BABBLING BOOKS

Tigerlily · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: Books we read in April

Add the books you've read in April here.

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Reading: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Reading Challenge 2009: 8
2008: 4
2007: 10

RonnieJacobs · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject:

since i dont have you - louise candlish - 10/10 loved it
Marshmallow's for breakfast - dorothy koomson 10/10
Beach Road - James Patterson 5/10
Break No Bones - Kathy reichs 8/10
7th heaven - James patterson 8/10
Gave up on Twenty times a lady - Karyn bosnak - fiction not good enjoyed her book save karyn though
Two Women - Martina Cole
Faceless - Martina Cole
Cuban Heels - Emily Barr v good really enjoyed it
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too many books so little time

katey · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:08 pm Post subject:

I am just approaching the end of Babycatcher by Peggy Vincent, the memoirs of a midwife in America (where midwifery is not the proffesion it is here, in some states of America homebirth is illegal, in others it is alegal...what a joke in my opinion). Anyway, it is a real tear jerker!

Is There Anybody OUt There? by Mez Mcconnell, an autobiog which is quite depressing yet uplifting too if that makes sense?
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Katey
xxx

Books 01.09- 18 (5)
Books 02.09- 12 (4)
Books 03.09- 9 (1)
Books 04.09- 3 (0)
Books 05.09- 3(0)
Books 06.09- 8(1)
Books 07.09- 9(0)
Books 08.09- 10(1)
Books 09.09- 3(1)
Books 10.09- 9(1)

Target for 2009- 100 (15)- 16(2) to go!

Daniela-26 · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

So far this month I've read

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby ~ a very touching tale of a man with Locked-in syndrome, it certainly makes you think ****
Pig Island by Mo Hayder ~ I wasn't too impressed by this one ***
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan ~ A very sad story in fact I'd say quite devasting! ****
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Reading: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
2009 '1001 Challenge':

miranda · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:16 am Post subject:

Spent the first half of April finishing 'The House of the Spirits' which I listed in books we read in March, because I didn't realise it would take so long.

Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - still reading.

Falling Leaves Return to their roots By Adeline Yen Mah. 6/10. I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. I don't normally go for mis-mem, but sometimes I like a book of the endurance of the human spirit. This may sound a little harsh, but I didn't think her life sounded that bad! I can see she was treated differently from her step-brother and sister and treated badly by sister later in life, but she was still a success. Anyway a disappointing one for me.

Property by Valerie Martin 8/10. I enjoyed this one, it was about the deep south during the slave trade. It was disturbing and thought-provoking read about the lives of slaves and women at this time.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - I loved this book; I was laughing out loud at some parts and crying at others!
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Currently reading: The Human Stain by Philip Roth
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'

jobar · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:01 pm Post subject:

My April reads so far :

Beguiled ~ Shannon Drake...8/10...a bit of romance and light relief..
Fifty is not a four letter word ~ Linda Kelsey...8/10..a poignant look at a certain age ..
The Moment You Were Gone ~ Nicci Gerard..8/10..friendships explored..
The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud ~ Ben Sherwood..9/10..a bit daft in places but enjoyable..
The Shakespeare Secret ~ J L Carroll..8/10..a clever look at the Bard ,with twists and turns galore..
Dark Fire ~C J Sansom...10/10..a wonderful romp through Tudor London..
A Stain on the Silence ~ Andrew Taylor...8/10..a well written pyschological thriller...
His Other Lover ~ Lucy Dawson...9/10..quite dark chick lit...
What was Lost ~ Catherine O'Flynn ...9/10 ..enjoyed this debut novel
The Book of Lost Things ~ John Connolly..9/10..gothic fairy tale for grown ups

52 · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject:

The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding - Agatha Christie
Fallen - David Maine
Night Watch - Sergei Lukyanenko
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Anything Goes - John Barrowman

Hmm...not that much, then again I've read all my books to death
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The big sea does not care which way the little fishes swim

braider31 · Babblers First Words Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 16

Severed by Simon Kernick
Blaze by Stephen King
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Currently reading - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

mags51 · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: Books I've read this month

Good Harbour by Anita Diamant - 8/10 - one of my favourite authors
The Great Indoors by Sabine Durrant - 7/10
Good Hope Road by Lisa Wingate - 7/10
Notes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale - 8/10
Sunshine to the Sunless by Gareth Thompson - 7/10 (the author visited our local library recently)
Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope - 8/10
Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend by Robert James Waller - 8/10
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Life's too short to do housework

seanat · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:35 am Post subject:

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black .. 7/10- author better known as John Banville, ok but not memorable.

The Act of Roger Murgatroyd by Gilbert Adair...5/10 - started well but i got bored of the style.

Under the Skin by Michel Faber ...8/10 - very disturbing, unusual read..so not what i'd expected.

Plan B by Jonathan Tropper...8/10 - enjoyable book about group of friends and reaching 30 angst.

Animal's People by Indra Sinha ..6/10 - dragged on and on without alot happening, author does like to ramble on.

The Irresistable Inheritance of Wilberforce by Paul Torday..9/10 - loved this witty/tragic book by author of salmon Fishing in Yemen.

The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Ban Divaruni..gave up - another waffler.

Speaking of love by Angela Young ..8/10 - great book about how one's mental health problems affect a whole family.

The Best a Man Can Get by John O'Farrell ..7/10 - light read, sometimes funny, about a man who wants to maintain his freedom despite having a family.

Peony in Love by Lisa See ..7/10 - sluggish sometimes. Too much info on ghost life.

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones ..8/10 - enjoyed this short book, shows the impact a book can have when life is unbearable. Quite a lot of spoilers for Great Expectations though, not sure i'd read it now.

Tigerlily · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject:

The Night Watch - *****
Captain Corelli's Mandolin - still reading
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Reading: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Reading Challenge 2009: 8
2008: 4
2007: 10

Lauzc · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject:

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom ****

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan ****
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handmade by Laura Croxson

eightlegs · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

Persuasion – Jane Austen - enjoyed this classic, lots of gentle mockery of the customs of the time. 8/10

Somebody else’s kids – Torey Hayden - great as always, only one of hers I haven't read now 9/10

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis de Bernieres - not entirely sure what I made of this one. I did enjoy parts of it but some of it was totally tedious. I do feel it could have been written a lot better ie more of a coherrent whole rather than the combination of a love story and politics with sometimes not much of a link

A Free Woman – Libby Purves - an easy read from this reliably consistent author whom I enjoy 8/10

Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo - a great book, aimed at kids but it doesn't spare them the gory details from WWI. Great bit at the end too. 9/10

The River of Darkness – Rennie Airth have about 40 pages to go of this one, it's a detective story set in the 1920's, just after WWI! It is a great book, at a gentler pace than some in this genre but with great details and characters. A pleasant surprise! 8/10

annecater · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

The Summer of my Greek Taverna - Tom Stone: A really enjoyable and laugh out loud funny tale of a couple who decide to run a Taverna on a Greek island for a summer. Reinforced my love of all things Greek.

The Girl From The Chartreuse - Pierre Peju: This little novel started well but meandered off in the middle. A great story idea but I feel it lost something in the translation.

The Shawl - Cynthia Ozick: Very short story, but emotional and sad

Since I Don't Have You - Louise Candlish: Read this for the Leeds Book Group. A really good read, but had me gulping back the tears at the beginning. It's a real heartwarming story of love, loss and friendship - and again, set on a Greek island.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Rebecca Miller: Very enjoyable first novel by this author. I've reviewed this one on the Book Review thread.

84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff: I've no idea why I've not read this one before now. I loved every page of it. Made up of correspondence between an American woman and a bookseller in London during the war years.

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street - Helene Hanff: The follow up to 84 Charing Cross Road. Still a good read, but not a patch on the first book.

Nothing Bad Ever Happened At Tiffany's - Marian Keyes: A very short book of some of Marian Keyes' stories. As usual, very funny.

Turn of the Screw - Henry James: For my 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die challenge. A ghostly and atmospheric read, but I was put off by the language

Dark Quartet - Lynne Reid Banks: This was a wonderful read. The story of the Bronte sisters, fictionalised but based on fact. Really well written, gave great insight into their lives and their writing. Loved it.

Here On Earth - Alice Hoffmann: Another great read from Alice Hoffmann. She describes the 'small town' mentality and the pull of first love wonderfully.

The Lover - Marguerite Duras: Another one for the 1001 Books challenge. Very short novel and how pleased I was, very odd - another one translated and it most definitely lost something - I just didnt like it at all.

Mercy - Jodi Picoult: I'd put off reading this for ages due to some bad reviews. I loved it. I really enjoy the way Jodi Picoult can combine legal drama, relationships and ghosts.

Must The Show Go On - Les Dennis: My friend who is Les Dennis' cousin lent this to me. I really enjoyed it - well written and very honest about his shortcomings and his marriage break ups. Made me look at him in a whole new light.

The Fantastic Book of Everybody's Secrets - Sophie Hannah: I really like Sophie Hannah and she doesnt disappoint with her short story writing either. I especially liked the first story - she certainly has a vivid imagination

Branwell - Douglas A Martin: The story of Branwell Bronte - brother of Anne, Emily and Charlotte. Having read The Dark Quartet quite recently, I did feel as I knew what was coming in this one, and I didnt like the writing style as much as Lynne Reid Banks, but still an interesting read

Jigs and Reels - Joanne Harris: A collection of short stories from the author of Chocolat. I loved some of these, and hated a couple.

The Camel Bookmobile - Masha Hamilton: A wonderful story of an American girl who goes to Kenya to start a mobile library service for the tribal people - the books are carried by camels. Fascinating look at how the tribes live and what they believe, with a little romance thrown in.

There were also a few books this month that I didnt finish: e-luv - Dave Roberts: I hated this, all I could conjure up was a dirty, greasy man talking dirty to young girls on the net - yuk, The [/color[color=red]]Dressmaker - Elizabeth Birkelund-Oberbeck: I got around 100 pages in and nothing was happening, Envy - Judy Corbett: I just didnt like this at all, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey; I've decided never to watch a film before reading the book again! Captain Corelli's Mandolin - I've added to the thread about this one.
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Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

heathera · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 10:34 am Post subject:

I got off to a good start this month and have then slowed right down...

Nineteen Eight-Four - George Orwell - 9/10 a great timeless classic. Read for 1001 book challenge and can't believe I've not read it before!

The Declaration - Gemma Malley - 8/10 enjoyed this. A quick read for young adults. Set in the future but from the point of view of children. The author is meant to be publishing a sequel which I'd definitely look out for.

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 10/10. An extremely memorably, emotional and powerful novel. Definitely top 10 best ever read for me.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres - STILL READING!! This book is what has slowed me down. I took 2 weeks to read the other 3 books and I'm now ending week 2 of trying to get through this. I'm determined to finish it in the next couple of days and then I'll add to the thread about it.
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Currently Reading:

The Moonlit Cage - Linda Holeman

1001 Book Challenge:
2009 - 4
2008 - 14
Books Available for Swapping on RISI

Daniela-26 · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject:

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ~ a beautifully told and very moving tale about a young boy on the 'right' side of the fence at Auschwiz. One of the best books I read this month 5/5

Child 44 ~ a thriller based in Stalin's Russia ~ fast moving and I learnt a fair bit too! 5/5

Pig Island ~ This failed to grab me as I hoped it would but it picked up during the second half. 3/5

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ~ a very touching tale that really makes you think of the little things you may take for granted, and it's a very quick read! 4/5

The Snack Thief ~ I love this series of books and detective Montalbano is wonderful. Unfortunately this one didn't keep my attention as the others have. It hasn't put me off though! 3/5

On Chesil Beach ~ I found this book devastating! Such a short book and so much crammed in there. I feel a little hit or miss with McEwan but this one was definitely a winner for me. 4/5

The Constant Princess ~ Having read The Other Boleyn Girl and loved it I wondered if Gregory could do the same again. A very enjoyable read but lacked that little something that would give it five stars. 4/5

The Master and Margarita ~ Unfortunately I didn't finish this one and found it quite difficult I do hope to return to it though as it still sounds wonderful! [/b]
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Reading: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
2009 '1001 Challenge':

Tigerlily · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 1:23 pm Post subject:

Heather - the same has happened to me with the same book, but have to say I haven't had the time to read much lately which hasn't helped either. I'm wondering if I'll ever finish it.
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Reading: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Reading Challenge 2009: 8
2008: 4
2007: 10

Lauzc · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject:

blueflower · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject:

Just the one

The Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire

Follow up to Wicked. The middle section of this book dragged a bit but I will be reading the next one.

willie96 · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 2:15 pm Post subject:

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