Andrea in 2024

[~Andrea~]

Previous logs:

 

2023 (14)

2022 (10)

2021 (9)

2020 (7) 

2019 (18)

2018  (14)

2017  (10)

2016  (9)

2015  (10)
2014  (19)
2013  (21)
2012  (19)
2011  (17)
2010  (19)
2009  (23)
2008  (26)
2007  (21)

 

Completed:

Careering - Daisy Buchanan 

Watermelon - Marian Keyes

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty 

Is Anybody Out There - Marian Keyes

Why did Jesus have to die - Jane Williams

 

Currently reading:

Saturday - Ian McKewan

 

 

 

Abandoned:

The Bee Keepers Apprentice - Laurie R King

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - JKR

 

Edited January 8 by ~Andrea~

[~Andrea~]

I've not had a great reading year so far. Honestly, the amount of books I've picked up and couldn't get in with has been terrible!

 

I started the year with The Goblet of Fire, I didn't like the film much, and the book , what I read of it, well I'm sorry to say but I hated it. I'm a big HP fan but this was just dull. There was so much Quidditch 😝 and long descriptions of matches in way too much detail. I got quite far in but gave up in the end because life is too short!

 

Another one I got quite far with was The Bee Keeper's Apprentice. I really enjoyed it to start with so I was surprised when I found it going downhill. I thought the set up and characterisation was great, but as soon as it got to the mysteries I found it dull. So I gave up on that too.

 

Then I picked up book after book and couldn't settle into anything until I decided on a Marian Keys, she's never let me down and she didn't this time.

 

Now I'm on a bit of a roll and enjoying everything I pick up! Hooray! I will write some proper reviews at some point but I'm just glad I've got my mojo back. I think I just need to be quite selective at the moment and go for stuff I know I'll like!

 

Edited July 7, 2024 by ~Andrea~

[~Andrea~]

I loved Watermelon, which wasn't the best I'd read by Keyes, although given it was her debut I could forgive any little flaws. It was funny and the characters were great. I sailed through it and thought my mojo was back.

 

Next I read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters was absolutely brilliant, original, gripping, twisty, and cleverly (and expertly) written in the style of the period but with modern pace and drama. I cannot recommend it enough.

 

After came The Husband's Secret by another favourite author, Liane Moriarty. I really enjoyed this one too, a humorously written domestic drama and mystery, with dark themes but a light touch.

 

Sadly after this my mojo really fizzled out again and nothing I picked up sparked my interest. My bedside became a graveyard of unfinished reads. I picked up another Marian Keyes: Is Anybody Out There? in the hope that it would kickstart my mojo again. Sadly it didn't. While it was enjoyable enough it wasn't really matching my mood somehow and I found it a little trivial for what I was in the mood for. It took me forever to read, and after another few non-starters I picked up Saturday by Ian McEwan. I'm enjoying it but finding it a little waffly and tedious in places. I shall persist though.

 

I've received some good books in my Christmas stocking this year and I'm looking forward to diving into those in the new year.

[Madeleine]

I actually thought Watermelon was really good, especially for a first novel, and I enjoyed the next few, but I think in the later books she lost it a bit, the last one I read was The Mystery of Mercy Close and I ended up skimming the 2nd half.  A shame as I loved the earlier ones.

[~Andrea~]

On 12/27/2024 at 10:54 AM, Madeleine said:

I actually thought Watermelon was really good, especially for a first novel, and I enjoyed the next few, but I think in the later books she lost it a bit, the last one I read was The Mystery of Mercy Close and I ended up skimming the 2nd half.  A shame as I loved the earlier ones.

 

Yes it was good. I really did like Watermelon, I just didn't think it was as tightly written as some of her others. My favourite remains Rachel's Holiday. I also really enjoyed This Charming Man. That's a shame to hear that some of the other's aren't as good either. Perhaps as a genre writer there is a lot of pressure to keep churning them out.

[Madeleine]

Or editors don't bother guiding a successful author, they can churn out anything and no one will tell them a book's too long, for example.  Maybe it's just me.