Athena's Reading List 2013

[chesilbeach]

I've read the first in Cassadra Clare's Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Angel and enjoyed it even more than the Mortal Instruments series.  I'm planning to re-read it and get the second and third books for my holiday later in the year.

[Athena]

Sounds good ! I'm glad to hear you liked it.

[Little Pixie]

  

I plan to wait with reading the All Souls Trilogy until all three (I presume it will be three books?) will be out and on my shelves. That's what I usually do with series, because otherwise I forget a bit what it's about. I don't want to be reading too many series at once. I'm glad you liked the first book though, I hope you like the second book if you read it. I might start the series sooner than when the third book is out, will have to see how I feel .

 

Her website still lists it as a trilogy, but no news of the third book`s publication date *sniff*.

 

Lots of goodies on your list - I haven`t tried The Long Earth yet, not sure about reading a non-Discworld book of his ( though I did read an excerpt from it ).   

[frankie]

x

Thanks, I didn't know you didn't like it that much. I hope to enjoy it, will let you know what I think. I love all of her books that I've read so far, I'll be sure to post a review / some thoughts on it when I've read it.

 

I look forward to reading it! And I do hope you enjoy it, I don't gain anything from having people dislike the books I dislike I much rather they liked all the books they read

 

 

xx

Thanks . I suppose I could edit the post on page one to include a list of all my books, would anyone like to see that? If I do it alphabetically it'll be harder to add on later but if I do it chronologically (the start of the list isn't chronologically) it'll be harder for people to find stuff. What do you think?

 

I'm very, very late for this, but I'm still going to comment Of course we went to see people's book lists! The more the better And I see you've now added your books on that one post. Just one question: are those all your books (excluding your children's books and some YA books), or just the ones on your TBR?

 

As for the order, it's your own reading log and you can have your books in whichever order you like Yes, it'll be more difficult for people to see if you have something particular, but for that they can always use the search app on the computer If you find that later on you would prefer to have them in a fully chronological order, or alphabetical order, you can always do it. Yep, it's going to be a lot of work, and it might be the kind of tedious task you're not into. Personally I love arranging lists and books But this is your first year on the forum, right? (I can't believe you haven't been on here for longer, it feels like you have ) Some people set their reading logs a bit differently each year... I know my own log was not even 1% as organized as the current one is

 

 

Not entirely related topic:

I used to have a blog (well, I still have it I presume, but I haven't posted much on it lately), I liked to blog but even though I posted links on facebook, at the time not many people actually looked. I'd get maybe 3 hits on a post. So I kind of felt like, why blog, I might as well write in a diary. However I might like to blog again as I do like to write (as I do here, which I love too), what do you think?

 

I know what you mean about wanting to blog, but like you said, it might feel like not that many people read the blog... At least here I know I will have at least a few people who read my reviews, so for that reason I definitely prefer posting on here. Also, there's a lot more conversation going on over here in one's reading log, it's really interactive, compared to just keeping a blog. Some people do both, and I really admire them for doing that

 

 

George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 1: A Game of Thrones

 

Great review, Athena! When people started raving about these books and the series on here, I felt like I should read the books just so that I don't miss out, and I will know what people are talking about. But now I almost really want to read the books

 me a bit mad, in my opinion it wasn't neccessary to add the violence and nudity into it (the parts that weren't in the book I mean), to me it seems it's done for spectacle's sake, to get more viewers. Anyway..

 

 

Rachel Joyce - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

 

I'm really glad you liked this book! I still having on my TBR. Like you, I think I will really enjoy the descriptions of the British countryside. Maybe you would enjoy Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and/or Mr Rosenblum's List? I will look for the threads for you and edit this post to share them.

 

Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

 

Oh yay, I'm so so happy you enjoyed this one! It's one of my all-time favorites. Such a unique narrative, it was interesting to see what life's like from the point-of-view of someone who has Asperger's/autism. I also think that it's one of those books one can re-read

 

 

Thanks, I'm glad to hear it .

 

Nick Hornby - The Complete Polysyllabic Spree

 

My thoughts: This is Nick Hornby's biography about books, what he's read and bought over the course of several years. I haven't read any novels by him, though a few are on my wishlist (I hope to be buying them sometime). I liked this book and the writing was good. What I liked less was that I didn't know most of the books he talked about, or rather, a lot of the books he read didn't interest me. My favourite part was about David Copperfield, I haven't read that yet but it's on my shelf and I loved to read what he thought of the book. I have to admit I sometimes skimmed through the sections about sports and sports books, because I have no interest in it. All in all it was an entertaining read but I hoped for more writing about books that I know or would be interested in. He read a lot of non-fiction or literary fiction dealing with subjects I'm not so interested in. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Don't get me wrong, it just wasn't as interesting to read as it perhaps would've been if there had been more books that I might've liked. I did add a few books to the wishlist. The book is well written though and I liked the angle of him being an author. During the book he refers to the people at the Believer, for which he writes these columns (the book is made up of these columns), with different numbers and different ways. I could appreciate this humouristic element of the book.

 

Rating: *** (6/10)

 

I know what you mean, it would've been nicer to read about books that one's already read themselves... But I didn't mind not having read many of Hornby's choices before. I added a lot of the books he talked about on my wishlist...

 

 

On another note: I think I've missed it, having not been around that much lately, not very actively at least, but I believe you have by now given your presentation (a long time ago) and have even possibly graduated already?? How are you enjoying your relaxing free time Isn't it nice to read books, knowing that you don't have to read anything for uni ever again

Edited July 25, 2013 by frankie

[willoyd]

Nick Hornby - The Complete Polysyllabic Spree

What I liked less was that I didn't know most of the books he talked about, or rather, a lot of the books he read didn't interest me.

 

I know what you mean, it would've been nicer to read about books that one's already read themselves... But I didn't mind not having read many of Hornby's choices before. I added a lot of the books he talked about on my wishlist...

 

I found it very much the same as you Athena - and I can't say that it inspired me to add many to my wishlist either for, as you say, a lot of the books simply didn't interest me.  To be honest, I don't think I even finished it.  On the other hand, I found Susan Hill's Howard's End is on the Landing far more rewarding - especially when I got to the (sadly, all too brief) chapter entitled Who's Afraid, at which point I just knew that I was reading about someone very much on the same wavelength!

[Athena]

I'm very, very late for this, but I'm still going to comment Of course we went to see people's book lists! The more the better And I see you've now added your books on that one post. Just one question: are those all your books (excluding your children's books and some YA books), or just the ones on your TBR?

x

Those are all my books, though a lot of them are on my TBR. I didn't seperate it into TBR and R (read), I could do that if you're interested though, but can't put it all in one post I think or it would get too confusing.

x

As for the order, it's your own reading log and you can have your books in whichever order you like Yes, it'll be more difficult for people to see if you have something particular, but for that they can always use the search app on the computer If you find that later on you would prefer to have them in a fully chronological order, or alphabetical order, you can always do it. Yep, it's going to be a lot of work, and it might be the kind of tedious task you're not into. Personally I love arranging lists and books But this is your first year on the forum, right? (I can't believe you haven't been on here for longer, it feels like you have ) Some people set their reading logs a bit differently each year... I know my own log was not even 1% as organized as the current one is

x

Ah , I think I'll do it a bit differently next year, at the very least add more posts to the beginning of the thread, before it starts with posts by other people. I love arranging lists and books too! Yep, it's the first year. I joined in January. It does feel like I've been here longer! I'm so happy to have found this forum, the people (including you!) are so wonderful .

x

Great review, Athena! When people started raving about these books and the series on here, I felt like I should read the books just so that I don't miss out, and I will know what people are talking about. But now I almost really want to read the books

 me a bit mad, in my opinion it wasn't neccessary to add the violence and nudity into it (the parts that weren't in the book I mean), to me it seems it's done for spectacle's sake, to get more viewers. Anyway..

x

I fully agree, it seems to be added on just to get more viewers.

x

I'm really glad you liked this book! I still having on my TBR. Like you, I think I will really enjoy the descriptions of the British countryside. Maybe you would enjoy Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and/or Mr Rosenblum's List? I will look for the threads for you and edit this post to share them.

x

Thank you! I've added them to the wishlist .

x

Oh yay, I'm so so happy you enjoyed this one! It's one of my all-time favorites. Such a unique narrative, it was interesting to see what life's like from the point-of-view of someone who has Asperger's/autism. I also think that it's one of those books one can re-read

x

I agree, I could easily see myself re-reading it in a while. It was such a great book. The viewpoint was quite unique, I've read a few other books also written from the point-of-view with someone with autism, wish there were more of them (you might like House Rules by Jodi Picoult).

x

On another note: I think I've missed it, having not been around that much lately, not very actively at least, but I believe you have by now given your presentation (a long time ago) and have even possibly graduated already?? How are you enjoying your relaxing free time Isn't it nice to read books, knowing that you don't have to read anything for uni ever again

x

Yes I gave my presentation about two and a half weeks ago! I don't have my diploma yet, that should happen in August. I'm really enjoying my time off, though I'm still stressed and anxious sometimes. I think it'll take time to get out of my system. I'm also still tired so need more rest. But I'm really enjoying my time off. I've been reading, spending time on the computer, spending time with my boyfriend (ie. going out shopping), watching things. I'm going on holidays in a few weeks so I'm looking forward to that. 

x 

I found it very much the same as you Athena - and I can't say that it inspired me to add many to my wishlist either for, as you say, a lot of the books simply didn't interest me.  To be honest, I don't think I even finished it.  On the other hand, I found Susan Hill's Howard's End is on the Landing far more rewarding - especially when I got to the (sadly, all too brief) chapter entitled Who's Afraid, at which point I just knew that I was reading about someone very much on the same wavelength!

x

I'm glad to hear you felt the same. Howard's End is on the Landing is on my TBR, glad to hear you liked it a lot more! I look forward to reading it sometime not too long from now.

[bobblybear]

A few days ago I downloaded a Kindle free ebook:

Amanda Hocking - The Hollows 1: Hollowland

 

I read that one this year (or maybe it was last year - time seems to fly! ). It was pretty decent for a freebie, especially if you like end-of-the-world books.

[Athena]

I'm glad to hear that !

[Athena]

George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 2: A Clash of Kings

Genre: Fantasy

Format: Paperback

Pages: 741

No synopsis because it's part two of a series.

 

My thoughts: I started to read this book because I recently read A Game of Thrones. I also want to see the second season of the TV show and wanted to read the book first (I've had the Blu-ray for a little while). The letters are quite a bit smaller than in book one, even though they have the same cover design and so on (I really like this cover design, better than the newer covers with the TV stuff on it).

 

This book was really good. It's a great follow-up from the previous book, A Game of Thrones. I didn't like some of the characters, but I loved a lot of the others. There were many good (unexpected) plot twists, though I didn't really like some because I was rooting for certain characters. That though is sometimes a sign that a book is well written.

 

In particular:

 

 

I really like Arya, Bran and Jon. Tyrion is quite funny and I like him a lot more than I like Joffrey and Cersei. Theon is a jerk and I thought Davos was allright. I really didn't expect certain plot twists regarding Renly and Stannis, the battle at King's Landing, and who died, got injured or lived. I was so happy at the end when it turned out Bran was alive!

 

 

Rating: ***** (10/10)

[Athena]

Emily Giffin - Baby Proof

Genre: Chick-lit

Format: Paperback

Pages: 356

Synopsis (GoodReads): First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes....a baby carriage? Isnt that what all women want? Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things seem too good to be true when they fall in love and agree to buck tradition with a satisfying, child-free marriage. Then the unexpected occurs: one of them has a change of heart. One of them wants children after all.

 

My thoughts: I read this book because I wanted something different, easier, shorter to read after reading A Clash of Kings. I bought this book at a book fair for cheap because it sounded good. I didn't actually know much about this author or this book beforehand, so there wasn't much hype surrounding the book.

 

I really liked this book. It was easy to read yet discussed difficult issues. I thought certain things were going to happen that didn't, or the other way around. That was quite good, some of the plot twists were unexpected. The writing was pretty good, easy to read. There were some pretty nice characters in it. I really liked Claudia, but also some of the other side characters were pretty well written (ie. Claudia's sisters and best friend). I didn't care for Claudia's mother, she seemed really annoying to me.

 

One of the things I liked about the book was that it made me think - about children, motherhood and so on. The main character in the book, Claudia, is somewhat surrounded by people with children, ie. a lot of her friends have children. It makes me wonder what it will be like for me, when ie. my siblings have children (assuming that they will, that is. I know they would like to). One of my cousins has two children, and I remember when she had her first one, that my aunt (her mother) said something like, you next. I really don't care for such comments (I'm not sure if she would ever say it again, I don't know, I don't see her that often and I don't feel like we get along well. I feel much closer to my other aunt, my mum's sister, rather than my dad's sister.) Maybe someone will mention children at my wedding, it's possible (I hope to marry my boyfriend in a few years). Anyway, it made me think. Claudia has several different reasons why she doesn't want children and while I agree with all of them, I have some reasons added on top of that (that are even more important to me). Anyway, the book is thought-provoking, for me at least.

 

Rating: **** (8/10)

[Athena]

Delphine de Vigan - No and Me

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Young-Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 246

Synopsis (GoodReads): FLou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend called Lucas, who gets her through the school day. At home her father cries in secret in the bathroom and her mother hasn't been out of the house properly for years. But Lou is about to change her life - and that of her parents - for good, all because of a school project she decides to do about the homeless. Through the project Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the streets. As their friendship grows, Lou cannot bear that No is still on the streets when she goes back home - even if it is to a home that is saddened and desolate. So she asks her parents if No can come to live with them. To her astonishment, her parents - eventually - agree. No's presence forces Lou and her parents to finally face the sadness that has enveloped them. But No has disruptive as well as positive effects. Can this shaky newfound family continue to live together?

 

My thoughts: I read this book because I wanted something short and easy to read. I bought it recently in a book shop. I hadn't heard a lot about it, but the synopsis sounded interesting and the cover is pretty and blue (blue's my favourite colour).

 

This book was quite good. I really liked Lou. She has some quircks, ie. she does certain experiments. She has a different way of thinking than most people I think. I could really identify with her, for the most part. The story is good and well written, though on occasion it's apparent it's a translation. By that I don't mean the fact that it takes place in Paris or the French names. On occasion there was an actual French word in the sentence for example, or the way that a sentence was written, sounded a bit weird. I quite enjoyed reading a book that takes place in France, it's different from where most of the books I read take place. I've been on holidays to France many times in my childhood.

 

Anyway, I liked the book though I thought the ending could've been better. The book seemed to have a few pacing issues, sometimes a lot would happen quickly and sometimes not much would happen for a while. The characters were nice, especially Lou, but I would've liked more detail for certain characters. I thought Lou was well described but some other characters less so (now I understand they're side characters but still).

 

All in all it's a good read.

 

Rating: **** (7/10)

[khanh0702]

Thanks that's very kind of you.

:readingtwo: :readingtwo:

[Athena]

Maeve Binchy - Full House (QuickReads)

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 117

Synopsis (GoodReads): Rosie moved out when she got married, but it didn't work out, so now she is back with her parents. Helen is a teacher and doesn't earn enough for a place of her own. Anthony writes songs and is just waiting for the day when someone will pay him for them. Until then, all three are happy at home. It doesn't cost them anything, and surely their parents like having a full house?

 

Then there is a crisis, and Dee decides things have to change for the whole family... whether they like it or not.

 

My thoughts: I read this book for the read-a-thon. It's part of the QuickReads series, so it has big letters and is easy to read. I thought the subject matter was quite interesting. I've read one/two other books by Maeve Binchy (it was an omnibus) and have to say I liked this book a lot more! This was a great read and well written. The characters were interesting, though I liked some more than others (but that's usually the case).

 

Rating: ***** (9/10)

Edited August 3, 2013 by Athena

[Athena]

Roald Dahl - James and the Giant Peach

Genre: Children's

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Synopsis (GoodReads): James's aunts call him names, beat and starve him and make his life a misery. If only his parents hadn't been eaten by an escaped rhinoceros, he wouldn't be in this mess. But one day he meets a man who gives him a bag of magic crocodile tongues and so begins the adventure of his dreams.

 

My thoughts: I read this book for the read-a-thon. I love Roald Dahl's books, and liked this one as well. The story was really good and the illustrations were beautiful. I really liked most of the characters. I have read this story before, in Dutch, but I didn't remember as much from it as I did from The Witches, Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I think because I didn't read this one as often as I did the other three I mentioned. I liked this book, it was quite good.

 

Rating: **** (8/10)

[Athena]

Nagaru Tanigawa and Noizi Ito - The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi

Genre: Manga

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Synopsis (GoodReads): Boisterous, impulsive Haruhi Suzumiya commands the spotlight wherever she goes! But the SOS Brigade chief wouldn't be any kind of chief at all without a supporting cast of club members to command as well. And there's no one she loves ordering around as much as Kyon! In this collection of short comics and illustrations by various artists, the boys of the SOS Brigade will at last have their moment to shine!

 

My thoughts: I read this book for the read-a-thon. It's an anthology of short stories written and drawn by different authors. I really liked some short stories, they were excellent and seemed to fit in well with the world of Suzumiya. I didn't really care for a few short stories, they confused me or seemed out of place. I didn't make specific notes of each short story and what I thought of them (like I did with State of the Art, in retrospect I could have, some stories were only a few pages so I didn't feel like bothering at the time, it'd take me a lot of time). Recommended if you like Haruhi Suzumiya (though the book focuses mainly on the two guys and their interaction with her).

 

Rating: **** (8/10)

Edited August 3, 2013 by Athena

[Kidsmum]

Delphine de Vigan - No and Me

  Rating: **** (7/10)

 

I read this last year & really enjoyed it

 

Maeve Binchy - Full House (QuickReads)

 Rating: ***** (9/10)

 

I read quite a few of Maeve Binchy's earlier books & enjoyed them at the time but her later books i couldn't get into i don't know if it was because my reading tastes have changed or her stories just became too predictable.

 

Nagaru Tanigawa and Noizi Ito - The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi

Genre: Manga

Rating: **** (8/10)

 

My middle daughter is a big fan of Manga i don't think she's read this one though so i'm sure she'll be interested in your review.

 

Great reviews Athena 

[Athena]

I'm glad to hear you really enjoyed No and Me !

 

Nice to hear about your experiences with Maeve Binchy. The novels I read were The Copper Beech and Evening Class (in one omnibus). I remember one of them having a vicar in it and being a lot about religion, I didn't really enjoy it that much. There were a lot of different characters to keep track of. I have to admit, I don't remember a lot of these two books, I only remember one of the two at the moment .

 

Nice that your daughter likes manga, which ones are her favourites?

 

Thanks for your kind comments .

[Athena]

Anna Sewell - Black Beauty

Genre: Literature

Format: Paperback

Pages: 201

Synopsis (GoodReads): A horse is a horse of course unless of course the horse is Black Beauty. Animal-loving children have been devoted to Black Beauty throughout this century, and no doubt will continue through the next.

Although Anna Sewell's classic paints a clear picture of turn-of-the-century London, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness.

Black Beauty tells the story of the horse's own long and varied life, from a well-born colt in a pleasant meadow to an elegant carriage horse for a gentleman to a painfully overworked cab horse.

Throughout, Sewell rails - in a gentle, 19th-century way - against animal maltreatment. Young readers will follow Black Beauty's fortunes, good and bad, with gentle masters as well as cruel. Children can easily make the leap from horse-human relationships to human-human relationships, and begin to understand how their own consideration of others may be a benefit to all.

 

My thoughts: I read this book for the read-a-thon. I really liked it! They may say it's a children's book but I think I would've found the language difficult. I don't know some terms related to horses, in English, so sometimes had to guess what it really meant. I'm unsure if I would've known these terms in Dutch, either. I'm actually allergic for horses and thus hardly ever go near any. I've never been particularly fond of horses, they frighten me, maybe because I've never been near them. I've had friends who were really into horses, at least when we were children. I've always liked smaller pets, cats and dogs.

 

Anyway, the book was really good! I loved reading about the horse, and the horse's perspective really added to this. I'm glad I enjoyed this book. After the previous classic I read (Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany's) I was a bit hesitant to read another one. I'm glad I did! I learned a lot about horses and how they were treated back then (depending on the people). I even learned some history about the Crimsean War, I'd never heard of this English term (never having encountered it before), so I looked it up (curious to see if there was a Dutch name to match etc). All in all I'd definitely recommend this book, I really enjoyed it.

 

Rating: ***** (9/10)

[Little Pixie]

Aw, I read Black Beauty when I was a little girl and absolutely loved it. I remember reading that it had such an impact on the public that it changed the welfare of horses in the UK.

[pontalba]

I read Black Beauty, many times as a child.  Cried like a baby.   Loved the story.

 

LP, very glad to hear it was instrumental in helping the treatment of horses back then. 

[Kidsmum]

I'm glad to hear you really enjoyed No and Me !

 

Nice to hear about your experiences with Maeve Binchy. The novels I read were The Copper Beech and Evening Class (in one omnibus). I remember one of them having a vicar in it and being a lot about religion, I didn't really enjoy it that much. There were a lot of different characters to keep track of. I have to admit, I don't remember a lot of these two books, I only remember one of the two at the moment .

 

Nice that your daughter likes manga, which ones are her favourites?

 

Thanks for your kind comments .

 

I've  read both The Copper Beech & Evening Class & liked them both,i also liked To Light A Penny Candle & Circle Of Friends . Whitethorn Woods was the last thing i read of hers & i didn't enjoy it all, the story was really predictable & a bit twee.

 

I'm not really up on Manga but i know she likes Deathnote & she watches a lot of Studio Gibley stuff as well, Howls Moving Castle & My Neighbour Totoro, are a couple of her favourites 

[julie]

Athena

 

I also read Black Beauty so long ago that it's a blur .. probably as a kid , lots of books I read then are blurry now ..

 

Regarding Maeve, it's weird, I don't usually go for books like that. ( I call them sappy ) ... I'm not into gushy stuff ,love stories, romance type stories ,birds and flowers and such ... It's all sappy to me, but I also think it's everyone's own business what they read ,so if they like something I don't , it's fine and dandy. I probably read stuff other people don't like .

 

But back to Maeve. Even though her books would be sappy, and also very predictable, I've read almost all of them. I missed the past few but will probably read them at some point . I guess once in awhile it's nice to live in Sappy world, where your brain doesn't have to think very hard ,you know how the story will end, but it's a nice pleasant journey to take to get to the end .

[Kidsmum]

Sappy is a good description of Maeve's books Julie. I guess i was okay with sappy when i was younger but unfortunately it doesn't hit the spot anymore 

 

Athena i never read Black Beauty as a child but i did watch the TV programme sometimes. I seem to remember her father was quite good looking for an older guy 

[~Andrea~]

Ah I loved James and the Giant Peach. I read it when I was little. I think it was the first 'proper' book (i.e. a proper story with chapters) that I read by myself.

 

Black Beauty is also great!

 

Aw, I read Black Beauty when I was a little girl and absolutely loved it. I remember reading that it had such an impact on the public that it changed the welfare of horses in the UK.

 

I didn't know this. How lush!

[Alexi]

I have Black Beauty on my TBR. Another of those books I never got round to reading as a kid! Thanks for your review Athena, I'm looking forward to trying it myself now