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Inver's Reading List 2010


Inver

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My Reading List 2010:readingtwo:

 

My wish for this year is to increase the number of books read. I am sure I could have read more last year!

 

List from 2009 (24)

Lists from 2005-2008

 

Wishlist/To Buy

 

'A Place of Secrets' by Rachel Hore

'Mermaid's Purse' by Katy Gardner (new author to try ~ thriller/mystery)

'The Night Watch' by Sarah Waters (new author, recomm on Waterstones site)

'Gone with the Wind' by Margaret Mitchell (maybe a classic I should try)

'The Winter House' by Nikki Gerrard (Esiotrot recommends)

'The Summer House' by Marcia Willett

TBR List

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

 

'Eclipse' ~ Stephenie Meyer(read Jan)

'Notes from an Exhibition' ~ Patrick Gale

'The Whole Day Through' ~ Patrick Gale (read Jan) (new author for me)

'Buddha Da' ~ Anne Donovan

'The Savage Garden' ~ Mark Mills

'The Notebook' ~ Nicholas Sparks (Secret Santa book)(read July)

'Twenty Wishes' ~ Debbie Macomber (Secret Santa book)(read Feb/Mar)

'The Loop' ~ Nicholas Evans

'For One More Day' ~ Mitch Albom(read Mar)

'The Other Hand' ~ Chris Cleave(read Jan) (new author for me)

'Any Way You Want Me' ~ Lucy Diamond (read Aug)

'Case Histories' ~ Kate Atkinson(read May/June)

'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' ~ Kim Edwards(borrowed from sister)(read June/July)(new author for me)

'A Thousand Splendid Suns' ~ Khaled Hosseini(borrowed from my sister)

'The Help' ~ Kathryn Stockett

Edited by Inver
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I will add books here that are bookrings/rays from Bookcrossing or BCF members.

 

'When Christmas Comes' by Debbie Macomber (read Jan)

'Old Boyfriends' by Debbie Macomber (read Feb/Mar)

'Paris Imperfect' by Susie Vereker (read Mar/Apr)

'The Wednesday Sisters' by Meg Waite Clayton (read Apr/May)

'Friday Nights' ~ Joanna Trollope (unfinished, wasn't enjoying)

'Harvesting the Heart' ~ Jodi Picoult (reading)

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'When Christmas Comes' by Debbie Macomber

 

First book of the year read. An easy read if a bit 'twee and cheesy' at times. Four individuals end up doing something different from the normal for Christmas, two friends and two brothers. Two swap houses for the holiday and one decides to surprise her daughter for Christmas, but plans back fire. Another turns up to surprise her friend to find she has gone elsewhere for the holiday. Amid all the mix ups and misundertandings romance is in the air. Touch of humour about it too, very lighthearted feel good read, if a bit predictable.

 

6/10

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'The Whole Day Through' by Patrick Gale

(Admittedly I started this before 2010 but the majority of it was read within the beginning of 2010).

This is a new author for me, although I do have 'Notes from an Exhibition' on my shelf unread but will add this to the TBR pile now. This is a gentle, slightly romantic read. Laura has had to give up her life in Paris to care for her, slightly excentric mother (she is a naturist!). Out of the blue she runs into Ben, a past love from her student days. They attempt to rekindle what they left behind.

The events revolved around a single summer's day, although the way it is written you forget, how much he has packed in to one day. I found the last chapter had a slight unexpected twist to it, but didn't disappoint.

I loved all the characters, expecially Laura's mother, who adds a slight comicness to the story. It deals with day to day way of life/emotions, Down syndrome with gay issues, HIV - Aids, and the coming to terms with getting old and how life could/will be for some of us. I will definitely be reading more of Patrick Gale.

8/10

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I've got The Whole Day Through on my TBR list so I'm glad to see you liked it, Inver. I've not read any other of his books, and I really wanted to read Notes From An Exhibition but it wasn't in the 3 for 2 offer and this one was, so it was this one I ended up with! Looking forward to it now :blush:

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Hiya! I'll look forward to seeing what you think of The Other Hand. I read it a while back (I must have reviewed it on my thread).

 

Hoping you're okay. :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

'Eclipse' by Stephenie Meyer

 

Well...thank goodness I am finished it. I shouldn't have left it so long to trundle through it. I was looking forward to reading the 3rd in the series, but oh how it went on and on and on before it got to any sort of climax. I can understand the coming together of Vampires and Werwolves takes a lot of working out but the tooing and froeing back and forward of Bella and

who she is in love

with was driving me nuts.....I was shouting just get on with it. :D

I hated her for the way she was playing with Edward and Jacob off one another and wanting the best of both

. Almost childish at times.....there again she still is!

 

I suppose I will have to read the final one to find out exactly what happens next.

I'm not convinced the 'annoying Bella' has made the right choice!

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  • 2 weeks later...

'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave

 

Another new author. On picking up this book and reading the synopsis on the back it doesn't give anything away about the story at all, but just invites you to read it. The story of two women and their lives collide one day and one has to make a terrible choice to help the other. They meet again two years later and another story unfolds. I wasn't sure what it was going to be about. Difficult to say if I enjoyed it or not. Very well written though. It is narrated by the two women, each taking turns at the chapters, which didn't interfere with the story. They both come from totally different backgrounds, but come together in very strange circumstances. Subject matter was interesting and a bit moving in places due to the hardships of Little Bee.

 

I don't want to say much more about the actual content. One you have to read to make up your own mind about I think.

 

8/10

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  • 4 weeks later...

'Old Boyfriends' by Debbie Macomber

Another bookring via Bookcrossing read. I seem to have read quite a few of this author now. I did enjoy this although I took longer over it than I should have as it is a very easy read although not involving the Blossom Street characters this time, but there was a reference made at the end of the book.

Susannah was sent away to France when she was 18 and she said goodby to her boyfriend, Jake, who she never saw again. Many years later she contemplates all the paths she never followed and what 'might have been'. She returns to her family home when her mother's neighbour phones with concerns over Susannah's mother. I totally related to Susannah's dilema over her ailing mother and having to find a care home for her. (Was much to real having gone through similar things with my dad and signs of dementia!). Anyhow, the story unfolds well and we learn of her past love and how she trys to find out what happened all those years ago. Things don't go as straight forward as she would have hoped, with her daughter joining her and falling for the local 'good-for-nothing local boy' with complications. The plot tidied up nicely towards the end and I didn't see the twist coming!

7/10

 

 

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'Twenty Wishes' by Debbie Macomber

This was one of the Secret Santa books to sent to me by Bookjumper. Another Blossom Street Saga. Anne Marie and several other widows get together and each decide to make a list of twenty wishes, being things they want to achieve and do after looking to the future. Anne Marie wants to find happiness and this she does in a small girl called Ellen, through volunteering at the local school as a 'lunchtime buddy'. Their friendship grows as Ellen ends up staying with her when her grandmother takes ill. There are other characters from Blossom Street, throughout the story, and as normal their lives intermingle. Slowly wishes are ticked off Anne Marie's list with help from Ellen and they both learn that wishes can come true, but sometimes not in the way you expect them to.

An easy, enjoyable read, with lovley characters.

7/10

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'For One More Day' by Mitch Albom

Wow ! What a great read. I have read his previous two books and this is just as good. The basic story is based on a meeting between Mitch Albom and an ex-baseball player Charley 'Chick' Benetto.

'Chick' tells his story to Mitch and he has written his account of what happened in a believable, wonderful way with words. 'Chick' has left his family and has hit rock bottom, no job, ruined his life with alcohol and has no invitation to his daughter's wedding. The only thing he decided to do is take his own life.

He leaves for a last visit to his hometown, which he decides will be his final journey. He makes it to his old house, and there waiting for him is his mother, who died 8 years earlier! It all appears to him as if nothing has happened or changed.

What unfolds throughout the book appears to be an ordinary day and some of us would hanker after: a chance 'for one more day' with a beloved lost parent.

I don't want to say anymore as this would take away the whole, gentle and sensitive read. Mitch Albom has taken all he was told, and papers and notes belonging to 'Chick' and turned them into something special. I was brought nearly to tears on several occasions (maybe not the ideal read for just before Mother's Day, I did this once before when I read 'Five People You Meet in Heaven' just after I lost my mum!) One for you too read and make up your own mind about

5/5

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Like you I`ve enjoyed the last two Mitch Albom books, I found them both very moving at times, :tong: I`ll be starting For One More Day very soon I hope I enjoy it as much as you did. :blush:

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  • 3 weeks later...

'Paris Imperfect' by Susie Vereker

Simple romantic read, Clio is in Paris and working for a tour guide company, twice married with a son and about to be engaged to Phillipe with whom she lives. Meets someone via one of her tours, will she won't she become involved....etc etc.

5/10

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  • 4 weeks later...

'How to Speak Dragonese by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III' ~ Cressida Cowell.

 

 

What can I say that 'Kenny' hasn't said about these hilarious adventures of our hero Hiccup and his loyal dragon 'Toothless' and his trusty sidekick Fishlegs. They are all captured and are going to be gobbled up by sharkworms if they can't come up with a plan to escape the baddies, Romans....they adventures continue.

 

Wonderful characters and names....Stoick the Vast, Baggybum the Beerbelly and Chief Big Boobied Bertha Bog Burglar, Gobber the Belch. :D

 

8/10

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'The Wednesday Sisters' by Meg Waite Clayton

A group of friends meet every Wednesday in the park on regular basis. They discuss everyday things as friends do including reading and decide they should all have a go at trying to write a novel. The usual ups and downs going on in their lives and they are there for each other when times get rough. This was set in California in the late 60s when the first man landed on the moon etc. They gather to watch it and also Ms America Paegent every year. It made a nice change they actually wanted to write instead of just discussing books and also giving each other encouragement or criticism where needed.

7/10

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  • 2 weeks later...

'Dying Light' by Stuart MacBride

More doom and gloom in the granite city of Aberdeen for Logan our intrepid police investigator to deal with. Humour, gore etc...but still a good read. Lots of interestiing characters!!

7/10

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  • 3 weeks later...

'Case Histories' by Kate Atkinson

A while since I had read 'Behind the Scenes at Museum' and have to say I wasn't disappointed. Completely different read though. We are introduced to Jackson Brodie policeman turned PI. He takes on what he thinks are seperate cases but we find they are interlinked. Although sometimes I got confused as to when/who things happened to and had to back track on occasions to remember what cases the were connected to, but it didn't distract from the plot(s).

I thoroughly enjoyed Jackson Brodie's characater and look forward to reading the others in the series.

8/10 (recommend this one)

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  • 1 month later...

'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' by Kim Edwards

What a great read and well worth borrowing from my sister to read. I had heard a lot about this one and finally got around to reading it. A tender subject to deal with 'down's syndrome'. When Dr David Henry has to deliver his wife's children one of them has 'Down's. He makes a decision to tell his wife that their daughter died in childbirth and has to deal with the consequences but in time the truth will be reveealed about the decsion he made that night. His son is healthy and strong and he watches him grow, but his thoughts constantly turn to his daughter.

It opens your eyes to why we do what we do and the decisions in life we have to make whether they be right or wrong.

5/5

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  • 3 weeks later...

'The Notebook' by Nicholas Sparks (one of my holiday reads)

 

I had already seen the DVD of this and loved it. Was one of my 'lucky draw' books I was sent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Was a lovely romantic read, beautifully written and so glad romance hasn't died. Didn't take me long to read this one on my hols, with lots of time to spare and enjoy.

 

5/5 (recommend if you love a good old fashioned romance)

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'On Chesil Beach' by Ian McEwan (one of my holiday reads)

 

I hadn't read any of this author before so wasn't sure what to expect. A young 'innocent' couple marry a day in July 1962 and the book covers the events of the day and also how they are as innocent as the appear. A bit 'graphically' written in parts so be warned, but not 'rude'. I didn't expect it to end the way it did and I found that a bit disappointing, but it certainly added the unexpected twist.

 

4/5

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' Good Harbour' ~ Anita Diamant

 

I have read 'The Red Tent' by this author and have always recommend it to people, so I was looking forward to this one, as it had also been recommended many times to me. I wasn't disappointed, what a wonderful book of true friendship between two woman who meet by chance and help each other through the turmoil of coping with breast cancer, while the other deals with her teenage daughter and distancing relationship with her husband. It made me laugh and cry, while they deal with all the modern day issues woman take on board every day.

 

(Also quite emotional having had a friend go through the breast cancer issues, I'm sure she would enjoy this read, but not sure how I would recommend she reads it :blush: )

 

5/5 (recommend this one)

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I've got The Notebook and Chesil Beach waiting on my shelf. I already saw The Notebook on DVD and absolutely loved it! I'm thinking about reading the book next, as I'm in the mood for some romance, kinda neglected that genre for a while now.

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'Any Way You Want Me' by Lucy Diamond

 

I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. Sadie is kind of stuck in a rut although she has it all, partner, the children, the house etc, but she wants more or something else to make her feel more appreciated. She misses her career life and being able to do what she wants when she wants. She makes up a fictitious online identity which starts out as a bit of harmless fun, until truth and fantasy start to intermingle! Mark comes on the scene too. I wasn't sure if I liked him (he was a bit of a letch, and Sadie ends up having a fling with him) and I thought she was very wrong to get involved and shouted occasionally ....don't do it....it won't work. However I'm not going to tell you how it ends, that is for you to find out.

 

3/5

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