Bobblybear's Book List - 2014

[bobblybear]

The Legacy of Heorot - Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes

 

Ooh, this was a brilliant book.   The story is centered around a group of colonists who have been sent to an island on Avalon, a planet that has taken them approximately 100 years to reach.  They are mostly reknowned scientists, and have been tasked with determining if human life can survive on Avalon. However, due to the effects of such an extended Hyper-Sleep, they have lost a great deal of their intellectual capacity. In fact, some haven’t woken at all.

 

Among these colonists is Cadmann Leyland, who is sort of the odd-man-out, as he isn’t a scientist, but rather he is in charge of security. From the start, he has an uneasy feeling about Avalon, and senses something is off about the islands ecology.

 

For the first few months things are peaceful as the colonists start to settle into their new home. Their only fellow inhabitants are fish – called samlon – and some large birds. The colonists have brought over cows and chickens, and are planting their own crops, and all seems to be going nicely. Then something begins to hunt their animals and cause damage to their camp.

 

I thought the story was told brilliantly. It was real edge-of-your seat material. There weren’t any concepts that were difficult to grasp, and it wasn’t heavy on the sci-fi; instead it was more of a story of survival. The ‘enemy’ is very well developed and detailed, with a great explanation about their life-cycle and biology in a way that seems believable. The chapters told from their point of view added an extra level of interest.

 

I thought I’d reached the climax of the story about half way through, and couldn’t figure out why there was so much of the book remaining. Then when all is revealed and you realise things weren't as simple as originally thought........it’s such a great moment!

 

There is a sequel, which I bought a few days ago. Hopefully it is just as good as this one.

 

Hugely recommended!!

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton

The book starts with the main character – Grace –fighting her way out from her paralyzed body. From that point, she narrates the story as an outsider, watching events take place around her.

Grace has been injured in a fire at her childrens’ school. Her daughter, Jenny, was trapped in one of the buildings; Grace fought her way in to rescue her, but was badly injured in the process. Jenny is also in hospital, and similarly to Grace, has managed to escape her body, and together they try to piece together what happened, as they watch their family attempting to cope.

It’s told in an interesting way, similar to The Lovely Bones, with the difference that Grace and her daughter aren’t dead. They are in hospital in a coma, but their consciousnesses roam free to tell the story.

Grace is the narrator, and the book is written as though she is telling the story to her husband (ie. “You sat by my bedside…” and “I watched you visit Jenny….” ). I found this to be an original method, but it could get quite distracting and occasionally it took me out of the story, as I tried to work out who she was talking about. Still, that's only a very minor quibble.

The story itself was very interesting, and it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened. It’s a gentle thriller – if it can be described as such – with many surprises and twists, and things not being what they seem. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the story – almost one twist too many - but it was certainly an entertaining read. I’d like to read Lupton’s other book – Sister – at some point, as it seems to be of the same genre.

5/6

[bobblybear]

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams

This was a quirky read. I’ve only ever read The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy once, so can’t claim to be overly familiar with Douglas Adams, but it did strike me as his usual style.

I found the plot very confusing, and on reading Wikipedia I guess I must have been more distracted than I thought, because there were so many things I missed.

Briefly, it involves time-travel, a multitude of odd characters, many plot lines, and some alien beings.

Sorry for the crap review, but my brain was on holiday while I read this one.

 

2/6

[bobblybear]

The Misremembered Man - Christina McKenna

This is set in Ireland in the 1970s. We are introduced to Jamie, a 40 year old farmer, who is very lonely and finding little to carry on for. He has recently lost his only remaining family member (his adoptive father), which has driven him into a deeper state of depression. He has always been an outsider looking in, a lot of which is explained by his childhood. His only two friends encourage him to meet a woman in a Lonely Hearts column, with the hopes that it will finally bring some happiness into his life.

 

The other main character is Lydia, also in her 40s, and in a similar situation as Jamie. She has been so busy looking after her eldery mother, that life has just passed her by. When she receives an invitation to an old friends wedding, and is told to bring 'a partner', it spurs her into making some changes to her life. Her only friend suggests that she take an ad out in the Lonely Hearts column, and it’s no surprise what happens next.

 

There are some gently humorous moments, and you really feel for the characters and want them to find some sort of happiness in their lives, as they are decent people who just haven’t had a fair shot. It's a sweet story, with some interesting twists and turns to it, with the characters of Jamie and Lydia being well written and enjoyable to follow.

 

Recommended.

 

4/6
 

[frankie]

Well look who's been busy writing reviews this morning, well done you!  
 
 

I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Although it was humorous in some places, it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. I thought it was too short as well (especially for the price they are charging).

 

That's a real shame, as I think the majority of the people who I know have read it really thought it was funny. But to each their own!

 

Yeah, it's a shame because I really thought I would like it and I'd heard so many positive reviews about it and known people who raved about it. Many people who gave it low ratings on Amazon said the same I did - that it's confusing to keep up with the multiple timelines and flashbacks - and half the time I just had no idea what was going on. I'd push it further down the TBR list, especially if you have others that you are sure you'd like better.  The unfortunate thing about it is that it starts so promisingly. It has a brilliant opening chapter, and by the time you realise that you have no idea what is going on, you are about a third of the way through, so you have the dilemna of 'Do I give up?' or 'Do I carry on?' 

 

Well, as it happens, the book is somewhere deep on a bookshelf... My bookcase manages three rows of books on a shelf and it might be somewhere in one of the furthest rows at the back, next to the wall  

 

I hate it when a book starts out great and then it either hits a plateau or goes berserk, and while you're trucking on like a good soldier, you wonder if it's going to be worth it. And when you've finished and realize it wasn't... Makes you want to light a fire... with a book...

 

Pontalba and I have mentioned a few times that we have differing views on many books. Books I loved, she hated, and vice versa (The Crimson Petal and the White, World War Z, and Wolf Hall are the ones I remember). But there are others that we both enjoy, like The Martian, and another one mentioned recently that I can't recall.

 
 Oh yeah, it was pontalba and you How convenient, to know that if the other person's liked a book, there's no use for you to go and buy that particular one and read it. Saves you money! Although, of course you have to buy every book that pontalba loaths... So it evens it out in the end.


 

Picture Perfect - Jodi Picoult

The book opens with Cassie Barrett slumped against a gravestone, seemingly dead. Actually, she’s alive but suffering from amnesia, and a few physical injuries. Outside of the cemetery the first person she sees is a police officer who takes her to the police station.
 
Soon she is identified as the wife of Hollywood mega-star, Alex Rivers. Cassie has no memory of what led to her amnesia and goes home with Alex in the hopes that it will trigger memories. However, soon it appears that their marriage isn’t the happy one that everyone assumes it to be, for Alex has terrible temper and jealous streak.
 
The first half of the book was interesting, as it developed the two main characters - Cassie and Alex. It gave a background to their lives - from childhood - and how they eventually met, and the first years of their marriage. Unfortunately the second half seemed to take a very different direction and it almost seemed like I was reading a separate novel. I did struggle with the last part of the book, and the ending was quite weak and felt rushed, like it was done to quickly end the novel. It was also somewhat predictable.
 
It is typical of Picoult to tackle morally ambiguous situations, or rather to made a black and white situation seem morally ambiguous, and that is what I look forward to in her books. This one is no different, and you can see things from both characters point of view, but I still wanted to slap Cassie and tell her to wake up. Not one of Picoult's best, but still worth a read.
 
3/6

 
 It sounds like such an interesting story, I'm sorry it ended up going off on a strange tangent. I've read one book by Picoult and she has such talent to write about those difficult issues. I might still give the book a go. 

 

Night Walking – Sarah Moss
 
I gave up on this book very soon after starting it; I don’t think I made it through even a quarter of it. I disliked the main character so much and the way the story was told through her eyes, so had to drop it in favour of so many others on my TBR that are patiently waiting to be read.
 
Now, the premise itself sounds interesting. Anna (and her two young children) has followed her husband to a lone island in the Hebrides in order for him to do his job, which involves studying puffins. Anna is an insomniac, and is in the process of writing a book. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to be doing a whole lot except for having very unpleasant thoughts about her youngest (Moth – what kind of rubbish name is that?), and constant disagreements with her husband. Then there is her 7 year old son -  named Raphael – who is obsessed with death and misery, and is constantly rattling off silly morbid statements that were tedious from the start.
 
Anna finds the skeleton of a baby in their garden, and this sets off events that I can’t tell you about because I didn’t get that far.   I disliked the woman and felt uncomfortable reading about her thoughts of harming her baby. Just ugh.
 
1/6

 
 

I'm sorry but I couldn't help but laugh out loud when reading this review! Sometimes the ranty reviews are the best. I hope it felt good to write about the pitfalls of the novel?   And yeah, who names their child Moth?  

 

Like you said, the premise sounds interesting. And the rest of it sounds so crappy that I'm almost tempted to try and read it for the hell of it! 

 

 

Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton

The book starts with the main character – Grace –fighting her way out from her paralyzed body. From that point, she narrates the story as an outsider, watching events take place around her.
Grace has been injured in a fire at her childrens’ school. Her daughter, Jenny, was trapped in one of the buildings; Grace fought her way in to rescue her, but was badly injured in the process. Jenny is also in hospital, and similarly to Grace, has managed to escape her body, and together they try to piece together what happened, as they watch their family attempting to cope.
It’s told in an interesting way, similar to The Lovely Bones, with the difference that Grace and her daughter aren’t dead. They are in hospital in a coma, but their consciousnesses roam free to tell the story.
Grace is the narrator, and the book is written as though she is telling the story to her husband (ie. “You sat by my bedside…” and “I watched you visit Jenny….” ). I found this to be an original method, but it could get quite distracting and occasionally it took me out of the story, as I tried to work out who she was talking about. Still, that's only a very minor quibble.
The story itself was very interesting, and it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened. It’s a gentle thriller – if it can be described as such – with many surprises and twists, and things not being what they seem. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the story – almost one twist too many - but it was certainly an entertaining read. I’d like to read Lupton’s other book – Sister – at some point, as it seems to be of the same genre.

5/6

 
 Great review! I'm sure you'll enjoy Sister, too! I think I really need to read this book this year, I like me some great thrillers. 

 

The Misremembered Man - Christina McKenna

This is set in Ireland in the 1970s. We are introduced to Jamie, a 40 year old farmer, who is very lonely and finding little to carry on for. He has recently lost his only remaining family member (his adoptive father), which has driven him into a deeper state of depression. He has always been an outsider looking in, a lot of which is explained by his childhood. His only two friends encourage him to meet a woman in a Lonely Hearts column, with the hopes that it will finally bring some happiness into his life.
 
The other main character is Lydia, also in her 40s, and in a similar situation as Jamie. She has been so busy looking after her eldery mother, that life has just passed her by. When she receives an invitation to an old friends wedding, and is told to bring 'a partner', it spurs her into making some changes to her life. Her only friend suggests that she take an ad out in the Lonely Hearts column, and it’s no surprise what happens next.
 
There are some gently humorous moments, and you really feel for the characters and want them to find some sort of happiness in their lives, as they are decent people who just haven’t had a fair shot. It's a sweet story, with some interesting twists and turns to it, with the characters of Jamie and Lydia being well written and enjoyable to follow.
 
Recommended.
 
4/6

 

I already have this one on my wishlist but it was great to read your review and remind myself what the book is about. It's a darn good thing, too, because for some reason I remembered the book being a thriller... If I'd just gone for the novel with that idea in my mind, I would've probably been confused and disappointed! 

[Nollaig]

I really like the sound of The Misremembered Man, even if my nationality makes me a little biased >_> Definitely going on my wishlist!

[pontalba]

Great reviews, BB!

 

 

Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton

The book starts with the main character – Grace –fighting her way out from her paralyzed body. From that point, she narrates the story as an outsider, watching events take place around her.

Grace has been injured in a fire at her childrens’ school. Her daughter, Jenny, was trapped in one of the buildings; Grace fought her way in to rescue her, but was badly injured in the process. Jenny is also in hospital, and similarly to Grace, has managed to escape her body, and together they try to piece together what happened, as they watch their family attempting to cope.

It’s told in an interesting way, similar to The Lovely Bones, with the difference that Grace and her daughter aren’t dead. They are in hospital in a coma, but their consciousnesses roam free to tell the story.

Grace is the narrator, and the book is written as though she is telling the story to her husband (ie. “You sat by my bedside…” and “I watched you visit Jenny….” ). I found this to be an original method, but it could get quite distracting and occasionally it took me out of the story, as I tried to work out who she was talking about. Still, that's only a very minor quibble.

The story itself was very interesting, and it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened. It’s a gentle thriller – if it can be described as such – with many surprises and twists, and things not being what they seem. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the story – almost one twist too many - but it was certainly an entertaining read. I’d like to read Lupton’s other book – Sister – at some point, as it seems to be of the same genre.

5/6

 

 

I really enjoyed Lupton's books, both of them.  I read this one ^^^^^ second and while I really liked it, I have to say that the other one Sister, really was more of a "thriller" type.  As I recall at any rate.  The ending was excellently done.

[bobblybear]

Well look who's been busy writing reviews this morning, well done you!

Two to go! Hopefully I'll be finished tonight.

 

I'm sorry but I couldn't help but laugh out loud when reading this review! Sometimes the ranty reviews are the best. I hope it felt good to write about the pitfalls of the novel?   And yeah, who names their child Moth?

 

Yeah, it always feels good to vent. I looked at some of the Amazon reviews and apparently Moth is short for Timothy. Still stupid if you ask me.  

 

 

Great review! I'm sure you'll enjoy Sister, too! I think I really need to read this book this year, I like me some great thrillers.

Thanks. I'm sure I will enjoy it, as Afterwards was very well written in addition to having a good story. I love a good thriller too, especially when you can't see how it will end.

 

 

I really like the sound of The Misremembered Man, even if my nationality makes me a little biased >_> Definitely going on my wishlist!

It's a good read, Nollaig. Hope you enjoy it.    It's set in a fictional town in County Derry which is where the author was born.

 

 

Great reviews, BB!

 

I really enjoyed Lupton's books, both of them.  I read this one ^^^^^ second and while I really liked it, I have to say that the other one Sister, really was more of a "thriller" type.  As I recall at any rate.  The ending was excellently done.

Thanks.   Hey, that's a book we agree on.   I skimmed over the reviews on Amazon (of Sister), and it does seem to be described as very spooky and a thriller, so I may possibly enjoy it more than Afterwards. Just noticed that the two covers are quite similar - both show a girl wearing bright red clothing walking away, against a white/grey backdrop. I guess the author/publisher like the colour red.

[bobblybear]

Requiem - Ken McClure

 

The book opens with a rather gory operation, where a woman – Greta Marsh - with significant facial deformities is undergoing pioneering surgery to correct them. Mid-surgery, the head doctor collapses and dies, leaving his assistant to carry on. Greta Marsh is subsequently released from hospital, seemingly 'cured', but there is a lot of speculation and suspicion about what went on in the operation theatre.

 

James Kincaid is a journalist who has a cynical and negative view of the heath service, based on experiences relating to his young daughter. He catches wind of the Greta Marsh story, and begins to dig into it to find out the truth. He suspects that there is some kind of coverup, and that the investment into a new automated prescription system is behind it all.

 

This was a fast-paced, and pretty interested medical thriller. It was very detailed – the author is a medical scientist – but not to the point of disrupting the flow of the story. There are many plot twists, some of which are far-fetched, but it’s still above par as far as thrillers go.

 

The Kindle version had a few formatting errors, such as missing apostrophes, but it’s still readable.

 

3/6

[pontalba]

There seems to be a movie in the offing..... http://www.thewrap.com/emily-blunt-psychological-thriller-sister/

[pontalba]

Requiem - Ken McClure

 

The book opens with a rather gory operation, where a woman – Greta Marsh - with significant facial deformities is undergoing pioneering surgery to correct them. Mid-surgery, the head doctor collapses and dies, leaving his assistant to carry on. Greta Marsh is subsequently released from hospital, seemingly 'cured', but there is a lot of speculation and suspicion about what went on in the operation theatre.

 

James Kincaid is a journalist who has a cynical and negative view of the heath service, based on experiences relating to his young daughter. He catches wind of the Greta Marsh story, and begins to dig into it to find out the truth. He suspects that there is some kind of coverup, and that the investment into a new automated prescription system is behind it all.

 

This was a fast-paced, and pretty interested medical thriller. It was very detailed – the author is a medical scientist – but not to the point of disrupting the flow of the story. There are many plot twists, some of which are far-fetched, but it’s still above par as far as thrillers go.

 

The Kindle version had a few formatting errors, such as missing apostrophes, but it’s still readable.

 

3/6

 

Sounds good, I'm intrigued.

 

If you like medically (sorta) books, you might try Beat the Reaper and Wild Thing by Josh Bazell.  He is a doctor in NYC, and the books are very off beat.

[bobblybear]

Oh goodo, I will be sure to read it before the movie is out. I didn't read the article in full (I stopped once they mentioned the storyline), but I like Emily Blunt as an actress.

[pontalba]

Sorry, don't mean to inundate your thread, but I just was googling about and found Lupton has another book coming out, sometime... http://www.rosamundlupton.com/

Looks very interesting.

[bobblybear]

Inundate all you like.

 

Looks like it's another thriller type story. Coming out in July 2015 - not long to wait.

[frankie]

Two to go! Hopefully I'll be finished tonight.

One to go now!

 

 

Yeah, it always feels good to vent. I looked at some of the Amazon reviews and apparently Moth is short for Timothy. Still stupid if you ask me.

Bleh! Okay so it comes from the spelling, but c'mon... When you say 'Timothy', the 'moth' doesn't sound like a moth at all! It would make more sense to call him Myth, which isn't exactly what it sounds like but a helluva lot closer.... And I'm sure the poor kid would like it better to be a Myth than a Moth...!! Hey, how about calling him Tim?!  

 

 

Sorry, don't mean to inundate your thread, but I just was googling about and found Lupton has another book coming out, sometime... http://www.rosamundlupton.com/

Looks very interesting.

Hey, that's cool! Adding to wishlist... 

[bobblybear]

Finally, my last review of 2014.
 
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

I’m sure everyone has heard of Wuthering Heights and the majority of people seem to have read it. Set in an isolated landscape of Yorkshire, Wuthering Heights is the household in which a large portion of the story takes place.

 

The bulk of the story is told by a housekeeper, Nelly, to a guest at one of Heathcliff's cottages. Nelly had grown up in the Earnshaw household for many years, where her mother was a servant, and so is very familiar with all the events that happened at and around Wuthering Heights.

 

The story follows the relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and her adopted brother Heathcliff, from their childhood (when he was brought home as a young boy, rather unexpectedly by her father), to approximately 30 years later (if I have the timescales right). It’s usually touted as a dark and tormented love story, and that’s basically all I knew about it before I started. At it’s core, it is a book about the complex relationships between the various characters, with substantial doses of hatred and revenge in the mix.

 

For the most part I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away by it. I disliked most of the characters, which I think is why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. That’s not to say that I don’t like reading about unpleasant characters, but you have to have some form of common ground to relate to them – or at least I do. I also founds the names and relationships a bit confusing, and even towards the end of the book I had to stop and really think about which character I was reading about.

 

I’m glad I read it, but it’s not one I would read again.

 

3/6

[Athena]

Woohoo for finishing your last review of 2014 ! Well done . I'm glad you liked the book though it's a shame you didn't love it.

[bobblybear]

Thanks, Athena. I must try to not get so behind this year.

[pontalba]

Good review, BB.  Although I hated Wuthering Heights.....    

 

Only three books I can remember off hand that I gritted my teeth to finish.  Wuthering Heights, East of Eden, and Catcher in the Rye.  I finished, but by the hardest!!!

[bobblybear]

Thanks, pontalba.

 

I didn't mind The Catcher In The Rye, and I haven't read East of Eden (though I loved The Grapes of Wrath). These days, if I struggle that much with a book, I just have to give up.

[pontalba]

I hardly ever keep reading something I truly dislike anymore, either.  Just isn't enough time in the world.  

I have to have a specific reason for doing so....../sigh/    But now, I've tried at least 3 or 4 Steinbeck novels, although not Grapes of Wrath.....couldn't stand any of them.  Maybe I'll give that one a try. /more sighs/

[Kylie]

It always surprises me when I see you disliking Steinbeck, Pont, but I don't why, exactly! Maybe because I consider him the 'great American novelist'. He's such a vivid writer, and I like to think he captures America and the spirit of its people beautifully. It's been a few years now since I read The Grapes of Wrath, but it's still so fresh in my memory. That almost never happens to me!

 

I guess, given your reading tastes, it just seems like you should like him!   No one's perfect, I guess. (Except me, of course.) 

[Karsa Orlong]

No one's perfect, I guess. (Except me, of course.) 

 

    Er, I mean, yes, yes, of course.   

 

I've only read East of Eden and I loved it.  Should read some more, I suppose.

[Nollaig]

I've only read Of Mice And Men, because that was on the curriculum when I was in my final two years of secondary school. I think I thought it was okay, but it didn't compel me to read anything else by him.

[Kylie]

yes, yes, of course.

Thank you for agreeing with me.