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

lollipop · Post by **lollipop** » 21 May 2010, 18:23

I just finished reading The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger and I give it 4/5. I then watched the film and give that 0/5.

stepbydesign · Post by **stepbydesign** » 29 May 2010, 01:51

The Hunger Games

smellymonkey · Post by **smellymonkey** » 29 May 2010, 11:23

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 4.8/5

StephenKingman · Post by **StephenKingman** » 01 Aug 2010, 12:06

Just finished The Girl With The Hornets Nest and i would rate it a 10 out of 10, fantastic and gripping from start to finish, in fact the Larsson trilogy is an excellent and original series of crime books which combine political storytelling to unforgettable characters, Truly, Salander is an enigma wrapped in a shroud and even now after three books i feel i know very little about her, save the possible reasons for her behavior (her appalling childhood and subsequent treatment by the authorities) and her unique hacking skills.

The first book simply presented Salander as an expert hacker who lived an unconventional life and helped out the min character in a missing persons case, the second book explores some backstory to Salander and you understand a bit more as to why her life is a bit different to most peoples and the third cracks the whole rotten conspiracy open wide and all the corruption, power games and espionage which shaped Salanders life so much is exposed for the whole world to see in a breathless and dramatic trial with several key players on both sides. A fantastic conclusion to a series of books which are as original as you could hope to find in modern fiction. Now i cant wait to see the movies.

I also learned a lot about the geography and politics of Sweeden from reading these books, too!

PhotonicGuy · Post by **PhotonicGuy** » 02 Aug 2010, 08:56

I just finished to re-read Shogun, by James Clavell and my rating is 9/10.

Thimbelina · Post by **Thimbelina** » 02 Aug 2010, 23:20

It's been a busy reading summer. I've really enjoyed a lot of good books.

Sarah's Key
Those Who Saved Us by Jenna Blum
The Last Child by John Hart 4/5
The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood
The Help 5/5
The Zookeeper's Wife 4/5
Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve 4/5
Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage 3/5
A Thousand Voices by Lisa Wingate 4/5
The Birth House by Ami McKay 5/5
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah 4/5
Love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - fast reads, funny

Neda · Post by **Neda** » 02 Aug 2010, 23:45

4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell-author of Sex And The City. Four seperate mini stories in one compact novel. Very dark from what I expected it to be but well worth the read. Decided I needed a funny and easy read for the summer but was surprised to find that while it was quick paced the overall tone was very dark and representative of the lethargic attitudes from wealthy/desperate Manhattan women.
I would give it 3.5/5 and recommend it to anyone with a dark sense of humour.
Think Samantha from Sex and the City in four different versions.

vesolka · Post by **vesolka** » 03 Aug 2010, 00:27

Mary Balogh: First comes marriage 3.8/5

PhotonicGuy · Post by **PhotonicGuy** » 03 Aug 2010, 06:24

Neda, thanks for the tip. I want to read it, because I like a lot the character of Samantha. At first I must find this book...

eumenides · Post by **eumenides** » 04 Aug 2010, 21:00

Just finished East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I give it 5/5. It's beautiful and inspirational and heartbreaking all at the same time.

StephenKingman · Post by **StephenKingman** » 22 Aug 2010, 04:47

I just finished Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill and i would rate it 6 out of 10, its about a woman who travels to London to inherit the fancy apartment that her late aunt left to her, but on exploring the apartment it was clear that her aunt lived a strange and lonely life- its only when the niece uncovers her diaries and the truth about what trapped her aunt in the apartment and the source of the evil becomes clear does she start a desparate battle to destroy the evil once and for all.

The start of this book is very good and so is the ending but i felt the middle sagged a lot, with unneccesary tangents and strange developments in the plot that could have been cut but overall it had its moments and i would still recommend it

Lost_InPlace · Post by **Lost_InPlace** » 22 Aug 2010, 13:50

I have just finished reading When I Was Five I Killed Myself - Howard Buten

I'd give it 8/10 it's an odd little book, really well written as you immediately get inside the mind of the 8-year-old author. However I am left feeling as if something was missing, I would like to know a little bit more, but I dont quite know what!

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 23 Aug 2010, 04:11

'Fire & Sword' by Simon Scarrow

It's about Napoleon & Wellington ... interesting & I enjoyed it but a little too much battle detail for my liking. 7/10

pontalba · Post by **pontalba** » 24 Aug 2010, 09:25

This month's reading, so far:

A Widow for One Year by John Irving 5+/5 AWFOY has become one of my favorite books. We'd watched The Door in the Floor, and I had to know the 'rest of the story'. Wonderful.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts 4/5 Fascinating life, it's a bit repetitive, but not in a boring fashion. I found it introspective and honest in the telling of his life and it's many flaws.

Caught by Harlan Coben 5/5 Better than typical Coben. Good story.

In A Dry Season by Peter Robinson 5/5 A good mystery, interconnecting stories, a great look at wartime England. Not typical.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay 3/5 This could have been so much better, but even as it stands I enjoyed the story itself. It seemed to be a Young Adult story. I was unaware of that when I purchased the book, but was not terribly disappointed. If written in a more adult fashion, it'd have been Great.

Maigret and the Burglar's Wife by Georges Simenon 2.5/5 A bit dated mystery, but enjoyable.

Watchman by Ian Rankin 3.5/5 Enjoyable, a bit twisty, insular spy story. Good characterization.

Mairin · Post by **Mairin** » 24 Aug 2010, 09:29

The last book I read was Sod Walls by Roger Welsch which I give 5/5... it was very informative about the evolution of the sod house and life in early 1800 Nebraska.