The Mock Turtle

indigo wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 11:38 am

Lily wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:26 am So I have gone to The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware instead. :lowbrow:

I am interested in how this is, please. I love Ruth Ware.

Hmm. It was pretty good, but there were gaping holes in the plot. Still worth a read, but I feel like emailing her and saying "What about X? And Y? EH???"

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield arrived the other day. Never read any of her other stuff but it’s the latest release from the Austen Project, so it’s a modern version of Pride and Prejudice. At the moment it’s mostly reminding me how near perfect the original was. But I like to be completist and have the other 3 released so far.

I have just finished Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce. It had a whiff of Appletree Yard about it but a surprising ending (for me anyway). Very enjoyable. Now far later than I had planned I will start on Lethal White.

Hazey_Jane wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:22 pm Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield arrived the other day. Never read any of her other stuff but it’s the latest release from the Austen Project, so it’s a modern version of Pride and Prejudice. At the moment it’s mostly reminding me how near perfect the original was. But I like to be completist and have the other 3 released so far.

I really loved this!

Flora Poste wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 7:41 pm Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) - I really loved this, it was gentle but gripping and I really liked the marsh/ nature setting.

Well that totally broke me.

It’s SO good, isn’t it?

God yes. I was petrified for much of the last third and cried at the end.

I really liked Eligible.

I've finished Spring and predictably loved.

I don't mind Ruth Ware but I think all her plots are a bit holey.

I don't understand why an editor doesn't pick up on it and go, "Er, what about this? And this?" I might bother with her again; I may not.

I am on The Institute by Stephen King.

Is Spring the one with the 'miracle' girl? I did love it.

I read the Institute over Christmas. It really disturbed me tbh.

Yep, that's the one. She writes so beautifully.

She does. It's like she weighs every word before using it. She is also a lovely woman - I have wanged on about my Ali Smith Hug before but her kindness has never left me.

I am v much enjoying The Institute!

I can't remember that story so tell me again!

She was at the Lit Fest a few years ago and said some stuff which really resonated with me. I was sitting in the audience crying (silently, natch). Afterwards I queued up to get my book signed and when I met her I started telling her this and I just started crying like a knobber, and she came up round the table and put her arms around me and gave me the biggest warmest hug.

Her book How To Be Both inspired me to go to Ferrara and I just dropped her a note to tell her, and I got a lovely letter back.

She's a brilliant lady.

Ah, that's really sweet of her. I'm glad she's nice in real life.

I have never read any Ali Smith. It sounds like I ought to.

Sometimes you don’t want every word to be weighed up and looked at from all angles, sometimes you want a rollicking read. I found Winter really tough going. I’ve got Spring to read but I’m taking a break first with a rollicking read.

What’s the institute like Lils?

I have finished Eligible and once Curtis Sittenfield had stopped using Cincinatti every other word, I rather enjoyed it, for all its fluff and nonsense

I'm enjoying it very much although as Smunder says it is disturbing me.

I would start with How To Be Both Digs, as it's just so beautiful.