Roro's Reading Games, round 3

Això és la continuació del tema Roro's Reading Games, round 2.

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Roro's Reading Games, round 3

Aquest tema està marcat com "inactiu": L'últim missatge és de fa més de 90 dies. Podeu revifar-lo enviant una resposta.

1Roro8
Editat: des. 26, 2015, 12:11 am

Roro’s Reading Games



Catan is our current favourite game. We only discovered it this year, most of the family love it.

Here is my third thread for 2015. As I expected, 15 categories was a bit ambitious for me. Now that I am getting towards the end I am finding the remaining categories a bit restrictive. I will be very happy if I reach my page count target. I am not particularly hung up on finishing all 15 categories though. I have learnt form this experience and set up things a bit differently for next year.

I consider a category closed when I have read 2015 pages for that category. Where appropriate, left over pages from one category can be carried over to another category. Every page counts! I probably won't fill every category, and I’m not going to commit to filling each one. We will see how many categories I can fill. I started January 1 and will be finishing December 31, 2015.

Total number of categories completed in 2015




__________________________________________

Total number of books read in 2015 = 61

Number of books from my own bookshelf = 19

Number of my own ebooks = 18

Number of borrowed books = 24

Total number of pages read in 2015



2Roro8
Editat: nov. 13, 2015, 6:22 pm

Cleudo
The Classic Who done it? Game. This is where mysteries belong. (This is the version we have)



1 {106 pages} A Parliament of Spies by Cassandra Clark - did not finish
2 {434 pages} The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye
3 {376 pages} The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall
4 {215 pages} Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
5 {294 pages} The Ice Twins by S K Tremain -----(can be moved to thriller)
6 {432 pages} What Angels Fear by C S Harris
7 {158 pages} Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Ella MacNeal

3Roro8
Editat: nov. 13, 2015, 6:23 pm

Snakes and Ladders
As this is a game played by children this is where I will be putting books related to children, childhood, coming of age.



1 - {405 pages} Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
2 - {568 pages} The Last Dragon: Twilight of the Celts by M K Hume
3 - {294 pages} The Fishermen, A Novel by Chigozie Obioma
4 - {360 pages} Everlasting Lane by Anrew Lovett
5 - {309 pages} The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring
6 - {79 pages} The Ice Twins by S K Tremayne

2015 pages read



Connect Four
Get four in a row and you win. This is where my series reads are going.



1 - {336 pages} Sarah by Marek Halter, Canaan Trilogy
2 - {493 pages} The Storm Lord: Twilight of the Celts book 2, by M K Hume
3 - {428 pages} The Price of Blood by Patricia Bracewell - Emma of Normandy book 2
4 - {552 pages} The Ice King: Twilight of the Celts book 3, by M K Hume
5 - {206 pages} Secrets of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst - The Wolf Chronicles book 2 (371 pages in total, remaining 165 pages in another category) -------- (can be moved to twister)

2015 pages read


4Roro8
Editat: oct. 30, 2015, 7:27 pm

Game Of Life
I used to love playing this game with my sister when I was a kid. You get a in car, drive along the road that takes you though life and see what happens. This is where I will put books that are family or relationship oriented.



1 - (552 pages) The Darkest Hour by Barbara Erskine
2 - (344 pages) Mothers and Daughters by Kylie Ladd
3 - (437 pages) Evergreen Falls by Kimberley Freeman
4 - (337 pages) These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
5 - (44 pages) No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray
6 - (320 pages) The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

5Roro8
Editat: oct. 30, 2015, 7:28 pm

Scrabble
In this game you make the best words you can with the letters you have available. It seems like a good place to put books that are sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, they are definitely available.



1- {480 pages} The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
2 - {487 pages} River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine
3 - {497 pages} The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland
4 - {210 pages} Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Ella MacNeal
5 - {341 pages} Confessions of Marie Antoinette: A Novel by Juliet Grey (remaining 100 pages in another category)

6Roro8
Editat: nov. 13, 2015, 5:55 pm

Risk
The classic war game where one person must conquer the world. This is where I will put my books about war and battles.



1 - (302 pages) The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell
2 - (435 pages) The Iron Necklace by Giles Waterfield
3 - (356 pages) Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion by multiple authors
4 - (455 pages) The Jewel of St Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
5 - (477 pages) Wars of the Roses: Trinity by Conn Iggulden

7Roro8
Editat: des. 3, 2015, 5:55 pm

Twister
Twister can be uncomfortable depending who you are playing it with. I plan on putting books that take me out of my comfort zone here. Probably some SFFFCat will end up here.



1 - {304 pages} Death of an Ordinary Man by Glen Duncan
2 - {514 pages} Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
3 - {352 pages} The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
4 - {1024 pages} Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (179 pages to BB category)

8Roro8
Editat: nov. 29, 2015, 4:01 am

Trivial Pursuit
History isn’t trivial but it is full of interesting facts. This is where I will put my historical reads.



1 - {530 pages} River God by Wilbur Smith
2 - {100 pages} Confessions of Marie Antoinette: A Novel by Juliet Grey
3 - {396 pages} Dollface, a Novel of the Roaring Twenties by Renee Rosen
4 - {384 pages} Goddess by Kelly Gardiner
5 - {48 pages} The Three Fates by Kate Quinn
6 - {301 pages} Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn (remaining 215 pages in another category)
7 - {453 pages} {Ward of the Roses: Bloodline by Conn Iggulden

2212 pages read
197 past target

9Roro8
Editat: des. 3, 2015, 5:59 pm

Monopoly
Monopoly takes ages to play and some books take ages to read (I’m thinking Diana Gabaldon). This is where really long books go, more than 600 pages at least.



1
2
3

Category Abandoned

10Roro8
Editat: des. 16, 2015, 4:43 am

Chess
I always think of chess as a serious game. This is where my non-fiction books will go.



1 - (336 pages) The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly by Matt McCarthy
2 - (253 pages) Bad Behaviour: A Memoir of Bullying and Boarding School by Rebecca Starford
3 - (272 pages) On the Road...With Kids by John Ahern

861 pages read
1154 pages to go

11Roro8
Editat: des. 3, 2015, 5:57 pm

Battleship
OH NO! I’ve been hit! A category for book bullets.



1 - (256 pages) The Storied Life of A J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (BB christinareads)
2 - (320 pages) Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster (BB Hanneri)
3 - (314 pages) Zoo Station book 1 John Russell series (multiple hits)
4 - (327 pages) Last Day in the Dynamite Factory by Annah Faulkner (next-door neighbour)
5 - (179 pages) Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Potential books
Big Little Lies BB skrouhan
A Rural Affair BB Hanneri
1396 pages read
619 pages to go

12Roro8
Editat: des. 14, 2015, 1:01 am

Operation
I hope I can keep the patient alive. This category is for medical themed books



1- (355 pages) One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon
2- (435 pages) Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline
3 - (400 pages) A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
4 - (345 pages) Saving Grace by Jane Green

480 pages to go

13Roro8
Editat: nov. 2, 2015, 12:55 am

Jenga
Is it all going to fall down if I pull this block out? Thrillers are going here.



1 - {480 pages} Already Dead by Jaye Ford
2 - {352 pages} The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
3 - {414 pages} Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton

1246 pages read
769 pages to go

14Roro8
oct. 30, 2015, 7:31 pm

Chinese Checkers
I love books about other cultures. In this category I am going to put books set in Asia, or written by authors with Asian connections.



1 - (478 pages) Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton
2 - (385 pages) A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Susanne Joinson
3 - (616 pages) Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh
4 - (560 pages) No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray

15Roro8
Editat: des. 6, 2015, 5:39 pm

Yahtzee
This one seems appropriate for CATs, KITs and group reads, so this is where they will go.



1 - {453 pages} The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
2 - {165 pages} The Secrets of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst
3 - {368 pages} Summertime by Vanessa LaFaye
4 - {288 pages} The Sensorium of God by Stuart Clarke
5 - {252 pages} The Day Without Yesterday by Stuart Clark

1526 pages read
489 pages to go

16Roro8
Editat: des. 3, 2015, 6:02 pm

CATs and Reading Through Time Group reads

I am going to be fairly casual with the CATs this year. I was pretty keen to try most of the SFFCAT as it is out of my usual reading zone, but I haven't done very well with that. I am still committed to the RTT group. I really like the RandomCAT, it fits with my lack of planning ahead style of reading.

November

RandomCAT (In the city): Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton, The Jewel of St Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
SFFCAT (quests, heroes, superheroes, epic journeys): PASS
RTT (20th century): Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton, The Jewel of St Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
RTT (1945-present): Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton, The Jewel of St Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
AlphaKIT (N and C): Wars of the Roses: Trinity by Conn Iggulden, Wars of the Roses: Bloodline by Conn Iggulden

December

RandomCAT (Home/House in title)
SFFCAT (influential, awards):
RTT (Civil Rights & Eqaulity):
RTT (1945-present):
AlphaKIT (G and S): The Book of Speculation By Erika Swyler

17Roro8
oct. 30, 2015, 7:34 pm

My thread would not be complete without my Book of the Month awards. So this is what I have so far. I have a pretty good idea of which book will be my Book of the Year too, unless I get dazzled by something in the next two months.



January

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

February

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton

March

The Last Dragon: Twilight of the Celts book 1 by M K Hume

April

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

May

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

June

Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh

July

Last Day in the Dynamite Factory by Annah Faulkner

August

No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray

September

The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

October

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

18rabbitprincess
oct. 30, 2015, 9:14 pm

Happy new thread! Looking forward to seeing what reading you do in the last part of the year, and your Book of the Year! :)

19lkernagh
oct. 30, 2015, 10:26 pm

Happy new thread!

20MissWatson
oct. 31, 2015, 1:02 pm

Happy new thread!

21RidgewayGirl
oct. 31, 2015, 3:58 pm

Happy new thread, and congratulations on having an 18 year old!

22-Eva-
oct. 31, 2015, 4:40 pm

Happy new thread! And belated birthday wishes to your daughter!

23Roro8
oct. 31, 2015, 4:43 pm

Thanks for the well wishes everybody.

My husband is doing the Noosa Triathlon this morning so as head of the family cheer squad I need to get up and get myself down there.

24DeltaQueen50
oct. 31, 2015, 6:10 pm

Oh a nice new thread to finish out the year with! I may just have to do the same. :) Looking forward to both your Books of the Month and the Book of the Year!

25Roro8
Editat: des. 3, 2015, 6:29 am




53. Jenga

Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme: 1945-Present
Reading Through Time Monthly - 20th Century
RandomCAT - In the City


Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton



Joe Wilderness is a World War II orphan, a condition that he thinks excuses him from common morality. Cat burglar, card sharp, and Cockney wide boy, the last thing he wants is to get drafted. But in 1946 he finds himself in the Royal Air Force, facing a stretch in military prison . . . when along comes Lt Colonel Burne-Jones to tell him MI6 has better use for his talents.

Posted to occupied Berlin, interrogating ex-Nazis, and burgling the odd apartment for MI6, Wilderness finds himself with time on his hands and the devil making work. He falls in with Frank, a US Army captain, with Eddie, a British artilleryman and with Yuri, a major in the NKVD and together they lift the black market scam to a new level. Coffee never tasted so sweet. And he falls for Nell Breakheart, a German girl who has witnessed the worst that Germany could do and is driven by all the scruples that Wilderness lacks.

Fifteen years later, June 1963. Wilderness is free-lance and down on his luck. A gumshoe scraping by on divorce cases. Frank is a big shot on Madison Avenue, cooking up one last Berlin scam . . . for which he needs Wilderness once more. Only now they're not smuggling coffee, they're smuggling people. And Nell? Nell is on the staff of West Berlin's mayor Willy Brandt, planning for the state visit of the most powerful man in the world: "Ich bin ein Berliner!"

Then We Take Berlin is a gripping, meticulously researched and richly detailed historical thriller a moving story of espionage and war, and people caught up in the most tumultuous events of the twenty-first century.
book blurb

I chose to read this book after reading a good review of it in the HNR magazine. It did take me a while to get through it as it is not the type of novel I would normally read. The writing was very serious and intelligent and required my concentration, particularly so because of it's setting and time. I just haven't read much set in this time period and location at all. I found the storyline quite compelling, the politics quite complicated and the characters interesting. I made sure that when I sat down to read this one I wasn't going to get interrupted every 5 minutes as concentration was required.

Wilderness is a very interesting character who gets himself into some difficult situations. However, he is also quite likeable.

Like other reviews I have read, I just didn't get the point of the ending. But maybe that is the point.



As a side note, I went to see "Bridge of Spies" at the cinema today, perfect timing after reading this novel. It was like the pages of this book had come to life on the screen during the Berlin scenes. The movie has nothing to do with this book, but is set in Berlin during the same time period and involves the CIA rather than MI6.

26christina_reads
nov. 6, 2015, 6:20 pm

Happy new thread! And I also LOVE Settlers of Catan! It's especially fun with the Cities & Knights expansion, in my opinion. :)

27Roro8
nov. 6, 2015, 8:39 pm

>26 christina_reads:, we have that expansion too, and it is fun. Our favourite is the Seafarers expansion.

28Roro8
Editat: nov. 6, 2015, 8:53 pm

54. Risk

Reading Through Time Monthly - 20th Century
RandomCAT - In the City


The Jewel of St Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
Book 3, the prequel, in The Russian Concubine trilogy



Russia, 1910. Young Valentina Ivanova charms St Petersburg's aristocracy with her classic Russian beauty and her talent as a pianist. But she scandalises society when she begins a romance with Jens Friis, a Danish engineer. He brings to her life a passion and an intimacy she has never known. Unbending in their opposition, her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count.

Valentina struggles for independence and to protect her young sister from the tumult sweeping the city, as Russia is bound for rebellion. The Tsar, the Duma and the Bolsheviks are at each other's throats and Valentina is forced to make a choice that changes her life for ever . . .
book blurb

At last I have managed to read the final book in "The Russian Concubine" trilogy. It is a prequel to the other two books and it certainly has made me see Valentina in a whole new light. The book is set in St Petersburg in 1910 - 1917, during the build up to the Russian Revolution and the start of the Russian Revolution. Valentina is the daughter of a government minister, and therefore her family is a target for the revolutionaries.

The family take on a new driver, Arkin, who has strong links to the revolutionaries. Valentina meets Jens Friis, a man who respects her as an individual, not just a trophy on his arm like the Hussar Captain who wishes to marry her. There is illness and tragedy that Valentina must learn to manage. There is also constant danger. The strongest part of the plot here though is the love story, which is nicely done.

29Roro8
Editat: nov. 29, 2015, 3:59 am

55. Risk

AlphaKIT Letter C


Wars of the Roses: Trinity by Conn Iggulden
Book 2, Wars of the Roses



The brilliant retelling of the Wars of the Roses continues with Trinity, the second gripping novel in the new series from historical fiction master, Conn Iggulden.

1454: King Henry VI has remained all but exiled in Windsor Castle, struck down by his illness for over a year, his eyes vacant, his mind a blank.

His fiercely loyal wife and Queen, Margaret of Anjou, safeguards her husband's interests, hoping that her son Edward will one day know the love of his father.

Richard Duke of York, Protector of the Realm, extends his influence throughout the kingdom with each month that Henry slumbers. The Earls of Salisbury and Warwick make up a formidable trinity with Richard, and together they seek to break the support of those who would raise their colours in the name of Henry and his Queen.

But when the King unexpectedly recovers his senses and returns to London to reclaim his throne, the balance of power is once again thrown into turmoil.

The clash of the Houses of Lancaster and York will surely mean a war to tear England apart . . .

Following on from Stormbird, Trinity is the second epic instalment in master storyteller Conn Iggulden's new Wars of the Roses series. Fans of Game of Thrones and The Tudors will be gripped from the word go.

book blurb

This is a great continuation of the historical tale of the Wars of the Roses. Conn Iggulden does a great job of portraying the key players of the time and showing the various loyalties and politics of the people. I like the way the logistics of the battles and moving armies around the country is shown. There are battle scenes, but not as gory as I have read in some books. Queen Margaret's loyalty to her husband and son in such a difficult time is admirable, but truly, I don't know what other option there would be other than to live in hiding and lose her son's birthright.

Even though I know how the history plays out, I am looking forward to reading the next instalment, Bloodline. And seeing as I have it on my bookshelf I am going to read it next.

30Roro8
nov. 29, 2015, 3:51 am

I have been so busy lately that not much reading has been going on. I have managed to finish one more book for the month though.

31Roro8
Editat: nov. 29, 2015, 4:02 am

56. Trivial Pursuit

AlphaKIT Letter C


Wars of the Roses: Bloodline by Conn Iggulden
Book 3, Wars of the Roses



- Winter 1461 -
Richard Duke of York is dead, his ambitions in ruins, his head spiked on the walls of the city.
King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian Queen rides south with an army of victorious northerners, accompanied by painted warriors from the Scottish Highlands. With the death of York, Margaret and her army seem unstoppable.
Yet in killing the father, Margaret has unleashed the sons.
Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself England's rightful king. Factions form and tear apart as snow falls. Through blood and treason, through broken men and vengeful women, brother shall confront brother, king shall face king.
Two men can always claim a crown.
Only one can keep it.
book blurb

This is the final book in the Wars of the Roses trilogy and I have to say, it did not disappoint. All of three of the books have been of an equally high standard. This one in particular showed how powerful men can be manipulated by women resulting in betrayal and revenge.

I have read quite a few books set in this period, and all from a different viewpoint. If you like this period in history you can't go past this trilogy.

32rabbitprincess
nov. 29, 2015, 9:36 am

I'm interested in reading more about the Wars of the Roses so will definitely have to check out this trilogy! Thanks for posting about it here! :)

33Roro8
des. 3, 2015, 6:10 am

>33 Roro8: Conn Iggulden certainly makes the politics of the period understandable.

34Roro8
des. 3, 2015, 6:28 am



January

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

February

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton

March

The Last Dragon: Twilight of the Celts book 1 by M K Hume

April

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

May

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

June

Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh

July

Last Day in the Dynamite Factory by Annah Faulkner

August

No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray

September

The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

October

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

November

Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton

35VivienneR
des. 3, 2015, 1:52 pm

I've taken a bookbullet with Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses trilogy. On the wishlist they go!

36Roro8
des. 3, 2015, 2:48 pm

>35 VivienneR: I enjoyed reading them enough to now consider reading Conn Iggulden's Roman series. I think that one has about 5 books in it. I hope you like "Wars of the Roses" when you get to it.

37Roro8
des. 3, 2015, 6:16 pm

57. Twister

AlphaKIT Letter S


The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler



Simon Watson lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff that is slowly crumbling into the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a travelling carnival and seldom calls.

On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon's grandmother. The book tells the story of two doomed lovers who were part of a travelling circus more than two hundred years ago. The paper crackles with age as Simon turns the yellowed pages filled with notes and sketches. He is fascinated, yet as he reads Simon becomes increasingly unnerved. Why do so many women in his family drown on 24th July? And could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in years, risk the same terrible fate?

As 24th July draws ever closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it's too late.
book blurb

This was an impulse read for me. I usually enjoy a good old circus story so that aspect of the story appealed to me. Half the book was set in the 1800's with a travelling circus. Amos the mute "Wild Boy" is attracted to Evangeline the "mermaid". Evangeline seems to emanate trouble and death so the other circus performers are wary and do not want Amos, a kind and gentle, soul to be hurt.

In the present day we have Simon and his sister Enola (alone spelt backwards!!). Simon has stayed in the family home which is in danger of falling over the cliff's edge, while waiting for Enola to return home after leaving to join a carnival herself as a tarot card reader. They are both haunted by their memories of their unusual mother, who was also a "swimmer" in a travelling show. Simon receives a very old book which eventually reveals that his family may be cursed. He needs to work out what to do before it is too late.

I really liked the parts of the story set in the circus in the 1800's. Amos is a very likeable character, as are many of those around him. I enjoyed the descriptions of the wagons, the animals and the reactions of the crowds to the "wild boy". The modern day part of the story was OK. I could understand what was going on with Simon but I really couldn't connect with, and never really understood what was going on with Enola.

38Roro8
des. 5, 2015, 6:37 am

I'm currently reading The Day Without Yesterday which is the final book in Stuart Clark's "Sky's Dark Labyrinth" trilogy. I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I complete, or get up to date with a series.

39Roro8
des. 6, 2015, 5:51 pm

58. Yahtzee

AlphaKIT Letter S


The Day Without Yesterday by Stuart Clark
Book 3 in The Sky's Dark Labyrinth



Europe is marching blindly into the First World War and Berlin is in a storm of nationalist marches and army recruitment. Albert Einstein anticipates the carnage to come when his university colleagues begin work on poison gas to ‘shorten the war’. He is also struggling with the collapse of his marriage in the wake of an illicit affair. Increasingly isolated, Einstein finds his academic work sidelined with few people entertaining his outlandish new way of understanding the universe. Meanwhile, in the trenches of the western front, a devoutly religious young Belgian Georges Lemaître vows to become both a physicist and a Catholic priest if he survives. When the war ends, Einstein does make his breakthrough and is thrust into the international limelight. Lemaître confronts him with a startling concept: that buried in the maths of the theory of relativity is a beginning of space and time, a moment when the universe came into existence – a day without yesterday. But can the priest be trusted? Or is he simply trying to foist a version of Biblical Genesis onto Einstein’s now world famous theory. book blurb

This is the third book in Stuart Clark's trilogy featuring famous astronomers and scientists through history. This book features Albert Einstein and his struggle to come up with and then promote his theory of relativity. He was making major breakthroughs during the time of WWI. The war restricted his ability to prove his theory correct as he could not travel to gain the astronomical measurements he required. It is not all science and stars though. The author also goes into Einstein's family life.

I also enjoyed the story of Georges Lemaitre, the man who came up with the Big Bang theory.

I really enjoyed this final instalment in the trilogy. Stuart Clark has done a great job of bringing these famous scientists to the attention of readers like me.

40Chrischi_HH
des. 7, 2015, 5:06 am

>39 Roro8: This trilogy seems to be hardly known in Germany, but it sounds very interesting. I'll keep my eyes open for those books.

41Roro8
Editat: des. 14, 2015, 1:14 am

59. Operation

AlphaKIT Letter S and G


Saving Grace By Jane Green



A perfect stranger wants her perfect life.

Grace Chapman has the perfect life, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State.

Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home - and her marriage - by this ambitious younger woman.

Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than first thought?
book blurb

Grace lives with her very famous author husband Ted. Their grown up daughter Clemmie is living in the city. Grace has a passion for cooking and this is what takes up most of her days. The book has Grace's recipes interspersed throughout at the end of some of the chapters. Ted comes across as your typical famous pain in the neck. Anyway, due to unforeseen circumstances the couple lose their assistant and must find a new one soon, as Grace is struggling to cope without her. Along comes Beth. Beth who seems too good to be true. Then Grace starts to feel unwell, and paranoid. Is there more going on here than meets the eye?

The book is pretty light. The first half was quite ordinary, setting up the story. It got a bit better once things started going wrong. The author did a good job of sharing Grace's confusion. It was predictable though. It all panned out exactly as I thought it was going to.



PS I got this book in a bag of freebies given to me by my neighbour earlier in the year. The plan was that after I read each book I will take it to work and add it to the bookshelf filled for patient's use while they are stuck in hospital. Out of the 12 I was given I think I have only read 3 so far. At least I have made some progress.

42Roro8
Editat: des. 14, 2015, 1:18 am

>40 Chrischi_HH:, I don't know how well known they are here in Australia. I found out about it in the Historical Novel Review magazine. However my local library had all three books so they must be reasonably well known here.

It has been an absolutely beautiful day here today. My husband and I and two of the kids were down the beach fishing by 8am. Then when we ran out of bait (after catching only 4 tiny fish that went straight back in), we packed up the rods and had a swim. The water was lovely.Then home for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. Next I am putting on roast beef for dinner. Yum.

43RidgewayGirl
des. 14, 2015, 3:25 am

Having a bookshelf of books for hospital patients is a great idea! And although Saving Grace was a dud, it's a good book for that environment - a book that doesn't require too much of the reader.

44Roro8
des. 14, 2015, 5:37 am

>43 RidgewayGirl:, I totally agree. It's nice to know that a book will continue to be enjoyed by others. Light reads are often the best when you are not feeling the best.

45Roro8
Editat: des. 26, 2015, 12:22 am


60. Chess

On the Road ... With Kids by John Ahern
Audiobook read by Michael Veitch



It's a life-changing trip. Take it!

John Ahern has a high-flying job, a big house, a loving wife and two great kids. But if this is success why does he sense he is failing as a husband and father?

So John does something insane. He blows his career apart and buys a busted-up campervan online to chase an improbable dream: a year on the road... with kids.

From the North Pole to Africa's highest peaks, John and his family get mugged by monkeys, charmed by snake handlers, and challenged by their quest to create a life less ordinary.

On the Road... with Kids is a funny, messy and inspiring adventure all families will love.
book blurb

I have really enjoyed listening to this book over the last 10 days. I got heaps of laughs and could totally relate to a lot of what the author has written about here. I admire this couple for having the courage to go on this adventure. There are some great 'Aussie' moments in the story that I really enjoyed.

If you are currently travelling with children, or are thinking about it, check this out. It is sure to be an eye-opener. It is definitely entertaining.

46Roro8
des. 21, 2015, 4:18 am

I am going to be very busy over the next few days (as are many other LTer's), and I'm unlikely to be here until after Christmas, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.



I hope you all have a wonderful time with your friends and family.

47MissWatson
des. 21, 2015, 4:41 am

Happy holidays to you!

48rabbitprincess
des. 21, 2015, 4:52 pm

Merry Christmas! :D

49DeltaQueen50
des. 22, 2015, 1:41 am

Have a wonderful Christmas, Ro!

50RidgewayGirl
des. 22, 2015, 4:27 am

Enjoy the season!

51mamzel
des. 22, 2015, 12:23 pm

Happy Christmas and merry New Year! ;-)

52lkernagh
des. 23, 2015, 10:55 pm

>41 Roro8: - Jane Greene books seem to be on the shelves when I browse the bookshelves in some of the charity shops in town. I have never read any of her books but I have wondered about the attraction. I can see where light and predictable can be appealing for some readers, especially after a really bad work week. ;-)

Happy Holidays!

53luvamystery65
des. 24, 2015, 4:25 pm



Merry Christmas

54lkernagh
des. 24, 2015, 4:48 pm

Stopping by to wish you the very best this holiday season, Ro!

55Roro8
des. 25, 2015, 11:54 pm

>53 luvamystery65: & >54 lkernagh: thanks for the lovely pictures.

I had a lovely start to my Christmas morning with all 5 of my children at home for gifts and breakfast. We then drove to Brisbane (about 80mins in the car), for the big Christmas lunch with the extended family. Thankfully the weather was a warm 28 degrees and not stinking hot. We had an uneventful drive home and a quiet evening to get over the big day.

Today we have been out around the neighbourhood so my son could use his new bike. We then packed up the fishing gear and tried our luck at a local lake. Satay chicken is still on the menu for tonight as we didn't catch anything large enough to keep.

Now we are sitting in the air conditioned comfort of the lounge room and I finally have time to catch up here and perhaps get a book out.

56VivienneR
des. 25, 2015, 11:59 pm

Lovely, Ro. Sounds like an idyllic Christmas - apart from the lack of fishing success :)

57Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:05 am

>56 VivienneR:, I don't really mind that we didn't catch anything big. At least I don't have to scale, gut and fillet anything. We all enjoyed being outdoors for a couple of hours.

58Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:20 am

61.

The Dynamite Room: A Novel by Jason Hewitt



July 1940. 11 year-old Lydia walks through a village in rural Suffolk on a baking hot day. She is wearing a gas mask. The shops and houses are empty, windows boarded up and sandbags green with mildew, the village seemingly deserted. Leaving it behind, she strikes off down a country lane through the salt marshes to a large Edwardian house -- the house she grew up in. Lydia finds it empty too, the windows covered in black-out blinds. Her family are gone.

Late that night he comes, a soldier, gun in hand and heralding a full-blown German invasion. There are, he explains to her, certain rules she must now abide by. He won't hurt Lydia, but she cannot leave the house. Is he telling the truth? What is he looking for? Why is he so familiar? And how does he already know Lydia's name?

Eerie, thrilling and piercingly sad, The Dynamite Room evokes the great tradition of war classics yet achieves a strikingly original and contemporary resonance. Hypnotically compelling, it explores, in the most extreme of circumstances, the bonds we share that make us human.
book blurb

Lydia runs away from her safe location to return home in the middle of WWII. What she finds is very upsetting. Everybody is gone. Her family are gone. Where are they? Then a strange German soldier appears who frightens her and makes her abide by a new set of rules. She doesn't understand what is going on.

The story jumps back and forward filling us in on backstory for both Lydia and the German soldier. It was quite well done. The horrors of war were portrayed in a matter of fact way, as you would expect of a man in the German soldier's situation.

I don't quite understand how Lydia could just disappear like she did though without people going to obvious places to search for her.

Overall a pretty good read.

59Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:22 am



January

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

February

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton

March

The Last Dragon: Twilight of the Celts book 1 by M K Hume

April

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

May

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

June

Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh

July

Last Day in the Dynamite Factory by Annah Faulkner

August

No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray

September

The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

October

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

November

Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton

December

On the Road .... With Kids by John Ahern

60Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:35 am

Ro's BEST BOOK FOR 2015



No Country: A Novel by Kalyan Ray

Ro's FAVOURITE BOOK COVERS For 2015

61Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:39 am

I've announced my best book for 2015, selected my favourite covers and have given up totally on completing any further part of my 2015 challenge. It is most likely that any book I start now will be finished in January.

In 2015 I read 61 books

Totalling 24774 pages

Averaging 406 pages per book

I also got myself up to date with several series and trilogies. Yay!!! I am most pleased about that.

I will still be hanging out here until the 1st of January.

62RidgewayGirl
des. 26, 2015, 5:46 am

That's a solid reading year. I still have hopes (delusions?) of finishing up one or two books before the new year.

63Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 5:50 am

>62 RidgewayGirl:, thanks. You are probably much faster than me?!? I'm really happy with any total more than 52 books in a year. At least one per week is my motto. I think I was feeling extremely optimistic (also delusional), at the beginning of 2015.

64rabbitprincess
des. 26, 2015, 11:05 am

Yay for getting up to date with series! There are so many that it's hard to stay current.

65lkernagh
des. 26, 2015, 5:39 pm

>55 Roro8: - Sounds like a wonderful way to spend Christmas Ro, even though my Northern Hemisphere mind has a bit of difficulty computing the following sentence "Now we are sitting in the air conditioned comfort of the lounge room". I may have to open the windows when cooking/baking to cool the place down a bit so I guess we could say that I resort to nature's air conditioner the same time you enjoy the man-made kind. ;-)

66-Eva-
des. 27, 2015, 8:03 pm

>55 Roro8:
Nothing wrong with satay chicken! Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the holiday!

67Roro8
des. 31, 2015, 2:56 pm

>65 lkernagh:, I always find it interesting when other people on LT talk about dealing with snow and ice on the roads and in their yards.

>66 -Eva-:, the satay chicken was delicious.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!!!

68VivienneR
des. 31, 2015, 4:49 pm



And this is much what it looks like around here!

69Roro8
des. 31, 2015, 5:51 pm

>68 VivienneR:, very nice. Looks cold outside and nice and cozy inside.

It's nice weather here today so we are off fishing again.