The Bookworm's Thread 2017

[Deleted User]

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I saw this in a chazzer last week... it resisted. I'll P'in it if you recommend it, though?

Re. How to be both by Ali Smith.

My review - shockingly poor book. One of the worst I have ever encountered. Confusingly and with little punctuation. Don' t bother is my suggestion.

[Deleted User]

Currently reading a lot of non-fiction at the moment.

My current read is Game of Spies by Paddy Ashdown about spies in France during the 2nd world war. A great read so far.

pollypenny

Spider_In_The_Bath wrote: »

Currently reading a lot of non-fiction at the moment.

My current read is Game of Spies by Paddy Ashdown about spies in France during the 2nd world war. A great read so far.

I've asked the library for that for book group. I thought it was fiction, though.

[Deleted User]

pollypenny wrote: »

I've asked the library for that for book group. I thought it was fiction, though.

Hi,

It's nonfiction. Mine is also a library copy with the class number of 940 for non-fiction history.

Don't let this put you off. It's a good and easy read. I am a history geek and read a lot of history books and this is at the lighter end of the scale. It is based around the personalities of the people involved and not an account of the war itself.

greentiger

Despite what Spider in the Bath has said about "How to be Both", I'm enjoying it. I thought the (lack of)punctuation was odd when I started, but I'm finding it is adding to the atmosphere - the character is not quite there. I wish I had time to take a good run at the book as I want to know what happens/how things are resolved. So, I suppose that means the book has achieved it's purpose.

Winchelsea

I finished The Temporary Genleman by Sebastian Barry - my P*undland book - a couple of days ago, and really enjoyed it. Quite poignant in places.

Since then I've speed-read Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, fir my book group last night, but it wasn't really my sort of thing. I appreciated that it was well written, but it was just too dark for my liking.

I'm now starting Some Luck by Jane Smiley. So far, so good!

Winchelsea

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Some-Luck-Last-Hundred-Years-Trilogy-Smiley/1447275608/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489766972&sr=1-1&keywords=some+luck+jane+smiley

This is the one I have started.

Syman

Just finished "RAGDOLL by Daniel Cole. Not what i was expecting (from a crime procedural type novel) but ok. 3/5.

another Simon Kernick next -

then possibly this
Though reviews are mixed.

sugarbaby125

I buy all of my books from one of the local Poundland stores. I love reading and it feeds my soul. I love reading an eclectic mix of genres and although I get lots of light reading and Autobiographies, I also come across some real gems. In the cold light of day, it is better to pay a £1 for a hardback or paperback book than to pay anything up to £20. There is a high turn over of books in the Poundland stores, so there is always new books arriving on an almost daily basis. All of the books I have been reading for the last few years have mostly been Poundland purchases. All of the books I have read this year so far have been Poundland purchases.

VfM4meplse

sugarbaby125 wrote: »

I buy all of my books from one of the local Poundland stores. I love reading and it feeds my soul. I love reading an eclectic mix of genres and although I get lots of light reading and Autobiographies, I also come across some real gems.

I agree completely about value for money, but don't expect to go into Poundland to find book gems - thats what chazzers are for! I'm not much into light / inconsequential reading but would like to hear of anything else you'd recommend that can be sourced from the Land of the Pound!

Book 12:



7/10. I didn't think much of this at first, but warmed to him when I realised he's the rarest of breeds - an American socialist! - so am glad I persevered with his essays as I quite enjoyed this book. He's not up there with Bill Bryson (in my estimation), but I'm now more inclined to listen to his stuff on R4.