Words Worth (book reviews)

[fluffymoat4]

Has anyone just finished reading a book or is about to start reading a new book and would like to recommend it to members of Manmates?

I have just finished reading “The Taking” by Dean Koontz. It was a gripping read (as usual) made worse by the fact that we were suffering very bad weather at the time (high winds etc) and the story begins with a bad storm. It’s one of those stories that you can imagine one day may happen… Everyone thinks that aliens are trying to take over our planet BUT in a very surreptitious way. The only criticism I have about this book is that he uses far too lengthy descriptions of people, places and surroundings. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs in an attempt to get to a place in the book, which took up the storyline once more. I usually enjoy authors describing things to me as it helps me to imagine how people look, what sort of personalities they have, what surroundings they live in etc. etc. I found the descriptions in this particular read a bit over the top and unnecessary though. I will give it ten out of ten for the actual storyline and ending though (and I did only pay £1 for it in a sale so I mustn’t grumble too much eh?)

Two books I read before Christmas were spoilt by the overuse of bad language (and believe me I can swear when I want to). Sorry Katie Price/Jordan but I decided to read both your autobiographies – pre jungle and post jungle – thinking maybe I had misunderstood you by believing all the press hype. Okay, you are honest in both books and don’t even try to pretend the press image was wrong BUT can I just point out that you don’t have to actually SWEAR all the time in books just because you do so in real life! I managed to read them both through and I truly enjoyed a story of despair through to a fairytale wedding and loving future and I wish her and Peter Andre all the best.

A book I read in the summer merits more than a mention. It was written by Gloria Hunniford and is entitled “Next to You”. It’s about her daughter, Caron and her battle with a life threatening illness. It’s a lovely, moving story about how generations of family are involved in her quest for a cure. There are some thought provoking extracts from Caron’s own diary entries. I read through the book sometimes with hope in my heart but then I’d remember she’d lost her battle in the end. I started and finished the book with a tear stained face but I felt humbled for having read it – all my problems paled into insignificance.

I am about to start reading another book, this time it’s by Mary Higgins Clark and is entitled “Two Little Girls In Blue”. I shall let you know what I think when I’ve finished reading it.

So, does anyone out there have any words to say on a book they have recently read, read in the past OR are currently reading??

[eileenman]

Lirttle Mo, I have the Gloria Hunniford book, i got it the Xmas before last. still only read half of it yet, find the book is too heavy and big to read in bed which is where i do most of my reading. Will get round to finishing it one day, got the Peter Kay book this last Xmas, but you start reading it, but just like when he is on telly, he starts to tell you something but then goes off on another subject and you forget what he was telling you about in the first place.

[lin]

HI MO...I HAVE READ THE ODD AUTOBIOGRAPY, BUT ON THE WHOLE IF I'M NOT READING A TRUE CRIME BOOK THEN ALL MY BOOKS ARE ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT, ARABIC OR HIEROGLYPHS..HIEROGLYPH DICTIONARY ETC AND EGYPT ITSELF. I DO LIKE TO READ, FOR A CHANGE, SOMETHING LIKE...'THE MAGDALENE LEGACY' BY LAURENCE GARDNER, 'THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL', WHICH IS BY MICHAEL BAIGENT, RICHARD LEIGH AND HENRY LINCOLN....VERY MUCH INTO TRUE STUFF.
I FOUND A BOOK BY AMELIA EDWARDS CALLED, 'A THOUSAND MILES UP THE NILE', HER EXPERIENCE TRAVELLING THROUGH EGYPT, A FANTASTIC READ.

LIN

[Lisa]

Hi Lin, I dont get chance to read a lot these days but I do remember a book by Shirley Maclean (the actress) called DONT FALL OFF THE MOUNTAIN. It really inspired my at the time.....Has anyone ever read it?

[fluffymoat4]

I forgot to mention that I read the autobiogs of Eric Sykes and Sharon Osbourne during the late Summer and early Autumn of 2006.
Whilst reading Eric Sykes book I could have been reading extracts from my own father's early years. Except that my father lost his father as a youngster unlike Eric Sykes, who lost his mother soon after she gave birth to him. Eric Sykes book is entitled "If I Don't Write It, Nobody Else Will". I grew up watching Eric Sykes performing on screen. I thought he was one of the funniest men I had ever seen. He's still on our screens today as a character in the Harry Potter movies. If you thought his rise to fame was an easy one then please read this book, it was anything but. The way Eric wrote his life story is easy to follow, funny but sad and very thought provoking. If I hadn't read it with hindsight I would have wondered what the end would bring. The many times he almost gave up making a living out of being funny, we would have been robbed of a national treasure (methinks?). I was bought Peter Kay's book for Christmas and I read it within a few days (sorry Peter but you are very young to be writing your auto-biography). Yes, Peter's book is funny but if you want Value For Money and a LOT of pages that'll keep you going for weeks rather than days then Eric Sykes book beats Peter Kay hands down. There's also some very nice photographs throughout Eric's book.

Now to Sharon Osbourne. I didn't know anything of her or her famous husband Ozzy until our son was watching their reality t.v. show and urged us to watch it too. We were all hooked. My husband hates swearing but works with other truck drivers and so is used to it PLUS he liked Ozzy Osbourne, the singer. I do swear occasionally but only mild swearwords, I do have an elder sister who uses bad language though and so I'm used to it. I did worry that our son, watching it, would pick up bad language but it had the opposite effect. You can imagine then how I could be in two minds whether or not to buy "Sharon Osbourne Extreme" - her autobiography. I am so glad I DID buy it. It gives a real insight into how her life began, how hard done by she was at times, how she met the love of her life and how she has made Ozzy one of the happiest men alive. This book is like riding on a rollercoaster - one minute you're loving what you're reading, the next you are hoping things get better and better. Again, it's a book that without hindsight could have kept me guessing. Having said that the book ends on a really good note and I look forward to reading the next saga, for that's what Sharon's book is... A family saga. (word of warning - there are some swear words left in but not so many as I would have expected). A truly fascinating read, one that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. It too has lots of photos throughout the book.

[fluffymoat4]

eileenman said:

Lirttle Mo, I have the Gloria Hunniford book, i got it the Xmas before last. still only read half of it yet, find the book is too heavy and big to read in bed which is where i do most of my reading. Will get round to finishing it one day, got the Peter Kay book this last Xmas, but you start reading it, but just like when he is on telly, he starts to tell you something but then goes off on another subject and you forget what he was telling you about in the first place.

Keep going with the Peter Kay book as it is worth the laughs along the way. I just question WHY write it now as there isn't yet that much to tell? It's a shame really as I admire him as a comedian. Also good luck with the Gloria Hunniford book as it too was well worth it's cost.

[fluffymoat4]

clancy said:

the only books i read are soccer books and text books i had to read for exam time i love reading any news paper now i do it on the Internet Ali loves Mave Binchy she also reads loads of other books from the library while i watch the TV tommy
xox

Tommy, I have seen Mave Binchy books in our local supermarket but, as I haven't read any of her books yet I'd love to know more.

[lin]

HI MO...I HAVE READ THE SHARON OSBOOURNE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A FANTASTIC READ, SHE CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THROUGH THE MILL DURING HER LIFETIME, AND I REALLY ADMIRE HER...VERY GOOD READ.

LIN

[fluffymoat4]

clancy said:

hi Mo ;D i have asked Ali about Mave Binchy the Irish author who lives in Dalky Dublin my cousin lives a few doors away from her so i tell her to tell Mave that i am keeping her life stile going because of all the money Ali spends on her books Alis favorite ones are Tara Road, Quentin's,Scarlet Feather. the story's are about relationships, people and family's in Ireland in todays time hope you like them tommy oxox

Thanks for that Tommy, we're going to be ordering a few books from Amazon this weekend so I'll be sure to look at the list of books they have by Mave Binchy. Tell Ali, thanks for the tip!

[bodzy3]

I dunno , why buy the book when you can watch the D V D, somebody once asked "have you read the bible" "No " I replied but i saw the film

bodzy

[lin]

I THINK THAT THERE'S MORE IN BOOKS USUALLY THAN YOU EVER SEE IN THE FILMS, SOMETIMES FILMS CAN BE DISAPPOINTING AFTER READING THE BOOK.

LIN

[Lisa]

THE POWER OF THE BOOK: The difference between books and films is that books leave it to your imagination; in films its all done for you.......

lin said:

I THINK THAT THERE'S MORE IN BOOKS USUALLY THAN YOU EVER SEE IN THE FILMS, SOMETIMES FILMS CAN BE DISAPPOINTING AFTER READING THE BOOK.

LIN

[lin]

THAT'S VERY TRUE LISA.

LIN

[avros]

I have finished Stephen King's latest novel." Lisey's Storey". The book is just over 500 pages (H.B.) I found the centre reading of the book far to abstact and almost gave up on it. However too many hours invested in it as they say and I plodded on. Lisey's life is caught up in the life and death of her famous novelist's husband Scott. His early death played heavy upon her. Scott had a brother who became a maddened youth - invaded by that evil life that lived down there in the woods. His dad chained him up downstairs and eventually shot him. Bury this evil thing and let good life go on. A run in with two fixated fans of the author causes Lisey much grief , but also gave her some strength to sort them out with a little home cooked violence. A novel that did not keep me to engrossed and I can say it was somewhat dissapointing. ** stars out of ***** Joe.

[fluffymoat4]

avros said:

I have finished Stephen King's latest novel." Lisey's Storey". The book is just over 500 pages (H.B.) I found the centre reading of the book far to abstact and almost gave up on it. However too many hours invested in it as they say and I plodded on. Lisey's life is caught up in the life and death of her famous novelist's husband Scott. His early death played heavy upon her. Scott had a brother who became a maddened youth - invaded by that evil life that lived down there in the woods. His dad chained him up downstairs and eventually shot him. Bury this evil thing and let good life go on. A run in with two fixated fans of the author causes Lisey much grief , but also gave her some strength to sort them out with a little home cooked violence. A novel that did not keep me to engrossed and I can say it was somewhat dissapointing. ** stars out of ***** Joe.

Joe - thank you so much for this enlightening review - I usually buy ALL of Steven King's books but after reading this I think I will wait for the paperback version and then only buy it if the price is right (Asda's have cracking offers on books most of the time).
Thanks so much for another interesting post from yourself!

[fluffymoat4]

“Two Little Girls In Blue” by Mary Higgins Clark. Suspense Thriller. Paperback.
It was one of those books I found very hard to put down. A couple’s three-year-old twin daughters are kidnapped and an extremely large ransom is demanded. The problem is that the couple do not have any money. They do manage to raise the ransom money and deliver it but only one twin is safely delivered home. They are told the other one died accidentally. As they come to terms with their grief certain things begin happening that causes the mother to believe that her other twin is still alive but extremely ill. She has to convince those around her, including the police, to continue searching for the kidnappers and her missing daughter before she really does die.
I actually sussed out who was behind the kidnapping part way through the book but I still enjoyed all the twists, turns and suspense. The outcome keeps you guessing to the end!

[kentwalton]

Hi everybody, I tend to read mainly autobiographies, biographies and books to do with history and politics. A good book I'm reading at the moment is an authorised biography of Michael Foot that only came out this year that I bought from the Amazon website. The author is Kenneth O. Morgan.

[Lisa]

Hi Karl, (Kent), Nice to see you back on the site. Hope you are getting better day by day. Will put the Michael Foot book on my list and thanks for the recommendation.

wally said:

Hi everybody, I tend to read mainly autobiographies, biographies and books to do with history and politics. A good book I'm reading at the moment is an authorised biography of Michael Foot that only came out this year that I bought from the Amazon website. The author is Kenneth O. Morgan.

[fluffymoat4]

wally said:

Hi everybody, I tend to read mainly autobiographies, biographies and books to do with history and politics. A good book I'm reading at the moment is an authorised biography of Michael Foot that only came out this year that I bought from the Amazon website. The author is Kenneth O. Morgan.

I too like to read autobiographies but I usually only read those written by the person themselves. I am hoping to receive, on Mother's Day, "Our Betty" by Liz Smith (lately of the Royal Family).

I recently received an autobiography of Kylie Minnogue but it was written by an author and not by her. It's HER story and HER views I would love to read. Please let us know more about the book regarding Michael Foot once you've read it though - hopefully you'll change my point of view??

I must be going senile - just realised, are you the son who's been so poorly?? If so then I hope you are truly on the mend and your health goes from strength to strength.

[kentwalton]

Thanks for your concern everybody. I'm feeling really good at the moment. It must be the tablets lol. The Liz Smith book does sound like an interesting one. She seems like an interesting character so hopefully will have something to say. She was brilliant in the Royle Family especially the most recent one where she stole the show mainly just lying in a bed.

[Lisa]

Hi Karl, Saw Liz on the tv recently and her life story was SO SAD. Her father deserted her at a young age and left saying "See ya, kid" and she never saw him again. Yet her outlook on life is inspirational. She sounded very down to earth and just got on with her life, and what a life !!! Another book to add to my list.....

wally said:

Thanks for your concern everybody. I'm feeling really good at the moment. It must be the tablets lol. The Liz Smith book does sound like an interesting one. She seems like an interesting character so hopefully will have something to say. She was brilliant in the Royle Family especially the most recent one where she stole the show mainly just lying in a bed.

[fluffymoat4]

wally said:

Thanks for your concern everybody. I'm feeling really good at the moment. It must be the tablets lol. The Liz Smith book does sound like an interesting one. She seems like an interesting character so hopefully will have something to say. She was brilliant in the Royle Family especially the most recent one where she stole the show mainly just lying in a bed.

I missed this episode of the Royle Family - I take it your referring to her dying?? I keep waiting for them to re-run it to see what I missed.

Belinda, I watched that episode where they were singing and dancing - wasn't it while they stripped wallpaper?? I thought it was a one-off special for comic relief?

[belinda]

no it wasnt comic relief,maybe it should have been,cant imagine they would have got much money though. it was awful.Just watching comic relief now,proclaimers are on ,Brilliant

[belinda]

Hi mo,Have you read any of Martina Cole's,shes brilliant,Ive read them all.shes from the east end of london and her books are all set there,but if you come from the part of manchester i came from you can almost feel at home with her.she obviously lived the life.

[mo]

Hi little mo, Iam a fan of Mary Higgins Clark but cant say i have even seen that book in the shops TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE, may be because I wasn't looking, so will have a look for it; It sound;s good. At the moment iam reading DEAN R KOONTZ. THE MASK. I have to tell you Iam a very slow reader just read a few pages at night, maureen

[fluffymoat4]

momo said:

Hi little mo, Iam a fan of Mary Higgins Clark but cant say i have even seen that book in the shops TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE, may be because I wasn't looking, so will have a look for it; It sound;s good. At the moment iam reading DEAN R KOONTZ. THE MASK. I have to tell you Iam a very slow reader just read a few pages at night, maureen

If you have problems getting hold of the book I can always post my copy to you. Let me know and it's as good as done.

I love books by Dean Koontz - I realise it'll be a while until you get to the end of it but would still like to know what you think when you get there.

On a different subject, I had just finished all my household chores earlier this afternoon and was about to put my feet up for a short while when in walks hubby and son - each carrying a bouquet of assorted flowers for me - talk about being spoiled eh? Mind you, never did get to put my feet up as spent some time cutting and arranging the flowers into vases. (NOT that I am moaning LOL).

[fluffymoat4]

belinda said:

Hi mo,Have you read any of Martina Cole's,shes brilliant,Ive read them all.shes from the east end of london and her books are all set there,but if you come from the part of manchester i came from you can almost feel at home with her.she obviously lived the life.

No, can't say I have read anything by Martina Cole. Her books sound good though so I may just treat myself one day. Which book would be best to start with OR are the stories the type that can "stand alone"? I have also promised Tommy that I'll try a book written by Maeve Binchy as his wife finds her books really good too. (I won't have much time for housework soon eh?)

I am hoping to receive "Our Betty" by Liz Smith tomorrow from our son. I've seen her in quite a few interviews on t.v. of late and it sounds like she has a real story to tell. I first heard she'd written her autobiography last year and I put it on my Christmas list but hubby didn't see it in the shops.

[frances]

Hi all. Have you read the Patricial Cornwell books.? If you are a fan of CSI and Silent Witness etc you will love them. Trouble is once you start reading them it is hard to put them down. Hope she writes some more.

[Belinda]

Hi Frances,Ive read all Patricia cornwell's books i agree with you,shes very good.Have you read any of Martina Cole's I cant put hers down,shes brilliant.James Herbert is great,all very different but all good. x Belinda

[Belinda]

Has anyone read Julie Goodyears life story? Ive just finished it,and i really dont know what to make of it.I read it because im a massive fan of coronation street and "Bet"Half the time it felt like fiction,I just couldn't believe what i was reading,it didn't ring true at all.I think her imagination ran away with her.