R2OK!

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

Have recently read The Brimstone Wedding by Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) which was very good and very different from her "other" books. Just started a lightish read for a change called "Connections" by Sheila O'Flanagan. A book of short stories about the different guests staying at the luxury White Sands Hotel in the Caribbean.
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Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies tend to accumulate.

Heloise · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 237

Wicked
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Put some records on while I pour

Shaky Fan · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 628

Hoping to finish Michael Palin's Diaries tomorrow. Then I'll be reading a couple of books that I got for Christmas - "The Book of General Ignorance" and "The Encyclopedia of 80s Pop". After that I might make a start on the first of the Inspector Morse novels - I bought a box set of the entire series for a tenner last summer and they're still sitting untouched since then.

Behind Geddon's Wall · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:05 pm Post subject:

My grandaughter has lent me 'eragon' which I have just started.
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Geddon

You simply mustn't blame yourself -- the days were perfect
And so were exactly what I was born to spoil
For I am the Rider to the World's End
Bound across the cinder causeway
From the furnace to the quarry
Through the fields of oil

Julia · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject:

Huis Clos - Jean-Paul Sartre

Professor Unrat - Heinrich Mann

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

and

On the Brink: the trouble with France - Jonathan Fenby
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I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

Toggy tea slurper · Guest

Birdsong is a fantastic book.

Julia · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject:

a bit repetative though - I was almost at the end and then got bored - which is a shame because I don't want to have to start from the start again - I thought it was good afterall
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I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

FLYBYNIGHT · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 381 Location: At Home

I've just been reading through the whole of this thread and thought how I envy anybody who is reading "The Diary of a Nobody" for the first time. It's my all-time favourite.

Have just finished reading "A short history of Tractors in Ukrainian", which was my Book Group's choice, otherwise I'd never have read it, but it was quite funny.

Now I'm reading a Janet Evanovitch novel, which I had cast aside when I found it was co-written with Charlotte Hughes, but I'm actually enjoying it now.

scorpio · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 148

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

scorpio · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 148

Marrietta: Have you read any Reginald Hill? they are the Dalziel and Pascoe...but they are better than the tv
Susan Hill is also pretty good
Minette Waters another one....? Have you read any...? Its lovely to chat to someone else who likes my type of books...!
Very Happy

Julia · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:08 pm Post subject:

semester one linguistics notes Laughing

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I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

Julia · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject:

have read the Woman in Black by Susan Hill - don't know if I really liked it or not - Had to write a dissertation on this and the Woman in White (willkie collins) after which I wasn't a big fan of either of them!
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I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

Arcader · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 220

The Woman in Black is an okay-ish read but the TV adaptation is much better.

Curiously enough Susan Hill doesn't like the TV adaptation and the rights for it have passed to someone else who doesn't want it released on DVD.

I'm currently re-reading Terry Pratchett's 'Lords & Ladies'.

Julia · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject:

Cherskiy · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject:

Reading through countless volumes of David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series at present - now up to the ninth in the series ("Ashes of Victory").

Think of C S Forester's "Horatio Hornblower" in space with Hornblower as a woman (with a telempathic treecat perched on her shoulder) and an opposing regime led by a dictator based on Maximilien Robespierre, and you'll get the picture. Corrupt politicians, incompetent commanders, religious zealots and power-hungry cartels - and that's just her allies; space opera at its best, lots of exploding spaceships and hard tech, none of this fantasy nonsense! Rolling Eyes

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Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:09 pm Post subject:

Blimey, everyone's reading so many great books! But I've got such a pile of unread stuff I can't possibly add to it!

I'm currently halfway through The New Frontier Volume 1 by Darwyn Cooke. It's a graphic novel mixing fact and Superhero fiction and is a cracking adventure. I'll have to order Volume 2 now, because I'm so keen to know the end...

Behind Geddon's Wall · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:41 am Post subject:

Cherskiy - sounds interesting. Have you read the Midshipman series (author escapes me for the moment)? It is on similar lines - Nelson's navy, but in starships.
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Geddon

You simply mustn't blame yourself -- the days were perfect
And so were exactly what I was born to spoil
For I am the Rider to the World's End
Bound across the cinder causeway
From the furnace to the quarry
Through the fields of oil

Cherskiy · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:20 pm Post subject:

scorpio · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 148

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

I shall look for Susan Hill's books when I go to the library at the end of this month Scorpio. Smile

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Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies tend to accumulate.

scorpio · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 148

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

Have now finished Wogan's 2006 autobiography and have to confess that I found it just a little disappointing. It's very funny in places but there isn't as much substance as there was in the 2000 version, which should perhaps have been updated and reissued rather than superseded. And I eventually found the endless namedropping to be a bit tedious.

Ian.

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

Have to confess I'm not to keen on autobiographies. They tend to be rather dull - I was very disappointed with Lord Olivier's as I was expecting it to be much more interesting. Perhaps we should try a biography which would probably include more background of the person concerned and which sometimes seems to be lacking in the autobiogs.
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Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies tend to accumulate.

Natasha · Little Miss Lovely Smile Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 790

Was it the Olivier autobiography, where he said that he tried to **** the life back into his marriage with Vivien Leigh? I was rather shocked, to think 'Larry' did that sort of thing Very Happy

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Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen to be dressed for it.

Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:35 pm Post subject:

I've only just started reading biographies but I do wonder what's true and covered up. I believe Dirk Bogarde wrote 7 books without even mentioning he was gay!

Natasha · Little Miss Lovely Smile Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 790

Thing is, Ian - if I recall - he didn't mention any love affairs either, did he, apart from his adoration of Judy Garland?
If you're zipping into autobiographies, I'll suggest, 'Sammy Davis Jnr's, 'Hollywood In A Suitcase' which is very entertaining and an excellent read.
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Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen to be dressed for it.

Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject:

Ahh, I suppose Judy Garland references would be a bit of a giveaway!

Thanks for the tip, but I'd best start with the ones I've got already: The Two Ronnies, Little Britain, John McEnroe, and (God help me) Billie Piper...

Cherskiy · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject:

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

Ian Robinson · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:04 pm Post subject:

marietta honeybun · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 915 Location: Holland

Have finished The Bourne Legacy at long last! Well, it was exciting I suppose but I don't think it was my type of read in the long run. It was definitely written (I think) in anticipation of another film being made .... so much description of the fights.

Am now reading The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. Apparently it was chosen by The Times Books Group - which means nothing to me. It is the story of a place between heaven and earth where everyone ends up after they die. They remain here kept alive by the memories of those left behind on earth. It is also the story of Laura, a girl trapped in the Antarctic fighting for her life - and how these two stories connect.
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Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies tend to accumulate.

Julia · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:12 pm Post subject:

Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann - the english translation is called 'The Blue Angel'. Has anyon heard of it? It's bloomin difficult - even one of my german friends was struggling... what are we meant to do - we're not germans!?

belinda · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 63

No, we're not all Germans but we're not all stupid either! We know where you're coming from 'Julia'. Shocked

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Rachel · Guest

Blue Angel is about a wayward student who continuously leads her happily married tutor astray to finally humiliate him.... it's an interesting book but not really my thing..... I was often asked when I used to post on various forums under the name "Blue Angel" if it was inspired by the book. It wasn't. I used to( and still) use in other places, Blue Angel as my "handle" after my favourite Roy Orbison track of the same name. I'm reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian at the moment which is brilliant and hilarious!!!

Julia · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject:

I was sure it was about a teacher who got involved with a strumpet who worked in a night club and then ran off with her - so lost his job - then she dumped him for someone else - dramatic downfall of a noble character I suppose
but then again - I haven't read it yet - that was just in the summary I read of it - so maybe it's wrong Smile

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I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

Natasha · Little Miss Lovely Smile Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 790

Check this out

http://www.leninimports.com/the_blue_angel.html
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Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen to be dressed for it.