Nollaig's 2013 Reading

[Nollaig]

Monthly Lists:

Rating System:
1/5 - Terrible: Just, nope.
2/5 - Poor: Might be something in here for someone, but not for me.
3/5 - Fair: Worth one read, but could have lived without it.
4/5 - Very good: Not a favourite but definitely enjoyed it.
5/5 - Excellent: Flawless, or close enough to it that I enjoyed it momentously.

January:

The Alchemyst // Michael Scott - 4/5
E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Egg At The Earth's Core! // William Joyce - 5/5
The Lost Years of Merlin // T. A. Barron 4/5
Island // Jane Rogers 5/5
Ghost Story // Peter Straub 3.5/5
The Seven Songs of Merlin // T. A. Barron 4/5
A Day Called Hope // Gareth O'Callaghan 4/5
Toothiana, Queen Of The Tooth Fairy Armies // William Joyce 5/5

February:

 

The Fault In Our Stars // John Green 5/5

The Enchanted Places // Christopher Milne 5/5

Winnie The Pooh // A. A. Milne 5/5

Warm Bodies // Isaac Marion 4/5

The Magicians // Lev Grossman 4/5

The New Hunger // Isaac Marion 5/5

 

March:

 

The Shell House // Linda Newbery 5/5

The Magician King // Lev Grossman

Tuesdays With Morrie

[Nollaig]

To Be Read:

(K) denotes Kobo e-books
(G) denotes gift/book voucher books


About A Boy // Nick Hornby
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas // John Boyne
Shadowland // Peter Straub
I Am The Messenger // Markus Zusak
The Illustrated Man // Ray Bradbury
Tuesdays With Morrie // Mitch Albom
The Zombie Survival Guide // Max Brooks
An Abundance Of Katherines // John Green (K)
The Magician King // Lev Grossman
Sophie's World // Jostein Gaarder (K)
The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight In Heaven // Sherman Alexie
World War Z // Max Brooks
Burning Bright // Tracy Chevalier
The Alchemist // Paulo Coelho
The Memory Keeper's Daughter // Kim Edwards
Middlesex // Jeffery Eugenides
The Crimson Petal & The White // Michael Faber
Dracula: Prince Of Many Faces // Radu Florescu
The Beach // Alex Garland
Emotional Geology // Linda Gillard
Star Gazing // Star Gazing
Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow // Peter Hoeg
The Line Of Beauty // Alan Hollinghurst
The Kite Runner // Khaled Housseini
The Swan Thieves // Elizabeth Kostova
Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and The Great Debate About The Nature Of Reality // Manjit Kumar
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo // Stieg Larsson
Love In The Time Of Cholera // Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Her Fearful Symmetry // Audrey Niffeneger
The English Patient // Michael Ondaatje
The Interpretation Of Murder // Jed Rubenfeld
Midnight's Children // Salman Rushdie
Random Acts Of Heroic Love // Danny Scheinmann
A Wedding In December // Anita Shreve
We Need To Talk About Kevin // Lionel Shriver
The Sunday Philosophy Club // Alexander McCall Amith
The Earth Hums In B-Flat // Mari Strachan
The Suspicions Of Mr. Whicher // Kate Summerscale
Mort - Terry Pratchett (G)

Peeps // Scott Westerfeld

Feed // M. T. Anderson

Name Of The Star // Maureen Johnson

Elsewhere // Will Shetterly

[Nollaig]

Wishlist:

The Sandman and the War of Dreams // William Joyce
Heroes Of The Valley // Jonathan Stroud
The Brothers Lionheart // Astrid Lindgren
Jack // A. M. Homes
The Unconsoled // Kazuo Ishiguro
A Pale View Of The Hills // Kazuo Ishiguro
When Santa Fell To Earth // Cornelia Funke
Krampus The Yule Lord // Brom
A Wolf at the Table // Augusten Burroughs
Exquisite Corpse // Poppy Z. Brite
Remarkable Creatures // Tracy Chevalier
Thirteen Reasons Why // Jay Asher
The Painted Man // Peter V. Brett
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
The Childhood of Jesus - J.M Coatzee
The Night Circus
The Tooth Fairy // Graham Joyce
The Wolf Within //Shaun Ellis
Ready Player One // Ernest Cline
Leviathan // Scott Westerfeld
Boneshaker // Cherie Priest

The 100 Year Old Man // Jonas Jonasson

Terry Pratchett // Dodger

The Book Of Christmas // Jane Struthers
Why The Partridge Was In A Pear Tree // Rev. Mark Lawson-Jones

13 Little Blue Envelopes // Maureen Johnson

[Nollaig]

YA Fantasy Series' in 2013:

I'm planning on finally checking out a variety of children's/YA series that I've wanted to read for a while. My plan is to read the first book of each, and continue with any I enjoy. In the process, I'm also hoping to discover little-known authors/series, and I'm also going to look more extensively into Irish authors. And yes, this list contains Harry Potter, I'm making one last sincere attempt to read the books.

Titles in green are read.
Titles in light grey are either unread or unowned.
Series with only one title listed are those whose first books I have not yet tried.
Series with a full title listing are those I intend to proceed with.
Series with one title striked out in red are series whose first book I disliked and which I am discontinuing.


The Wardstone Chronicles // Joseph Delaney
The Spook's Apprentice
The Spook's Curse
The Spook's Secret
The Spook's Battle
The Spook's Mistake
The Spook's Sacrifice
The Spook's Nightmare
The Spook's Destiny
Spook's: I Am Grimalkin
The Spook's Blood
Spook's: Slither's Tale

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel // Michael Scott
The Alchemyst
The Magician
The Sorceress
The Necromancer
The Warlock
The Enchantress

The Guardians Of Childhood // William Joyce
Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King
E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!
Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies
The Sandman and the War of Dreams (Not yet available)

Harry Potter // J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets
Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire
Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix
Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows

[vodkafan]

Hi Noll I have read 6 from your TBR you have laid out so far.

Emotional Geology,

Sophie's World

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The Interpretation Of Murder

 

All very different books! My least favourite was Sophie's World, although it starts off great and I did enjoy the little potted bits of Philosophy.

 

A YA book you might like that I read was Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake. It's a supernatural one but not the usual vampires or zombies. I think I got this one from Lauraloves list.

[Ben]

Hey Noll, best of luck with your 2013 reads, you have some great books waiting on TBR.

 

Khaled Housseini's The Kite Runner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love In The Time Of Cholera are ones that stand out to me. Particularly the latter, which I really enjoyed. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is also well worth the read, although a bit long-winded in places. I also studied The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje at university this year, and that was fantastic.

 

Also, the Artemis Fowl books are one of my favourite childhood series'. Well, enjoy, will follow your thoughts with interest.

[Devi]

Ooooo you have a few books I wouldn't mind reading myself! Happy reading in 2013! I will be checking in on your thread often.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Devi

[Lilywhite]

Some awesome books on there Noll! I look forward to seeing what you think of them.

 

Have you tried reading anything by Jonathan Stroud? I love these books

[Michelle]

I second Jonathan Stroud

 

Added: And not just the Bartimaeus books - I loved Heroes of the Valley.

[Brian.]

I absolutely loved The Kite Runner // Khaled Housseini, its a book I always recommend to people to haven't read it yet.

 

The Beach // Alex Garland - I have this on my TBR so I look forward to reading your thoughts on it if you get round to reading it in 2013.

[Nollaig]

My least favourite was Sophie's World, although it starts off great and I did enjoy the little potted bits of Philosophy.

 

Hi James! Slightly disappointed Sophie's World is your least favourite, as I thought it would be really good (and I know I may yet enjoy it, but I'm glad I'm prepared now for it to not quite meet my expectations!) And I will check out that Kendare Blake book you mentioned.

 

Khaled Housseini's The Kite Runner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love In The Time Of Cholera are ones that stand out to me.

Also, the Artemis Fowl books are one of my favourite childhood series'.

 

Oh good, I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed all of these! And the Artemis series is the one I'm probably most unsure about starting, so it's good to hear from someone who likes it.

 

Happy reading in 2013! I will be checking in on your thread often.

 

Thanks Devi!

 

Have you tried reading anything by Jonathan Stroud? I love these books

 

I second Jonathan Stroud

 

Added: And not just the Bartimaeus books - I loved Heroes of the Valley.

 

Oooh I'd forgotten about him - thanks ladies! I went to wiki before I saw your post, Michelle, and 'Heroes Of The Valley' stood out to me very quickly - I think I may read that first as a taster before trying the Bartimaeus books!

 

The Beach // Alex Garland - I have this on my TBR so I look forward to reading your thoughts on it if you get round to reading it in 2013.

 

I've had it for years, got it for a euro in a charity shop. I loved the film, so I really must get around to the book!

 

Thanks everyone for visiting - I always get so excited about new reading years!

[bobblybear]

Slightly disappointed Sophie's World is your least favourite, as I thought it would be really good (and I know I may yet enjoy it, but I'm glad I'm prepared now for it to not quite meet my expectations!)

 

I've lost count of how many times I've tried to finish that book. It was massively popular maybe 15 years ago, and from the blurb on the back I thought it would be a brilliant read, but I've tried again and again and I can't get past the first quarter of it. I still have a copy on my shelf actually, and maybe I should make a concerted effort in 2013. It's one of those books that I'm sure I will enjoy, if I am in the right frame of mind, which I why I haven't gotten rid of it.

[willoyd]

Have to agree with James about Sophie's Choice: started off well, but found myself getting very bogged down and dissociated with the way it developed, and struggled to finish. But, it was good on the philosophy - some of the explanations made clear things that I had struggled with previously.

[Nollaig]

Wow okay haha nobody seems to be very keen on it! I may have to push it further down the list - it's only an e-copy I have anyway

[frankie]

If you have any suggestions for YA series (fantasy or otherwise) do feel free to post your recommendations!

 

Oh krap, I was going to recommend a book to you, but I only just realised you were looking for series Well I'll recommend it anyway, I hope you don't mind!

 

It's Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren, the famous and well loved children's author from Sweden. Here's the details from Amazon:

 

There's no one Karl Lion loves more than his older brother, Jonathan, who is brave, strong, and handsome - everything Karl believes he is not. Karl never wants to be parted from him. But Karl is sick, and knows he's going to die. To comfort him, Jonathan tells him stories of Nangiyala, the wonderful place he'll be going to when he dies, and where he will wait until Jonathan is ready to join him there. Then the unthinkable happens ...Jonathan is killed in an accident. Heartbroken, Karl longs for the day he'll be reunited with his brother. When the time comes, he finds Nangiyala just as wonderful as he'd imagined. However, Nangiyala is under threat. A cruel tyrant is determined to claim it as his own, and at his command is a terrible beast that is feared throughout the land. Karl must summon all of his courage to help his brother prepare for the battle that lies ahead ...

 

I read the book as a child, and that's probably why I hold it so dear and close to my heart, but I've also read it as an adult and the story never gets old. It's fabulous It's very well known and widely read in the Nordic countries, I think, but I don't know how well known it is internationally.

 

The Long-Term TBR:

Middlesex // Jeffery Eugenides

Emotional Geology // Linda Gillard

 

You are in for a real treat with these books, I really hope you enjoy them!

 

The Interpretation Of Murder // Jed Rubenfeld

We Need To Talk About Kevin // Lionel Shriver

The Suspicions Of Mr. Whicher // Kate Summerscale

 

I also have these on my TBR, if you get to them before I do, I'm very much looking forward to your thoughts on them!

 

Hi James! Slightly disappointed Sophie's World is your least favourite, as I thought it would be really good (and I know I may yet enjoy it, but I'm glad I'm prepared now for it to not quite meet my expectations!)

 

I've lost count of how many times I've tried to finish that book. It was massively popular maybe 15 years ago, and from the blurb on the back I thought it would be a brilliant read, but I've tried again and again and I can't get past the first quarter of it. I still have a copy on my shelf actually, and maybe I should make a concerted effort in 2013. It's one of those books that I'm sure I will enjoy, if I am in the right frame of mind, which I why I haven't gotten rid of it.

 

Wow okay haha nobody seems to be very keen on it! I may have to push it further down the list - it's only an e-copy I have anyway

 

I remember the time when this book was the book to read. I borrowed it from the library and found Sophie interesting and what happened to her (I don't want to say more about that in case of spoilers), but I found the philosophy bits boring and skipped them. Then I just gave up on the book because I started to find it boring. However, one of my friends read it at the same time and really loved it, and said I was silly to skip the philosophy bits as they were essential to the story, or something like that.

 

Anyhow, what I want to say is that I know people have loved the book, and I've bought a copy of it and am planning to read it some day. I just think that it's one of those books that you need to read when you are in a very special mood; a mood that fits the book. Don't give up on reading it some day, I think it really has the potential to be great I'm optimistic about it myself!

 

Have a great reading year in 2013!

[Nollaig]

 

It's Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren, the famous and well loved children's author from Sweden.

 

 

No worries, individual books are just as welcome! I'll add it to my wishlist, it sounds great. Thanks

[frankie]

You are very welcome! Only happy to spread the word Can't wait to hear what you think of it if/when you get to reading it

[Nollaig]

I'll definitely let you know when I do!

[chaliepud]

The Kite Runner and Her Fearful Symmetry are two of my favourite books from the last couple of years and you have what looks like some more great books on your TBR pile, hope you have a fantastic reading year in 2013.

[Nollaig]

The Kite Runner and Her Fearful Symmetry are two of my favourite books from the last couple of years and you have what looks like some more great books on your TBR pile, hope you have a fantastic reading year in 2013.

 

Oh cool, thanks for that! A lot of people I spoke to were less than impressed with Her Fearful Symmetry, so I'm glad to hear someone liked it!

[bobblybear]

Oh cool, thanks for that! A lot of people I spoke to were less than impressed with Her Fearful Symmetry, so I'm glad to hear someone liked it!

 

I enjoyed it a lot too, probably as much as I liked The Time Traveler's Wife (if you can even compare the two). I found it quite disturbing, but a compelling read.

[bree]

Happy reading Nolliag

 

I'll be particularly looking out for your thoughts on Rushdie (I saw him on your TBR).

I tried The Moor's Last Sigh years ago - didn't understand anything - and gave up pretty soon.

Have been thinking of picking up another of his books sometime this year - and would love to know how you found Midnight's Children

[Nollaig]

I tried The Moor's Last Sigh years ago - didn't understand anything - and gave up pretty soon.

Have been thinking of picking up another of his books sometime this year - and would love to know how you found Midnight's Children

 

I picked it up soley because it was a cheap second hand copy and I had seen his name around the place - it looks like quite a daunting read and I doubt I'll be getting it to for quite some time! But if I do, I'll definitely post about it here whether I like it or not!

[chaliepud]

I enjoyed it a lot too, probably as much as I liked The Time Traveler's Wife (if you can even compare the two). I found it quite disturbing, but a compelling read.

 

Good to hear there's two of use who liked it BB! Definitely disturbing, I felt very odd for a while after but thought it brilliant that written words could have that effect on me!!

[Nollaig]

I like that people are calling it disturbing! I like disturbing! Is that bad?