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Inver's Reading List 2014


Inver

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My Reading List 2014 :coffee1:

 

Well, here we are another year and another pile of books to read.  I didn't reach my meagre 'to read' total of 30 last year, so I shall endeavour yet again to reach it this year. Hopefully I will add a few more new authors along the reading trail too. Must try to read more from the books already on my shelf though, than buying....but we all know how hard that is :yes:

 

List from 2013 (20)

Follow the above link to the other lists from previous years.

 

 

Reading at the moment :readingtwo:

 

'The Lake of Dreams' by Kim Edwards

Read

 

January

'A Perfectly Good Man' by Partrick Gale

'The Bay at Midnight' by Diane Chamberlain

'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene

'The Shoemaker's Wife' by Adriana Trigiani

February

'The Shoemaker's Wife' by Adriana Trigiani (started Jan)

'Untying the Knot' by Linda Gillard

March

Untying the Knot' by Linda Gillard (started Feb)

'The Invention of Wings' by Sue Monk Kidd (giveaway win via Goodreads)

'The Good Father' by Diane Chamberlain (started)

April

'The Good Father' by Diane Chamberlain (finished)

'Arms Open Wide' by Tom Winter (started), giveaway win on Goodreads)

May

'Arms Open Wide' by Tom Winter (finished), giveaway win on Goodreads)

'Someone Else's Son' by Samantha Hayes

June

'Small Wars' by Sadie Jones

'16 Lighthouse Road' by Debbie Macomber

'The Distance Between Us' by Maggie O'Farrell (started)

July

'The Distance Between Us' by Maggie O'Farrell( finished)

'The Tea Chest' by Josephine Moon (started)

August

'The Tea Chest' by Josephine Moon (finished)

September

'Mercy' by Jodi Picoult

'Oystercatchers' by Susan Fletcher (gave up on it)

October

'The Villa in Italy' by Elizabeth Edmondson (started in August)

'Before the Storm' by Diane Chamberlain (recommend)

'Stolen' by Lesley Pearse....(read 42pages and threw it away....drivel)

November

'The Christmas Wedding' by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo

December

'Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe' by Jenny Colgan

Edited by Inver
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Bookring/rays/RABCK from Bookcrossing or BCF Members :readingtwo:

 

'The Vintage Teacup' by Vanessa Greene(RABCK sent by 'Beqi' on  my wishlist)

'The Shoemaker's Wife' by Adriana Trigiani (RABCK I was sent by'bookfrogster)

'The Villa in Italy' by Elizabeth Edmondson (won in EU tag game)

Edited by Inver
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Wishlist/To Buy :readingtwo:

 

'The Language of Flowers' by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

'The Wedding' by Nicholas Sparks

'The Memory Book' by Rowan Coleman

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TBR List :readingtwo:

 

I will be adding to this when I choose the books from my shelves that I really want to try and read this year.

 

 

'The Time Keeper' by Mitch Albom

'Instructions for a Heatwave' by Maggie O'Farrell (thanks to Poppyshake ;))

'Cauldstane' by Linda Gillard

'Peaches for Monsieur le Cure' by Joanne Harris (just received this one for my bdy)

'Secrets She Left Behind' by Diane Chamberlain (from Hayley... :smile: )

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New Authors/Books Bought or Borrowed :readingtwo:

 

New Author = *

Books bought/borrowed = #

Read = @

 

 

'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene * @

'Arms Wide Open' by Tom Winter * @

'The Tea Chest' by Josephine Moon  * @

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'A Perfectly Good Man' by Patrick Gale

 

I should admit that I have actually read most of this book in Dec '13, but have read that last 1/4 of it on 2014, so I am going to cheat a bit say this it my first book read/completed this year.

 

I like the way Patrick Gale writes, quite descriptive in parts but it adds to his story writing. Sometimes this can annoy me in books. A gentle read and nice jumble of different characters, the main one being Barnaby Johnson, the local parish priest who is summoned by a local lad called Lenny, who was paralysed in an accident playing rugby. What Barnaby doesn't know when he goes to see him is that Lenny is planning to commit suicide and asks him to pray for him.

 

What then happens turns the whole, quiet community into turmoil. Gale weaves a web of chapters in past and present tense to bring together all the characters and their relationship with Barnaby in one way or another. Barnaby also has to deal with his struggle with his faith and marriage and a secret of his own.

 

I did enjoy this book and I should have read it quicker and it would have come together better, but I got there in the end.

 

3.5/5

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  • 2 weeks later...

'The Bay at Midnight' by Diane Chamberlain

 

This is my second read by this author and it won't be my last. I love how she writes a tale.

 

A night in summer of l962 will be a night that won't be forgotten by Julie and her family. It is the night that her sister Isabel is found dead in the summer of 1962 when they are at their summer holiday home. Memories of that fatal night live with the family, but could the person who was convicted of her supposed murder have actually been wrongly accused when a childhood friend, Ethan, turns up on the doorstep with evidence that could indicate they were.

 

This page turner takes us on a journey in the present and flash backs to 1962. Each chapter flits between the present and past and different characters tell each chapter. All intermingling to unfold what really happened on that night all those years ago. Secrets are kept over the years but things come to fore to divulge what really happened. Should the note be taken to the police and should the case be reopened? Will it all be too painful? Julie and Ethan decide they need to know what really happened. Truths come out and secrets told.

 

I loved the characters/relationships. It was sad in parts when the secrets that had been kept are uncovered and how this affected relationship with mothers and daughters. There was a bit of a twist in the end and did come as a wee bit of a surprise but this brought it all to a tidy end.

 

Stories of young love and tensions between neighbours and families. How one note could change everything you think you knew about the past.

 

4/5

Edited by Inver
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I'm sure you will enjoy it. I have another on my shelf 'the Good Father' but I'll keep that for another day....really need to get through some other TBR books first. ;)

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I quite liked The Good Father, though I understand you'll wnat to get through some other books too. I usually prefer it to read a variety of books and not to read all of the same kinds for a period, I like it mix it up a bit. I hope you enjoy your next read too :).

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  • 2 weeks later...

'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene

 

This was a very chic lit read for me I'm afraid, but it was a nice enough read.

 

Three women, Jenny, Maggie and Alison all brought together by china teacups. Jenny is marrying Dan and wants to have an old fashioned themed wedding and is looking for old, pretty teasets. Maggie is a florist and has a big wedding to do and wants pretty teacups as part of the floral display. Alison has always been crafty minded and is venturing into creating candles in pretty teacups.

 

They meet up at a car boot sale when they all spy a pretty teaset at the same time. Over a cuppa they decide they will share it at different times. All the women become friends and the story intermingles amongst their everyday lives in one way or another, careers and relationships, highs and lows. Each chapter is narrated by one of the three. The friendships become stronger over time and they support each other through some trials and tribulations.

 

The characters were likeable and believable, but the writing I felt was very ordinary, but if you want an easy book to whizz through give it a go, especially if you like 'Vintage Teacups'

 

3/5

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  • 3 weeks later...

'The Shoemaker's Wife' by Adriana Trigiani

 

Finished this one quite quickly and I really enjoyed it. Having read 'The Big Stone Gap' trilogy I thought I would be in for a good read and wasn't disappointed.

Based loosely on the experience of her grandparents Adriana, to me, writes this with a slight feeling of personal family history. The lives of two young people, Ciro and Enza, in Italy are transported in separate storylines over the vastness of the ocean journey to start new lives in America. From humble beginnings, circumstances separate the families and Enza and her father travel to America. Ciro has to say goodbye to his brother, and their safe home within the surrounds of the local convent, where they were left to be looked after by their mother. Fate brings them together on more than one occasion, until they eventually join in marriage.

With elements of sadness, love, faith, friendships and most of all the strong ties of the family bond, this was a gentle and touching story. From starting out with barely anything at all they make lives for themselves working hard to make things work. I liked the gentleness of the descriptions of the way of life, the surroundings etc. You really got a feel for where they lived in Italy and America.

I did shed a tear which was going to be inevitable at the end of one of chapters though, but that is life.

Yes I did enjoy this one and would recommend if you like Adriana Trigiani.

 

4/5

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  • 4 weeks later...

'Untying the Knot' by Linda Gillard

 

This is the 6th book by Linda I have read and enjoyed. A very touching subject matter dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how Fay and Magnus coped (or didn't). They were married and had a daughter, Emily, but divorced. Magnus tries to deal with his illness by taking on the renovation of a ramshackle of an old castle Tullibardine Tower, but Fay can't cope with this and walks away. She now spends her time creating textile pictures for people, including one for her ex-mother-in-law Jessie.

Emily is getting engaged to Rick, while Magnus is contemplating the same with Nina. Fay has to process this but knows they shouldn't be going ahead with the engagement. Twist and turns unfold and her ex-mother-in-law reveals a secret that her son Magnus doesn't know anything of. Fay still has feelings for Magnus as he does for her, but will can they put their past behind them. I can't tell you anymore without spoiling the storyline.

Linda again writes about a mental disorder in a very sensitive manner and filled with emotion. I found this very touching and helped me understand a lot more about PTSD and how it can affect relationships.

 

4/5

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