chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) 2012 reading blog - 145 books 2011 reading blog - 141 books 2010 reading blog - 130 books 2009 reading blog - 143 books 2008 reading list - 63 books 2007 reading list - 97 books 2006 reading list - 82 books 2013 BOOKS READ January 1. My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey 2. Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey 3. Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan 4. Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden 5. Polly by M. C. Beaton 6. Hunter's Moon by F. E. Heaton 7. Qissat by Various 8. Sightlines by Kathleen Jamie 9. Molly by M. C. Beaton 10. Ciao Bella: In Search of New Relatives and Dante in Italy by Helena Frith Powell 11. Ginny by M. C. Beaton 12. Out For Blood by Alyxandra Harvey 13. The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz 14. The Dead of the Night by John Marsden 15. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson 16. Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter February 17. Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson 18. Masquerade by F. E. Heaton 19. Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 20. A House In Mayfair by M. C. Beaton 21. How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won The F. A. Cup by J. L. Carr 22. Challenging Zed by Joss Stirling 23. Back Story by David Mitchell 24. Susie by M. C. Beaton March 25. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting 26. Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey 27. Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey 28. Blood Prophecy by Alyxandra Harvey 29. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 30. The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead 31. Pulse by Tricia Rayburn 32. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Abandoned - 68%) 33. Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean 34. A Bloody Good Secret by Sierra Dean 35. Secret Santa by Sierra Dean 36. Deep Dark Secret by Sierra Dean 37. Keeping Secret by Sierra Dean 38. Grave Secret by Sierra Dean 39. House Rules by Chloe Neill 40. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan 41. To Kill A Warlock by H. P . Mallory 42. Armed and Fabulous by Camilla Chafer 43. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (read by Alan Bennett) 44. Bound To Remember by Lola James April 45. Once Bitten by Trina M. Lee 46. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 47. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H. P . Mallory 48. The Art of Desctruction by Stephen Cole (read by Don Warrington) 49. Jeeves in the Offing by P. G. Wodehouse (read by Simon Callow) 50. Annabelle by M. C. Beaton 51. The Mating by Nicky Charles 52. The Keeping by Nicky Charles 53. Bonded by Nicky Charles 54. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 55. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 56. Betrayed by Nicky Charles 57. The Finding by Nicky Charles 58. Water by Terra Harmony 59. Life Class by Pat Barker 60. A Bit of Bite by Cynthia Eden 61. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells 62. Trouble in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon 63. Double Crossed by Ally Carter 64. A Job From Hell by Jayde Scott 65. Stage Fright by Elizabeth Wells 66. A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter 67. In A New York Minute by Eleanor Moran 68. The Perfect Audition by Kate Forster May 69. Branded by Keary Taylor 70. The Westerby Inheritance by M. C. Beaton 71. Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn 72. Single In The City by Michele Gorman 73. The Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella 74. The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters by Sierra Dean 75. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico 76. Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper 77. Mrs Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico 78. Misfortune Cookie by Michele Gorman 79. Man Walks Into A Room by Nicole Krauss 80. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 81. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch 82. Under The Skin by Michel Faber (Abandoned 23%) 83. Diving Belles by Lucy Wood 84. Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan 85. The Marquis Takes A Bride by M. C. Beaton 86. Lady Anne's Deception by M. C. Beaton 87. Heist Society: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter 88. Skios by Michael Fray June 89. Miss Phryne Fisher Investigates by Kerry Greenwood 90. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 91. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood 92. Penelope by M. C. Beaton 93. Moon Dance by J. R. Rain 94. Dark Horse by J. R. Rain 95. The Vampire With The Dragon Tattoo by J. R. Rain 96. The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden 97. Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood 98. Henrietta by M. C. Beaton 99. The Rising by Kelley Armstrong 100. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna 101. The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell 102. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 103. Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris 104. Something Borrowed by Richelle Mead 105. Opal Fire by Barbra Annino July 106. House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds 107. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce 108. The Journal of Dora Damage by Belinda Starling 109. Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood 110. The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier 111. Where Have All The Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan 112. Newes From The Dead by Mary Hooper 113. Bella Summer Takes A Chance by Michelle Gorman 114. No and Me by Delphine De Vigan 115. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 116. The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James 117. High Tide by Hugh Hastings 118. Our Songbirds by Matt Sewell August 119. Fibber in the Heat by Miles Jupp 120. Greenery Street by Denis Mackail 121. Lady Into Fox by David Garnett 122. My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding 123. Biting Bad by Chloe Neill 124. Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield 125. Bloodstone by Barbra Annino 126. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 127. Road To Rouen by Ben Hatch 128. Plain Jane by M. C. Beaton 129. The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin 130. Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver 131. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 132. A Season in Sinji by J. L. Carr 133. Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Rascal's Revenge by Emma Kennedy 134. Shattered Promises by Jessica Sorensen 135. The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn September 136. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger 137. The Little Village School by Gervase Phinn 138. Requiem for a Mezzo by Carola Dunn 139. Lady Fortescue Steps Out by M. C. Beaton 140. Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan 141. The Wicked Stepmother by M. C. Beaton 142. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 143. Cupcakes at Carringtons by Alexandra Brown (Abandoned - 46%) 144. Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn 145. Fated by Benedict Jacka 146. Pretty Polly by M. C. Beaton 147. United We Spy by Ally Carter 148. The Misunderstanding by Irène Némirovsky 149. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (read by Stephen Fry) 150. Tiger's Eye by Barbra Annino 151. Damsel in Distress by Carola Dunn 152. The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham 153. The End of Me by Tara Brown October 154. Valentine Grey by Sandi Toksvig 155. Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn 156. Mr Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange 157. Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings 158. Abyss by Tricia Rayburn 159. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (read by Juliet Stevenson) 160. Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn 161. Secret Unleashed by Sierra Dean 162. Love Song by Alex Miller 163. Austenland by Shannon Hale November 164. The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna 165. Girl, Stolen by April Henry 166. The Radleys by Matt Haig 167. Miss Tonks Turns to Crime by M. C. Beaton 168. Mrs Budley Falls From Grace by M. C. Beaton 169. Sir Philip's Folly by M. C. Beaton 170. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (read by Lindsay Duncan) 171. Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue by M. C. Beaton 172. Back in Society by M. C. Beaton 173. Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson December 174. Hubble Bubble by Jane Lovering 175. Once You Break A Knuckle by D. W. Wilson 176. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey 177. Crow Stone by Jenni Mills 178. The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai 179. Rake's Progress by M. C. Beaton 180. Death Comes To Pemberley by P. D. James 181. Christmas at High Rising by Angela Thirkell 182. Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll 183. Alex, the dog and the inoperable door by Ross Montgomery Edited December 31, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Author Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) 2013 BOOKS TO BE READ1. Head Over Heel: Seduced by Southern Italy by Chris Harrison2. Twelve Minutes of Love: A Tango Story by Kapka Kassabova3. The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton4. Can Anyone Hear Me? by Peter Baxter5. Capital by John Lanchester6. A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson7. The Perfect Retreat by Kate Forster8. Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds9. Q: A Love Story by Evan Mandery10. Sea and Shore Cornwall by Lisa Woollett11. Strands by Jean Sprackland12. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall13. Circle Line by Steffan Meyric Hughes14. Die Laughing by Carola Dunn (DD No. 12)15. Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn (DD No. 15)16. Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn (DD No. 18)17. Trouble at the Little Village School by Gervase Phinn18. Little Sacrifices by Jamie Scott19. Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler20. Citadel by Kate Mosse21. Angel Fire by L. A. Weatherley22. Love With a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche23. The Horologican by Mark Forsyth24. Rainbird's Revenge by M. C. Beaton (HftS No. 6)25. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley26. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot27. Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger28. How To Eat Out by Giles Coren29. Saplings by Noel Streatfeild30. Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis31. Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door by Ross Montgomery Edited January 5, 2014 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Author Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) MY (CONTINUING) YEAR OF JANE AUSTENI didn't quite finish my challenge last year, so I'll be finishing it off in 2013, although I may still add some more to it as I go along!These are the Jane Austen books I will be reading this year:1. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen2. Persuasion by Jane Austen3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen6. Emma by Jane Austen7. The Watsons by Jane AustenThese are the contemporary novels I will be looking at reading - I may add more to this over the course of the year:8. Mr Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (Pride and Prejudice)9. Mr Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange (Emma)10. Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange (Persuasion)11. Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange (Sense and Sensibility)12. Wickham's Diary by Amanda Grange (Pride and Prejudice)13. Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange (Northanger Abbey)14. Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange (Mansfield Park)15. Death Comes To Pemberley by P. D. James (Pride and Prejudice)16. The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine (Sense and Sensibility)17. An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan (Pride and Prejudice) (recommended by frankie)18. These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan (Pride and Prejudice) (recommended by frankie)19. Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan (Pride and Prejudice) (recommended by frankie)20. The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James (present from poppyshake)21. Austenland by Shannon Hale This is the biography I would like to read:21. Jane Austen: A Life by Claire TomalinOther miscellaneous books:22. Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon (recommended by willoyd) Edited December 27, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Author Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) PERSEPHONE BOOKS I love the books from independent publisher Persephone, not just for their beautiful book designs, but also for their ethos and the authors they chose to publish, so much so that I even started a thread just about them! http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/9960-persephone-books I've been thinking for a while about reading their entire catalogue of books (currently 100 books, but they publish two more every quarter), and this is the year I'm going to start this in earnest. This is a long term challenge and not expected to be completed within the year. Key: Books I own in Italics Books I have read in Bold BOOK LIST: 1. William - an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton 2. Mariana by Monica Dickens 3. Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple 4. Fidelity by Susan Glaspell 5. An Interrupted Life: The Diaries and Letters of Etty Hillesum 1941-43 by Etty Hillesum 6. The Victorian Chaise-longue by Marghanita Laski 7. The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher 8. Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes by Mollie Panter-Downes 9. Few Eggs and No Oranges by Vere Hodgson 10. Good Things in England by Florence White 11. Julian Grenfell by Nicholas Mosley 12. It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty by Judith Viorst 13. Consequences by E. M. Delafield 14. Farewell Leicester Square by Betty Miller 15. Tell It to a Stranger by Elizabeth Berridge 16. Saplings by Noel Streatfeild 17. Marjory Fleming by Oriel Malet 18. Every Eye by Isobel English 19. They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple 20. A Woman's Place: 1910-75 by Ruth Adam 21. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson 22. Consider the Years by Virginia Graham 23. Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy 24. Family Roundabout by Richmal Crompton 25. The Montana Stories by Katherine Mansfield 26. Brook Evans by Susan Glaspell 27. The Children who lived in a Barn by Eleanor Graham 28. Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski 29. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett 30. Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll 31. A House in the Country by Jocelyn Playfair 32. The Carlyles at Home by Thea Holme 33. The Far Cry by Emma Smith 34. Minnie's Room: The Peacetime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes by Mollie Panter-Downes 35. Greenery Street by Denis Mackail 36. Lettice Delmer by Susan Miles 37. The Runaway by Elizabeth Anna Hart 38. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey 39. Manja by Anna Gmeyner 40. The Priory by Dorothy Whipple 41. Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge 42. The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding 43. The Wise Virgins by Leonard Woolf 44. Tea with Mr Rochester by Frances Towers 45. Good Food On The Aga by Ambrose Heath 46. Miss Ranskill Comes Home by Barbara Euphan Todd 47. The New House by Lettice Cooper 48. The Casino by Margaret Bonham 49. Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton 50. The World that was Ours by Hilda Bernstein 51. Operation Heartbreak by Duff Cooper 52. The Village by Marghanita Laski 53. Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary by Ruferguson 54. They Can't Ration These by Vicomte De Mauduit 55. Flush by Virginia Woolf 56. They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple 57. The Hopkins Manuscript by Rc Sherriff 58. Hetty Dorval by Ethel Wilson 59. There Were No Windows by Norah Hoult 60. Doreen by Barbara Noble 61. A London Child of the 1870s by Molly Hughes 62. How To Run Your Home Without Help by Kay Smallshaw 63. Princes in the Land by Joanna Cannan 64. A Woman Novelist and Other Stories by Diana Gardner 65. Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson 66. Gardener’s Nightcap by Muriel Stuart 67. The Fortnight in September by Rc Sherriff 68. The Expendable Man by Dorothy B Hughes 69. Journal by Katherine Mansfield 70. Plats du Jour by Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd 71. The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett 72. House-Bound by Winifred Peck 73. The Young Pretenders by Edith Henrietta 74. The Closed Door and Other Stories by Dorothy Whipple 75. On the Other Side: Letters to my Children from Germany 1940-46 by Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg 76. The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby 77. Daddy's Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer 78. A Very Great Profession by Nicola Beauman 79. Round about a Pound a Week by Maud Pember Reeves 80. The Country Housewife's Book by Lucy H Yates 81. Miss Buncle's Book by De Stevenson 82. Amours de Voyage by Arthur Hugh Clough 83. Making Conversation by Christine Longford 84. A New System of Domestic Cookery by Mrs Rundell 85. High Wages by Dorothy Whipple 86. To Bed with Grand Music by Marghanita Laski 87. Dimanche and Other Stories by Irène Némirovsky 88. Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon 89. The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow by Mrs Oliphant 90. The Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens 91. Miss Buncle Married by D. E. Stevenson 92. Midsummer Night in the Workhouse by Diana Athill 93. The Sack of Bath by Adam Fergusson 94. No Surrender by Constance Maud 95. Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple 96. Dinners for Beginners by Rachel and Margaret Ryan 97. Harriet by Elizabeth Jenkins 98. A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf 99. Patience by John Coates 100. The Persephone Book of Short Stories by Various Edited August 4, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Author Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) J. L. CARR One of my author challenges is to read the entire fiction collection of J. L. Carr, one of my partners favourite writers. I think we already own his novels (some of them, more than one copy as well!), and this is a long term reading plan to be dipped in and out of. This is a long term challenge and not expected to be completed within the year. Key: Books I have read in Bold 1. A Day In Summer 2. A Season in Sinji 3. The Harpole Report 4. How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won The F. A. Cup 5. A Month In The Country 6. The Battle of Pollocks Crossing 7. What Hetty Did 8. Harpole and Foxberrow, General Publishers Edited August 23, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2012 Author Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) E. H. YOUNG Another one of my author challenges is to read the books of E. H. Young, and again, another one of my partners favourite writers. I read one of her books many years ago, mostly because after she married in 1902, she married and moved with her husband to Clifton, Bristol, somewhere I too lived for a couple of years, albeit 90 years later, so I was interested to read a novel set in the place I lived at the time. Although we have quite a few of her books, it's by no means the entire collection, but I'm going to start on the ones we have and scour the bookshops and online sellers for the others. First up though, I need to search the bookshelves in the house to find the books we have! This is a long term challenge and not expected to be completed within the year. Key: Books I own in Italics Books I have read in Bold 1. A Corn of Wheat 2. Younder 3. Moor Fires 4. The Bridge Dividing 5. William 6. The Vicar's Daughter 7. Miss Mole 8. Jenny Wren 9. The Curate's Wife 10. Celia 11. Caravan Island 12. River Holiday 13. Chatterton Square Edited July 27, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 19, 2012 Author Posted December 19, 2012 Ok, that's it. I'm already to go now. Look out 2013 books, here I come! Quote
julie Posted December 19, 2012 Posted December 19, 2012 Wow, Claire You are amazingly organized ! Looks at those lists,with color coding and the whole 9 yards ! Your reading totals are quite impressive. You've been at a pretty even number for 4 years running . Good job . Quote
Kidsmum Posted December 20, 2012 Posted December 20, 2012 Good Luck with your reading challenges for next year Claire. I've only read A Month in The Country by J.L. Carr but it's one of the few books i've hung on to i loved it that much, a real emotional read. I have a few of his other ones on my wishlist so look forward to reading what you think of the rest of his stuff Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 20, 2012 Author Posted December 20, 2012 Wow, Claire You are amazingly organized ! Looks at those lists,with color coding and the whole 9 yards ! Your reading totals are quite impressive. You've been at a pretty even number for 4 years running . Good job . Thanks Julie. It does make me chuckle that you mentioned the books read numbers for the previous years - I joined the forum in January 2009, so make of that what you will! Good Luck with your reading challenges for next year Claire. I've only read A Month in The Country by J.L. Carr but it's one of the few books i've hung on to i loved it that much, a real emotional read. I have a few of his other ones on my wishlist so look forward to reading what you think of the rest of his stuff Thanks, Kidsmum. I'm looking forward to reading them, as my OH loves them so much, and he's a pretty good judge most of the time Quote
julie Posted December 20, 2012 Posted December 20, 2012 Claire Definitely looks like this place had some influence on your book buying and reading ,to have the totals jump that high for 4 years running . You do tend to get lots of good ideas by reading everyone's reviews and lists . Quote
willoyd Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) Thanks, Kidsmum. I'm looking forward to reading them, as my OH loves them so much, and he's a pretty good judge most of the time I'd say he's got really good taste! JL Carr is one of my favourite authors, and I'd list 'A Month in the Country' as my favourite book. I've got a special fondness for 'The Harpole Report' too (also in my top dozen, and one of the very few humorous books I've ever really enjoyed), not least as I'm a primary teacher. His touch is nigh on perfect, not surprising considering he was a primary head himself. I'd strongly recommend Byron Rogers's biography of JL Carr, The Last Englishman, which, aside from being highly readable (he's another writer worth exploring), gives a real insight into where all the source material for his books comes from, and really highlights what an interesting, highly individual, character he was. Edited December 23, 2012 by willoyd Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 23, 2012 Author Posted December 23, 2012 Thanks willoyd, we've got that on the shelf too - OH has also recommended it! Quote
Ooshie Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 I really liked A Month in the Country when I read it earlier this year, but haven't looked at any other books by the author; I will look forward to seeing what you think of them chesil Quote
frankie Posted December 26, 2012 Posted December 26, 2012 I love it that you are doing different challenges in different years, it keeps it all interesting and it's motivating to have a special agenda. And I envy you for having such focus to concentrate on certain things during certain periods! Happy reading in 2013, Claire, maybe you read many, many amazing titles! Quote
Devi Posted December 26, 2012 Posted December 26, 2012 Happy reading in 2013! I look forward to reading many reviews Quote
bree Posted December 27, 2012 Posted December 27, 2012 The Persephone books sounds very intriguing, chesilbeach. I should find out if they are available anywhere here. Wishing you fun with your reading this year Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 27, 2012 Author Posted December 27, 2012 Thanks everyone! Bree, their website has more info, as they do their own mail order direct from the shop. http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/ordering-info/ Quote
vodkafan Posted December 27, 2012 Posted December 27, 2012 I found the Persephone books interesting too Claire. They have a couple of SF titles I want to check out and many others look interesting in other ways. Annoyingly they don't do paperbacks and the e books are not compatible with kindle though. Quote
Ben Posted December 27, 2012 Posted December 27, 2012 Hey, Claire. Your numbers always amaze me, consistently 130+ for four years is incredible; I've never managed to hit 100 in a single year, but I'll do my best to rectify that in the following twelve months. Anyway, happy reading for 2013, subscribed and look forward to reading your thoughts on everything, hope it's a great year for you. Quote
chesilbeach Posted December 28, 2012 Author Posted December 28, 2012 Hey, Claire. Your numbers always amaze me, consistently 130+ for four years is incredible; I've never managed to hit 100 in a single year, but I'll do my best to rectify that in the following twelve months. Anyway, happy reading for 2013, subscribed and look forward to reading your thoughts on everything, hope it's a great year for you. Thanks Ben, and although I keep a record, the numbers really don't bother me. One day I might make the 150 mark, but I don't really care. 2012 was spectacular for me just for getting that TBR down to zero, but it's starting to creep up again already. I want to keep on top of it, but other than that, it'll just be business as usual, and read whatever I fancy! Happy reading in 2013, Claire. Thanks Kylie! Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 6, 2013 Author Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles Book One) by Alyxandra Harvey Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): The Drakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer . . . Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles Book Two) by Alyxandra Harvey Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): It has been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks . . . Review: If it hadn't been in the 12 Days of Kindle sale, I don't think I'd have bothered with the first book in the series, but for 99p I thought I'd give it a go. The action starts within the first few pages, and whips along at a decent pace, and I like the dual narrative switching between Lucy and Solange. It was an interesting take on the vampire theme, with vampires who could not only be created but also born human and effecting a change at the age of 16. I liked the Drake family and how their story developed, so much so that I downloaded the second book and started it immediately after finishing the first. The story in this second book switches to one of the Drake brothers and Isabeau, from another vampire faction. We learn more of the history of the vampire society through flashbacks to Isabeau's human life in eighteenth century Paris and London, and another easy but entertaining read. The story is not groundbreaking, but it's an easy and entertaining read, so unless you're already a fan of YA vampire books, you're really not going to be interested in picking these up. Edited January 6, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 6, 2013 Author Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone - and serendipity, coupled with sheer curiosity, has landed him a new job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead they simply borrow impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he's embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behaviour and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore... Review: This was a good Sunday read. It was nice and easy to follow the story, and had a lot of dialogue which I always feel reads more quickly than description or narration. Clay and his friends use modern computer technology to try and figure out what's happening in the bookstore, and there is a lot of explanation of Google, how and what they do, and the extent of the various developments they are undertaking, plus some other areas including computer languages, models and databases, and for the most part it was successful and believable. Another positive has to be that it's a story about a bookshop, books and readers, so with the added technological elements, what's not to enjoy by someone who virtually lives on an internet book forum?! Now, it wasn't perfect by a long shot. The biggest problem for me was that I didn't connect with the characters, and I always felt apart from Clay himself (who narrates the story in the first person) all the characters seemed very distant and I didn't get to know any of them enough to empathise with them. There's also the problem that despite my comment about the technology, it's bound to date the book almost immediately, as computers and the internet move so fast, within a matter of months this will feel out of date or behind the times. There's also the mystery itself that Clay and his friends try to unravel. I liked the development of it, but all the way through I was worried how it would conclude, as it could have become melodramatic or fantastical, but actually, it almost sort of petered out, and by the end it sort of felt like a bit of a damp squib. There was enough to keep me interested, and some very interesting chapters, and the descriptions of the bookshop make me want to visit it. Not wholly satisfying, but not a bad read for a lazy Sunday. Edited January 6, 2013 by chesilbeach Quote
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