Kat's 2011 Reading

[Lilywhite]

Currently Reading

 

John Verdon ~ Think of a Number

 

Already Read

 

25. Charles Dickens ~ Great Expectations

24. Karen Rose ~ You Belong To Me

23.Charlaine Harris ~ From Dead to Worse (book 8)

22. Charlaine Harris ~ All Together Dead (book 7)

21. Charlaine Harris ~ Definitely Dead (book 6)

20. Tess Gerritsen ~ The Killing Place

19. Emma Donoghue ~ Room

18. Jane Eagland ~ Wildthorne

17. Barack Obama ~ Dreams from my Father

16. Martina Cole ~ The Family

15. Charlaine Harris ~ Dead as a Doornail (book 5)

14. Charlaine Harris ~ Dead to the World(book 4)

13. Charlaine Harris ~ Club Dead (book 3)

12. Charlaine Harris ~ Living Dead in Dallas (Book 2)

11.Charlaine Harris ~ Dead Until Dark (Book 1)

10. Mo Hayder ~ Gone

9. Jodi Picoult ~ House Rules

8. Rosamund Lupton ~ Sister

7. Kelley Armstrong ~ Frostbitten (Otherworld book 10)

6. Kelley Armstrong ~ Living with the Dead (Otherworld book 9)

5. Kelley Armstrong ~ Personal Demon (Otherworld book 8)

4. Kelley Armstrong ~ Men of The Otherworld (Otherworld Novella)

3. Jonathan Nasaw ~ When She Was Bad

2. Mary-Janice Davidson ~ Undead and Unworthy

1. Jo Nesbo ~ The Devil's Star

 

Read 3 Buy 1 credits: -5 (Total Earned in 2011 = 6)

[Lilywhite]

'Mount To Be Read'

64

 

Mitch Albom ~ For One More Day

Kelley Armstrong ~ Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford Book 1)

Kelley Armstrong ~ The Summoning (Darkest Powers Book 1)

Kelley Armstrong ~ The Awakening (Darkest Powers Book 2)

Kelley Armstrong ~ The Reckoning (Darkest Powers Book 3)

Margaret Atwood ~ The Handmaids Tale

Michele Bardsley ~ Because Your Vampire Said So! (book 3)

Michele Bardsley ~ Come hell or high water (book 6)

Holly Black ~ Ironside

Holly Black ~ Tithe

Anthony Bozza ~ Slash: The Autobiography

Trudi Canavan ~ The Priestess of the White

Trudi Canavan ~ Last of The Wilds

Trudi Canavan ~ Voice of The Gods

Trudi Canavan ~ Magicians Apprentice

Gail Carriger ~ Soulless

John Connolly ~ The Book of Lost Things

Tom Cox ~ Under The Paw: Confessions of a Cat Man

Christie Dickason ~ The Principessa

Sam Enthoven ~ The Black Tattoo

Pen Farthing ~ One Dog at a Time

Stephen Foster ~ Walking Ollie

Kathryn Fox ~ Blood Born

Tess Gerritsen ~ In Their Footsteps

Tess Gerritsen ~ Stolen

Tess Gerritsen ~ Call After Midnight

Emily Giffin ~ Something Borrowed

Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen ~ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Philippa Gregory ~ The Red Queen (Cousins War Series bk 2)

Vicky Halls ~ Cat Counsellor

Charlaine Harris ~ Dead and Gone(book 9)

Raven Hart ~ The Vampire's Seduction

Raven Hart ~ The Vampire's Kiss

Torey Hayden ~ Beautiful Child

Mandasue Heller ~ The Pact

Susan Hill ~ Mrs DeWinter

Jeanne Kalogridis ~ Burning Times

Elizabeth Kostova ~ The Swan Thieves

Norah Lofts ~ The Lost Queen

Norah Lofts ~ The Concubine

Gregory Maguire ~ A Lion Amongst Men

Gregory Maguire ~ Lost

Gregory Maguire ~ Mirror Mirror

Gregory Maguire ~ Matchless (A Christmas Story)

Donald McCaig ~ Rhett Butler's People

Karen Moline ~ Belladonna

Kate Morton ~ The Forgotten Garden

Christopher Paolini ~ Brisingr

Jodi Picoult ~ Harvesting the Heart

Jean Plaidy ~ Castille For Isabella (Isabelle & Ferdinand Trilogy bk1)

Jean Plaidy ~ Uneasy Lies The Head (Tudors bk1)

Terry Pratchett ~ The Light Fantastic

Justine Picardie ~ Daphne

Mark Spitz ~ Nobody Likes You

Eva Stachniak ~ Dancing With Kings

Jonathan Stroud ~ Heroes Of The Valley

Astro Teller ~ Exegesis

Sue Townsend ~ The Queen & I

Willy Vlautin ~ Lean on Pete

Freda Warrington ~ A Taste of Blood Wine

J M Warwick ~ A Season of Eden

Alison Weir ~ The Lady Elizabeth

Alison Weir ~ Innocent Traitor

Markus Zusak ~ The Book Thief

 

Read 3 Buy 1 purchases from 2010

Read 3 Buy 1 purchases from 2011

[Lilywhite]

Waiting to Arrive

 

 

 

My Wish List

 

Kelley Armstrong ~ Waking The Witch (Otherworld book 11)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Spellbound (Otherworld book 12)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Tales of the Otherworld (Otherworld Novella)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Angelic (Otherworld Novella)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Counterfeit Magic (Otherworld Novella)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Forbidden (Otherworld Novella)

Kelley Armstrong ~ Made To Be Broken (Nadia Stafford book 2)

Kelley Armstrong ~ The Gathering (Darkest Powers book 4)

Michele Bardsley ~ Wait til your Vampire gets home (book 4)

Michele Bardsley ~ Over my dead body (book 5)

Michele Bardsley ~ Cross Your Heart (book 7)

Michele Bardsley ~ Must Love Lycans (book 8)

The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Libba Bray ~ Rebel Angels

Libba Bray ~ The Sweet Far Thing

Jayne Slayre ~ Charlotte Bronte & Sherri Browning Erwin

Blameless ~ Gail Carriger

Truman Capote ~ Breakfast at Tiffany's

Maryjanice Davidson ~ Undead and Unwelcome (book 8)

Maryjanice Davidson ~ Undead and Unfinished (book 9)

Maryjanice Davidson ~ Naughty or Nice (book 2)

Maryjanice Davidson ~ Dead and Loving it (book 3)

Maryjanice Davidson ~ Dead over heels (book 4)

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Revelations: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa De La Cruz

The Van Alen Legacy: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa De La Cruz

The Spaniard's Daughter by Melanie Gifford

Charlaine Harris ~ Dead in the Family (book 10)

Charlaine Harris ~ A Touch of Dead (book 11)

Eva Ibbotson ~ The Secret Countess

Rosamund Lupton ~ Afterwards

Eden Maguire ~ Arizona

Gregory Maguire ~ The Next Queen of Heaven

Carole Matthews ~ Wrapped up in You

Amy Molloy ~ Wife, Interrupted

The Italian Matchmaker by Santa Montefiore

Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (bk 4)

Jodi Picoult ~ Compasion

Bernard Shaw ~ Pygmalion

Alison Weir ~ The Lady in the Tower

Elizabeth H. Winthrop ~ December

[Lilywhite]

I've just added in my Christmas books to Mount TBR!

 

These include:

LOLcat Bible: In Teh Beginnin Ceiling Cat Maded Teh Skiez an Da Erfs N Stuffs

Pen Farthing ~ One Dog at a Time

Gregory Maguire ~ Matchless (A Christmas Story)

Philippa Gregory ~ The Red Queen (Cousins War Series bk 2)

 

Not sure how I'm going to make a dent in these but I'm going to have a good go

[Ben]

Hey Kat, impressive looking 'To Be Read' pile you have there, hopefully you have more will-power than I would have and stick to your 'read three buy one' plan. I feel I'd be doing an injustice if I didn't try to persuade you to just give up now and go book-crazy in the shops, though..

 

I kid, I kid.. anyway, best of luck with the reading in 2011, I hope you find some crackers.

Edited December 26, 2010 by Ben

[Lilywhite]

Thanks Ben!! I did pretty well this year and only went a bit mad at the end (but that was with gift cards from last Christmas that had to be used up) <--- my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

 

I'll let you know if any good 'uns pop up

[Ben]

Thanks Ben!! I did pretty well this year and only went a bit mad at the end (but that was with gift cards from last Christmas that had to be used up) <--- my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

 

I'll let you know if any good 'uns pop up

As good as excuse as any; in your defense you did well to get from one Christmas to another without spending gift cards. Thanks, I'll let you know if I find anything you might like.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Ben

[Lilywhite]

Well, I am a lucky girly! A few more to add to my list for my birthday.

 

Kelley Armstrong ~ Frostbitten (Otherworld Bk 10)

Jodi Picoult ~ House Rules

Jodi Picoult ~ Harvesting the Heart

[Lilywhite]

The Devil's Star

Jo Nesbo

 

A young woman is murdered in her Oslo flat. One finger has been severed from her left hand, and behind her eyelid is secreted a tiny red diamond in the shape of a five-pointed star – a pentagram, the devil’s star. Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case with his long-time adversary Tom Waaler and initially wants no part in it. But Harry is already on notice to quit the force and is left with little alternative but to drag himself out of his alcoholic stupor and get to work. A wave of similar murders is on the horizon. An emerging pattern suggests that Oslo has a serial killer on its hands, and the five-pointed devil’s star is key to solving the riddle.

 

Started: 01/01/11

Finished: 15/01/11

Rated: 3/5

Comments: This has taken me a fair bit of time to read but don't be put off by that. It was more to do with my reading mojo than the quality of the book. I really managed to get into it the last couple of days and although I feel the book has lost a little of it's fluency in translation, I still enjoyed the pace and the plot. I'll definitely be reading more of Jo's books.

[madcow]

That's sound interesting

[Ben]

Just looked up The Devils Star on Fantastic Fiction and noticed it was the third in the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Did you know this or does it one of those that doesn't matter? If it doesn't and you like what you've read, I think I'll add it to the wishlist, as it certainly sounds interesting for sure.

[Lilywhite]

Hi Ben!

 

I knew that the Nesbo books were part of a series but I just picked a couple up at random in Waterstones. So far, I've gathered that there were other books in the series before this one but it hasn't made any difference to how I'm perceiving the story. I'm pretty sure that it won't matter where you start reading them.

[Ben]

Hi Ben!

 

I knew that the Nesbo books were part of a series but I just picked a couple up at random in Waterstones. So far, I've gathered that there were other books in the series before this one but it hasn't made any difference to how I'm perceiving the story. I'm pretty sure that it won't matter where you start reading them.

Thanks Kat, that makes me feel much better. Looks like that's another book for the wishlist, thanks to you. (:

Edited January 2, 2011 by Ben

[Charm]

Great reading list Kat! I really fancy trying the Michelle Bardsley books this year, they look good.

 

Happy reading in 2011!

 

 

[Lilywhite]

I can't recommend them enough Charm! I love them so much and very addictive too. Quite difficult to get on the high street but they are all available on Amazon and the likes.

 

Happy Reading to you too!

[Lilywhite]

Undead and Unworthy

MaryJanice Davidson

 

Having recently lost her dad and stepmother, Betsy Sinclair (nee Taylor) is adjusting to rather more than just married life. Their untimely deaths have left her and Eric as sole guardians of her little brother, Jon. Two vampire parents - albeit vampire royalty - for a decidedly human baby. Still, Betsy is more than up for the challenge. If only everyone would stop being so nervous around her, given her sudden recent burst of power. Betsy most emphatically Does Not Want To Discuss It, and for the moment, everyone is following her lead. But then the ghost of Betsy's stepmother turns up at their house. And as stubborn and insufferable as she was in life, she's even more annoying in death - especially as she regards her demise as all Betsy's fault!

 

Started: 15/01/11

Finished: 16/01/11

Rated: 3/5

Comments: This wasn't the best of the series but I still enjoyed it. Continuation of the Betsy story. A very easy read for a Sunday afternoon.

[Lilywhite]

When She Was Bad

Jonathan Nasaw

 

Two hot young lovers who also happen to be cold-blooded killers ...Lily deVries suffers from DVD, a psychiatric condition known as dissociative identity disorder. Triggered by a devastating childhood trauma, her mind has fragmented into different personalities known as 'alters'. There's the gentle, child-like Lily; the sexually insatiable Lilah; and Lilith - the violent psychopath. Now Lily has found herself in the Reed-Chase mental institution where they're hoping to find a cure. But there's another patient undergoing treatment at the Institute. Fellow DID sufferer Ulysses Maxwell faces life imprisonment following the rape and murder of a dozen women. When Lilith and Max - Maxwell's psychopathic alter - meet, the reaction is dynamite. And when the ingenious lovers engineer a bloody escape, it's only ex-FBI Agent Pender who has any chance of stopping the ensuing carnage. Teaming up with Dr Irene Cogan, a brilliant psychiatrist, he must take on a pair of killers who win hearts as easily as they slit throats.

 

Started: 16/01/11

Finished: 22/01/11

Rated: 3/5

Comments: This was a very average book from Nasaw. It was more of a 'tying up loose ends' than a story in itself and could realistically have been used as sub plot in another story rather than have it's own book. Saying that, it did finish things up nicely with the recurring bad guy and leave it nicely open for the good guys to carry on. Hurrah!

[bookworm44]

You have a great reading list, Kat! I look forward to reading your reviews. Happy reading! =)

 

 

[Lilywhite]

Men of the Otherworld (Otherworld Novella)

Kelley Armstrong

 

I don't remember the first time I changed into a wolf. One night I passed out, and awoke to find my body covered in yellow fur. My brain was beyond reacting. It took this in its stride, as it had everything else in my new life. I got to my feet and went in search of food. As a curious and independent six-year-old, Clayton didn't resist the bite - he asked for it. But as a lone child werewolf his life is under constant threat. So when enigmatic Pack member Jeremy Danvers saves him, Clayton is determined to protect his adoptive father, no matter what the cost. So begins this gripping collection of four tales chronicling the bloody feuds of the American Pack, and the coming of age of Clay Danvers, a very powerful and very singular werewolf.

 

Started: 23/01/11

Finished: 28/01/11

Rated: 5/5

Comments: Excellent book! I haven't read any of these for quite a while and I'd forgotten just how good they really are. This was an interesting insight into the background of the male werewolves. They play such a huge role in the Otherworld books but we never really got to know them as it was based on the Elena. Can't wait to start the next one that arrived today!

[Lilywhite]

Personal Demon (Otherworld Book 8)

Kelley Armstrong

 

Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good. When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep. With a killer stalking the supernatural hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible ...

 

Started: 29/01/11

Finished: 13/02/11

Rated: 5/5

Comments: Another fantastic book in the Otherworld series. I can't tell you how much I love these books. I enjoyed seeing the world from a new perspective, that of the half demon. Still linking in to some of the older characters but in a new direction. Can't wait for the next instalment.

[Lilywhite]

Living with the Dead (Otherworld book 9)

Kelley Armstrong

 

Robyn Peltier has always lived a normal life. So when her boss is murdered and she is named prime suspect, she is way out of her depth. As the bodies pile up only her friend Hope, and Hope's somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl, are on her side. Hope, meanwhile, has a few secrets of her own. Namely that she is half-demon, and her 'spooky' boyfriend is actually a werewolf. Hope also knows that Robyn has accidentally stumbled into a bloody supernatural turf war. And the only way she can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she's safer knowing nothing about ...

 

Started: 14/02/11

Finished: 25/02/11

Rated: 5/5

Comments: Another fantastic installment in the Otherworld series. More of an insight into Hope's life and the lovely Karl. Introducing a new character who will probably show up much more in the future and added to that, an insightful plot. I <3 Kelley Armstrong!

[Lilywhite]

Frostbitten (Otherworld book 10)

Kelley Armstrong

 

After years of struggle, Elena Michaels - journalist, investigator, werewolf - has finally come to terms with her strange fate, and learned how to control her wild side. At least, that's what she believes when she sets off to Alaska with her partner Clay. A series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage seem to implicate a rogue band of werewolves. But the truth is more complicated. Trapped in a frozen, unforgiving terrain, they are forced to confront a deadly secret, and their own, untamed nature...Gripping, intense and deeply satisfying, Frostbitten is a brilliant novel of suspense with a supernatural twist.

 

Started: 26/02/11

Finished: 01/03/11

Rated: 3.5/5

Comments: Elena is not my favourite character from the Otherworld series but this is an enjoyable book. It's nice to call back in on the pack and see how they have been getting on since the early books. The story was a bit tepid,it felt more of a bridge between books rather than a stand alone story but it was still readable.

[Lilywhite]

Sister

Rosamund Lupton

 

Nothing can break the bond between sisters ...When Beatrice gets a frantic call in the middle of Sunday lunch to say that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, she boards the first flight home to London. But as she learns about the circumstances surrounding her sister's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of her sister's life - and unprepared for the terrifying truths she must now face. The police, Beatrice's fiance and even their mother accept they have lost Tess but Beatrice refuses to give up on her. So she embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth, no matter the cost.

 

Started: 02/03/11

Finished: 08/03/11

Rated: 5/5

Comments: I can't recommend this book enough. It's fantastic!

Right from the start it reels you in and keeps you gripped to the end. Although the book only covers a relatively short time period, it is quite fast paced. I was always disappointed at having to put it down and couldn't wait until I could pick up the story again.

I love the way it is written. The main character develops throughout the story and I found my opinions of other characters changing with each passing chapter and the highlighting of new 'evidence'. You can't help but feel for Bea in her quest to find her sister and to unravel the truth about what happened. I found myself urging her on to discover the truth and kept turning pages right to the end.

I want as many people as possible to read this book!

[Lilywhite]

House Rules

Jodi Picoult

 

Jacob Hunt is a teenager: brilliant at maths, wicked sense of humour, extraordinarily organised, hopeless at reading social cues. And Jacob has Asperger's. He is locked in his own world – aware of the world outside, and wanting to make a connection. Jacob tries to be like everyone else, but doesn't know how.

 

When his tutor is found dead, all the hallmark behaviours of Jacob's syndrome – not looking someone in the eye, odd movements, inappropriate actions – start looking a lot like guilt to the police. And Jacob's mother must ask herself the hardest question in the world: is her child capable of murder?

 

Started: 09/03/11

Finished: 14/03/11

Rated: 5/5

Comments: It's a rare occasion that I don't sing the praises of Jodi Picoult and this is no exception. I love reading her books.

 

This time we have Emma with her two sons. The youngest is your average teenager whilst her eldest has been diagnosed with Aspergers. We are taken through every day life (for Emma that is) and shown what their average day is like and then we are thrown into the middle of a murder investigation. Can everything you know about Jacob be a symptom of his illness, or is he hiding a despicable crime? We are taken on a roller-coaster of emotions, which are now par for the course with Picoult and as readers, we are asked to consider all aspects of the story. Another well written book that I can't wait to recommend.

[SaraPepparkaka]

Frostbitten (Otherworld book 10)

Kelley Armstrong

 

After years of struggle, Elena Michaels - journalist, investigator, werewolf - has finally come to terms with her strange fate, and learned how to control her wild side. At least, that's what she believes when she sets off to Alaska with her partner Clay. A series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage seem to implicate a rogue band of werewolves. But the truth is more complicated. Trapped in a frozen, unforgiving terrain, they are forced to confront a deadly secret, and their own, untamed nature...Gripping, intense and deeply satisfying, Frostbitten is a brilliant novel of suspense with a supernatural twist.

 

Started: 26/02/11

Finished: 01/03/11

Rated: 3.5/5

Comments: Elena is not my favourite character from the Otherworld series but this is an enjoyable book. It's nice to call back in on the pack and see how they have been getting on since the early books. The story was a bit tepid,it felt more of a bridge between books rather than a stand alone story but it was still readable.

 

I feel the same way about Elena- she's not my favourite character. Which one IS your favourite then?