Kimmy's books 2010

[Kimmy619]

Having lost my mojo at the end of last year, I have only just finished my first book of 2010 despite starting and not finishing several!

 

Men of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong

 

From Amazon: I don't remember the first time I changed into a wolf. One night I passed out, and awoke to find my body covered in yellow fur. My brain was beyond reacting. It took this in its stride, as it had everything else in my new life. I got to my feet and went in search of food. As a curious and independent six-year-old, Clayton didn't resist the bite ? he asked for it. But as a lone 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.

 

 

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It is nice to learn a little more about both Jeremy and Clay (as well as other members of the pack). Although I didn't feel that the main story line was very indepth, I liked how we learnt about what makes each character the way they are in Bitten, the first book in the Women of the Otherworld Series.

 

Mark 7/10

Edited February 20, 2010 by Kimmy619

[SaraPepparkaka]

Well, Kelley Armstrong is probably just what one needs to find a lost mojo! So it's back now stronger than ever?

[Peacefield]

Sounds like Armstrong is mojo-inspiring, Kimmy! I'm just on the 4th of the Women of the Underworld series, but I'm looking forward to reading this series as well one day .

[Kimmy619]

I am pleased to report that I read this book in record time - fingers crossed that my reading is back on track!! Just got to decide what to read next....

 

I have two books arriving next week, The Bell Jar by Syvia Plath and Animal Farm by Orwell. Both books were recommended to me through discussions with a couple of people at work. Any thoughts on which I should try first?

Edited February 20, 2010 by Kimmy619

[lexiepiper]

There's another short story book for this series out this year, I'm really looking forward to it

[Kylie]

I have two books arriving next week, The Bell Jar by Syvia Plath and Animal Farm by Orwell. Both books were recommended to me through discussions with a couple of people at work. Any thoughts on which I should try first?

 

Ooh, difficult to say! I think they're both great, but obviously they're completely different stories so I suppose it depends on your mood. Do you feel like reading a short and brilliantly written dystopian tale involving farm animals, or the story of a rather depressed teenage girl in the 60s? Sorry I can't be of much help! I'm waiting to receive Sylvia Plath's Unabridged Journals in the mail, so I'd be inclined to go with her because I've had her on my mind lately.

[Kimmy619]

I want something that I can really get my teeth in to now that my mojo is (hopefully) back. For that reason, I am going to go with the Bell Jar I think. Alternatively, I will go with whichever book turns up first

[Kimmy619]

The Bell Jar - Slyvia Plath

From Amazon:Plath was an excellent poet but is known to many for this largely autobiographical novel. The Bell Jar tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly- written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity

 

My thoughts: Although I had heard a lot of things about this book, I had never really thought about reading it until it was recommended to me by someone at work. The story is told through the eyes of the protagonist, Esther Greenwood and we get to see her slip in to madness. I love the way that the narrative of the book changes in accordance to her state of mind at the the time. Esther starts to behave quite selfishly when her illness begins to take over and at times (especially in the mental institution), she is very childish. Although the book can be very dark at times, I think that there is a possitive ending. The fact that this book is semi-autobiographical makes the story even more harrowing and thought provoking.

 

Marks: 10/10

[frankie]

Wow, 10/10! Glad you liked the novel so much, I cannot wait to read it myself If you're interested in Sylvia Plath, you might want to check out Ronald Hayman's biography of her, The Death and Life of Sylvia Plath. I found it a really eye-opening book about Plath.

[poppyshake]

Great review, I've been put off of reading this book before .. just by it's reputation really. You've made me feel that it is something I can read and enjoy despite it's harrowing content.

 

Yay your mojo is back!

[Kimmy619]

It is the first 10/10 I have ever given on here.

 

I found her own life really interesting. Such a shame that this was the only novel that she wrote.

[Kylie]

If you're interested in learning more about Sylvia Plath's life, you could also try The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, which I'm currently reading. The journals cover quite a few years and really show off her wonderful writing talent. It's rather long and not an easy read as such, but I think you would find it interesting.

[Kimmy619]

Bel Ami - Guy De Maupassant

 

From Amazon: Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his friends as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie francaise and soon makes a great success of his new career. But he also comes face to face with the realities of the corrupt society in which he lives � the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses and wily financiers � and swiftly learns to become an arch-seducer, blackmailer and social climber in a world where love is only a means to an end. Written when Maupassant was at the height of his powers, Bel-Ami is a novel of great frankness and cynicism, but it is also infused with the sheer joy of life � depicting the scenes and characters of Paris in the belle epoque with wit, sensitivity and humanity.

 

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this novel. I really loved how the narrator, Duroy describes the rich characters he meets as well as Paris itself. I love the social critique and the story is well paced meaning that I didn't get bored. Definately worth a read. A big thanks to Weave for letting me read it

 

Mark: 8.5/10

Edited August 9, 2010 by Janet

[Kimmy619]

Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris

 

From Amazon: If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: you haven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being, who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

 

My thoughts: I read this book in two days which shows how much I really enjoyed it. Although not as packed with action as the previous books in the series, I liked how the reader got to see another side of Sookie. She isn't as naive as she once was which probably results from all of the bad things that have happened to her in the past. We learn a bit more about Bill too although he isn't really a prominant character in this book. Sookie has a lot more family around which helps to enrich the story. I am still an Eric fan and I love how Sookie's friendship with Pam is developing.

 

Mark: 9.5/10

[Kimmy619]

Dear John - Nicholas Sparks

 

From Play.com:

When John met Savannah, he knew he was ready to turn over a new leaf. Always the angry rebel, he had dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life. Then he meets Savannah. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. What neither realises is that 9/11 will change everything, prompting John to re-enlist and fulfil what he feels is his duty to his country and fellow soldiers. And, sadly, as so often happens when lovers are young and separations are long, Savannah falls in love with someone else. 'Dear John ...' the letter reads, and both their lives are changed for ever. Years later, when John returns to North Carolina, he must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still the only one for him. Now John must make the hardest decision of his life ...

 

My thoughts: This really isn't my usual genre of book. I often go to the cinema with one of my friends and we saw a trailer for this film. For one reason or another, we didn't actually go and see it so I thought that I would give it a read and I am really glad that I did! It was a lovely story and although I could kind of guess what was going to happen about half way though, I still really enjoyed it. I like how the story is split in to three parts and you can see how John changes as the story develops. I will definately be reading more books by the sam author. Romantic, thought provoking and heart warming.

 

Mark: 8.5/10

[lexiepiper]

I read Dear John recently and loved it too The Notebook is also a really great book/film as well

[Kimmy619]

The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

 

 

 

From Play.com: Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned form the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories...until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again. Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.

 

My thoughts: I decided to read this book after reading Dear John. Having already seen the film, I knew the story, but this definately did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. The story is told from different people's perspectives which was a good way for the reader to learn about each of the different characters and his/her motive. I read the book within one day whilst lying by a pool in Italy as it is a wonderful and romantic read. Not my usual genre, but I will certainly be looking to read more by the same author.

 

Mark: 8/10

notebook.htm

Edited July 31, 2010 by Kimmy619

[Kimmy619]

The Memory Garden - Rachel Hore

 

 

From Play.com:Lamorna Cove, in Cornwall's far west, is a tiny bay set at the mouth of a secluded wooded valley of wild beauty, the haunt, a hundred years ago, of a close-knit colony of artists. Here, to a rented cottage in the overgrown gardens of Merryn Hall, Melanie Pentreath retreats from her busy London life as a lecturer in art history to research a book about the painters, and to seek solace following the death of her mother and a broken love affair. In this magical place, full of echoes of the past, Mel helps her landlord, Patrick Winterton, restore the garden and starts to pull together the shreds of her life. Patrick finds some old paintings in a glory hole in one of the attics, and as they uncover the identity of the artist they are drawn into an extraordinary story of illicit passion and thwarted ambition from the Edwardian past which proves resonant in Mel's own life. Merryn is an idyll, and Mel and Patrick, himself here to escape a romantic disappointment, find themselves drawing closer to one another - until the reality of the outside world once more intervenes and everything is threatened

 

My thoughts: I really loved this book! The main thing I enjoyed about this book was how the author managed to intertwine the present and the past. As a reader, I wanted to know what happened to both of the main characters, each in their own time. It was also nice to read a book set in my own home county of Cornwall as I had actually been to several of the places mentioned which drew me in even more. Thank you so much Kate for offering this book through a Book Ring

 

Mark: 9/10

Edited July 31, 2010 by Kimmy619

[Kimmy619]

Frostbitten - Kelley Armstrong

 

 

From Amazon: After years of struggle, Elena Michaels - journalist, investigator, werewolf - has finally come to terms with her strange fate, and learned how to control her wild side. At least, that's what she believes when she sets off to Alaska with her partner Clay. A series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage seem to implicate a rogue band of werewolves. But the truth is more complicated. Trapped in a frozen, unforgiving terrain, they are forced to confront a deadly secret, and their own, untamed nature...Gripping, intense and deeply satisfying, Frostbitten is a brilliant novel of suspense with a supernatural twist.

 

My thoughts: I was really looking forward to reading the next installment by Kelley Armstong. Although I did enjoy the book, I don't think that it was one of the best from the series as I didn't find it as compelling as some of the other books. However, it is still a good read which is full of suspense. As a reader, I feel like I have been through a lot with Clay and Elena and I was looking forward to discovering more about their relationship with their twins. I was slightly disappointed that we only found out about them as parents through a few thoughts and telephone conversations instead of actual interaction through the characters. I also didn't feel that Elena's own inner demons were dealt with by the end of the book. She kept saying that she would speak to Clay, but they never really did have a full conversation which was a shame. I appreciate that she did solve some issues herself, but it would have been nice for them to deal with it as a couple. It is definately a book worth reading, but I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied.

 

Mark: 6.5/10

Edited August 8, 2010 by Kimmy619

[catwoman]

I have read the first two books by Kelley Armstrong and I was not keen on the first, but I loved the second. I heard that the third one was more about Paige and the witches, so I have not bothered getting it/ reserving it from my library for a while. But I think I will have to read it before the year is out or I may start forgetting what happened in Stolen haha.

[Kimmy619]

I really like all of the witchy type books in the series. All of the books are good, this latest one was just not quite as good in my opinion. No doubt others will have loved it!

[Weave]

I like the wolves and witches in the series Kimmy, its a great series, happy reading

[Kimmy619]

I like the wolves and witches in the series Kimmy, its a great series, happy reading

 

 

Have you read Frostbitten?

[Kimmy619]

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

 

From Amazon: Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack.n summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever

 

My thoughts: Although I liked this book and it was a nice easy read, I found the pace of the story quite slow at times. I don't think that the reader was given much insight in to the personalities of Grace and Sam which is why I didn't really engage with their characters. The idea that Sam's transformation was linked to the weather was unique and I think that it may have been this element of the story which held my attention. The story was told from both Grace and Sam's point of view which worked well. The romance between Grace and Sam was a little far fetched, even for me. I know that this wouldn't happen in real life, but the fact that she fell in love with Sam in wolf form was a bit odd, even by my standards. It all ended a little to 'happily ever after' for my liking too. Maybe I will feel differently if I decide to read the next book in the series.

 

Mark: 5/10

[chesilbeach]

Interesting review, Kimmy. I have to say, I think the pace of the story was one of the things I liked about it most, as often these books seem to roll along at a cracking pace, and for me this made Shiver stand out from the rest as a more considered and detailed look at the emotions and thought processes of the characters. The story becomes expanded slightly more in Linger and takes Grace and Sam's story further while introducing a new character and involving one of the characters from Shiver in a more central role, so if you do decide to give it a go, you might like Linger more than the first book.