The Bookworm's Thread 2017

VfM4meplse

I am at least 10 books behind in posting, so time to catch up!

Book 42:



6.5/10. The subject matter was interesting, but towards the end I didn’t like the author any more than her birth mother, and didn’t feel she appreciated the upbringing she had from her foster mother. I also think it could have been much more skilfully written*. On that basis there are better books to recommend.

*I should qualify this: given the author read English at Oxford Unversity, I would have expected a better finished product.

VfM4meplse

Book 43:



5/10. I picked this up because I thought it might offer some insights as to how dementia affects day-to-day life, and the practical challenges it presents to the individual and their carers. In this respect it did not pass muster. I found the book to be unpolished, and the author on occasion to be downright selfish. I'm pretty sure this is a vanity publication, and demonstrates exactly why we have editors and publishing houses. Which is a pity, as this book could have been so much more with the right steer. Instead it was just a tribute to self.

One thing I did learn though: if there are divisions and misunderstandings in a family beforehand, dementia will only magnify these. A well-functioning family would be in a better position to weather the challenges.

VfM4meplse

Book 44:



8/10. I thoroughly enjoyed this, its a sweet and charming story which was worth reading and much better the the film (which I liked). The film ending was better though.

Mr_Singleton

Am spending lots of uneventful hours on trains at the moment so have been getting stuck into the kindle on my phone....

Just finished Paul Theroux's "The last train to Zona Verde" which as you'd expect is excellent if a bit short.

Now about halfway through Louise Mortimer's "Dear Lumpy: Letters to a disobedient daughter" An interesting read that had even cynical old me laughing in places.

BTW how are people posting images?
Thanks

VfM4meplse

Book 45:



8/10. I read this for a bit of light relief, as I was mid-way through some heavier stuff. Much of it I knew already, so it was a fairly quick read. I was pleased that the entries were all supported by good hard science.

Primrose

Do you have an ISBN number for this book please? . Old Wives Tales. If yiu Googlw it there seem to be about 25 different books with this same title. Thanks .

Wednesday2000

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

The Intelligent Body: Reversing Chronic Fatigue and Pain from the Inside Out - K.L.Davies.

I just looked back to when I started this, in August! I decided to just finish it today.

I did skim a few pages here and there towards the end. It has some interesting ideas, but quite a lot of waffle too.:rotfl:

pollypenny

I loved Brooklyn. Didn't see the film before reading it.

I've just finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip Dicks. It's a very thoughtful picture of the world divided between a victorious Germany and Japan after WW2, with inbuilt speculation of an hypothetical world where they lost. Very clever.

I know it was serialised on Amazon Prime, but we don't have that and I wonder how much of the philosophical angle it explored.

VfM4meplse

Primrose wrote: »

Do you have an ISBN number for this book please? . Old Wives Tales. If yiu Googlw it there seem to be about 25 different books with this same title. Thanks .

I'll post it when I find it. At the moment it’s in the minority group in the living room (ie buried amongst boxes of books that have been packed away, roughly 5% of the total). I predict it will be set free by Christmas

I know there was some interest in this book that I read earlier in the year. The good news for Big Bang Theory fans is that I spotted it in Poundland the other day.

pollypenny

Thank, VfM, I think I can find one today. Need to go to Wrexham.