Pierke
If you are interested in the history of China in the 20th century or Chinese art, or both, you cannot pass up this book. In a very enjoyable narrative style and evidently very meticulously researched, this book tells the story of the wanderings of the Chinese national art collection from The Forbidden City, during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War. Besides, amusing anecdotes the author provides insight into the political history of the time in which the story takes place. The narrative style is very reminiscent of Simon Winchester. Even the reading of the audiobook by the author himself is evocative of Winchester. The book ties in well with [b:National Treasures: Saving The Nation's Art in World War II 58933891 National Treasures Saving The Nation's Art in World War II Caroline Shenton https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630910485l/58933891.SY75.jpg 92873581] and is a fantastic addition to [b:The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom 2763494 The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348219384l/2763494.SY75.jpg 10010357]. I am half way through now, but trying to slow down, so that the pleasure of reading will take longer.
Very clear, concise and, as far as I can judge, an impartial account of the Queen's life. For me as an outsider, it was very enlightening, not only about the Queen but also about the Commonwealth, the honours system and the rules governing the Royal House.The audiobook is very nicely read by the author himself.
It's always such a pleasure to be around Tony McLean, his colleagues and friends, that I try to read slowly and savour every minute of it. But as the books are also very suspenseful this is a difficult task. This book was no exception to the rule. I am already eagerly waiting for the next installment and hope that Emma will play a bigger part in that one. I missed her.
In all honesty, it should be four stars because for a romance novel it is very well written and full of humour. After seeing the Netflix series of the first Bridgertons book I was intrigued into giving the series a try. That I completed this one says a lot about its quality, but romance novels are certainly not my thing. It is much better to look at all the colourful dresses and magnificent decors than reading about it.
I listened to the complete Avery & Blake series, wonderfully narrated by Sam Dastor, in 10 days. Sorry, if this maybe will offend the admirable Miranda Carter, who must have laboured over these books, as a lot of research went into them. I love the two opposing characters of Avery & Blake. However, Avery sometimes seems a bit too innocent and blundering. The atmospheric depiction of India in the first book and 19th-century London in the last two, gives you a taste of the awful British class system and how the upper classes treated the oppressed and needy. The ‘sleuthing' parts of the stories were exciting and sometimes even surprising, but it was the historical background that kept me engaged. I do hope there will be more Avery & Balke stories and I hope they will return to India, as Sam Dastor's voice is so very well suited to narrate Indian material.
Nice to be reacquainted after so many years. I think it's the third time I read it and it hasn't lost any of its charms. It is still as dark and brooding as I remembered. I listened to the audiobook version read by Amy Molloy. She did a good job, but I found the pace a bit too slow and for the first time used the button in the Audible app to speed it up a notch.
Although I am a huge fan of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope and Shetland stories, I couldn't get drawn into this one. I can't put my finger on it. It could be the reader of the audiobook, it could be that I just wasn't in the mood, but somehow the main characters didn't strike a chord. Halfway through the book, I abandoned it.
It's a crossover between a travelogue, a memoir and a biography of St. Cuthbert. Not religious myself and in the same age group as the author, I liked his ruminations on how to best live the last decade(s) of your life and prepare for death. But the book gives also an interesting glimpse into the life of St. Cuthbert and into the history of the Kingdom of Northumbria and the Borders in the 7th century. It has the same engaging writing style of his other books and really shouldn't be missed.
I can strongly recommend the audiobook read by David Rintoul. I wished NAXOS or Audible would publish all Alistair Moffat's older books, or at least The Hidden Way, in audio format as well, preferably read by David Rintoul (or some of the other excellent narrators with Scotts accents, or narrators that know how to pronounce Gaelic words and phrases).
It's part memoir, part self-help, but I wonder if it was also a kind of self-help for Hunter Davies to write this. Of course, nothing wrong with that, as it provided me with several pleasurable hours reading it. I have to read the first part of his autobiography now as well, so on to [b:The Co-op's Got Bananas: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Post-War North 28512136 The Co-op's Got Bananas A Memoir of Growing Up in the Post-War North Hunter Davies https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452529834l/28512136.SY75.jpg 48668890]
Mary Stweart has been one of my favourite writers for a long time. I read most of her books in the '70s, rereading them whenever I needed an escape (like I did with the books of John Buchan and Nevil Shute). Rereading ‘Nine Coaches Waiting' now, after an absence of nearly 30 years, it still hasn't lost its charm. She certainly knew how to spin a good yarn!
I listened to the audiobook version this time and was pleasantly surprised that the reader, Ellie Heydon, was fluent in French as well. One of my perpetual frustrations is that audiobook narrators do sometimes atrociously mispronounce foreign words. It can completely spoil the pleasure of listening to an audiobook. Think I will listen to more of her books, now that Hodder & Stoughton has decided to produce them as audiobooks as well.
This was the third in the Nigel Barnes series and I have enjoyed all three tremendously, only a pity this last one wasn't published as an audiobook is well, as I loved Colin Mace's narration. I do hope the author finds time and energy to write a sequel or two. I have picked this book up on Amazon for $3.37 and find this almost an insult to the author.
I wasn't able to visit the exhibition in 2017, so I listened to the audio book instead, while looking at the paper book version simultaneously. You will need the print version to augment the audio book, or you will miss a lot of visual pleasure as it is first and foremost an exhibition catalog. The audio book gives a lot more background information, like an audio tour in the museum, with the book on your lap as the exhibition. I especially enjoyed the conversations with Jim Kay, in which he tells about the background of certain drawings. The illustrations made be J.K. Rowling were a surprise too. A pity that some illustrations of Olivia Lomenech Gill, talked about in the audio version, didn't make it into the book. I later discovered that the juvenile version of the catalog:[b:Harry Potter: A Journey Through A History of Magic 35704107 Harry Potter A Journey Through A History of Magic British Library https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500670878s/35704107.jpg 57200177], does contain those missing illustrations. Even if you have seen the exhibition, the book and audio book will be an enhancement of your memory; well worth your time.
A breeze, but a very entertaining one. Some real gems that made me laugh out loud and some sound advice that's also applicable to us lesser mortals not in the film industry. After reading I have the urge to re-acquaint myself with a few of his films. I started with the Ipcress File, which is still enjoyable after seeing it for the umpteenth time.
