Search
Search results
David McK (3569 KP) rated Hornblower and the Atropos in Books
Jan 30, 2019
"Battle, Storm, Shipwreck, Disease - what were the chances he would never come back again?"
Chronologically the 5th entry in CS Foresters (probably) most famous creation, this is also the 8th entry by publication date, and the 1st entry in the compilation 'Captain Hornblowe R.N."
Set early during his career - he's only just taken up command - this novel covers a lot of ground (both literally and figuratively), starting with Hornblower and Maria making their way down to Portsmouth, his command of Nelson's water-borne funeral procession and then the cruise of his 22-gun sloop 'The Atropos' into the Mediterranean, and the various myriad circumstances that befall said cruise!
Chronologically the 5th entry in CS Foresters (probably) most famous creation, this is also the 8th entry by publication date, and the 1st entry in the compilation 'Captain Hornblowe R.N."
Set early during his career - he's only just taken up command - this novel covers a lot of ground (both literally and figuratively), starting with Hornblower and Maria making their way down to Portsmouth, his command of Nelson's water-borne funeral procession and then the cruise of his 22-gun sloop 'The Atropos' into the Mediterranean, and the various myriad circumstances that befall said cruise!
David McK (3569 KP) rated Highwayman: War's End in Books
Mar 29, 2020
The third of the - so far - three Highwayman novellas, each following the escapades of Samson Lyle, the former Roundhead who is now a notorious Highwayman during the period of Cromwell's protectorate.
In this one, Lyle finds himself hunting down a stolen possession, in a bid to return it to its rightful owner who has taken hostage of the son of an old friend, with that owner believing that said son had stolen it (he hasn't).
With only - roughly - five chapters, each chapter is given over to one day in the week of Lyle's efforts to retrieve the item, culminating in a fight on Portsmouth Point and with key recurring players from the previous two novellas also getting an appearance.
Of necessity (because of the length), there's therefore not much room for plot in this one: It's a pretty straightforward tale of derring do!
In this one, Lyle finds himself hunting down a stolen possession, in a bid to return it to its rightful owner who has taken hostage of the son of an old friend, with that owner believing that said son had stolen it (he hasn't).
With only - roughly - five chapters, each chapter is given over to one day in the week of Lyle's efforts to retrieve the item, culminating in a fight on Portsmouth Point and with key recurring players from the previous two novellas also getting an appearance.
Of necessity (because of the length), there's therefore not much room for plot in this one: It's a pretty straightforward tale of derring do!
Deborah (162 KP) rated Belinda Goes to Bath (Travelling Matchmaker, #2) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Belinda Goes to Bath is the second in the Travelling Matchmaker series. I really enjoyed the first, Emily Goes to Exeter, but I think I actually have to give the preference overall to this second volume. Emily was quite difficult to like to start with but Belinda is much nicer, although the second hero isn't perhaps quite so dashing...
The cartoon-style covers of these new editions really suit the tone of the books I think. They are fun and lighthearted and some of the characters a bit too 'larger than life' to be real - the unpleasant Penelope in this book really is rather horrid!
This book has a bit of everything; romance adventure, out-and-out villany and of course a mad aunt who really does have bats in her belfry; great stuff!
Now I'm off to Portsmouth with Penelope (not the one from this volume, fortunately!) and Miss Hannah Pym!
The cartoon-style covers of these new editions really suit the tone of the books I think. They are fun and lighthearted and some of the characters a bit too 'larger than life' to be real - the unpleasant Penelope in this book really is rather horrid!
This book has a bit of everything; romance adventure, out-and-out villany and of course a mad aunt who really does have bats in her belfry; great stuff!
Now I'm off to Portsmouth with Penelope (not the one from this volume, fortunately!) and Miss Hannah Pym!
A provocative, timely, stonking good read!
Such a thought provoking, insightful book! This novel looks at the possibility of two women having a baby using a groundbreaking medical discovery - two ovums, no sperm. Of course there's an outcry. Religious-types, mens rights activists and bigots in general make their opinions publicly known. Jules and Rosie, the two main characters, try to stay out of the limelight. Jules is a reporter at a local Portsmouth newspaper, so knows how the system works, but when the story is leaked to the newspapers, along with their identities, she is sure that her policy of 'no comment' will work. The media doesn't get bored though, and her workplace aren't in any way supportive. They want the story as much as anyone else.
This could have been a terrible book, but it really wasn't. The subject matter was sensitively dealt with, the relationship between Jules and Rosie wasn't sensationalised, reactions, both good and bad, were realistic. This book is coming out during interesting times globally, where women are calling out bad male behaviour. I can see this being a route that a lot of women would take given the opportunity, whether they were gay or straight - and male fertility is taking a nose dive at the moment, too! So perhaps this would be a real solution (if some clever scientist could get it to work!).
By the way, I lived and taught in a high school in Petersfield on the edge of Leigh Park in the mid to late 1990's, and I think she has the essence of the place just right. It's not an easy place to live and grow up in.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for my copy of this book
This could have been a terrible book, but it really wasn't. The subject matter was sensitively dealt with, the relationship between Jules and Rosie wasn't sensationalised, reactions, both good and bad, were realistic. This book is coming out during interesting times globally, where women are calling out bad male behaviour. I can see this being a route that a lot of women would take given the opportunity, whether they were gay or straight - and male fertility is taking a nose dive at the moment, too! So perhaps this would be a real solution (if some clever scientist could get it to work!).
By the way, I lived and taught in a high school in Petersfield on the edge of Leigh Park in the mid to late 1990's, and I think she has the essence of the place just right. It's not an easy place to live and grow up in.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for my copy of this book
