The Book Vipers discussion

Just finished two great reads, both of which I rated as 5 stars - the first, which was a debut novel, was 'The Bones of You' by Debbie Howells (a great psychological thriller) and 'Black Rabbit Hall' by Eve Chase ( a tale of family, love, loss and secrets and a house that appears to have a soul and a life of its own). Would recommend both of these.

Finished The Book of Strange New Things earlier in the week. Disappointed by it in the end, even though it had some great world building in it. My review is here

Just finished 1984 by George Orwell.

I really liked The Book of Strange New Things. I enjoyed the alien's language and the atmosphere of the planet. I didn't understand the abrupt ending. Overall I liked the book.

I thought that the world he created was great Sandy, it just didn't have any depth with regards to plot and characters.

Finished The Night Manager late last week. Excellent thriller by John le Carré. Not so much on the spying, but a expose of the shady world of arms trading. My review is here

Thanks for the recommendations, Kim, I've added both of them :)

I finished The Children Act by Ian McEwan. Another one of his books that I've really enjoyed. He really knows how to keep it short and intense. Great writer, imo.

I've recently finished two books the first was The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov this was my first 5 star book of this year and I LOVED it - not the easiest read but well worth the effort - I intend buying an audio version soon as I'm not ready to let it go quite yet and don't think I will manage a re-read anytime soon

The second was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins an easy, enjoyable read, albeit with an unlikeable cast of characters, but I feel I may have forgotten all about it in a couple of months - time will tell - think it will probably make a very good film though.

Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. Again, Sowell in unparalleled in my opinion for taking a complex subject and making it easily understood. I highly recommend it.

Finished Swamplandia!. Though it takes a dark and disturbing turn towards the end, I liked it and plan on reading more of Karen Russell's novels.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Could not finish this one..

Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Finished Foxglove Summer a day or so ago. Fifth in the Peter Grant series, Ben Aaronovitch has taken Grant out of the city and dropped him in the wilds of Herefordshire, so it is a bit different to the previous books. Still good though. My review is here

As usual Paul, your review really made me want to read the novel by Aaronovitch. I have put it on my list.

It's a great series Jan

Finished Clay by the immensely talented Melissa Harrison yesterday. It is an hauntingly melancholic story about two children and two adults in London. I have now read all her books, so she needs to write some more1 My review is here

I've just re-read Nice Work which was published and is set in the mid-1980s. Apart from being a great book in its own right (witty and perceptive) I'd also suggest that it's a good read for anyone who is going to read North and Southfor the classic monthly book. 'Nice Work' not only parallels 'North and South' in many ways, but it also has a main character who is a university lecturer specialising in the industrial novel, who critiques the book.

I've just finished this incredible book by Colum McCann.
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I loved let the great world spin so adding this to my tbr pile Tracey. Sounds good.

Finished The Invisible Ones, but found it tedious. It's a mystery / thriller but I guessed the outcome about 200 pages from the end.

Seraphina you won't be sorry. :)

Just finished 'Maus' by art spiegelman. It was so good, my first graphic novel.

Finished Raptor: A Journey Through Birds a day or so ago. It is a debut book by James Macdonald Lockhart. Overall it is pretty good, but there are some flaws, not enough to stop me giving it four stars though My review is here

I've just finished Kate Atkinson 's "A God in Ruins"

What was it like Charlotte? I liked the writing in Life After Life but thought the plot was lacking somewhat

I thought it was very good. It had an edge over Life After Life for me. Were it not for me guessing an important plot point early on it may have got 5 stars from me!

Just a little 5 minute read but fun.
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished Lucky Jim (by Kingsley Amis, but you all probably knew that). Read it in college for a class on The Modern British Novel, but didn't remember much of it. According to critics, it's hilarious. Perhaps the humor was over my head: I found it a cute little story but rarely laughed.

I have read and enjoyed a couple other books by Douglas E. Richards; Amped and Wired. Unfortunately Split Second didn't prove itself to be as good as the others. It had it's moments and twists, but the dialogue between the characters was a bit stiff.

I just finished Five Star Billionaire, and I have so many questions about the ending!

I recently finished I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and while it is a YA novel I fell in love. So emotional, raw, and beautiful.

Just finished Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. Here's my review, such as it is. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished an excellent short story collection, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales by Kirsty Logan. Quirky, inventive, fairytale-like stories with lots going on beneath the surface to make you think. Highly recommended.

I've recently finished "The Children Act" by Ian McEwan. Thoroughly enjoyed it

I had heard the radio adaption of that one Charlotte. Must get around to reading it one day. Finished The Backpacker yesterday. A very different travel book to what I normally read! Good though, my review is here

Dreaming in Smoke...some good things to it, but flawed:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Some beautiful lyrical writing in this book
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I just finished The Raw Shark Texts, which was weird and dealt with some odd concepts but I enjoyed it more than expected! It made me feel that I should revisit The End of Mr Y, which is similarly conceptual and which I hated with a passion - but maybe my tastes have changed enough for me to enjoy that too.

The Raw Shark Texts

Haven't updated for a while - but in recent weeks, tackled State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - four star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

FDR by Jean Edward Smith - Five stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick - four stars with some reservations: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I am very late to it but A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 by James Shapiro which gets five: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

By the way Kirsty, I hated The End of Mr Y with a passion too!!

I just finished reading The Paris Architect and found it well-written and very enjoyable. It is the story of an architect living in occupied France during WWII. In order to get a commission for work, he reluctantly designs a hiding place for a Jewish person. The risks were great and the author does a good job developing the character of the architect. As with many stories about WWII, it is quite thought-provoking.

The Raw Shark Texts is on my TBR Kirsty as I am slowly working my way through the Arthur C Clarke nominees. Sounds like it would be something I'd like.

Richard wrote: "Haven't updated for a while - but in recent weeks, tackled State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - four star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[book:FDR|33298..."

Good to know I'm not alone...

Finished two books in the last couple of days, the first was The Hills Of Adonis by one of my favourite travel writers Colin Thubron. It is an account of a personal journey he undertook walking around the stark landscape of Lebanon. Beautifully written as always. My review is here. Just have one more of his to read now

The second was Bill Oddie Unplucked: Columns, Blogs and Musings. it is a light hearted collection of his magazine articles and blogs. My review is here

Just finished this one Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Last month I read mu first sci-fi) It was Collective Mind It's all about AI and the author's idea to unite people's intelligence in one PC device and this device can generate ideas how to overcome incurable diseases.

Just finished this incredible book .
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I can put the link to my review of "Sarah's Key" in the right place. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tracey wrote: "Just finished this incredible book .
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Great review. I'm putting it on my list.

Finished Invisible: The History of the Unseen from Plato to Particle Physics yesterday. Not a bad book overall, but I preferred the science part in the latter half of the book. My review is here

Just finished an emotionally difficult book
Here is a review by Tracey: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Wanted to thank whoever suggested "Sarah's Key", by the way. It was someone in this group, I'm pretty sure.

Jan I read and reviewed this here about 4 weeks ago . I gave it 5* Glad you loved it too. :)