chesilbeach Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 The Imaginary by A. F. Harrold Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Rudger is Amanda's best friend. He doesn't exist, but nobody's perfect. Only Amanda can see her imaginary friend ... until the sinister Mr Bunting arrives at Amanda's door. Mr Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumour says that he eats them. And he's sniffed out Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. But can a boy who isn't there survive without a friend to dream him up? A brilliantly funny, scary and moving read from the unique imagination of A.F. Harrold, this beautiful book is astoundingly illustrated with integrated art and colour spreads by the award-winning Emily Gravett. My thoughts: This is a beautifully illustrated book, with mostly pencil drawings but with the occasional splash of colour. The story is aimed at younger readers, but probably best suited to reading aloud at bedtime, when I think it would come alive. I did enjoy it, but definitely one for younger readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Wow, I've actually done it! I'm finally up to date with my reviews. Off now for some guilt free reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Didn't you just get a couple of those for Christmas? Gees, you are fast! How many books have you read this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 I did, but they are children's books and very quick reads! Plus, I'm on holiday and the weather hasn't been great, so snuggling up in front of the fire with a book has been the staple of my days since Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Wow, a lot of reviews! Congrats on catching up . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. But after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off - and no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? So Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners, since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. This is an unputdownable spine-tingling thriller - a race against time. Review: Another of my Christmas books, this is the first Siobhan Dowd book I've read, but have wanted to read for a while, so was pleased to open this present! I found this a rather odd book to read. The narrator is Ted who has Aspergers, and this makes the storytelling different, in that there is a very logical and sometimes emotionless feel to the narrative. I have to say, I've never been able to read Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time because of the style, and I worried at the beginning that I would struggle with this one too, but actually, I found it had a good flow. I did enjoy it, but it all seemed a bit too easy at times, and somehow, the police involvement didn't have a ring of truth about it, and Ted and Kat's actions felt a bit unbelievable occasionally. I definitely want to read Dowd's other books, particularly Bog Child, as it's aimed at YA rather than children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Ill and bored with having to stay in bed, Marianne picks up a pencil and starts doodling - a house, a garden, a boy at the window. That night she has an extraordinary dream. She is transported into her own picture, and as she explores further she soon realises she is not alone. The boy at the window is called Mark, and his every movement is guarded by the menacing stone watchers that surround the solitary house. Together, in their dreams, Marianne and Mark must save themselves... Review: This is an almost timeless story - the only thing that gives away its age, is the lack of technology. Originally published in the 1950s, before the development of the polio vaccine, the story centres on Marianne, confined to bed and her dream adventure with another of her governesses pupils, Mark. I can imagine it would be hard for children today to think of staying in bed for six months with no television, computer, tablet or even phone, but I still think they would enjoy this story if they can suspend that disbelief. Beautifully written, and with no sentimentality, and genuinely dark moments, a book I never would have picked up myself, and a lovely read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Scarlet Ibis by Gill LewisSynopsis (from amazon.co.uk):Red asks, 'Will we always be together?' 'Always,' I say. 'Just you and me in that little boat, watching the scarlet ibis flying back to the Caroni Swamp.' Scarlet's used to looking after her brother, Red. He's special - different. Every night she tells him his favourite story - about the day they'll fly far away to the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad, where thousands of birds fill the sky. But when Scarlet and Red are split up and sent to live with different foster families, Scarlet knows she's got to do whatever it takes to get her brother back ...Review:Wow, another great book from Gill Lewis. This time, rather than wildlife and nature being the focus, she looks at child carers, and how it affects their childhoods. Scarlet cares for a mother suffering from mental illness, and for her brother, who has Aspergers, and still has to go to school while all the time struggling to make ends meet from the benefits her mother receives. Highlighting important issues in todays society that are not often newsworthy or the top issues discussed, Lewis explores them with honesty and yet again, tugs at my heartstrings and I can't deny shedding a tear or two throughout the book. Wonderful book I will definitely be handing on to my goddaughter in a year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): ‘Home looks nice. Allus does though, don’t it? Perfick.’ And so the Larkins – Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery – return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor: one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty’s inspector of taxes. Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn’t paid his tax – but nothing’s that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to ‘Charley’ – as Pop calls him – and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living: the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon’s Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights. In fact, soon Charley can’t see any reason to return to the office at all … Review: For my last book of the year, I thought I'd pick up one of my English Counties Challenge books, and The Darling Buds of May was the first one I found on the shelf! This is such a quintessentially English book, set in the Kent countryside, a working class family, who are food loving, big drinking, television watching, down-to-earth people. Not much happens, but people fall in love, taxes are avoided, a gymkhana is hosted in the meadow and there's love in the air. I'm not usually a fan of dialect or phonetic speech in writing, but Pop Larkin's dialogue is perfectly pitched and easily readable. There are some questionable things … Pop and Miss Pilchester kissing, which Ma accepts, and there's even a suggestion that it was her idea, and Mariette "trapping" Charley into marriage while believing she is pregnant and not knowing who the father is, making fidelity seem like an alien concept, but it's done with such affection for the characters, that it's virtually overlooked. It's obviously written in a different time, so perhaps it's my modern sensibilities that find this a bit jarring. That said, I still loved it, so it couldn't have affected me that much! I was rather surprised at how short it was, and how little happened! I've looked up the series, and there are only a few more books in it, so I guess the television series must have been inspired by it, rather than an adaptation, but I would like to read the other books, as I enjoyed this one so much. The love for the English countryside and small villages shines through the writing, which is charming and sparkling with wit and warmth. I've only seen the odd scene from the television adaptation from the 1990s, but I know the actors who played the leads, and I have to be honest and say these were who I pictured as I was reading the book, but actually, they fit perfectly the descriptions of the characters on the pages. I probably wouldn't have read it if not for the Counties challenge, so another one I'm glad to have found from our Counties list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 And so that concludes my reading year. I can't be bothered to do too many in-depth stats, but I've kept these as I've gone along this year, so here's how the year started and finished: As at the start of 2014 TBR: 35 books (excludes any books I own on my challenge lists) J. L. Carr reading list: 3/8 books read = 38% complete E. H. Young reading list: 0/13 books read = 0% complete Persephone reading list: 6/104 books read = 6% complete English Counties Challenge: 7/48 books read = 15% complete As at the end of 2014 Books purchased: 92 6 pre-order 22 Kindle daily/monthly deals - one of these is an omnibus of 4 books 4 second-hand for English Counties challenge 61 other books Books received as presents: 16 Books read: 151 Abandoned books: 1 TBR: 21 books J. L. Carr reading list: 4/8 books read = 50% complete E. H. Young reading list: 0/13 books read = 0% complete Persephone reading list: 8/110 books read = 7% complete English Counties Challenge: 15/48 books read = 31% complete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 It looks like you had a good reading year ! 151 books read is a lot, and you did well on most of the challenges too . Your TBR went down too, congratulations on that. Did you like most of the books you read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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