Chrissy's Reading In 2014

[Karsa Orlong]

I'd say................................ Read it!

 

I will now walk out of this thread with a swagger, in the knowledge that I have read a SF book that you haven't!

 

   

 

What?  Er, I mean, of course I've read it, I'd just forgotten.  It was erased from my memory during an alien abduction.  Honestly!  

 

I'll see your swagger and raise it by a flounce

[Chrissy]

Please don't wander into my thread and talk about alien probing (there had to be probing, aliens ALWAYS probe!).

 

And no flouncing neither!

[Karsa Orlong]

Please don't wander into my thread and talk about alien probing (there had to be probing, aliens ALWAYS probe!).

 

 

Yeah, that's why ET had a stretchy neck and a glowing finger

[Chrissy]

Yeah, that's why ET had a stretchy neck and a glowing finger

 

    

[Athena]

If this isn't the place for it, feel free to tell me, but how've you been lately, Chrissy?

[Chrissy]

30) Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell

 

The title says it all really. An enjoyable quick read of the weird, rude and startling things that have be said or overheard in book shops. One (of so many) that stood out for me was this exchange;

 

Customer: Do you have any positions available at the moment? I'd like my daughter to get a Saturday job.

Bookseller: If your daughter is interested in working for us, it'd be best if she came in an spoke to us herself.

Customer: I don't think she's that keen on having a job, that's the problem.....But you could always come round to our house and try and convince her to come and work for you. Then she might consider it.

 

  I gave a strangled laugh when I read that.   It's a great book to dip in and out of.

 

31) Unseen by Karin Slaughter

 

The last Slaughter book I read took place in two time periods, the 1970's and present day. Unseen slips masterfully between the on going story and just a few days previous. As the story advances these peep back days creep further back. It is done to great effect. Will Trent is working undercover, Possibly tangentially connected is a big bad guy who has remained uncatchable to date appearing to be attempting a crime takeover in Macon. Cops have been attacked innocents are being hurt, loyalties are being strained, and just what did happen when the local force carried out a take down of a known nasty? A book that starts with many question marks but one that is able to answer them with aplomb. If you like Karin Slaughter's work, you will enjoy Unseen.

[Chrissy]

If this isn't the place for it, feel free to tell me, but how've you been lately, Chrissy?

 

This is a great place for it!   I am ok thanks. Lots of busy fussy things needing attention at the moment and my brain is all over the place trying to keep up with it all, and I keep losing my notebook that helps me remember.  How about you? I will drop into your thread and catch up at some stage. I'm embarrassed that I have been so remiss at not keeping up to date with everyone.

[Athena]

I really liked Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops too, so many great quotes!

 

I'm glad to hear you're doing okay . I hope the busy-ness gets less soon for you. I'm doing allright at the moment. My boyfriend and I moved into the bakery 3 weeks ago so I'm still getting used to the new place. I'm also on some medication for ADD since a few weeks which is going allright too .

[frankie]

I am astounded that I have ended this first month of the year having read 10 books! Admittedly the Cassandra Clare books are easy to get through, but 10 is 10!

 

6) My Fat Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl.

 

What a terrific read. Set in the Lincolnshire suburbs during 1989, this is the diary of Rae, the recently released from a mental health unit and overweight teenager who chronicles her life day by day. The 80's references were a real nostalgic nudge, especially the music. Many laugh out loud moments, and that sigh of understanding you give when you read something from a teenager where they completely missed what was really going on.

 

This is not teenage angst in it's usual guise, but a clever and witty recollection.

I know we've already talked about this, but I want to talk more about it Mainly, I assume you've seen the second season of the show? What another great one When I watched the first season, I fell in love with it and recommended it to a few friends and by now they've all watched it and fell in love with the show! Not one of them has been left cold or indifferent. A brilliant, funny and touching program. And like you, I've loved hearing the 90s music on the show. Great tunes and great flashbacks

 

I have the books on my wishlist but there haven't been any copies at my local library. However... I've just checked the Espoo library and they have copies!! So so happy!! 

 

30) Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell

 

The title says it all really. An enjoyable quick read of the weird, rude and startling things that have be said or overheard in book shops. One (of so many) that stood out for me was this exchange;

 

Customer: Do you have any positions available at the moment? I'd like my daughter to get a Saturday job.

Bookseller: If your daughter is interested in working for us, it'd be best if she came in an spoke to us herself.

Customer: I don't think she's that keen on having a job, that's the problem.....But you could always come round to our house and try and convince her to come and work for you. Then she might consider it.

 

 I gave a strangled laugh when I read that.  It's a great book to dip in and out of.

 

The nerve some people have! Yes, booksellers are guidance counselors in  disguise... Throw any task at them and they are ready and set to go!  

 

 I am ok thanks. Lots of busy fussy things needing attention at the moment and my brain is all over the place trying to keep up with it all, and I keep losing my notebook that helps me remember. 

 

Naughty notebook! You should hammer it to a wall That might go nicely with the new decor...?  

[Chrissy]

I haven't seen the second series of MFD yet, nor read the book!   I'm gonna though, believe me, I'm gonna!

 

The weird things book was equal parts hilarious and 'the future of humanity' questioning. There are some stupid, selfish ignorant people out there.

 

In my little bag I have 3 notebooks. I am carrying them around with me because at some stage I have to try and coordinate their contents.  My ability to function depends upon my notebooks - my brain is unable to cope with life currently without the over spill into these notebooks. They make for quite weird reading at times.

[frankie]

I haven't seen the second series of MFD yet, nor read the book!   I'm gonna though, believe me, I'm gonna! 

Oh boy! I just assumed you'd seen it, because it was on telly over there and we got the series over here as soon as they were out! Oh boy you are going to like the second season What's not to like!

 

The weird things book was equal parts hilarious and 'the future of humanity' questioning. There are some stupid, selfish ignorant people out there.

I've read the book so I definitely know what you mean. It was cringe worthy sometimes Where did the human race go wrong...

 

There were so many great quotes there... I think one was something like, 'do you know this book that's quite old, don't know the title or the author, but it had a green cover?' 'Why sure! There's only one such novel in the whole wide world, and I have it right here, under my desk. See? It's this one right here '   

 

In my little bag I have 3 notebooks. I am carrying them around with me because at some stage I have to try and coordinate their contents.  My ability to function depends upon my notebooks - my brain is unable to cope with life currently without the over spill into these notebooks. They make for quite weird reading at times.

 

I'm sorry, but how do you manage to juggle three notebooks?

[Chrissy]

I've read the book so I definitely know what you mean. It was cringe worthy sometimes Where did the human race go wrong...

 

I'm sorry, but how do you manage to juggle three notebooks?

 

I bought the Weird Things....book based on your recommendation, and so glad I did.

 

In answer to your question, I don't manage to juggle the bloody things!   There are bits of things in each, so I really have to sit down soon and bring the relevant bits together if I can. Big if....................

[frankie]

I bought the Weird Things....book based on your recommendation, and so glad I did.

Oh, very cool! I'm glad the book delivered and it was worth your while Sometimes it's a bit scary to know people have read a book based on my recommendation, in case they dislike it... But with this one, I haven't been scared at all. The book is what it says in the title and I haven't come across anyone who hasn't like it

 

 

In answer to your question, I don't manage to juggle the bloody things!   There are bits of things in each, so I really have to sit down soon and bring the relevant bits together if I can. Big if....................

 

 

 

Oooh I'd like to reorganize a notebook, writing all the crucial, needed bits into one single notebook, getting rid of the rest... But then it would be sad to leave the rest. Because it might make a hilarious read afterwards. In a few years' time. After the things have lost their relevance and your life doesn't depend upon staying on top of those things....  

[Chrissy]

In my wise way I decided that it would be a great idea in the run up to my holiday, and for the 8 days I was away, to re read a favourite series of mine, Angie Sage's 7 Septimus Heap Books (Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke and Fyre). What I hadn't quite anticipated was that I would get so engrossed in the series again that I would fly through them BEFORE I left home.    . Therefore I darted about a bit to find enjoyable reads that suited my tired-in-the-evening-but-want-to-read holiday mood. Here I go with the last few of weeks;

 

32) Magyk, 33) Flyte. 34) Physik, 35) Queste, 36) Syren, 37) Darke, & 38) Fyre by Angie Sage

 

From the moment I discovered the first book, Magyk in a shop in Oban, Scotland on the first day of a holiday 9 years ago I have been in love with the characters, the stories and the setting. Original, visual and a compelling story well told I will ALWAYS come back to Septimus Heap and his adventures within the pages (paper or otherwise) of this wonderful series.

 

39) Struck by Joss Stirling

I am a big fan of YA fiction, and Joss Stirling has written a few good reads that I have enjoyed in recent years, so when I saw her name on this book I didn't think twice about buying it. A good decision made.

 

(From fantasticfiction.co.uk)  Behind the ivy-clad walls of an exclusive boarding school, lurks a sinister web of corruption, scandal, and conspiracy. American student Raven Stone has noticed something is horribly wrong. First there were the unexplained disappearances. Then there were the teachers' lies. And now the death threats ...Also entangled in the disturbing turn of events is the enigmatic Kieran Storm.

 

Fast paced story, with witty dialogue and well drawn characters combined to make this a great holiday read for me. It evoked all the right reader responses from me, from laughter, to angst at the danger faced by the central characters, to edge-of-seat (or occasionally hotel bed) anticipation. If you have enjoyed previous books by the author, you will most likely enjoy this one too. A great start to a new series (damn it, not another series!!  )

 

40) The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

 

I started reading this on holiday, but stopped a third of the way in. I was so tired in the evenings I couldn't quite cope with the dilemma the central character found himself in and had fretful sleep because of it. As soon as I was home I dived back in to it.

 

Mr Gaiman's books are always so inventive and compelling, I can only really describe the books in terms of the emotions evoked, rather than reviewing it in any reader-meaningful way. It's a story felt viscerally, ancient and new with peril and rescue and redemption. It is about the nature of home that stays with us all through our years, and the very powerful evocation of what always was, what always is and what always will be.

 

Amazon describe it thus, THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a novel about memory and magic and survival, about the power of stories and the darkness inside each of us, created by the unparalleled imaginative power of Neil Gaiman.

 

If you are in any doubt about whether it would be something you would want to read I recommend reading the many reviews on the site, and you will see how enormously difficult it is to tell you what the book is actually about, as it appears so personal to each reviewer. Neil Gaiman is a writer I read with hope in my heart and such a bone aching admiration for the imagination he shares so freely.  

 

 City Of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

 

When Mr Gaiman left me fretting in my hotel bed, I thought it best to jump away in a re read of a recent book, noted here only a few months ago. I will not count it as it was an emergency read rather than a concentrating  re read. I have my rules!

[Chrissy]

41) Sins Of Eden by SM Reine

 

Having bought (14 books ago) for 77p the first book in her Descent Series, I became hooked on SM Reine's storytelling on the life, friends, adversaries and adventures of Elise Kavanagh, kopis, exorcist and god-slayer extraordinaire. This book completed her story. A fitting and satisfying end that had me gulping back tears, griping my kindle and sighing with hope. This is NOT a stand alone novel, one would have to have read the previous books to understand ANY of what was going on, and why.

 

As a summing up of the two series (and the additional 'alongside' books) they include a story of Adam, Eve and Lilith, and a story of creation. We have demonic overlords and underlings, Angels, werewolves, aspis and kopis (witch 'shield' and warrior 'sword') and varied governmental interference. There are dimensions godly, angelic and demonic and vivid characters galore. There are battles, both physical and magical, and the pages are frequently awash with blood, sweat and ichor tears. Alliances are formed, friendships made. Betrayal, desire and ambition claw their way through the characters, yet Elise remains a constant with her devout loyalties, aspirations and aims.

 

The books wouldn't appeal to every reader, and if you feel any discomfort in constructs that go against your belief system, then these are not for you. They are imaginative, fast paced and frequently graphic.

 

42) Paper Towns by John Green

 

I have read 'The Fault In Our Stars', 'Looking For Alaska' and now 'Paper Towns' by John Green, and I continue to be surprised and delighted by his writing. Paper Towns centres on Quentin 'Q' Jacobsen and his borderline (and often actual) obsession with his neighbour Margo Roth Speigelman.  It opens with them in childhood but jumps quickly to them as teens preparing to graduate from school, with the final third of the book a road trip.

 

Green has a way of writing about relationships, from the daft conversations that mates have about the day to day stuff, through to the intense exchanges that can take place when a revelations break the surface of a repressed relationship.  

 

I enjoyed the book and the buoyancy of the unfolding quirky story. The characters are mostly endearing, and I found myself frequently chuckling at their exchanges and antics. The characters are believable in the reading, but on reflection don't remain realistic, but this just doesn't matter. For want of a better expression, 'the journey' of the reading of the story carries any minor quibbles away.

[bobblybear]

Paper Towns was a pretty good read. I didn't get along with The Fault in Our Stars (which seems to be the favorite of a lot of people), but I did like Paper Towns. It was quirky and different.

 

The Ocean At The End of the Lane is on my TBR pile, and I have nearly started it a few times, but just never felt quite in the mood. I don't actually know what it's about, but it sounds like it may be a heavy sort of read that I need to be in the mood for.

[poppy]

 A wonderful review of The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Chrissy. You have such a lovely way with words

 

 

The Ocean At The End of the Lane is on my TBR pile, and I have nearly started it a few times, but just never felt quite in the mood. I don't actually know what it's about, but it sounds like it may be a heavy sort of read that I need to be in the mood for.

 

Bobblybear, I don't think you'd find it heavy reading. It's fantasy and as such draws you into another world which at time seems quite dark but it's not a book that weighed me down or was difficult to read.

[Weave]

Fantastic review Chrissy, I especially liked your review of 'Let The Right One In' - well done

[bobblybear]

 Bobblybear, I don't think you'd find it heavy reading. It's fantasy and as such draws you into another world which at time seems quite dark but it's not a book that weighed me down or was difficult to read.

 

Thanks, Poppy. I shall try to get to it soon.

[chesilbeach]

For some reason, they've changed the title of the Joss Stirling book - when I read it, it was called Storm and Stone and they've given it a redesigned cover which is closer to her other books.  Anyway, you're right, as a reader of her other books, I enjoyed this one a lot!  

 

Not sure if you know, but the next book in her other series, Misty Falls, is out on Thursday.

[Chrissy]

Thanks Chesilbeach, I hadn't realised either the name change of the book, nor about Misty Falls.

 

Bobbly, TOATEOTL is a good, quick and absorbing read. Neil Gaiman has that way of weaving a tale that grabs you in such a gut wobbling way until the last page finally lets you go. It's not a heavy read at all, but for me the story touched on the notion of what home is, where and with whom one feels safe. These are often simultaneously the simplest and most basic of things, and the most important issue of all.  < I'm not making sound any less heavy am I?  Neil Gaiman does that to me I'm afraid.

 

Thanks Weave.

[Athena]

I read Magyk and really liked it. The rest of the series is on my wishlist, my sister owns a few of them (I've bought them for her). I didn't know you liked the series so much! Great reviews ! The Ocean at the End of the Lane really is quite a different book. I enjoyed it. Papertowns is on my TBR (as well as a few other John Green books). I've only read TFioS so far and really liked that one.

[bobblybear]

Bobbly, TOATEOTL is a good, quick and absorbing read. Neil Gaiman has that way of weaving a tale that grabs you in such a gut wobbling way until the last page finally lets you go. It's not a heavy read at all, but for me the story touched on the notion of what home is, where and with whom one feels safe. These are often simultaneously the simplest and most basic of things, and the most important issue of all.  < I'm not making sound any less heavy am I?

 

Ok, I'm really intrigued now....it certainly does sound well worth a read. Looks like I have to move it up on my TBR pile.

[Chrissy]

43) Witch Hunt by SM Reine

44) Silver Bullet by SM Reine

45) Hotter Than Hell town by SM Reine

46) Shadow Burns  by SM Reine

 

These four books focus on the adventures of Cesar Hawke. a witch agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs. The OPA are the secretive government department that deal with all things related to witches, demons, dimensions etc. As with SM Reine's other urban fantasy series these are fast paced, vividly described witty books that hurtle you through the story. Witch Hunt has Cesar waking up to a dead body in his bath. Who did it, and why? Silver Bullet has Cesar and his OPA partner exploring unknown regions looking for dangerous and much sought after artefacts. In Hotter Than Helltown the team investigate some strange and gruesome deaths that lead to a surprising killer with an even more surprising motive. A canyon sited retirement village is the location of Shadow Burns, and the OPA is initially called in to investigate the unusual deaths of some residents. 

 

47) Caged Wolf by SM Reine

 

I will continue to read anything that SM Reine writes as I really enjoy her quick paced witty style. Had I happened upon Caged Wolf differently however I may not have considered it, as I tend not to read steamy novels that have clothes being torn off and wild. abandoned naughtiness taking place.      Aside from the naughtiness the story has some memorable characters, and introduces us to the fabulous Ofelia, the talented and independent witchy sister of Cesar. If I can keep my blushes at bay I will read on with this Tarot Witches series. 

 

48) Chaos by Sarah Fine

 

This marks the end of the Guards Of The Shadowlands trilogy, with Sanctum and Captive being the previous two. This trilogy rises from an original concept of where we go when we die, dependent upon how we have lived and how we have die. Lela is the central protagonists and the trilogy recounts her determination and desire to do all she can to help and protect those she loves, despite the traumas of tough childhood, and the odds that are always against her. Each of the books has a different setting but a central theme of love, family, friendship, loyalty and seeking redemption runs through them all. Just my kind of thing. 

 

I found the books well balanced between the frantic and primal fighting action scenes and the slower paced emotional scenes. I felt agonised at times, tearful and moved, and was glad for slower chapters where both the reader and Lela herself could gather their resources. At each sitting I read many more chapters than planned and arrived breathless at the book's end. 

[Chrissy]

49) The Immortal Circus by A R Kahler

50) The Immortal Circus Act Two by A R Kahler

51) The Immortal Circus Final Act by A R Kahler

 

Murdered contortionists aren't exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—because forever means something quite different at the Cirque des Immortels.
 

Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his sarcastic assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.

The show's just beginning. 

Step right up...

(from fantastic fiction)

 

What an involving and mysterious trilogy this was. Just who is Vivian? What are the details of her past that meant she wanted to run away with the circus? The reader is the monkey on the shoulder of Vivienne as events and understanding unfold across this trilogy. We know no more than she at each turn. Some great characters peppered throughout the three books; the glorious and enchanting Mab, fun loving Mel and the mysterious Kingston. 

 

From where do these people come? What is the true purpose of the circus? Why are they all in so much danger? 

 

Dark and compelling, these three books really caught my imagination, with each scene slowly and lovingly painted until you can envisage the true depth of colour and occurrence.  The final scene made me gasp in both horror and hope, an unusual combination of feelings for sure. The books hold just that kind of tale, making you shudder and smile often in the same paragraph. 

Edited November 2, 2014 by Chrissy