Hi
This book, The Winter Ghosts, was recommended to me. It is the first book I have read by this author and I liked the direct style but I did find it rather descriptive. Detailed landscape descriptions don't really fascinate me but I did get the impression she was writing about a place she knew well, and I can imagine that some people would enjoy this. The character and history of Freddie Watson was thoroughly explored and developed. I felt that the theme of coming to terms with loss was delicately handled. Everyone deals with these sort of powerful emotions slightly differently and following Freddie as he learnt to accept and live with his loss seemed to me to be the main theme of this story. The ghost aspect was almost secondary to this main theme.
After reading this novel I might be tempted to give Labyrinth a try.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Book Review, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Hi
A friend recommended this book to me. She said it was one of her favourite novels. It was first published in 1944 so has been around a long time. It is the story of a poor family in Brooklyn. The main character is Francie Nolan, who lives with her parents and brother in a tenement apartment. She loves reading and regularly visits the library and, weather permitting, sits outside on the fire escape to read. The story is a very detailed account of her life between the ages of about six to twenty. It is an excellent insight into life in those times. It takes you on a rollacoaster ride through a whole host of emotions as we watch Francie coping with her father's death, her secret hopes for her own future being reshaped, her knowledge that her mother favours her brother, her desperate attempts to complete her education while being forced to work to keep the family together and finally her first love. It is a long story but well worth a read. It is a reminder of what it really was like to be poor and not have enough money for food or heat at a time when there was no one to help out.
A friend recommended this book to me. She said it was one of her favourite novels. It was first published in 1944 so has been around a long time. It is the story of a poor family in Brooklyn. The main character is Francie Nolan, who lives with her parents and brother in a tenement apartment. She loves reading and regularly visits the library and, weather permitting, sits outside on the fire escape to read. The story is a very detailed account of her life between the ages of about six to twenty. It is an excellent insight into life in those times. It takes you on a rollacoaster ride through a whole host of emotions as we watch Francie coping with her father's death, her secret hopes for her own future being reshaped, her knowledge that her mother favours her brother, her desperate attempts to complete her education while being forced to work to keep the family together and finally her first love. It is a long story but well worth a read. It is a reminder of what it really was like to be poor and not have enough money for food or heat at a time when there was no one to help out.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Book Review, A Caress Of Twilight by Laurell K Hamilton
Hi
As you will have realised I enjoy reading Laurell Hamilton. A Caress of Twilight is the second in her Meredith Gentry series and once again does not disappoint. If you enjoy a magical tale this will suit you. As with the Anita Blake series the main character is a strong woman, Merry, surrounded by a bevy of gorgeous fellows.Inevitable I suppose, but very entertaining. As she watches the combined effort of her bodyguards fail Merry puts her hand of power, which she gained in the first book, A Kiss Of Shadows, to good use and develops more magical abilities as the story comes to a close. What would they do without her? Laurell Hamilton manages to describe things that should be indescribable brilliantly. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Seduced by Moonlight.
As you will have realised I enjoy reading Laurell Hamilton. A Caress of Twilight is the second in her Meredith Gentry series and once again does not disappoint. If you enjoy a magical tale this will suit you. As with the Anita Blake series the main character is a strong woman, Merry, surrounded by a bevy of gorgeous fellows.Inevitable I suppose, but very entertaining. As she watches the combined effort of her bodyguards fail Merry puts her hand of power, which she gained in the first book, A Kiss Of Shadows, to good use and develops more magical abilities as the story comes to a close. What would they do without her? Laurell Hamilton manages to describe things that should be indescribable brilliantly. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Seduced by Moonlight.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Play Reading Group - Rough Justice by Constance Bird
Hi
The first of the new term of my play reading group was today. A friend invited me to join the group back in September, which takes place at her house. I was nervous at first since my knowledge of plays is very limited but the the group members are very friendly and I am enjoying myself. We mainly read scripts but some poetry reading and discussion is also included. Today we read a one act play called Rough Justice by Constance Bird. The plot revolves around a dog called Rough who has taken to attacking a lady. It keeps biting her legs. The play begins with it's third attack and the news that it will have to be destroyed unless the lady barrister who lives in the house with the family can solve the mystery of why the dog has taken a sudden dislike to this particular woman. The initial story line is intriguing but the change in character of the lady under attack at the end is not very convincing. It was a light hearted comedy not to be taken too seriously.
I have been searching for some information about Constance Bird but am not having much success at the moment.
The first of the new term of my play reading group was today. A friend invited me to join the group back in September, which takes place at her house. I was nervous at first since my knowledge of plays is very limited but the the group members are very friendly and I am enjoying myself. We mainly read scripts but some poetry reading and discussion is also included. Today we read a one act play called Rough Justice by Constance Bird. The plot revolves around a dog called Rough who has taken to attacking a lady. It keeps biting her legs. The play begins with it's third attack and the news that it will have to be destroyed unless the lady barrister who lives in the house with the family can solve the mystery of why the dog has taken a sudden dislike to this particular woman. The initial story line is intriguing but the change in character of the lady under attack at the end is not very convincing. It was a light hearted comedy not to be taken too seriously.
I have been searching for some information about Constance Bird but am not having much success at the moment.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Book Review - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
Hi
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards is the first book in aseries of about seventeen so far.It was published back in 1966 and is quite a pleasent read. It was recommended to me once again and so I thought I'd give it a try even though I wasn't sure it was my type of book. It turned out to be a detective type story. The main character, Jim Quilleran, is a newspaper journalist who arrives in a small town to work on The Daily Fluxion. He rents a room with the art critic and develops a relationship with a siamese cat called Kao K'o-Kung or Koko for short. They make an unusual pair of detectives. The characters and places are lovingly described and by the end of the book the thriving community of people have been brought to life. The character of Jim Quilleran is quite believable and although his logic is good you can see him jumping to conclusions and doubting himself in an entertaining fashion. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards is the first book in aseries of about seventeen so far.It was published back in 1966 and is quite a pleasent read. It was recommended to me once again and so I thought I'd give it a try even though I wasn't sure it was my type of book. It turned out to be a detective type story. The main character, Jim Quilleran, is a newspaper journalist who arrives in a small town to work on The Daily Fluxion. He rents a room with the art critic and develops a relationship with a siamese cat called Kao K'o-Kung or Koko for short. They make an unusual pair of detectives. The characters and places are lovingly described and by the end of the book the thriving community of people have been brought to life. The character of Jim Quilleran is quite believable and although his logic is good you can see him jumping to conclusions and doubting himself in an entertaining fashion. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Book Review, Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton
Hi
Its 2011 and the new year is about to begin in earnest. I hope it's going to be a good one for us all. I have managed to read Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton over the holiday period. I must admit that the Anita Blake Series is one of my favourite ones in this genre. I enjoy the build up of tension in the story surrounding the psychic abilities of the heroine as she battles to maintain her humanity surrounded by vampires and were animals. I also enjoy the way lots of fantasy and mythical beings are introduced. This happens less frequently in the later books in this series which is a shame. The early books were excellent reading. In some ways the more recent stories are a little more predictable.
The combination of her involvement in police cases and being the vampire executioner work well and provide lots of opportunities for confrontations.
I like the technique used of making the main character appear to talk to the reader. This is done in such a way as to convince you that she is aware that you are sharing the adventure with her rather than merely talking to herself.
In this one Anita finds herself facing an old enemy vampire called Vittorio. She has previously fought this vampire and scarred him with holy water. He is gradually regaining his lost powers and fancies a closer relationship with Marshall Blake. The mother of all vampires makes another appearance with a disturbing effect on Anita's psychic controls. It's all good fun and if this is your type of story then it's a great read.
I have also read a graphic novel of the first story in the series, Guilty Pleasures. I put off reading this since having read so many of the Anita Blake books I had my own mental images of the main characters which I knew would not coincide with the artists impressions. I was pleasantly surprise to find I enjoyed the book even so. The discovery of a new story in the series that came from brief mentions of incidents in Anita Blake's early life called The First Death was an exciting find. I have not really read graphic novels before but will definitely continue to do so.
Its 2011 and the new year is about to begin in earnest. I hope it's going to be a good one for us all. I have managed to read Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton over the holiday period. I must admit that the Anita Blake Series is one of my favourite ones in this genre. I enjoy the build up of tension in the story surrounding the psychic abilities of the heroine as she battles to maintain her humanity surrounded by vampires and were animals. I also enjoy the way lots of fantasy and mythical beings are introduced. This happens less frequently in the later books in this series which is a shame. The early books were excellent reading. In some ways the more recent stories are a little more predictable.
The combination of her involvement in police cases and being the vampire executioner work well and provide lots of opportunities for confrontations.
I like the technique used of making the main character appear to talk to the reader. This is done in such a way as to convince you that she is aware that you are sharing the adventure with her rather than merely talking to herself.
In this one Anita finds herself facing an old enemy vampire called Vittorio. She has previously fought this vampire and scarred him with holy water. He is gradually regaining his lost powers and fancies a closer relationship with Marshall Blake. The mother of all vampires makes another appearance with a disturbing effect on Anita's psychic controls. It's all good fun and if this is your type of story then it's a great read.
I have also read a graphic novel of the first story in the series, Guilty Pleasures. I put off reading this since having read so many of the Anita Blake books I had my own mental images of the main characters which I knew would not coincide with the artists impressions. I was pleasantly surprise to find I enjoyed the book even so. The discovery of a new story in the series that came from brief mentions of incidents in Anita Blake's early life called The First Death was an exciting find. I have not really read graphic novels before but will definitely continue to do so.
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