Hayley Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 I'm really excited to start on my reading for this year. I have some great books I've been saving and I'm starting with one I've been looking forward to for a while, Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman (which my sister got for me for Christmas ). I thought I'd try something different from the normal rating system this year so instead of giving a certain number of stars or smiley faces after the book title I'm going to choose a short statement that summarises how I felt about the book. It might just be an 'I loved it' or 'I hated it' (although hopefully not the latter!) but could also be something more specific to that individual book. If it doesn't work then it will be back to smiley faces but I think it's worth a try I'm not going to type out a whole 'to-read' list because I know it's going to end up changing dramatically practically every month so I'll probably do short versions as I go. This month for example I would really like to read... Trigger Warning - Neil Gaiman (ok I will admit I already read the first two short stories in 2015, I tried to wait but I just couldn't help it! ) The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton and I really want to try something by Jasper Fforde, I think I'm going to look for The Eyre Affair. And I think that's everything - time to start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 It's great that you're so excited about your reading this year Hayley! Hope you enjoy The Eyre Affair, it's one of my favourites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Have a great year Hayley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Hope you have a great reading year, Hayley. I bought The Miniaturist recently, and hopefully it will be one I read this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Happy reading in 2016, Hayley ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I hope you have a wonderful reading year in 2016, Hayley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Happy reading! A short statement is a really interesting way to evaluate my reads. It can be so difficult, I've changed my rating system like three times since the start of the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Happy Reading in 2016 Hayley Hope you enjoy The Eyre Affair .. I love the Thursday Next books! I want to read The Miniaturist too soon .. it's been too long on the shelf If you read it and like it, it'll be an incentive (no pressure though ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 Thank you everyone! It's good to see such positive things about The Eyre Affair! I'm going to Astley book farm soon so I want to check if they have it first, if not I'm going to order it. Either way I'll hopefully get to read it soon! Happy reading! A short statement is a really interesting way to evaluate my reads. It can be so difficult, I've changed my rating system like three times since the start of the year It is really difficult! I'm not too bad with the first few books, but then I find it hard to categorise books as the same rating the more I read, because I might feel completely different about two books even though I've given them both a '4' etc. Book nerd problems! First review time! Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman - Fantastically Magical I finished this book last night (well... actually this morning... I think it was about 1am when I actually finished... oops ) and I loved it. I feel like Neil Gaiman has the ability to create a very unique fantastical atmosphere. It was what I loved about Stardust and it's very present in this short story collection. The variety in it is also amazing, every story and poem takes you somewhere new. It's a bit like stepping through the looking glass and into a series of somebody else's dreams (somebody with a very active imagination). The background of fairy tale and mythology Gaiman uses is another feature I really love in his writing that comes through very strongly in these stories. For any fan of fantasy, fairy tale, mythology, even horror and sci-fi, I would absolutely recommend this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 It is really difficult! I'm not too bad with the first few books, but then I find it hard to categorise books as the same rating the more I read, because I might feel completely different about two books even though I've given them both a '4' etc. Book nerd problems! I fully agree with this! Great review, I shall put it on my list (books recommended by BCF). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Great review of Trigger Warning, Hayley! I have quite a few of Neil Gaiman's books on my TBR pile, but not this one (yet!) I like your idea of a short statement for each book. Happy reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 Thank you Athena and Kylie I'm glad it's going on more reading lists, it really is worth reading! I decided to read The Miniaturist next and finished it this morning so... The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - Page Turner The best thing about this book is that it constantly maintains a sense of mystery. I literally couldn't put it down sometimes because I had to find out what the explanation was. For that reason it was brilliant. I love the idea of the cabinet (containing a miniature version of the character's house) which the book is based on. It might be because I used to really love tiny dollhouse things as a child, my seven year old self really wanted the cabinet . There's also a slightly magical edge that runs throughout the book which I liked. Although the book is set in the late 1600's it deals with some serious issues that are still very relevant to modern times, mainly gender equality but also racism and homophobia. There were two reasons I didn't completely love it. The main reason is that I wanted more to be explained and revealed. There were elements of the plot that I was expecting to return later but they just never did. To be fair I never like it when things are left unanswered in a book, and this is definitely not the only book to leave you guessing on a few points, but it almost felt as though parts had been cut out in some cases. The second, which is partly related to the first, is that although I really liked the characters in the book generally and thought they were well done, very occasionally they did things that I just didn't get. I felt like the action, or reaction, needed more explanation as to why it fit the character. These negatives by no means ruined the book, they're just small personal things. I suppose basically I just wanted it to be longer I still really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to other people to read. I'm thinking of reading some Jules Verne next, probably The Mysterious Island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Glad you enjoyed The Miniaturist, it's one I've considered getting before now. I too would probably take issue with things not being explained, but sometimes I feel books can get away with it. Your review is making me think more favourably of it, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Thank you everyone! It's good to see such positive things about The Eyre Affair! I'm going to Astley book farm soon so I want to check if they have it first, if not I'm going to order it.I love that place! It's quite near me too & somewhere we'd always take visiting friends to, in the past. I'd forgotten about it until recently though, then my sister said she visited & they now had a cafe. I'd like to go again, though me thinks it wouldn't be as relaxing as it used to be meandering through the aisles with a 3 year old charging about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I bought The Miniaturist during the Christmas Kindle Deals for only £0.99. I don't actually know anything about it...no idea it was set in the 1600s. I think it's on my list to read this year. It sounds pretty interesting, though I'm not a fan of books that don't explain things fully either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I decided to read The Miniaturist next and finished it this morning so... Great review! I know of the book and I've been wondering about it... I can't remember if it's already on my wishlist or not, but your review has prompted me to check the sitch and add it there if it's not there already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 I'm glad you're all thinking of looking at The Miniaturist, it definitely wasn't perfect (to me, anyway) for the reasons above but it's not quite like anything I've ever read before either and it made me stay up until about half past two in the morning to find out what happens at the end so that has to be a positive I love that place! It's quite near me too & somewhere we'd always take visiting friends to, in the past.I'd forgotten about it until recently though, then my sister said she visited & they now had a cafe. I'd like to go again, though me thinks it wouldn't be as relaxing as it used to be meandering through the aisles with a 3 year old charging about! I only found out about it a couple of years ago when someone at my university mentioned it, I couldn't believe I'd never been before! The café looks really nice, although I've never eaten there because I'm usually feeling too guilty about all the books I just bought to also stuff my face with cake . Did they have the upstairs part for children the last time you went? Could be a good distraction for a 3 year old Quick book update: I am reading The Mysterious Island but I expect it's going to take me a while to finish it. It's really interesting so far, but also what I would describe as 'dense'. It has a lot of information (often scientific / technological / mathematical information) packed into each chapter, so I feel as though I have to read it slowly to take everything in (and sometimes have to read the same section three times before I actually understand it ). I suspect the pace might pick up later in the story but I'll see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Still reading The Mysterious Island but I think I'm going to have to pause reading it for a little while because (and I am VERY excited about this) I just received Fever of the Blood by Oscar de Muriel! I got it from a goodreads giveaway, it isn't actually out until the 11th and it came with a signed cover, a poster and the first book The Strings of Murder (which I did already have but my copy was from a charity shop so nice to have a shiny new one). I can't resist reading it early so change of reading plan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Ok I've now finished both Fever of the Blood and The Mysterious Island so... Fever of the Blood by Oscar de Muriel - All the themes I love! For anyone who read my review of The Strings of Murder last year, I loved all the same things about this book. I love the time period and the way de Muriel writes about it in a way that is accurate, honest and never clichéd. I also love the theme of the supernatural versus the rational which fits within the Victorian time period so well. Like the last book it kept me gripped the whole way through, I felt like I needed to know what would happen at the end, it's a great mystery. Aside from all the positives maintained from the previous book though this also had some positive new surprises. The characters from the previous book are developed very nicely and some, who had no particularly important part before, start to reveal interesting histories of their own. The sense of unravelling these individual stories to see the bigger picture is part of what keeps this book so tense and interesting. It felt as though this book progressed into darker and more dangerous territory than the last as well, leaving an impression of a building danger that makes me really, really want the next book! The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - A very factual adventure! One of the main features of this book, one which I think could make a reader love it or hate it, is the incredible amount of detail. It is not (like Robinson Crusoe) that Verne goes into minute detail about one aspect of the stranded men's lives, but that he details everything. The types of animals and plants, their uses, the geographical information and exact coordinates of the island (and, of course, the processes required to find all this information). The survivors become woodworkers, metalworkers, doctors, chemists, builders and everything they do to improve their lives on the island is fully explained. Most of the time I thought this was actually quite interesting and clever but, as you can imagine, it sometimes made it feel as though the actual story was progressing very slowly. In a way, I found it to be a very relaxing read. Because of the amount of detail you really feel like you are fully exploring the island, which is mostly wonderful (although, perhaps, not always possible.) The mystery of the island was enough to keep me intrigued though and I genuinely had no idea what it would turn out to be. Two points which annoyed me slightly, although it wasn't the fault of the story - I had an edition with notes in the back (wordsworth classics) which I usually like and I though would be particularly useful for this book - there are barely notes for the length of the book and most of them are just to say 'this can't really happen', 'this is wrong' etc. So I wouldn't recommend that edition if you want explanatory notes. The other thing was that I had heard this book is related slightly to 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' (which I also have on my to-read list) but this book actually tells you something about a character which gives away the ending of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues.' So if you want the ending to be a surprise, don't read this book first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Now on to the other thing I wanted to do! I had this idea while trying to think of which book I should read next. I've still not finished my 'book bundle challenge' but I also have a lot of books (taking up a lot of space!) that have been sitting around for while which I just haven't got round to reading yet. SO I thought I'd try to get organised by making a list of the books I have on my shelves but haven't read yet and also moving my 'book bundle challenge' reviews here. Books I have read are in red Book Bundle Challenge: Best Selling Fiction: Hilary Mantel - Fludd M.L. Stedman - The Light Between Oceans Ian Banks - The Bridge Paul Murray - Skippy Dies Jess Walter - Beautiful Ruins John Green - Paper Towns Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London Joanne Harris - Peaches for Monsieur Le Curé Stephen King - The Shining Corban Addison - A Walk Across the Sun Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Trilogy of Four Stephen Jones - Zombie Apocalypse (TRIED BUT DID NOT FINISH) Joe Abercrombie - The Blade Itself Jim Butcher - Storm Front James Herbert - The Fog Ian M. Banks - Look to Windward Stephen King - Cell Classics: Kurt Vonnegut- Cat's Cradle John Le Carre - The Spy Who Came In From The Cold Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird Robert Lewis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Horror Owned Books To Read Abercrombie, Joe – The Heroes Alcott, Louisa May – Little Women Butcher, Jim – Turn coat Byatt, A.S. – The Children’s Book Caldwell, Ian and Dustin Thomason – The Rule of Four Carrell, J.L. – The Shakespeare Secret Collins, Wilkie – The Woman in White Dickens, Charles – A Tale of Two Cities Dickens, Charles – Bleak House Dickens, Charles – The Old Curiosity Shop Dickens, Charles – The Pickwick Papers Eco, Umberto – The Name of the Rose Fasman, Jon – The Geographer’s Library Faulks, Sebastian – Birdsong Fredericks, L.R. – Farundell (did not finish) Gaiman, Neil - Neverwhere Gaiman, Neil – The Ocean at the End of the Lane Galbraith, Robert – The Silkworm Gaylin, Alison – Into the Dark Gibbins, David – The Tiger Warrior Graham, Kenneth - The Wind in the Willows Hardie, Titania – The Rose Labyrinth Hawthorne, Nathaniel – Tanglewood Tales King, Stephen – Duma Key Le Carré, John – A Most Wanted Man Marston, Edward – The Frost Fair Morton, Kate – The Distant Hours Mosse, Kate – Citadel Mosse, Kate - Sepulchre Patterson, James – Witch & Wizard Perry, Karen – Only We Know Riordan, Kate – The Girl in the Photograph Roy, Arundhati – The God of Small Things Verne, Jules – Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Wells, H.G. – The First Men in the Moon Wells, H.G. – The Invisible Man Wells, H.G. – The Island of Doctor Moreau Wells, H.G. – The Time Machine Wells, H.G. – The War of the Worlds The list looks a lot less intimidating than the actual stack of books so hopefully I can start crossing some off now Edited September 14, 2016 by Hayley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Happy Reading in 2016. Hurray ! Someone else trying Jasper Fforde. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Happy Reading in 2016. Hurray ! Someone else trying Jasper Fforde. Thank you I had to order The Eyre Affair but it should be here in the next couple of days and I'm looking forward to it! I didn't notice you were trying Fforde too in your thread, are you starting with The Eyre Affair too? And I'm happy to say I can cross a book off my list already! I started reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane last night and finished it this afternoon... The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - Childhood Magic This was one of those books that I didn't want to end but I still couldn't help reading so fast. I think when I reviewed Trigger Warning I mentioned how much I love Gaiman's ability to create a very immersive, dreamlike, fantasy world and this book was the same. The fantastical is merged into reality with such seamlessness. It's also a really beautiful portrayal of childhood with all it's fears and hopes and of the aspects of childhood we keep inside us as adults. I don't want to say much more, although there were so many things I loved, because I think it's best to read this book without knowing too much about it beforehand. I would definitely recommend anyone (well, unless they really hate fantasy!) to read this beautifully written book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 A lovely worded review of The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. It is so difficult to capture the spirit of the book, but you have summed it up beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 *Puts hand up* I'm another with The Miniaturist on my Kindle - I downloaded it last January! Something about it keeps putting me off but I shall make an effort to read it this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I really liked The Ocean at the End of the Lane too. Great review, you've said it beautifully. I agree it's best to go in not knowing much about it, all I knew was what was on the back of my edition and I think the book is more enjoyable if you don't know lots about it already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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