chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) It's the first day of the year and I have 78 books on my shelves waiting for me to read them. Some of these have been there for a very long time, so my intention this year is to read as many of these as I can, resisting the temptation of too many new books! 2009 reading blog - 143 books (on the Book Club Forum) 2008 reading list - 63 books (this link will open a new browser window to my personal blog) 2007 reading list - 97 books (this link will open a new browser window to my personal blog) 2006 reading list - 82 books (this link will open a new browser window to my personal blog) Edited July 24, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Author Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Key: Books from 2008 TBR Books from 2009 TBR New books in 2010 Local reading group books Re-reads Currently reading: Notes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber Books read: 1. Missing: Safe House by Meg Cabot 2. Missing: Sanctuary by Meg Cabot 3. Missing: Missing You by Meg Cabot 4. Murder Most Fab by Julian Clary 5. Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong 6. The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis 7. Moral Disorder by Margaret Atwood 8. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde 9. The Immortals: Evermore by Alyson Noël 10. Fallen by Lauren Kate 11. Agaton Sax and the Diamond Thieves by Nils-Olof Franzén 12. Howards End Is On The Landing by Susan Hill 13. Ox-tales: Earth by Various 14. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell 15. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris 16. The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd 17. It's Only A Movie by Mark Kermode 18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling 19. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon 20. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer 21. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer 22. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 23. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 24. Our Farm by Rosie Boycott 25. No Way To Say Goodbye by Anna McPartlin 26. Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver 27. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong 28. The Immortals: Blue Moon by Alyson Noël 29. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot 30. I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley 31. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 32. The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd 33. Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K. Jerome 34. Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant 35. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong 36. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 37. Jinx by Meg Cabot 38. Gulity Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton 39. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 40. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 41. The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble 42. The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton 43. Burned by P.C and Kristin Cast 44. The Gathering by Anne Enright 45. Eleven Minutes Late by Matthew Engel 46. Flush by Carl Hiaasen 47. Frostbite by Richelle Mead 48. Airhead by Meg Cabot 49. Being Nikki by Meg Cabot 50. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead 51. Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton 52. The Lunatic Café by Laurell K. Hamilton 53. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison 54. Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton 55. The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton 56. Runaway by Meg Cabot 57. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell 58. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer 59. The Outcast by Sadie Jones 60. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead 61. Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris 62. Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead 63. Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome 64. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton 65. Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton 66. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin 67. Need by Carrie Jones 68. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead 69. Devil In Disguise by Julian Clary 70. Martin Lukes: Who Moved My Blackberry? by Lucy Kellaway 71. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer 72. Obisidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton 73. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 74. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro 75. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine 76. Shadowland by Alyson Noël 77. The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine 78. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare 79. Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine 80. Narcissus In Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton 81. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 82. Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine 83. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater 84. Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine 85. Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong 86. Stolen by Lucy Christopher 87. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare 88. The Dog Who Came In From The Cold by Alexander McCall Smith 89. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 90. Flyaway by Lucy Christopher 91. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 92. The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy 93. Something Beginning With by Sarah Salway 94. Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton 95. Hotel World by Ali Smith 96. The Whole Day Through by Patrick Gale 97. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 98. The Chosen One by Sam Bourne 99. Fade Out by Rachel Caine 100. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine 101. Adventures on the High Teas by Stuart Maconie 102. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter 103. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter 104. The Recruit by Robert Muchamore 105. Class A by Robert Muchamore 106. Agatha Raisin: There Goes The Bride by M. C. Beaton 107. Three Ways To Capsize A Boat by Chris Stewart 108. Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore 109. The Ghost by Richard Harris 110. The Killing by Robert Muchamore 111. Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore 112. Man Vs Beast by Robert Muchamore 113. Immortals: Dark Flame by Alyson Noël 114. Agatha Raisin and the Busy Body by M. C. Beaton 115. Storm Born by Richelle Mead 116. The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith 117. Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead 118. The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith 119. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith 120. Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead 121. The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger 122. Succubus Nights by Richelle Mead 123. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood 124. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 125. Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead 126. Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers 127. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper 128. Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer 129. Fup by Jim Dodge 130. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Edited December 31, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Author Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Key: Books from 2008 TBR Books from 2009 TBR New books in 2010 Local reading group books Re-reads Books waiting to be read: 1. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh 2. The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames 3. A Handful of Honey by Annie Hawes 4. The Olive Season by Carol Drinkwater 5. The Olive Harvest by Carol Drinkwater 6. The Olive Route by Carol Drinkwater 7. A Place Called Here by Celia Ahern 8. Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble 9. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell 10. My Life So Far by Jane Fonda 11. Mirrors of the Unseen by Jason Elliot 12. The Infinite Book by John D. Barrow 13. Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester 14. What I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness by John Ronson 15. The Year Of The Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago 16. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame 17. The Music Of The Primes by Marcus du Sautoy 18. Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood 19. Forever Autumn by Mark Morris 20. Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons: Travels in Sicily on a Vespa by Matthew Fort 21. The Factory Of Light by Michael Jacobs 22. The Nightmare of Black Island by Mike Tucker 23. Wild Mary by Patrick Marnham 24. The Science of Doctor Who by Paul Parsons 25. A House Unlocked by Penelope Lively 26. The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies 27. Thistle Soup by Peter Kerr 28. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen 29. A Backward Place by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala 30. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks 31. Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks 32. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons 33. The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery 34. White Mughals by William Dalrymple 35. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh 36. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs 37. William - An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton 38. Friends Like These by Danny Wallace 39. Guernica by Dave Boling 40. Corvus by Esther Woolfson 41. The Bolter by Frances Osborne 42. An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay 43. My Invented Country by Isabel Allende 44. Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo 45. The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard 46. Can't Be Arsed by Richard Wilson 47. The Colour by Rose Tremain 48. The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett 49. Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella 50. Coral - A Pessimist in Paradise by Steve Jones 51. Breath by Tim Winton 52. Free Love and other stories by Ali Smith 53. The Jewel Box by Anna Davis 54. Dracula by Bram Stoker 55. Nature's Numbers by Ian Stewart 56. The Silver Linings Play Book by Matthew Quick 57. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella 58. Captivate by Carrie Jones 59. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 60. Wicked by Gregory Maguire 61. Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons 62. Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd 63. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 64. Devoted Ladies by Molly Keane 65. Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits The Headlines by Michael Bond 66. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier 67. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray 68. I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk 69. Over Sea Under Stone by Susan Cooper 70. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje 71. Light on Snow by Anita Shreve 72. The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan 73. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers 74. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 75. Nicholas In Trouble by Rene Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé 76. Raoul Taburin Keeps A Secret by Jean-Jacques Sempé 77. Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne 78. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness Edited December 30, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Author Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Books started: These are books I've started but put aside for now but fully intend to finish at some point. None Unfinished books: These are books I've started, but wasn't enjoying and decided to stop reading. Dark Lover by J. R. Ward The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble (200 pages read then abandoned) Edited July 17, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Author Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Title: Missing: Safe House Author: Meg Cabot (writing as Jenny Carroll) Publisher: Simon and Schuster Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): When cheerleader Amber Mackey goes missing and is later found dead many blame Lightning Girl, Jess Mastriani, for not stopping the brutal killing. But when Amber went missing Jess was on holiday. It wasn't her fault! How could Jess have found her when she didn't know that she was missing in the first place? But when another cheerleader goes missing, Jess has a chance to redeem herself. But just how is she supposed to keep her psychic powers secret from the feds, while at the same time tracking down a murderer? Review: This is the third book in the Missing series, and is another thrilling tale for Jess, who is having to deal with situations a bit too close to home for comfort this time. Meg Cabot has such an easy style of writing, using casual dialogue that always sounds authentic without being dated, and always grounding her characters in the real world, so no matter how incredible their exploits are, they still have to deal with the mundane and everyday matters of growing up in an ordinary family. In this book, we learn more about the psychic powers Jess has gained which results in her finding herself in a very perilous situation. Great entertainment for a lazy weekend. Edited February 22, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
Charm Posted January 1, 2010 Posted January 1, 2010 Happy reading chesilbeach! I hope your 2010 reading is full of fantastic reads Quote
catwoman Posted January 1, 2010 Posted January 1, 2010 Title: Missing: Safe HouseAuthor: Meg Cabot (writing as Jenny Carroll) Publisher: Simon and Schuster Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): When cheerleader Amber Mackey goes missing and is later found dead many blame Lightning Girl, Jess Mastriani, for not stopping the brutal killing. But when Amber went missing Jess was on holiday. It wasn't her fault! How could Jess have found her when she didn't know that she was missing in the first place? But when another cheerleader goes missing, Jess has a chance to redeem herself. But just how is she supposed to keep her psychic powers secret from the feds, while at the same time tracking down a murderer? Review: This is the third book in the Missing series, and is another thrilling tale for Jess, who is having to deal with situations a bit too close to home for comfort this time. Meg Cabot has such an easy style of writing, using casual dialogue that always sounds authentic without being dated, and always grounding her characters in the real world, so no matter how incredible their exploits are, they still have to deal with the mundane and everyday matters of growing up in an ordinary family. In this book, we learn more about the psychic powers Jess has gained which results in her finding herself in a very perilous situation. Great entertainment for a lazy weekend. That sounds really interesting, what are the names of the other books in the series I would really like to check them out? CW. Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 1, 2010 Author Posted January 1, 2010 There are five in the series called: When Lightning Strikes Code Name Cassandra Safe House Sanctuary Missing You I should warn you that they're YA, so don't expect a gritty crime novel - it's clean cut, fairly wholesome stuff aimed at probably young teenagers, but I just enjoy Meg's writing for light, entertaining reading. Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 2, 2010 Author Posted January 2, 2010 (edited) Title: Missing: Sanctuary Author: Meg Cabot (writing as Jenny Carroll) Publisher: Simon and Schuster Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): Sixteen-year-old Jess Mastriani knew she couldn't hide her psychic powers from the US Government forever. Now they want her to join a unit of "specially gifted" crime solvers headed up by one of their agents. However much Jess want to use her visions to find missing people, she's not prepared to go missing herself while on some 'classified' FBI project. But when a local boy disappears, Jess decides it's better the devil you know - anything to help find him. Can she and her would-be boyfriend Rob help unit a community and save a life - without losing their own? Review: I'm enjoying this series of books a lot, but even I think the denouement of this story is a bit too far fetched. I've mentioned before how grounded Meg Cabot usually makes her characters, and the only minor complaint I have about this fourth book in the series, is that the home life takes too much of a back seat while the ramped up action is a bit too unbelievable. However, this is really a minor quibble, and it's still a punchy story keeping me entertained nicely. Edited February 22, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
catwoman Posted January 2, 2010 Posted January 2, 2010 There are five in the series called: When Lightning Strikes Code Name Cassandra Safe House Sanctuary Missing You I should warn you that they're YA, so don't expect a gritty crime novel - it's clean cut, fairly wholesome stuff aimed at probably young teenagers, but I just enjoy Meg's writing for light, entertaining reading. Thats fine, I don't mind YA books, some of my favourite books are YA. I will be definately looking out for them... thank you. Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 2, 2010 Author Posted January 2, 2010 Title: Missing: Missing You Author: Meg Cabot (writing as Jenny Carroll) Publisher: Simon and Schuster Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): All Jessica Mastriani ever wanted was to be normal. But a walk home on a particularly stormy night changed all that. Struck by lightning, Jess suddenly developed psychic powers - and the ability to find anyone, anywhere, dead or alive. Her newfound talent made her invaluable to the US government, but her work for them took a terrible toll. Now back home, aged nineteen, and with her power gone, Jess is Lightning Girl no more. Starting again in a new town, intent of finding a new life, she's less than happy when her ex, Rob Wilkins, shows up at her door, begging for her help in finding his long-lost sister. But how can Jess find anyone - let alone the sister of the man she once loved - when she can't even find herself? Review: There was a five year gap between the fourth and fifth books in this series being published, and the dedication indicates that it was encouragement from her readership that made Meg Cabot write the final instalment for Jess. In story terms, it's three years in the last book finished, and Jess has been through a hell it's hard to imagine, and finds herself adrift in her own life, when ex-boyfriend Rob turns up to ask for help. I think this was a great end to the series, allowing our heroine to grow up and find out what she wants from her life, but also allowing us readers to get closure on Jess's story. On top of that, knowing the readership is likely to be mostly young, impressionable teens, Meg Cabot writes about a pretty tough storyline involving a fifteen year old girl, and some of the dangers that can be out there in today modern world, but never is there anything graphic or truly nasty for them to have to deal with, more just a warning tale of what might happen. And in addition to that, I'm a sucker a happy ending ! Quote
Kell Posted January 2, 2010 Posted January 2, 2010 THis series sound rather interesting - I enjoy a good YA book and I'm all for physic powers too. Quote
Ben Posted January 3, 2010 Posted January 3, 2010 Series sounds good from your reviews, might be one to keep an eye out for, thank you! Hope your reading goes well this year chesil. Quote
Peacefield Posted January 4, 2010 Posted January 4, 2010 Great reviews, Chesil, and an impressive TBR list as well! I have snagged the series and added it to my wishlist, so thanks . Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 5, 2010 Author Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) Title: Murder Most Fab Author: Julian Clary Publisher: Ebury Press Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): Hello. I'm JOHNNY DEBONAIR and thank you for buying my book. You won't regret it. Everything that has happened so publicly is explained. Of course, I'd prefer it if you remember me as I was at my height, before the past caught up with me so spectacularly - TV's Mr Friday Night with an enviable lifestyle and the nation at my feet. My fame might have looked easy to you at the time, but getting to the top of the celebrity ladder is hard work. It took talent, beauty, commitment and, uniquely in my case, a number of unfortunate deaths. Review: I loved this book! Although Julian Clary had previously written memoir and humorous non-fiction, this is his first foray into fiction, and what a great start it is. Written in the style of a memoir, it gripped me from the first page, with a central character, Johnny Debonair, who was full of charisma and wit, and despite the dark turns his life takes, Johnny tells his story honestly and with integrity. It should be noted, however, that this darkly funny tale is not for the faint hearted, as the book contains graphic descriptions of sex and prostitution. What the book does have, and has it in spades, is brilliantly funny writing. I must admit, I've not had a lot of exposure to Julian Clary as a comedian, but from what I have seen, I think his style is often based on innuendo and double entendre. This is not the same style of humour on display in the book, which is more subtle at times and at others, a slap across the face, but the comic touches sparkle on every page. I guess if you're going to pick up a bright pink and yellow murder book, written by a notoriously risqué comedian, with quotes from newspaper reviews referring to "filthy", "shocking", and "high camp", then I would hope you know what you're letting yourself in for. However, if you can cope with this type of language and content, then you won't be disappointed with a genuinely unputdownable book. Edited August 5, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
frankie Posted January 5, 2010 Posted January 5, 2010 20. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell I also have this one on my TBR, I can't wait to get to it. And to hear what you thought of it! Have you seen the TV-series? I thought it was amazing, and a bit funnier than the usual BBC dramas from 18th/19th century 51. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs This one is one of my favorite books, I do hope you enjoy it Happy reading chesilbeach! Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 5, 2010 Author Posted January 5, 2010 I also have this one on my TBR, I can't wait to get to it. And to hear what you thought of it! Have you seen the TV-series? I thought it was amazing, and a bit funnier than the usual BBC dramas from 18th/19th century I bought the book specifically after watching the BBC series! I love it for perfect Sunday evening viewing, and I'm hoping the book will have the same sense of warmth and love for the way of life and its characters that the television adaptation has. This one is one of my favorite books, I do hope you enjoy it Happy reading chesilbeach! Hmm, I'm still not sure about this one. I'd actually heard him and another author interviewed on a radio programme, and I got confused over which one was which, and bought this book when I'd actually meant to get the book by the other author. The book has gradually been creeping further down my TBR list, and I'm still ambivalent about reading it, but since you and others here have praised it, I'll give it a go and see how I get on! Quote
frankie Posted January 5, 2010 Posted January 5, 2010 I bought the book specifically after watching the BBC series! I love it for perfect Sunday evening viewing, and I'm hoping the book will have the same sense of warmth and love for the way of life and its characters that the television adaptation has. I bought it after watching the series as well I'm hoping and rather expecting it to be very good. ... and bought this book when I'd actually meant to get the book by the other author. The book has gradually been creeping further down my TBR list, and I'm still ambivalent about reading it, but since you and others here have praised it, I'll give it a go and see how I get on! Oh shoot, that's awfully unfortunate However, since you've actually bought it you might as well give it a go, if it's totally awful you can always pass it on I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised by the novel! Quote
poppyshake Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 Title: Murder Most FabAuthor: Julian Clary Publisher: Ebury Press Review: I loved this book! Although Julian Clary had previously written memoir and humorous non-fiction, this is his first foray into fiction, and what a great start it is. Written in the style of a memoir, it gripped me from the first page, with a central character, Johnny Debonair, who was full of charisma and wit, and despite the dark turns his life takes, Johnny tells his story honestly and with integrity. It should be noted, however, that this darkly funny tale is not for the faint hearted, as the book contains graphic descriptions of sex and prostitution. What the book does have, and has it in spades, is brilliantly funny writing. I must admit, I've not had a lot of exposure to Julian Clary as a comedian, but from what I have seen, I think his style is often based on innuendo and double entendre. This is not the same style of humour on display in the book, which is more subtle at times and at others, a slap across the face, but the comic touches sparkle on every page. I guess if you're going to pick up a bright pink and yellow murder book, written by a notoriously risqu� comedian, with quotes from newspaper reviews referring to "filthy", "shocking", and "high camp", then I would hope you know what you're letting yourself in for. However, if you can cope with this type of language and content, then you won't be disappointed with a genuinely unputdownable book. What a great review Chesil, I'm definitely putting this one on my TBR pile ... I love Julian and though I don't normally like books with graphic content, some books can get away with it (there's a few of Stephen Fry's for instance that are fairly filthy in places .. but I still loved them). Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 6, 2010 Author Posted January 6, 2010 Thanks. I've had a look at amazon and I'm now waiting for his next fiction book, Devil In Disguise to come out in paperback this summer. Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 6, 2010 Author Posted January 6, 2010 (edited) Title: Men of the Otherworld Author: Kelley Armstrong Publisher: Orbit Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): As a curious and independent six-year-old, Clayton didn't resist the bit - he asked for it. But as a long child werewolf his life is under constant threat. So when enigmatic Pack member Jeremy Danvers saves him, Clayton is determined to protect his adoptive father, no matter what the cost. So begins this gripping collection of four tales chronicling the bloody feuds of the American Pack, and the coming of age of Clay Danvers, a very powerful - and very singular - werewolf. Review: I was dubious about reading this book, because I always felt the strength of the Women of the Otherworld series from Kelley Armstrong was the female characters, but I was happy to be proven wrong. Ostensibly, this is a collection of two short stories, but actually it's two short stories, and two novellas. The first short story centres around alpha werewolf Jeremy's father, then comes the two novellas, detailing how Clay became a werewolf and the story of his childhood, adolescence and integration in to the pack, before the final short story brings the focus back to Jeremy. The great thing about the whole of this book was that it was like reading the authors notebook to a certain extent, as it's basically the back story of the male characters in the main series. It was fascinating to go back into the history of characters I thought I knew well, and understand more about how they came to be the people they are. As I expect from Armstrong now, it was an easy style of writing, and the strong storytelling which makes you want to keep going with the book and never put it down. Pure entertainment. Edited February 22, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
Charm Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 Excellent review chesil! It was like a background book wasn't it? Sometimes I think it would have been good to read this before the WOTO series, but then we wouldn't have had the enjoyment of coming to love Clay's character throughout the books. So pleased you liked it after all Quote
lexiepiper Posted January 7, 2010 Posted January 7, 2010 I really loved it too, so I'm looking forward to the next book of short stories that comes out this year, hopefully it'll be as good! Quote
chesilbeach Posted January 12, 2010 Author Posted January 12, 2010 (edited) Title: The Shoe Queen Author: Anna Davis Publisher: Black Swan Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): Society beauty Genevieve Shelby King devotes her life to partying with the artists and writers of Montparnasse. But despite her rich husband, glamorous apartment and enormous shoe collection, there is something hollow at the centre of Genevieve's charmed life. When she spots a pair of exquisite shoes on the feet of an arch rival, her whole collection suddenly seems worthless. The exclusive designer Paolo Zachari, renowned for his fabulous shoes and eccentric behaviour, hand-picks his clients according to whim - and he has determined to say no to Genevieve. As her desire for the pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their creator, Genevieve is forced to confront the emptiness at the heart of her own elaborately designed life. Review: The story is set in 1920s Paris and is such a deceptive book, starting off with a seemingly shallow tale of a beautiful, rich young woman coveting the exclusive, exquisite shoes made by Zachari, but as the story progresses, we learn of where Genevieve's obsession with shoes stems from and the emotionally charged story of her past. The female characters in the story are so well written, and we get exposed of all sorts of women, from the bohemian artiste Lulu of Montparnasse to Olga, the severe assistant of the shoemaker. Even the briefest of glimpses into the life of secretary Marie-Claire are a fascinating insight into women's lives in the period. I love Genevieve's journey in this book, as she grows and faces up to the past she has been trying to forget, and learns about herself and the direction she wants her life to take. The ending was a surprise for a book of this style, and I was very satisfied with how the story ended, and I can't say anymore than that without giving it all away! The only thing I would say is that I'm not a girly girl and I certainly don't covet shoes myself (I live in walking boots!), but I could picture the beautiful shoes that Genevieve desires so badly, and I suspect even I would fall in love with the unique, hand crafted masterpieces made by Zachari as they are so beautifully described in how they look, the process of designing and making them, the way they caress the foot and how they make the wearer feel. Edited February 22, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote
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