Nursenblack's Reading List 2011

[chaliepud]

Happy belated birthday NB!

[nursenblack]

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

[frankie]

Happy belated Birthday! You know it's not really a Birthday if one doesn't either buy books for oneself or get them as pressies

[nursenblack]

#33

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

 

 

Bloodroot, set in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennesse, follows the life of Myra Lamb, a girl as wild and untamable as the mountains. This epic story is told by several different characters, all with a unique voice, from Byrdie, Myra's grandmother to Myra herself, in such a believable way that readers will swear that they know them years from now. Bloodroot is part heart, part hate, part mystery, and a whole lot of the ties-that-bind. I won't forget this debut anytime soon. (5/5)

Edited September 2, 2011 by nursenblack

[chesilbeach]

I knew I shouldn't come in this thread again ... another interesting book that will probably end up on my wishlist!

 

Happy belated birtday

[nursenblack]

I knew I shouldn't come in this thread again ... another interesting book that will probably end up on my wishlist!

 

Happy belated birtday

 

 

Yes! It's all part of my evil plan to take over the world...one reader at a time.

 

Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes.

[nursenblack]

#34

 

Matched by Ally Condie

 

 

There is nothing as absorbing as a romantic, dystopian world novel, and Matched is no exception. Matched, the first of a trilogy, tells the story of Cassia, a regular Society teenager about to be "matched" for life and have her future planned, entirely. Luckily, Cassia's match turns out to be her best friend, Xander, but when she watches the Match microchip Xander's image is not the only one that appears. This becomes the catalyst that sends Cassia down a dangerous path toward true love... and rebellion. I can't wait to find out what happens in Crossed. (4/5)

Edited September 11, 2011 by nursenblack

[nursenblack]

#35

 

All That Is Beautiful by Roxane Tepher Sanford

 

All That is Beautiful picks up right where the first book, The Girl in the Lighthouse, left off. After being tortured and abused, Lillian Arrington, beautiful and naive, clings to the only hope she can of getting back to her beloved Jasper Island, where she met and grew up with two brothers Ayden and Heath, who she still cares for. With the help of Richard Parker, an artist who promises Lillian she can earn enough money if she allows him to draw her, she would be able to get back home. But instead, Richard only leads her down a dangerous path that takes her further from home, and deeper into his clutches. Great second novel by Sanford that is full of heartbreaking twists and turns. No matter what her mistakes, I root for Lillian all the way. (4/5)

[nursenblack]

Finished Sept 23rd

#36

 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (via Kindle)

 

 

Ten little soliders....

Ten people, who seem like a mixed lot, are invited to Indian Island, which has a mulit-million dollar home on it, by a Mr. or Ms. Owen. Though none of them have ever met or heard of of their host, they all agree to go to the much talked about island. Their host is nowhere to be found when they arrive. But when a disembodied voice accuses them all of murder, their adventure turns into a nightmare.

This is my first Christie novel and it really had me guessing all the way to the end. I will definitely read more of her work. (5/5)

 

Now rereading my favorite novel Wuthering Heights

[nursenblack]

Finished Oct 4th

 

#37

 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

 

Wuthering Heights, a dark, powerful, gothic novel, set on the moors of Yorkshire, tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine's father. Heathcliff is a dark and quiet boy, but full of passionate love and hate. As Cathy and Heatcliff grow, so does their love, but the choices made by both threathens to separate them forever. Heathcliff's enemies, including Catherine's older, abusive brother Hindley, are hated so deeply that even their children come to feel his wrath. His love for Cathy, however, goes beyond the grave....

It's been many years since I've read Wuthering Heights and it still holds it's power over me. Beautiful and brooding, Wuthering Heights, remains my favorite novel. (5/5)

 

 

Now reading: Ghost Story by Peter Straub

[nursenblack]

I'm half-way through Ghost Story by Peter Straub and I cannot finish it. It is so slow and most of it seems unnecessary. If every chapter would have read like the prologue and some of the other chapters I could have devoured it, but, as it is, I just can't. Don't get me wrong, the creepy parts are great, but they are too few and far between. I may abandon it.

[nursenblack]

This has been a shameful reading month. It was supposed to be my month of thrills and chills and I am disappointed. My first attempt, Ghost Story by Peter Straub, was so boring that I abandoned it half-way through.

I did, however, read some of Everything's Eventual by Stephen King. I skipped around quiet a bit, so here are the stories I read:

 

1408 ~ A skeptic writer experiences the terrors of room 1408 at the Hotel Dolphin. (4/5)

 

All That You Love Will Be Carried Away ~ A traveling salesman decides to kill himself in a hotel, but not before figuring out how to destroy his notebook of bathroom stall quotes. (4/5)

 

L.T.'s Theory of Pets ~ A man tells the story of how his wife left him and took the dog she bought for him. Oh, and she was probably murdered by the Axe Man. (3/5)

 

Autopsy Room Four ~ A man wakes up on a gurney, but no matter how hard he tries he can't get the doctor to see that he's alive... (4/5)

 

That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French ~ A woman has deja vu about her and her husbands death, over and over again. (4/5)

 

Now I'm reading Hallowe'en Party by Agagtha Christie (not creepy, but at least takes place at Halloween).

[nursenblack]

Finished on Oct 25th

 

#38

 

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (via Kindle)

 

When a thirteen year old girl is murdered at a Halloween party, mystery writer, Ariadne Oliver calls on her old friend Hercule Poirot to help solve the crime. Not much to do with Halloween but a fast and interesting mystery that kept me guessing till the end. (4/5)

 

Now reading: Jane-Emily and Witches' Children by Patricia Clapp

[nursenblack]

Finished November 1st

 

#39

 

Jane-Emily and Witches' Children by Patricia Clapp (via Kindle per library)

 

This is two bite-size novels in one book. The first, Jane-Emily is about a little girl who is haunted by the ghost of her dead aunt, also a child, the summer she goes to visit her grandmother. (4/5)

The second, Witches' Children, is a novelization of the Salem Witch Trials, told from the pov of John Procter's bound girl. (3/5)

 

 

Now reading: Agatha Christie's Sleeping Murder

[nursenblack]

Finished Novemember 6th

 

#40 (goal met!)

 

Sleeping Murder: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie

 

synopsis from amaazon.com

Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernize the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs.

In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a “perfect” crime committed many years before.

 

 

Sleeping Murder, the last of the Miss Marple series -the first for me- was a bit slow, but interesting. I already had a hunch as to who the killer was pretty early on, unlike the other couple of Agatha Christie novels I've read. (3/5)

[Janet]

#40 (goal met!)

Congratulations.

 

I am thinking of trying a Miss Marple, having loved The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot). I will probably look out for the first one (once I've found out which it is! :lo: ).

 

ETA: The Murder at the Vicarage (1930).

 

There aren't that many Miss Marple books - I thought there would be more than 10.

 

ETA Again: Joan Hickson is TV's Miss Marple for me!

Edited November 12, 2011 by Janet

[nursenblack]

#41

 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (via library)

 

synopsis from amazon.com

"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism."

 

I had A Discovery of Witches on my wishlist for a while and am so glad that I finally read it. I didn't know what to expect from this chunky novel about witches and vampires, but what I found was an intelligent, forbidden love story, filled with history, suspense, and (of course) plenty of romance. The ending screams sequel, which I read is in the works. A must read for fantasy/supernatural lovers.(4/5)

[nursenblack]

Finished Novemeber 24th

 

#42

 

A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie

 

 

synopsis from goodreads.com

A handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman! Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his 'counting house' when he suffered an agonising and sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals. Yet, it was the incident in the parlour which confirmed Jane Marple's suspicion that here she was looking at a case of crime by rhyme!

 

Murders are tied to a nursery rhyme in A Pocket Full Rye, a Miss Marple Mystery. I found the story interesting, but the ending, surprising as it was, lacked meaning. Definitely not a favorite from the Queen of Crime. (3/5)

 

Now reading Crossed by Ally Condie

[nursenblack]

Finished Dec. 2nd

 

#43

 

Crossed by Ally Condie

 

 

In Crossed, the second book of the Matched trilogy, Cassia makes it to the Outer Proviences to find Ky, the Abberration she fell in love with in the Society. When Cassia arrives, she finds that Ky has already escaped to The Carving, an area of dangerous rock cliffs and caves, that she must navigate to search for clues of Ky's journey. Once they are reuinted their romance is strained by secrets and jealously...and The Rising.

 

Despite being a fast read, Crossed was all about character building on a long, tedious journey. The chapters alternate between Ky's and Cassia's POV, which was an interesting change, but I prefer first person by one character only. For me, something was lacking in this sequel that the first book had, some wow factor that says "Yes. I'm the middle of this story, but I can stand alone." Crossed just didn't have that. However, I'm still looking forward to the last book of the trilogy. (3/5)

[nursenblack]

Finished Dec. 8th

 

#44

 

Darkwood by M. E. Breen

 

synopsis from amazon.com

Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. But for thirteen-yearold Annie, the dark is almost soothing compared to the misery of her cruel aunt and uncle's house. When Annie finally escapes, she finds herself on a journey that will take her deep into the forest—where fearsome creatures lurk—and to the glittering halls of a palace. Hints of the Brothers Grimm add magic to this spellbinding and beautifully told story.

 

Darkwood, a coming-of-age adventure, kept me entertained from beginning to end. Thirteen year old Annie is everything a protaganist should be, flawed, but brave and loyal to those she loves. There could easily be a sequel to Darkwood, but I'd be happy with anything else from this author. (4/5)

[nursenblack]

#45

 

A Christmas Conspiracy by Mary Chase Comstock (via Kindle per library)

 

 

synopsis from amazon.com

Those Montmorency twins, so very like their mother, devised a plot to get their parents back together. Though Lady Frances was well aware that the abject, loving letter she received was not from Sir Giles, she longed to be with her family at Christmas time—and so accepted the baronet’s (unwitting) invitation. At the Hall there is love in the air—and kissing boughs everywhere. Regency Romance novella by Mary Chase Comstock; originally published by Zebra in A Christmas Wish

 

A Christmas Conspiracy is a cozy novella perfect for a cold winter's evening. Considered a romance, but the story is appropriate for older children and young adults as well. If your in the mood for a short, warm cozy with minimal drama but plenty charm, then A Christmas Conspiracy is the ticket. (3.5/5)

[nursenblack]

Finished Dec. 26th

 

#46

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

synopsis from amazon.com

"One choice can transform you. Pass initiation. Do not fail! Thrilling urban dystopian fiction debut from exciting young author. In sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior's world, society is divided into five factions -- Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) -- each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a "perfect society." At the age of sixteen, teens must choose the faction to which they will devote their lives. On her Choosing Day, Beatrice renames herself Tris, rejects her family's group, and chooses another faction. After surviving a brutal initiation, Tris finds romance with a super-hot boy, but also discovers unrest and growing conflict in their seemingly "perfect society." To survive and save those they love, they must use their strengths to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself."

 

I was really intrigued by this debut YA novel about a dystopian society that divides it's members into five groups based on their virtures. There is something in it for every dystopian lover, and is definitely a unisex read with plenty of action and a pinch of romance. I can't wait to see what happens next in this trilogy. (4/5)

[nursenblack]

I thought I'd list the great books I recieved for Chirstmas. My hubby got me all but one of them.

 

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (based on the concept by The Duchess of Northumberland)

Jane Austen Ruined My LIfe by Beth Pattillo

The Ballad of TrenchMouth Taggart by M. Glenn Taylor

[nursenblack]

Finished Dec. 29th

 

#47

Intensity by Dean Koontz (via kindle per libarary loan)

 

 

synopsis from amazon.com

 

"Past midnight, Chyna Shepard, twenty-six, gazes out a moonlit window, unable to sleep on her first night in the Napa Valley home of her best friend’s family. Instinct proves reliable. A murderous sociopath, Edgler Foreman Vess, has entered the house, intent on killing everyone inside. A self-proclaimed “homicidal adventurer,” Vess lives only to satisfy all appetites as they arise, to immerse himself in sensation, to live without fear, remorse or limits, to live with intensity. Chyna is trapped in his deadly orbit.

Chyna is a survivor, toughened by a lifelong struggle for safety and self-respect. Now she will be tested as never before. At first her sole aim is to get out alive—until, by chance, she learns the identity of Vess’s next intended victim, a faraway innocent only she can save. Driven by a newly discovered thirst for meaning beyond mere self-preservation, Chyna musters every inner resource she has to save an endangered girl…as moment by moment, the terrifying threat of Edgler Foreman Vess intensifies."

 

I abandoned Intensity over a decade ago for some reason or another, but I'm so glad to have revisited it. The story lives up to its title and is hard to put down. I love that Koontz shows the reader the killer's POV as well as the heroine's. It becomes that much more terrifying. I watched the miniseries years ago- quite different from the book- but loved it too. Edgler Vess is definitely one of the scariest characters that I have ever read/watched. (4/5)

Edited December 30, 2011 by nursenblack