What Kat Read Next 2010

[Michelle]

All The Things We Didn't Say

Sara Shepard

I had a review copy of this from LibraryThing, but I had trouble getting into it. Did you manage to finish it?

 

 

 

[tunn300]

The Rapture

Liz Jensen

 

In a merciless summer of biblical heat and destructive winds, Gabrielle Fox's main concern is a personal one: to rebuild her career as a psychologist after a shattering car accident. But when she is assigned Bethany Krall, one of the most dangerous teenagers in the country, she begins to fear she has made a terrible mistake. Raised on a diet of evangelistic hellfire, Bethany is violent, delusional, cruelly intuitive and insistent that she can foresee natural disasters - a claim which Gabrielle interprets as a symptom of doomsday delusion. But when catastrophes begin to occur on the very dates Bethany has predicted, and a brilliant, gentle physicist enters the equation, the apocalyptic puzzle intensifies and the stakes multiply. Is the self-proclaimed Nostradamus of the psych ward the ultimate manipulator, or could she be the harbinger of imminent global cataclysm on a scale never seen before? And what can love mean in 'interesting times'? A haunting story of human passion and burning faith set against an adventure of tectonic proportions, "The Rapture" is an electrifying psychological thriller that explores the dark extremes of mankind's self-destruction in a world on the brink.

 

Started: 18/08/10

Finished:

Rated:

Comments:

 

 

I have this book on my TBR pile. I will be interested in your thoughts as have heard some very disappointing things about it but it sounds so good in the synopsis.

[Mac]

I seen you got The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on you mount to be read. I loved that book. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a good read. I have picked up some more books I want to read after reading you reviews.

 

Aye, Kat's a rum'un for that - I need to stop checking her reviews out...

 

...that's not a euphemism for anything, you know!

 

xx

[Lilywhite]

I had a review copy of this from LibraryThing, but I had trouble getting into it. Did you manage to finish it?

 

I found it quite difficult to get into at first but I've nearly finished it now and I'm managing to follow it a bit better. It's not the most engaging book I've ever read but it does pick up.

 

Aye, Kat's a rum'un for that - I need to stop checking her reviews out...

 

...that's not a euphemism for anything, you know!

 

xx

 

Glad I can be of service Mac

 

I have this book on my TBR pile. I will be interested in your thoughts as have heard some very disappointing things about it but it sounds so good in the synopsis.

 

I must admit I picked this one up purely on the synopsis so I do hope it's not a disappointment. I'll let you know how I get along.

 

 

I seen you got The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on you mount to be read. I loved that book.

 

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a good read.

 

 

I have picked up some more books I want to read after reading you reviews.

 

Thanks for the recommendations Laura. I hope you pick up some good books

[Lilywhite]

Hard Girls

Martina Cole

 

HARD LIVES. HARD LESSONS. IT’S MURDER ON THE STREETS.

 

Danielle Crosby had a body to die for. A body she sold to the highest bidder. But she ended up paying for it with her life.

 

When a prostitute’s body is found lifeless, mutilated and brutally raped, DCI Annie Carr has never seen anything like it and never wants to again. Kate Burrows, retired DCI now consultant, has plenty of experience when it comes to murder – after all she caught the Grantley Ripper and broke the biggest paedophile ring in the South East. She is determined to help put the killer behind bars. But whoever it is won’t be easily caught. And when another girl’s body is found, even more horrifically disfigured than the last, it’s clear the killer is just warming up...

 

In a ruthless world where everyone’s out for themselves, Annie and Kate must dig deep if they hope to catch a callous serial killer who knows no limits and makes no mistakes. For some, prostitution is seriously big business. But how many people will pay the ultimate price?

 

Utterly compelling, HARD GIRLS is a gripping and disturbing thriller that will have you hooked until the very last page.

 

Started: 31/08/10

Finished: 09/09/10

Rated: 4/5

Comments: Another excellent book from Martina. She never disappoints. Although this book seemed quite lacking in the criminal underworld side of the story, the plot was just as riveting as ever with a nasty bad guy to be hunted down. Excellent crime novel

[Lilywhite]

The Pact

Roberta Kray

 

For 34-year-old Eve Weston, life couldn't get much bleaker. Her con artist father recently committed suicide and her younger brother Terry was sent to jail. Then she lost her job too, because a close friendship with married solicitor Henry Baxter was misconstrued as an affair. Having temporarily moved away from London, she's now living in her father's old flat in one of the shabbier parts of Norwich.On a visit to see Terry, Eve is shocked to find him battered and bruised. He refuses to tell her who has done it or why. Eve begins to have serious fears that her brother won't survive his sentence, and in desperation she turns to another prisoner, a dangerous-seeming individual called Martin Cavelli. They make a secret pact: if Cavelli protects Terry then she will pay whatever it costs.

 

Started: 12/09/10

Finished: 29/09/10

Rated: 3/5

Comments: Ok, this one wasn't as bad as the first one. Quite an entertaining read. A bit like Martina Cole but without the grit and violence. I enjoyed this story. It had the right amount of twists and turns to keep me interested without going too OTT.

[Lilywhite]

The Ring of Solomon

Jonathan Stroud

 

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books will devour this book - a cracking adventure brimming with magic, intrigue and a treasure trove of characters that the reader can't help but fall for. We find everyone's favourite irascibly insolent djinni serving at the court of King Solomon in 950 BC Jerusalem, where he is causing his customary chaos and must help a girl assassin sent by the Queen of Sheba steal the all-powerful ring of Solomon. The comic relief is perfectly timed, the dialogue sharp and snappy and the fiendishly clever plot perfectly handled with Jonathan's trademark flair and command of language. Thrills, chills and a danger-spiked finale - this is one of the publishing events of the year.

 

Started: 29/09/10

Finished: 12/10/10

Rated: 5/5

Comments: Loved, loved, loved this one. I was so sad to say goodbye to Bartimaeus in the last books and I'm so glad that Stroud decided to write more about this loveable rogue. You can't help but laugh out loud at his antics and I loved the story too. Well worth the read.

[poppyshake]

The Ring of Solomon

Jonathan Stroud

 

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books will devour this book - a cracking adventure brimming with magic, intrigue and a treasure trove of characters that the reader can't help but fall for. We find everyone's favourite irascibly insolent djinni serving at the court of King Solomon in 950 BC Jerusalem, where he is causing his customary chaos and must help a girl assassin sent by the Queen of Sheba steal the all-powerful ring of Solomon. The comic relief is perfectly timed, the dialogue sharp and snappy and the fiendishly clever plot perfectly handled with Jonathan's trademark flair and command of language. Thrills, chills and a danger-spiked finale - this is one of the publishing events of the year.

 

Started: 29/09/10

Finished:

Rated:

Comments:

 

I'm so looking forward to this one. I loved the original books so much that I'm worried this one might disappoint. How's it going so far?

[Lilywhite]

All I can say is, you will not be disappointed. Bartimaeus is as witty and wonderful as ever and even though it's been a while since I read the trilogy, it still flows so well.

[Lilywhite]

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Gregory Maguire

 

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave amongst the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

 

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who is swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household - and the treacherous truth of her former life.

 

Started: 12/10/10

Finished: 22/10/10

Rated: 4/5

Comments: This is a great take on the well read story of Cinderella and I have grown to love Maguires skewed take on stories we have taken for granted over the years. Not quite as in depth as his 'Wicked' series of books, this one was a little more readable and a bit easier to follow, in my opinion.

[madcow]

I loved this book hope you enjoy it too x

[Lilywhite]

Stolen

Lesley Pearse

 

Sussex, 2003 When a beautiful blonde girl is found half-drowned on a beach, she has no memory of who she is or what horrors have left her there. But an article about her in a Brighton newspaper rings alarm bells for beautician, Dale, who shows the police photographs of Lotte Wainright. The girls met working on a cruise ship and their friendship blossomed as they sailed the seas of South America, until Lotte fell under the sinister influence of an older American couple. To her regret, Dale hasn't seen Lotte since leaving the ship months earlier ... but the girl on the beach - although badly bruised - is indeed her much missed friend. Their reunion only marks the beginning of a dangerous tidal wave of secrets, lies and nightmares. Where has Lotte been? Who is the man who seems to want to kill her? And what has become of the baby she's recently given birth to? Dale and Lotte must dig deep and find the strength to hold on against the odds if they are to rebuild their friendship and survive Lotte's stolen - and deadly - past.

 

Started: 23/10/10

Finished: 03/11/10

Rated: 2/5

Comments: Unfortunately this wasn't up to the usual standards of Lesley's other books and I didn't enjoy it any where near as much as I thought I would. The story is an interesting idea but the characters just didn't work for me. It didn't pull me in so I didn't really care quite as much as I should have done.

[Lilywhite]

The Thirteenth Tale

Diane Setterfield

 

Angelfield House stands abandoned and forgotten. It was once home to the March family - fascinating, manipulative Isabelle, brutal, dangerous Charlie, and the wild, untamed twins, Emmeline and Adeline. But Angelfield House hides a chilling secret which strikes at the very heart of each of them, tearing their lives apart... Now Margaret Lea is investigating Angelfield's past - and the mystery of the March family starts to unravel. What has Angelfield been hiding? What is its connection with the enigmatic writer Vida Winter? And what is the secret that strikes at the heart of Margaret's own, troubled life? As Margaret digs deeper, two parallel stories unfold, and the tale she uncovers sheds a disturbing light on her own life...

 

Started: 06/11/10

Finished: 14/11/10

Rated: 4.5/5

Comments: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so, I read two thirds in the last couple of days. I didn't want to put it down. It's such a well written story with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you on your toes without the confusion of too many threads going on at once. If you like the style of Kate Morton, you'll love this.

[nursenblack]

The Thirteenth Tale

Diane Setterfield

 

Angelfield House stands abandoned and forgotten. It was once home to the March family - fascinating, manipulative Isabelle, brutal, dangerous Charlie, and the wild, untamed twins, Emmeline and Adeline. But Angelfield House hides a chilling secret which strikes at the very heart of each of them, tearing their lives apart... Now Margaret Lea is investigating Angelfield's past - and the mystery of the March family starts to unravel. What has Angelfield been hiding? What is its connection with the enigmatic writer Vida Winter? And what is the secret that strikes at the heart of Margaret's own, troubled life? As Margaret digs deeper, two parallel stories unfold, and the tale she uncovers sheds a disturbing light on her own life...

 

Started: 06/11/10

Finished:

Rated:

Comments:

 

 

I read this last month and enjoyed it pretty well. I'm curious to see what you think.

[Weave]

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Gregory Maguire

 

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave amongst the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

 

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who is swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household - and the treacherous truth of her former life.

 

Started: 12/10/10

Finished: 22/10/10

Rated: 4/5

Comments: This is a great take on the well read story of Cinderella and I have grown to love Maguires skewed take on stories we have taken for granted over the years. Not quite as in depth as his 'Wicked' series of books, this one was a little more readable and a bit easier to follow, in my opinion.

 

Fantastic read, glad you enjoyed it Kat

[Lilywhite]

Nursenblack thanks for the comments. So far I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would. Very enjoyable!

 

Weave: it is a fantastic book isn't it! I love Gregory Maguire and haven't found anything of his I haven't liked.

[Lilywhite]

The Girls He Adored

Jonathan Nasaw

 

Max admits to killing the young woman whose still-warm, disembowelled body was found beside him - but he claims to be suffering from DID, a multiple-personality disorder and common alibi for murderers. Strawberry-blonde psychiatrist Irene Cogan is brought in to assess his claims and is astonished to find that Max has many more alters - or alternative personalities - than any DID sufferer she's previously encountered. But what Irene doesn't know is that one of those alters is a suspected serial killer the FBI know as Casey - a man responsible for the disappearance, and almost certain death, of several women. Women with just one thing in common - strawberry-blonde hair.

 

Started: 15/11/10

Finished: 21/11/10

Rated: 3/5

Comments:

[Lilywhite]

Fear Itself

Jonathan Nasaw

 

Just as he's celebrating his last day on the job, FBI agent E L Pender receives a letter from Dorie Bell. Dorie is afraid. Last year she attended a convention for Persons with Specific Phobia Disorder. Since then, a couple of the delegates have died in suspicious circumstances. Carl Polander had acrophobia. Fear of heights. So what would he be doing on the 12th floor of the building the police say he jumped from? Mara Agajanian had haemophobia. Fear of blood. So how could she have cut her own wrists in the bathtub? Dorie, who suffers from an irrational fear of masks, wants Pender to look into these cases. She suspects there may be a twisted serial killer on the loose. Someone, who quite literally, enjoys scaring his victims to death. Dorie's right. But she has no idea just how close to her the killer is...

 

Started: 22/11/10

Finished:27/11/10

Rated: 3/5

Comments: This wasn't a bad book considering the story has been done many times before, both in books and on tv. You don't get much character development despite this being the second book with FBI agent Pender and in some parts it's highly unlikely that things would happen in the way they do. But then again, it's only when I think about it in depth that I questioned it. It did seem to flow at the time. Readable but not as good as Mo Hayder.

[Lilywhite]

27 Bones

Jonathan Nasaw

 

As Lewis's eyes adjusted to the light, what appeared at first to be a can of ivory-coloured sticks and stones proved to be a can of disarticulated bones, some like sticks, long and thin, flared out delicately at the ends, others roundish, like irregularly-shaped stones, and still others short, with conical tips. They were of course, the bones of a human hand. If he'd counted, he'd have found twenty-seven of them - eight carpals, five metacarpals, and fourteen phalanges.' Although officially retired, ex-Special Agent Pender can't ignore a plea for help from an old friend - especially when there's an all expenses paid trip to the Caribbean attached. Julian Coffee, St Luke's chief of police, needs Pender's help in tracking down a serial killer known as the 'Machete Man' because of his habit of cutting off the right hand of his victims. Pender is about to encounter the strangest and most baffling case of his long career.

 

Started: 28/11/10

Finished: 05/12/10

Rated: 3/5

Comments: Another good book from Nasaw. There's an aspect to these books that is not like your average crime books. I can't quite put my finger on it but there's an aspect of science/knowledge that goes into each killer. I think they may just be very well researched but in my opinion, it shows through.

[Mac]

I don't mind this guy. And I like Agent Pender. - I've not read this stuff for ages. Thanks for reminding me about him, Kat!

 

Hope you're very well.

x

[Lilywhite]

Thanks Mac! Hope you are well too.

 

I've been enjoying these so far. They've been sat on my shelf for a while so I thought I'd give them a go. There is a certain bumbling charm about Pender that I like and also they always seem well researched (a lot of big words!) Looking forward to this next one.

[Lilywhite]

As She Climbed Across The Table

Jonathan Letham

 

What if your lover left you for nothing? Literally Nothing? From the author of Motherless Brooklyn, this is a strange, hilarious love story about a man, a woman, and the space between them. Physicist Alice Coombs has made a great discovery - a hole in the universe, a true nothingness she and her colleagues call 'Lack'. Professor Philip Engstrand has made his own breakthrough - he realises how much he loves Alice. Trouble is, Lack is a void with a personality - a void that utterly obsesses Philip's beloved. She's fallen out of love with Philip and in love with Lack.

 

Started: 05/12/10

Finished: 06/12/10

Rated: 1/5

Comments: I think I missed the point of this one. I mean, I get it but I didn't find it quite as "hilarious" as I should have done. Maybe it just didn't appeal to my sense of humour

[Lilywhite]

Silent Scream

Karen Rose

 

Four college kids set fire to a supposedly empty condominium block. But when they see the young girl at an upper-floor window desperately banging on the glass, clawing to get out, they realise their mistake. Although they don’t all agree, the group leave the girl to her certain death, little realising that someone is there, watching their every move. Someone who has a nasty habit of blackmail and sees an opportunity for profit which is far greater than any they have ever had before.

For local fire fighter David Hunter, getting the blaze under control is hard enough, but when he finds the girl’s body he realises that this arson attack has become a murder case and the homicide cops are immediately called in. Now, as David works with the cops, it’s a race to find the arsonists, and the blackmailer, before events escalate out of all control

 

Started: 07/12/10

Finished: 17/12/10

Rated: 4/5

Comments: I've grown quite fond of Karen Rose and her set plot formula. Her books are very easy to read but still intriguing enough to keep turning the pages. I like the recurring characters and the cross referencing from previous stories.

[Lilywhite]

Winter Dreams

Norah Roberts

 

This title includes two gorgeous stories that are sure to make you believe in the miracle of love this Christmas! Blithe Image - beneath her sophisticated beauty, fashion model. Hillary Baxter was still just a small-town girl. How could she be expected to resist the devastating charm of her new employer, mesmerising tycoon Bret Bardoff? But Christmas in New York could change everything...As he discovered Hillary's alluring innocence, it was Bret who was left defenceless...against the pull of his own heart. Song of the West - nothing was going to seduce Samantha Evans into giving up her dreams, however much the towering mountains and windswept plains of Wyoming called to her. She'd never intended to stay forever. Until one snowy night, when a sexy cowboy rescued her from a terrifying storm.

 

Started: 17/12/10

Finished: 24/12/10

Rated: 2/5

Comments: Not my usual reading material but it wasn't the worst book I've ever read. It was all fluffy and heavy on the romance, which for this time of the year is never a bad thing. You can't complain when the book is filled with hunky cowboys!

[Lilywhite]

I'm going to close this thread now as it is unlikely that I will complete any more books before the New Year.

 

Not a fantastic year for reading (or much else come to that). Mediocre at best really as I didn't read half as much as I wanted too. I have read some wonderful books (as well as a couple of clangers) but here's to reading much, much more in 2011.

 

See you on the other side.