This is Maxine's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following Maxine's activity
Maxine
UK
Science editor who likes reading crime fiction
Interests: books, science, internet, social web, reading (often crime fiction), publishing.
Recent Activity
Sorry, the original Paddington must have been a reprint in 1972 (obviously, now I think about it!). Nice that some more appealing suggestions have emerged, JIM Stewart is worth a read for one.
1972: What a momentous year...
How many of these UK authors published a new novel in 1972? Here are some of the names I thought of when first contemplating my 19/72 Challenge (reading 19 novels from 1972): Kingsley Amis, JG Ballard, Malcolm Bradbury, Anthony Burgess, Lawrence Durrell, Grahame Greene, David Lodge, John Le Carr...
I've now read it and withdraw my earlier reservations. I think it is an excellent novel, very moving and exciting, as well as absorbing and harrowing.
REVIEW: Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Shortly before I read Purge, I heard an academic on the radio talking about how, for all its dangers and privations, the 1939-45 war was "straightforward" for Britain and its people. This remark was made in the context of a former Ukrainian soldier and UK immigrant, who had essentially survive...
Oh, what a pity. I do understand only too well how hard it is to quarry time to read/write for a hobby, and it is difficult when that becomes a perceived internal burden. I love reading your thoughtful reviews and hope you may feel like returning to it one day, but in the meantime, all the very best to you. I'll miss you (but will probably touch base now and again on twitter!).
All the very best. (And very nice post, by the way.) And good luck in stemming the tide of books - I attempted to retire late last year and asked publishers to stop sending them unless I specifically asked for one, but they still continue to appear.
So long, and thanks for all the books...
On World Book Night, in March, I travelled to Coalville public library to listen to RJ Ellory talk about his work. Roger very kindly gave me 30 minutes of his time after a lively and enjoyable discussion to interview him about his writing and his life. Five months later, to my shame, the tape of...
I agree the distinctions are artificial, I suppose I mean that it does not seem to be "popular" fiction but more "artistic" fiction -- the terminology is hard to get right (and is subjective also) but it is important in a review somwhow to convey the level/type of book, as you do here, esepcially as so much crime fiction written today seems to be aimed at 12 year olds.
REVIEW: Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Shortly before I read Purge, I heard an academic on the radio talking about how, for all its dangers and privations, the 1939-45 war was "straightforward" for Britain and its people. This remark was made in the context of a former Ukrainian soldier and UK immigrant, who had essentially survive...
Fascinating review. I looked into this book when it was first published but was a bit put off by what seemed to be harrowing/violent scenes. I definitely got the impression it is a literary work rather than "crime fiction", as you write.
REVIEW: Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Shortly before I read Purge, I heard an academic on the radio talking about how, for all its dangers and privations, the 1939-45 war was "straightforward" for Britain and its people. This remark was made in the context of a former Ukrainian soldier and UK immigrant, who had essentially survive...
Great question! I lost touch with the films as my daughters are now far too old to want to go to the cinema with me, but we did recently catch up with film 7 part 1 on the TV recently and I was impressed, very involved. I never thought the films a patch on the books but this one was quite good.
They really are marvellous books and I hope to read them straight through one day - I have read some in bits via reading aloud to young children, and others in a rush to get to the end to find out what happens...
I think in London they are planning a few "straight through" screenings of all the films, after 7 part 2 comes out.
Turn this stupid fat rat yellow
In anticipation of the July 15th release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, we've been on a bit of a Harry Potter spree here. Repeated viewings of movies, and I've started reading the first book to Melissa. I've read it twice before, once to myself and once to Rebecca, but it's been...
2.40
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: June 11
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 1:17 Clare -- 2:35 Karen -- 1:01 Maxine -- 2:40 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet maddeningly d...
1.10
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: June 4
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 0:33 Maxine -- 1:10 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet maddeningly difficult Set Puzzle. (Rememb...
4.50
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: May 28
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 1:05 Clare -- 2:39 Maxine -- 4:50 Karen -- 1:04 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet maddeningly d...
Excellent review, picking up on the main undercurrents of the book. (The crime plot was a bit obvious, it was everything else about the book that made it so great, I think). This is probably my best crime read of the year so far (though Frozen Moment by Camilla Ceder is close, and Michael Connelly is just unvaryingly wonderfully enjoyable). I read a lot of crime fiction and think that Mercy is, and the series could be, "a little bit special".
There is other good Danish crime, of course, eg Miss Smilla's feeling for Snow, various by Lief Davidson (his The Serbian Dane is very exciting), The Exception by Christian Jungerson....and a new one called Dinosaur Feather which I'm about to read.
REVIEW: Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen
With the triumphant publication of Mercy, the Nordic crime full house is complete. Swedes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians and now a Dane. Denmark, indeed, might be considered in the ascendant. First, The Killing (Forbrydelsen) - comfortably the most mesmerising piece of television I have seen s...
Good luck to the Linked In owners and all of that, but I never found it a useful site and cancelled my membership after a few years because of all the spam connection requests and the lack of any functionality by which the user could block these (plus unresponsive feedback channel from LinkedIn itself). I did get "reference" requests from ex-colleagues I could only dimly recall, but never anything useful. But still, they've done v well and one only wonders what will happen with fb et al.
When LinkedIn was a fussball table and a well-stocked fridge
Do you ever wonder what a billion dollar idea looks like? I know. I've seen it. Although it's fair to say it sure as hell didn't look like a billion dollar idea at the time - never mind the mind-boggling $10 billion idea that LinkedIn became today when its shares soared on IPO - a reminder of th...
5 min 3 sec
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: May 14
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 1:28 Clare -- 2:31 Maxine -- 5:03 Karen -- 0:44 Kimmy -- 2:26 Susan -- 1:03 How to participate: Play the theoretica...
3.33
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: April 16
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 2:18 Karen -- 1:06 Clare -- 3:38 Maxine -- 3:33 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet maddeningly d...
Good to know, Debra, and as I suspected! I have moved off Typepad now and onto Wordpress, which I vastly prefer, so could not even begin to emulate your feat!
The Most Subjective Book List Ever
Book lists are kind of stupid, right? Those "100 Best Books of All Time or Maybe Just the 20th Century That You've Got To Read Before You Die" type things. Totally subjective. Who's to say that your best books would be my best books? And who are you to tell me what to do before I die, anyway? Bu...
Amazing! I've read a few. Is this list manually compiled or does it come off your database at the touch of a button?!
The Most Subjective Book List Ever
Book lists are kind of stupid, right? Those "100 Best Books of All Time or Maybe Just the 20th Century That You've Got To Read Before You Die" type things. Totally subjective. Who's to say that your best books would be my best books? And who are you to tell me what to do before I die, anyway? Bu...
2.17
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: April 9
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 2:06 Karen -- 0:50 Maxine -- 2:17 Kimmy -- 2:28 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet maddeningly d...
Just to say thanks again for the book - I've read it now and enjoyed it a lot, though I agree with your point that these novels have become somewhat more "easy reads" latterly, compared with the first few.
REVIEW: The Sentry by Robert Crais
Over a decade or so, Robert Crais has put together one of the finest PI series of the modern era. The collaboration between the author and his lead characters, private eye Elvis Cole and enforcer Joe Pike has produced some memorable novels in a genre in which the vast majority of work is quick...
1.11
Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge: April 2
It's Saturday, which means it's time for the deblog's Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge! (View a list of winners of the Weekly Set Puzzle Challenge here.) This week's scores: Debra -- 0:53 Clare -- 1:30 Maxine -- 1:11 Karen -- 1:53 Susan -- 1:15 How to participate: Play the theoretically simple yet...
More...
Subscribe to Maxine’s Recent Activity