traceculture's reviews
380 reviews

Generally good read. Insight into what life is like physically, socially and emotionally for people living with disability in the community. Characters were credible but the author lost me a little when she wrote from each characters point of view. I just didn't believe them, it was Lou Clark not Will or his mother or whatever. There seems to have been alot of hype about it book - for me it was just about average.

I was recently discussing some of my poetry with my Dad, I was embarrassed that some of my material had made it to amateur print with words crossed out, scribbles etc. and he said how interesting he thought that was and compared it to the country singer Hank Williams, who when found dead one new years' morning in the rear of his car, had a number of songs written on pieces of paper left all over the floor, these songs had words crossed out, scribbles, spelling mistakes etc and they featured in this biography, which I borrowed from him. So interesting to read about this young guy who sung his way from nothing in a small town in Alabama by becomming one of the most famous and significant county music singers of all time. The bio is filled with family photos, unrecorded songs and lyrics, interviews with family members and insights into how years of back pain, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse contributed to Hank Williams untimely death at the age of only 29. Fascinating read.

I would recommend this book. Nicholls is an insightful writer. I found both characters Emma and Dexter believeable and endearing in their own ways. The book has a little bit of everything, its a story thats quite sad and lonely but also funny, hopeful and compassionate. I wanted to keep reading, wanted the couple to get together etc., all round enjoyable read.

I wanted to read this novel because its set in Greece and I'd spent some time there teaching english. I wasn't expecting to become as absorbed as I did in the story. I'd never given Maeve Binchy a chance before and I was missing out! She is a tremendous writer - some of her characters (Vonni, Thomas, Elsa etc.)whose lives become intertwined, are truly convincing, her work is so descriptive no wonder this Dublin born novelist has had so many awards bestowed upon her and many of her books have been adapted to film. I read this one pretty much straight through, it was a cold and wet autumn so escaping off to Aghia Anna for a while was no problem whatsoever. Recommended

I wish I hadn't heard all the hype about the movie before reading the book. I went off Piscine rather quickly when I had to wait until page number 200million to meet the tiger! (aka Richard Parker) All that reminiscing about Pondicherry and how animals are much happier in a zoo than in the wild (mm hm)irked me. While at sea I warmed to Piscine a little and could picture everything, the hyena, flying fish etc., but then he lost me - the canabalism, the island - I just wanted it all to be over really, but well done Yann Martel for coming up with such an unusual premise for a book. Worth the read

Walton is an interesting writer. The SF genre is new to me so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I think she had the opportunity to do much more with the fairies/elves/dead, if you're going to introduce supernatural elements then surely it's incumbent on you to do them justice, make them earn their keep/worth in the story. The climax didn't. I was led to believe there would be some spectacular and sinister confrontation between Mori and her ominous mother, there wasn't. It was an easy read, in the form of a fifteen year old's diary entries. I wasn't overly impressed by this book, it's OK, worth reading.

OK, now Audrey Niffenegger, as a debut novel - well done but boy does there have to be so much travelling in the introductory chapters? :) I found it really difficult to both enjoy the book and keep an eye on dates and times and how old Henry was or is when he meets Claire, or does something, or ends up somewhere ahhhhhhh. It took me ages to get into it and when I'd put it down to go make a cup of tea or something I didn't want to go back to it, I vaccumed, did the laundry anything but to have to go back to Chicago or Michigan or wherever Henry jumped to when I wasn't looking, but I couldn't let it beat me, despite the fact that I had to put my life on lock-down to finish this novel I finally got to a point where I could actually enjoy it, Niffenegger is a good writer, I succumbed to her characters in the end, liked the romance, but found the relationship between the older Henry and the child Claire a bit uncomfortable. An, eventually, good read.
The movie, however, was dreadful.

I stuck with this for nearly two weeks. Fascinating read. I noted some of the mantras and significant observations and repeated them often, found the process relaxing and whilst reading felt a calmness and stillness and immediately wanted to run away to India and become a Yogi! That feeling of peace did remain with me for some time and I felt compelled to let everyone I met know about Yogananda - this book is not for everyone but anyone who is looking for some peace and tranquility, some time out of the sometimes overbearing real-world then read a little from this and be still.