The Bookworm's Thread 2016

Crowdpleaser

Just finished summertime by Vanessa lafaye. It's about a town I Florida in the 1930s where whites and blacks are still segregated. Think of The Help. A huge hurricane is coming in and there is a love story there too and it's about what they do to survive. I enjoyed it. V easy to read. 8/10 x

pollypenny

Yes, it's the Colm Toibin one. Very good, closely written, but without excessive description, which is what I look for.

The best writers 'create, not state', whether impressions of characters or scenes.

Snorkypants

I'd love to join in please!


I bought my Mum Thornfield Park by Jane Stubbs for Christmas and she has already read it and passed it on to me. I finished reading it over the weekend and really enjoyed it. It’s based on Jane Eyre, written from the point of view of the housekeeper, Mrs Fairfax and covers the years when Bertha is at Thornfield before Jane arrives. It was really engrossing, I read it in two evenings and couldn’t put it down. The writing isn’t perfect though, the occasional modern phrase like “to be honest..” slips in and I found that quite jarring. But the characters and plot were good, there was even a twist at the end. I liked it.


But I think it does raise an interesting point about authors taking books that are already out there and then creating their own book based on that – books like Pride, Prejudice and Zombies. There’s also a book called Longbourne that is based on Pride and Prejudice but from the servant’s point of view. I’m not what I’m trying to say here – something along the lines of: is it ok to take someone else’s book as your starting point rather than imagining your own creation from scratch like other authors do?


That said, Thornfield Hall got me in the mood for Jane Eyre so I’m re-reading that now and I’m thinking of trying The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys next, which is Bertha’s story retold in the 1930’s.

jackyann

Jumping on and hoping to join in - I read on average 2 books a week - all sorts and from all sorts of places.
I loved Wide Sargasso Sea.

As for taking a much loved book as a starting point - I think it varies a lot. Some I find irritating, others are great.

The American author, Laurie R. King has a series in which she imagines a young woman, born at the beginning of the 20th century, who works with a retired Sherlock Holmes, and later marries him. The first book is called The Beekeeper's Apprentice (which allusion Holmesians will get)

Snorkypants

jackyann wrote: »

Jumping on and hoping to join in - I read on average 2 books a week - all sorts and from all sorts of places.
I loved Wide Sargasso Sea.

As for taking a much loved book as a starting point - I think it varies a lot. Some I find irritating, others are great.

The American author, Laurie R. King has a series in which she imagines a young woman, born at the beginning of the 20th century, who works with a retired Sherlock Holmes, and later marries him. The first book is called The Beekeeper's Apprentice (which allusion Holmesians will get)

I went to the library at lunchtime to return a cookery book and spotted another one, I've forgotten the title now but it was basically Jane Eyre rewritten to have loads of snogs in. That one would fall in to the 'irritating' category for me!

Hobsons_Choice

I like Val McDermid as a thriller writer and have read all her books in this genre.
Has anyone read "Northanger Abbey" by V McDermid? Obviously a "re-write" of the Jane Austen book but I'm not sure I would enjoy that.
All reviews welcome

monnagran

I did Northanger Abbey for 'O' levels back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. In my opinion any rewrite by Val McDermid or anyone else for that matter, can only be an improvement. I quite like Jane but dissecting books for exams doesn't do any book any favours. I love to read, but for enjoyment only these days.

And now to contradict myself completely. One of my self-improvement books that I picked up for my Kindle was "Eat, Guilt, Repent, Repeat." By Brenda. J. Bentley. Well you can't have too many books on losing weight, can you? One of them will have the magic answer surely. WOW. I don't know about losing weight but it certainly spells out how to live your life. I have just been through a traumatic period of my life and this book could have been written just for me. I read right through the night last night and feel a different person today, albeit a tired different person.. Not a book that you would read for pleasure but a life changing read.

x

beardiedog

Hi everyone. Another visitor via Martin's email.

I'm an avid SF/Fantasy/Horror reader. My favourite authors are Stephen King, James Herbert, Terry Pratchett and Tolkein.

At the moment I'm getting through about two books a month but I need to up my rate as my bookshelf is about to fall apart under the weight of all the charity shop buys. I'll just have to stop going in there

I'm currently reading book 7 of King's Dark Tower series - absolutely brilliant. I also read other types of books in between but it's mainly Fantasy.

missbiggles1

monnagran wrote: »

I did Northanger Abbey for 'O' levels back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. In my opinion any rewrite by Val McDermid or anyone else for that matter, can only be an improvement. I quite like Jane but dissecting books for exams doesn't do any book any favours. I love to read, but for enjoyment only these days.

And now to contradict myself completely. One of my self-improvement books that I picked up for my Kindle was "Eat, Guilt, Repent, Repeat." By Brenda. J. Bentley. Well you can't have too many books on losing weight, can you? One of them will have the magic answer surely. WOW. I don't know about losing weight but it certainly spells out how to live your life. I have just been through a traumatic period of my life and this book could have been written just for me. I read right through the night last night and feel a different person today, albeit a tired different person.. Not a book that you would read for pleasure but a life changing read.

x

I love Jane Austen and I love really getting to the nitty gritty of what a book's about.

I think that's my problem with the bookgroup, I want it to be more like a seminar.

cairndog

Yes, lovely book!
Love this thread and don't read the book to the end if it bores me either.