Bookworms 2020

RecoveringAndy

Finished Fahrenheit 451 last night. It's another that had been on the shelf for a while. I was nudged towards picking it up by an adaptation I saw on Sky recently. Radios and TV replaced by social media and smart assistants in that modern take.

I really enjoyed the read. The version I had with an intro and afterword by the author was interesting. Written in a matter of days and, intitially it was often just a stream of words and consciousness. I grew into it and the way it's written fits with journey. 

Sometimes you come across a snippet that you just have to write down.  Although in a way unrelated to the book, the following quote sums up the last 20 years of my life and speaks of a mindset that I can never let return.

“For everyone nowadays knows, absolutely is CERTAIN, that nothing bad will ever happen to ME. Others die, I go on. There are no consequences and no responsibilities. Except that there ARE. But let's not talk about them, eh? By the time the consequences catch up to you, it's too late, isn't it, Montag?” 

pollypenny

I've read so much since Christmas, but here's a couple of the best: 

Throw Me to the Wolves by Patrick McGuinness.  Loosely based on the Bristol murder of a young woman and the way the neighbour, Chris, was pilloried by the press. 

Tenderness of the Wolves. By Steph Penney.  A reread, set in North America during the early 1800s, struggles for survival and trust. 

The two packs of Wolves is a coincidence.   Also a couple of thrillers, one Peter James, Enzo book, and one Val McDermid - both predictable and disappointing.  

Wednesday2000

I have read so many books over the past few weeks, often two a day. Mostly psychological thrillers. I have had quite a few free books I could borrow as part of Amazon Prime. I won't list them all.

The Housewife - Valerie Keough.
His and Hers - Alice Feeney. I liked this the best out of the three I have read of her novels.
The Honeymoon - Tina Seskis. I did not guess that twist at all!

I'm about to finish off The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards. I have liked all his books. I especially loved The Magpies. There is a trilogy and I am about to start the following two after I finish this one.

dolly84

pollypenny said:

I've read so much since Christmas, but here's a couple of the best: 

Throw Me to the Wolves by Patrick McGuinness.  Loosely based on the Bristol murder of a young woman and the way the neighbour, Chris, was pilloried by the press. 

Tenderness of the Wolves. By Steph Penney.  A reread, set in North America during the early 1800s, struggles for survival and trust. 

The two packs of Wolves is a coincidence.   Also a couple of thrillers, one Peter James, Enzo book, and one Val McDermid - both predictable and disappointing.  

I haven't read the book but I did watch the tv drama starring Jason Watkins, he was excellent in it.  What the Police and media did to that man was shameful, I never, ever take anything I see on the news or in the papers at face value, nothing at all.

I read one Peter James book and I honestly cannot describe how dreadful it was, how on earth something like that gets published is beyond me, then a friend lent me a book which she said was brilliant, the title was something along the lines of Daisy's Cornish Camper Van, brilliant it was not, it was then that I realised that like everything else literature has been dumbed down and that I am offended by it, I also realised that I am turning into a book snob and will no doubt start positioning myself in front of a carefully curated bookshelf for Zoom calls and other people will be calling me a d*ck.

pollypenny

dolly84 said:

pollypenny said:

I've read so much since Christmas, but here's a couple of the best: 

Throw Me to the Wolves by Patrick McGuinness.  Loosely based on the Bristol murder of a young woman and the way the neighbour, Chris, was pilloried by the press. 

Tenderness of the Wolves. By Steph Penney.  A reread, set in North America during the early 1800s, struggles for survival and trust. 

The two packs of Wolves is a coincidence.   Also a couple of thrillers, one Peter James, Enzo book, and one Val McDermid - both predictable and disappointing.  

I haven't read the book but I did watch the tv drama starring Jason Watkins, he was excellent in it.  What the Police and media did to that man was shameful, I never, ever take anything I see on the news or in the papers at face value, nothing at all.

I read one Peter James book and I honestly cannot describe how dreadful it was, how on earth something like that gets published is beyond me, then a friend lent me a book which she said was brilliant, the title was something along the lines of Daisy's Cornish Camper Van, brilliant it was not, it was then that I realised that like everything else literature has been dumbed down and that I am offended by it, I also realised that I am turning into a book snob and will no doubt start positioning myself in front of a carefully curated bookshelf for Zoom calls and other people will be calling me a d*ck.

  Throw Me to the Wolves is told from the pov of a policeman who was taught by the suspect. Lots about the complications in the school, too.  I wouldn't say it's an attempt to fictionalise the real case in its entirety.   Very good read, though. 

Just finished ' I Saw a Man' by owen Sheers. Beautifully written and a thriller without a murder or real crime. Still about guilt and two deaths. 

Abbafan1972

Wow, 2 books in a day!

It takes me weeks to read one!

Wednesday2000

The last book I read I really enjoyed. Strangers - C.L.Taylor.

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

ruby_eskimo

Finished Rosewater and now have the next two in the series waiting for me to pick up from the library tomorrow.

On to Dark Tides by Phillipa Gregory - I'm about 50 pages in and already I can tell I might not like it as much as the first one in the series - there's a new character who is slightly annoying me but I'll persevere!

Hobsons_Choice

Wednesday2000 said:

The last book I read I really enjoyed. Strangers - C.L.Taylor.

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

I've also just finished "Strangers" and really enjoyed it. I've read and enjoyed all C.  L. Taylor's  books

Wednesday2000

Hobsons_Choice said:

Wednesday2000 said:

The last book I read I really enjoyed. Strangers - C.L.Taylor.

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

I've also just finished "Strangers" and really enjoyed it. I've read and enjoyed all C.  L. Taylor's  books

I looked through my kindle and I have read a few of her books before.

I saw she has just done another book this year, but for Young Adults. The Island. It's apparently like Lost meets The Hunger Games.