General Chat

Thank you Perse for that wonderful series of revues. You are a star. I was hysterical by the time I finished your last review of Zombies and sooo glad I opted not to read it. whose choice was it and di they read it I wonder? Perse you are so funny. I wish you would join the writers group.

Keeping The Dead By Tess Gerritsen (or in USA it is called The Keepsake)

I ordered under UK title from the library not realising that I could have collected it easier and quicker under the US title.

She is a good author and I enjoy crime/thrillers so I finished this one very quickly. Lots of twists and turns. Only here the dead remained dead though mummified and once again we delved into a bit of archaeology. There were little bits of background information put in which all added to a solid story.
After reading it I wondered whether the brother and sister would have gone on killing look alikes until they found the right one. Were the bodies hidden so as not to be found or were they put where they were in the hope that they would be and lead to the outing of Medea? Did Frost end up with his wife? Did Maura stay in her relationship with a priest? I will have to read other books to find out. I have read Gerritsen’s books before and have only come across one that I didn’t think much of called Bloodstream - it was not about Jane or Maura etc.


But wait there’s more, there is another book entitled Pride & Prejudice and Zombies : Dawn of the Dreadfuls there is also a 2011 calendar,
And then there is Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters ... I have visions of Bill Nighy here.
Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and another author - the literary classic with a blood sucking twist.
Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott & another..... will there be a sequel called Jo’s Warlocks?
Seth Grahame-Smith has also written Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (has some good pictures)

The book Pride & Prejudice and Zombies does have a happy ending: Elizabeth and Mr Darcy happily execute the living dead as they head off into the sunset....phase out .... aww shucks or should that be chucks how romantic.

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies etc

I remembered I had a copy of Shaun and the Dead starring Simon Pegg on HDD, so I watched that in the hope that maybe it would put me more in the mood. It was a funny movie but then I like the main star he was great in Hot Fuzz and it also had Penelope Wilton as his mother and she has been in lots of good shows eg Calendar Girls etc. So I returned to the book and progressed another few pages and then looked at the pictures... some of which are quite offputting and I wondered what Jane Austen would have made of the Bennett girls becoming ninja warriors would that fit in at all with her wonderful social commentary of life and the social mores she was certainly an open minded person so who knows. What would her comments be as to whether women should carry muskets to shoot the living dead?


Thirty-three Teeth by Colin Cotterill

Not sure how to categorise this book - we have a detective story of sorts, we have humour and we have the myths, beliefs and spiritual goings on of Laos and the city Vientiane. I took awhile to get going but I thought the characters of Dtui and Suri made for a darn good read. As for walking across Dog Fart flowers - I thought what on earth are these and googled them and there was an entry and it was from someone else on a chat site also trying to find out as was someone else (both referring to the book) so I am none the wiser.... but Suri was very wise and very clever.





That damn book again I am just about Zombied out.

Vomit is prevalent in this book as is pus and leaking sores etc all very diabolical.
Ooh there are questions at the back of the book.
The last question is : Can you imagine what this novel might be like without the violent Zombie mayhem? But of course it would be the amusing book it is meant to be, the Bennett household would behave in their delightful ways with all their social climbing graces without having to watch their backs for a corpse trying to devour them. However, I will say that Austen’s delightful turn of phrase and genius does shine through.

Book reviews:
Pride & Prejudice and Zombies By Jane Austen with ghastly passages by Seth Grahame-Smith.

On the back of the book it states that Seth G-S once took a class in English Literature aaaah but did he pay attention or look out the window dreaming of bodies in various states of decay.
Also says transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read...... puts book aside.

Lovers and other Newcomers by Rosie Thomas

I have always enjoyed reading her especially Sun at Midnight, Iris & Ruby & The Potters House so thought this would be another good read. Yes it is a good read had a lot of goings on, but I was expecting something more than what I got. She seemed to rest on her laurels as an author and churned out a good novel that a lot of authors of similar or even lesser ilk would write.

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies etc

Well I got to page 19 so five chapters down and yes Mrs Bennett was still the same, her character does not change. I was amused when the dead, gate crashed the party and Mr Bennett shouted to his daughters “ Girls! Pentagram of Death” The girls thus worked their way out of their inner formation with daggers drawn and slashed and beheaded Zombie after Zombie. .....puts book aside


Missing You by Louise Douglas

A pleasant little book her characters are very recognisable as normal people in their everyday trials and tribulations. I enjoyed it and whilst one can work out what the outcome would be it was still a nice journey getting to that point.

Book Review
The first choice wasn’t available, so I bought both of the others.
Thirty Three Teeth
I was determined to read this to the end and although I achieved that, I still couldn’t get interested in it. Were-wolves (or in this case, were-tigers) and visits by the spirits of dead humans and animals, just don’t interest me.
Keeping the Dead
This book held my interest right to the end, although it was predictable from the last few chapters. Well written and quite a good read if you like the detective type of story.

Thirty Three Teeth

I agree with Pammy, I wasn't sure about this story when I first started - and I have read it twice now - But it did grow on me. I find that with most books from unknown parts of the world, people are the same although circumstances are different.

Dr Siri was a delight, elderly but adventurous, and a chum of the P.M. and the Chief of Police in a State of something like 700,00. Tiny! His dog was lovely and with a character of his own. His chubby assistant Dtui provided lots of humour. And the poor bear!

The link between the mystical and the real was entertaining.

The bit that interested me the most was the effect of Sovietism on a small, agricultural state: the king removed from his beloved orchard and the endless paperwork required to do anything. The need for Dtui to learn Russian before she could progress in her career.

I am ashamed to say I have no idea where this nation is except I think it may be the part of the former Cambodia? Please correct me if I am wrong. I am going to research and, as Pammy says, look out for other books by the same author. For, if we don't read, we cannot learn.

The other book I was going to read was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but, although it was available in our local town about 14 miles away, it only turned up here ( 5 miles away) this week so I have yet t read it. But I will red it soon and will comment by the end of the week. Sorry.

I managed to read two this time

Thirty -Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill

I wasn't sure of this at first but the charm grew on me as I read on. The review on the back said Cotterill's previous book had been compared to Alexander McCall Smith and thought to be better but in this book there was a different atmosphere. The number one ladies detective books have a quiet contentment, which Thirty-Three Teeth did not have. However it was interesting to read about Laos- a place I knew little about, and I shall look out for other books by this author.

Come on - own up - who counted their teeth as they read the book? (I have 26!)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

Didn't like this book at all. It felt very forced to me, as though he tucked in a little bit of sex when he felt things were getting a bit boring. Perhaps if he had not used the original book as such a rigid framework it might have come over as more inventive.

The Frozen Lake by Elizabeth Edmondson Jan 2011

This was an excellent read. I chose it as a Christmas present as it was by the same author who wrote another favourite, The Villa in Italy. I was not disappointed, she tells a great story. Some romance although not much, the scenery of the lakes in the North of England (I assumed the Lake District but it doesn’t say). Then there are family secrets, two well to do families in big houses (set in the thirties just pre war), intrigue, mosleyites, a Jewish refugee, a terrific mix.
I did sort of guess the ending when I was halfway through, however it didn’t spoil the story as I had to keep reading to the very end to find out if I had guessed correctly.
Well worth reading.

Missing You by Louise Douglas.
A love story, a tale of betrayal, of loss. A forming of a relationship, of guilty secrets and past huts. A very sensitively written book with believable characters and situations. Some pathos, some humour but all very believable.Set in Bath and Swindon and a small part in Wales. I loved it. A very good read and well worth reading if you like stories about human nature.

As before I read one of the chosen books then two of the books I suggested which didn't get chosen. That is 2 more off my pile of waiting to be read.


Keeping the dead by Tess Gerritsen

Quite gruesome in places with shrunken heads and mummified bodies, but also interesting to learn about ‘bog bodies’. I am not really a lover of thrillers but I have read several of TG’s books and find them very clever and well written. I am not sure I actually enjoyed it as parts of it were a bit too ‘ugh’ for me. But it was a good read and it does you good to change the type of books you read occasionally.

Noted, Ann, back later.

Oh Ann I have done Zombies, Keeping The Dead, Thirty-three Teeth, Missing You and Lovers and other Newcomers.

Persie

Edit: it is bedtime here so will be back in the morning.

Please review the 2 books forJan - Feb 2011

Keeping the Dead
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies


Sadly Jill is having to drop out for a while as she has trouble keeping up with her crafting and now it is lambing time. I am hoping that she will rejoin at a later date.