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I started Traitors and Rebels by Lindsey Davis. It bills itself as a historical novel set during England's civil war at the time of Charles 1. But I found myself very confused as it read more like a history lesson than a novel. So I looked up the reviews on Amazon to see if it got better and apparently it doesn't, as that's the flaw other readers pointed out. There's no seamless integration between the novel parts and the history parts. I might still yet finish it as the subject interests me, but for now I've put it aside.
Then I started Daybreak Zero by John Barnes, which has a dystopian theme. But I didn't realise that it is a sequel to Directive 51, which I have not read. When I realised that, I continued for a few more pages then put it aside too, waiting for the day when I've read Directive 51. It is hard to make any sense of what is going on in the Daybreak Zero and I'm assuming it is because the sense-making information is contained in the first book.
Then I picked up The Extinction Event by David Black. I just started it and while it seemed okay so far, I'm a little turned off by some of the blurb writers. I guess this David Black must be a screen writer or something to do with television and movies because some of the blurb authors are Bill Cosby, Alec Baldwin and Richard Dreyfus. I'm never looking for blurbs by actors praising books when I choose books. It strikes the wrong chord with me when some actor type gets a bunch of his actor friends to praise his book. It's so irrelevant it's like a surgeon asking a plumber to critique his technique.
It was on sale, practically free. I guess I'll find out whether it is any good but my hopes are not high.
I cannot believe I keep picking this guy's books up. This is the third, now, and each leaves me with mixed feelings. This one is no different. I think in this case my lack of enthusiasm is that none of the characters are particularly endearing or engaging. I can identify with the circumstances he has them face, but their responses to it don't feel real.
This one is about a couple, both divorced, and he's gone back to their native Montana to deal with his (dying) father. Since I just lost my mom, and our relations were about as complicated as the protagonist's, it seems like I should identify with him, more, but it just isn't happening.
I will probably slog through the remaining half of the book, but Lord keep me from trying another.
Revenge of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz. Very good for everybody who loves Tolkien!
I just got The Dwarves by the same author from Amazon. I was searching for a certain book for my husband for his birthday, and remembered your post so I looked for that as well. Then I saw it was a series with The Dwarves being the first in the series, so I opted for book 1. I was quite curious when I read the author is German and the book was originally published in Germany. It sounds like it might be better than the typical genre stuff published here.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading it.
For my husband I got Lillian Alling, the journey home by Susan Smith-Josephy. I had wanted to get it for him at Christmas but didn't feel like braving the crowds in the only store in the city that had it, and at that time Amazon said the book would be delivered in a month or two - too late for Christmas. So, now it's a birthday present instead.
I seem to be doing some Christmas-for-birthday presents a lot. I forgot to mail the book I got for my stepson - Go the F*ck to Sleep - for Christmas along with the other presents, so I mailed it yesterday for his birthday.
Lillian Alling was was a homesick Russian, who, in 1926, decided to walk back to Russia from New York. In three years' time she walked all the way to Dawson City. From there she took a boat to the Bering Sea, where her story ends in a mystery. No one knows whether she made it home or not.
My husband is kind of a homesick Russian even though he was born here, so I think this will be right up his alley.
But in the meantime, spring cleaning continues, along with a bunch of other interfering-with-reading-time stuff.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by netwit
For my husband I got Lillian Alling, the journey home by Susan Smith-Josephy. I had wanted to get it for him at Christmas but didn't feel like braving the crowds in the only store in the city that had it, and at that time Amazon said the book would be delivered in a month or two - too late for Christmas. So, now it's a birthday present instead.
Lillian Alling was was a homesick Russian, who, in 1926, decided to walk back to Russia from New York. In three years' time she walked all the way to Dawson City. From there she took a boat to the Bering Sea, where her story ends in a mystery. No one knows whether she made it home or not.
That sounds so interesting! There's probably not enough (or any) dialogue in it for me -- I love me some dialogue -- but the story itself sounds fascinating.
Also: I'd be peeved not knowing if she made it back.
That sounds so interesting! There's probably not enough (or any) dialogue in it for me -- I love me some dialogue -- but the story itself sounds fascinating.
Also: I'd be peeved not knowing if she made it back.
Looking at the book, it seems that the author interviewed people along her route, mostly in BC, and looked up old newspaper articles about the strange woman. There are other books and plays written about her - she's sort of ascended into mythology, but at least one of the other books I came across had bad reviews - it seems that the writer of another book about Alling used Alling's story as the back-story to complaining about her own life. I was more interested in Alling's story as all the Russian-Mennonites I grew up with were equally homesick and would have moved back to Russia in a heartbeat if things had been different.
Alling started off her journey with a loaf of bread sliced into three pieces before hand because she didn't own a knife. It all sounds pretty heartbreaking and I'm betting she didn't make it back. The time period coincided with the Revolution and even if she did make it back, I'll bet she ended up someplace not-so-nice like a prison camp.
Obviously I'll read it too But I will try and control myself until hubby has a chance to read it first. Since it's his present and everything.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,013,815 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by netwit
Looking at the book, it seems that the author interviewed people along her route, mostly in BC, and looked up old newspaper articles about the strange woman. There are other books and plays written about her - she's sort of ascended into mythology, but at least one of the other books I came across had bad reviews - it seems that the writer of another book about Alling used Alling's story as the back-story to complaining about her own life. I was more interested in Alling's story as all the Russian-Mennonites I grew up with were equally homesick and would have moved back to Russia in a heartbeat if things had been different.
Alling started off her journey with a loaf of bread sliced into three pieces before hand because she didn't own a knife. It all sounds pretty heartbreaking and I'm betting she didn't make it back. The time period coincided with the Revolution and even if she did make it back, I'll bet she ended up someplace not-so-nice like a prison camp.
Obviously I'll read it too But I will try and control myself until hubby has a chance to read it first. Since it's his present and everything.
Yeah, I read about that when I looked up the book -- that there was even an opera about her. Wild.
As for waiting for your hubby to read it first "since it's his present and everything" ... pffffft! Give him something else to do -- like make dinner for a week.
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Ivan Doig's "Mountain Time"
But I will try and control myself until hubby has a chance to read it first. Since it's his present and everything.
