christiguc needs a nudge (for the end of November)

Since I have many books lined up for the month, I won't be able to get to this until nearer to the end of the month. (I'm just starting the Embers nudge from the last thread!)


(click for larger photo)

Christina - I'll nudge A Woman - it is a VMC and quite an intense read. The central character can be a bit annoying at times but I found it a thoroughly thought-provoking read - on the other hand if you want a really enjoyable page turner and a good story I'll nudge The Broken Shore by Peter Temple. It won the Silver Dagger award for crime fiction in 2007.

As you can imagine, I am going to nudge A Woman (in bold as it DOES NOT APPEAR in the touchstone choices), in agreement with mrspenny.
I will also nudge The Eyre Affair, which is quite entertaining and unusual, and, of course, The Eye of Love, by my beloved Margery Sharp.

I'm nudging The Eye of love, which I read earlier this year and absolutely loved.

I have been ordering Margery Sharp's other books from my library's fiction reserve on a regular basis since then and she is most definitely my find of 2008!

Edited for not remembering what year it is!

Isn't she wonderful, Fleur?
I am trying to acquire all of her books, even though some of them are extremely difficult to find. Being able to find a copy of Rhododendron Pie was, for me, one of the best moments in 2008.

The only one I've read is the Other Boleyn Girl. It was sort of a mindless comfort read, but overly long. I'm glad I read it, but now I know I don't want to read any other books by the author.

I'll nudge The Queen of The Tambourine because I really like Jane Gardam.

Exactly what Nickelini said... I've tried another Philippa Gregory but it took itself back to the library.

I haven't read any of these but I'm about to click on Margery Sharp...

Edited to make it obvioius which book I was talking about... it's 6 am here and I need coffee!

#8 - but it took itself back to the library.

-----------------

Wow! What a great library you have. Do the books get themselves back in time, or do you still end up paying overdue fines? I wish they'd implement those types of books here. :-)

Somehow the good ones run back to the library on time but the bad ones go and sulk under the bed, sometimes for a few extra weeks...

Seriously though, have many of you found libraryelf.com ? It's nearly as good as LibraryThing! Our many overdues have disappeared since I found it. Now I get emails a few days ahead warning me which ones are coming up so that I have enough time to go on a bear...I mean book hunt.

I'm finding it a bit difficult to nudge this one because I'm not too familiar with many of the authors. And of those that I am my Margaret Drabbles have so far remained neglected and I've only read Neil Gaiman's children's book Coraline.

What has caught my eye is the Patrick Chamoiseau book Solibo Magnificent. Chamoiseau is said to be an inventive writer in Creole French from Martinique.
I assume this is an English translation? If so, I think I'd want to give it a go as something different.

I have only read The Eyre Affair but did see Margot Livesey at an authors' festival and was impressed- I will be looking out for her books-- so I would vote for her book

If you like your historical novels to be historically accurate, then skip The Other Boleyn Girl.

A few of these books are in my own stacks, and the only other one I've read is The Muse Asylum. I don't usually read mysteries, so I'm probably not the best one to judge it. It was OK.

I have read Stardust and The Other Boelyn Girl from that pile. I read The Other Boleyn Girl years ago and Stardust only last year and I liked them both at the time I read them.

I would nudge Stardust because I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone. After I read the book I tried to watch the movie and hated it. The book was better IMO others of course say the opposite.

The Other Boleyn Girl I really liked when I first read it but that was quite a few years ago. It was a relatively new (to me, to everyone?) story. Now that I have watched the movie and The Tudors miniseries I wonder if it would be as good?

I can't believe you haven't read The Eyre Affair yet!! I would definitely nudge that, but only if I am allowed to also give a nudge (count it as a half if you like) for Stardust, which I thought was lovely (and also liked better than the film, kiwiflowa - though I have to say that although I did enjoy the book more, it's still one of the very, very few films I have watched post-book and not been hugely disappointed by.)

I really enjoyed Eva Moves the Furniture, a modern day fairy story and well done. But for sheer talent, I'll nudge the Jane Gardam book.

(I did see a new book in the store by Gardam - a follow-up to Old Filth. Must get my hands on it).

Gotta be The Eyre Affair! And here's another nudge for hurling The Other Boleyn Girl at the nearet rubbish (trash) bin - indifferent writing, complete lack of research.

Okay, my top nudge has to go to Solibo Magnificent by Patrick Chamoiseau if only because so few people appear to have read Chamoiseau's work. But let me add this caveat, his book Texaco is wonderful, awesome, amazing, etc. Nudge 2 goes to The Queen of Tambourine. This is an extremely funny and bittersweet novel. Nudge 3 - Stardust if it's one of those rainy days when you feel the need to curl up with a cup of tea, some hot buttered toast (with orange marmalade - Dundee Marmalade is best), and a good fairy tale. Please note, if you have a marmalade cat, this makes the entire reading experience even better. Nudge 4 - The Eye of Love but only if you plan to read the two sequels Martha in Paris and Martha, Eric, and George. The other two are much funnier. I went through my Phillipa Gregory Stage in my early teens and have felt no need to return. As for Maisie Dobbs, she ranks with Aunt Dimity, neither of whom I can stand (but that is just I). And of course The Eyre Affair is good. After the first book Fforde starts to get a little old though, so check the rest out from the library if you must, or I will send you my copies.

I'm going to nudge three: Stardust, because I enjoyed it myself, Eva Moves the Furniture, because I haven't read it but I want to, and John MacNab by John Buchan, because he may be old and a bit out of fashion, but his books are ripping yarns that are fun to read.

This is my first nudge, so here goes. I loved The Eyre Affair and enjoyed Maisie Dobbs (and if you enjoy historical mysteries; this series is a good one). Nevertheless, I will nudge the Jane Gardam book. I've never read her, but heard Maureen Corrigan (book reviewer for National Public Radio) do an interesting piece on her and her work. Since then I've placed Gardam on my "authors to try list."

Hi, Christina! Somehow, I was nudged over to this group. Margery Sharp is one of my favorites, but I haven't read the one on your stack (although I've read Sharp's The Nutmeg Tree twice and can't recommend The Foolish Gentlewoman highly enough). The only book on your stack that I've read is Daphne, which I enjoyed and reviewed here.

So, I'm going to start the winner of these nudges on Wednesday.

So far, the totals are:
(counting first nudge as 1, second nudge as .5, third nudge as .25, and fourth nudge as .125)

Queen of the Tambourine = 1 + 1 + .5 + 1 = 3.5
Stardust = 1 + .5 + .25 + 1 = 2.75
The Eyre Affair = .5 + 1 + 1 = 2.5
A Woman = 1 + 1 = 2
Solibo Magnificent = 1 + 1 = 2
Eva Moves the Furniture = 1 + .5 = 1.5
Daphne = 1 = 1
The Broken Shore = .5 = .5
The Eye of Love = .25 + .125 = .375
John MacNab = .25 = .25

Suggestions open until Wednesday morning.

Thanks, everybody!!!!

A violent de-nudge for Boleyn Girl, which was just yucky, and hugely historically innacurate, right from the first page where the author makes Mary Boleyn the younger sister, and already married to William Carey at 14.

I agree with aviddiva - John Buchan's books are excellent! Ripping is a good word. As long as you remember that they are the product of their time, and don't let ethnic slurs bother you.

I'm nudging Eva Moves the Furniture, it's my favorite Livesey.

The Eyre Affair was a hoot, and I enjoyed Maisie Dobbs, but don't feel moved to read any further in either series. I'm going to go completely off sides here, and nudge Time Will Darken It. I don't think it's Maxwell's best novel, but I eagerly encourage you to read him in some form.

Thank you all for your nudges. The totals came out as:

Queen of the Tambourine = 1 + 1 + .5 + 1 = 3.5
Stardust = 1 + .5 + .25 + 1 = 2.75
The Eyre Affair = .5 + 1 + 1 = 2.5
Eva Moves the Furniture = 1 + .5 + 1 = 2.5
A Woman = 1 + 1 = 2
Solibo Magnificent = 1 + 1 = 2
The Eye of Love = .25 + 1 + .125 = 1.375
John MacNab = .25 + 1 = 1.25
Daphne = 1 = 1
Time Will Darken It = 1 = 1
The Broken Shore = .5 = .5

Of course, all the books that didn't come out on top will stay in my TBR line (except maybe The Other Boleyn Girl--there were some "violent" denudges for that one). I should get to them all eventually!

I will start The Queen of the Tambourine this evening, and I'll be back to let you all know what I think. Thanks again!

I finished Queen of the Tambourine--thank you to everyone who encouraged me to read it! And thank you to those who commented on the other books in my stack and made them even more tempting.

I always like Jane Gardam, so I knew I would like The Queen of the Tambourine. It wasn't my favorite of her books (I think it was the epistolary format and the fact that things never really came together until the latter part of the book that frustrated me), but it was definitely worthwhile and well-done. 3.5/5