A hiatus...

So after just three posts my laptop broke leaving me with no laptop and therefore no means to post. So I've lots catch-up on. So I'll cover the last three months in short...

April
Started early, took my dog by Kate Atkinson (Book club)
Another book told from a variety of view points, some of the story lines weren't really to my taste so I wasn't the greatest fan of this book...

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Billed as highly controversial, I'm not sure it was that bad. However it was interesting to have a book where you didn't really like any of the characters. It was also bizarre to read about a community with such a relaxed view towards drugs, I can't imagine a place where parents are fine with their children taking drugs... But I do recommend giving this book a go.

May
The Trouble with Alice by Olivia Glazebrook
I discovered this book via Amazon's Rising Stars, a fantastic first novel that did make me cry. I loved this book because it wasn't your typical love story but mainly because I started off hating the central character but by the end I was converted...

Spying in high heels by Gemma Halliday
A good fun, if slightly unbelivable murder mystery. I lvoed the light hearted nature of the book with a 'ditzy blonde' central character who aside from being intensely nosey also seemed to have a magnetic attraction to trouble. A lovely twist at the end made it a worthwhile, speedy read, though perhaps only for the girls.


Sugar and Spice by Saffina Desforges
Definitely not for the easily offended, this book on the topic of child sexual abuse was a gripping read. You were also convinced that you'd got the end sussed then it all came undone. Some overly graphic descriptions but overall a gripping read with some different viewpoints.

Truth, Dare, Kill by Gordon Ferris
Another 'whodunnit' set in post-war London, a serial killer is on the loose, killing prostitutes. A wounded ex-soldier, turned private investigator, is trying to find out wht happened. However you start to wonder whether he did, or is he being set-up? you'll have to read it to find out.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
I picked this one because I secretly like to read cookbooks even if I don't have a meal to prepare. This book had laughter and tears and I loved it. I learnt about the shares market and challenges of running a start-up in a recession. But what I loved most was the insight behind closed doors into the lives of families and inside the heads of the characters. Definitely worth read even if you don't love cookbooks!


Killer, Undercover, Alibi and Mayhem in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
I loved the first one so ended up reading the box set... By the end I definitely needed a break from the story and the central characters promise to give up getting involved in criminal cases. However I will be planning to read the other books on a holioday because they are definitely easy reading and I still never manage to work out who did it until it's all laid out for me...

Now I've reached June I should be able to remember what the books were about again so I'll write a fuller post tomorrow on the subject of June...

March

This month I got a free replacement for my Kindle cover as the one without the light was causing the Kindle to crash. However Amazon's customer service team were amazing and I now have a smart cover with a light which is great for reading in taxis and doesn't seem to be destroying the battery life :-)

So another amalagmation of a month's worth of books:
Fairy Tales from the Arabian nights by E Dixon
A lovely collection of fairy tales, unlike the British variety I don't think I would recommend these for young children. It seemed in every chapter at least one character died a terrible death and often there was a beautiful princess / fairy trapped in an underground cavern waiting for her prince to marry her.

I also wasn't expecting to find Sinbad the sailor in this book but there he was at the end. He certainly earned his reputation as a bad luck charm on a voyage as on all of his journeys he was the only one to return. Though by the last journey I was more than ready for it all to end. I'm not sure that these arabian fairy tales had quite the same moral aspect but they were definitely worth reading.

The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris
Not for the faint hearted this book is a real crime story. But what's interesting is it is not so much of a whodunnit as who didn't... Set in Glasgow council estates there is a level of slightly annoying dialect written out in full, personally I would rather simply add the Glaswegian accent in my head but I guess it's all down to personal preference.

The Basement by Stephen Leather
Another one not for the easily shocked, if you didn't like Emma Donoghue's Room then don't try this one. The seemingly obvious answer to this crime story is smashed in an incredible twist at the end of the book.

An Inconvenient Marriage by Ruth Ann Nordin
Time for a bit of periosd writing and something lighter than the previous two books. Some interesting themes about the role of women in a marriage and I whipped through this easy read.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Although I didn't love the first on of this trilogy when this came up reduced on my Kindle I wanted to find out what happened next. This one moved alot faster, perhaps because there was no need to set-up the characters. There were the twists you would expect although some of them were verging on the ridiculous but all in all I think it is worth persevering with the first book so you can get to this one, the highlight of the trilogy.

February's books

I missed February too so here's the list for February:

One Day by David Nicholls (book club)
Once I got used to the jumping around I loved this book probably because the characters ran true and the places were familiar with the Edinburgh chapters bringing back memories of university...

Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker
Another free book for the Kindle and picked because I loved Dracula. It was a series of short stories all fabulously dark, a couple seemed predictable but not until they were almost concluded, if you read and loved Dracula - read this!

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself by Harriet Ann Jacobs
This was a moving, fascinating story of a real slave in the States, it felt very true to life despite the thought of someone living in and attic space that doesn't allow her to stand for a couple of years.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I read this on a recommendation from someone at my book club and I'm still not sure if I liked it or was turned off by it. I felt it was a bit self-help in places but in other places I was rooting for the author. I think it's worth trying it and seeing what you think.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I read this instead of going to see the movie and was glad that did. Although the medical scientist in me would liked to have had a bit more detail about the whole donor process. I was frustrated that you never found out why donors 'completed' after four transplants... But definitely worth a read, don't be put off by talk of sci-fi.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (book club)
I'm always fascinated by the home front during the war so this book was a great choice for me. However I struggled to connect to the characters I felt almost like too much was happening and there were too many people fighting to be centre of my attention. The resulting effect was to feel very detached from the story which wasn't an enjoyable feeling.

Getting started...

When I moved jobs I got a Kindle as a leaving gift, this has meant I've refound my love of books especially as a I'm basically carrying a book shop in my handbag. So I thought that I'd try keeping a bit of a list of what I read and what I thought about it for my own memory and just in case it is of interest to anyone else out there.

I started later in the year than I intended so the first post is a list with just a few comments, I'll try and write more about some of these titles later. A final note before I start on the books I'm a member of the London Girly Book Club and I have identified which books I read for my book club.

January
No Angel by Jay Dobyns
A fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Hell's Angels in the US. Not my usual fare but glad I stumbled across it.

Farenheit Twins by Michael Faber
I bought this book because I remembered lots of talk about, but I was disappointed, a series of short stories that were just a little to off the wall for me.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Similarly to Room by Emma Donoghue this is an amazing but disturbing book.

What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
A childhood favourite that was free on my Kindle and still loved it. The ultimate bad girl turns good!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I finally gave in to the hype and tried this, sadly I was let down. For me it started slow, the middle was just what I wanted and then the end went on for too long. Not sure yet whether I'll read the rest of the trilogy.

Painless by Derek Ciccione
Another disturbing book but about a fascinating topic. I love books with a medical take and this one takes an interesting look at children that can't feel pain.