Ruth Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber Synopsis: Meet Sugar, a nineteen-year-old prostitute in nineteenth-century London who yearns for escape to a better life. From the brothel of the terrifying Mrs. Castaway, she begins her ascent through society, meeting a host of lovable, maddening, unforgettable characters on the way. They begin with William Rackham, an egotistical perfume magnate whose empire is fueled by his lust for Sugar; his unhinged, child-like wife Agnes; his mysteriously hidden-away daughter, Sophie; and his pious brother Henry, foiled in his devotional calling by a persistently less-than-chaste love for the Widow Fox. All this is overseen by assorted preening socialites, drunken journalists, untrustworthy servants, vile guttersnipes, and 'ladies of the night' of all stripes and persuasions. courtesy of amazon.com Rating: 5/5 Thoughts: Thoroughly enjoyable! I loved the journey this book took me on, and it is definitely one I will not soon forget. Highly recommended. Has anyone read other books by Faber that they'd recommend? Relaxing Sunday reading The Help. Absolutely loving this book! Loved The Help. I read it a couple of years ago, and I think it was my favourite read of that whole year. I will definitely be rereading it at some point too. I'm also really tempted by TCPatW - I've seen it a few times and almost bought it - my resolve is bound to crack soon! I personally didn't like TCPatW that much, but I've read Under the Skin by him, which I really enjoyed and gave it 5/5. But be warned, it's nothing like TCPatW, it's a sort of a dystopian read, I suppose? Something completely different It was very thought provoking, to be sure. Sounds intriguing. I like dystopian novels - am off to Google this one now:) Edited January 30, 2012 by Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Sounds intriguing. I like dystopian novels - am off to Google this one now:) Hm, I'm not sure if dystopian is the word... definitely sci-fi related. But I won't say more so won't spoil it for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) Has anyone read other books by Faber that they'd recommend? I loved The Crimson Petal and The White as well, but didn't think The Apple (a collection of short stories based on the same location or with characters from TCPATW) was anywhere near as good. However, I loved both The Fire Gospel and The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps by him. The Courage Consort was good, but I didn't get on so well with The Fahrenheit Twins. Edited January 30, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Thanks so much for the Faber recommendations frankie and chesilbeach. I plan on looking into all of them! chesilbeach, does Sugar and William appear at all in The Apple? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 The Help by Kathryn Stockett Synopsis: Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child. She's always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back. Her friend Minny had certainly never held her tongue, or held on to a job for very long, but now she's working for a newcomer with secrets that leave her speechless. And white socialite Skeeter her just returned from college with ambition and a degree, but to her mother's lament, no husband. Normally Skeeter would find solace in Constantine, the beloved maid who raised her, but Constantine have inexplicably disappeared. Together, these seemingly different woman join to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town-to write, in secret, a tell-all book about what it's really like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South. Despite the terrible risks they will have to take, and the sometimes humorous boundaries they will have to cross, these three women unite with one intention: hope for a better day. Rating: 5/5 Thoughts: I simply loved this book! I originally wasn't sure about reading this book, way too many friends were raving about it and I felt there was no way it could live up to all the hype. Happy to say I was wrong. Very wrong. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen, and at the same time, I didn't want it to end. I'll definitely be re-reading this book again one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Great review on The Help. I read this last year and just loved it. The movie is quite good too, and follows the book very closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Thanks, bobblybear! I usually don't care for seeing the movie after reading the book, but this one I'd like to check out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 This book is addictive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Pretty picture! I'm really glad you're enjoying the book. I might have to bump it up my TBR pile. I also bought the movie recently, but haven't watched it yet. Have you seen it? It's supposed to be pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Do you take the pictures of the books you are reading/have read yourself? I love them all Really beautiful! I love it how you (?) have used a pale blue/gray square background on which the actual picture is set, and the picture has rounded edges. Awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Pretty picture! I'm really glad you're enjoying the book. I might have to bump it up my TBR pile. I also bought the movie recently, but haven't watched it yet. Have you seen it? It's supposed to be pretty good. Thanks, Kylie! No, I've never seen the movie, and I've heard mix reviews, so you'll have to let me know what think after you get around to watching it. Do you take the pictures of the books you are reading/have read yourself? I love them all Really beautiful! I love it how you (?) have used a pale blue/gray square background on which the actual picture is set, and the picture has rounded edges. Awesome frankie, yes, I take all the pictures with my iPhone and then I use the Instagram app to edit how the pic looks. I'm glad you enjoy them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann Synopsis: Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight - for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry - only to find that there's no place left to go but down - into the Valley of the Dolls. Rating: 4/5 Thoughts: This was my weekend guilty pleasure. It was enjoyable, funny, and ultimately heartbreaking. I actually felt pretty sad for a bit after finishing it, but I'd still recommend it as a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) frankie, yes, I take all the pictures with my iPhone and then I use the Instagram app to edit how the pic looks. I'm glad you enjoy them! I'm in awe! Your blog is such joy to my eyes, I've already commented on your choice of fonts and colors but now I've discovered these pics too Keep it up! (This is of course in addition to the reviews you write! It's not just eye-candy.) Edited February 22, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Aw, frankie, you're too kind!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have the Valley of the Dolls on my shelf waiting to be read, sounds like a great guilty pleasure read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Me too. In fact, I've had Valley of the Dolls on my tbr for years. Yes, years! I'm glad you liked it Erin; your review has encouraged me to bump it up the list a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have the Valley of the Dolls on my shelf waiting to be read, sounds like a great guilty pleasure read! Me too. In fact, I've had Valley of the Dolls on my tbr for years. Yes, years! I'm glad you liked it Erin; your review has encouraged me to bump it up the list a bit! I hope you both enjoy it! =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I've spent most of my day on the couch reading Room. Such a great book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 Room by Emma Donoghue Synopsis: To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child Courtesy of amazon.com Rating: 5/5 Thoughts: Wow, what a book! Loved the first half, was hoping for a little more from the second half, but overall it was a great read. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted March 11, 2012 Author Share Posted March 11, 2012 The best part about dyeing my hair is being able to catch up on some reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Room by Emma Donoghue Wow, what a book! Loved the first half, was hoping for a little more from the second half, but overall it was a great read. I highly recommend it. It was amazing, wasn't it? My favorite last year The best part about dyeing my hair is being able to catch up on some reading. Haha, well thought! Omg I love that photo. I love how you've arranged everything on the set. I seriously want to paper my walls with screen shots of your reading blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arukiyomi Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 aha... finally... someone else who takes pics of their books in the contexts they read them for their blog. How long have you been doing that for bookworm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Love the piccies while you read.....enjoy the Maggie O'Farrels when you get to them...both great reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Omg I love that photo. I love how you've arranged everything on the set. I seriously want to paper my walls with screen shots of your reading blog Thanks, frankie! aha... finally... someone else who takes pics of their books in the contexts they read them for their blog. How long have you been doing that for bookworm? Arukiyomi, though I've taken some pictures in the past, I mostly started this year. Just about everyone I know has been biten by the ebook bug and it truly saddens me. I love real books and taking these pics has become a way for me to express just how much I do. Love the piccies while you read.....enjoy the Maggie O'Farrels when you get to them...both great reads. Thank you, Inver! I'm hoping to read at least one of O'Farrell's books this summer. Hoping to update this blog soon. I have a few books/thoughts to post, and I also have a few pictures to upload as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Nice to see you back! Looking forward to seeing/hearing what you've been up to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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