Athena Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Nina E. Grøntvedt - Hey, Dit Ben Ik! (Hei, Det Er Meg) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 287 Date read: 01-11-2015 <-> 04-11-2015 ISBN: 9789022327340 Synopsis (me): Story of a girl, about friendship and family, with many illustrations. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and liked the cover and the nice illustrations. I borrowed this book a week alter than some of my other loans, but (most of) the other loans were all suited for the read-a-thon (which is next weekend), so I thought I'd read this book first. The book contains a lot of nice little pencil illustrations (as in, made with a pencil, not illustrations of pencils though there might be a few of those too ). The book is partly written in diary form, and partly not (just in first person). I didn't quite get a particular thing the main character did and felt, I couldn't identify with it (I don't want to spoil it though). I really liked the illustrations, and I liked some parts of the story. I liked other parts less though, particularly what I referred to above. Overall it was nice to read this book, but I don't think I'll really re-read it any time. The illustrations were the best part, they were very nice. Rating: (***) (6/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 Jojo Moyes - Paris for One Genre: Rom-com Age-range: Adult Format: Paperback Pages: 96 Date read: 05-11-2015 ISBN: 9781405918930 Synopsis (GoodReads): Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She has never even been on a weekend away with her boyfriend. Everyone knows she is just not the adventurous type. But, when her boyfriend doesn't turn up for their romantic mini-break, Nell has the chance to prove everyone wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell meets the mysterious moped-riding Fabien and his group of carefree friends. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? My thoughts: I hadn't read any QuickReads for the read-a-thons for a while. I have a couple now though (bought and gifted), and this was the first one I got so I decided to start with this one for the November 2015 read-a-thon. It was nice to read this story. There was a little bit too much drinking (alcohol) in the book, but I liked the rest of the story. This book hasn't got great reviews, other books by the author are said to be much better. I look forward to read those books, seeing as I did enjoy this story (even if it wasn't perfect). I liked the writing style. Rating: (****) (7/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 New Books! Free Library Book (the library hands these out, one per paying member. the books are especially made for this occasion. I got the 'Noord-Brabant' one, every province gets its own edition I think, the stories in them differ. The stories in this book, some of them take place in the region or are written by authors who live(d) in this region): A. L. Snijders, A.F.Th. van der Heijden, Martin Bril, Ton van Reen, Arjan Visser, Tessa De Loo, S. Carmiggelt - Nederland Leest de Mooiste Korte Verhalen: Noord-Brabant Leest Library Sale: Rüdiger Bertram and Heribert Schulmeyer - Coolman 1: Coolman En Ik Anne West - De Macht van het Zwaard 1: De Aardmagiër Luc Descamps - Kristal Van Hoop Rob Reger - Emily the Strange 1: Verloren Tijd (The Lost Days) Anne Hermans - De Co-Assistent Nicholas Sparks - Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell 2: Een Stralend Liefdesvuur (At First Sight) Joe Hill - Zwart Hart (Heart-Shaped Box) Library Loans: Luc Embrechts and Eric Bouwens - Vampierzootje 4: De Wraak van Perfidus H. N. Kowitt - De Loser Lijst 1: De Loser Lijst (The Loser List 1: The Loser List) Roderick Leeuwenhart - Pindakaas en Sushi 2 Tonya Hurley - Ghostgirl 1: Ghostgirl (Dutch) Tonya Hurley - Ghostgirl 2: Thuiskomst (Homecoming) Sophie Kinsella - Finding Audrey Holly Black and Cassandra Clare - Magisterium 1: De Ijzerproef (The Iron Trial) Peter van Olmen - De Kleine Odessa 2: Het Geheim van Lode A. Anthony Horowitz - De Kracht van Vijf 4: Necropolis (The Gatekeepers 4: Necropolis) Anthony Horowitz - De Kracht van Vijf 5: Oblivion (The Gatekeepers 5: Oblivion) Free Kindle Book: Laura M. Hughes - Danse Macabre Kindle Gifts : Catherine Ryan Hyde - Always Chloe and Other Stories Catherine Ryan Hyde - Earthquake Weather and Other Stories Kindle Ebooks (most for the December read-a-thon): Shawn Inmon - Second Chance Love 4: Second Chance Thanksgiving Shawn Inmon - The Unusual Second Life of Thomas Weaver: Episode One Shawn Inmon - The Unusual Second Life of Thomas Weaver: Episode Two Chrissie Manby - Just in Case Chrissie Manby - The Snow Baby Scarlett Bailey - Secret Santa Scarlett Bailey - Santa Maybe Susan Hatler - See Me I also ordered three more books online . But, I have good reasons! They are: Brandon Sanderson - The Reckoners 2: Firefight (gone down in price) Rainbow Rowell - Carry On (I really wanted this) Steven Erikson - The Devil Delivered and Other Tales (I wanted to get free shipping for a keyboard for my mum, so I ordered this, got a birthday discount, so technically seen it only cost me 50 eurocents.) I'm also still waiting for: Catherine Ryan Hyde - The Day I Killed James Carl Sagan - Contact I started the year off so well, with not buying many books. But I've so fallen off the bandwagon lately . That said, I can afford it so maybe it's not necessarily a bad thing . Review-wise, I really don't know what to say about some of my latest reads, especially those in children's book series where my opinion on one book in the series isn't terribly different from the next book in the series. So I'll leave the ratings here, I did write down a few things in my notebook but sometimes I can't think of anything more than "I enjoyed reading this story." . I fail as a book critic. I just don't know what else to say about these books, that I haven't said in other reviews or that would be more than one paragraph. Ann M. Martin - De Babysitters Club 21: Tine en de Ondeugende Tweeling (Mallory and the Trouble with Twins (re-read) (*****) (10/10) Ann M. Martin - De Babysitters Club 22: Dieren-babysitter Jessie (Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter) (re-read) (*****) (10/10) Ann M. Martin - The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special 4: Baby-Sitters' Island Adventure (*****) (10/10) A. C. Baantjer - Baantjer 15: De Cock en de Broeders van de Zachte Dood (*****) (10/10) Disney - Donald Duck Dubbel Pocket 11 (*****) (9/10) Nick Arnold - Waanzinnig om te Weten: Je Briljante Brein (Horrible Science: Bulging Brains) (re-read) (****) (8/10) Susan Hatler - Treasured Dreams 3: An Unexpected Love (****) (8/10) Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton 3: De Piraten van de Zilveren Kattenklauw (Il Galeone Dei Gatti Pirati) (****) (8/10) Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton 70: Het Raadsel van London (Appuntamento... Col Mistero!) (*****) (9/10) Joe Carrot - Joe Carrot 1: Één Minuut voor Middernacht (Un Minuto a Mezzanotte) (****) (7/10) Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton 59: Rokfords Rattige Roddelpers (Lo Strano Caso Del Ladro Di Notizie) (****) (8/10) Geronimo Stilton - Moby Dick: De Witte Walvis (Moby Dick: La Balena Bianca) (****) (7/10) Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 8: Schipbreuk in de Ruimte (I Naufraghi Delle Stelle) (*****) (9/10) Bat Pat (Roberto Pavanello) - Bat Pat 1: De Schat op het Kerkhof (Il Tesoro del Cimitero) (****) (8/10) Bat Pat (Roberto Pavanello) - Bat Pat 9: De Geest van Dokter Muffa (Il Fantasma del Dottor Muffa) (****) (8/10) Bat Pat (Roberto Pavanello) - Bat Pat 10: Het Ware Verhaal van Frankenstein (La vera storia di Frankenstein) (*****) (9/10) Bat Pat (Roberto Pavanello) - Bat Pat 12: Het Vervloekte Huis (La Casa Stregata) (****) (8/10) Luc Descamps - De Donkere Getallen 1: Zwarte Gaten (*****) (9/10) Luc Embrechts and Eric Bouwens - Uitvinderszootje 1: De Ijsmodulator (*****) (9/10) Luc Embrechts and Eric Bouwens - Vampierzootje 3: De Vampiers Strijken Terug (*****) (9/10) Side-note: I've now read over 400 books (currently 408 books). We're not even half way through November and I've already read more books than I did in the whole of October. But that's because of the massive books that were The Pillars of the Earth and the sequel World Without End. I enjoyed them but it took an age to get through them, compared with reading these children's books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Great! Now you can read Steelheart, Mitosis and Firefight I love knowing Joe Hill is translated. I can't believe how many books you've gotten lately! And for such good savings! Is the free book short stories? I wonder how many pages you've read... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Great! Now you can read Steelheart, Mitosis and Firefight I forgot about Mitosis! That's rectified now : Brandon Sanderson - Reckoners 1.5: Mitosis I love knowing Joe Hill is translated. I can't believe how many books you've gotten lately! And for such good savings! It's always a good sign when an author is translated I think . Yeah, me too . I will really try to slow down soon! That's true . Is the free book short stories? I wonder how many pages you've read... Yes, it is . They are short to really short stories. It's 40 stories by this one author, and then 6 stories by 6 authors. The 6 stories differ depending on where in the country you live, I have the edition for my area. The stories all have something to do with the area here . I've read 97524 pages so far this year. I should reach 100,000 before the end of the year ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 I received Steven Erikson - The Devil Delivered and Other Tales. I finished Luc Embrechts and Eric Bouwens - Vampierzootje 4: De Wraak van Perfidus and gave it a 9 out of 10. It was funny and I enjoyed reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hurray for the new books ! I love that you`re almost at 100, 000 pages for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I forgot about Mitosis! That's rectified now : Brandon Sanderson - Reckoners 1.5: Mitosis It's always a good sign when an author is translated I think . Yeah, me too . I will really try to slow down soon! That's true . Yes, it is . They are short to really short stories. It's 40 stories by this one author, and then 6 stories by 6 authors. The 6 stories differ depending on where in the country you live, I have the edition for my area. The stories all have something to do with the area here . I liked Mitosis a lot! But I was starving for some Reckoners by then! That sound like a really cool book! I received Steven Erikson - The Devil Delivered and Other Tales. I'm sure you are excited about this! Hurray for the new books ! I love that you`re almost at 100, 000 pages for the year. Yes, Hurray!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Hurray for the new books ! I love that you`re almost at 100, 000 pages for the year. Thanks, me too . I liked Mitosis a lot! But I was starving for some Reckoners by then! That sound like a really cool book! Glad to hear that . And I'll let you know what I think . I'm sure you are excited about this! Yes ! Yes, Hurray!! Thanks ! I read three books: Stephan Pastis - Flip Fiasco 1: Oeps... (Timmy Failure 1: Mistakes Were Made) (****) (8/10) This book had nice illustrations and was humourous at times, it made me laugh on occasion. I enjoyed reading it. H. N. KoWitt - De Loser Lijst 1: De Loser Lijst (The Loser List 1: The Loser List) (****) (8/10) This book had nice illustrations and I liked the focus on comic books. A few times I could predict what would happen though. Roderick Leeuwenhart - Pindakaas en Sushi 2 (*****) (9/10) This book is about a group of Dutch friends who go on holiday in Japan. The story had more depth than I was expecting, discussing themes such as anxiety. I quite liked it. The ending surprised me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 The ending surprised me. Don't you love it when that happens? Especially in a positive way. I would say that is sometimes my biggest disappointment with reading, you read what you think is a wonderful story, only to find that it has either a weak ending, or that the author has decided to end the book in a way that you don't agree with! (I sometimes mentally rewrite an ending when this happens! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I received Steven Erikson - The Devil Delivered and Other Tales. I'm sure you are excited about this! At least I know who he is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 Don't you love it when that happens? Especially in a positive way. I would say that is sometimes my biggest disappointment with reading, you read what you think is a wonderful story, only to find that it has either a weak ending, or that the author has decided to end the book in a way that you don't agree with! (I sometimes mentally rewrite an ending when this happens! ) I do ! Yes, that is such a disappointment, when a book has a weak ending or when it ends 'wrongly'. I do that too on occasion . I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of Pindakaas en Sushi 2, it wasn't what I was expecting at all but when I think about it it does seem right for the story. At least I know who he is Yep ! I've got to give you credit for that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 I read Thea Stilton - Princessen van Fantasia: De Koraalprinses (Principesse del Regno della Fantasia 2: Principessa Dei Coralli) and gave it a (****) (8/10). It was nice but a bit similar to a couple of other books in the series. Next I read Thea Stilton - Prinsessen van Fantasia 6: Koningin van de Slaap (Principesse del Regno della Fantasia 6: La Regina del Sonno), which I gave a (*****) (10/10). It was really good and different from the other books in the series. I really enjoyed reading it. It was quite suspenseful. Less than 1,000 pages (1000 pages) to go until I've read 100,000 (100000) pages so far this year . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Yep ! I've got to give you credit for that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 So I read: Thea Stilton - Heksen van Fantasia 3: De Heks van Klank en Toon (Strega Del Suono) (*****) (9/10) Thea Stilton - De Zeven Rozen 3: Het Wonderlijke Wolkenland (Il Segreto delle Fate delle Nuvole) (*****) (10/10) I previously read book 5 in the Heksen van Fantasia series, and a few things in that book now made more sense, having read book 3. I didn't know the series De Zeven Rozen, but I quite enjoyed reading that book. It reminded me of the Fantasia series by Geronimo Stilton. In other news, I've now read 99732 pages. Once I finish my current book, which has 334 pages, I will have read more than 100000 pages this year . Also argh for my list of 'books read this year' being too long to fit into one post! I shall reserve two posts for it next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolf woolf Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Also argh for my list of 'books read this year' being too long to fit into one post! I shall reserve two posts for it next year. I suggest you settle a new book blog thread for the remainder of the year, or for as long as you see fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 I suggest you settle a new book blog thread for the remainder of the year, or for as long as you see fit. Nah, I will start a new book blog in 2016. I have mine yearly, I like to have them that way. Thanks for the suggestion though. In the meantime I have received my pre-order of Susan Hatler - Treasured Dreams 4: An Unexpected Proposal on my Kindle. I have also read: Tonya Hurley - Ghostgirl 1: Ghostgirl (Dutch) (*****) (9/10) I wasn't expecting much from this book as I didn't know anything about it, I just borrowed it from the library because I liked the cover. I was pleasantly surprised, the book was better than I thought it would be, and I really liked the writing style. Tonya Hurley - Ghostgirl 2: Thuiskomst (Homecoming) (****) (8/10) This wasn't as good as the first book in my opinion, but it was still enjoyable . Sophie Kinsella - Finding Audrey (*****) (9/10) Review will be posted below. Oh, and I've now read over 100000 pages ! Holly Black and Cassandra Clare - Magisterium 1: De Ijzerproef (Magisterium 1: The Iron Trial) (*****) (10/10) Review will be posted below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Sophie Kinsella - Finding Audrey Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Young-Adult Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 280 Date read: 13-11-2015 <-> 14-11-2015 ISBN: 9780857534590 Synopsis (back of the book): Audrey can't leave the house. she can't even take off her dark glasses inside the house. Then her brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start.And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable. Be prepared to laugh, dream and hope with Audrey as she learns that even when you feel like you have lost yourself, love can still find you... My thoughts: I love Sophie Kinsella's books. I own all of them except this one, and I've read most of them (I've read almost all of Sophie Kinsella's books, but not yet any of the Madeleine Wickham books). I've been waiting for this book to come out in medium paperback size as I don't like hardcovers so much. When I saw this book at the library, and in English, I couldn't quite believe it. I thought if I like it, I'll certainly buy my own copy once it's out in paperback. So far Sophie Kinsella has only disappointed me once, so I had high hopes I'd like this book. The book contains film scripts now and then, they describe what Audrey films for her film project. Her doctor gives her this project to help her with her social anxiety issues. I liked the narrative writing style of the book. I also really liked the main character, I thought the anxiety feelings and thoughts were nicely described. The story started off a bit slow but then picked up. I quite liked the ending. The arguing in the book between Audrey's family members was a bit tiring sometimes. The book was funny in places. The characters were nice and so were the plot twists. Overall I didn't enjoy the book as much as my favourite Sophie Kinsella books, but it was still quite enjoyable (and I enjoyed it more than my least favourite Sophie Kinsella books). Rating: (*****) (9/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Holly Black and Cassandra Clare - Magisterium 1: De Ijzerproef (Magisterium 1: The Iron Trial) Genre: Fantasy Age-range: Young-Adult Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 316 Date read: 14-11-2015 ISBN: 9789048819157 Synopsis (GoodReads): Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst -- and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come... My thoughts: I'd heard many good things about this book (from book bloggers and BookTubers). So when I saw it at the library, I thougth, I've got to find out for myself if it's good. I loved this book. I had heard good things but wasn't sure if I would like the book. I was pleasantly surprised though, that it was this good. The writing style was nice and the translation was well done. I thought the book was very suspenseful, with some amazing plot twists. The characters were interesting and I liked the world and the magic in it. There will be four more books in the series and I'm now quite eager to read them all, once they've been published. I wish I could read them all now! I finished this book in about one morning, I didn't want to stop reading it. Even after finishing it, I keep thinking of the awesome plot twists. A new favourite. Rating: (*****) (10/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 You`re read 1/10 of a million pages !! Congrats ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Wow, you gave the new Kinsella book 9/10! Glad you enjoyed it so much Although now I'm curious to hear which one of her novels is the one that disappointed you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 (edited) Do you think the Holly Black would be for me? I'd totally give her another chance and I keep seeing Cassandra Clare recommended to me from Amazon... then again, I think it might be because I read so much dystopia I wouldn't mind picking up a new series for the new year Edited November 16, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 You`re read 1/10 of a million pages !! Congrats ! Thanks !! Wow, you gave the new Kinsella book 9/10! Glad you enjoyed it so much Although now I'm curious to hear which one of her novels is the one that disappointed you? The newest Shopaholic book, Shopaholic to the Stars, disappointed me. I liked it quite a bit less than the previous 5 books in the series and was disappointed with it. It seemed more of the same and Becky didn't seem to have grown much over the years, it was too over the top and I didn't like that it had a cliffhanger. Now the cliffhanger was announced in the beginning of the book before the story started, but I feel the 'cliffhanger' part should've taken up more of the book rather than some of the events that most of the book focused on. Do you think the Holly Black would be for me? I'd totally give her another chance and I keep seeing Cassandra Clare recommended to me from Amazon... then again, I think it might be because I read so much dystopia I wouldn't mind picking up a new series for the new year Well the book is fantasy, I know you don't like fantasy much. The book involves doing magic, it's about a magic school. So I don't know about the genre being for you. But for anyone who does like fantasy, it is a good book in the genre in my opinion. I don't know if that helps . I haven't yet read any other Cassandra Clare books, though I did plan to do so this year but I didn't get around to them (so far). My sister really liked a lot of the Cassandra Clare books (they involve paranormal creatures such as werewolves and demons I believe). I didn't like a short story I read by Holly Black, I was too confused what happened. So this book surprised me, in that it was quite good. You could always read the sample, though the first bit doesn't involve much magic. I think the reason Amazon recommends Cassandra Clare to you, is that a lot of people who read YA dystopia, also like Cassandra Clare's books. I don't know if any of this helps, but we can always talk about it over PM if I made no sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The newest Shopaholic book, Shopaholic to the Stars, disappointed me. I liked it quite a bit less than the previous 5 books in the series and was disappointed with it. It seemed more of the same and Becky didn't seem to have grown much over the years, it was too over the top and I didn't like that it had a cliffhanger. Now the cliffhanger was announced in the beginning of the book before the story started, but I feel the 'cliffhanger' part should've taken up more of the book rather than some of the events that most of the book focused on. Ah, a Shopaholic book. I think I stopped reading them after the fifth novel. Not that they weren't good, but like you, it's always basically the same thing with Becky in each novel. You'd think she'd finally learn something Maybe the book series has just run its course for some of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Well the book is fantasy, I know you don't like fantasy much. So this book surprised me, in that it was quite good. You could always read the sample, though the first bit doesn't involve much magic. I think the reason Amazon recommends Cassandra Clare to you, is that a lot of people who read YA dystopia, also like Cassandra Clare's books. I don't know if any of this helps, but we can always talk about it over PM if I made no sense! Perfect sense! And I agree about the magic and all, but maybe. I'll do the sample like you suggest. Cassandra Clare seems more fantasy than YA... I guess she is YA fantasy 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.