Shin's Reading List 2011

[Shin]

Previous Reading Lists:

2009 : (39 BOOKS)

2010 : (38 BOOKS)

2011 AIM : 48 BOOKS

 

RATINGS

5/5: Fabulous - could not put the book down. Highly recommended.

4/5: Excellent - really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

3/5: Good - readable and would recommend.

2/5: OK - nothing to write home about but read it when you have nothing else to read.

1/5: Awful - finished the book for the sake of finishing a book but don't waste your time reading it.

0/5: Abandoned - that bad I couldn't even finish it. Don't even bother with it.

 

CURRENTLY READING: Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine | Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

 

August 2011 (1)

12. Do you remember the first time? by Jenny Colgan 3/5

 

July 2011 (0)

 

June 2011 (1)

11. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 4/5

 

May 2011 (0)

 

April 2011 (0)

 

March 2011 (0)

 

February 2011 (4)

10. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

9. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich 4/5

8. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison 4/5

7. Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson 5/5

 

January 2011 (6)

6. Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson 4/5

5. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich 3/5

4. Undead and Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson 4/5

3. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich 3/5

2. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice 4/5

1. Silhouette in Scarlet by Elizabeth Peters 2/5

Edited August 29, 2011 by Shin

[Shin]

BOOKS BOUGHT THIS YEAR

 

This will be were I will keep track of books I have bought during the year.

 

 

January 2011 (18)

1. Great Expectations ~by~ Charles Dickens

2. Far from the Madding Crowd ~by~ Thomas Hardy

3. The Diary of Anne Frank ~by~ Anne Frank

4. Step on a Crack ~by~ James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

5. Amanda's Wedding ~by~ Jenny Colgan

6. Adrian Mole: The Cuppuccino Years ~by~ Sue Townsend

7. Report for Murder ~by~ V.L. McDermid

8. The Shining ~by~ Stephen King

9. Carrie ~by~ Stephen King

10. The Witches of Chiswick ~by~ Robert Rankin

11. The Interpretation of Murder ~by~ Jed Rubenfeld

13. Feast of Fools ~by~ Rachel Caine

14. Lord of Misrule ~by~ Rachel Caine

15. Carpe Corpus ~by~ Rachel Caine

16. Fade Out ~by~ Rachel Caine

17. Kiss of Death ~by~ Rachel Caine

18. Stray ~by~ Rachel Vincent

Total = £13.40

 

February 2011 (6)

19. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

20. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

21. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

22. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

23. The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Denver

24. The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson

Total = £2.40

 

Total so far = £15.80

 

BOOKS I ACQUIRED IN 2011

 

These are the books that I have not bought during the year but have been passed onto me by someone, free of charge.

 

January 2011 (20)

1. 4th of July: James Patterson

2. The Brethen: John Grisham

3. The Collected Short Stories: Jeffrey Archer

4. Best of Friends: Cathy Kelly

5. Hannibal: Thomas Harris

6. Bad Heir Day: Wendy Holden

7. I Love Capri: Belinda Jones

8. Open House: Jill Mansel

9. Girl Meets Ape: Chris Manby

10. The Wives of Bath: Wendy Holden

11. Split Ends: Zoe Barnes

12. Ready or Not: Chris Manby

13. Falls the Shadow: Gemma O'Connor

14. The Church of Dead Girls: Stephen Dobyns

15. Black and Blue: Anna Quindlen

16. Marsha Mellow and Me: Maria Beaumont

17. The Carousel: Rosamunde Pilcher

18. While My Pretty One Sleeps: Mary Higgins Clark

19. The Partner: John Grisham

20. The Runaway Jury: John Grisham

 

 

BOOK SERIES

 

COMPLETED

UP~TO~DATE (WAITING ON NEXT BOOK)

 

 

This will be were I will keep track of book series that I am currently reading, up-to-date with or have finished. This list may get a bit longer by the end of the year.

 

• The Vampire Chronicles ~by~ Anne Rice
  
• Alex Cross Series ~by~ James Patterson
  
• Plum Series ~by~ Janet Evanovich
  
• Rachel Morgan Series ~by~ Kim Harrison
  
• Morganville Vampire Series ~by~ Rachel Caine
  
• House of the Night Series ~by~ PC Cast with Kristin Cast
  
• Grave Sight Series ~by~ Charlaine Harris
  
• Sookie Stackhouse Series ~by~ Charlaine Harris
  
• Undead Series ~by~ MaryJanice Davidson
  
• Thursday Next Series ~by~ Jasper Fforde
  
• Nursery Crime Series ~by~ Jasper Fforde
  
• Women of the Otherworld Series ~by~ Kelley Armstrong
  
• Grant County Series ~by~ Karin Slaughter
  
• Will Trent Series ~by~ Karin Slaughter
  
• Vicky Bliss Series ~by~ Elizabeth Peters
  

Edited February 25, 2011 by Shin

[Shin]

BOOKRINGS



DENOTES MOVED TO TBR LIST

DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ

DENOTES READ & REVIEWED

 

Grave Sight Series by Charlaine Harris ~ Bookring by Weave

• Grave Sight
  
• Grave Surprise
  
• An Ice Cold Grave
  
• Grave Secret
  

Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris ~ Bookring by Weave

• Dead Reckoning
  

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ~ Bookring by Lucybird

Edited February 25, 2011 by Shin

[Shin]

TO BE READ LIST

 

LB DENOTES LIBRARY BOOK | BR DENOTES BOOKRING

DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ

DENOTES READ & REVIEWED

• Andrews, Virginia: Fallen Hearts
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Broken Wings
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Darkest Hour
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Hidden Leaves
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Into the Garden
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Into the Woods
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Pearl in the Mist
  
• Andrews, Virginia: Wicked Forest
  
• Archer, Jeffrey: The Collected Short Stories
  
• Austen, Jane: Persuasion
  
• Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
  
• Barnes, Zoe: Split Ends
  
• Beaumont, Maria: Marsha Mellow and Me
  
• Brokaw, Charles: The Lucifer Code
  
• Brunker, Amanda: Champagne Kisses
  
• Bryson, Bill: Notes from a Small Island
  
• Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden
  
• Caine, Rachel: Carpe Corpus
  
• Caine, Rachel: Fade Out
  
• Caine, Rachel: Feast of Fools
  
• Caine, Rachel: Kiss of Death
  
• Caine, Rachel: Lord of Misrule
  
• Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Burned
  
• Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Hunted
  
• Cast, P.C and Kirstin: Tempted
  
• Chattam, Maxim: The Cairo Diary
  
• Clark, Mary Higgins: While My Pretty One Sleeps
  
• Cole, Martina: Amanda's Wedding
  
• Colgan, Jenny: Do You Remember the First Time?
  
• Cookson, Catherine: A Ruthless Need
  
• Cookson, Catherine: Kate Hannigan's Girl
  
• Cookson, Catherine: The Obsession
  
• Cookson, Catherine: The Silent Lady
  
• Cookson, Catherine: The Solace of Sin
  
• Cordy, Michael: The Crime Code
  
• Cussler, Clive: Lost City
  
• Cussler, Clive: Polar Shift
  
• Denver, Jeffrey: The Bone Collector
  
• Dickens, Charles: A Tale of Two Cities
  
• Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
  
• Dickens, Charles: Hard Times
  
• Dickens, Charles: Little Dorrit
  
• Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist
  
• Dickens, Charles: The Christmas Books (A Christmas Carol|The Chimes|The Cricket on the Hearth)
  
• Dobyns, Stephen: The Church of Dead Girls
  
• Eliot, George: Silas Marner
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Full House
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Metro Girl
  
• Frank, Anne: Diary of Anne Frank
  
• Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha
  
• Grahame-Smith, Seth: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter LB
  
• Green, Jane: The Beach House
  
• Grisham, John: A Time to Kill
  
• Grisham, John: Brethen
  
• Grisham, John: The Partner
  
• Grisham, John: The Runaway Jury
  
• Hardy, Thomas: Far from the Madding Crowd
  
• Harris, Thomas: Hannibal
  
• Herbert, James: Once
  
• Holden, Wendy: Bad Heir Day
  
• Holden, Wendy: The Wives of Bath
  
• Hope, Anthony: The Prisoner of Zenda
  
• Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner
  
• Hutson, Shaun: Heathen
  
• Hutson, Shaun: Lucy’s Child
  
• Jones, Brenda: I Love Capri
  
• Kellerman, Jonathan: When the Bough Breaks
  
• Kelly, Cathy: Always & Forever
  
• Kelly, Cathy: Best of Friends
  
• Kelly, Cathy: Lessons in Heartbreak
  
• Kelly, Cathy: Someone like You
  
• Keyes, Marian: Angels
  
• Keyes, Marian: Further Under the Duvet
  
• Keyes, Marian: Last Chance Saloon
  
• Keyes, Marian: Sushi for Beginners
  
• Keyes, Marian: The Charming Man
  
• Keyes, Marian: The Other Side of the Story
  
• King, Stephen: Carrie
  
• King, Stephen: Cell
  
• King, Stephen: The Shining
  
• Kinsella, Sophie: Twenties Girl
  
• Lamb, Charles & Mary: Tales from Shakespeare
  
• Lampitt, Dinah: Fortune's Soldier
  
• Lampitt, Dinah: Sutton Place
  
• Lampitt, Dinah: The Silver Swan
  
• Larkin, Mary A: A Matter of Trust
  
• Lee, Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird
  
• Lindsay, Jeff: Dearly Devoted Dexter LB
  
• Manby, Chris: Girl Meets Ape
  
• Manby, Chris: Ready or Not
  
• Mansel, Jill: Open House
  
• Marryat, Captain: The Children of the New Forest
  
• McDermid, V.L.: Report for Murder
  
• McDermid, Val: Beneath the Bleeding
  
• McDermid, Val: Killing the Shadows
  
• McDermid, Val: The Distant Echo
  
• Moriarty, Sinéad: In My Sisters Shoes
  
• Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver: Three Cups of Tea
  
• Mosse, Kate: Labyrinth
  
• Neale, Kitty: Family Betrayal
  
• Nesbit, E: The Railway Children
  
• O’Flanagan, Sheila: Bad Behaviour
  
• O'Connor, Gemma: Falls the Shadow
  
• Orwell, George: Animal Farm
  
• Patterson, James and Ledwidge, Michael: Step on a Crack
  
• Patterson, James: 4th of July
  
• Patterson, James: Cat and Mouse
  
• Patterson, James: Hide & Seek
  
• Patterson, James: I, Alex Cross
  
• Patterson, James: Violets are Blue
  
• Pearse, Lesley: Faith
  
• Perrett, Bryan: Against All Odds!
  
• Peters, Elizabeth: Trojan Gold LB
  
• Picoult, Jodi: Keeping Faith
  
• Pilcher, Rosamunde: The Carousel
  
• Quindlen, Anna: Black and Blue
  
• Rankin, Ian: Knots & Crosses
  
• Rankin, Robert: The Witches of Chiswick
  
• Rice, Anne: Blood and Gold
  
• Robertson, James: The Testament of Gideon Mack
  
• Rubenfeld, Jed: The Interpretation of Murder
  
• Scanlan, Patricia: Foreign Affairs
  
• Scanlan, Patricia: Mirror, Mirror
  
• Smith, Alexander McCall: The Best of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
  
• Stevenson, Robert Louis: Treasure Island
  
• Stoker, Bram: Dracula
  
• Townsend, Sue: Adrian Mole: The Cuppuccino Years
  
• Vincent, Rachel: Stray
  
• Wiggin, Kate Douglas: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
  

TOTAL = 129

Edited February 25, 2011 by Shin

[Shin]

WISHLIST

 

DENOTES MOVED TO TBR LIST

DENOTES MOVED TO CURRENT READ

DENOTES READ & REVIEWED

 

• Adams, Douglas: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Stolen
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Dime Store Magic
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Undustrial Magic
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Haunted
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Broken
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: No Humans Involved
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Personal Demon
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Living with the Dead
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Frost Bitten
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Waking the Witch
  
• Armstrong, Kelley: Spellbound
  
• Brom: The Child Thief
  
• Brom: The Devil's Rose
  
• Brom: The Plucker
  
• Caine, Rachel: Feast of Fools
  
• Caine, Rachel: Lord of Misrule
  
• Caine, Rachel: Carpe Corpus
  
• Caine, Rachel: Fade Out
  
• Caine, Rachel: Kiss of Death
  
• Caine, Rachel: Ghost Town
  
• Caine, Rachel: Bite Club
  
• Cremer, Andrea: Nightshade
  
• Cremer, Andrea: Wolfsbane
  
• Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unworthy
  
• Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unwelcome
  
• Davidson, MaryJanice: Undead and Unfinished
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Plum Lucky
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Plum Spooky
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Sizzling Sixteen
  
• Evanovich, Janet: Smoking Seventeen
  
• Fforde, Jasper: Lost in a Good Book
  
• Fforde, Jasper: The Well of Lost Plots
  
• Fforde, Jasper: Something Rotten
  
• Fforde, Jasper: First Among Sequels
  
• Fforde, Jasper: The Fourth Bear
  
• Fforde, Jasper: Shades of Grey
  
• Fitzpatrick, Becca: Hush, Hush
  
• Fitzpatrick, Becca: Crescendo
  
• Fitzpatrick, Becca: Tempest
  
• Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha
  
• Gruen, Sara: Water for Elephants
  
• Harris, Charlaine: Dead Reckoning
  
• Harrison, Kim: A Fistful of Charms
  
• Harrison, Kim: For A Few Demons More
  
• Harrison, Kim: Where Demons Dare
  
• Harrison, Kim: White Witch, Black Curse
  
• Harrison, Kim: Black Magic Sanction
  
• Hosseini, Khaled: A Thousand Splendid Suns
  
• Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner
  
• Howe, Katherine: The Lost Book of Salem
  
• Kate, Lauren: Fallen
  
• Kate, Lauren: Torment
  
• Kate, Lauren: Passion
  
• Kesey, Ken: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  
• Kessler, Jackie Morse: Hunger
  
• Kessler, Jackie Morse: Rage
  
• Keyes, Daniel: Flowers for Algernon
  
• Lampoon, The Harvard: Nightlight: A Parody
  
• Larsson, Stieg: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  
• Larsson, Stieg: The Girl who Played with Fire
  
• Larsson, Stieg: The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest
  
• Mayo, Stephfordy: New Moan (Twishite Saga Book 1)
  
• Meyer, Stephanie: The Host
  
• Mitchell, Margaret: Gone with the Wind
  
• Monsour, Theresa: Clean Cut
  
• Monsour, Theresa: Dark House
  
• Murakami, Haruki: Kafka on the Shore
  
• Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time Traveler's Wife
  
• Patterson, James: Cat and Mouse
  
• Patterson, James: Pop! Goes the Weasel
  
• Patterson, James: Roses are Red
  
• Patterson, James: Violets are Blue
  
• Patterson, James: Four Blind Mice
  
• Patterson, James: The Big Bad Wolf
  
• Patterson, James: London Bridges
  
• Patterson, James: Mary Mary
  
• Patterson, James: Cross
  
• Patterson, James: Double Cross
  
• Patterson, James: Cross County
  
• Patterson, James: Alex Cross's Trial
  
• Rice, Anne: The Vampire Lestat
  
• Rice, Anne: The Queen of the Damn
  
• Rice, Anne: The Tale of the Body Thief
  
• Rice, Anne: Memnoch the Devil
  
• Rice, Anne: The Vampire Armand
  
• Rice, Anne: Merrick
  
• Rice, Anne: Blackwood Farm
  
• Rice, Anne: Blood Canticle
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  
• Rowling, JK: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  
• Rubbenfeld, Jed: The Interpretation of Murder
  
• Silverstein, Shel: The Giving Tree
  
• Suskind, Patrick: Perfume: The Story of a Murder
  
• Walker, Alice: The Color Purple
  
• Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief
  

Edited February 25, 2011 by Shin

[Shin]

Silhouette in Scarlet ~by~ Elizabeth Peter

 

Started: 1st January 2011

Finished: 5th January 2011

Rating: 2/5

 

Synopsis by Waterstones:

One red rose, a one-way ticket to Stockholm, and a cryptic message in Latin intrigue Vicky Bliss - as they were precisely intended to do. Vicky recognizes the handiwork of her former lover, jewel thief John Smythe, and she takes the bait, eagerly following Smythe's lead in the hope of finding a lost treasure. But the trail begins at a priceless fifth century chalice which will place Vicky at the mercy of a gang of ruthless criminals who have their eyes on an even more valuable prize. And the hunt threatens to turn deadly on a remote island, where a captive Vicky must dig deep at an excavation into the distant past.

 

My Review:

Third book in the Vicky Bliss series starts off very slow and did not pick up until half way through the book. For me, this book was not as exciting as the first two books in the series even though I struggled to read them too. Leaves me wondering why I continue to read the series. But I am interested in the relationship between Vicky and John. I felt the second half of this book was building up to something big and exciting but I was left disappointed.

I just felt that their escape from the island was so easy, even though they were out numbered by armed criminals.

I think that the first half of this book was dragged out and Mrs Peters could have got straight to the interesting bits quicker without a deflated ending. Still....I will read the next book.

[frankie]

Hello and happy reading 2011, Shin! I love how organised you are and you also have quite a TBR list going on for you I hope you spend many happy reading hours this year.

[Charm]

Hey Shin!

 

So pleased to see Dearly Devoted Dexter on your priority TBR list, it was my favourite of the series! Oh, and get your hands on that Kelley Armstrong series, brilliant!

 

Happy Reading for 2011!

[Shin]

Hello and happy reading 2011, Shin! I love how organised you are and you also have quite a TBR list going on for you I hope you spend many happy reading hours this year.

 

Thank you Frankie...organisation is my resolution this year.

I didn't realise that my TBR had got so long...I must not have been updating last year.

 

So pleased to see Dearly Devoted Dexter on your priority TBR list, it was my favourite of the series! Oh, and get your hands on that Kelley Armstrong series, brilliant!

 

Hi Charm, I wasn't too keen on the first Dexter book but seen this in the library and just grab it. Yes, will definitely get my hands on some more of Kelley Armstrong book.

[Shin]

I have just come back from scoping the three charity shops in our town for books and I did quite well.

 

I got 11 books for £3.40!!! And one of them is on my wishlist, The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. I also got another book out from the library, again one from my wishlist, Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. Since it is a library book it will be added to my priority TBR list.

 

They are:

 

1. Great Expectations ~by~ Charles Dickens

2. Far from the Madding Crowd ~by~ Thomas Hardy

3. The Diary of Anne Frank ~by~ Anne Frank

4. Step on a Crack ~by~ James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

5. Amanda's Wedding ~by~ Jenny Colgan

6. Adrian Mole: The Cuppuccino Years ~by~ Sue Townsend

7. Report for Murder ~by~ V.L. McDermid

8. The Shining ~by~ Stephen King

9. Carrie ~by~ Stephen King

10. The Witches of Chiswick ~by~ Robert Rankin

11. The Interpretation of Murder ~by~ Jed Rubenfeld

Edited January 12, 2011 by Shin

[Kidsmum]

I agree charity shops are brilliant, I get most of my books in them, my favourite one sells paperbacks for 49p & hardbacks for 99p & I always come out with my bag full

 

Hope you enjoy Far From The Madding Crowd it's my favourite Hardy.

[Charm]

Good haul Shin!

 

I love charity shops. we have several in the town where I live but there are 3 of them which are brilliant. I hope you like The Interpretation of Murder, I read it about 3 yrs ago and although it took me a while to get into, it turned out to be a great little read Carrie is one of the first Stephen King books I read and loved it, one of his better ones I think, enjoy!

[Shin]

Hope you enjoy Far From The Madding Crowd it's my favourite Hardy.

 

Thanks Kidsmum, I haven't read any Hardy books before but always meant to put them onto my wishlist.

 

I hope you like The Interpretation of Murder, I read it about 3 yrs ago and although it took me a while to get into, it turned out to be a great little read Carrie is one of the first Stephen King books I read and loved it, one of his better ones I think, enjoy!

 

Thanks Charm, I seen this book on Green Metropolis and to be honest I can't even remember why I put it on wishlist. But can't believe I found it in the charity shop for 20p and it is in great nick like all the books I got yesterday. I haven't read any Stephen King before. Well, I did start Cell last year but I haven't finished it. So happy I got The Shining and Carrie though. I think I will be reading them soon.

[Shin]

I am still in the middle of The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice and I am really enjoying it.

But I am finding the time to read it difficult because I have something else that needs done or someone interrupts etc. All I want to do is lie in bed and finished it.

 

I have wedding stationery to make for a friend who is getting married in 29th April (and she booked it well before Kate and William ). So I am busy getting them done but all I want to do is read my books. My mojo is in full flow!!!

[Shin]

My husband is having a fit. Well, it is his own fault really. He let it slip that his mum and dad were doing a clear out and were going to the dump with a big box of books! What? They are dumping books? So the coat was on and off I went to see what they were throwing out and I brought home another 20 books. I tried talking them into giving the rest to charity or to the library (ones that I would not read) but they were like "couldn't be bother...can't get parked". A sin, I tell you. So I got the following (most are chick-lits but handy to read in between tough thrillers or vamp books):

 

1. 4th of July: James Patterson

2. The Brethen: John Grisham

3. The Collected Short Stories: Jeffrey Archer

4. Best of Friends: Cathy Kelly

5. Hannibal: Thomas Harris

6. Bad Heir Day: Wendy Holden

7. I Love Capri: Belinda Jones

8. Open House: Jill Mansel

9. Girl Meets Ape: Chris Manby

10. The Wives of Bath: Wendy Holden

11. Split Ends: Zoe Barnes

12. Ready or Not: Chris Manby

13. Falls the Shadow: Gemma O'Connor

14. The Church of Dead Girls: Stephen Dobyns

15. Black and Blue: Anna Quindlen

16. Marsha Mellow and Me: Maria Beaumont

17. The Carousel: Rosamunde Pilcher

18. While My Pretty One Sleeps: Mary Higgins Clark

19. The Partner: John Grisham

20. The Runaway Jury: John Grisham

 

I also got notification from the library that a few more of my reserved books are available. There are four! I really need to get my library book list down. I think I am only allowed nine out at a time. But I will be collecting the following tomorrow (which will hopefully get me up~to~date with two book series I am reading ):

 

1. Undead and Unworthy: MaryJanice Davidson

2. Undead and Unfinished: MaryJanice Davidson

3. Plum Lucky: Janet Evanovich

4. Plum Spooky: Janet Evanovich

Edited January 14, 2011 by Shin

[Charm]

Wow, Shin, great haul! All for nothing too! I can't believe they were just dumping them, that's downright blasphemy I tell you!

 

Lovely to hear your mojo is back with a vengence and chomping at the bit, you're gonna race through your TBR pile at this rate I didn't realise you made wedding stationary, how lovely! You must post pics!

[Shin]

Lovely to hear your mojo is back with a vengence and chomping at the bit, you're gonna race through your TBR pile at this rate I didn't realise you made wedding stationary, how lovely! You must post pics!

 

Well, I am still reading The Vampire Lestat. It is a great book...just harder to get through if you know what I mean.

 

Yes, I do make wedding stationary but thinking about retiring after this project. I do other crafts as well such as jewellery making and cross stitching but with all the crafts and all the books to be read, I don't have time for everything so I think something has to give.

 

But yes, I will post pictures when they are done.

[Shin]

I was able to get to Bargain Books today. Or The Works as it is called now. And got 6 books for £10.

I vow that these are the last books I will purchase or acquire in January. Oh, wait I have a pile of books to go through in my mums house.

 

Well, I got the following.

 

Feast of Fools ~by~ Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule ~by~ Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus ~by~ Rachel Caine

Fade Out ~by~ Rachel Caine

Kiss of Death ~by~ Rachel Caine

Stray ~by~ Rachel Vincent

[Shin]

The Vampire Lestat ~by~ Anne Rice

 

Started: 5th January 2011

Finished: 17th January 2011

Rating: 4/5

 

Synopsis by Waterstones

'Ah, the taste and feel of blood when all passion and greed is sharpened in that one desire!' Lestat: a vampire - but very much not the conventional undead, for Lestat is the truly alive. Lestat is vivid, ecstatic, stagestruck, and in his extravagant story he plunges from the lasciviousness of eighteenth-century Paris to the demonic Egypt of prehistory; from fin-de-siecle New Orleans to the frenetic twentieth-century world of rock superstardom - as, pursued by the living and the dead, he searches across time for the secret of his own dark immortality.

 

My Review

I thought The Vampire Lestat was a real spellbinding novel. I had doubts reading it as after reading Interview with a Vampire, Lestat did not appeal to me as he was portrayed as a crazy, cold and uncaring monster. However, this tale delves into the history of Lestat, pre and post immortality, and has changed my opinion completely.

 

The Vampire Lestat takes us back to Lestat’s mortal life in Auvergne, France and it is easy to see the deep love and affection he has for his mother and his friend, Nicholas which is very touching. We learn of how he was made immortal in the seventeenth century and his in depth love for humans. We discover the history of Armand and the Theatre des Vampires which is intriguing as we find how Lestat is related to the theatre and the vampire who betrayed Louis in Interview with a Vampire. We experience Lestat’s pain and tragedy resulting from his first recipients of the Dark Trick and how Armand links Marius, an ancient and most powerful vampire, to Lestat. Marius introduces Lestat to Those Who Must Be Kept and Anne Rice gives us a new history and legend of the vampires.

 

In summary, this book provides the answers to questions arising from Interview with a Vampire. I now understand that Lestat is not a cold monster and I understand his reasons for not sharing his knowledge of their heritage with Louis and Claudia. Yet, if he had of shared this knowledge with them as he did in The Vampire Lestat, he may have just saved himself from more pain and tragedy. The ending of this book for me, made everything fall into placed and I can’t wait to read The Queen of the Damned. If you have read Interview with a Vampire then you must read this book as soon as possible.

[Charm]

Great review Shin, I'm so pleased you enjoyed Lestat, I think you'll enjoy the next books with him in them too, although if I remember correctly Memnoch the Devil gets a bit heavy. Still worth a read though

[Kylie]

Great review, Shin. I have this on my TBR pile but need to read Interview with a Vampire first.

[frankie]

Well, I am still reading The Vampire Lestat. It is a great book...just harder to get through if you know what I mean.

 

After having read Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat was a really difficult book to get into and at times I thought it was boring and it wasn't going anywhere, so after about 70 pages I gave up I still have my copy and I'm determined that someday I will read it. I think I need to re-read IwaV first, thought. And just like you said in your review of the book, Lestat didn't appeal to me like Louis did. I'm happy, though, that you managed to finish the book and really liked it in the end. I'm drawing hope from your review!

[Shin]

Great review Shin, I'm so pleased you enjoyed Lestat, I think you'll enjoy the next books with him in them too, although if I remember correctly Memnoch the Devil gets a bit heavy. Still worth a read though

 

Thanks Charm. I think they are heavy books in general, well quite different from my light hearted vampire reads.

 

Great review, Shin. I have this on my TBR pile but need to read Interview with a Vampire first.

 

Thanks Kylie. Hope you get reading Interview with a Vampire soon so you can read this book.

 

was a really difficult book to get into and at times I thought it was boring and it wasn't going anywhere, so after about 70 pages I gave up. And just like you said in your review of the book, Lestat didn't appeal to me like Louis did. I'm happy, though, that you managed to finish the book and really liked it in the end. I'm drawing hope from your review!

 

I do agree that it was a difficult book to get into but I don't think much happens within 70 pages of the book so definitely give it another go Frankie, when you can. It might just change your opinion of Lestat.

[frankie]

I do agree that it was a difficult book to get into but I don't think much happens within 70 pages of the book so definitely give it another go Frankie, when you can. It might just change your opinion of Lestat.

 

Yeah I think that was my main problem, nothing happening! Also the rock band thing threw me off a bit. But I'm definitely giving it another go after having read your review

[Shin]

Plum Lucky ~by~ Janet Evanovich

Started: 17th January 2011

Finished: 20th January 2011

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis by Waterstones

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck ...and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie, Connie's found a guy, Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in way over her head...

 

My Review

Well, the synopsis for this book just sums up the storyline and I haven't much more to add. This is just one of Evanovich's 'in-between the numbers' novel and is set around St. Patrick's Day or more so the day after. We are again are introduced to the supernatural Diesel who is hunting a man who thinks he is a leprechaun and has lost a duffle bag of money. Stephanie's mad but loveable Grandma Mazur has found it and taken off to Altantic City for a spending spree. So all the Trenton gang go for a short break to Altantic City to bring her home.

 

These 'in-betweeners' keep you going until the next novel therefore there is not really much of a storyline to the books. We only have one or two mentions of Ranger and Morelli in the books and they seem to revolve around Diesel, this mysterious or supernatural character which Evanovich does not go much into detail. I think her idea is to keep this character magical for the 'in-between' festive novels such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas. Although these novels have not lost the humour and I did enjoy the story, I miss having Ranger and Morelli play a big part in the story. For me they make the Plum series.