Chaliepud's 2012 Reading Log

[chaliepud]

49. The Villa - Rosanna Ley (October 18th) 3/5

 

When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family. Initially resistant to Tess going back to her roots, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions. Meanwhile, Tess' teenage daughter Ginny is stressed by college, by her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her father, if only she knew where he was.

 

Pretty good read, quite long and probably could have been condensed a bit but nicely written with decent plot and plenty of subtle twists and turns, if a little predictable. A good book if you don't want to challenge your grey cells too much!

[chaliepud]

50. The Blue Door - Lise Kristensen (October 25th) 4.5/5

 

'1942: It was towards the middle of the year when my friends started disappearing...' On the island of Java, the stirrings of the Second World War in Europe and the angry-looking man called Hitler seem a million miles away from Norwegian-born Lise and her siblings. Then one day, her friends and neighbours start to disappear, and she begins to realise that they are not safe after all. Through ten-year-old eyes, Lise tells of her family’s two-year imprisonment in POW camps and the brutal treatment received at the hands of their Japanese captors. For respite from the rat-infested floor of their shelter they adopt a blue door, which sits on concrete posts in the ground. They live on it during the day as young Lise plots ways to protect her family from disease, starvation and the desperate behaviour of fellow prisoners. This is a little girl’s heartbreaking tale of survival. 'A devastating portrayal of a child's loss of innocence to humiliating cruelty'.

 

I have read a few books that have dealt with the holocaust but this is my first dealing with Japanese prisoners of war. The book is written from the perspective of 10 year old Lise and is truly shocking and an horrific insight into how the prisoners suffered. Lise showed tremendous strength of character in how she tried to keep her mother and sister going through all that they endured..

[chaliepud]

51. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness (October 31st) 4.25/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Bestselling novelist Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves a heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.

 

I can't add anything to others reviews of this book, suffice to say it is wonderfully written and powerfully emotive and will stay with me for a long time. I passed it straight to my Mum who has immediately passed it to a close friend.

[chaliepud]

52. The Last Letter from your Lover - Jojo Moyes (November 21st) 3.5/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

When journalist Ellie looks through her newspaper's archives for a story, she doesn't think she'll find anything of interest. Instead she discovers a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband - and Ellie is caught up in the intrigue of a past love affair. Despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man.

In 1960, Jennifer wakes up in hospital after a car accident. She can't remember anything - her husband, her friends, who she used to be. And then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for.

Ellie and Jennifer's stories of passion, adultery and loss are wound together in this richly emotive novel - interspersed with real 'last letters'.

 

For me, not as good as Me Before You, but then that would be very difficult as I loved it so! Still well written though with a brilliantly woven storyline with characters that you couldn't help liking and wishing the best for...At times I despaired over their mistimed alliances and missed opportunities but all in all a good read..

[chesilbeach]

48. Seeking Crystal - Joss Stirling (October 13th) 4.25/5

 

Goodreads synopsis

 

Sparks will fly . . . Passion will ignite . . .

Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond. On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict! Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried..

 

The third in the Benedict Brothers series, not quite as good as the first two in my opinion but still an easy YA read with equal amounts of adventure, angst and romance with brooding protective Benedict brothers and young women that are strong but have some sort of weakness that can only be made strong by being coupled with one of the brothers..

 

I love this series too, chaliepud, but I would say that the women are made strong by being coupled with one of the brothers, but reach their full potential after meeting them. Even if the boyfriend wasn't around, they'd still be much stronger after having met them, and they just find out how powerful they are from the brothers. I really like them though - the thrilling adventure story is the most important thing, not the romance, but that's good too!

 

Have you tried the Gallagher Girls and the Heist Society series by Ally Carter? I think you'd like those too.

Edited December 24, 2012 by chesilbeach

[chesilbeach]

51. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness (October 31st) 4.25/5

...

 

I can't add anything to others reviews of this book, suffice to say it is wonderfully written and powerfully emotive and will stay with me for a long time. I passed it straight to my Mum who has immediately passed it to a close friend.

 

The first thing I did was pass it straight on to my OH saying, "You MUST read this!" I love it when a book does that to me - doesn't happen that often, but when it does it's a joy.

[chesilbeach]

43. Hollow Pike - James Dawson (October 3rd) 4.25/5

...

Recommended to me by Michelle, a great YA read that I will keep for my kids.. I wish I'd kept it for my Halloween read though as it was suitably creepy...

 

I haven't written my review for this, but I read it a couple of months ago based on Michelle's review, and really enjoyed it. It was a bit nerve jangling at times, but I loved that it was firmly based in the real world, with just a touch of supernatural.

 

44. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White (October 4th) 2/5

...

I had high hopes for this but was disappointed as it was very loose in plot and character and surely meant for younger teens..

 

I was disappointed in this one too. I read it for the reading circle, but I agree that it was a bit too immature.

Edited December 24, 2012 by chesilbeach

[chaliepud]

I love this series too, chaliepud, but I would say that the women are made strong by being coupled with one of the brothers, but reach their full potential after meeting them. Even if the boyfriend wasn't around, they'd still be much stronger after having met them, and they just find out how powerful they are from the brothers. I really like them though - the thrilling adventure story is the most important thing, not the romance, but that's good too!

 

Have you tried the Gallagher Girls and the Heist Society series by Ally Carter? I think you'd like those too.

 

Thanks Chesil, I'll check them out..

[chaliepud]

Well that's Christmas 2012 done, we just dropped Steve at the airport so we're all just mooching about this afternoon, boys on Xbox, daughter on (my) computer and me on my iPad...

 

I finished Slaughterhouse 5 a couple of days ago and have now set up my new Kobo Glo so I'll start a book on there later. I need to set up a 2013 thread but first I'll try to finish a few thoughts on books I've read this year, only another 10 or so to go!

 

I think I'm going to keep my lists simpler this year as I'd really like a relaxed reading year, just reading what I fancy off my TBR shelf and downloading the odd book on my Kobo, so I'll probably just stick up my TBR list and keep my wish lists on Amazon and Goodreads. I've done well recently not buying any new books although I did get a few for Christmas...

 

From Steve -

 

Wolf Within: How I Learned to Talk Dog - Shaun Ellis. (In preparation for my Wolf walk in 2013!)

 

From my brother -

 

The Book of Lies - Mary Horlock

Talking Pictures - Ransom Riggs

 

I also bought my brother All Hell Let Loose by Max Hastings but he already had it so I've kept that too and bought him another book (he's a big big reader of WWII non fiction..)

 

Right, best get a bit of housework done before we're knee deep in dog and cat hair!! See you later .. :)

[Ooshie]

I finished Slaughterhouse 5 a couple of days ago

 

I have been meaning to read this for the last few years, perhaps 2013 will be the year I finally get round to it!

[chaliepud]

I have been meaning to read this for the last few years, perhaps 2013 will be the year I finally get round to it!

 

It's an interesting one, from a very unusual perspective but I did enjoy it, if not as much as others on the board..

[Michelle]

I'm also thinking of making my reading more relaxing, in that I'm not going to accept so many review books - I have lots on my shelf I still need to read.

[chaliepud]

53. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Changed The World - Vicki Myron (November 29th) 3.75/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

On the coldest morning of the year, Vicki Myron found a tiny, bedraggled kitten almost frozen to death in the night drop box of the library where she worked, and her life -- and the town of Spencer, Iowa -- would never be the same.

Vicki was a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic, abusive husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s.

Dewey, as the townspeople named the kitten, quickly grew into a strutting, adorable library cat whose antics kept patrons in stitches, and whose sixth sense about those in need created hundreds of deep and loving friendships.

As his fame grew, people drove hundreds of miles to meet Dewey, and people all over the world fell in love with him.

Through it all, Dewey remained a loyal companion, a beacon of hope not just for Vicki, but for the entire town of Spencer as it slowly, steadily pulled itself up from the worst financial crisis in its long history. Dewey won hearts and proved to everyone he encountered that unconditional love comes in many forms.

 

A very sweet book about a cat, a woman, a library with it's characters and a town that fell in love with a little abandoned kitten who grew to be a cat totally unlike any I have every met, sweet in nature and gracing visitors with his presence equally. Definitely a book for cat/animal lovers, I'm not sure anyone else would understand the appeal though..

 

54. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong (December 6th) 4/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

 

I've been fighting it all night. I'm going to lose ... Nature wins out. It always does.'

Elena Michaels didn't know that her lover Clay was a werewolf until he bit her, changing her life forever. Betrayed and furious, she cannot accept her transformation, and wants nothing to do with her Pack - a charismatic group of fellow werewolves who say they want to help.

When a series of brutal murders threatens the Pack - and Clay - Elena is forced to make an impossible choice. Abandon the only people who truly understand her new nature, or help them to save the lover who ruined her life, and who still wants her back at any cost.

 

I received this via a swap with Chrissy a while ago and only just got around to reading it when I fancied a paranormal read, it was great, lots of excitement and thrills, perfect escapism!

 

55. The Light Between Oceans - M.L Stedman (December 16th) 4.5/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

 

Tom Sherbourne, released from the horrors of the First World War, is now a lighthouse keeper, cocooned on a remote island with his young wife Izzy, who is content in everything but her failure to have a child.

One April morning, a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man - and a crying baby. Safe from the real world, Tom and Izzy break the rules and follow their hearts.

It is a decision with devastating consequences.

 

What a fantastic book! So beautifully written, wonderfully descriptive and the characters were so well drawn that I really felt I was being pulled into their lives, feeling everything they felt and confused when they didn't know what to do or what to say. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year and one I would highly recommend, particularly to those that have enjoyed books such as The Snow Child and A Tenderness of Wolves.

[chaliepud]

Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story - Veronica Roth (December 16th) 2/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

Bestselling author Veronica Roth retells a pivotal Divergent scene (chapter 13) from Tobias's point of view. This thirteen-page scene reveals unknown facts and fascinating details about Four's character, his past, his own initiation, and his thoughts about new Dauntless initiate Tris Prior.

 

I'm really not sure this was a pivotal scene, I quite enjoyed reading it but I didn't learn anything from it that I hadn't assumed already. I'm glad it was a free download to my iPad and i've not counted it in my yearly total as it was only one chapter..

 

56. At The Sign of the Sugared Plum - Mary Hooper (December 21st) 4/5

 

'You be going to live in the city, Hannah?' Farmer Price asked, pushing his battered hat up over his forehead. 'Wouldn' t think you'd want to go there Times like this, I would have thought your sister would try and keep you away.' Hannah is oblivious to Farmer Price's dark words, excited as she is about her first ever trip to London to help her sister in her shop 'The Sugared Plum', making sweetmeats for the gentry. Hannah does not however get the reception she expected from her sister Sarah. Instead of giving Hannah a hearty welcome, Sarah is horrified that Hannah did not get her message to stay away - the Plague is taking hold of London. Based on much research, Mary Hooper tellingly conveys how the atmosphere in London changes from a disbelief that the plague is anything serious, to the full-blown horror of the death carts and being locked up - in effect to die - if your house is suspected of infection.

 

This book was a bit of an eye opener, of course every British person knows something about the plague but I have to admit I never ever thought about it in terms of how it affected the individuals living at that time, it was just an historical event from long long ago.. I have learnt lots but in a nice fiction kinda way!

 

57. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut (December 27th) 3.5/5

 

Amazon synopsis

 

Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller - these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse.Slaughterhouse 5 is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centring on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

 

An unusual book, I only enjoyed it when I thought about it if that makes sense? On face value it makes no sense when you read it but if you make an effort to appreciate the psyche of the character it suddenly begins to make sense. I do believe my rating may improve as I think about it more and I think I may even re read it at some point!

[chaliepud]

Well, I think that's it for me this year, I have two other books on the go but it's unlikely I'll finish either of them before tomorrow. I set myself a target of 50 and reached 57 so I think I can be happy with that.

 

Happy New Year everybody and I'll see you on the other side!

 

[Kylie]

Congrats on exceeding your target, Chalie!

 

Happy New Year (and Happy New *Reading* Year!)

[willoyd]

56. At The Sign of the Sugared Plum - Mary Hooper (December 21st) 4/5

This book was a bit of an eye opener, of course every British person knows something about the plague but I have to admit I never ever thought about it in terms of how it affected the individuals living at that time, it was just an historical event from long long ago.. I have learnt lots but in a nice fiction kinda way!

Yes I thought it gave a really good insight too - lots in such a slim volume. I really enjoyed the sequel too, Petals in the Ashes, which focuses on the Great Fire, and follows on immediately from At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, to the extent that they could almost have been written as one book.

 

 

]57. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut [/b](December 27th) 3.5/5

An unusual book, I only enjoyed it when I thought about it if that makes sense? On face value it makes no sense when you read it but if you make an effort to appreciate the psyche of the character it suddenly begins to make sense. I do believe my rating may improve as I think about it more and I think I may even re read it at some point!

Have to say that I thought this was the one of the most hyped up loads of nonsense I've ever read! I tried, I really did! I reread it too, trying to work out where the rave reviews were coming from. Just can't work it out. Given the flak those who don't like it have received on Amazon, I'd say it's almost achieved the status of religious tract in some eyes, but I'm obviously missing something, and something big at that!

Edited December 31, 2012 by willoyd

[chaliepud]

Yes I thought it gave a really good insight too - lots in such a slim volume. I really enjoyed the sequel too, Petals in the Ashes, which focuses on the Great Fire, and follows on immediately from At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, to the extent that they could almost have been written as one book.

 

I think that will be my second download onto my Kobo as I don't want to lose the thread of the story, is there a third book do you know or is the story definitely finished with Petals in the Ashes?

 

Have to say that I thought this was the one of the most hyped up loads of nonsense I've ever read! I tried, I really did! I reread it too, trying to work out where the rave reviews were coming from. Just can't work it out. Given the flak those who don't like it have received on Amazon, I'd say it's almost achieved the status of religious tract in some eyes, but I'm obviously missing something, and something big at that!

 

I'm glad you said that as I did feel a little inadequate reading it, and I am a former psychology student.. I thought I was "getting it" and I'm sure I understood the madness of it all but I do think I have read books that have dealt with the damaged human psyche a lot better (Dare I mention Human Traces by Sebastian Faulkes again? It has been a few months I'm sure )