Bobblybear's Books Read - 2011

[bobblybear]

That's ok, no offense taken!!

[bobblybear]

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

 

Classics are not my favorite type of book, though I thought I'd give this one a go as I have seen the film (can't remember which version) many times when I was kid, and loved it. The story is quite simple. Scrooge is a miserable old git, nasty to anyone and everyone. Then just before Christmas he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, and is told that he will be visited by 3 more spirits, The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. After these visits, he undergoes a 'spiritual' change, altering his outlook and attitude towards others.

 

Before I started, for some reason I thought this would be quite a hefty read. I don't know how many pages it is (as I read the Kindle version), but it couldn't have been more than 200, if that. This was a simple story, but with a very important message told in an endearing way. Everyone should read this book at least once. Even if you are familiar with the story it is still an enjoyable read.

 

4/5

[bobblybear]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling

 

This is by far my favorite in the series so far. Harry Potter is entered (by someone unknown to him) into the Triwizard Tournament, which is to be held at Hogwarts. The Tournament consists of 3 tasks, and a selected member from each school (three of them) must compete to win the final trophy. Harry, being too young to enter, is still selected (along with another competitor) to represent Hogwarts. He must find a way to survive the tournaments, all the while with the ever growing presence of Voldemort looming in the background.

 

I found this book to be a bit faster paced than the others, and just that little bit more exciting. I am loving the main characters more and more as the series goes on, and I can't wait to see what they are like at the end of the whole series.

 

I've yet to watch the movie, but will probably get around to it today.

 

5/5

[bobblybear]

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

 

I'm not a huge fan of classics (I find them quite difficult to read, grammar/language wise), but decided to give this one a go as it was free on the Kindle. I think most people know the story - Dorian Gray desires to hold on to his youth and 'purity'; in turn his portrait begins to age and change in line with Dorian's actions in the real world.

 

I was surprised by how dark this was. I guess I thought that because it was written 'back then', there couldn't be anything like murder/violence described in a book. So, some of the subject matter did take me by surprise. I found Lord Henry's manipulations and little speeches on amateur psychology quite repulsive yet interesting at the same time. He toyed with Dorian, for his own amusement, and so I found his character quite deplorable. Most of the book wasn't too difficult to read, although there was one chapter which was almost a stream-of-consciousness that covered 18 odd years of Dorian's life, that nearly had me putting the book to one side. I'm glad I stuck with it though, as the story after that section was very compelling. Loved the ending, too!

 

4/5

[Kidsmum]

Red Leaves - Thomas H Cook

 

How freakin' amazing was this book? I bought it on a whim - for some reason it caught my eye on Amazon - and it has turned out to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. I love finds like that!

 

Briefly, Eric Moore is living the seemingly perfect life. He is happily married, has a secure job, and a teenage son - the ideal American life I presume. But when a local child goes missing, and his son is the prime suspect, he begins to question everything about his family and his life before it. It's the inevitable question: Do you ever really know anyone?

 

This book is classified as crime, but it's focus isn't on the crime that occurred but the impact of the suspicions and accusations. It reminded me a bit of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, just in the themes and feel of the story. And the way it ended....talk about knots in my stomach....

 

I can't just give it 5/5 because it's better than my other 5/5's this year (maybe I need to rethink my scoring and not be so generous? )

 

6/5

 

Thanks for the review this is now on my Christmas wishlist.

[bobblybear]

Thanks for the review this is now on my Christmas wishlist.

 

^You won't be sorry - it was such a good read!

[bobblybear]

11/22/63 - Stephen King

 

I don't really know much about the assassination of JFK. I studied it at school, and watched the movie, but aside from that, I don't know much about it. I wasn't alive when it happened so it clearly didn't impact me as much as it would have affected people alive at the time.

 

I was a bit worried it would be "too American" and too much about JFK, and that all that would get in the way of a story I would really enjoy. However as I'm a King fan, I typically bought it as soon as it came out.

 

I needn't have worried. 11/22/63 has turned out to be one of his better books (especially of his recent ones). It wasn't too focused on the political events of America in the 60's. In fact it was probably a good third of the way through the book before there was any detail of JFK or Oswald. If anything, it was almost more of a love story, with a bit of time-travel and history-altering thrown in.

 

The only bit I wasn't that keen on were the events after

"George" stopped JFK's assassination, and his subsequent interview by police. I found it a bit hard to accept.

 

 

All in all, it was a good read.

 

4.5/5

[bobblybear]

The Divide - Nicholas Evans

 

I don't think I've been disappointed yet by a Nicholas Evans book, and this is no exception.

 

Two skiers stumble across the body of a woman buried in the ice in some remote mountains. The body turns out to be that of Abbie Cooper - a young woman who had been on the run from the FBI for murder and acts of eco-terrorism. The story then delves back into the past, to attempt to explain what has led Abbie (a privileged young girl, with the world at her feet) down this path in life.

 

I loved this book. I really do like the author's writing style. He seems to just take so much time in developing his characters and sharing them, flaws and all. Some of the scenes described are so painful and awkward, but they are also very honest, and of subject matter that most people can relate to (though probably not discuss).

 

I also like books where you know the ending, right from the start, and the bulk of the book tries to explain that end-point. I think it makes you view the characters a bit differently. In this book, you know from the first few pages (well, actually from the blurb on the back) that Abbie is dead. Then you get to read her life story, and it makes it all the more poignant, knowing how her life will be cut so short.

 

5/5

[bobblybear]

A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan

 

I started off enjoying this book, until the first third. Then it began to irritate me, but I'm not sure why. I think it tried to be too clever, by involving all these characters in multiple stories, but I found that to be quite off-putting. It jumped through multiple time-lines, and because each character only really played a superficial part in the story, I never felt like I 'bonded' with any of them, or warmed to them. I didn't really care about what happened to them, and towards the end I was just reading as fast as I could, to finish it.

 

A shame, as I had heard good things about it. But nevermind, it only cost me £0.99

 

2.5/5

[bobblybear]

A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro

 

I've only just finished this book, and it has my mind ticking over, so I should probably leave it a while before writing a review. However, as it's getting towards the end of the year, and I have too many things to do, if I don't write about it now I probably never will.

 

Etsuko is a Japanese woman, living in England. She has two daughters, and right from the start we learn one of her daughters recently committed suicide. Her other daughter is staying with her at the moment, and this triggers a reminiscing back to Japan when she had a brief friendship with a woman named Satchiko, and her daughter, Mariko.

 

I'm very confused by this book. There is so much more to this story than I have picked up on a first reading. It is wonderfully written, very atmospheric and almost poetic, but with a very subtle hint of 'something very dark and malevolent'. I can't put my finger on it, but everything just seemed slightly off-centre....the characters, and their interactions and conversations. But it was all done so subtly that I wonder if it's my interpretation that is making it seem darker than it really is. I kind of got the feeling I was reading a ghost story, even though I know that's not the case. Reading online reviews, I see I'm not the only one who is left a bit confused (and intrigued) by this book.

 

The ending is very interesting, but doesn't tie any loose ends up. I think the author wants people to draw their own conclusions, so he has written it in such a way that it is left open to interpretation. A very clever book, and one that will stay with me for a while I think.

 

5/5

[bobblybear]

Florence and Giles - John Harding

 

Apparently this book is very similar (intentionally) to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, but not having read it I can't make any comparison. Florence, a 12 year old orphan, lives with her younger step-brother, Giles, in Blithe House - a mansion owned by her absent guardian uncle. Forbidden to learn to read or write, she teaches herself, and comes up with her own fascinating language and way with words, which is used throughout the book (told through her eyes).

 

After the somewhat mysterious death of Miss Whittaker - the governess - a new governess (Miss Taylor) is appointed. Florence has been haunted by nightmares of Miss Taylor, and when her nightmare appears to happen in reality she becomes convinced that Miss Taylor is a ghostly reincarnation of Miss Whittaker, intent on stealing away and harming Giles.

 

This was a really fascinating read all the way through. At the start I was a bit put-off by Florence's unique turns of phrase, but once I got more into the story I began to look forward to her special way of speaking. The book is a very dark story (gothic is the usual description), and as the tale goes on

Florence's sanity becomes quite open to question. Did she kill Miss Whittaker, as she only seemed to want her world to be her and Giles? Was she insane in her visions of Miss Taylor in the mirror? As she killed Theo (or stood by while he died), it's quite clear what she is capable of, but did she only do these things because she believed them to be the best option for her and Giles?

 

 

So many unanswered questions!! If you want a unique, dark tale with an ending that is open to a few interpretations, then pick this one up. You won't be disappointed!

 

4.5/5

[frankie]

A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro

 

The ending is very interesting, but doesn't tie any loose ends up. I think the author wants people to draw their own conclusions, so he has written it in such a way that it is left open to interpretation. A very clever book, and one that will stay with me for a while I think.

 

5/5

 

Great review bobblybear, it was very mysterious and atmospheric in a way. Something that does stay with you for a while indeed. And something I personally want to re-read at some point.

[Kidsmum]

Just wanted to say thanks for your review of Red Leaves Thomas H. Cook you were totally right it is a 6 out of 5 book I couldn't put it down & was gripped from beginning to end.

[bobblybear]

Thanks, Kidsmum - it was such a brilliant read. I see you are also reading Into The Darkest Corner, which is another one of the best reads of 2011.

[bobblybear]

Last Light - Alex Scarrow

 

I like end-of-the-world scenario type books, so I thought this would be right up my alley, and I wasn't wrong.

 

Violence between religious groups in the Middle-East have led to a severe restriction in the world's oil supply. A few badly thought out statements from the British Prime Minister throws the UK into chaos as everyone tries to stock up on tinned foods and water, etc. Violence, looting and riots break out, as life almost becomes a fight for survival. Andy Sutherland, an engineer working in Iraq - who has had a little bit of advance-knowledge of the chaos this will cause - struggles to get home to London to be with his family.

 

The story takes place over one week, with each day being a new section. It jumps between Andy's struggle to get back home, and his family's (wife, son and daughter) attempts to cope with their life falling down around them in the UK.

 

I thought this was a fascinating concept, as you often hear the question: What will happen when the world runs out of oil? Some parts were a bit far-fetched

such as the idea that this whole crisis was created on purpose to level the playing field, and that the world is really run by a group of twelve people all pulling the strings to control our behaviour

but generally I was interested in the effect that something like this would have on society, and really how over dependent we are on oil. It can be quite a scary thought really, but not something I know a whole lot about, to be honest. It's not really as preachy as it sounds, and it can easily be read as a fast-paced action thriller, rather than something with a deeper meaning.

 

I was particularly interested in the idea that

we are essentially doomed even if the oil production was halted for only a week. Things would grind to a halt and be put into a state where it would be almost impossible to get them back up and running even if the oil were 'turned back on' a week later.

 

 

The sequel After Light is going to be my first read of 2012, and takes place 10 years later following the same family. Looking forward to it, I am!

 

4.5/5

Edited December 31, 2011 by bobblybear

[bobblybear]

Salem's Lot - Stephen King

 

This is a re-read, although it is so long ago that I read it (and I don't remember anything at all about it the first time), it is almost like a first read.

 

Salem's Lot - a small town in America - gets taken over by vampires, and it is up to novelist Ben Mears, with the help of a few other townsfolk, to put a stop to it.

 

I found this book extremely creepy, and I don't really get that scared by books (movies are a different story altogether ). These are no Twilight vampires who sparkle in the sunlight, and can be reasonably attractive. It's a proper horror story, takes itself quite seriously, with a fair amount of violence and gore, and a bit of religion thrown in to the mix. It's far from my favourite Stephen King book (probably a bit too much straight horror for me), but it was an ok way to pass the time.

 

3.5/5

[bobblybear]

Well, that's it for my 2011 reads. 61 books read this year. I'm happy with that as I wanted to read at least 1 a week. As long as I can read at least 52 books in 2012, I'll be satisfied I think. Looking back over my list, I read some brilliant books this year - especially in the second half of the year. Hopefully I'll read even better books this year (I've got more than enough to choose from! ).

Edited December 31, 2011 by bobblybear

[Ooshie]

Last Light looks great, bobblybear - I have never had a wish list before, but am going to add one to my 2012 thread as I am always forgetting the names of books I see on here that I want to try, and that is going to be the first one on it. Thanks - and Happy New Year!

[bobblybear]

Thanks Ooshi. You probably (hopefully!) won't be disappointed with Last Light. Happy New Year to you as well.