Post by Popcorn&Candy on Jul 11, 2021 3:55:05 GMT -5
I finished reading an excellent novel last night on the sofa, about the war of the roses. A brilliant, BRILLIANT book. Some parts made me laugh, but it was set in the 1400's. "White Rose, Red Rose" by Joanna Hickson is a book well worth a read. I also read "Because of You" by Dawn French a few days ago: it made me cry at the end. DO read this book: you won't regret it.
There are so many books worth reading, so do get stuck in!
I have just finished another book - 'Love Lessons' by Jacqueline Wilson. More a young teenage novel but I like to drift back into the past from time to time with easy to read teen romance. I find it useful to wind down and relax with something I can dreamily drift into and get away from it all.
Post by Popcorn&Candy on Jul 12, 2021 3:37:52 GMT -5
I'm glad you enjoyed your book, jen. I am forever reading: as you know.
Every time I read I sit there and read slowly. Not because I am a slow reader, but because I'd rather absorb the story than skimp through it. Speed reading IS a useful skill to have, though: and I do speed read when necessary. But reading a book isn't a competition or race: the book is there to be enjoyed.
Take your time when reading and just enjoy the experience!
Post by Rebecca Jo on Jul 23, 2021 17:21:54 GMT -5
On the Star Trek side of things, since we're still enjoying those, we are reading the novelisation for "The One with the Whales." (That's if it were a Friends episode title, hee hee.) Star Trek IV is my favourite of the movies with the original series characters, so I was totally on board with the suggestion. The latest Discovery novel is now in our possession, so it'll be the next Trek read together.
With the youngest, I've managed to find three that are hits, so we'll rotate. Some nights we might have time for a bit of each, otherwise one or two. And they are...
1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. (A favourite series of his, but I had needed a break. Now I'm good again!)
2. Explorer Academy #1. Good series for middle-grade readers. We have all of them so far.
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's 85 next year!
Meanwhile, I'm reading a Valerie Bodden novel on my Kindle, and have two other novelisations added to my collection. Flywheel will be up first, then Facing the Giants.
Post by Rebecca Jo on Jul 26, 2021 15:18:15 GMT -5
I'm into a Valerie Bodden series now, where the previous one I mentioned was a standalone. I'd say that most of the time, I'd rate her books a 4 out of 5 (like the GoodReads rating linked to my Kindle). Could use some extra polishing, but overall an enjoyable read!
Post by Rebecca Jo on Aug 18, 2021 23:04:51 GMT -5
I'll have to remember that one!
I've been trying out Dora Hiers since her name came up as similar to Valerie Bodden. I wasn't thrilled about the first firefighter book I read, but the second was great! I'm on the last of the trilogy, and then I've got the start of another series by the same author.
I'm also grabbing my non-fiction books during the day and reading bits and pieces so I can make more progress. One that's gotta come out more often is Hunt, Gather, Parent. I couldn't get a print copy when it first released earlier this year, but stalled using the ebook, so I splurged on a print copy last week. When I really like a parenting book, anyway, I know I'm going to want it on the shelf!
We started audiobooks Monday night because I had a headache. For the youngest, we picked a Patrick Carman book about squirrels. The older boys chose William Shakespeare's Star Wars, which the oldest has already read. Funny! And both books are borrowed online from the library, so that's good for the bank account! We're going to alternate nights I read and nights with the audiobooks, so we don't forget to finish them. Mama gets a bit of a break!
Also trying out an app called Serial Reader. I'm reading Walden in bits, delivered to my tablet once a day. Interesting way to tackle the classics!
Post by Rebecca Jo on Aug 22, 2021 23:51:31 GMT -5
I have a sample of Dune on my Kindle, just keep forgetting to read it. I think I may watch the movie first. (I wouldn't have said that often years ago, but now it's a shortcut to finding if I might want to spend the time on certain books.)
I have just read 'Find Then Dead' by Peter James. It is a crime / detective story. This is the second one I have read by him. They are a bit vicious in places, making an Agatha Christie look a bit tame but there is still a bit of a feel of the old style detective.
The book I am reading now is a factual history book. 'Dogs of Courage' by Clare Campbell. I have not got far yet to know fully but it is about the dogs trained for war service, guarding and finding mines / people etc. It is a bit harrowing in places as to the way stray dogs were often treated before WWII and how there was a suggestion that as dogs were not to be allowed in public air raid shelters in the war they should either be moved into the country or put down and many thousands were either abandoned or put to sleep.
I am finding out / realising that even some of the leading charities who are now begging for support have a somewhat shady past, in line with accepted practice of the day.
I have just read 'Find Then Dead' by Peter James. It is a crime / detective story. This is the second one I have read by him. They are a bit vicious in places, making an Agatha Christie look a bit tame but there is still a bit of a feel of the old style detective.
The book I am reading now is a factual history book. 'Dogs of Courage' by Clare Campbell. I have not got far yet to know fully but it is about the dogs trained for war service, guarding and finding mines / people etc. It is a bit harrowing in places as to the way stray dogs were often treated before WWII and how there was a suggestion that as dogs were not to be allowed in public air raid shelters in the war they should either be moved into the country or put down and many thousands were either abandoned or put to sleep.
I am finding out / realising that even some of the leading charities who are now begging for support have a somewhat shady past, in line with accepted practice of the day.
You will know that in olden times dogs were used for fighting in battles.
Less known was that bitches in heat were let loose, before battles. For obvious reasons.
I have just read 'Find Then Dead' by Peter James. It is a crime / detective story. This is the second one I have read by him. They are a bit vicious in places, making an Agatha Christie look a bit tame but there is still a bit of a feel of the old style detective.
The book I am reading now is a factual history book. 'Dogs of Courage' by Clare Campbell. I have not got far yet to know fully but it is about the dogs trained for war service, guarding and finding mines / people etc. It is a bit harrowing in places as to the way stray dogs were often treated before WWII and how there was a suggestion that as dogs were not to be allowed in public air raid shelters in the war they should either be moved into the country or put down and many thousands were either abandoned or put to sleep.
I am finding out / realising that even some of the leading charities who are now begging for support have a somewhat shady past, in line with accepted practice of the day.
You will know that in olden times dogs were used for fighting in battles.
Less known was that bitches in heat were let loose, before battles. For obvious reasons.
Yes I do. I have seen some of the spiky collars they used. There did seem to be split between the dogs kept as 'lapdogs' and those used for more violent purposes. I have a book called "The Dog - 5000 years of the dog in art". It is full of paintings of dogs. One of my favourite books. One item in it is a photo of a mosaic from Pompeii showing a dog on a lead. Another one from Pompeii (a mosaic) from the first century AD shows a dog with spiky teeth on what appears to be a chain with the words 'Cave Canem' (beware of the dog) underneath. According to the text that is not unusual.
Post by Rebecca Jo on Aug 25, 2021 23:49:49 GMT -5
I caved and bought my own copy of Dune, so that's on my to-read list once it arrives in the mail. Apparently I can't wait for the movie, though I'll still really enjoy the special effects when the movie is finally here. (And I haven't been going to the theatre, so I may be waiting for DVD or streaming next year. Sigh.)
Making progress on a biography of Princess Mary, slowly slugging through Walden (why bother? not sure), and enjoying a leisurely digest of (another) non-fiction book called How Did I Get Here by Christine Caine. I try to read as if I can hear her voice, since she has a great Australian accent. Might stick to videos of hers in the future if I can. LOL
Finished A Time to Heal by Dora Hiers, which involved the recurring humour of a grumpy llama spitting on the hero. I'm wondering what's coming for laughs in the second book, A Time to Build. The heroine in this one is a burn survivor who will likely have some issues with her appearance, so yay for a book with a real woman and not just a pretty face!
I'm still picking out a free e-book each month from Amazon.. the most recent one sounded exactly like the plot to Altered Carbon, but everyone in the comments for the book talked about how original the idea was... Uhhhh lol I got that one just to see if they did rip off someone else xD but I might not get around to reading it for a while either way.. it's just there for when I have some more free time.
Book I am talking about:
Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2021 9:30:57 GMT -5 by heatherly
I'll list some of the other free books I got over the last few months. I pick out the ones that sound the more interesting to me. I mostly pick out thrillers and such, so...
A Familiar Sight (Dr. Gretchen White Book 1) by Brianna Labuskes
Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson
Beneath Devil's Bridge: A Novel by Loreth Anne White
The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda
Lies We Bury by Elle Marr
I'll let you know if/when I read anything. I do find many of the free ebooks I had read in the past so far were not very good lol the characters are just meh usually...
Post by Rebecca Jo on Aug 29, 2021 23:04:35 GMT -5
I'm almost through the first 100 pages of Dune. The political intrigue and the houses reminds me of the Game of Thrones TV show, but it's far tamer in terms of violence, language, and such. (Thank goodness! I watched GoT because of my ex's interest, but it was so far off from where my values are that I don't even like to think of it.) And it's got tech and space, so it's much more likely to be my thing! Also, there's an endorsement on the back cover from Arthur C. Clarke, who put it after Lord of the Rings, so that says something about its potential for epic-ness, right?
I have the '80's Dune movie on the way, too. Found it bundled with a few other movies, including The Last Starfighter. (Squee!) I'm going all in right now as the wait continues for the newest movie...
Post by Rebecca Jo on Aug 29, 2021 23:11:50 GMT -5
Finished early this morning (when I was up for a little while at 3 am - whatever that was about, body of mine!): A Time to Build by Dora Hiers. The llama spitting occurred again, but I don't recall a lot of other humour in the book. It was still good, though.
Finished tonight: The Hobbit. Three cheers and two thumbs up despite a few dwarves not making it. Oh, and we could do without spiders, am I right?
Finishing tomorrow, likely: Star Trek Discovery: Wonderlands. One of the better books of this series, though I think that some things in the plot appeared to be new items when they popped up in the episodes of the third season, which occurs after this book. Might have been some accidental overlapping by the writers? Or I'm not seeing how those items fit in both TV and book without contradicting each other?
I'm not a big reader myself but I'm currently reading the original Dracula by Bram Stocker. Quite interesting since it's narrated from the point of view of the characters thorough their personal diaries. 🤓
I'm not a big reader myself but I'm currently reading the original Dracula by Bram Stocker. Quite interesting since it's narrated from the point of view of the characters thorough their personal diaries. 🤓