Nollaig Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Aww now you've said that I'd feel fake if I did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Oh sorry ! You can do whatever you want, I just wrote my personal opinion . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Haha its fine, you're right, it would be cheating. But I don't think I'll have a problem hitting 100 books anyway. (Famous last words!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 #65 A Tap On The Window - Linwood Barclay Synopsis: When Cal Weaver stops at a red light on a rainy night while driving home, he ignores the bedraggled-looking teenage girl trying to hitch a ride - even when she starts tapping on his window. But as soon as he realises she's one of his son's classmates, he knows he can't really leave her, alone, on the street. But nothing prepares him for the consequences of trying to help her out. The next morning he's gone from Good Samaritan to Murder Suspect, and with one girl dead and another missing, he's suddenly at the centre of a deadly puzzle that reaches right to the heart of the town - from its bullying police force to its strangely furtive mayor - and finally to one family's shocking secret.*** Review: Having read one of Barclay's novels before (Too Close To Home), and having enjoyed it, I had relatively high hopes for this one. I was aware that a lot of people found the ending to be a let-down, but honestly I thought this novel was pretty solid the whole way through. I find with mysteries and thrillers that there's always an sense of dissonance between all the possibilites that run around my head, and what actually turns out to be the case, which could potentially turn into disappointment. So allowing for that and expecting it, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.The beginning was fantastic, it was extremely mysterious and was interesting enough to make me read the whole rest of the novel, even if it hadn't been consistently good throughout. While not flawless (the main character had literally nothing to do with his time but drive around questioning people, and occasionally sleep), it's quite a long novel and the author does away with any frills or excess. Some of the characters are pretty interesting, and there's a wonderful atmosphere pervading the story of a seemingly idyllic little town with a rough, dark underbelly - not just because of the questionable conduct of the police, but also because all of the townsfolk seem to have dark secrets.The complexity of the novel is so grand that I really admire how the author tied it all up into one chance event - picking up a girl one rainy night - and then unravelled it to reveal a secret of immense proportions. It definitely did not go anywhere I was expecting, and there was one twist more than was really necessary towards the end, but for the most part, this is a fast-paced and fun mystery story. It's not the most polished novel in the world, but its definitely worth picking up for the entertainment value. Rating: 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Great review Do you think you'll read more by Barclay in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks! Yeah I reckon I'd read all his stuff, I have No Time For Goodbye somewhere, I must read that eventually. Think that was his big selling title wasn't it? He seems to have quite a few more titles than the last time I looked him up a few years ago. What's your favourite by him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) Yeah I think No Time for Goodbye was how Barclay became known (I don't know the chronological order of his books...). My favorite is definitely Too Close to Home, so again I'm no help because you've already read that one Edit: NTfG is really good, too, so no worries with that title. I just personally preferred TCtH. Edited July 2, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Great review ! I'm missing the usual X out of 5 rating though . I'm glad you enjoyed the book, I will have to try one of his some time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Frankie, I checked my shelves yesterday and I do have NTfG on them, so I'll get to that one soon! Will be my first tree-book in quite a while! Gaia, whoops! Added it there now. 4/5! My reading has slowed down a lot the last few days, but hoping to pack in a good bit this weekend with the read-a-thon to motivate me. Currently reading a very Matrix-nerdy kinda YA dystopia. It's not amazing but it's very compelling. Not sure precisely what I'll pick up next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Just a very brief review of my year so far, and my second quarter versus my first quarter. The orange numbers represent how many of the total are made up of second-quarter reads. E.g. I've read 66 books so far, that's up 33 on my first quarter total, etc. Read so far: 66/100 ^33 Reviewed: 52/66* ^4 unreviewed Abandoned: 1 ^1 *As per my previous reading review, I’m not reviewing rereads, or any series titles except the first in a series. I’m a couple of reviews behind, but they’ll get done shortly. Last quarter I didn’t review 10 books, this quarter I didn’t review 4. New paperbacks: 7 ^2 New hardbacks: 1 New ebooks: Dozens. I've lost count. Genres: Childrens/YA: 29 ^18 Fiction: 12 ^3 Horror: 5 ^1 Thriller: 7 ^4 Non-Fiction: 0 Short Stories: 1 Sci-Fi: 2 ^1 Fantasy: 5 ^4 Thoughts: I find it very amusing that I read 33 books in both quarters! I had no idea of that until I did the math just now! Also, as a result of having read so many books already, I've upped my reading goal for the year to 120 books. As I started back to work in May, I wasn't sure I would either keep up my pace or keep reviewing every new book, but I'm delighted that I've succeeded on both counts. I've read some new books in every genre except non-fiction and short stories. I'm kind of okay with that, as I'm really not a fan of either. I would like to get some historical fiction in this year, though. Naturally, my YA reading is through the roof, as that is officially my favorite category of books (mostly YA horror, YA fiction and YA dystopians. I will add a breakdown of my YA reading by genres at a later stage - I want to get back to my reading!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Not a fan of short stories You should read some of Hugh Howey's independent ones! And I can't believe you raised your goal lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Haha I prefer chunkier reads, better for immersing myself in! But yes, I should. I've not read anything at all by him yet. And yes I upped my goal! At the pace I'm going, I'm gonna hit over 130 ANYWAY, so I may at well at least aim for something near that! XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Great summary ! It is amazing you read 33 books in both quarters. I'm pleased for you that you'll most likely definitely get to your goal . I used to not really be a fan of short stories at all, but the past few years that's been different. If given the choice, I'd still rather have a full length novel as opposed to a short story by an author. But I have read some great short stories which makes me see that a short story can be really good (even if I usually wish they were longer ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Yeah I find that, I often come away from short stories just wanting more. If you've any suggestions for good short stories, let me know I need to catch up on reviews, I've two to write again now and I suspect by the end of the day that will be up to three!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Noll, I'm not sure which type of short story you like, but take a look at Sarah Salway - I loved Leading the Dance (https://bcfreviews.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/leading-the-dance-by-sarah-salway/) and Messages (https://bcfreviews.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/messages-by-sarah-salway-and-lynne-rees/) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 I am the Short Story advocate and converter lol I suggest Andy Weir's free ones on his site, go to One Off's. http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html With Howey it is hard because I love almost everything I've read by him, but I would suggest either The Walk Up Nameless Ridge or Glitch. The Walk Up... is 18 pages and Glitch is 5,000 words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 I read his egg story before, I thought it was pretty cool. I'll check those out at some point I never know how to count short stories though - they're not books, but they're still reading?! How do they contribute to my total books read?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 #66 I Let You Go - Clare Mackintosh Synopsis: A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she? In a split second, Jenna Gray's world is shattered. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories. DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, he puts both his professional and personal life on the line. As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating.*** Review: I picked this one up because I saw rave five star reviews on a little Facebook book club page that I occasionally visit. I thought that might be because the author was amidst all the ravers, thanking them for their kind words, but honestly, this book is almost entirely deserving of every positive word I've read about it. Aside from a little niggle or two, I too found it to be one of the most enjoyable, well-written, and genuinely surprising twisty-thrillers I've read this year. Not this year, ever.The novel is written from a couple of different perspectives - third person for DI Stevens, first person for Jenna Gray, and later a slightly different perspective for another character.The writing itself is fantastic, especially for a debut novel. The pace is quite slow for the first half or so, and I spent a lot of that time thinking that it's a very pretty book, in terms of prose, but wondering why people think its so great. Cue twist. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say that reading the execution of this twist is a masterclass in how to manipulate your reader. I fully intend to read the first half again, just to pick out all the little details that the author *had* to have put so much care into just to make the whole thing not just work, but work without ever raising suspicion. One of the best twists I have ever read. It is however, somewhat undermined by a second, utterly needless and largely irrelevant twist. That is the reason for the docked mark - it shook me out of my enjoyment of the novel by being so unlikely as to be farcical. That said, its irrelevance allows it to be overlooked, so the book remains largely a great accomplishment.I firmly preferred the events of Jenna's experience to anything going on with DI Stevens - while he was a likeable character, I wasn't too fussed by his personal or social lives, or the characters involved. Jenna on the other hand, was a beautifully written, gently flawed, deeply traumatized character. The characters in her picturesque locale and even her dog are all likeable characters, so its no surprise I much preferred reading her sections of the book. I had somewhat mixed feelings about this book upon finishing it, as a result of the couple of things that grated, but overall I think it is absolutely worth reading, for the epic first twist, if nothing else.Rating: 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 #67 Mind Games - Teri Terry Synopsis: Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late? Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer. The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing...*** Review: Well, this was unexpected. Pretty much any novel that promises a futuristic dystopia will catch my interest, but a lot of the YA dystopian novels out there are fairly similar in theme, if not in feel. Mind Games provides a refreshing, thrilling break from, well, anything I've read before in YA, really. If I had to single out one theme upon which the novel hangs, it is that of trustworthiness. It is a mantra recited numerous times throughout the novel - trust no one - and the complexity of the characters reinforcing this theme are an absolute treat. There is no black and white, only people with goals, agendas, lying or telling half-truths, in an attempt to do what they believe in right... right for everyone, or simply right for themselves.The world in which Mind Games is set is original, clever and captivating. I want to visit the void, I want to be a S'hacker. Hell, I'll settle for being a regular hacker in this world. Rather than focusing on the negative implications of humanity's inevitable slide into the Matrix, lives lived in the virtual reality of this novel are merely the vehicle for a much larger and much more sinister operation. No, no robots. I said this was original, remember? It took me a little while to get into the plot and get a feel for the style of the novel - but by the time the testing starting, it had me hook line and sinker. And from there, the pace and action upped incredibly. This is a YA thriller set against against a background of dystopia.The characters are all either likeable or play their parts of unlikability well - I particularly liked Hex and Gecko (unsurprisingly, they are the two main boys in the novel and are going to reel readers in) - Gecko moreso than Hex - both had their charms and failings, and both took some unexpected turns towards the end, illustrating interesting counterparts to eachothers worldviews. When I hit a specific realisation towards the end (yes, THAT scene), I gasped. Literally. And I stared at the words for a few moments, and then I started to cry. I don't remember the last time a book made me do that. Even the secondary characters - Luna's father, Dr. Rafferty, Crystal - cut distinct personalities with ease.I have one complaint. Just one. It should have been a duology. Any complaints I have seen by other reviewers have largely revolved around people getting confused, lost, the pace being too fast, not enough being explained. I'd agree with this. While I kept up just fine, and loved it for all that it is - I feel it had so much potential to be padded out into a duology. More character development, a slower pace in parts, longer ending; more immersion in everything that makes this a great novel. But it's okay - I'm honestly just glad it got written at all. A new favourite. Rating: 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 I read his egg story before, I thought it was pretty cool. I'll check those out at some point I never know how to count short stories though - they're not books, but they're still reading?! How do they contribute to my total books read?! lol I counted them as 5 pages each I just count monthly pages at this point in the year. Besides, if I counted how many books I've read this year, I would seriously depress myself and I am already not feeling the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 I used to count total pages, but since I switched to e-reading, where Kindle only tells me my percentage and location but not pagenumbers, and my... other... reader ¬_¬ tells me the wrong amount of pages - I can't keep track easily. So now it's all books! I suppose I could look up all the totals on Goodreads and tally them that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Excuse me, I suggested a short story author too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Ahhh I'm sorry, I didn't see it! I like the sound of Leading The Dance, not so sure about the other one... but I'll definitely check the first one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 It may no be the sort of thing you like, but I remember really liking them both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Hi Noll, re your request for SF suggestions, I'm a bit worried about giving any after Heorot These are a little off the beaten path and I've no idea if they would change anyone's mind about the genre, but they are some of my most cherished reads - so you're not allowed to say if you don't like them A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge - Review here. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge - Review here. ^^ Both of these books are 700 - 800 pages long, so tough to recommend if you're uncertain, but they are my all-time faves, so . . . There's an omnibus edition on Kindle if ever you're interested. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold - review here. It's a sequel so you might want to take a look at the previous book, Shards of Honor, it's just nowhere near as good. These both lead in to the 'Vorkosigan Saga'. The Breach or Runner by Patrick Lee Reviews here and here. Replay by Ken Grimwood. Review here. There's also I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, which I read before joining here so have not reviews, but they are both fabulous. Hope this helps. If not, I'll . . . I'll . . . hide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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