Esiotrots Reading List 2008

[Esiotrot]

I hope to read 70 books this year

My scoring system - borrowed from Bookcrossing is ~

 

10: Excellent.This book has impacted me deeply, or has simply been a pure delight to read.

9: Great book - just a nitpick stands between it and a 10.

8: Good, solid book that I would recommend to others.

7: Good book, but ... it didn't grab me in a *big* way.

6: Decent, but not really my type of book.

5: I'm sure somebody else would like this, although I didn't.

4: Only OK. The line between taking it and leaving it is very thin.

3:Major problems. I don't recommend this.

2: Major problems. I recommend you DON'T read this.

1: Ugh! Stay away! It's hard to imagine *anyone* liking this book!!!

NF = Not Finished

 

January 2008

1. Mercy by Jodi Picoult ~ 6

2. The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve ~ 6

3. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger ~ 7

4. The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis ~ NF 5

5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ~ 7

 

February 2008

6. Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis ~ NF

7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ~ 9.5

 

February was not a good month for me - far to much going on to find time to read!! Onwards to March

 

March 2008

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ~ 9

9. Breaking the Trust by Lucy Clare ~ 7

10. I am Legend by Richard Matheson ~ 6

11. The No1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith ~ 9

12. Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre ~ NF

13. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen ~ 8.5

14. Poisoned Cherries by Quintin Jardine ~ 7

15. How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward ~ 8

 

April 2008

16. Never Let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro ~ 6

17. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller ~ 7

18. The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier ~ 6

19. Tears of a Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith ~ 8.5

20. The Vanishing of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell ~ 9

21. Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby by Laura Marney ~ 8

22. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan ~ 6

23. Karma by Holly A Harvey ~ 7

24. The World According to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson ~ 7

 

May 2008

25. The Stepmother by Simon Tolkien ~ 6

26. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson ~ 5

27. The Last to Know by Melissa Hill ~ 8

28. Boy A by Jonathon Trigell ~ 8

29. The Queen and I by Sue Townsend ~ 6

 

June 2008

30. Helpless by Barbara Gowdy ~ 7.5

31. Eden Close by Anita Shreve ~ 7.5

32. His Other Lover by Lucy Dawson ~ 7

33. Rachels Holiday by Marian Keyes ~ 6

 

July 2008

34. The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Green ~ NF/4

35. Blood Ties by Sam Hayes ~ 8

36.

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker ~

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler ~

Edited July 15, 2008 by Esiotrot

[Esiotrot]

I have been neglecting this thread - am going to fill some gaps and endeavour to write a bit about each book I read from now on

[Esiotrot]

7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ~ 9.5

 

After a few books that didn't suit me I felt like I had lost my reading mojo but The Kite Runner brought it back in spades.

The best book I have read in such a long time - if not ever, such a powerful book - its a devastating joy to read. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters after reading it.

I dont give books 10 as like others members I am always looking for the ultimate book, but this is the closest I have come to finding it.

If its in your Mount TBR ~ lift it to the top

[Janet]

I absolutely loved it too. I'm curious to see the film, although I'm perfectly certain it won't be a patch on the book!

[Esiotrot]

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ~ 9

 

Narrated by Death? Yikes, what have I picked up!

A well written book which is slow to start, tender to read and heartbreaking in places. I really enjoyed it and would heartily recommend to anyone considering reading it.

[Esiotrot]

9. Breaking the Trust by Lucy Clare ~ 7

 

Synopsis

Jack Palmer appears to be the archetypal patriarch, but when he dies his three middle-aged children learn that he has an older, illegitimate son, Titus, conceived in his first year of marriage to their mother Clattie. Of his legitimate children, Ralph and Pippa are furious. But ambitious Mark, the youngest, has something to prove to his dead father. When he finds that Titus owns some potentially lucrative business premises in London, he sees it as an opportunity to fulfil a life-long dream to run a restaurant. But Titus is part of the deal and the two men are forced into partnership. Mutual misunderstanding leads to a breakdown in communications between them, and the rest of the family watch the disintegration of their relationship with its inevitable consequences for them all. Only the wives can see the situation clearly and it is their actions that finally bring the two men to their senses. Lucy Clare has written another highly entertaining novel about the worst -- and the best -- in family relationships.

 

An enjoyable book describing complicated family units, the breakdown of relationships, greed and trust. Easy to read but sewn up a little to neatly with a predictable ending.

[Esiotrot]

10. I am Legend by Richard Matheson ~ 6 (Book ring)

 

First book I have ever read in this genre so was a bit aprehensive. I liked the book but it wasnt what I expected at all. I felt it lacked substance, there wasnt much happening. The book was written in the 50's which is amazing as I certainly didnt get the feeling of that era and assumed it was a more modern book. It gets amazing reviews but I felt I missed something - maybe it just wasnt for me.

[LucyD]

Blimey...I am in awe of how quickly you read!

I loved The Kite Runner too - so powerful and moving.

[Esiotrot]

11. The No1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith ~ 9

 

Loved this book! Its an easy read, the heat and laid back attitude of Botswana comes across so well. Mme Ramotswe is a great character - I want to read more about her and her detective work. I will be reading the rest of the books in this series and will be watching BBC1 on Sunday night to see how well it works on screen.

[happyanddandy]

The No1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith ~ 9

 

 

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much - I did too - you can just feel that Botswana heat!

[Esiotrot]

12. Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre ~ N/F

 

I tried hard with this book but have had to admit defeat. Persevered to page 185 but its just wasnt going in - I am skimming rather than reading so have decided to pause it for now.

After researching some reviews I will definitely try another of Brookmyres books as this doesnt seem to be his usual style or one of his best books. It was also in large print which I didnt like at all - sound it really putting.

 

Found The Sacred Art of Stealing at the library yesterday so am going to try it soon.

[Esiotrot]

13. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen ~ 8.5

 

As Tess is our Author of the month I felt inspired to try one of her books. My Mother in Law is really into this genre but I havent really tried it before, so nabbed this book while visiting her.

I really enjoyed this book, although the medical descriptions were gory I didnt find it as scary as I anticipated. Its a clever, fast paced medical thriller with a little romance on the side, the characters are well formed and believable. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series. I also nabbed The Apprentice so it wont be long before I am back with Rizzoli again.

I really want The Bone Garden after reading other reviews, so have added it to my wish list.

[happyanddandy]

Well I just picked 'The Surgeon' up at the Hospice shop recently so I will have a go at it quite soon

[Esiotrot]

14. Poisoned Cherries by Quintin Jardine ~ 7

 

Synopsis

When Oz Blackstone is offered a major role in a cop movie shooting in Edinburgh, he cannot resist taking centre stage. Oz has had a brief liaison with Susie Gantry, a beautiful and self-possessed business woman, and is now pregnant with his child, so will Oz finally silence the call of the wild and settle down to a cosy family life? It all looks like a bowl of cherries until ex-lover Alison Goodchild turns up asking for a favour. But when he finds Alison's business partner murdered in her flat, Oz can't help but suspect he's been set up. And when he discovers a trail of intrigue leading to the cast of the star-studded movie in which he is performing those cherries begin to taste very rancid indeed...

 

 

A 'star studded' rollercoaster of a murder mystery. My first Quintin Jardine book - enjoyable, lighthearted and easy to read if a bit unbelievable in places.

I would describe this as - ladlit - if there is such a thing? It hasnt inspired me to go and buy anymore Jardine books but I would read another if it fell in my lap.

[Esiotrot]

15. How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward ~ 8

 

Synopsis

To their neighbours in suburban Holt, New York, the Winters family has it all: a grand home, a trio of radiant daughters, and a sense of security in their affluent corner of America. But when five-year-old Ellie disappears, the fault lines within the Winters family are exposed. Fifteen years later, Caroline, now a New Orleans cocktail waitress, sees a photograph of a woman in People Magazine. Convinced that it is Ellie all grown up, Caroline embarks on a search for her missing sister. As she travels through the New Mexico desert, the mountains of Colorado, and the smoky underworld of Montana, she devotes herself to salvaging her broken family. "How To Be Lost" is a spellbinding novel about sisters, family secrets - and love.

 

A haunting book about rediscovery and salvaging links with in a broken family, who are still reeling from the disappearance the youngest sister 15 years ago. I would recommend this book to anyone who usually enjoys light hearted Chick Lit but would something a bit deeper.

 

There is one thing that really annoyed me about this book - I have this edition - http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lost-Amanda-Eyre-Ward/dp/0099471272/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206898300&sr=8-1 and the sticker on the front states 'As good as The Lovely Bones or your money back' . I actually enjoyed this more than The Lovely Bones and just dont feel the sticker is necessary. I know its a marketing ploy but I felt the sticker cheapened the book and maybe I am being silly but the sticker would have actually put me off buying!

[Heather]

Hello Karol

 

I think I'll put How to be Lost on my wish list at Amozon sounds really good

 

Heather

[Esiotrot]

16. Never Let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro ~ 6

 

Synopsis

In one of the most acclaimed and strange novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewed version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now 31, "Never Let Me Go" hauntingly dramatises her attempts to come to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School, and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world. A story of love, friendship and memory, "Never Let Me Go" is charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of life.

 

I been thinking about how to review this book for the last few days and to be honest I still am not sure what I want to say. I didnt love it but I didnt hate it, which when I looked at other reviews was pretty much the consensus.

I have come to the conclusion I am too much of a realist and I didnt believe the subject matter.

Or maybe I am not intelligent enough

 

Never mind, on to the next one...

[Heather]

I have never heard of him but the blurb looking interesting and it a book I would buy on that alone

[Esiotrot]

17. Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller ~ 7

 

Synopsis

At fifty, Pippa Lee seems just fine. The devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, the proud mother of successful twins, and a lovely and adored friend and neighbour, she seems to glow with feminine serenity. But when her husband spontaneously decides they should cast off Gramercy Park for Marigold Village retirement home, as a "preemptive strike against his decrepitude," Pippa finds her beatific persona unravelling in alarming ways.The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. By seventeen, Pippa has lived with a Dexedrine addicted mother, felt the first stirrings of sexuality with a school girlfriend, had an affair with a teacher, and run away from home, set adrift on a course littered with broken hearts - until she found love and security in a family of her own.And now that seemingly established world, too, is in danger.In Pippa Lee we have an unforgettable heroine, and a quirky and acutely intelligent portrait of the many lives behind a single name. Even after we've read it, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is a story that is still unfurling.

 

At the start of this novel you are lulled into reading a story about a 50 year old wife and her 80 year old husband. On his suggestion they have sold everything and moved to 'wrinkle village' a retirement complex. Pippa plays the perfect housewife, adores her husband and panders to his needs but she is not entirely happy with her lot.

When a neighbours troubled son arrives on the scene I felt the book was going down a predictable route, but it then take an unexpected twist.

 

The middle section of the book is Pippa relaying her life from birth until she married her husband. It explores her relationships in particular with her mother. There are parts of this section which made me raise my eyebrows as she leaves home and disappears into a spiral of drugs. I felt she was easily led and was constantly seeking the unconditional love of a parent figure. She lacks ambition and responsibility, she allows others into her life at the deepest level and then drops them and runs.

 

The book ends back in the present with a few more discoveries about Pippa and those surrounding her. Pippa is a strange character - not what she appears on the surface, I would like to know what becomes of her.

 

The book is articulately written, the author creates believable characters and relationships. Womans fiction with a dark undertones, I enjoyed it and will certainly look out for her next book.

 

As this is an Early review book from Library Thing I am offering it as a Bookring, please sign up if your interested.

[Esiotrot]

18. The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier ~ 6

 

Bookring - courtesy of Inver

 

Synopsis

The Dutch painter Vermeer has remained one of the great enigmas of 17th-century Dutch art. While little is known of his personal life, his extraordinary paintings of natural and domestic life, with their subtle play of light and colour, have come to define the Dutch Golden Age. The mysterious portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has fascinated art historians for centuries, and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.

Girl with a Pearl Earring centres on Vermeer's prosperous household in Delft in the 1660s. The appointment of the quiet, perceptive heroine of the novel, the servant Griet, gradually throws the household into turmoil as Vermeer and Griet become increasingly intimate, an increasingly tense situation that culminates in her working for Vermeer as his assistant, and ultimately sitting for him as a model. Chevalier deliberately cultivates a limpid, painstakingly observed style in homage to Vermeer, and the complex domestic tensions of the Vermeer household are vividly evoked, from the jealous, vain, young wife to the wise, taciturn mother-in-law. At times the relationship between servant and master seems a little anachronistic, but Girl with a Pearl Earring does contain a final delicious twist in its tail. Chevalier acknowledges her debt to Simon Schama's classic study of the Dutch Golden Age, The Embarrassment of Riches, and the novel comes hard on the heels of Deborah Moggach's similar tale of domestic intrigue behind the easel of 17th-century Dutch painting, Tulip Fever.

 

Just copied the synopsis from Amazon and realised the only other book of this genre I have read is infact the one listed at the bottom - Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach. These are books outwith my normal comfort zone as I am attempting to broaden my horizons.

 

Although I enjoyed the book, I found the story slow paced and quiet. I am not very acquaint with the Art world and am embarrassed to admit prior to this book I hadnt heard of Vermeer or the painting.

 

Chevaliers writing is subtle and delicate, the character of Griet was well understood, I liked her and felt involved in her thoughts. The relationship between Griet and Vermeer was beautiful as it was never realised but shaped the whole story.

 

I appreciated the books style and despite not feeling that I would read another book written by Chevalier I am glad I read this one.

[Esiotrot]

19. Tears of a Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith ~ 8.5

 

Synopsis

THE NO.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY introduced the world to the one and only Precious Ramotswe - the engaging and sassy owner of Botswana's only detective agency. TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE, McCall Smith's second book, takes us further into this world as we follow Mama Ramotswe into more daring situations ...Among her cases this time are wayward wives, unscrupulous maids, and the challenge to resolve a mother's pain for her son who is long lost on the African plains. Indeed, Mma Ramotswe's own impending marriage to the most gentlemanly of men, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, the promotion of Mma's secretary to the dizzy heights of Assistant Detective, and the arrival of new members to the Matekoni family, all brew up the most humorous and charmingly entertaining of tales.

 

More of the same from Mma Ramotswe in the beautiful Botswana - such lovely books! The Glass Ceiling made me laugh.

 

I now own numbers 1,2,4 & 6 in the series and am on the hunt for the rest so I can read the series in order.

[Esiotrot]

20. The Vanishing of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell ~ 9

 

Synopsis

A significant departure for Maggie O'Farrell in terms of maturity and style, the paperback publication of THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX will be an unmissable event. Set between the 1930s,and the present, Maggie O'Farrell's new novel is the story of Esme, a woman edited out of her family's history, and of the secrets that come to light when, sixty years later, she is released from care, and a young woman, Iris, discovers the great aunt she never knew she had. The mystery that unfolds is the heartbreaking tale of two sisters in colonial India and 1930s Edinburgh - of the loneliness that binds them together and the rivalries that drive them apart, and lead one of them to a shocking betrayal - but above all it is the story of Esme, a fiercely intelligent, unconventional young woman, and of the terrible price she is made to pay for her family's unhappiness. This is vintage Maggie O'Farrell: an impassioned, intense, haunting family drama - a stunning imagining of a life stolen, and reclaimed.

 

Read this book in a day - I was so drawn in I was even reading it while preparing supper and folding washing! and although I had guessed some of what was coming, I was still surprised by this haunting book. I will definitely be reading more by Maggie O'Farrell.

Edited May 9, 2008 by Esiotrot

[Michelle]

Maggie O'Farrell is one of my favourite authors.. and I think that that book is her best. It certainly pulls you in, doesn't it?

[Esiotrot]

21. Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby by Laura Marney ~ 8

 

Synopsis

Everybody's on anti-depressants. Not being happy all the time makes them stressed out of their tights. Carol practises uninhibited sex which ends with her panty liner stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. Donnie, after a mystery bite in a third world country, thinks he's incubating a nest of spiders up his bum. Daphne gets fat. She makes soup all the time and wonders if Woolworth's sell a hose pipe to fit a Vauxhall Vectra. Pierce is a poet; a fat balding womaniser who's only steady relationship is with a cup at the sperm bank. He's the only one not on anti-depressants, and he's the hero.

Both my OH and my daughter have red hair so I felt compelled to read this book - expecting a rant against redheads I was pleasantly surprised.

I really liked this book it was believable, dry, funny and sad. I dont remember the last time I actually laughed out loud while reading a book but just thinking about Donnie on the cruise still starts me off laughing!

 

There is some adult content in this book - one incident in particular goes into a bit too much detail. This didnt bother me but has made me a wee bit concerned about lending it to my M-I-L who wants to read it as she has had 3 ginger baby's - think I will have to give her a warning.

 

The author is Scottish and quite a bit of the dialogue might need a second glance if your not Scottish but nothing that isnt easily understood.

 

Having previously read 'No Wonder I Take a Drink' by Ms Marney, which was ok but nothing outstanding, I was apprehensive about Ginger Baby. But all in all a great book, I would heartily recommend it to anyone wanting a laugh.

[Esiotrot]

22. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan ~ 6

 

Synopsis

It is June, 1962. In a hotel on the Dorset coast, overlooking Chesil Beach, Edward and Florence, who got married that morning, are sitting down to dinner in their room. Neither is entirely able to suppress their anxieties about the wedding night to come ..."On Chesil Beach" is another masterwork from Ian McEwan - a story about how the entire course of a life can be changed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

 

At only 166 pages this short book delves deep into the lives of Edward and Florence for few hours on their wedding night. The insight into each of their fears and expectations conveyed the period very well. McEwans style of writing is very descriptive, almost to the point of irritation for me.

The pubic hair thing comes to mind

 

The majority of the book moves very slowly and in comparison the ending felt very rushed. I actually think it would have been better to leave the story open ended or to continue it into a longer novel.