The Bookworm’s Thread 2018

Wednesday2000

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

1. Watching the English - Kate Fox
2. Mastermind - Maria Konnikova
3. How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free - E J.Zelinski
4. The Happiness Trap - Russ Harris
5. A Stranger in the house - Shari Lapena

Ah, lucky I made a list on here.:)

I've read 4 books now and the last one to read is A Stranger in the House. I will try and set aside a long evening to make a good start on that last one as I want to read it before the end of this month.

Syman

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

Ah, lucky I made a list on here.:)

I've read 4 books now and the last one to read is A Stranger in the House. I will try and set aside a long evening to make a good start on that last one as I want to read it before the end of this month.

it is a good read!!

[Deleted User]

Almost finished Nella Last's Peace about the situation after WW2.its very interesting and I agree as I can remember my late Mum saying how things were far worse after the end of the war than during .
Rationing was a bind and I can remember clearly the interminable queues every time you went to the shops.

Mum and I queued for over half an hour for a tin of fruit only for her to learn when we were about two from the top that they had 'run out' but she did get some dried raisins which she was quite pleased with.

So many shops when they couldn't get supplies just didn't bother to open at all but the neighbourhood jungle drums were in full flood when a shop had something really exciting come it .

The first time I saw a banana I was fascinated, and my middle brother thought you could eat the skin as well an orange was prized, and the peel was carefully saved to be grated to use in a cake. So many things were almost unobtainable and to this day I still have a few jars under the sink with nuts ,bolts ,nails and string in them I know I can buy it easily but old habits die hard and to me wasting stuff is still a no-no

greentiger

Well, as I thought, I'll definitely be dipping reading "The Black Swan" off and on.

Here's my "C" book, by Peter May-
C by Bobbie Doctor, on Flickr
In 1989, a killer dumped the body of twenty-year-old Lucie Martin into a picturesque lake in the West of France. Fourteen years later, during a summer heatwave, a drought exposed her remains.
It's #6 of the Enzo series. I've not read 1-5, but I'm sure I'll cope!

timehastoldme

Oooh, I've set myself a harsh Goodreads challenge because mental health issues made reading hard for a while, now that I can again, am attacking with gusto. Will keep an eye on this thread for tips.

January so far though.

1. Day of the Triffids- John Wyndham
He might be my favourite author, very English, very 1950's and a good dystopian end of the world is my favourite and best. He writes beautifully and although I've read this a hundred times, I'll read it a hundred more. One of the best opening premises of any book I've read. Man wakes in a hospital bed after having his head wrapped in bandages to find overnight most of the world has gone blind.

2. A far cry from Kensington, Muriel Spark
Sweet and acerbic, Muriel Spark is very witty. About a young smart widow living in a lodging house in Kensington and working 'in publishing' where there is an irritating leech of a writer fouling things up. That doesn't explain it at all, but more clear a description would be a spoiler.

3. Moon of Gomrath- Alan Garner
Follow up to the weirdstone of Brisingamen, and book 2 in the alderly edge trilogy. Very pacy, lots going on, you need to have read The first to have any hope of understanding it. It's a fantasy and a children's book, but so beautifully written as to be genuinely claustrophobic. Very immersive, a real sense of place in all of these books.

4. Boneland-Alan Garner
Book 3 of the Alderly edge trilogy, but not a children's book by any stretch. Colin has grown up, and his behaviours are alarming those around him, he cannot remember anything before the age of 13. This was so different, and like some other Garner books, I needed to think about whether or not I liked it afterwards. I did, but again, out of context it would be a confusing read.

4. Children of the frost - Jack London
Adore the way Jack London writes, but was wary of this book of short stories after the introduction, which was written decades ago about perceptions of the supremacy of the white man. His writing is often from the perspective of either white prospectors or indigenous folks. I wasn't sure that the idea that one group was better than the other was consistent with the stories. Some are undoubtably from that perspective, but it seems to lay bare the folly of anyone thinking they're better. The last was about an old man who had seen that the white man had bought nothing but trouble so was determined to kill as many as possible. For short stories, they pack a lot in, they pull no punches, and have to be read with these things in mind.

5. Rivers of London- Ben Aaronovitch
Did not love. A book by a man probably for a man. The women are sexy or lesbians. The protagonist is a distracted cop who gets all the good stuff while his hard working (sexy) female colleague gets the tough end of everything. He goes from no one to magic doing super cop. Boy fantasy with boy humour and not for me. Again, a bit of racial stereotyping that just doesn't sit quite right. It's nice to have a mixed race protaganist, but how can that be anything but stereotype when written by a white chap? Many weird.

6. The Owl Service- Alan Garner
Children's fantasy, but more than that. It's history, and mystery and family relationships and geography and class all wrapped up in a children's fantasy. A mysterious plate with floral owls around the rim Is found in the attic of a cottage in Wales. This kick starts a cycle of history within the children living in the house as the owls disappear from the plates. Adored.

7. Wool - Hugh Howey
Far future dystopia about a group of people living in an underground silo because the world outside is poison. This was long (500+) but easy to read and engaging enough to keep you going. Loved it, rated 5/5 on Goodreads, am on book two now and have book three in the wings (got them for 50p each at the National Trust bookshop!!!)

Whew! That's it so far, am reading a minimum of 50 pages a day with the aim of 104 books this year.

[Deleted User]

Timehastoldme If you like John Wyndham,then see if you can get hold of any John Christopher books Especially 'A Wrinkle in the Skin', definitely a can't-put -it-down book probably get if from the library

timehastoldme

JackieO wrote: »

Timehastoldme If you like John Wyndham,then see if you can get hold of any John Christopher books Especially 'A Wrinkle in the Skin', definitely a can't-put -it-down book probably get if from the library

Thank you! Going to hunt that down

Callie22

JackieO wrote: »

Timehastoldme If you like John Wyndham,then see if you can get hold of any John Christopher books Especially 'A Wrinkle in the Skin', definitely a can't-put -it-down book probably get if from the library

JackieO, I was going to suggest John Christopher too and you beat me to it

pollypenny

JackieO wrote: »

Timehastoldme If you like John Wyndham,then see if you can get hold of any John Christopher books Especially 'A Wrinkle in the Skin', definitely a can't-put -it-down book probably get if from the library[/QUOTE


Had John Christopher written anything for adults?

When he was in his early teens DS loved his books. I actually bought 12 copies of Empty World when I took over a bottom set in school, many years ago.

[Deleted User]

I think definitely A Wrinkle in the skin is an adult book I am trying to remember the name of the one where the grass all died as well I will google it I think