The Sunday Philosophy Club - Bookring
10 journalers for this copy...
Isobel Dalhousie is an amateur detective and when a man tumbles to death in front of her after a concert she just knows it wasn't an accident it was murder.......
A very good read.
A very good read.
So this is away to start on it Bookring adventure all over the world.
So the order is as follows:-
Shipping Preferences
AgnesXNitt UK (UK only)
WelshHelen UK (UK Pref)
blaisezabini Romania (Europe only)
hetku77 Finland (Europe pref)
Fire-Dragon UK (UK pref)
Fifna Netherlands (Europe pref but will Surface mail it to Canada for me thank you thank you and a thousand more thank you's)
Sqdancer Canada (Will send Surface mail)
tiatia USA (USA pref)
Rappody USA (Will ship anywhere)
then back to me Smurphie.
I've included a small envelope in the package for each of you with a little postcard in it. Just because I like to.
If you encounter any problems please do PM me.
I hope you all enjoy it. Happy reading :)
So the order is as follows:-
Shipping Preferences
AgnesXNitt UK (UK only)
WelshHelen UK (UK Pref)
blaisezabini Romania (Europe only)
hetku77 Finland (Europe pref)
Fire-Dragon UK (UK pref)
Fifna Netherlands (Europe pref but will Surface mail it to Canada for me thank you thank you and a thousand more thank you's)
Sqdancer Canada (Will send Surface mail)
tiatia USA (USA pref)
Rappody USA (Will ship anywhere)
then back to me Smurphie.
I've included a small envelope in the package for each of you with a little postcard in it. Just because I like to.
If you encounter any problems please do PM me.
I hope you all enjoy it. Happy reading :)
Journal Entry 3 by smurphie at -- By Post or by Hand/ in Person RABCK , bookring/ray in --By Post or by Hand ✋ , Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, March 23, 2006
Released 18 yrs ago (3/24/2006 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand/ in Person RABCK , bookring/ray in --By Post or by Hand ✋ , Scotland United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Setting off on it's travels :)
Setting off on it's travels :)
Journal Entry 4 by AgnesXNitt from Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 27, 2006
Received today - safe and sound. TSPC made it past the armed guards and sniffer dogs on duty to my humble desk! Will read soonest. Thanks Smurphie.
Journal Entry 5 by AgnesXNitt from Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Thursday, April 6, 2006
Finished the book on Tuesday night. I loved the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, so was really interested to see what this book was like.
Weeell, it was *okay* but I don't think I'll be following Isobel on her other adventures.
Still, all wrapped and posted to WelshHelen yesterday - after protracted email conversations about our joint favourite tv programmes!
Thank you kindly....
Weeell, it was *okay* but I don't think I'll be following Isobel on her other adventures.
Still, all wrapped and posted to WelshHelen yesterday - after protracted email conversations about our joint favourite tv programmes!
Thank you kindly....
Arrived safely today. Thanks to AgnesXNitt and especially to Smurphie for the lovely postcard and bookmark - what a place to work!
I still say we were separated at birth, AgnesXNitt :-)
I have a couple of ring books ahead of this one but I'm hoping to read a lot over the Easter holiday :-)
I still say we were separated at birth, AgnesXNitt :-)
I have a couple of ring books ahead of this one but I'm hoping to read a lot over the Easter holiday :-)
I'm sorry to say that I was *very* disappointed in this book. Isabel is a woman of my age but her outlook is very old-fashioned and "old" - more Miss Marple than anything else! It was pretty obvious to me that it was a man in his 60's (?) trying to write of a woman 20 years younger.
The whole moralising/philosophising was clumsy and heavy-handed and he seemed to name-drop purely for the sake of it. I wasn't a huge fan of the No 1 Detective Agency either but this book was far, far worse. Maybe this author just isn't for me. I've pulled out of a ring for the second book in this series because I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't enjoy it. Ah well, each to his own :-)
I've requested Firedragon's address and will get the book in the post asap.
27/04 No reply from Firedragon so I've requested blaisezabini12's address.
The whole moralising/philosophising was clumsy and heavy-handed and he seemed to name-drop purely for the sake of it. I wasn't a huge fan of the No 1 Detective Agency either but this book was far, far worse. Maybe this author just isn't for me. I've pulled out of a ring for the second book in this series because I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't enjoy it. Ah well, each to his own :-)
I've requested Firedragon's address and will get the book in the post asap.
27/04 No reply from Firedragon so I've requested blaisezabini12's address.
Posted to blaisezabini12 today, air mail.
Picked up today from the post office. Thank you Smurphie for the special postcard+booksign and thank you WelshHelen for mailing this book to me:) Will post more comments after reading.
7 May 06: Yesterday I had an appointment to have my hair cut and as it was really crowded I had time to read this lovely book. Isabel has many common traits with another detective-lady 'invented' by Alexander McCall Smith, but this doesn't make her less interesting. I liked the fact that the plot was unexpected until the last pages. I am going to pm the next reader right now!
9 May 06: finally mailed today! Enjoy:)
7 May 06: Yesterday I had an appointment to have my hair cut and as it was really crowded I had time to read this lovely book. Isabel has many common traits with another detective-lady 'invented' by Alexander McCall Smith, but this doesn't make her less interesting. I liked the fact that the plot was unexpected until the last pages. I am going to pm the next reader right now!
9 May 06: finally mailed today! Enjoy:)
18.5. I received the book by mail from blaisezabini12, thank you! I have a few other bookrings before this plus I recently moved, so it might take a little while before I get around reading this one. Sorry in advance.
8.8. I finished the book tonight - sorry about the delay, but I've for example moved twice in past 3 months... I LOVED Mma Ramotswe, so I thought another McCall Smith's character might be worth checking out, but I was very disappointed in the lady detective, Isabel, in this book. She was so irritating most of the time, besserwisser of worst kind. Sometimes I felt the urge to smack her. Really. The story itself was okay and most of the time interesting too, and I suppose that kept me reading the whole book.
15.8. Sent to Fire-Dragon.
8.8. I finished the book tonight - sorry about the delay, but I've for example moved twice in past 3 months... I LOVED Mma Ramotswe, so I thought another McCall Smith's character might be worth checking out, but I was very disappointed in the lady detective, Isabel, in this book. She was so irritating most of the time, besserwisser of worst kind. Sometimes I felt the urge to smack her. Really. The story itself was okay and most of the time interesting too, and I suppose that kept me reading the whole book.
15.8. Sent to Fire-Dragon.
Journal Entry 11 by Fire-Dragon from Newtown, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, August 19, 2006
The book arrived safely today. I'm looking forward to reading it, although having read some of the other comments on here, I hope I won't be disappointed. I enjoyed the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books though and I'll make up my own mind about this series.
Apparently, from reading the messages below, I was due to receive this book in April but didn't respond to PMs at the time. It looks like I was only given two days to respond, which isn't very long, but I'm usually pretty prompt so it's odd. In this case I don't think I ever received the messages - I think I recall the site was having a few issues with PMs a few months ago, so perhaps it was because of that. In any case, thank you to Smurphie for moving me down the list so that I still have a chance to read the book. And thank you Hetku77 for sending it to me.
I have something to finish first but shall try not to take too long.
Apparently, from reading the messages below, I was due to receive this book in April but didn't respond to PMs at the time. It looks like I was only given two days to respond, which isn't very long, but I'm usually pretty prompt so it's odd. In this case I don't think I ever received the messages - I think I recall the site was having a few issues with PMs a few months ago, so perhaps it was because of that. In any case, thank you to Smurphie for moving me down the list so that I still have a chance to read the book. And thank you Hetku77 for sending it to me.
I have something to finish first but shall try not to take too long.
Like others, I found this book a bit of a disappointment. It wasn't bad but it was average. It's a bit like The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency but without the charm and exotic setting to compensate for the sketchy plot. I didn't warm to Isabel as a character - she had her good points but overall I found her nosy and tiresome. She seemed more like 52 or 62 than 42. Also, her motivations didn't seem wholly believable and convincing - at least in Precious Ramotswe's case, being a detective was a job as well as a hobby.
I am PM-ing Fifna now.
I am PM-ing Fifna now.
Journal Entry 13 by Fire-Dragon from Newtown, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 5, 2006
This was posted to Fifna in the Netherlands today. I hope you enjoy it, Fifna!
Thanks to Smurphie for sharing and everyone who took part in the ring.
Thanks to Smurphie for sharing and everyone who took part in the ring.
Journal Entry 14 by 
Fifna
from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, September 7, 2006
Fifna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, September 7, 2006
The book arrived today, that's pretty fast! Thanks for sending it on, Fire-Dragon.
Journal Entry 15 by Fifna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, September 28, 2006
Fifna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, September 28, 2006
OK, but not great. I found the plot was a bit thin. Where I should have found myself thinking "wow, what a clever twist" at the end of the book, I was left thinking "oh, well - on to the next book". I also found Isabel a bit of a snob. Maybe she was meant to be endearing, but at times I just found her annoying.
Having said all that, the book was fairly entertaining, and I did find myself wanting to know what would happen in the end.
I'm glad I read this as I had never read any of his books before, thanks Smurphie for sharing this book!
Have PMed Sqdancer for an address.
Having said all that, the book was fairly entertaining, and I did find myself wanting to know what would happen in the end.
I'm glad I read this as I had never read any of his books before, thanks Smurphie for sharing this book!
Have PMed Sqdancer for an address.
Sent to Sqdancer by surface mail on 7 Oct.
Arrived earlier in the week, but I was having ISP "issues" and was not able to journal until today.
I guess I'm in the minority. I liked Isobel and will probably read the rest of the series through the library.
Off to tiatia by air mail.
Thanks for sharing Smurphie and thanks for the lovely postcard and bookmark.
Off to tiatia by air mail.
Thanks for sharing Smurphie and thanks for the lovely postcard and bookmark.
It arrived safe and sound. I am finishing one other bookring (3/4 done)and plan to fit this in between the hussle and bussle of the holiday season.
The moral dilemma's faced by Isobel are interesting, if somewhat old-fashioned and misguided. An interesting read, albet very different from the African series. Glad I had a chance to read it. Will PM rhapsody for an addy.
No response after two tries (two-weeks apart). On its way home to Smurpie.
Thanks to all who took part int his ring. It was good to read the varying comments about the book adn hopefully you will all join a ring of mine again in the future.
:)
:)
Heading off to PaulsBooks in the USA to read and then home to me Smurphie in Scotland.
Hope you enjoy :o)
Hope you enjoy :o)
Journal Entry 24 by smurphie at -- Controlled Release in Aberdeen, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (1/10/2008 UTC) at -- Controlled Release in Aberdeen, Scotland United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Heading off to the USA as a loan :o)
Heading off to the USA as a loan :o)
(aka PaulsBooks) Wow, Smurphie!!! Thank you so much! I am excited to read this new (to me) series! Thanks for the card & bookmark!
I finally finished this book! I am embarrassed this book has been in my TBR pile for so long! Please forgive me. I am reading the sequels and will get the books back to you, Smurphie!
Arrived home safe and well a couple of days ago. Sorry just not had time to get near the computer.
Thank you for the lovely lovely Chocolate tostle :o)
Thank you for the lovely lovely Chocolate tostle :o)
