What is the last book you read, and your rating?

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Redlegs
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Re: What is the last book you read, and your rating?

Post by Redlegs »

Two more books completed in the past day or so. Firstly. on kindle, Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan. Definitely not for arachnophobes and those who like their fantasy to be a little bit intelligent. This was puerile rubbish. 2 stars out of 5.

Secondly, The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard, winner of the 2004 Miles Franklin Award, which is set in the years immediately after World War II, in Japan, China, England and New Zealand.

Aldred Leith is an Englishman, injured during the war, who is posted to Japan, near Hiroshima, to investigate and report of matters pertaining to post-war occupation by the Allies. He had previously spent two years in China, doing similar work.

In Japan, Leith encounters the Driscoll family, who have two teenage children, Benedict (Ben) and Helen, who occupy a cottage separate to the main family house. Slowly, an attraction beyond mere fondness develops between the mature Leith and sixteen year old Helen.

Despite what is clearly a burgeoning and deeply abiding love developing, both Leith and Helen are determined to keep the relationship chaste and above reproach, having regard to the significant age difference.

The setting and subject matter for The Great Fire are an interesting choice for Hazzard. There are many novels of wartime relationships, and of men returning home after war, but few deal with this immediate post-war limbo period in defeated and occupied countries, and the yearning of men for it to be finally over, albeit they are now safe from hostile actions.

Hazzard's writing style alternates between lyrical and flowing prose, and a more staccato, rapid fire delivery that occasionally annoyed me, and interrupted the flow of meaning and mood within the narrative.

Overall, a finely written novel worthy of consideration. 4 stars out of 5
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
nomadmadi
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Post by nomadmadi »

The last book I read was "The subtle art of not giving a f*ck". I rate it 5/5 stars! :tiphat:
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

The last book I read was 'Daisies and Dragon Slayers of the Equator' by Penny Singham. I rated it 3 out of 4 stars because of some typos it had. You can have a look at the review.
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SpencerVo
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Post by SpencerVo »

The last book I read was Isabella's Painting, and I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. It was an entertaining thriller with some aspects of suspense and drama, though the ending was a little disappointing to me.
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Post by Alice Thokchom »

The last book that I read was 'Truth in Your Face' by Jacqueline Harriot. It had many mistakes but considering the content and thinking that it will be fine after revision, I gave it 4 stars.
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cmabramo
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Post by cmabramo »

I just finished reading The Easter Make Believers by Finn Bell. I gave it 4/5. It was a pretty well laid out story with some unexpected twists and it kept me interested. It had some fluff chapters that didn't need to be added in my opinion, but with those taken out it was an interesting story. I've also been recently working through Agatha Christie's "Hercule Poirot" series. I now find myself getting annoyed with characters in other books for not being as observant as Poirot haha! Those stories all get 4/4 from me, I love them.
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Charlyt
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Post by Charlyt »

I just read Superhighway by Alex Fayman. I rated it 2 out of 4 stars because I the story didn't deliver well for me.
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Gigareads
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Post by Gigareads »

The last book I read was The Dream Keepers by Linda Keen. I rated it 3 out of 4 stars. It was well written, captivating and uplifting.
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Shameka1974
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Post by Shameka1974 »

Last book I read is: Boss Divas By: Daneisha Diamond and I give it 5/5. The book was very real, captivating and good from beginning to end. I barely could put it down, barely slept, the book woke me up and kept reading until I was done with the book. Now I'm ready for the next sequel to this book.
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Sheaza Tahir
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Post by Sheaza Tahir »

The last book i read is Urdu novel Jannat k paty.. i just love this book.. 10/10 from me.. this book is about love, army and many emotions.. a simple story that makes you happy 😍
Must read!!
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Post by divine kelly »

The last book I read was Raven's Peak and i gave it a 4 out of 4 rating . A very interesting read.
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Redlegs
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Post by Redlegs »

The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin, first published in 1974, is a thoughtful and intelligent example of a novel that is perhaps more of a philosophical novel than a work of science fiction.

Set on two planets, Anarres and Urras, that are deemed to be moons of each other, it follows the life of Shevek, a notable physicist.

Shevek's home planet is Anarres, a bleak planet subject to severe drought and food shortages, where he is involved in theoretical research into the physics of instantaneous communications, the Principle of Simultaneity.

Having reached the limit of his research on Anarres, and lacking support for a task that has little relevance to working on life's daily necessities (like food production), Shevek takes a rare opportunity to travel to Urras. On Urras, he is welcomed and feted by those who wish to exploit Shevek's research for state power and financial gain.

Le Guin cleverly uses the narrative of Shevek to examine the elements of the two alternate societies without ever making absolute value judgements. She compares and contrasts attitudes to work, freedom of choice, sexual freedom, the roles of women, the distribution of wealth and the nature of class and political power.

The narrative is cleverly constructed with the chapters alternating between Anarres and Urras, as the author presents a fascinating insight that has obvious parallels to the competing interests at play during the Cold War that was still in full force at the time the book was written.

4 stars out of 5
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
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raven18360
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Post by raven18360 »

Last book I read was rain Man by John grisham
Give this book for out 4 out of 5
I could not put the book down
Excellent reading
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Charlyt
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Post by Charlyt »

My last read was Advent of Silver by Atilla Zengin. It was a great sci-fi adventure book mixed with magic so I rated it 4 out of 4.
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Redlegs
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Post by Redlegs »

Not quite as horrific in its depiction of degradation and sexual perversion as 120 Days of Sodom, Justine by Marquis de Sade is nevertheless graphic and disturbing.

The story is narrated by Justine herself, although for the majority of the story she is known as Therese.

Therese/Justine is seemingly rescued from the clutches of villains who would use her cruelly, sexually and violently, to satisfy their own peculiar fetishes and whims, only to fall victim to yet more ruthless and abusive characters.

The continual cruelty and wilful abuse makes the novel no pleasure to read. It is hard to imagine anyone surviving some of the torture and degradation our heroine is made to suffer.

Read this one for historical interest only - it is hard to imaging how anyone could derive any pleasure from it.

3 stars out of 5
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
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