chair with my laptop in front of me, up to the right on the other side of the room is my TBR shelf. Seeing the gaps appear has been the biggest thrill for me, as it's always be chockerblock full of books, and in the past has been spread over two or three shelves. 2. Not having to scroll down my book spreadsheet to see the full extent of my TBR as it fits on a single page is a brilliant sight. 3. After each book I read, knowing I can reduce by one the number in my BCF signature gives me a little tingle of pleasure. These are all great advice, but unfortunately they don't work for me, personally From my chair I can two bookcases full of TBR books, one smaller bookcase and a Rory drawer where books are hidden in the drawers, they are not on display but I know they are there. So any few books I am able to read off TBR don't really make any difference. If all my books would fit into one bookcase, the different would be more noticeable, but now when it doesn't really make a difference, it seems it's all in vain I can't wait for the day when I can start doing the browsing through Amazon and my wishlists again, it's the one thing I really miss. All my spreadsheets and databases I keep updated up to the minute now, and I try and get my reviews done while everything is still fresh in my mind, but that Sunday morning browsing time is sorely missed. You've already gone under the milestone of 40 books on TBR. What is your ultimate goal before you feel confident enough to start browsing on Amazon, with the intention of actually acquiring books from wishlist? And doesn't it just lead you back to the same 'problem' you had before you set out to not buy any books? A bigger mount TBR, and then you have to go through a period of non-buying again? Or are you intending to be more strict in the future, giving yourself the privilege of only buying so and so many books during a certain period of time? You're right, you're right, I know you're right! Told you so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 You've already gone under the milestone of 40 books on TBR. What is your ultimate goal before you feel confident enough to start browsing on Amazon, with the intention of actually acquiring books from wishlist? And doesn't it just lead you back to the same 'problem' you had before you set out to not buy any books? A bigger mount TBR, and then you have to go through a period of non-buying again? Or are you intending to be more strict in the future, giving yourself the privilege of only buying so and so many books during a certain period of time? Ideally, I want to get to the stage where I have no books at all on my TBR list, and I will then be happy to browse and buy maybe only one, possibly two, books based on what I want to read next. I think this will be easier now, as my TBR list kept growing due to the 3 for 2 offer in Waterstone's, when often I'd end up buying three books when I only really wanted one of them, just because it seemed too good an offer to refuse, but once I'm down to TBR=0, then I'll be mostly reading Kindle books, and it's much easier to just go for whatever I want to read next, as you can buy them wherever you are, whenever you want. There will still be some books that aren't available in Kindle format, or I consider are priced too high compared to the hardback/paperback edition, where I will either buy the paper copy or borrow from the library, but again, these will be buy and read almost immediately, so I don't end up with a backlog again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons: Travels in Sicily on a Vespa by Matthew Fort is a travelogue with a foodie theme. Twenty three years after he first travelled to Sicily with his brother Tom, Matthew Fort, an award winning food writer and critic, decides to embark on a trip around the island to find out more about the food of this part of Italy, and how it varies from the mainland. I've read this book in a couple of days, and have been persistently hungry and salivating throughout the experience! I love the mixture of travel and food, and the idea of a middle aged, portly English gentleman pootling around on a bright red Vespa and eating what sounds like amazing local, seasonal food was a perfect mix for both the sunshine of yesterday and the grey drizzle of today. There were many interesting people to meet and dishes to sample as well as the hunt for the best gelati and the search for the road signs to lead him in the right direction, to make this a joyful romp around an area of Italy that has previously seen a variety of rulers including the Spanish, that have influenced the food of the region. Another added bonus was the variety of recipes of some of the dishes he enjoyed at the end of each chapter, meaning I can add this to my cookbook collection to try some of the mouthwatering dishes I read about. A perfect read for a holiday weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 I was given One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson as a Christmas present, and as it says "Age: 8+" on the cover, I guess I'm in the right age range to read it! It's the story of a young boy, Hal, who every birthday he asks his parents for only one thing, a dog. His father is an international businessman and is hardly at home much, so leaves it up to his mother to look after him, but she refuses to entertain the idea of a dog as it would mess up her smart, fashionable and expensive home. After a disastrous birthday party, the father arranges for Hal to rent a dog from Easy Pets for a weekend, thinking Hal will be fed up with the responsibility by the end of the two days, and anyway, he'll be on an aeroplane to New York so his mother can deal with taking the dog back to the rental agency. But Hal and his new canine companion, Fleck, immediately fall in love with each other, and neither of his parents told him of this arrangement, so when he finds the dog gone, he becomes sad and withdrawn, as does Fleck back in at the agency. When Hal runs away, he rescues Fleck, and with a few other Easy Pets friends along for the journey, the group embark on an adventure to a place where Hal and Fleck can be together. This is a book in the vein of a classic style of children's adventure story, and Eva Ibbotson's last book before she died last year. Believable characters, selfish parents, good friends, and a rollicking adventure story all make for a fantastic read. I'm not a maternal person, but I can imagine it would be a great experience to read this to children as a bed time story. The animals aren't anthropomorphised, but each has their own individual character, and their own story and destiny, and the children develop over the duration of the book, and the parents have the opportunity to make changes to their life, learn to adapt and stop being selfish in order to become better parents and rebuild the relationship with their son. All I can add is that, I wish I could have a dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Decided to reorder the books on my TBR list into three categories of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Travel today, as I'm conscious that I have quite a number of non-fiction and travel books left to read, and I don't like to read more than two in a row, so I want to make sure I can mix them in between the fiction books. Plus, I have to have something related to my book list to do on a Sunday morning! Have started reading Can't Be Arsed by Richard Wilson this morning. I know it's going to be a quick, light-hearted read, but it's also good for a weekend as it won't fit in my bag to take to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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