Brian's 2013 Book Log

[Brian.]

I love that feeling Brian! I have one book voucher which I should be able to spend in Waterstones - unfortunately I won't be within walking distance of a bookshop until Tuesday evening, and I'm in work Wednesday so it'll be next Saturday before I can go, but I'm really looking forward to spent a guilt-free 20 euro on a book! Have fun book-shopping!

That's quite a long wait I normally avoid my local town centre like the plague at the weekend but it was surprisingly quiet today.

 

Sebastian Faulks - Birdsong

Khaled Hosseini - A Thousand Splendid Suns

Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child

Markus Zusak - The Book Thief

 

Four of my favourite books of all time, enjoy!!!! Hope you get more time to read than you are anticipating, there are some big tomes there to keep you busy.. Happy New Year Brian!

Thanks, you too.

 

Happy Reading 2013 Brian.

 

Some great choices on your TBR pile.

Thank you, happy reading to you as well.

 

That Tin Tin set looks lovely! Takes me back to my childhood when the cartoons were on every holiday

I have fond childhood memories of being taken to the library and getting out Tin Tin & Asterix books while I was still learning to read. I also used to watch the TV show religiously during the summer holiday.

 

I really enjoyed Airframe. It's one of the few books that I remember literally being unable to put down and ended up reading it in a day.

That's good to hear, I bought it completely on a whim after seeing that they didn't have Jurassic Park in stock.

[poppyshake]

Great book haul, that Tintin collection is very special indeed. Happy reading in 2013 Brian

[Karsa Orlong]

Ditto on the Tin Tin set, Brian, it looks awesome. Happy reading in 2013

[Kylie]

Great TBR list, Brian! We have very similar tastes in books, so I can't wait to read your thoughts on them.

 

Frankie is correct (first time for everything ); I have read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and really enjoyed it. I perhaps didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped, but I had very, very high expectations, so I was bound to be a little disappointed. It was very good, though, and it opened my eyes a bit more to that era.

[Nollaig]

That's some haul! Couple of titles I've never heard of, I'll have to look into them!

[chesilbeach]

Some great titles on your TBR list, Brian! Happy reading in 2013.

[Brian.]

Some great titles on your TBR list, Brian! Happy reading in 2013.

Thanks, you too.

 

That's some haul! Couple of titles I've never heard of, I'll have to look into them!

I bought the Asa Larsson titles because I read the first book in her series and found it to be an enjoyable if not amazing read. I also decided that I should give the Wallander series a shot since it is held in high regard. The rest I picked up on a whim, I am a sucker for nice looking book covers

 

Great TBR list, Brian! We have very similar tastes in books, so I can't wait to read your thoughts on them.

 

Frankie is correct (first time for everything ); I have read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and really enjoyed it. I perhaps didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped, but I had very, very high expectations, so I was bound to be a little disappointed. It was very good, though, and it opened my eyes a bit more to that era.

Ohhh, i'm sure Frankie has been right a few more times (although wrong when Iron Maiden cover versions are involved)

 

Ditto on the Tin Tin set, Brian, it looks awesome. Happy reading in 2013

Thanks, same back at you.

 

Great book haul, that Tintin collection is very special indeed. Happy reading in 2013 Brian

Everyone seems to like the comics I think we all yearn for our collective childhood's back.

[Brian.]

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

 

 

 

Synopsis

The night the first snow falls, a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf.

 

Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears, Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game.

 

For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity. (Taken from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts

Even though this is my first book for 2013 I actually started it in the middle of December. For some reason I read the first 50 or so pages and then got side-tracked by Moonraker and an annoyance know as work When I picked it up again some time just after Christmas I couldn't believe that I had put it on the back burner.

 

For me, this is the best of of the Harry Hole series that I have read so far, in no small part due to the complex plot. Although it couldn't be described as a maze of inter-twining story lines, it is more involved that his earlier work and show someone who has really worked on his craft (imo).

 

I was sure early on that I had twigged who the killer was and thought that is was lazy of Nesbo to fail to hide it better. Boy, I was wrong and in a big way

 

There are a few characters that I would liked to have seen more of in the story, especially Beate Lonn as I had enjoyed her part in the previous book in the series. It does increasingly seem however, that there will only a love interest and a work colleague in the way of female characters. I think it would be unfair to label this as a criticism though because I would imagine police work is a fairly male dominated environment. It would probably spoil the 'lone wolf' aspect of Harry Hole.

 

The murders are wonderfully dark and the method of dispatch is really well thought out. As someone who watches and reads a decent amount of crime fiction it was something I had never come across before.

 

I summary I loved this book and recommend it highly. In that past I have avoided giving any of the series a 5 star raring because I tend to reserve these for books which move me or stay with me in an emotional way. I think that this book and series really does deserve it.

 

5/5 (It was amazing).

[Brian.]

On a slightly different note, I have decided to up my target back to 50 books this year. I was taking a look over my bookcases and noticed that I had quite a few novellas which won't take me long to read. I have read 1 book today, Escape From Camp 14 and I should have Moonraker by Ian Fleming finished by this evening.

[Kidsmum]

Very nifty little bookpile you have there Brian, i can see why you couldn't resist the TinTin Collection. I have a few Henning Mankell books as well but haven't got round to reading any of them yet, The Return Of The Dancing Master is one of them i think, kind of sticks in the mind as it doesn't sound like the title of a crime book

 

Good to read that The Snowman is your favourite Nesbo as i have that to read as well i love it when you can't guess whodunnit. So far i've only read The Redbreast but i did enjoy it

[vodkafan]

Jolly good start Brian. The Snowman looks good. He doesn't fly to the North Pole in this one then? Jo Nesbo is an author I have got curious about. Probably won't get around to him this year but he's on my wishlist now.

[Brian.]

Jolly good start Brian. The Snowman looks good. He doesn't fly to the North Pole in this one then? Jo Nesbo is an author I have got curious about. Probably won't get around to him this year but he's on my wishlist now.

 

No north pole, its all based in Norway. His first 2 books weren't originally translated into English so I started with book 3, The Redbreast. Despite it being the third book I didn't feel like I missed anything that was needed from the earlier books.

 

I've picked up The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon off of the bookcase to be my next read.

[Brian.]

Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

 

 

 

Synopsis

The shocking story of one of the few people born in a North Korean political prison to have escaped and survived.

 

North Korea is isolated and hungry, bankrupt and belligerent. It is also armed with nuclear weapons. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people are being held in its political prison camps, which have existed twice as long as Stalin's Soviet gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps. Very few born and raised in these camps have escaped. But Shin Donghyuk did.

 

In "Escape from Camp 14," acclaimed journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk and through the lens of Shin's life unlocks the secrets of the world's most repressive totalitarian state. Shin knew nothing of civilized existence-he saw his mother as a competitor for food, guards raised him to be a snitch, and he witnessed the execution of his own family. Through Harden's harrowing narrative of Shin's life and remarkable escape, he offers an unequaled inside account of one of the world's darkest nations and a riveting tale of endurance, courage, and survival.(Taken from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts

This book has been on my radar for a while and it had been on my wishlist until a kind soul gave it to me as a Christmas gift. I originally heard about the book through the Guardian's book section on their website. They had an except of the book to read along with the usual link to buy it from them, the price at the time was rather steep but I read the except anyway. I wouldn't describe what I read as gripping but I was stunned with the fact that Shin was born in captivity and had some how escaped and made his way, eventually, to America.

 

The book starts with one of his earliest memories, an execution, and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book. What follows is the tale of a childhood spent in a hugely oppressive prison system with little to eat and in an environment in which no one, parents included, can be trusted. Here is where this really sets itself apart from other similar books.

 

Due to the fact that he was born in captivity and only knew prison life he felt no pity for those beaten or killed by the regime. In his mind, the way he had been raised meant that these beatings were not only normal but justified. This stark admission makes it very easy and almost impossible at the same time to feel empathy with Shin during the book. Deaths are dealt with in a very matter of fact way because that was all he knew until he had escaped. Escape wasn't even on his mind until he was put to work with someone who had lived a prosperous North Korean life until the regime deemed him to be a threat. The tales of the outside interested him but what really stoked his wish to escape was the tales of the food which was readily available, in particular, cooked pork.

 

As I neared the end of the book I expected a tale of a life rescued and some one who was finally at peace. Alas, this was not to be. As the author and people he spoke to explain, Shin and many others who have escaped from North Korea find it very hard to assimilate to normal life. At the end of the book he was still bouncing about from place to place unable to hold down a job and feeling crushing guilt at what he saw and when he snitched on people. This is understandable, especially when you consider what he has had to deal with and where he has come from. I just hope he can find peace soon and there are signs of that possibility coming to pass in the final pages of the book.

 

As the story goes along it is interspersed with bit of Korean history, both North and South. This is a really nice addition to the book and really helps to set the background to what has happened with regards North Korea. Although I read this in one day, the writing style is a bit dry and that is what stops me giving it 5 stars. Although it is not a difficult or slow read I found myself taking regular 5 minute breaks because of the writing.

 

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

[Karsa Orlong]

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

 

 

 

It's a fantastic book, isn't it? Real edge-of-seat stuff at the end. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Timstar]

You have a great TBR pile! Should be a good year

[anisia]

Markus Zusak - The Book Thief

This is superb, I hope you enjoy!

 

Totally agreed! I loved this book so much.

 

Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

 

 

Sounds very interesting, I will have to add it to the TBR list! It's the same TBR list I'm hoping will get smaller by the end of 2013...good start

[Brian.]

It's a fantastic book, isn't it? Real edge-of-seat stuff at the end. Glad you enjoyed it!

It is. I tend to leave bit gaps between books when reading a series but I don't see The Leopard going unread for much longer.

 

You have a great TBR pile! Should be a good year

Thanks. I have to admit it mainly down to my addiction to second hand book shops

 

Totally agreed! I loved this book so much.

 

Sounds very interesting, I will have to add it to the TBR list! It's the same TBR list I'm hoping will get smaller by the end of 2013...good start

 

Sorry

[Brian.]

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

 

 

 

Synopsis

In 1943, Max Carver's father - a watchmaker and inventor - decides to move his family to a small town on the coast, to an abandoned house that holds many secrets and stories of its own. Behind the house Max discovers an overgrown garden surrounded by a metal fence topped with a six-pointed star. In the centre is a large statue of a clown set in another six-pointed star.

 

As the family settles in they grow increasingly uneasy: Max’s sister Alicia has disturbing dreams while his other sister, Irina, hears voices whispering to her from an old wardrobe. With his new friend Roland, Max also discovers the wreck of a boat that sank many years ago in a terrible storm. Everyone on board perished except for one man - an engineer who built the lighthouse at the end of the beach.

 

As they learn more about the wreck, the chilling story of a legendary figure called the Prince of Mist begins to emerge... (Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I'm not entirely sure when or where I picked this up, or indeed why. The cover isn't something that would really appeal to me, the synopsis isn't one which would normally grab my attention and I have to admit that the fact it is a YA novel would put me off a bit. It's not that I have anything against YA novels, I just hadn't read one before and I just assumed that they wouldn't float my boat. So where the book comes from is a mystery, it's pre-owned so I either found it or bought it by accident in a charity shop. Anyway, I grabbed it off my bookcase and decided to give it a shot.

 

I can't say that I have ever read a book like this before, the closest thing I can think of is Stone Junction by Jim Dodge and I only mention that because of the fantasy elements to the story. The book is set during the war and although the theme is repeated a few times in a round about kind of way, it doesn't feel like it is set during the war. Also the place it is set kind of feels like a no-where land with bits of many countries springing to mind while I was reading it. This really helps the book in my opinion because it makes the fantasy elements of the story work better than if it had been set somewhere I could relate directly to.

 

None of the characters are particularly well developed but then this is a short book and at no point did I feel like I needed to know more about the characters with the exception of Mrs Carver. In fact, in many ways the more mysterious the history of the people involved the better it is. We find out very little about Mrs Carver which is a shame because it feels like she is in the story just because the author felt like she was required to make the numbers up. The plot does meander in places which can be a little frustrating and the bickering between the children early on the book is repeated a few too many times for my liking.

 

Despite this being a YA book, at no point did it feel like I was reading something that was overly simplified. The story is clearly suited to younger readers but I still found it an enjoyable book to read and would have no hesitation in recommending it to an adult. The creepy parts are creepy enough and towards the end I found myself rushing to the conclusion so I could find out how it all ends.

 

This is a huge spoiler, don't read if you don't want to spoil the book for yourself.

 

I really liked the ending, I was so glad to see that Zafón didn't take the easy way out and keep Roland alive. Far too many books have a happy cheery ending where an ending such as this would have been a much better fit. Ok, so Roland dies and that is sad but the reasons why he gave his life are very noble. Plus there is the upcoming prospect of fighting in the war anyway so the ending just feels right.

 

 

I read this in one day due to it being especially quiet at work today and I am glad that I picked it to read. It has made me want to read more Zafón titles and I won't shy away from YA titles in the future.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Brian.]

I'm going to start The Beach by Alex Garland today, I don't think I will reading this in just one day.

[Ben]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Beach. I notice a few people on here have it to read, and I've been tempted to add it to the wish-list as I really enjoyed the film adaptation. Will check back to see how you found it.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Ben

[Devi]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Beach. I notice a few people on here have it to read, and I've been tempted to add it to the wish-list as I really enjoyed the film adaptation. Will check back to see how you found it.

 

Was that the film done in Australia? Or the other with Leonardo DiCaprio in it?

[bobblybear]

I'm going to start The Beach by Alex Garland today, I don't think I will reading this in just one day.

 

I really enjoyed that book the first time I read it, but the second time I was a bit disappointed. I can't quite remember why though as it's quite a few years ago now. I hope you enjoy it as much I did on the first read.

Edited January 6, 2013 by bobblybear

[anisia]

I'm going to start The Beach by Alex Garland today, I don't think I will reading this in just one day.

I read this a long time ago and remember enjoying it a lot

[Brian.]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Beach. I notice a few people on here have it to read, and I've been tempted to add it to the wish-list as I really enjoyed the film adaptation. Will check back to see how you found it.

I really enjoyed that book the first time I read it, but the second time I wasn't a bit disappointed. I can't quite remember why though as it's quite a few years ago now. I hope you enjoy it as much I did on the first read.

I read this a long time ago and remember enjoying it a lot

 

So far I'm enjoying it immensely and it's been a book I can read at work without distractions spoiling the experience. I think I should finish it in the next few days.

[Brian.]

Moonraker by Ian Fleming

 

 

 

Synopsis

Moonraker, Britain's new ICBM-based national defense system, is ready for testing, but something's not quite right. At M's request, Bond begins his investigation with Sir Hugo Drax, the leading card shark at M's club, who is also the head of the Moonraker project. But once Bond delves deeper into the goings-on at the Moonraker base, he discovers that both the project and its leader are something other than they appear to be.

(taken from goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

Time for my next book in the Bond series, I only have about another 3 in the series so I might have to see if I can hunt out some more. Like just about everyone in the UK, I have seen the movie Moonraker, it has to be said, it's not one of the best Bond movies.

 

For the first half of the book nothing really happens, well not in the typical Bond crazy way anyway. We get to see Bond's life in a quiet period where he isn't on a mission and he ends up doing a favour for a friend. This involves watching an eccentric rich man to see how he is cheating at card, Hugo Drax. This time the action takes place in a private members club instead of a casino. Fleming writes really well when it comes to the gambling atmosphere and I can see why it is a theme in many of the Bond stories.

 

As expected though, later in the book things start to go awry and an evil plot is uncovered which leads to the usual mixture of car chases, danger, a super-villain and a woman in distress. I should mention here that the book has little in common with the movie, this is good for both the book and the movie as I don't think either would work as the in the other medium.

 

This was a decent enough read but the story is a bit messy in places.

 

3/5 (I liked it).