vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) Welcome to my 2016 reading blog, which you may notice is very much the same as last year. Like last year, no reading challenges just a mass of books on my TBR to get through. Reviews are found buried in the folowing pages: sorry if that is confusing to anybody, I haven't mastered the link thingy yet.(k) denotes kindle ebook® denotes book read primarily for research purposes keeping the same simple rating system this year:1/5: I didn't like it2/5: It was okay3/5: I liked it4/5: I really liked it5/5: It was amazing! Last year my reading was in the doldrums. I plan to do much better this year especially with my reviews! Books Read In 2016 JanuaryThe Victorians A.N. Wilson 5/5 ®Life In Victorian Britain A social history Michael Paterson 4/5 ®In The Year Of Jubilee George Gissing (reread) 5/5 (k)Journey Through A Small Planet Emanuel Litvinoff 4/5Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte 4/5 (k)The Afterglow Of Creation Marcus Chown 2/5Of Mice And Men John Steinbeck 4/5 (k) FebruaryEye Frank Herbert 1/5The Victorians Britain Through The Paintings of The Age Jeremy Paxman 2/5 ®Destined To Be Wives The Sisters of Beatrice Webb Barbara Caine 2/5 ®Wayward Women Female Offending In Victorian England Lucy Williams 3/5 ® MarchThe Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins 5/5Railway To The Grave (Railway Detective 4) Edward Marston 3/5Kursk Lloyd Clark 4/5The Yard Alex Grecian 3/5 2/5 (downgraded)The Keys Of Egypt Lesley and Roy Adkins 5/5Capturing Jack The Ripper Neil R A Bell 5/5 AprilUseful Toil Edited by Prof John Burnett. 4/5 MayThe Maid's Tale Rose Plummer/Tom Quinn (re-read)Rite Of Passage Alexi Panshin 4/5Mother Tongue Bill Bryson 4/5 JuneThe Man Who Was Thursday GK Chesterton 2/5The Diary Of A Nobody George and Weedon Grossmith 4/5The Crowded Street Winifrid Holtby 4/5 JulyWhat Remains To Be Discovered John Maddox 4/5The Zulu War 3/5The British Army On Campaign 1856-1881 Micheal Barthorp 2/5The British Army On Campaign 1882- 1902 Micheal Barthorp 2/5British Infantryman In South Africa 1877-1881 Ian Castle 2/5 AugustMade In America Bill Bryson 4/5The Last Castle Jack Vance 5/5Seahorse In The Sky Edmund Cooper 1/5Rifleman Victor Gregg 3/5Chariots Of Fire W J Weatherby 2/5 SeptemberBedford Square Anne Perry 3/5House Of Silk Antony Horowitz 4/5The Long Farewell Don Charlwood 4/5 OctoberThe Passenger Lisa Lutz 5/5 The Midnight Palace Carlos Ruiz Zafon 1/5 November Sweet Thames Matthew Neale 5/5December Edited November 6, 2016 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) The TBR Pile organised! Victorian authors, obscure works and classics The Poor Gentleman Hendrick Conscience Two On A Tower The Return Of The Native A Laodician A Pair Of Blue Eyes Jude The Obscure The Woodlanders Far From The Madding Crowd all above by The Mayor of Casterbridge Thomas Hardy Post Haste RM Ballantyne Autobiography Of Anthony Trollope Lady Anna Miss Mackenzie 4 above by The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope Twelve Years A Slave Solomon Northup Letters Of Two Brides Balzac Birds Of Prey Charlotte's Inheritance Run To Earth A Novel The Doctor's Wife Lady Audley's Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon Little Dorrit Charles Dickens The Mill On The Floss Madame Bovary Tess of The d'urbervilles Lady Susan Thoughts On The Education Of Daughters The Last Man Maria, Or The Wrongs Of Woman Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman The Perpetual Curate The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Equality Looking Backward 2000-1887 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Picture Of Dorian Grey Oscar WildeNicholas Nickleby Charles DickensThe Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irvine Little Women Louisa May Alcott Shirley Bleak House The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde The Moonstone The Woman In White Ruth The Importance Of Being Earnest BasilLes Miserables Wuthering Heights Mrs Oliphant Confessions Of An English Opium Eater Thomas De Quincey Testament Of Youth Vera Brittain Books set in Victorian times by modern authors Under A Cloud-Soft Sky The Singing Winds Shelter From The Storm Snow Angels Sweet Thames Matthew Kneale Pure - Andrew Miller The Road To Samarcand Patrick O'Brian Reference works and 18th-19th century history, social history London The Biography Peter Ackroyd The Siege Of Krishnapur J.G. Farrell The Victorians AN WilsonThe Dictionary Of London Raj Lawrence James The Age of Revolution 1789-1848 The Age Of Capital 1848-1875 The Age Of Empire 1875-1914 Slavery A New Global History Jeremy BlackThe Warrior Queens Antonia Fraser Balti Britain - Ziauddin Sardar The Victorians Jeremy Paxman Life In Victorian Britain a social history Michael Paterson Asians In Britain 400 years of History Rozina Visram Random must reads Nice To See It To See It Nice Brian Viner It's A Small Medium And Outsize World John Taylor Cut Like Wound Anita Nair (signed copy, paperback printed in India!) Connections Rules For Virgins The Life And Loves Of A She Devil The Passion Of New Eve The Haunted Hotel Ten Interesting Things About Human Behaviour Slave Girl Sarah Forsyth (autobiography) The Man Who Loved Only Numbers Paul Hoffman (biography of Paul Erdos) The White Mists Of Power Kristine Kathryn Rusch Blitz The Civilian War 1940-45 Jane Waller Michael Vaughn-Rees (war memoir) I Think I'm OK Undercover: The True Story Of Britain's Secret Police King Solomon's Carpet Barbara Vine A Far Cry From Kensington Muriel Spark Capital John Lanchester Good Behaviour Molly Keane Miss Peregrine's Home For Unusual Children - Ransom RiggsOryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood Stephanie Plum series 9-20 - Janet EvanovitchForgotten Voices of the Blitz Joshua LevineOne Day David Nichols Geisha Liza DalbyIn The Heart Of The Sea Nathanial PhilbrickSpycatcher Peter WrightThe Midnight Palace Carlos Ruiz ZafonWays Of Seeing John BergerGunners On Tour Maurice CourtMother Tongue Bill BrysonRivers Of London Ben AaronovitchThe Horse Whisperer Nicholas EvansThe German Invasion Of Norway Geirr H Haarr Accidents In The Home Tessa HadleyDevoted Ladies Molly KeaneA Fine Balance Rohinton MistryOf Mice and Men John SteinbeckLord Of The Flies William GoldingRebecca Daphne Du MaurierUntying The Knot Linda Gillard One of Our Thursdays Is Missing,Thursday Next First Among Sequels,Something Rotten,The Well Of Lost Plots,Lost In A Good Book,The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde Life Of Pi - Yann MartelThe Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson Alone In Berlin The Terror Round the Bend The Selfish Gene Richard DawkinsTwo Eggs On My Plate Oluf Reed OlsenInfidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali Nerd Do Well Simon PeggForensic Clues To Murder Brian Marriner Bad Blood Lorna Sage The Voyage Out Virginia Woolf The Book Of The DeadJourney Through A Small Planet Emanuel Litvenoff The Other Side Of The Dale Gervaise Phinn SF Out Of Time-Five tales of Time Travel Strange Loops The Time Travel Megapack The Martian Way Isaac Asimov The Green Brain Frank HerbertThe Steampunk megapack (26 stories)ViridisLady Of Devices A Steampunk AdventureSteampunk Erotica Best New SF 25Meeting At Infinity John Brunner Foundation Isaac Asimov The Naked Sun Isaac Asimov Of All Possible Worlds William Tenn The Makeshift Rocket Poul Anderson Life The Universe and EverythingMore Than Super-Human AE VAN Vogt Edited November 6, 2016 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) TBR Short Short List I decided that I could make a good start on the reading year by finishing off all the books I have already started but then left off. To this I have added a few that I want to to bump up the list that folks are always recommending me. Started: Wuthering Heights Afterglow Of Creation Life In Victorian Britain Kursk The Keys Of Egypt London The Biography Destined To Be Wives The sisters of Beatrice Webb The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist The Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins What Remains To Be Discovered Bump Ups: The Victorians Britain Through the paintings of the age Woman On The Edge Of Time Journey Through A Small Planet Of Mice And Men Oryx And Crake To Kill A Mockingbird Edited August 18, 2016 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) OK open for business Edited December 31, 2015 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 We have a few of the same books on our lists. I didn't get along with Pure by Andrew Miller, but most people like it. I'm also one of the few that didn't like Rivers of London; it's a shame because it had all the right ingredients and seemed like a book that I would like, but I really struggled with it and eventually gave up. I absolutely loved Capital by John Lanchester; it was one of my highlights of this year. The Horse Whisperer (and anything else by Nicholas Evans) and Life of Pi are great reads too. Alone in Berlin is on my "Must Read Soon" pile - heard good things about it, and the synopsis sounds interesting. Happy reading in 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks bobblybear. It's been ages since we had a chat. To be honest most of those books in my "random must reads" list have been there for over a year and I have in some cases forgotten what it was that attracted me to them. Alone in Berlin is one of them. Must go and read the blurb again. Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Happy reading in 2016 VF! I can highly recommend Rebecca, One Day and Miss Peregrine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks! All items I must bump up the list. Sofia- remember her?- she sent me Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children from USA, along with The Terror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Happy reading in 2016, James! I hope you have a better reading year this year, and I hope to see you around the forum a bit more *nudge nudge*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 Thanks Kylie I plan to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Hope you enjoy your reading this year James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Happy reading in 2016 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Happy reading, James! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 I can totally recommend Of Mice and Men, it was my last novel of 2015 (a re-read though). Good Luck with Oryx and Crake. It is definitely one of the strangest books I have read- did you read A Handmaids Tale? I hope to read The Crimson Petal... this year, I know you rated it highly Happy reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 Hi Anna Yes Crimson Petal was excellent. And Handmaid's Tale. I shall bump Oryx and Crake up a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 .I shall bump Oryx and Crake up a bit Just be careful- that series nearly drove me into a loony bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Happy reading James! Your blog often throws up gems I hadn't considered before so will be following along as ever. How's the novel going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I hope you have a great reading year in 2016, VF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 Happy reading James! Your blog often throws up gems I hadn't considered before so will be following along as ever. How's the novel going? Thanks Alexi! About the novel....er, next question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 I hope you have a great reading year in 2016, VF Thanks Frankie you too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Happy Reading in 2016 James! So many interesting books on your TBR .. I had to look Two Eggs on My Plate up .. I'd never heard of it and somehow it made me think of toast Wow .. it's quite a rare book and it sounds fascinating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 Thanks poppyshake...the current copy I have of Two Eggs On My Plate is actually the second one I have had in hardback; it seems to be not that hard to find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Thanks poppyshake...the current copy I have of Two Eggs On My Plate is actually the second one I have had in hardback; it seems to be not that hard to find I looked on Amazon .. someone on there is wanting £999 for a copy .. and 11p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) You can have mine at no cost if you want to read it. It is very exciting and all true. I like these war memoirs because it just seems as if the world was turned upside down for people. And they did things that they would not have done. And my mum and dad were in that too having their lives turned upside down. Seriously, don't hesitate to ask if you want it. I am drowning in books here. Edited January 8, 2016 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 The Victorians 5/5 A. N. Wilson This has long been considered one of the very best, if not the best, historical book about the Victorian Era. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading it. He covers the 64 years of Victoria's reign decade by decade, which is a good way of tackling it. It is a thick book in paperback, but I could still have wished for more detail on some subjects. For instance I have read books that covered the political events better. But the author really seems to capture the feeling and spirit. I enjoyed reading it. I had a chance to buy the large hardback version a while back and I wish I had, because there were many more photographs and reproduced much bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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