poppy Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I don't think I'll be reading them. Sex in books usually makes me want to sit in the corner with a tea towel over my head, fingers in my ears, saying la-la-la very loudly I hope I'm not a prude (I read and enjoyed Running with Scissors for instance) but I do get all squirmy and embarrassed if the sex is particularly cringy or if it's too laboured (the writing .. not the sex .. though that too I suppose). I can't be doing with doe eyed, lip biting females simpering over men and repeatedly drooling over their muscles/eyes/chiselled jaw and I definitely can't be doing with men who say stuff like 'it's your lucky day baby or 'yes, you are ready for me aren't you' Poppyshake, you are such a crack- up I know exactly what you mean. It sounds a bit like a hotted up Mills and Boons book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 Synopsis via Goodreads: Ethan Muller is struggling to establish his reputation as a dealer in the cut-throat world of contemporary art, when he stumbles onto a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: in a decaying New York slum, an elderly tenant named Victor Cracke has disappeared, leaving behind a staggeringly large trove of original artwork. Nobody can say anything for certain about Cracke, except that he came and went in solitude for nearly forty years, his genius hidden and unacknowledged. All that is about to change. So what if, strictly speaking, the art doesn't belong to Ethan? He can sell it and he does just that, mounting a wildly successful show. Buyers clamor. Critics sing. Museums are interested, and Ethan's photo looks great in The New York Times. Then things go to hell. Suddenly the police want to talk to him. It seems that Victor Cracke had a nasty past, and the drawings hanging in the Muller Gallery have begun to look a lot less like art and a lot more like evidence. Is Victor Cracke a genius? A murderer? Both? Is there a difference? Sucked into an investigation four decades cold, Ethan will uncover a secret legacy of shame and death, one that touches horrifyingly close to home. I stayed up late last night finishing The Genius, and so thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I liked most how Kellerman told the story. Ethan gave his pespective, yet he also acted like a story teller to the reader, explaining it like a detective mystery. It's hard to describe, but it kept me very engaged and I liked that. There were flashback scenes interspersed throughout the book and at first you really have no clue how they fit in to the rest of the story, but more and more is revealed as you read on and you can see the connection between these scenes and Ethan's family and the current 'mystery' he's trying to solve. There were some aspects I wish Kellerman would've done differently, but all-in-all the weaving of mystery, history and best of all, art, was a wonderful combination which I would definitely recommend to anyone . I also finished On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder and started On the Shores of Silver Lake, the next book in the Little House series. These books are just as lovely as when I read the before, and reading more about pioneer life in the midwest always makes me happy . I believe that Silver Lake takes place around the 2nd year of the Ingalls' family living in Walnut Grove, MN, and the next book has them moving on to South Dakota. The family had 3 years of bad crops/winters in MN and just had to move on, which is understandable. Luckily they fared better after that. Lastly, I started Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. Fluffy vampire book, here I come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I definitely can't be doing with men who say stuff like 'it's your lucky day baby or 'yes, you are ready for me aren't you' Hey when I go into the barber's the man says that to me every time should I be worried Poppy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Just what kind of barber do you go to, VF?! Friday night I finished Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris but haven't started anything new yet. I've got By the Shores of Silver Lake going and I've obtained a mini stack of new reads and I just don't know what to start. I ordered 3 books from Amazon yesterday: A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley The House of Velvet & Glass by Katherine B. Howe Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (pre-order and it's out on 10 July) I'll post a review for Deadlocked soon, I promise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 A weird and personal (yet book related) question for you my lovely M..... .....Did you find that your reading tastes/choices altered while you were aware and dealing with your recent (for want of a better expression) ill health? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 .....Did you find that your reading tastes/choices altered while you were aware and dealing with your recent (for want of a better expression) ill health? Hmm... Good question, Chrissy! I think the only thing that changed while I was recuperating was that I read more books on the fluffy side since I had a lot of time on my hands. When I'm working and only have a few hours each night to read, I like to read things with more substance. Otherwise I don't think there was a huge change. Are you wondering if maybe I read things more inspirational or relatable to my situation? I will say that ever since I discovered the world of Twilight back in '08 or so my tastes/preferences have widened. I used to only read historical fiction but now I'm honestly open to anything. Supernatural, sci-fi, regular old fiction, etc. Come to think of it, I joined BCF of 2008 so that's probably the reason for my bookish growth! You guys are such a good influence on me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I was more thinking about how when I have things on my mind I tend to lean toward crime ficton books, usually from an series or author I love. I think it's the inherent problem solving that helps my own thoughts mulch over things and reach their own conclusions about the non reading stuff going on with me. I wondered whether it went a certain way for you. Actually having asked the question of you, I might throw a thread up and ask if others they find themselves seeking out a certain kind of read at certain times in their lives. Thanks M, I hope you didn't mind me asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris Synopsis via Amazon.com: It’s vampire politics as usual around the town of Bon Temps, but never before have they hit so close to Sookie’s heart… Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one. There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard—especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank. Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down. It was nice to be able to read a good old Sookie Stackhouse book again, especially to see the continuing differences between the novels and the TV show. Once I made my way into it though, I was reminded why I think it's probably a good idea that Charlaine Harris will be ending the series after the next (13th) installment. If I didn't enjoy her characters and writing as much as I did, I'd have probably left the series behind back about book 8, but never mind that. Deadlocked was a nicely paced, interesting read, especially since more was explored with the mysterious 'cluviel dor' that Sookie's gran left her. I enjoyed the way Sookie and Bill were able to work together, and Charlaine managed to open the curtain a little bit more on the world of the Fae and the ins and outs of life with them. I will say that I was really satisfied with the ending. I think it was very fitting and perfect, really. I'm curious to see if anyone else felt this way? Have any of you read this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 I had a bit of a shop yesterday at Half Price Books and came home with the following: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby Shopgirl by Steve Martin I'm only about a quarter of the way through The Technologists, but I'm really enjoying it and I know I won't be disappointed with the rest since I'm a diehard Matthew Pearl fan. Tonight or this weekend I plan on posting a new list of my books that are currently on my To Be Read bookshelf. I think the last time I did it was in 2010 and I can't find that on the forum any more so I'll make a new one. Stay tuned for further updates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) You've intrigued me now with Deadlocked - I want to know how it ends and why you found it so satisfying! I'm sure I'll read it later this year, but it's been a real effort not buying it so far as I usually read new Sookie books as soon as they're published. Edited July 6, 2012 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 I'm glad you're itching to read it now, Chesil . Do you know when the last official book of the series is being released? Have you or has anyone else here read any of Charlaine Harris' other works? Like her Harper Connelly series? I see these all the time and am curious about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 The last book will be Dead Ever After and according to Amazon will be released on 4th May 2013 in the US and 16th May in the UK - I hate it when they do that, it's sometimes so difficult to avoid spoilers. It's only 12 days, why not just release them at the same time! I did read the first of the Harper Connelly series, and it was okay, but didn't do it for me, and haven't bothered with the rest yet, but I may try them in the future. I haven't read any of her other books though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 You've intrigued me now with Deadlocked - I want to know how it ends and why you found it so satisfying! I'm intrigued too! But I'm still several books behind so won't get to it for a while. I know Paula has read and enjoyed the Harper Connolly series. I look forward to checking out your updated TBR pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Thanks for the info on Dead Ever After, Chesil. That's a long way off, and you're right, what's the point of just having a handful of days difference in release dates? Isn't it easier for everyone just to have one date? Weird. That's right, Kylie, she has read those so I'll have to ask her opinion as well. Yesterday I met my friend and her mom for breakfast and her mom brought me The Emigrants by Johan Bojer. It follows several Norwegian families from their life in Norway and their journey to the US and eventually west to settle in the (North) Dakota Territories in the late 1800's. Right up my alley! I've read pioneering books entirely set in the US, but it'll be interesting to read about life in their birthplace and what happened there that influenced their decision to travel to the US. I also stopped in Half Price Books on my way home last night and picked up the graphic novel of Shawn of the Dead . I couldn't pass it up when I saw it - I love that film! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Heh, that movie is showing on TV here right now. Just seeing it in the TV guide brought a massive smile to my face. I have it on DVD though, so I'm resisting it on TV so I can watch something else. I look forward to your thoughts on the graphic novel. Oh, and have you read Simon Pegg's own graphic novel called The Adventures of Simon Pegg? I can't remember if you've read his autobiography, but if you have, you'll remember his own novel-type thing that was interspersed between the regular chapters. I downloaded the graphic novel app for my iPad (I'm not sure what other formats it's available in, if any). It's very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Okay, so I mentioned on posting an updated TBR list for you guys. It's obviously changed since I last posted one, but keep in mind it's nowhere near the magnatitude of some of your guys' lists! So be kind . The Angel of Darkness Caleb Carr Ape House Sara Gruen Arcadia Lauren Groff The Book of Air and Shadows Michael Gruber Death in a Strange Country Donna Leon Delicate Edible Birds and Other Short Stories Lauren Groff Friends in High Places Donna Leon High Fidelity Nick Hornby The Host Stephenie Meyer How to Buy a Love of Reading Tanya Egan Gibson Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Susanna Clarke The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Short Stories Susanna Clarke Luncheon of the Boating Party Susan Vreeland The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart Nerd Do Well Simon Pegg A Noble Radiance Donna Leon Palo Alto James Franco Popco Scarlett Thomas A Red Herring Without Mustard by C Alan Bradley Remarkable Creatures Tracy Chevalier A Scots Quair Lewis Grassic Gibbon Shopgirl Steve Martin Thursday Next in First Among Sequels Jasper Fforde Undead and Unwed Mary Janice Davidson The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami One of Our Thursdays is Missing Jasper Fforde The Art Thief Noah Charney No Humans Involved Kelley Armstrong Personal Demon Kelley Armstrong Living with the Dead Kelley Armstrong Frostbitten Kelley Armstrong Waking the Witch Kelley Armstrong Spellbound Kelley Armstrong The House at Riverton Kate Morton A World of Curiosities John Oldale Before the Poison Peter Robinson My Ever Dear Charlie: Letters Home from the Dakota Territory Edited by Arthur Draper The House of Velvet and Glass Katherine B Howe Shadow of Night Deborah Harkness Reliquary Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Interview with a Vampire Anne Rice Marked PC Cast & Kristin Cast The Emigrants by Johan Bojer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Oh, and have you read Simon Pegg's own graphic novel called The Adventures of Simon Pegg? I can't remember if you've read his autobiography, but if you have, you'll remember his own novel-type thing that was interspersed between the regular chapters. I downloaded the graphic novel app for my iPad (I'm not sure what other formats it's available in, if any). It's very nice. I didn't know he did a graphic novel, Kylie, cool! I will definitely have to seek that out. I haven't read his autobiography yet but am looking forward to it. I love him and pretty much everything he's involved in . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Great list hen, looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Thanks, Paula! I'm just shy of the halfway point of The Technologists and might even finish it this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 Synopsis via Waterstone's: Spring 1868, and the population of Boston is being terrorized by technological attacks: first a magnetic storm causes ships in the harbor to collide in flames, then in another bizarre catastrophe every piece of glass in the financial district spontaneously melts - clocks, windows, eyeglasses. Nothing in nature can do this: these are man-made disasters. Someone has unleashed the destructive potential of science on an innocent population. The city's fate relies on four young students of the recently founded Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Marcus Mansfield, a Civil War veteran determined to repay MIT's founder for taking a chance on him, brash Bob Richards, meticulous Edwin Hoyt and the eccentric but brilliant Ellen Swallow, the first woman at MIT, who experiments secretly in a basement laboratory. Together, they are "The Technologists." In a climate of rising hysteria, these four courageous individuals must unite against the forces of darkness to uncover the mastermind before he can stage his greatest outrage. I’ll just say first off that Matthew Pearl’s work never disappoints me, and his 4th and most recent novel, The Technologists, is no exception. He, as always, sets the time period of post-Civil War Boston perfectly, so much so that the reader can see themselves walking down the street right alongside every character. I loved reading about the birth of this new school, MIT, and the population’s fear of the unfamiliar, which made its president and students want to prove even more that the school and its practices were just as valid as the already established Harvard. The Technologists was obviously very meticulously researched and although I found myself a little confused at times (science/chemistry was never my strong suit), the writing was never pretentious or deliberately obscure. I was drawn to Marcus’ character and loved the way Pearl portrayed him as a Civil War vet with a poor background wanting to better himself and help Boston overcome these horrible crimes. I also loved the rest of the ‘Technologists’ crew and was pleasantly surprised at the ending of the novel. Highly recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 I finished Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and am now just a few chapters into The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe. This one being set in Boston, Mass, just after the Titanic sank. I came home with two books from Half Price Books on Thursday - Generation Dead by Daniel Waters and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I'm finally going to try that series! I heard they are planning on a movie of the latter and since my future husband Mr. Aidan Turner is in it, I thought it was my duty to read the book first I leave for my Laura Ingalls Wilder trip in a couple of weeks, so I'm trying to finish those books as well. I think for now I may just read a biography on her written by Donald Zochert as well as more background on the family lineage so I'm ultra-prepared before I show up at her former home/museum . Then I'll continue her set of children's books after I return. I will try my hardest to post a review of the Deborah Harkness book soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Hi peacefield - I just read this article about Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and thought you might be interested http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/dec/28/little-house-books-feminist-classics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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