The Mock Turtle

Ooh!

Ella77 wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 1:22 pm I haven't started it yet, so it might be terrible, but there's a book out today called Catherine House that they say will appeal to fans of The Secret History. Big shoes to fill. I must have ordered it a few months ago on somebody's recommendation, but I can't remember whose.

During your three years at Catherine House, you will have no contact with those in the outside world.

You will not leave the grounds during your time at the college.

If we believe you have wandered from the path of learning, you may be sent to the tower.

Each of our students has been selected as someone who belongs here at Catherine. You will give to Catherine, and Catherine will give to you. We will not let each other down.

Sorry if you try it and it's utter pants .

I've just finished this. It's pretty decent. I managed to concentrate on it which is an achievement these days

I have just finished Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (Kindle) and really enjoyed it:
Set in Atlanta, Georgia from 60s onwards - James Witherspoon has two families, one public, the other a closely guarded secret. But when his daughters meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows the truth. Theirs is a relationship destined to explode.

Glad you liked it, Annabella! I'm keen to read that, I loved An American Marriage and read it in a day.

Has anyone read The Other Bennett Sister? It's an imagining of Mary Bennett's story from Pride and Prejudice and I've read a couple of good reviews. I'm prompted to think of reading it because how well that character is portrayed in the Jennifer Ehle/ Colin Firth adapatation that is re-running on BBC4 at the moment

Glad it wasn’t shit, Smunder. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

Just to complicate things, the new Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is out today, and so is Rodham (the Curtis Sittenfeld). Lots of new books for the bank holiday weekend .

I downloaded Rodham this morning. I randomly read this yesterday which reminded me! https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisu ... y-clinton/

I loved American Wife so much

I've just pre-ordered the new Veronica Henry.

lazzbo wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 11:58 am Glad you liked it, Annabella! I'm keen to read that, I loved An American Marriage and read it in a day.

That is on my list now Lazzbo, thank you

I wonder if it was the physical release of Rodham that has been delayed. I was planning to get the electronic version anyway.

I'm really enjoying Daisy Jones and the Six, it's much lighter than The Mirror and The Light but still a good story.

Annabella wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 10:01 am

lazzbo wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 11:58 am Glad you liked it, Annabella! I'm keen to read that, I loved An American Marriage and read it in a day.

That is on my list now Lazzbo, thank you

You're welcome! It's really stuck with me, I hope you enjoy it.

Ella77 wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 5:53 am Glad it wasn’t shit, Smunder. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

Just to complicate things, the new Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is out today, and so is Rodham (the Curtis Sittenfeld). Lots of new books for the bank holiday weekend .

. I read the first six chapters of the hunger games prequel last night (as the book arrived on my kindle at midnight). I’m not as gripped by the world of Panem as I was when I read the original trilogy, but a lot of it has been scene-setting so far.

How are you finding it now, Rosy? I'm not particularly gripped yet either, but I"m sure that will change.

I am pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying J. D. Kirk's DI Logan series on Kindle Unlimited. They're funny and scary and very well plotted with good characters. Recommended!

I’ve just finished Affinity. It was really well done, but I did kind of guess where it was all going.

I think I’m going to have a browse of the Kindle store now, I fancy something different to the physical books on my to read pile.

I'm reading loads at the moment, helped by the fact I'm in bed by 8.30 most nights.

Recently I've read:
The Land of Long Lost Friends (No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) which was a load of crap. I still read these automatically but can't remember the last time one actually featured a decent mystery (and STFU about Violet Fucking Sepotho )

With Or Without You by Shari Lowe. She normally writes engaging fluff but I didn't like this one. The characters were all bland and the premise was weak.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (author of Secret Life of Bees). Loved this. She writes so beautifully that you really get a sense of places and tensions.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, which I loved. I think I mentioned it before, actually, but it's short stories and the end of each one took me by surprise as I was so involved with each character.

Big Little Lies, finally Took me a while to get into but thought it was great. Will definitely check out the series.

Normal People (can you tell I have a thing about reading the book first?) Not at all what I was expecting and made me feel quite sad and uncomfortable.

The Family Upstairs (Lisa Jewell) I found this quite gripping but the ending was too neat. It was about finding out what happened in the past, rather than how this book ended though, I suppose.

I've started Rodham and I'm really enjoying it.

I read an excerpt of a sex scene in Rodham which I assumed was a parody so I'm in two minds now.

I read Big Little Liars last week, Lora, having seen the show when it came out, but I really enjoyed doing it "the wrong way round" - the TV show is pretty loyal, I'd say, although obviously there's more padding and glitz and glam for the "oooooh" factor.

Ella77 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:49 am That’s great to know, Elya. I have The Magician’s Assistant to read next. (Have you read The Dutch House?)

Bel Canto is the one about terrorists taking a load of party guests hostage in a presidential mansion somewhere in South America. That’s not a good description but I’m trying not to drop any spoilers.

I’ve just finished The Dutch House - loved it. I didn’t want it to stop - I wish she’d write some longer novels.

It’s so good, isn’t it?

Apologies for saying earlier that Catherine is meant to be a bit like The Secret History. It isn’t, not at all, but it’s kind of weird and intriguing, so I like it so far.