Weave's Reads 2016

[Weave]

Thank you for stopping by, this is my book log for 2016  

 

January:

 

1.  Coraline: The Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P.Craig Russell (Paperback) ~ Started: 01.01.16 ~ Finished: 01.02.16 ~ 5/5

2.  The Girls by Lori Lansens (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 04.01.16 ~ Finished: 17.01.16 ~ 5/5

3.  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 18.01.16 ~ Finished: 18.01.16 ~ 4/5

4.  Broken Dolls by Tyrolin Puxty (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 18.01.16 ~ Finished: 19.01.16 ~ 4/5

5.  The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 20.01.16 ~ Finished: 27.01.16 ~ 4/5

6.  The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Paperback) ~ Started: 01.01.16 ~ Finished: 28.01.16 ~ 3/5

7.  Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (Paperback) ~ Started: 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 28.01.16 ~ 5/5

8.  Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller (Paperback) ~ 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 31.01.16 ~ 5/5

 

February:

 

9.  The Lola Quartet by Emily St.John Mandel (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 01.02.16 ~ 4/5

10.  Find Me by Laura van den Berg (Hardback) ~ Started: 01.02.16 ~ Finished: 07.02.16 ~ 3/5

11.  Anything That Isn't This by Chris Priestley (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 01.02.16 ~ Finished: 09.02.16 ~ 4/5

12.  In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (Paperback) ~ Started: 07.02.16 ~ Finished: 10.02.16 ~ 3/5

13.  Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (Paperback) ~ Started: 10.02.16 ~ Finished: 10.02.16 ~ 5/5

14.  A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 09.02.16 ~ Finished: 15.02.16 ~ 5/5

15.  The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke (Paperback) ~ Started: 10.02.16 ~ Finished: 16.02.16 ~ 5/5

​16.  Annihilation (The Southern Reach  Trilogy~Book One) by Jeff VanderMeer (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 15.02.16 ~ Finished: 20.02.16 ~ 2/5

17.  More Than This by Patrick Ness (Paperback) ~ Started: 16.02.16 ~ Finished: 21.02.16 ~ 5/5

18.  The Uninvited: A Novel by Cat Winters (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 20.02.16 ~ Finished: 23.02.16 ~ 4/5

19.  Giants: The Dwarfs of Auschwitz by Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev (Paperback) ~ Started: 23.02.16 ~ Finished: 28.02.16 ~ 5/5

 

March:

 

20.  Revival by Stephen King (Paperback) ~ Started: 28.02.16 ~ Finished: 06.03.16 ~ 5/5

21.  Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Paperback) ~ Started: 21.02.16 ~ Finished: 07.03.16 ~ 5/5

22.  Kindred Spirits (World Book Day Edition 2016) by Rainbow Rowell (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 07.03.16 ~ Finished: 07.03.16 ~ 5/5

23.  Goodhouse by Peyton Marshall (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 07.03.16 ~ Finished: 14.03.16 ~ 3/5

24.  The Watchers by Neil Spring (Paperback) ~ Started: 07.03.16 ~ Finished: 17.03.16 ~ 5/5

25.  The Ship by Antonia Honeywell (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 14.03.16 ~ Finished: 18.03.16 ~ 3/5

26.  Push: A Novel by Sapphire (Paperback) ~ Started: 17.03.16 ~ Finished: 18.03.16 ~ 5/5

27.  Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Paperback) ~ Started: 18.03.16 ~ Finished: 20.03.16 ~ 5/5

28.  Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 18.03.16 ~ Finished: 27.03.16 ~ 4/5

29.  A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (Paperback) ~ Started: 20.03.16 ~ Finished: 31.03.16 ~ 5/5

30.  Hunger by Susan Hill (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 31.03.16 ~ Finished: 31.03.16 ~ 3/5

 

April: 

 

31.  Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (Hardback) ~ Started: 31.03.16 ~ Finished: 03.04.16 ~ 5/5

32.  Armada by Ernest Cline (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 28.03.16 ~ Finished: 05.04.16 ~ 3/5

33.  The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson (Paperback) ~ Started: 03.04.16 ~ Finished: 17.04.16 ~ 3/5

34.  All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 05.04.16 ~ Finished: 19.04.16 ~ 5/5

35.  The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 19.04.16 ~ Finished: 20.04.16 ~ 5/5

36.  The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman (Paperback) ~ Started: 17.04.16 ~ Finished: 24.04.16 ~ 5/5

37.  Landline by Rainbow Rowell (Paperback) ~ Started: 20.04.16 ~ Finished: 25.04.16 ~ 4/5 

38.  The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (Paperback) ~ Started: 24.04.16 ~ Finished: 01.05.16 ~ 3/5

39.  My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologies by Fredrik Backman (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 27.04.16 ~ Finished: 05.05.16 ~ 5/5

 

May:

 

40.  The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley (Paperback) ~ Started: 01.05.16 ~ Finished: 08.05.16 ~ 4/5

41.  All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 05.05.16 ~ Finished: 10.05.16 ~ 5/5

42.  Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback (Paperback) ~ Started: 08.05.16 ~ Finished: 18.05.16 ~ 5/5

43.  The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 10.05.16 ~ Finished: 21.05.16 ~ 5/5 (re~read)

44.  The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave~Book 2) ~ (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 21.05.16 ~ Finished: 25.05.16 ~ 4/5 (re~read)

45.  The Guardians by Andrew Pyper (Paperback) ~ Started: 18.05.16 ~ Finished: 29.05.16 ~ 4/5

46.  The Last Star by Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave~Book 3) ~ (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 31.05.16 ~ Finished: 31.05.16 ~ 5/5

47.  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 31.05.16 ~ Finished: 03.06.16 ~ 5/5

48.  Mort(e) by Robert Repino (Paperback) ~ Started: 31.05.16 ~ Finished: 06.06.16 ~ 5/5

 

June: 

 

49.  The Axeman's Jazz by Ray Celestin (Paperback) ~ Started: 06.06.16 ~ Finished: 11.06.16 ~ 4/5

50.  An English Ghost History by Kim Newman (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 07.06.16 ~ Finished: 12.06.16 ~ 3/5

51.  Everything,  Everything by Nicola Yoon (Paperback) ~ Started: 11.06.16 ~ Finished: 14.06.16 ~ 5/5

52.  Faerie Tale: A Novel of Terror and Fantasy by Raymond E. Feist (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 12.06.16 ~ Finished: 18.06.16 ~ 4/5

53.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 18.06.16 ~ Finished: 20.06.16 ~ 5/5

54.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 20.06.16 ~ Finished: 23.06.16 ~ 4/5

55.  The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman (Paperback) ~ Started: 14.06.16 ~ Finished: 25.06.16 ~ 4/5

56.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 23.06.16 ~ Finished: 27.06.16 ~ 5/5

 

 

July:

 

57.  Gretel and the Dark by Eliza Granville (Paperback) ~ Started: 25.06.16 ~ Finished: 01.07.16 ~ 3/5

58.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 27.06.16 ~ Finished: 04.07.16 ~ 5/5

59.  Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt ~ (Hardback) ~ Started: 01.07.16 ~ Finished: 07.07.16 ~ 5/5

60.  Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 05.07.16 ~ Finished: 13.07.16 ~ 4/5 

61.  My Neighbour Totoro: The Novel by Tsugiko Kubo, Original Story and Art by Hayao Miyazaki (Hardback) ~ Started: 14.07.16 ~ Finished: 14.07.16 ~ 5/5

62.  Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 13.07.16 ~ Finished: 18.07.16 ~ 4/5

63.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 18.07.16 ~ Finished: 23.07.16 ~ 5/5

64.  Hitman Anders and the Meaning of It All by Jon Jonasson (Paperback) ~ Started: 14.07.16 ~ Finished: 26.07.16 ~ 4/5

65.  After You by Jojo Moyes (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 23.07.16 ~ Finished: 27.07.16 ~ 3/5

66.  Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 27.07.16 ~ Finished: 30.07.16 ~ 3/5

 

August: 

 

67.  Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 04.08.16 ~ Finished: 08.08.16 ~ 5/5

68.  The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (Paperback) ~ Started: 26.07.16 ~ Finished: 13.08.16 ~ 5/5

69.  Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Hardback) ~ Started: 13.08.16 ~ Finished: 18.08.16 ~ 4/5 

70.  Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam (Paperback) ~ Started: 18.08.16 ~ Finished: 19.08.16 ~ 3/5

71.  The Guardian's Angel Journal by Carolyn Jess-Cooke (Paperback) ~ Started: 19.08.16 ~ Finished: 21.08.16 ~ 5/5

72.  We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 10.08.16 ~ Finished: 23.08.16 ~ 3/5

73.  30 Days of Night (A Novelisation) by Tim Lebbon (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 23.08.16 ~ Finished: 24.08.16 ~ 4/5

74.  Beside Myself by Ann Morgan (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 24.08.16 ~ Finished: 28.08.16 ~ 3/5

75.  The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 28.08.16 ~ Finished: 30.08.16 ~ 5/5 

 

September:

 

76.  The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (Hardback) ~ Started: 21.08.16 ~ Finished: 01.09.16 ~ 4/5

77.  Watchers by Dean Koontz (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 02.09.16 ~ Finished: 09.09.16 ~ 3/5

78.  Tales of the Pecuilar by Ransom Riggs (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 09.09.16 ~ Finished: 10.09.16 ~ 5/5

79.  The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 14.09.16 ~ Finished: 19.09.16 ~ 5/5

80.  Creed by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 19.09.16 ~ Finished: 21.09.16 ~ 3/5

81.  A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Paperback) ~ Started: 01.09.16 ~ Finished: 30.09.16 ~ 5/5

 

October:

 

82.  Let Me in His Footsteps by Lori Roy (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 21.09.16 ~ Finished: 01.10.16 ~ 4/5

83.  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley  Jackson (Paperback) ~ Started: 01.10.16 ~ Finished: 04.10.16 ~ 5/5

84.  Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause (Paperback) ~ Started: 04.10.16 ~ Finished: 06.10.16 ~ 2/5

85.  The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 04.10.16 ~ Finished: 10.10.16 ~ 4/5

86.  The Travelling Bag: And Other Ghosts by Susan Hill (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 10.10.16 ~ Finished: 11.10.16 ~ 5/5

87.  Fever by Mary Beth Keane (Hardcover) ~ Started: 06.10.16 ~ Finished: 16.10.16 ~ 4/5

88.  Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski (Kindle edition) ~ Started: 12.10.16 ~ Finished: 18.10.16 ~ 4/5

89.  A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay (Paperback) ~ Started: 16.10.16 ~ Finished:

90.  Shtum by Jem Lester ~ Started: 16.10.16 ~ Finished:

Edited October 21, 2016 by Weave

[Anna Begins]

Hey Weave-

Glad to see your new blog   And stop in more

 

What did you think of Tuck Everlasting?  I read it in Jr. High School.  I also thought The Heart Goes Last by Atwood was great- did you like it?  I know you read a lot of her stuff.

 

Good to see you around!  You've read a lot so far!

[Weave]

Hey Weave-

Glad to see your new blog   And stop in more

 

What did you think of Tuck Everlasting?  I read it in Jr. High School.  I also thought The Heart Goes Last by Atwood was great- did you like it?  I know you read a lot of her stuff.

 

Good to see you around!  You've read a lot so far!

 

Hey Anna, how are you? Nice to see you

 

I enjoyed 'Tuck Everlasting', it was a nice wee story, I really enjoyed 'The Heart Goes Last', Stan and Charmaine were the worst couple and so well suited, I liked the ending.

[Janet]

Yay - hello, Paula! 

 

Looking forward to following your reading progress this year. 

[AbielleRose]

Tuck Everlasting is such a beautiful story! I love the world in it <3 

[Weave]

Yay - hello, Paula! 

 

Looking forward to following your reading progress this year. 

 

Thanks Janet

[Weave]

Tuck Everlasting is such a beautiful story! I love the world in it <3 

 

Me too, very easily to immersed in

[Weave]

Coraline: The Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell ~ Started: 01.01.16 ~ Finished: 01.01.16

 

Title of Book: Coraline: The Graphic Novel

Author of Book: Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by P. Craig Russell

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 0747594066

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

When Coraline moves to a new house she is fascinated by the fact that their house is in fact only half a house. Divided into flats years before, the other flat, it soon becomes clear to Coraline, is not quite as cosy and safe as her own.

 

Review:

 

I enjoyed the graphic novel of 'Coraline' from start to finish, the illustrations are great to look at and the Other Mother looks more scarier which I enjoyed. 'Coraline' is a wonderful story, there are some changes in the graphic novel (I recognised some of the lines from the film adaptation), the changes do not take anything away from the story.

 

I will definitely read this story again and again.

 

Highly recommended.

 

******

 

The Girls by Lori Lansens ~ Started: 04.01.16 ~ Finished: 17.01.16

 

Title of Book: The Girls

Author of Book: Lori Lansens

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B006E0XO58

Pages: 466

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

I have never looked into my sister's eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I've never used an aeroplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that... So many things I've never done, but oh, how I've been loved. And, if such things were to be, I'd live a thousand times as me, to be loved so exponentially'

 

In twenty-nine years, Rose Darlen has never spent a moment apart from her twin sister, Ruby. She has never gone for a solitary walk or had a private conversation. Yet, in all that time, she has never once looked into Ruby's eyes. Joined at the head, 'The Girls' (as they are known in their small town) attempt to lead a normal life, but can't help being extraordinary. Now almost thirty, Rose and Ruby are on the verge of becoming the oldest living craniopagus twins in history, but they are remarkable for a lot more than their unusual sisterly bond.

 

Review:

 

Rose and Ruby, craniopagus twins arrive the night of a tornado, deserted by their mother, the nurse who helped their mother and her husband (Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash Darlen) adopt the girls and raise them.

 

As the story begins, Rose and Ruby are on the verge of becoming thirty and also the oldest living craniopagus twins in history. Rose begins to write her life story and Ruby writes her own story, as the story progresses you find out about the girls's lives, how they live with each other, the lives they lead, their hopes and dreams.

 

I enjoyed 'The Girls', the story of Rose and Ruby is wonderfully told by both of the girls who are very different from each other, they want different things from life and they find a way to compromise.

 

Rose and Ruby are unforgettable characters that you will become attached to, I was sorry to leave them when the book ended.

 

A memorable read.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit ~ Started: 18.01.16 ~ Finished: 18.01.16

 

Title of Book: Tuck Everlasting

Author of Book: Natalie Babbit

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B000UZQH48 

Pages: 144

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune . . . 

 

Review:

 

'Tuck Everlasting' is a lovely story which I enjoyed reading, there was an innocence about it and Winnie, the main character is a great character, as are all the Tucks who make such a impression on Winnie. 

 

The only downside of the story is that it was too short. I will definitely read 'Tuck Everlasting' again.

 

******

 

Broken Dolls by Tyrolin Puxty ~ Started: 18.01.16 ~ Finished: 19.01.16

 

Title of Book: Broken Dolls

Author of Book: Tyrolin Puxty

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B015JMSTF6

Pages: 176

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Ella doesn’t remember what it’s like to be human - after all, she’s lived as a doll for thirty years. She forgets what it’s like to taste, to breathe…to love.

 

She helps the professor create other dolls, but they don’t seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn’t like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her?

 

Ella likes the professor’s granddaughter though, even if she is dying. Gabby is like Ella’s personal bodyguard. It’s too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll too, depriving her of an education…depriving her of life.

With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate…

 

Review:

 

'Broken Dolls' is the story of Ella, a doll, an unusual kind of doll, she used to be human and cannot remember much from her human life. Ella spends her time living in a chest in an attic, doing the same things, dancing, drawing, etc, then Lisa, another doll arrives who changes everything for Ella as she learns about her past and who she is.

 

'Broken Dolls' is a different kind of read, an interesting premise which I enjoyed. Ella is a complicated character who is likeable, the professor who looks after Ella is also complicated and you learn more about the both of them as the story progresses.

 

The only downside of the book is you do not find out more about the epidemic that is happening which affects the Professor and Ella.

 

An interesting read and I look forward to reading the sequel 'Shattered Dolls'.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood ~ Started: 20.01.16 ~ Finished: 27.01.16

 

Title of Book: The Heart Goes Last

Author of Book: Margaret Atwood

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B00UNC9Q3M

Pages: 322

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Stan and Charmaine are a married couple trying to stay afloat in the midst of economic and social collapse. Living in their car, surviving on tips from Charmaine's job at a dive bar, they're increasingly vulnerable to roving gangs, and in a rather desperate state. So when they see an advertisement for the Positron Project in the town of Consilience – a 'social experiment' offering stable jobs and a home of their own – they sign up immediately. All they have to do in return for this suburban paradise is give up their freedom every second month, swapping their home for a prison cell.

At first, all is well. But slowly, unknown to the other, Stan and Charmaine develop a passionate obsession with their counterparts, the couple that occupy their home when they are in prison. Soon the pressures of conformity, mistrust, guilt and sexual desire take over, and Positron looks less like a prayer answered and more like a chilling prophecy fulfilled.

A sinister, wickedly funny novel about a near-future in which the lawful are locked up and the lawless roam free, The Heart Goes Last is Margaret Atwood at her heart-stopping best.

 

Review:

 

'The Heart Goes Last' is the story of Stan and Charmaine, a married couple who have been effected by an economic and social collapse.

 

At the beginning of the story they live in their car, surviving day to day, Stan looking for work and Charmaine working in a seedy bar, when they hear about the Positron Project in the town of Consilience, a social experiment where individuals are given jobs, a home of their own, all they have to do, is live in prison every second month and while they are in prison, their alternates (another couple who Stan and Constance know nothing about) live in their collective house.

Stan and Charmaine sign up immediately. What starts as a new opportunity goes array when Stan and Charmaine fall for their alternates and soon find themselves being deceitful to each other, lying, having secret liaisons whilst discovering what is really happening in Consilience.

 

I am a huge fan of Margaret Atwood for different reasons, one of them is how insightful she is and how well written her characters are. Stan and Charmaine are memorable characters for numerous reasons, they are not very likeable, they seem to think they can do better than each other, whilst at the same time being very well suited to each other.

 

The idea of Positron is interesting and could work on so many levels, it is also a scary idea which gave the story an edge.

 

I think this is the lowest rating I have ever given a Margaret Atwood and it's due to Stan and Charmaine, you either love them or you hate them.

 

A memorable story.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski ~ Started: 01.01.16 ~ Finished: 28.01.16 

 

Title of Book: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Author of Book: David Wroblewski

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 0007265077 

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5

 

Synopsis:

 

A literary debut of stark and striking brilliance – a coming-of-age story, set in the remote wilderness of northern Wisconsin.

Born mute and able to communicate only by sign, the brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents Gar and Trudy. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomised by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But when his beloved father mysteriously dies, Edgar blames himself, if only because his muteness left him unable to summon help. 

 

Grief-stricken and bewildered by his mother's desperate affair with her dead husband's brother, Edgar's world unravels one spring night when, in the falling rain, he sees his father's ghost. After a botched attempt to prove that his uncle orchestrated Gar's death, Edgar flees into the Chequamegon wilderness leading three yearling dogs. 

 

Yet his need to face his father's murderer, and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs, turn Edgar ever homeward. When he returns, nothing is as he expects, and Edgar must choose between revenge or preserving his family legacy…

 

Review:

 

'The Story of Edgar Sawtelle' is an interesting and engaging story which I enjoyed, I just really wish the ending was different, I knew what was going to happen, I just did not like it. 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson ~ Started: 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 28.01.16 

 

Title of Book: Nimona

Author of Book: Noelle Stevenson

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 0062278223 

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).

 

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

 

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

 

Review:

 

'Nimona' is the story of Nimona, shapeshifter and bad a** who offers her services to Lord Blackheart as his sidekick, a prospect that Lord Blackheart is not exactly on board with, he has enough to do with being a scientist and nemesis to Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin.  Reluctantly Lord Blackheart decides to give Nimona a chance and their adventure begins. 

 

I do enjoy reading graphic novels and I really enjoyed 'Nimona', the illustrations are well done, the story is wonderful and it engages you from start to finish. 

 

I am looking forward to reading more by Noelle Stevenson. 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller ~ Started: 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 31.01.16

 

Title of Book: Our Endless Numbered Days

Author of Book: Claire Fuller

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 0241003946

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

1976: Peggy Hillcoat is eight. She spends her summer camping with her father, playing her beloved record of The Railway Children and listening to her mother's grand piano, but her pretty life is about to change.

 

Her survivalist father, who has been stockpiling provisions for the end which is surely coming soon, takes her from London to a cabin in a remote European forest. There he tells Peggy the rest of the world has disappeared.

 

Her life is reduced to a piano which makes music but no sound, a forest where all that grows is a means of survival. And a tiny wooden hut that is Everything.

 

Review:

 

What a fantastic début, Claire Fuller has created a memorable character with Peggy, a girl who is wise beyond her years and at the same time, still the vulnerable eight year old who was taken from everything she knew and lied to by the person she trusted the most. 

 

Peggy tells her story eloquently, about her life in London and her new life with her Papa in Die Hutte (their cabin in the woods), as they survive day to day, depending on her Papa to do the right thing whilst realising that he is not the man she thought he was. As Peggy grows up she becomes self reliant, watching her Papa become scarily obsessed about their life and what to do next.

 

I enjoyed how descriptive the story was, the image of the cabin, the woods, the mountains, Peggy's whole world, how she sees it and how it becomes a part of her, the memories of her former life slowly fading. 

 

As mentioned, Peggy is a memorable character, you care about what will happen to her. I had mixed feelings about Peggy's Papa, I found him irresponsible, cruel and frustrating.

 

'Our Endless Numbered Days' is a story that will definitely stay with you after you finish it. I look forward to reading more by Claire Fuller.

 

******

 

The Lola Quartet by Emily St.John Mandel ~ Started: 28.01.16 ~ Finished: 01.02.16

 

Title of Book: The Lola Quartet

Author of Book: Emily St.John Mandel

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B00PUOSM0Q

Pages: 289

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis:

 

How far would you go for someone you love?

 

The Lola Quartet: Jack, Daniel, Sasha and Gavin, four talented musicians at the end of their high school careers. On the dream-like night of their last concert, Gavin's girlfriend Anna disappears. Ten years later Gavin sees a photograph of a little girl who looks uncannily like him and who shares Anna's surname, and suddenly he finds himself catapulted back to a secretive past he didn't realise he'd left behind.

 

But that photo has set off a cascade of dangerous consequences and, as one by one the members of the Lola Quartet are reunited, a terrifying story emerges: of innocent mistakes, of secrecy and of a life lived on the run.

 

Filled with love, music and thwarted dreams, Emily St. John Mandel's The Lola Quartet is a thrilling novel about how the errors of the past can threaten the future.

 

Review:

 

'The Lola Quartet' tells the story of Gavin, Jack, Daniel, Sasha who were part of 'The Lola Quartet' at high school, the four of them are talented musicians about to leave high school and looking forward to the future. 

 

Anna (Gavin's girlfriend and Sasha's sister) suddenly leaves on the night of the quartet's final performance, leaving Gavin a note saying "I'm sorry”, Gavin tries to get in touch with Anna, after numerous attempts he leaves to start college, this starts a chain of events that will change them all. 

 

This is the second book I have read by Emily St.John Mandel, the first one being 'Station Eleven', which was a fantastic read. I enjoyed 'The Lola Quartet', I just felt that it was lacking in something and that was the characters, they were well written, I just did not care about them as much as I did with the characters from 'Station Eleven'. 

 

I did enjoy how all the characters were connected and how their stories progressed, it made for interesting reading and the story was well thought out. 

 

Emily St.John is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

Find Me by Laura van den Berg ~ Started: 01.02.16 ~ Finished: 07.02.16

 

Title of Book: Find Me

Author of Book: Laura van den Berg

Edition: Hardback

ISBN Number: 1785031325 

Pages: 288

Rating: 3/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Things I will never forget: my name, my made-up birthday…The dark of the Hospital at night. My mother’s face, when she was young.

 

Things other people will forget: where they come from, how old they are, the faces of the people they love. The right words for bowl and sunshine…What is a beginning and what is an end.

 

Joy spends her days working the graveyard shift at a store outside Boston and nursing an addiction to cough syrup, an attempt to suppress her troubled past. But when a sickness that begins with silver blisters and memory loss and ends with death sweeps the country, Joy, for the first time in her life, seems to have an advantage: she is immune.

 

At once a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of a dystopian future and a powerful exploration of loneliness. 

 

Review:

 

'Find Me' is a interesting story and I enjoyed aspects of it. Joy is an odd character and the lack of plot does not help her story, the story seems to ramble and I found myself losing interest at times. 'Find Me' is an interesting début and I do enjoy dystopian fiction, unfortunately it just seemed aimless at times. 

 

******

 

Anything That Isn't This by Chris Priestley ~ Started: 01.02.16 ~ Finished: 09.02.16

 

Title of Book: Anything That Isn't This

Author of Book: Chris Priestley

Edition: Kindle

ASIN Number: B00ZO3QDCW 

Pages: 480

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Seventeen-year-old Frank Palp lives in a grim little apartment, in a grim little building, in an exceedingly grim (and rather large) city. Cobbled streets and near-destroyed bridges lead one through Old Town and Old New Town, and war-damaged houses stand alongside post-war characterless, concrete hutches. Most people walk hunched over, a habit from avoiding snipers, but others are proud to stand tall and make the world take notice . . . This is a city full of contradictions, and Frank is no exception.

 

He mostly hates his life, he definitely hates the ludicrous city he is forced to live in and he absolutely with complete certainty hates the idiots he's surrounded by . . . and yet he is in love. A love so pure and sparkling and colourful, Frank feels sure it is 'meant to be'. His love is a reward for all the terrible grey that he is surrounded by - which would be great, if the girl in question knew he existed. And then one day, the perfect sign lands in his lap. A message, in a bottle. A wish, for 'anything that isn't this'. The girl who wrote this is surely his soul mate - and now he just needs to find her. 

 

Review:

 

'Anything That Isn't This' is the story of Frank Palp who lives in Old Town in a war torn city that has seen wars and revolutions. Frank is not happy at all, he sees 'The Grey' that hangs over the city, the lack of colour everywhere, everyone at school annoys him, any friendships he had are now gone due to his attitude, he looks down on his family, he has one friend, Dawn Calypter who Frank grew up with and she is finding it difficult to be Frank's friend too. 

 

As Frank prepares to leave school he is not sure what to do next, he does not have many options, one option is working for The Ministry, as his father does and his grandfather did before but Frank feels he is better than that, ultimately he ends up working for The Ministry where Frank's life begins to change.

I enjoyed 'Anything That Isn't This' from start to finish, it was imaginative and unforgettable. 

 

Frank was a interesting character to read, at times he was very unlikeable and he goes through some changes, he is very aware of the problems of his home town and longs to stand out from everyone which causes trouble for him. Frank, however, was not my favourite character, Petra, Frank's older sister was, she was the voice of reason and I would have enjoyed reading more about her story.

 

I liked the idea of Old Town, there are invisible lizards, a ghost tram and so much more.

 

'Anything That Isn't This' is a wonderful story, Frank is a flawed character who discovers what type of person he wants to be and that actions have consequences.

 

There is something for everyone in this story, an enjoyable read.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Weave

[Weave]

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware ~ Started: 07.02.16 ~ Finished: 10.02.16

 

Title of Book: In a Dark, Dark Wood

Author of Book: Ruth Ware

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 0099598248

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since the day Nora walked out of her old life and never looked back.

 

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen party arrives. A weekend in a remote cottage - the perfect opportunity for Nora to reconnect with her best friend, to put the past behind her.

 

But something goes wrong.

 

Very wrong.

 

And as secrets and lies unravel, out in the dark, dark wood the past will finally catch up with Nora. 

 

Review:

 

'In a Dark, Dark Wood' tells the story of Nora, an author who lives alone in London. Nora is surprised to get an invite to her friend Clare's hen party since Nora has not seen Clare for ten years. 

 

Nora has some trepidation about going due to events in her and Clare's past, she eventually agrees to go because her other school friend, Nina is going. What should be a fun weekend turns into a nightmare for Nora as her past and Clare's future collide.

 

'In a Dark, Dark Wood' is a interesting story, it's intense and the characters are well written.

 

******

 

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol ~ Started: 10.02.16 ~ Finished: 10.02.16

 

Title of Book: Anya's Ghost

Author of Book: Vera Brosgol

Edition: Paperback

ISBN Number: 1250040019 

Pages: 221

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part . . .

 

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century.

 

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend--even a ghost--is just what she needs.

 

Or so she thinks.

 

Review:

 

'Anya's Ghost' is the story of Anya, a teenager who wants to fit in and works hard to do it. Anya falls into a old well one day and to her amazement meets a ghost called Emily Reilly, who died when she was a teenager. 

 

What begins with Emily helping Anya turns sinister as Emily grows stronger, she shows Anya what her best qualities are whilst mirroring Anya's worst qualities. When Emily starts to threaten Anya's family, Anya must say goodbye to Emily.

 

'Anya's Ghost' is a fun read and I enjoyed the story. Anya is a fantastic character, she's relatable, funny, smart, at some point in our lives we have all felt like Anya (I know I have). The illustrations are lovely to look at, very vibrant. There are lessons to be learned from Anya's story which made for great reading. 

 

Memorable. 

[Anna Begins]

Hey Anna, how are you? Nice to see you

 

I enjoyed 'Tuck Everlasting', it was a nice wee story, I really enjoyed 'The Heart Goes Last', Stan and Charmaine were the worst couple and so well suited, I liked the ending.

 

I got (was lucky enough) to read Tuck Everlasting in 5th grade and it really opened a gateway to exploring books.  If gateway is the right word   I agree about The Heart Goes Last.  Sometimes I don't get on with Atwood, but this one, I really enjoyed and was happy to get my eyes on

[Weave]

 

I got (was lucky enough) to read Tuck Everlasting in 5th grade and it really opened a gateway to exploring books.  If gateway is the right word   I agree about The Heart Goes Last.  Sometimes I don't get on with Atwood, but this one, I really enjoyed and was happy to get my eyes on

 

I wish I had read 'Tuck Everlasting' at school, what a great start for you Anna 'The Heart Goes Last' was interesting and thought a bit different for Margaret Atwood, Stan and Charmaine were horrible, it was the fact they were looking for something better despite all the problems it caused, I did like the ending.

[Jessi]

Happy reading this year Weave - looks like you've made a strong start!!! 

[Peacefield]

Hello, Paula, the queen of book recommendations!  You've easily read more books than I will this year and it's only March!   :D

[Weave]

Happy reading this year Weave - looks like you've made a strong start!!! 

 

Thanks Jessi

[Weave]

Hello, Paula, the queen of book recommendations!  You've easily read more books than I will this year and it's only March!   :D

 

Hello, Paula, the queen of book recommendations!  You've easily read more books than I will this year and it's only March!   :D

 

Aw thanks Peacefield, I don't have a job or sleep great, that's why I read so many books

Edited March 3, 2016 by Weave

[Athena]

Good to see you, Paula .

 

I read Tuck Everlasting quite a few years ago and enjoyed it as well. I had no idea it was so famous though, and that several people here had read it. It was a great book!

[Little Pixie]

Happy Reading in 2016 ! 

 

I saw the film of Tuck Everlasting a few years ago ( I didn`t know it was from a book ! ). 

[bobblybear]

Great reviews! I must read Our Endless Numbered Days at some point soon; I only hear great things about it.

 

I haven't read any other Emily St. John Mandel aside from Station Eleven which I loved. I do have Last Night In Montreal on my TBR pile though, so I'm eager to find out if it will be as good as Station Eleven. If I enjoy that one as well, then I shall keep an eye out for The Lola Quartet.

 

Have a great reading year this year.

[frankie]

I hope you have a wonderful reading year in 2016, Paula! You've certainly had a great start to it, what with having read so many books I'm personally looking forward to your review on A Man Called Ove   I loved it!