shelley.s Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Previous years reading lists: 2013 ~ 30 books read Target was 35 Target for 2014 is 35 books 2014: January: Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard 4/5 The Vintage Club by Darin Gibby 4/5 The Elites by Natasha Ngan 3/5 February: The Windup bird chronicals by Haruki Murakami 4/5 March: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs The Iron King by Julie Kagawa April: The Uninvited by Liz Jensen 5/5 May: Benjamin Dove by Fridrick Erlings 3/5 June: July: August: September: October: November: December: Edited May 13, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted December 30, 2013 Author Share Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Wish list (carried on from 2013) Clementine by Cherie PriestDreadnought by Cherie PriestGanymede by Cherie PriestA Bridge of Birds by Barry HughartICO by Miyuki MiyabeClay by David AlmondAnother little piece by Karyus QuinnThe wind up bird chronicle by Haruki MurakamiThe Pox Party by M. T. AndersonThe Dove Keepers by Alice HoffmanThe Three Stigmata of Palma Eldritch by Philip K Dick Pantomime by Laura Lamb Stung by Bethany Wiggins Reboot by Amy Tintera The Uninvited by Liz Jenson The Glimpse by Clare Merle Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting The Host by Stephanie Meyer Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor Hollow City by Ransom Riggs Forgotten by Cat Patrick Alt.Human by Keith Brook Wax Dragon by Scott Wyatt Inhuman by Kat Falls The Elites by Natasha Ngan Whats Left of Me by Kat Zhang Shadows by Robin McKinley Project Cain by Jeoffrey Girard Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter 3.59 by Gretchen McNeil A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence Added in 2014 Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Edited May 7, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 (edited) I received the following books for Christmas so i'll be reading these in the near future: Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard ~ (Read) Iron King by Julia Kagawa ~ (Read) The wind-up bird chronical by Haruki Murakami ~ (read) The Elites by Natasha Ngan ~ (Read) I also had a thud through the letter box today, turns out i won another give away (from goodreads this time) its a signed edition of The Vintage Club by Darin Gibby Its not actually something id normally read and i had no idea id even won anything, it just arrived so that was a nice surprise for the start of 2014, looking forward to something new to see the year in! Edited May 7, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard 4/5 About the book Project Cain Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson learns that not only was he cloned from infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's blood as part of a top-secret government experiment, but there are other clones like him and he is the only one who can track them down before it is too late. My Thoughts So this is my first book and first review of the year and wow is it off to a good start! There is so much to say about this book, the idea is insane but well thought out, the author backs up his ideas with evidence of previous American conspiracy theories, its horrifying to read yet it could also be so close to hidden truths. The book also contains a ton of very interesting information on some of the most violent convicted serial killers, some of this information can be a bit tough to swallow, whilst the book has an age of limit 14yrs+ i really think it should be 16+ whilst its not actually graphic at any point in the book it does touch on subjects I wouldn't have been allowed to read about at 14. Whilst i really enjoyed this book and was totally gripped by the pictures and info of the serial killers and the story line I have to admit I found no qualities or dimensions to the main character at all, I get that he was a 15 year old boy but seriously I cant bare it when an author uses WTF or YOLO or 'gonna' its just annoying to see that in a novel, its not a txt message. Jeff, the main character personally for me doesn't have many qualities, he has moments where I think he shines, like the dreams and figuring out his dads notes but other than that he spends a lot of time moaning. The book couldnt have been without him as he literally carries it but he really ought to have been much more built up, more three dimensional and stronger. All in all though its totally worth the read. This author is crazy but good! Edited January 16, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) The Vintage Club by Darin Gibby ~ 4/5 About the book Can wine really make you live forever? Yes, if the grapes are an ancient varietal---or so the members of the Vintage Club believe. Made up of some of the world’s wealthiest industrial magnates, the club conducts secret scientific research to discover what has eluded humans throughout history: the elixir of life. Their quest hits a snag when scientist Walter Trudell is murdered. The prime murder suspect is his godson Reggie Alexander, a patent attorney whom Trudell once saved from a life of poverty in northeast Washington, D.C. As soon as news of the murder spreads, Reggie goes into hiding---soon after his wife and son disappear.After being chased by mysterious assailants, beaten unconscious, and planted with a bug, Reggie must come to grips with his own private demons while figuring out how to save his family. The Vintage Club is a thriller that both explores the ancient Christian symbolism of wine and imagines ways that modern nanotechnology could be used to discover the fountain of youth My Thoughts A brilliant first novel by Darin Gibby. I was gripped all the way through. The story line is really original, like Dan Brown, Darin explores the possibilities of hidden codes in the bible, this being that wine could unlock an elixir for eternal life. Its really fast moving and there's no pointless chapters to pad it out, each chapter adds something to the story. The characters are three dimensional and believable and the book is very well written. Whilst the plot sounds a little bizarre, its so well told its almost realistic. I really enjoyed it! Edited January 16, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 The Elites by Natasha Ngan ~ 3/5 About the book (Amazon) 'There is a rumour that the Elites don't bleed.' Hundreds of years into the future, wars, riots, resource crises and rising sea-levels have destroyed the old civilisations. Only one city has survived: Neo-Babel, a city full of cultures - and racial tension. Fifteen-year-old Silver is an Elite, a citizen of Neo-Babel chosen to guard the city due to her superior DNA. She'd never dream of leaving - but then she fails to prevent the assassination of Neo Babel's president, setting off a chain of events more shocking and devastating than she could ever have imagined. Forced to flee the city with her best friend Butterfly (a boy with genetically-enhanced wings), Silver will have to fight to find her family, uncover the truth about Neo-Babel and come to terms with her complicated feelings for Butterfly. Packed full of adventure, romance, exoticism and the power of friendship, The Elites is a highly compelling and beautifully written novel from a supremely talented debut author. My Thoughts. The blurb of this book promised so much but sadly it fell quite a bit short of my expectations. On Amazon out of 22 reviews 19 rated it a 5* so I thought I was in for a real treat. Whilst the plot of the story was good it was still quite main stream and unoriginal so the book was always going to need outstanding characterization and scene setting, neither of which occurred. The book was too short to pull off the amount of stuff that was crammed into it, lots of characters barely described even when they are supposed to be pulling off a heart felt role, the two main characters Silver and Butterfly's relationship didn't feel very realistic or evoke any sort of emotion really. I also had trouble imagining Neo, I still have no idea what the 'skylungs' where supposed to look like? Its an ok read, easy to get through, nothing needs to be particularly thought about but others seem to disagree and really enjoyed it so it may just be that I set my expectations too high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Shelley Sorry you didn't enjoy the last book very much . I usually pay a lot of attention to the star ratings on Amazon too, so if it gets lots of 5 star ratings, I'm more likely to buy it . Better luck next time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 It wasn't terrible by far but it was just mediocre, i was indifferent over picking it up where as normally i cant wait to sit down and read. I don't think i'll pick up another one by the same author unfortunately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I hope your next read will be better ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Im reading The Windup bird chronicles at the moment, so far so good, its odd though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I see you have The Dove Keepers by Alice Hoffman on your list. I picked up a copy of that last year. It might be one I will try and read this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Eeesh The Elites doesn't sound much cop. I also pay attention to Amazon ratings, but I make sure to check out the criticisms of the 1 and 2 star ratings to get an idea of what I might be in for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard 4/5 About the book Project Cain Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson learns that not only was he cloned from infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's blood as part of a top-secret government experiment, but there are other clones like him and he is the only one who can track them down before it is too late.[/size] My Thoughts[/size] So this is my first book and first review of the year and wow is it off to a good start! There is so much to say about this book, the idea is insane but well thought out, the author backs up his ideas with evidence of previous American conspiracy theories, its horrifying to read yet it could also be so close to hidden truths. The book also contains a ton of very interesting information on some of the most violent convicted serial killers, some of this information can be a bit tough to swallow, whilst the book has an age of limit 14yrs+ i really think it should be 16+ whilst its not actually graphic at any point in the book it does touch on subjects I wouldn't have been allowed to read about at 14. Whilst i really enjoyed this book and was totally gripped by the pictures and info of the serial killers and the story line I have to admit I found no qualities or dimensions to the main character at all, I get that he was a 15 year old boy but seriously I cant bare it when an author uses WTF or YOLO or 'gonna' its just annoying to see that in a novel, its not a txt message. Jeff, the main character personally for me doesn't have many qualities, he has moments where I think he shines, like the dreams and figuring out his dads notes but other than that he spends a lot of time moaning. The book couldnt have been without him as he literally carries it but he really ought to have been much more built up, more three dimensional and stronger. All in all though its totally worth the read. This author is crazy but good! Wow, what a weird idea for a novel Yep, one has to be a bit crazy to think of something like this and write it down as a book... It sounds so bizarre! Great review! I don't think I will be investing in this novel, but if I come across it at a library, for example, I might just borrow and read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Wow, what a weird idea for a novel Yep, one has to be a bit crazy to think of something like this and write it down as a book... It sounds so bizarre! Great review! I don't think I will be investing in this novel, but if I come across it at a library, for example, I might just borrow and read it. It really is worth the read! I very much doubt there is another book like this one out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 I see you have The Dove Keepers by Alice Hoffman on your list. I picked up a copy of that last year. It might be one I will try and read this year. I'm not sure when i'll get round to reading this one either. I've got so much I want to get through this year and i'm not sure that this one stands out as much as some of the others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Eeesh The Elites doesn't sound much cop. I also pay attention to Amazon ratings, but I make sure to check out the criticisms of the 1 and 2 star ratings to get an idea of what I might be in for! It was just ok, I wouldn't recommend it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I hope you enjoy the rest of 'The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' by Haruki Murakami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thanks Weave Although it appears to have taken me a terribly long time (and i still have 200 pages left!) i have been enjoying the Windup bird. I've actually had a terrible case of the flu which lasted weeks and i now have tonsillitis so i've been very poorly and haven't actually been awake all that much or well enough to even hold the book up. Fingers crossed that's my whole lot of ill health had for this year and it wont set me back on my reading schedule for the rest of the year! 1 book in 1 month, ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Oh yuck Shelley, I hope you feel better soon. No wonder you aren't reading much - too busy fighting off illness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Awww I hope you won't be ill much for the rest of the year then, it sounds dreadful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thank you both, it has been thoroughly rotten! Not the best start to the year and it sucks that i'm already behind on my reading challange, going to have to catch up when i start feeling better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Feel better soon Shelley. I'm sick at the moment too, so I know what you mean about reading less and sleeping more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) Hey All, I'm back and finally feeling better, I hope your feeling better too now Devi. I'm glad to say i've finally finished The Windup Bird Chronicles, so here goes my next review... Edited February 28, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) The Windup Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami 4/5 About the book (Amazon) Toru Okada's cat has disappeared. His wife is growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has recently been receiving. As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out, and he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell. My Thoughts So this is a really hard book to tell people about, mainly because I wouldn't know where to start or even what to say. The main character Mr Okada is a straight forward simple guy, after quitting his job to think about what he'd like to do next he enjoys his days relaxing, until his cat goes missing. This triggers off a string of events that lead to the most bizarre consequences. I really enjoyed the individual back ground of each character, especially that or Mr Honda and Lieutenant Mamiya, the war stories were great, gruesome but fascinating. I don't think i've ever actually thought about the atrocities that would occur during war, this book defiantly helped that to hit home. I also found Mr Okada very likable and my favorite was probably May as deranged as she is. I don't think people who are looking for a solid plot or even a coherent story will enjoy this book, the ending isn't very tangible, in fact reading this book is like trying to grasp at water, its mesmerizing and eerie and weird and you cant help but want to read on and on. Then you get to the end and feel like you need to think it over, look for a secret plot or a hidden message... maybe sit in the bottom of a dry well to think Im really glad i read this book, it wasn't at all what i thought it was going to be though it will certainly be a while before i can get over it and pick up another Murakimi title Edited March 1, 2014 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Glad that you are feeling better. There's nothing like a spell of illness to make you feel utterly miserable. Great review. I am yet to read any Murakami yet ( ), but your review has made me think I should get on and read one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.