164 replies to this topic

[fsharpminor]

The Siege, by Helen Dunmore

[Sylvette]

How to Build a Car by Adrian Newey. 

I never knew aerodynamics was so fascinating, and after the first chapter, I realised that many years ago, I knew his father!

[Edwardo]

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

[fsharpminor]

Have just finished 'Seige'by Helen Dunmore, set during the Seige of Leningrad, quite sad in places, but love rules OK !

 

Have just ordered 'The Gustav Sonata' by Rose Tremain, more on this later.

[Misterioso]

Have just ordered 'The Gustav Sonata' by Rose Tremain, more on this later.

 

Thanks for posting this - I have just looked it up on Amazon and it is just now winging its way electronically to my Kindle.

[fsharpminor]

 

Have just ordered 'The Gustav Sonata' by Rose Tremain, more on this later.

 

Thanks for posting this - I have just looked it up on Amazon and it is just now winging its way electronically to my Kindle.

 

Will have to wait till Monday for my hard copy.

[Aeolienne]

The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole 1999-2001 by Sue Townsend

[tulip21]

Finishing River: Genesis by Helen Dennis. It's an interesting book. Lots of alchemy in it. Also reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Lots of the info really resonates with me.

[fsharpminor]

The Gustav Sonata  by Rose Tremain, the story of two little boys in post war Switzerland. One of who is a promising pianist.

[GMc]

How is the Gustav Sonata going?

 

I have just finished 2 autobiographies of neurosurgeon Henry Marsh sent to me by a friend - we worked with him as senior registrars in anaesthesia at the Atkinson Morley hospital in years gone by.  The Atkinson Morley is no more but Henry lives on.   I have to say he kept almost all that (apart from the irascible bits) under his hat as far as we were concerned.   Certainly no sign he was collecting anecdotes of fallibility for later memoirs or had  a suicide pack at home.   We should probably have probed more deeply.  The Economist said of him that neurosurgery had "found their Boswell".  

 

http://www.dailymail...pen-memoir.html

[Solari]

Just finished Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy. Feel a bit lost now but I'm going to start on some Ian M. Banks that I was recommended ages ago.

[Sylvette]

Just finished Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy. Feel a bit lost now but I'm going to start on some Ian M. Banks that I was recommended ages ago.

What did you think of the Robin Hobb?  I found them a bit slow to begin with, but they did improve as they went on.

[Solari]

What did you think of the Robin Hobb?  I found them a bit slow to begin with, but they did improve as they went on.

 

 

Liveship Traders jarred on me a bit to start with because the whole liveship thing struck me as very odd. It does get very good though and in typical Hobb style, there are some wonderfully well-fleshed-out characters in the books (talk about putting you through the wringer with Kennit!). I did feel like I'd have liked another book or a longer epilogue to tie up a few things, though. I'm guessing that's what the Rain Wild Chronicles are for...

 

I love Robin Hobb - The Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies were superb. I'd read them again. I've only just discovered that there's another completed follow on trilogy so I'd better get those! Might have to re-read the previous 2 again, though!

 

Has anyone read the new Philip Pullman, "Book of Dust" and is it any good?

[Witzend]

Re reading no. 2 of the Rebecca West trilogy - This Real Night.

Though in the sleepless small hours, so as not to disturb Dh, it's the 0p classics on the Kindle - currently The Prime Minister (Trollope's Palliser series). Next will probably be The Woman in White - last read years ago but have been reminded by the new BBC version.

[Misterioso]

Re-reading The Woman in White, so I can see what liberties they are taking with the new BBC serial. Quite a few, so far....