tunn300 Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Well it's nearly 2012 and I thought it best to set up my 3rd ever reading blog. Since joining this forum my reading has diversified so much and that is what I love about it. Just browsing other people's blogs sets me off on such different tangents to what I used to read. My reading tastes have definitely changed as in 2011 my top 3 books of the year included no crime books!! Anyway here are the pre-2012 (and some pre-2011) books and ebooks I shall try to read this year. Pre-2012 Books The Prophecy - Chris Kuzneski Sword of God - Chris Kuzneski Six Suspects - Vikas Swarup The Devil's Punchbowl - Greg Iles Belfast Confidential - Colin Bateman Orpheus Rising - Colin Bateman The Horse With my Name - Colin Bateman In the Woods - Tanya French Double Whammy - Carl Hiaasen Tourist Season - Carl Hiaasen The Rapture - Liz Jensen Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese Brixton Beach - Roma Tearne Count to Ten - Karen Rose Darkhouse - Alex Barclay Life Expectancy - Dean Koontz The Caller - Alex Barclay In the Dark - Mark Billingham Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith The Pirate's Daughter - Margaret Cezair-Thompson Twilight - Stephenie Meyer The Book Thief - Markus Zusak A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini Wish You Were Here - Mike Gayle Bloodline - Mark Billingham The Twilight Time - Karen Campbell Down River - John Hart Club Dead - Charlaine Harris Dead to the World - Charlaine Harris Dead As A Doornail - Charlaine Harris All Together Dead - Charlaine Harris Definitely Dead -Charlaine Harris From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris Labyrinth - Kate Mosse Death Trip - Lee Weeks Too Close To Home - Linwood Barclay Shatter - Michael Robotham The Drowning Man - Michael Robotham The Crucifix Killer - Chris Carter Heartsick - Chelsea Cain Sweetheart - Chelsea Cain The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night - Christoper Brookmyer Blood at the Bookies - Simon Brett The Angels Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon Fingersmith - Sarah Waters Two Caravans - Marina Lewycka The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry Skippy Dies - Paul Murray Pre-2012 ebooks My **** Life so Far - Frankie Boyle The Trophy Taker - Lee Weeks Splinter - Sebastian Fitzek The Hanging Shed - Gordon Ferris Moab is my Washpot - Stephen Fry The Leopard - Jo Nesbo The Blasphemer - Nigel Farndale Playing the Game - Simon Gould Ordinary Thunderstorms - William Boyd Let The Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist Nemesis - Jo Nesbo Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton May I Have Your Attention Please - James Cordon Look at Me - Jennifer Egan Back of Beyond - C.J. Box The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga The Dogs of Rome - Conor Ftzgerald The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Darkside - Belinda Bauer Although nowhere near as long as many other TBR piles on here, still a reasonable amount to get through, especially at my current 30-40 books a year reading pace. I won't try to make the bold claim like last year that I will not buy many books this year as I just know I can't stick to it thanks to recommendations on here. Edited February 15, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) This post will detail the inevitable books I acquire in 2012 and when I purchased them. 2012 ebooks purchased The Calling of the Grave - Simon Beckett (February) The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue (March) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Colins (March) Catching Fire - Suzanne Colins (May) Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (May) 2012 books purchased Carte Blanche - Jeffery Deaver (June) 2012 library loans The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt (February) Star Island - Carl Hiaasen (March) The Report - Jessica Francis Kane (March) Capital - John Lanchester (April) Edited June 9, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Books read in 2010 - 30 (on BCF can be found here) Books read in 2011 - 39 (on BCF can be found here) Books read in 2012 - 11 [Kindle eBooks - 6 Paperbacks - 1 Library Books - 4] January Darkside - Belinda Bauer 8/10 The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 9/10 February Shatter - Michael Robotham 9/10 March The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt 9/10 Star Island - Carl Hiaasen 8/10 April The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins 9/10 May Capital - John Lanchester 8/10 June Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins 9/10 July August The Prisoner of Heaven - Carlos Ruiz Zafon 8/10 September October Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 8/10 Finders Keepers - Belinda Bauer 9/10 Edited October 22, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) As I have never attempted a challenge before I thought this year I would give one a go. I have decided to join Poppy and a few others in reading the books selected for the 2012 World Book Night. Hopefully this will also help me achieve another goal I have this year which is to read at least one classic. Have not read any of these since high school and think it is high time to give one a go. Read so far - 19/100 1 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 2 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 3 The Book Thief - Markus Zusak 4 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 5 The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 6 The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien 7 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 8 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 9 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier 10 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 11 American Gods - Neil Gaiman 12 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini 13 Harry Potter Adult Hardback Boxed Set - J. K. Rowling 14 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon 15 The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien 16 One Day -David Nicholls 17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks 18 The Help - Kathryn Stockett 19 Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell 20 Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman 21 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks 22 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson 23 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood 24 The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald 25 Little Women - Louisa M. Alcott 26 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden 27 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 28 Atonement - Ian McEwan 29 Room - Emma Donoghue 30 Catch-22 - Joseph Heller 31 We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver 32 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman 33 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres 34 The Island - Victoria Hislop 35 Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman 36 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver 37 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger 38 Chocolat - Joanne Harris 39 Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro 40 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom 41 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez 42 Animal Farm - George Orwell 43 The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett 44 The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde 45 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy 46 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl 47 I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith 48 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks 49 Life of Pi - Yann Martel 50 The Road - Cormac McCarthy 51 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 52 Dracula - Bram Stoker 53 The Secret History - Donna Tartt 54 Small Island - Andrea Levy 55 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett 56 Lord of the Flies - William Golding 57 Persuasion - Jane Austen 58 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving 59 Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson 60 Watership Down - Richard Adams 61. Night Watch - Terry Pratchett 62 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley 63 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon 64 Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke 65 The Color Purple - Alice Walker 66 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult 67 The Stand - Stephen King 68 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell 69 The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov 70 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy 71 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons 72 Frankenstein - Mary Shelley 73 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer 74 The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 75 Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell 76 The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 77 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins 78 The princess Bride - William Goldman 79 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth 80 Perfume - Patrick Suskind 81 The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 82 The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy 83 Middlemarch - George Eliot 84 Dune - Frank Herbert 85 Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel 86 Stardust - Neil Gaiman 87 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov 88 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie 89 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling 90 Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts 91 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro 92 Possession - A.S. Byatt 93. Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin 94 Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami 95 The Magus - John Fowles 96 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne 97 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry 98. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood 99 Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami 100 The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami Edited January 29, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) I am now done setting up my lists for this year and declare my thread officially open. Reading goals this year: To read at least 45 books - 8 so far To read at least one book a month and not have any blank months on my Reading blog. (I got down to 2 blank months last year) - On track To read at least 1 classic novel To try and read at least 10 books for the World Book Night Challenge - 1 so far To reduce my TBR pile of paperbacks - 1 read To try and not buy as many books - 8 read 5 purchased I am looking forward to a good year of reading and hope to discover some excellent books this year! Edited June 9, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 The very best of luck with your reading goals in 2012 Tunn I'll be popping in here often .. you read the sort of books I love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Best of luck for the reading year ahead Tunn, hope you have a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) The very best of luck with your reading goals in 2012 Tunn I'll be popping in here often .. you read the sort of books I love. Thanks Poppy, I will also regularly be popping into your thread too. Good luck with your reading next year!! Best of luck for the reading year ahead Tunn, hope you have a good one. Thanks Ben and good luck for you too. Reading your thread it sounds like you have plenty of reading ahead of you in 2012. Edited December 29, 2011 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 So my first read of the year (although I actually started it on 30 December) is Darkside by Belinda Bauer. This author first came to my attention 2 years ago as she was one of the authors chosen for the first series of the TV Book Club. I read the book in February 2010 and gave it a 6. I found some of the plot points a bit far fetched and the characters a bit one dimensional but did think there was enough there to make me read her future work. Well this is the authors second book and I am currently about 40% in and really enjoying it so far. I think the main two characters in this novel have a lot more depth than the two of the first book. It is again set in the same are of the country as the first book and Steven, the main character from book 1, has made a couple of brief appearances. I hope to finish this over the bank holiday weekend and will post my thoughts on it when I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Darkside - Belinda Bauer Synopsis Amazon Shipcott in bleak mid-winter: a close knit community where no stranger goes unnoticed. So when an elderly woman is murdered in her bed, village policeman Jonas Holly is doubly shocked. How could someone have killed and left no trace?Jonas finds himself sidelined as the investigation is snatched away from him by an abrasive senior detective. Is his first murder investigation over before it’s begun? But this isn’t the end of it for Jonas, because someone in the village is taunting him, blaming him for the tragedy, and watching every move he makes... Review As stated in the previous post this is the authors second book and follow up to her critically acclaimed novel Blacklands for which she won crime novel of the year. The story is again set around Exmoor and Steven, one of the central characters from the first book, makes several appearances in this book too. The plot centers around the fact that people who are burden on others, like the old, are being murdered. Jonas Holly is the local policeman but soon realises that he is out of his depth and calls in reinforcements from a neighboring town. We then follow the investigation through the eyes of Holly, Marvel (the lead inspector) and Reynolds (his deputy) with the narrator being constantly switched between them. This allows us to get a deeper understanding of their feelings and what motivates them. One of my criticisms of the first book was that I felt the characters were one dimensional and I think that is something that has certainly been improved upon in this book. Marvel is your typical lead inspector and rules in a dictator like fashion that makes him unpopular with all the other officers. As the killings begin to mount up the police become increasingly confused about the possible identity of the killer. The plot is well drawn out and there are clues to their eventual identity well before the end. I had a fair idea but could not be certain until the final two chapters. The book is set into each chapter being a day and we count down from 23 days to go till the actual day which I think helps build suspense. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. It is not crucial to have read her first novel before reading this as the story of Steven is touched upon in this book too. I preferred it greatly to her first work and am glad I gave this author another chance. She has just released her third book, again set around the moors, and I look forward to reading it when the price drops with the release of the paperback later this year. 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 So my first book of the year is done and it was a good way to ease myself into my reading this year. I have already started book 2 and am 30% through it. I have selected 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman as it was something I had purchased on the run up to Christmas and is also on the 2012 World Book Night list. I am really enjoying it so far, much more than I had anticipated when I read the blurb. In all honesty I only bought it as it was a Kindle Daily deal for 99p and I had heard many people on here comment so positively about it. Yet again this forum has led me to a new author and genre I would not have approached before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I have Blacklands and Darkside on my TBR pile, and will hopefully get to both soon. Your review of Darkside has made sure that I stick with the first one if I feel the same way about it as you do, as a stepping stone to this one. I have read and enjoyed The Graveyard Book a few times, and although somewhat macabre at times, I love Neil Gaiman's writing, and can definitely recommend some of his other books (Neverwhere, American Gods etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) I have Blacklands and Darkside on my TBR pile, and will hopefully get to both soon. Your review of Darkside has made sure that I stick with the first one if I feel the same way about it as you do, as a stepping stone to this one. I hope you enjoy them Chrissy. Whilst for me the first one had flaws it was certainly an enjoyable read and many others rated very highly. Darkside was a very enjoyable book and would like to hear your thoughts about it once you have read it. I have read and enjoyed The Graveyard Book a few times, and although somewhat macabre at times, I love Neil Gaiman's writing, and can definitely recommend some of his other books (Neverwhere, American Gods etc). I am a real fan of Gaiman's writing thus far and really like how each chapter of 'The Graveyard Book' is like it's own short story in Bod's life. Will certainly be reading more of his work so thanks for your recommendations. 'Neverwhere' is also on the World Book Night 2012 list. Edited January 8, 2012 by tunn300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopeanha Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Happy reading in 2012 Edited January 8, 2012 by lopeanha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 You must read Neverwhere Tunn ... it's fabulous. Glad you are enjoying The Graveyard Book .. Neil is such a great storyteller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Happy reading in 2012 Many thanks Lopeanha!! I hope you have a great year of reading too!! You must read Neverwhere Tunn ... it's fabulous. Glad you are enjoying The Graveyard Book .. Neil is such a great storyteller. Poppy you are already tempting me to break one of my reading goals of 2012 and go out and buy a book. I think I probably will have to though as I really am enjoying Gaiman's writing. Luckily I still have some of my Amazon voucher left which I can use to get it. Technically I think that shouldn't count as me buying a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Well I am continuing to work through 'The Graveyard Book' but my reading has been limited this week due to the fact that I have moved house!! My wife and I, after lots and lots and lots of saving, have finally managed to get our first step onto the property ladder. So most of this week has been spent packing boxes and insisting that even though I have a kindle I do still want to take all my books with me. We picked up the keys yesterday and we are now about half way through the moving in process, so it could be a little while before I get to finishing this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Congratulations on the move! I hope you and your wife are happy in your new home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Congratulations on the move. It's such an exciting step!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) Well I am continuing to work through 'The Graveyard Book' but my reading has been limited this week due to the fact that I have moved house!! My wife and I, after lots and lots and lots of saving, have finally managed to get our first step onto the property ladder. So most of this week has been spent packing boxes and insisting that even though I have a kindle I do still want to take all my books with me. We picked up the keys yesterday and we are now about half way through the moving in process, so it could be a little while before I get to finishing this book. Congrats on the new house, may you and your wife have many happy times living there And of course you want and need to have all your books with you, IMO that goes without saying! How's the new library coming along? Are you taking your bookcases with you, and/or are you having to invest in new ones? I hope you have fun organizing your bookcases Edit: Oops! I almost forgot: Merry reading in 2012! Edited January 15, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Congratulations on your new home, Tunn! I'm looking forward to reading your reviews; we have quite similar tastes. I'm not planning on doing any 'official' challenges this year, but I noticed that I've read or own a large percentage of the books on the World Book Night list, so I might consider it a long-term challenge. Happy reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 Thanks for all the many messages about my new home! After a couple of weeks of decorating and having to have a new boiler fitted (damn) it is starting to feel like home. Now I just need to get those shelves put up and my books onto them. Have managed to finish 'The Graveyard Book' yesterday although it has taken much longer than I would have expected thanks to the move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Synopsis Amazon When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family. A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man? Review I picked this book up a couple of months ago when it was in the Kindle daily deals for 99p. I had heard a lot about the author and thought it was worth a try even though it is not a genre I usually read. The book is also in the World Book Night challenge I am trying to read some of this year. The book follows the story of Bod who at the start of the book becomes an orphan as all of his family are killed. Bod, who is only a toddler, manages to escape and finds his way to a graveyard. When there he is adopted by the residents (deceased) that inhabit that graveyard. The story then follows Bod as he grows up in the graveyard and we learn more and more about this other world that exists parallel to our own. The story builds to detail why Bod's family were killed and why he will also still remain a target. I found the book captivating and thought that the situations Gaiman managed to create were excellent. The many types of creature we are introduced to throughout the book are all well thought out and intriguing. As the story built towards its conclusion and the narration was split between Bod and his guardian Silas the suspense has me hooked. Overall I really enjoyed Gaiman's style of writing and will read more of his work. I recommend this book as a great example of this genre and it has certainly made me more open to reading other books within it. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I loved The Graveyard Book, its definitaly one that stays with you for a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Wishing you and your wife every happiness in your new home Tunn A new boiler .. isn't that just typical! Hope you didn't have to go without heat or hot water in this weather. Get those shelves up ... it will really look like home then. Love your review of The Graveyard Book It's such a great book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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