Bobblybear's Book List - 2016

[bobblybear]

 

Yes, those are the very things I was thinking you might be talking about. I really

disliked Doakes's fate, too! And I was shocked!! I wasn't expecting it at all... I would've hate the TV series Doakes to get mutilated, but I've made my peace about the book Doakes having that happened to him. I wish I could say one other thing about it, but I can't, I must wait until you've read on - whenever that will be. No pressure, of course!  

 

 

And yes,

Rita's son... It was unexpected, too, but I wasn't that bothered by it. I actually find that a very interesting turn of events. I think he was predisposed to turn out the way he did... And let's just hope that Dexter will take good care of him and curb his enthusiasm, so to speak. 

 

 

I think my main problem with

what happened to Doakes was that I had gotten attached to Doakes from the TV series. But in the book he was never that much of a main character and was a bit of a pain in the arse, so if it hadn't been for the TV series, I probably wouldn't be so bothered.    I'm so glad they didn't do that to Doakes in the TV series....that would have been a bit grim!!

 

With Rita's son, can you imagine if they'd put that in the TV series?   I don't think it would have ever got past the studio bosses!!

 

 

I haven't thought about the (book) series in a while....I was at the library yesterday so if I'd thought of it, I could have seen if the next book was available.   But from what I recall, the next book in the series is the 'odd one out' in that no-one seems to like it.

[bobblybear]

The Last Letter From Your Lover - Jojo Moyes

 

It is 2003 and Ellie is having an affair with a married man, trying to convince herself that she is happy. When her office is being cleaned out she finds a letter written in 1960 from an unknown man to an unknown woman begging her to leave her husband and come with him. Keen to find out more she digs deeper, and the story then jumps back to 1964 to Jennifer who is in hospital. Jennifer has just woken from a car crash with a very hazy memory of who she is. The story then follows Jennifer as she tries to recall her life and re-fit into it. The majority of the remainder of the book stays in this time period, and we soon realise that Jennifer must be this unnamed woman who was the recipient of the letter.

 

This part (set in the 1960s) was very disjointed and jumped around Jennifer's life from pre car-accident to post car-accident without revealing which time period she was in. It was extremely confusing and for a while I wasn't sure that it was jumping back and forth in time. Eventually – after many chapters - it becomes very clear that it is.

 

Aside from that minor criticism (or maybe it was the intentional style), this was an easy and light read. I had picked it up after enjoying Me Before You so much. It's very different to that story, but also deals with the heavy emotions of human relationships. I thought the ending was far too saccharine, and would have preferred something a bit less.....corny. But that's just me.

 

3/6

 

[bobblybear]

David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

 

I've had this book on my Kindle since 2011, but as I don't usually find classics easy to read I have put it off until now.

David Copperfield is the narrator, and charts his entire life from his birth, through to the present time of writing his story. It follows his mother's second marriage to Mr Murdstone who doesn't take fondly to David and sends him off to boarding school. There he makes two very close friends, although his time there is miserable. Following this, he finds work in a counting house, and through various circumstances, ends up living with his aunt – Mrs Trotwood – who was my favourite character in the novel. It's from this point, that I think the meat of the story begins.

 

This was such a long book. According to Amazon it is 521 pages but it felt twice as long as that. Maybe the font was tiny....a bit hard to tell if that was the case on my Kindle. It wasn't necessarily difficult to read, however every sentence was so drawn out and I'm sure Dickens was using 5 words where 1 would do. I've since heard brevity is not his thing, but I haven't read enough by him to comment. I've only read A Tale of Two Cities, and of the two this one was far more enjoyable.

 

The story itself was interesting; it was the delivery that I sometimes struggled with, and some of his characters (Mr Micwaber in particular) would just waffle on and on and on, and often my mind wandered a bit if they talked too much.

 

It's not the sort of book that you can read for ten minutes here and there. Unfortunately that was my method of reading for significant chunks of it, so it wasn't often I could fully immerse myself in the story.

 

Having said that, I did actually enjoy it and it hasn't put me off reading other Dickens, but it has put me off reading two doorstops at the same time (between this and the 1000+ page Reamde by Neal Stephenson, which I was reading at the same time, it's a miracle I actually managed to finish a book this month).

 

I have it in mind to read Great Expectations next, but it will probably be a little while before I make a start on it.

 

Recommended.

 

4.5/6

[Anna Begins]

I'm glad you liked The Heart Goes Last, I loved it.

 

Oryx and Crake, was possibility the strangest book I've ever read. It was difficult to read because it was just so out there. Next comes Year of the Flood, the most normal of the three (normal is used marginally). I couldn't hack the third, MaddAddam. It was sort of inbetween the two in weirdness. I'm fact, the whole series made me hate Attwood until The Heart Goes Last.

[frankie]

I've read and enjoyed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, but Alias Grace wasn't all that great in my opinion, and I haven't felt like trying another books of hers... But The Heart Goes Last seems interesting. 
 
 

I think my main problem with

what happened to Doakes was that I had gotten attached to Doakes from the TV series. But in the book he was never that much of a main character and was a bit of a pain in the arse, so if it hadn't been for the TV series, I probably wouldn't be so bothered.    I'm so glad they didn't do that to Doakes in the TV series....that would have been a bit grim!!

 

 
I'm the same:

I totally loved the TV version Doakes and would hate anything bad happening to him. The book Doakes is different and I'm not attached to him at all in the same way. I might be weird but I would've liked to see Doakes with Debra But imagine, the mutilated Doakes on screen... A bit too graphic! 

 
But this is also why I love it that the TV series is so different than the book series: we get to have so many different stories, and see the characters so differently. There's so much more of Dexter to go around that way  
 

 

With Rita's son, can you imagine if they'd put that in the TV series?   I don't think it would have ever got past the studio bosses!!

 

No, I cannot imagine seeing that on TV. That would be pretty controversial!
 
 

I haven't thought about the (book) series in a while....I was at the library yesterday so if I'd thought of it, I could have seen if the next book was available.   But from what I recall, the next book in the series is the 'odd one out' in that no-one seems to like it.

Yep, the third one's my least favorite. But I don't want to discourage you... Maybe you'll like it.

[Alexi]

The Heart Goes Last - Margaret Atwood

 

The financial markets have crashed and many people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Stan and Charmaine are one of those unfortunate people and have resorted to living in their car. One day at work, Charmaine sees an ad on TV about a new place called Consilience. This newly built town promises the perfect life – safety and security, three meals a day and a home to call their own. The only catch is that they have to pass a test in order to be accepted, and once inside they are locked down behind the town walls. It seems like the answer to their prayers and a far better situation than they are in now, so they apply, pass the test and move into their new house. And of course, nothing is what it seems....

 

I enjoyed it. It had a dystopian feel to it, and while somewhat far-fetched, given a long enough timeline you start to wonder if what happens in the book is a possibility (some of it at least). There are a few twists and turns, with enough unpredictability (and the occasional bit of dark humour) to keep you guessing about what is going to happen next.

 

I haven't kept up with many of Atwood's latests. I recall struggling through Oryx and Crake, and I think I gave up on MaddAddam and didn't even pick up Year of the Flood (or maybe that was the other way around ). Not sure why, as those books should be right up my alley, so maybe I will give them another try.

 

It wasn't a very long book, and I only found out recently that it was originally released as an e-book serial. Not that it made any difference to me, but some reviews have questioned whether this format worked or not, and that it may have left the chapters feeling a bit disjointed. Personally, I didn't notice anything, but I'm glad I read it as a full story as reading in serials has never appealed to me.

 

Recommended.

 

4.5/6

 

This sounds really interesting. I have put off reading any Atwood after all the reviews of the three books you mention, which did not sound up my alley at all. But this one really does. Maybe starting with something like this makes it more accessible!

 

I definitely agree about the lack of joy in serials. Even with a series of books I get frustrated - and sometimes leave large gaps between novels. I always think about it when reading Dickens, which were all serialised in the papers/magazines. I'm not sure I would have bothered!

[Athena]

The Last Letter From Your Lover - Jojo Moyes

 

Shame to hear this book wasn't as enjoyable for you as Me Before You.

 

I definitely agree about the lack of joy in serials. Even with a series of books I get frustrated - and sometimes leave large gaps between novels. I always think about it when reading Dickens, which were all serialised in the papers/magazines. I'm not sure I would have bothered!

I totally agree!

[Janet]

This sounds really interesting. I have put off reading any Atwood after all the reviews of the three books you mention, which did not sound up my alley at all. But this one really does. Maybe starting with something like this makes it more accessible!

Ooooh, try The Handmaid's Tale - it's excellent!  (IMHO - of course, you may not agree!  )

[pontalba]

BB, I read The Heart Goes Last.....at least the first 4 parts on Kindle, way back when it was being serialized.  When I tried to buy the last one, I couldn't.  Waited too long, I suppose.  So, I bought the hardback, and still haven't read it.  Have to go back and reread the whole thing I suppose.  /sigh/  Oh well.  It's the second Atwood that I've liked.  After The Handmaids Tale.  But I only appreciated THT at the second reading. 

[Alexi]

Ooooh, try The Handmaid's Tale - it's excellent! (IMHO - of course, you may not agree! )

Ha, I do often agree with you though! We have reasonably similar tastes I think. I will add it to the list!

[frankie]

Ha, I do often agree with you though! We have reasonably similar tastes I think. I will add it to the list!

 

I would also recommend The Handmaid's Tale

[Janet]

Ha, I do often agree with you though! We have reasonably similar tastes I think. I will add it to the list!

It's very good - I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 

[chaliepud]

The Last Letter From Your Lover - Jojo Moyes

 

3/6

I agree with some of your review, it certainly wasn't as good as some of her other books, have you tried The Girl You Left Behind? I think that was the better of her earlier books.

[bobblybear]

BB, I read The Heart Goes Last.....at least the first 4 parts on Kindle, way back when it was being serialized.  When I tried to buy the last one, I couldn't.  Waited too long, I suppose.  So, I bought the hardback, and still haven't read it.  Have to go back and reread the whole thing I suppose.  /sigh/  Oh well.  It's the second Atwood that I've liked.  After The Handmaids Tale.  But I only appreciated THT at the second reading. 

 

I've read The Handmaid's Tale a couple of times, but never fully appreciated it. I still have it on my bookshelf, so maybe I will try it again in 2017.

 

I agree with some of your review, it certainly wasn't as good as some of her other books, have you tried The Girl You Left Behind? I think that was the better of her earlier books.

 

I've just bought The Girl You Left Behind as it was part of the Kindle sale. I'll let you know what I think when I get to it.

[bobblybear]

Reamde - Neal Stephenson

 

 

Wow – this was a pretty incredible book!  I've heard Neal Stephenson mentioned a fair bit and knew he wrote hefty books. I was under the impression that his books were somewhat inaccessible to the majority of people, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I made a start on this one. However, as I've had it since 2012 it was high time to dive right in.

 

The book opens by introducing Richard, who is in his 50s and famous for creating the very popular MMORPG called T'Rain (think World of Warcraft). At the start of the book, he is at the annual family re-union (abbreviated to "re-u", which took me a while to realise what it was ) where we are introduced to Richard's extended family, some of whom become main characters in the book. Richard is especially fond of his adopted niece, Zula, who has brought her new boyfriend Peter along to the re-u.

 

Soon after the re-u, Peter steals a massive list of credit card details (not from T'Rain) which he attempts to sell on. The person he decides to sell to turns out to be associated with a Russian criminal gang. Through a series of unfortunate events, a virus ends up contaminating this data, putting Peter (and Zula) at odds with the criminal gang. Peter and Zula soon go missing, and Richard is drawn into the search for them.

 

This was a very long book – over 1000 pages - but the story is so fast paced that it doesn't feel like it. It takes place in many locations around the world, and also in the virtual world of T'Rain. It's described as a techno-thriller, but it's not only limited to 'techno' and actually the bulk of the action happens in the real world.

 

The book delves into great detail about the world of T'Rain, a lot of which didn't interest me but I found it still readable. And I mean a lot of detail - about the various factions within the game, the topography design, the add-on books that were released about the world of T'Rain, and how Richard's management team were working on various story arcs, etc. It is very well written and there is a very subtle layer of tongue-in-cheek humour throughout.

 

Highly, highly recommended, even if you're not sure if it's your kind of book.

 

I really look forward to reading my next Neal Stephenson book. I think I will go with Cyrptonomicon though I also recently bought Anathem as well. Oh, and I also have Snow Crash on my Kindle, so lots to choose from.
 

One of the highlights of the year for me, even though it did take me about 3 weeks to finish it (but I was reading David Copperfield at the same time).

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

More Than This - Patrick Ness

 

At the start of the book, 17 year old Seth is drowning in the ocean. He is aware of his impending death and feels himself slammed against rocks, first snapping his shoulder blade and then crushing his skull.
 

Then he wakes up on the pavement outside a house. It turns out that this house is where he spent his first 8 years – in England – before his parents moved the family to America. However, things have changed and the street he is on is utterly deserted and has been for years...in fact it looks almost post-apocalyptic. During his childhood, a traumatic event occurred in this house (which resulted in his parents moving away) and so Seth is convinced that he is in hell. He goes into the house, and while most things are as he remembered, there are some very strange things. One of them is a coffin-like object in his old room. He decides to explore the neighbourhood to find out where he is and soon realises he is not alone. Two other kids – Regina and Tomasz – are there with him, and together they must find out what was going on.

 

When I first started reading it, I was pretty transfixed, but about half-way through something takes place that immediately made me think of a very famous and original movie that was released about 15 years ago (I can't say what film it was or I would give away a major plot point ). From there it went downhill as it seemed like a blatant rip-off of this film. It turns out that is not entirely the case, but close enough to sour it for me.

 

Looking back on it, it was a weak read, with a very open ending that doesn't answer any questions that were raised earlier. It's almost like the author couldn't explain his plot so just left it unfinished.

 

It was about 400 pages long;  it didn't take very long to read at all, but I can't say I would recommend it.

 

2/6

[pontalba]

BB, Great reviews, I loved Reamde.

I have to admit that I've been bogged down in Cryptonomicon for.....errr......several years. About half way through. If I ever try again, I'll have to start over, I'm sure. /sigh/

[bobblybear]

Thanks, pontalba! A rare one we agree on.

 

So is Cryptonomicon not very easy to read? Quite a few Amazon reviewers of Reamde said they prefered Cryptonomicon but they have also said they are two very different books.

 

I hope to read it soon actually, but we'll see....I have so many other books that I want to 'read soon' as well. 

[bobblybear]

A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

 

This is I think my third re-reading of this book. It took me several months to read it, because rather than reading it in one go, I read chapters in between other books. However as the chapters are very discrete it's a book you can easily read in occasional chunks like I did.

 

It's one of my most enjoyed non-fiction reads, both because of the subject matter (as you can tell from the title it's vary varied) but also the delivery. I've always been interested in most aspects of science and he covers virtually everything. He also discusses the more human side of events (the disputes and dramas) as well as the technical side of it, which makes it all the more interesting and readable. As he is not a scientist, with no real background in science, he describes topics in layman's language that I think would be understandable for everybody. You can also sense his own awe at some of the topics he is writing about.

 

Some of the content covered are the history of geology, the origins of the universe, the origins of life and the journey to modern humans. But this is only really scraping the surface...he covers a much broader range than that, but obviously he can't go into masses of detail, or I think he would still be writing the book! It's 672 pages, but I would have gladly read double that amount.
 

One of my favourite books and I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

6/6

[bobblybear]

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying - Marie Kondo

 

As it was Christmas and I had a week off, I figured this would be the perfect time to do a bit of a clean-up of the house. I'd heard this book mentioned a few times, and stumbled across it again on this forum, so decided to give it a go, as surely thousands of people can't be wrong?

 

Essentially, the book espouses two aspects of tidying. One is to throw out items that don't 'spark joy' and the other one is to find a place for everything that you decide to keep. It sounds very straightforward, and there is a clearly structured approach to this which is easy to follow.

 

Some of the concepts were a bit 'out there', and I think the author is a little bit obsessive about tidying, but we all have our things, right? And it's working out very well for her (you only have to google her to see that).

 

The key idea is that you tidy up only once (very thoroughly, obviously) and then it stays that way forever. I can see how it works – and for me it has done wonders for my wardrobe and paperwork, which are the two areas I have tackled so far – and how it can be easily maintained.

 

Some things are a little out there, like thanking your socks after each day, and thanking your handbag and greeting your house etc....it is a bit strange and I won't be doing that, but the rest of it is doable.

 

I don't read many books on de-cluttering so I don't have a benchmark to compare it to, but I found it easy to read and put in practice (you do have to set aside a fair amount of time) but also a touch repetitive in some areas. The book is around 250 pages long, and I read it in just over a day. It did inspire me to do a clean up, and it has given me ideas that hopefully will stick in my mind for a long time.
 

Recommended.

4/6

[bobblybear]

1Q84 (Book 1 and 2) - Haruki Murakami

 

Aomame and Tengo are the two main characters, and the book tells their stories in alternating chapters.

 

Aomame has a very unconventional job. One day, on her way to work, she is stuck in traffic in a taxi. The driver suggests another way for her to get off the expressway on foot. She takes this way, but later feels that this was the point where she separated from her current reality and shifted sideways into another one. From this moment, things are slightly different. Policemen are wearing different uniforms and carry automatic firearms (previously they carried revolvers). A base is being built on the moon, however Aomame has no recollection of being aware of this before. Then one day she looks up, and she can see two moons in the sky. Aomame dubs this world 1Q84, the Q standing for Question (the story is set in 1984).

 

Tengo is a cram school teacher, who aspires to be a writer. Through his connections with a publisher, he comes across a very original story written by a 17 year old girl. He is persuaded to re-write this story (with the girl's permission), and submit it for a national writers award. Shortly after this, he too begins to feel out of sync, as though writing this story has somehow opened another reality.

 

The two main characters are running in parallel, with separate stories throughout most of the book, however their new realities are slowly merging into each other as the book goes on.

 

This is pretty classic Murakami, with all his key elements – certain musical pieces appear throughout, detailed descriptions of what his characters are cooking, and wearing, and of course the slow revealing of a surreal world. It dipped in a few areas, and I didn't find it as enjoyable as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but I did enjoy reading it a lot.

 

According to Amazon, Book 3 was published a year later, which I didn't know. I thought they were all released at the same time, and it explains why Books 1 and 2 come in a single volume, and Book 3 is a separate volume. I don't know if Book 3 will conclude the story with solid answers – I suspect not, as many of his books do not have clean explanations. This is fine for me, but I think that may bother some readers. I look forward to reading Book 3, but I don't think I will rush into it, as sometimes it can be too heavy to be stuck in a Murakami world for too long (especially given the size of the book - all three volumes come to around 1,300 pages).

 

Recommended.

 

4.5/6

[bobblybear]

Omigosh, that's all my 2016 reviews done and dusted. Such a good feeling to be up to date.

 

I'm so happy with both the quality and quantity of books read. There were a few I had to give up on, but thats always bound to happen (can't enjoy everything, right?), and in total I finished 72 books (73 if you take 1Q84 as two books).

 

Hopefuly 2017 will be as good as 2016!

[Athena]

I'm glad you enjoyed Reamde so much! Thanks for your review, the synopsis on the back of my book doesn't contain so much detail if I remember correctly, it helps knowing more what the book is about.

 

What a shame More Than This was so disappointing.

 

Thanking your socks sounds a bit odd! The idea of only keeping what gives you joy is a nice one though. 

 

Thanks for your review on 1Q84, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have all three books in one omnibus together, I didn't know book 3 was published later than the first two. The synopsis on the back of my book is rather vague, so it helps learning from your synopsis of the book what it's about. I hope you enjoy the third book as well.

 

I'm glad you had a great reading year in 2016 !

[bobblybear]

I hope you enjoy Reamde and 1Q84 when you get around to reading them. Both very good books and I'm glad I ended 2016 on a high note.

[Athena]

Thanks, BB !