ian Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 So here we are in a new year - just a quick look back at what I read last year, which was: Books read in 2014 - 33 average score (out of 5) - 4.3 Seems what I lacked in quantity, I made up for in quality. Hopefully, this year I'll get both. Sadly, I only got the one book for Christmas, Mr Mercedes by Stephen King, so I'll be starting that today. Happy reading, everybody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Enjoy your 2015 reading.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I hope you have a great reading year, Ian. .....and quality always trumps quantity, I reckon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I hope you have a great reading year in 2015, Ian ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Have a great reading year in 2015! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Happy Reading this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Happy Reading in 2015, Ian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Enjoy your reading in 2015, Ian! And wow, 4,3 is a great average rating Holy moly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Hope you have an enjoyable year of reading ahead of you Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Happy reading, Ian! That's definitely some good quality reading in 2014. I hope it keeps up for you this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Happy reading, Ian Be interested to see what you think of Mr Mercedes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Have a wonderful year of reading Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Happy reading, Ian Be interested to see what you think of Mr Mercedes. I'm really enjoying it at the mo - about halfway through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Mr Mercedes by Stephen King A cat-and-mouse suspense thriller featuring a retired homicide detective who's haunted by the few cases he left open, and by one in particular - the pre-dawn slaughter of eight people among hundreds gathered in line for the opening of a jobs fair when the economy was guttering out. Without warning, a lone driver ploughed through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes. The plot is kicked into gear when Bill Hodges receives a letter in the mail, from a man claiming to be the perpetrator. He taunts Hodges with the notion that he will strike again. Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing that from happening. Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. And he's preparing to kill again. Only Hodges, with a couple of misfit friends, can apprehend the killer in this high-stakes race against time. Because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim hundreds, even thousands. My Thoughts. SPOILER ALERT!!! I can see on Goodreads that this book has divided people - some hate it, others love it. I can see where both viewpoints come from in all honesty, but I'm going to have to plump for....loved it. First up, congratulations to Stephen King. At 67 years old and having written 54 novels, you decided to write something different from your normal genre (ok it's not a million miles away, but still). A straight thriller, with a wickedly insane antagonist and a rag-tag group of "heroes" - I'm thinking SK has gone deep into Dean Koontz territory. That, for me is not a bad thing. And what shines through, as always in King's books is the characterisation. He has never been afraid to build up a character in the first few pages only to kill them off in chapter two; It doesn't surprise anymore, but it certainly adds a frisson to the reading. You care about these people, straight from the off. There have only been a handful of times that a character's death in a book has drawn me up short - and now Stephen King has done it to me 3 times. Yes, you see it coming - that makes it worse! In short, I really liked this book. It ins't the best thing King has written, but as I've said before, even his not so good stuff is head and shoulders above a lot of writers, in my opinion. 4/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Happy reading in 2015, Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed Mr. Mercedes, Ian . I have to admit, I didn't read all of your review, because of your "SPOILER ALERT", as I don't want to spoil the book for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed Mr. Mercedes, Ian . I have to admit, I didn't read all of your review, because of your "SPOILER ALERT", as I don't want to spoil the book for myself. It's not much of a spoiler, but it would be enough to potentially give away a big plot development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Decided to make a start on the very vague reading resolution that I made to myself, which is to read some of the classics that I, so far, haven't got around to reading. I'm being very fast and loose on my interpretation of classics. I think for the moment, especially as I still haven't got around to moving the bookcase back into the living room, and I'm suffering with No-Money-January Syndrome (herein called NMJS ) they will all be those books that I can download free onto my Kindle. I'm starting with a bit of a cheat - I wanted Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, but while downloading that I realsied that I could remember virtually nothing about Treasure Island. I know that I've read it at some point, but I just can't remember. So, I've started with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Wow, you are really grabbing the bull by the horns and actually doing something about a new reading year's resolution. I applaud you! Treasure Island is a fine read, I hope you enjoy it the second time around Edit: And I don't think it's cheating. It's a perfect way to get you in the mood for more classics. It's easing your way in Edited January 14, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'm starting with a bit of a cheat - I wanted Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, but while downloading that I realsied that I could remember virtually nothing about Treasure Island. I know that I've read it at some point, but I just can't remember. So, I've started with that. Both brilliant books - enjoy you re-read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Another thumbs-up for Treasure Island here. I haven't read Kidnapped yet but hope to get to it soon. I'm sure I'll enjoy it given how much I loved both Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Happy Reading Ian Hope you enjoy Treasure Island .. it's on my shelves .. I really should get around to it. Perhaps your review will encourage me .. no pressure though We're also suffering from NMJS ... bloomin' Christmas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I hope you enjoy your reads, Ian ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Hope you enjoy Treasure Island .. it's on my shelves .. I really should get around to it. Perhaps your review will encourage me .. no pressure though We're also suffering from NMJS ... bloomin' Christmas!! That makes me think of Jonathan Strange & Nister Morrell Mister Norrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 That makes me think of Jonathan Strange & Nister Morrell Mister Norrell Ha yes so it does. It also stands for 'No More Jam Sandwiches' .. which is another January .. tightening your belt sort of thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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