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1Elainedav
My third year in club read. I kept a simple, quarter by quarter list last year, which worked well for me, so plan to do the same again. Last year's list is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147240
I read 53 books in 2012 and 66 in 2013, so must surely aim for 70 (or more) this year?
I also tried out the category challenge last year but I discovered that I just read what I want to read and the categories I chose didn't really do too much to guide my reading - it is still dominated by crime fiction, series reads and travel memoirs! So I'm looking for a different challenge this year. My main aim is to improve my review writing - I am definitely better at reading than writing! When I review, I usually do so here first and then copy and paste into Amazon.co.uk. Earlier in 2013 I was ranked at over 3 million in the Amazon top reviewer ranking and am now at about 40K. I'll keep track through here I think.
I read 53 books in 2012 and 66 in 2013, so must surely aim for 70 (or more) this year?
I also tried out the category challenge last year but I discovered that I just read what I want to read and the categories I chose didn't really do too much to guide my reading - it is still dominated by crime fiction, series reads and travel memoirs! So I'm looking for a different challenge this year. My main aim is to improve my review writing - I am definitely better at reading than writing! When I review, I usually do so here first and then copy and paste into Amazon.co.uk. Earlier in 2013 I was ranked at over 3 million in the Amazon top reviewer ranking and am now at about 40K. I'll keep track through here I think.
2Elainedav
QUARTER ONE:
JANUARY
#1. The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
#2. The Strange Case of Dr Terry and Mr Chimes by Terry Chimes
#3. Stories From a Theme Park Insider by Robert Niles
#4. Noble Intentions: Season Three by L.T.Ryan
#5. It's a Wild Life: How My Life Became a Zoo by Bud DeYoung
#6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
#7. Mud, Sweat and Gears by Ellie Bennett
FEBRUARY
#8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
#9. That Close by Suggs
#10. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
#11. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
MARCH
#12. Never Go Back by Lee Child
#13. Walk the Lines: The London Underground, Overground by Mark Mason
#14. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
#15. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
#16. Private LA by James Patterson
#17. In Rude Health: The Funniest and Most Explicit Stories From the NHS by Robbie Guillory
JANUARY
#1. The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
#2. The Strange Case of Dr Terry and Mr Chimes by Terry Chimes
#3. Stories From a Theme Park Insider by Robert Niles
#4. Noble Intentions: Season Three by L.T.Ryan
#5. It's a Wild Life: How My Life Became a Zoo by Bud DeYoung
#6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
#7. Mud, Sweat and Gears by Ellie Bennett
FEBRUARY
#8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
#9. That Close by Suggs
#10. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
#11. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
MARCH
#12. Never Go Back by Lee Child
#13. Walk the Lines: The London Underground, Overground by Mark Mason
#14. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
#15. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
#16. Private LA by James Patterson
#17. In Rude Health: The Funniest and Most Explicit Stories From the NHS by Robbie Guillory
3Elainedav
QUARTER TWO
APRIL
#18. Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain by George Mahood
#19. Nowhere Like Home by Jamie Alexander
#20. Sting of the Drone by Richard A Clarke
#21. There But For The by Ali Smith
#22. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
MAY
#23. The Eye of God by James Rollins
#24. City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple
#25. The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favourite Books by J Peder Zane
#26. The Book of Souls by James Oswald
JUNE
#27. Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson
#28. Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
#29. The Bookshop That Floated Away by Sarah Henshaw
#30. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
APRIL
#18. Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain by George Mahood
#19. Nowhere Like Home by Jamie Alexander
#20. Sting of the Drone by Richard A Clarke
#21. There But For The by Ali Smith
#22. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
MAY
#23. The Eye of God by James Rollins
#24. City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple
#25. The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favourite Books by J Peder Zane
#26. The Book of Souls by James Oswald
JUNE
#27. Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson
#28. Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
#29. The Bookshop That Floated Away by Sarah Henshaw
#30. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
4Elainedav
QUARTER THREE
JULY
#31. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
#32. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
#33. Blazing Bicycle Saddles by James Clarke
#34. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
#35. Travels with Max: In Search of Steinbeck's America Fifty Years Later by Gregory Zeigler
#36. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
#37. Ajax Penumbra: 1969 by Robin Sloan
#38. Inferno by Dan Brown
AUGUST
#39. Deep Fathom by James Rollins
#40. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
#41. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
#42. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
SEPTEMBER
#43. Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
#44. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
JULY
#31. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
#32. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
#33. Blazing Bicycle Saddles by James Clarke
#34. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
#35. Travels with Max: In Search of Steinbeck's America Fifty Years Later by Gregory Zeigler
#36. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
#37. Ajax Penumbra: 1969 by Robin Sloan
#38. Inferno by Dan Brown
AUGUST
#39. Deep Fathom by James Rollins
#40. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
#41. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
#42. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
SEPTEMBER
#43. Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
#44. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
5Elainedav
QUARTER FOUR
OCTOBER
#45. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez
#46. The Debt by Simon Kernick
#47. Only Time Will Tell (Clifton Chronicles Book 1) by Jeffrey Archer
#48. by Andy McNabb
#49. Sycamore Row by John Grisham
#50. The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles Book 2) by Jeffrey Archer
#51. Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs: (She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse) by Paul Carter
#52. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
NOVEMBER
#53. The Sixth Extinction by James Rollins
#54. The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
#55. Best Kept Secret (Clifton Chronicles Book 3) by Jeffrey Archer
#56. There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You by Lynda Bellingham
#57. Personal by Lee Child
DECEMBER
#58. Nemesis by Phillip Roth
#59. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
#60. Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver
OCTOBER
#45. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez
#46. The Debt by Simon Kernick
#47. Only Time Will Tell (Clifton Chronicles Book 1) by Jeffrey Archer
#48. by Andy McNabb
#49. Sycamore Row by John Grisham
#50. The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles Book 2) by Jeffrey Archer
#51. Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs: (She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse) by Paul Carter
#52. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
NOVEMBER
#53. The Sixth Extinction by James Rollins
#54. The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
#55. Best Kept Secret (Clifton Chronicles Book 3) by Jeffrey Archer
#56. There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You by Lynda Bellingham
#57. Personal by Lee Child
DECEMBER
#58. Nemesis by Phillip Roth
#59. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
#60. Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver
6Elainedav
Struggling a bit with book 1 of 2014 The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst - a bit slow, not really my thing. But I reviewed by previous book in Amazon yesterday and have crept up the reviewer rankings to number 37,553!
7Elainedav
I've just reviewed The Strange Case of Dr Terry and Mr Chimes by Terry Chimes which I won from the December batch of early reviewers. What a great book! He was the original drummer in the band The Clash and went on to drum for Hannoi Rocks and Black Sabbath, amongst others. Then he decided to retrain and become a chiropractor! Fascinating! If you like autobiographies, read this one, it is great! Best book so far this year for me (out of 2.5 books - ha ha!)
9Elainedav
Posted this as a review yesterday:
I loved this book but am finding it difficult to put into words why that is! I think Neil Gaiman writes extraordinary stories that stay with you long after you have read them. This one starts out seemingly in a simple way, a forty something year old man is remembering something that happened to him as a seven year old child. As the story is told it becomes more and more complex, with creatures from another world and the wonderful characters of Lettie Hempstock and her mother and grandmother. There is plenty of mystery along the way, lots of unanswered questions to be explored by your own imagination.
A short story, but a great one. Will definitely read again at some point.
Still can't stop thinking about this little story, despite being half way through my next book!! I think Neil Gaiman very cleverly leaves loads of 'dead ends' or unexplored threads in his books which makes your own imagination kick in. For instance, the purpose of the Ocean is never fully explained or how Lettie arrives and where she goes - he leaves the reader to make their own assumptions. I think this is why his stories stay with you such a long while. What does anyone else think?
Have posted my review to Amazon and my latest top reviewer ranking is 31,458. Getting under 30K seems to be eluding me at the moment!
I loved this book but am finding it difficult to put into words why that is! I think Neil Gaiman writes extraordinary stories that stay with you long after you have read them. This one starts out seemingly in a simple way, a forty something year old man is remembering something that happened to him as a seven year old child. As the story is told it becomes more and more complex, with creatures from another world and the wonderful characters of Lettie Hempstock and her mother and grandmother. There is plenty of mystery along the way, lots of unanswered questions to be explored by your own imagination.
A short story, but a great one. Will definitely read again at some point.
Still can't stop thinking about this little story, despite being half way through my next book!! I think Neil Gaiman very cleverly leaves loads of 'dead ends' or unexplored threads in his books which makes your own imagination kick in. For instance, the purpose of the Ocean is never fully explained or how Lettie arrives and where she goes - he leaves the reader to make their own assumptions. I think this is why his stories stay with you such a long while. What does anyone else think?
Have posted my review to Amazon and my latest top reviewer ranking is 31,458. Getting under 30K seems to be eluding me at the moment!
10kaylaraeintheway
I'm so glad you loved Ocean at the End of the Lane! Neil Gaiman is my favorite author (I even got to meet him at the San Francisco stop of his tour for this book!).
I know exactly what you mean about the book staying with you. I finished it in one day, and afterwards I just sat on my bed thinking about who (or what) the Hempstocks could be, and what the ocean was. But I loved that we aren't given the answers...it makes it more fun, and can even inspire a mythology search on the internet for clues.
The way Gaiman mixes the fantastic and unexplained with every-day characters and life is why I love him so much. All of his stories and novels have a weird sort of beauty to them.
What else have you read of his? I've read Neverwhere, Stardust, the Sandman graphic novels, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, Good Omens, and his short story collections Fragile Things and Smoke and Mirrors.
I know exactly what you mean about the book staying with you. I finished it in one day, and afterwards I just sat on my bed thinking about who (or what) the Hempstocks could be, and what the ocean was. But I loved that we aren't given the answers...it makes it more fun, and can even inspire a mythology search on the internet for clues.
The way Gaiman mixes the fantastic and unexplained with every-day characters and life is why I love him so much. All of his stories and novels have a weird sort of beauty to them.
What else have you read of his? I've read Neverwhere, Stardust, the Sandman graphic novels, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, Good Omens, and his short story collections Fragile Things and Smoke and Mirrors.
11Elainedav
#10 - I'm new to Neil Gaiman really. Have only read the Graveyard Book and the Ocean at the moment, although I have just started American Gods and Neverwhere is in the pile of librarybooks at the top of my TBR pile!!
12kaylaraeintheway
Well then, welcome to the world of Neil Gaiman! I hope you enjoy his other works, too :)
13Elainedav
I haven't added any reviews here for ages, so here goes for my March reading to date:
Never Go Back by Lee Child:
It feels like I have waited a long time to read this book, but it was worth the wait - Reacher at his best! Within a couple of pages, he is back in the Army - that was a shock. Shortly afterwards Major Reacher and Major Turner are on the run, across the states - coast to coast in fact! There are the usual bouts of physical violence that you expect in a Reacher novel but the storyline is really unique. I loved this book. Reacher is back out of the Army again now, back on the streets and I am looking forward to the next episode!
Walk The Lines: The London Underground, Overground by Mark Mason:
This book appealed to me as I have often thought that as a tourist to London, if you use the tube, you lose the sense of how one place connects to another above ground. Much better then to walk above the ground, between the sights. But in this book the author goes much further than a tourist would. Some of the underground lines are so long, that even walking 30 miles in a day, the whole line needed to be walked over a couple of days. I loved the mix of historical information, observations (including snatches of conversations overheard), litlle known sights along the route and interaction with others who joined the walks at various points for various reasons. This is a really good read for anyone who enjoys travel writing and/or visiting London and is interested in a different perspective on London travel.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman:
This is a fabulous book by this author. The storyline is really strong. The characters are great, with a superb mix of oddness and total believability! The descriptions of the rat speakers, the velvets, the black friars and the floating market really bring the novel to life in your imagination. I liked the way London above and London below are both factually and ficticiously described and occasionally you are not quite sure where fact and fiction overlap! The ending is great and I thought positions things well for a follow up - although this doesn't seem to have happened, unless I have missed something?
All three of these were 5 star reads for me - great books! I'm off to London for a visit in a couple of weeks time, so might have to do some walking, inspired by Walk The Lines - although, very disappointed that 'Little Ben' (which I didn't know existed) is currently being renovated.
Never Go Back by Lee Child:
It feels like I have waited a long time to read this book, but it was worth the wait - Reacher at his best! Within a couple of pages, he is back in the Army - that was a shock. Shortly afterwards Major Reacher and Major Turner are on the run, across the states - coast to coast in fact! There are the usual bouts of physical violence that you expect in a Reacher novel but the storyline is really unique. I loved this book. Reacher is back out of the Army again now, back on the streets and I am looking forward to the next episode!
Walk The Lines: The London Underground, Overground by Mark Mason:
This book appealed to me as I have often thought that as a tourist to London, if you use the tube, you lose the sense of how one place connects to another above ground. Much better then to walk above the ground, between the sights. But in this book the author goes much further than a tourist would. Some of the underground lines are so long, that even walking 30 miles in a day, the whole line needed to be walked over a couple of days. I loved the mix of historical information, observations (including snatches of conversations overheard), litlle known sights along the route and interaction with others who joined the walks at various points for various reasons. This is a really good read for anyone who enjoys travel writing and/or visiting London and is interested in a different perspective on London travel.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman:
This is a fabulous book by this author. The storyline is really strong. The characters are great, with a superb mix of oddness and total believability! The descriptions of the rat speakers, the velvets, the black friars and the floating market really bring the novel to life in your imagination. I liked the way London above and London below are both factually and ficticiously described and occasionally you are not quite sure where fact and fiction overlap! The ending is great and I thought positions things well for a follow up - although this doesn't seem to have happened, unless I have missed something?
All three of these were 5 star reads for me - great books! I'm off to London for a visit in a couple of weeks time, so might have to do some walking, inspired by Walk The Lines - although, very disappointed that 'Little Ben' (which I didn't know existed) is currently being renovated.
14baswood
Walk the Lines what an excellent idea for a travel book.
15twogerbils
I read Neverwhere not too long ago too, and loved it! I have pet rats, so I was partial to the rats in the story. Ditto American Gods and Coraline and The Graveyard Book. I've been meaning to read Anansi Boys.
16NanaCC
>13 Elainedav: I also loved Neverwhere. So far, I've only done audiobooks of Gaiman's works, and they have all been really good, read by the author himself. I have yet to read American Gods and Anansi Boys. I should really think of them the next time I am trying to figure out which audiobook to load.
17twogerbils
I've never tried an audio book. But I bet Gaiman reading his own books would be pretty great.
18Elainedav
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
In 1960, Steinbeck undertook a journey around America, in a custom made vechicle which we would describe as a camper van or RV these days and his dog Charley was along for the ride! He heads north to Maine initially and then west all the way to Washington state, south to California and then back across the states, through the South to New York. What a fantastic, fabulous trip that should be......but that doesn't always come across. By his own admission, he largely avoids the large cities, but he also seems to avoid the national parks and other places of interest. Instead the commentary focusses on the people he meets and also the larger issues of the recent history, which dominate his fictional works. So, for instance, in Washington he talks about mass migration and how the city of Seattle has changed dramatically since his last visit and that made me think of the themes in The Grapes of Wrath.
By Virginia, he is fed up of travelling and says the 'journey' has ended for him. From that point onwards, you get the sense that he is in a hurry to get home and is just driving, driving, driving. Anyone who has done a long trip in an RV can probably relate to that!
His relationship with Charley comes across very strongly and is lovely to read about, There are health worries for Charley along the way and a sense throughout that owner and dog are able to communicate with one another, 'ftt' being a well used phrase! The passage describing the approach to the giant redwoods, anticipating Charley's reaction and the disappointment at the actual reaction were very amusing. But the funniest part is the ending, when having driven all around the states, Steinbeck has to pull over in Manhatten rush hour traffic because he is lost!
Great read, slightly disappointing as a travelogue, but great as a memoir.
Rated 4 star and now very much looking forward to reading Travels With Max, which I think is a recreation of the journey in about 2009 ish. But a bit of fiction first before more travel I think!
In 1960, Steinbeck undertook a journey around America, in a custom made vechicle which we would describe as a camper van or RV these days and his dog Charley was along for the ride! He heads north to Maine initially and then west all the way to Washington state, south to California and then back across the states, through the South to New York. What a fantastic, fabulous trip that should be......but that doesn't always come across. By his own admission, he largely avoids the large cities, but he also seems to avoid the national parks and other places of interest. Instead the commentary focusses on the people he meets and also the larger issues of the recent history, which dominate his fictional works. So, for instance, in Washington he talks about mass migration and how the city of Seattle has changed dramatically since his last visit and that made me think of the themes in The Grapes of Wrath.
By Virginia, he is fed up of travelling and says the 'journey' has ended for him. From that point onwards, you get the sense that he is in a hurry to get home and is just driving, driving, driving. Anyone who has done a long trip in an RV can probably relate to that!
His relationship with Charley comes across very strongly and is lovely to read about, There are health worries for Charley along the way and a sense throughout that owner and dog are able to communicate with one another, 'ftt' being a well used phrase! The passage describing the approach to the giant redwoods, anticipating Charley's reaction and the disappointment at the actual reaction were very amusing. But the funniest part is the ending, when having driven all around the states, Steinbeck has to pull over in Manhatten rush hour traffic because he is lost!
Great read, slightly disappointing as a travelogue, but great as a memoir.
Rated 4 star and now very much looking forward to reading Travels With Max, which I think is a recreation of the journey in about 2009 ish. But a bit of fiction first before more travel I think!
19avidmom
>13 Elainedav: Three five-star reads; that's like winning some kind of lucky book lottery, is it not? :)
I'm so glad to see a positive review of the Steinbeck book; that one has been on my wishlist for a long time.
I'm so glad to see a positive review of the Steinbeck book; that one has been on my wishlist for a long time.
21Elainedav
Have just added my next two reviews:
Private LA by James Patterson
This is a great new episode in the Private series. Based in LA, there are two main story lines. Jack and colleagues are brought in by the police to hunt down some killers, whilst at the same time they are hired privately to find a hollywood couple and their children, who appear to have vanished. The workload seems immense and no-one seems to be getting much sleep! Dipping in and out of the two stories, makes for a potentially complicated novel, but Patterson's style of writing in short chapters is suited to this and I found the book easy to read with a fast pace. Looking forward to the next one! 5 stars - if you haven't read this series, read it - great books for on holiday!
In Rude Health by Robbie Guillory
This book is a collection of stories 'supposedly' from different health professionals around the UK. I say supposedly because it is a very short book for such a collection and the writing style is the same in every story - presumably because each story has been rewritten by the author. Some bits are laugh out loud funny, but I was left feeling sceptical about it's authenticity - some of the language seemed very unlikely to me. 3 stars (maybe should have been 2). Disappointing.
Amazon top reviewer ranking is currently 30,323 - can't seem to get under 30k and stay there. I feel there is a long, long way to go before any chance of any free books from Amazon!
Private LA by James Patterson
This is a great new episode in the Private series. Based in LA, there are two main story lines. Jack and colleagues are brought in by the police to hunt down some killers, whilst at the same time they are hired privately to find a hollywood couple and their children, who appear to have vanished. The workload seems immense and no-one seems to be getting much sleep! Dipping in and out of the two stories, makes for a potentially complicated novel, but Patterson's style of writing in short chapters is suited to this and I found the book easy to read with a fast pace. Looking forward to the next one! 5 stars - if you haven't read this series, read it - great books for on holiday!
In Rude Health by Robbie Guillory
This book is a collection of stories 'supposedly' from different health professionals around the UK. I say supposedly because it is a very short book for such a collection and the writing style is the same in every story - presumably because each story has been rewritten by the author. Some bits are laugh out loud funny, but I was left feeling sceptical about it's authenticity - some of the language seemed very unlikely to me. 3 stars (maybe should have been 2). Disappointing.
Amazon top reviewer ranking is currently 30,323 - can't seem to get under 30k and stay there. I feel there is a long, long way to go before any chance of any free books from Amazon!
22valkyrdeath
>18 Elainedav: I always thought that book sounded fun. I've got plans to read a lot of Steinbeck in the coming months, and I think I'm going to push this one up the list.
23Elainedav
Another travel book:
Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Great Britain
This is a very enjoyable, light read describing a Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)trip. What make this one different is that George and his friend Ben start at Land's End in just a pair of union jack boxer shorts! They have no money, no bikes and no clothes - including shoes and socks. The book details their adventure and talks about the people who help them along the way. George describes the trip as an 'experiment looking at the niceness of Great Britain' and they certainly find that. He doesn't dwell on the people who turn them away and don't help, but he does describe the great generosity of many strangers, ordinary people and eccentric people alike. Trials and tribulations include difficulties with the bikes they acquire, ups and downs in their own moods, coping with the British weather at times and often having nowhere to sleep until the last minute. If you like travelogues and are interested in LEJOG, this is a great book to read.
Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Great Britain
This is a very enjoyable, light read describing a Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)trip. What make this one different is that George and his friend Ben start at Land's End in just a pair of union jack boxer shorts! They have no money, no bikes and no clothes - including shoes and socks. The book details their adventure and talks about the people who help them along the way. George describes the trip as an 'experiment looking at the niceness of Great Britain' and they certainly find that. He doesn't dwell on the people who turn them away and don't help, but he does describe the great generosity of many strangers, ordinary people and eccentric people alike. Trials and tribulations include difficulties with the bikes they acquire, ups and downs in their own moods, coping with the British weather at times and often having nowhere to sleep until the last minute. If you like travelogues and are interested in LEJOG, this is a great book to read.
24Elainedav
I've just been over on the crime and mysteries group where someone was asking for recommendations having exhausted all of Michale Connelly's books. I recommended Johnathan Kellerman amongst others. But then got to thinking that I haven't read one of the Alex Dellaware novels for a long time. Having checked the author's website, I think the last one I read was Rage, published in 2005!!! So I shall start with Gone and work forwards. This note is just to remind me really, no other reason!!!
25Elainedav
Nowhere Like Home by Jamie Alexander
This is a thought provoking, interesting and intelligent travel memoir. It is actually a recollection of a number of travel experiences taking place over a couple of years, during which the author is completing a degree in International Relations. With that in mind, some of the travel is seen by the author as research for his final dissertation. He sets out to go to unusual places, exploring the effects of the modern world, unrest and civil war. His trips take him to Borneo, Thailand, Israel, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. I found the book fascinating to read. The title is very apt as everywhere he goes and stays is absolutely nothing like my home! Often he is in a tent or just in a sleeping bag under the stars, sometimes in a hostel or a teahouse or small guesthouse. Terrible food poisioning strikes towards the end of the book - that is an experience I can live without thanks!
Two small things make this a four star rather than a five star read for me. I felt that inclusion of photographs would have enriched the book but there are none. The author lists a website at the end of the book where you can supposedly view photos from the trip, but I could only see a couple. Secondly, this book is a self publication and there are a few grammatical and spelling errors (sight instead of site for example) which slightly spoil the readability. Having said that, there are nowhere near as many errors as there are in some other self published books and I would still definitely recommend this one.
Still trying to up my reviewer status on Amazon. Currently 27484 in the top reviewer rankings.
What to read next? Too many to choose from!!
This is a thought provoking, interesting and intelligent travel memoir. It is actually a recollection of a number of travel experiences taking place over a couple of years, during which the author is completing a degree in International Relations. With that in mind, some of the travel is seen by the author as research for his final dissertation. He sets out to go to unusual places, exploring the effects of the modern world, unrest and civil war. His trips take him to Borneo, Thailand, Israel, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. I found the book fascinating to read. The title is very apt as everywhere he goes and stays is absolutely nothing like my home! Often he is in a tent or just in a sleeping bag under the stars, sometimes in a hostel or a teahouse or small guesthouse. Terrible food poisioning strikes towards the end of the book - that is an experience I can live without thanks!
Two small things make this a four star rather than a five star read for me. I felt that inclusion of photographs would have enriched the book but there are none. The author lists a website at the end of the book where you can supposedly view photos from the trip, but I could only see a couple. Secondly, this book is a self publication and there are a few grammatical and spelling errors (sight instead of site for example) which slightly spoil the readability. Having said that, there are nowhere near as many errors as there are in some other self published books and I would still definitely recommend this one.
Still trying to up my reviewer status on Amazon. Currently 27484 in the top reviewer rankings.
What to read next? Too many to choose from!!
26dchaikin
Congrats on breaking the 30,000 barrier. Reading your reviews makes the idea of a travelog suddenly very appealing. Seems like there might be a lot of good stuff in Alexander's book.
27Elainedav
Sting of the Drone This was a freebie from Early Reviewers!
Richard Clarke worked in the White House for over a decade as National Coordinator for Security and Counter-Terriorism. To me, that makes him a very credible author to write about acts of terrorism and the USA defending themselves. In fact, this book is so frighteningly real that it pulls you in and you can absolutely imagine that the storyline could be real and could even be based on fact.
I found the book to have some great characters. I liked Ray Bowman (and his romantic links with a senior female character) and I particularly liked Dugout and his techie/hacker role in resolving the plot. I was slightly dismayed that so many of the key characters did not survive as I thought this one novel would be a good starting point for a whole series - but maybe that is still a possibility? I would definitely read another one!
Brilliant book - 5 stars!
Richard Clarke worked in the White House for over a decade as National Coordinator for Security and Counter-Terriorism. To me, that makes him a very credible author to write about acts of terrorism and the USA defending themselves. In fact, this book is so frighteningly real that it pulls you in and you can absolutely imagine that the storyline could be real and could even be based on fact.
I found the book to have some great characters. I liked Ray Bowman (and his romantic links with a senior female character) and I particularly liked Dugout and his techie/hacker role in resolving the plot. I was slightly dismayed that so many of the key characters did not survive as I thought this one novel would be a good starting point for a whole series - but maybe that is still a possibility? I would definitely read another one!
Brilliant book - 5 stars!
28Elainedav
There But For The
This was a really quirky but enjoyable book to read. The book is divided into four sections: there, but, for and the. Each section is about a different character and eventually you start to see how their stories connect. Much of the narrative is written as a reflection of the character for that section and the author has cleverly written commentary about language and specifically the title of the section into this narrative. The two that stick in my mind are the reflection of 'being "there" on a train' by not being distracted my making a phone call for instance and Brooke's reflections on the use of the word 'the' - leaving it out of a sentence when it is implied and then using it twice in a row when referring to the word the itself. This attention to detail gives the book a real depth. All the way through there are bits and pieces which are left unexplained. I liked this aspect too as the reader can use their own imagination to fill in the blanks.
Very enjoyable - 4 stars
This was a really quirky but enjoyable book to read. The book is divided into four sections: there, but, for and the. Each section is about a different character and eventually you start to see how their stories connect. Much of the narrative is written as a reflection of the character for that section and the author has cleverly written commentary about language and specifically the title of the section into this narrative. The two that stick in my mind are the reflection of 'being "there" on a train' by not being distracted my making a phone call for instance and Brooke's reflections on the use of the word 'the' - leaving it out of a sentence when it is implied and then using it twice in a row when referring to the word the itself. This attention to detail gives the book a real depth. All the way through there are bits and pieces which are left unexplained. I liked this aspect too as the reader can use their own imagination to fill in the blanks.
Very enjoyable - 4 stars
29Elainedav
White Teeth
This was an ok read but I didn't love it unfortunately. The first part of the book is based in wartime and follows two young soldiers. The rest of the book follows their life after the war - marriage and children, with a real focus on the cultural aspects of living in London as an immigrant. For the rest of the book, the children become the main characters. The book is best described as an observational study of the lives of these two families. The author involves really important issues throughout the narrative, cultural differences, religion, terrorism, drugs, genetics etc. But for much of the book, it felt as though there was a lack of plot and until the final ten pages, the beginning appeared to have no real connection to the rest. I guess, perhaps I would have enjoyed White Teeth more if it had been shorter or perhaps I simply expected too much from such a highly acclaimed novel.
Disappointing - 3 stars.
This was an ok read but I didn't love it unfortunately. The first part of the book is based in wartime and follows two young soldiers. The rest of the book follows their life after the war - marriage and children, with a real focus on the cultural aspects of living in London as an immigrant. For the rest of the book, the children become the main characters. The book is best described as an observational study of the lives of these two families. The author involves really important issues throughout the narrative, cultural differences, religion, terrorism, drugs, genetics etc. But for much of the book, it felt as though there was a lack of plot and until the final ten pages, the beginning appeared to have no real connection to the rest. I guess, perhaps I would have enjoyed White Teeth more if it had been shorter or perhaps I simply expected too much from such a highly acclaimed novel.
Disappointing - 3 stars.
30Rebeki
It's six years since I read it, but I was slightly disappointed in White Teeth too and felt it could have done with being shorter. I don't remember all the twists and tangents of the plot, but I know the part with the mice annoyed me! Still, I'd like to re-read it at some point, with my expectations suitably lowered, because there was also a lot in it to enjoy.
I read The Embassy of Cambodia earlier this year and thought it was really well written, almost perfect, in fact, so perhaps Zadie Smith has since refined her writing or is better writing over fewer pages.
I read The Embassy of Cambodia earlier this year and thought it was really well written, almost perfect, in fact, so perhaps Zadie Smith has since refined her writing or is better writing over fewer pages.
31Elainedav
The Eye of God
This is the latest book in the Sigma Force series. The eye of god is an American satelite which crashes to earth after getting too close to a comet and being affected by dark energy. That in itself is enough of a plot to bring in Sigma Force to investigate yet this story has other plot lines which include Ghengis Khan, the Vatican and St Thomas. It seems incredible that these things can be linked in any way and yet this is Rollins' skill! He writes so intelligently and with such detailed research that it is difficult for the reader to separate fact from pure fiction. But even this is covered with an appendix at the end of the book! I LOVE this series - if you haven't read these books, start at the beginning and work your way through them all!
FABULOUS - 5 stars!
This is the latest book in the Sigma Force series. The eye of god is an American satelite which crashes to earth after getting too close to a comet and being affected by dark energy. That in itself is enough of a plot to bring in Sigma Force to investigate yet this story has other plot lines which include Ghengis Khan, the Vatican and St Thomas. It seems incredible that these things can be linked in any way and yet this is Rollins' skill! He writes so intelligently and with such detailed research that it is difficult for the reader to separate fact from pure fiction. But even this is covered with an appendix at the end of the book! I LOVE this series - if you haven't read these books, start at the beginning and work your way through them all!
FABULOUS - 5 stars!
32Elainedav
City of Djinns
Interesting but a bit of a struggle at times. This is a bit of a travel book, but mainly a memoir with a load of history thrown in! The author lived in Delhi for a year and this book partly documents that year. The observations and descriptions of Delhi and the experiences whilst living there are really interesting. However, I found some of the history really heavy going.
Interesting but a bit of a struggle at times. This is a bit of a travel book, but mainly a memoir with a load of history thrown in! The author lived in Delhi for a year and this book partly documents that year. The observations and descriptions of Delhi and the experiences whilst living there are really interesting. However, I found some of the history really heavy going.
33Elainedav
The Book of Souls
This is the second book in what is currently a trilogy (hopefully there will be more to come). DI McLean is thrown into another murder investigation and it looks as though the Christmas killer is at it again - but he has died, in prison. So perhaps they have a copycat killer in Edinburgh and this time he is not waiting a year between kills.
A great read. All the familiar characters are back - Grumpy Bob, DCI 'Dagwood', DC MacBride etc and there are new characters too. I didn't think there was going to be a supernatural element to the book this time, but it comes in quite late in the storyline. Looking forward to book 3 now!
This is the second book in what is currently a trilogy (hopefully there will be more to come). DI McLean is thrown into another murder investigation and it looks as though the Christmas killer is at it again - but he has died, in prison. So perhaps they have a copycat killer in Edinburgh and this time he is not waiting a year between kills.
A great read. All the familiar characters are back - Grumpy Bob, DCI 'Dagwood', DC MacBride etc and there are new characters too. I didn't think there was going to be a supernatural element to the book this time, but it comes in quite late in the storyline. Looking forward to book 3 now!
34Elainedav
Neither Here Nor There
I love travel books and I can't believe it has taken me so many years to get around to reading this one! What a great trip, the odd flight here and there, but mainly place to place by train all over Europe. Bill Bryson was recreating a trip in this book that he had first experienced as a student, with his friend Katz. His observations include the hotels he stays in, what to see in different towns and cities as you wander around and what the restaurants and museums are like. It was a four star read, not five star for me purely because it was dated. This is no fault of the author - the book was first published twenty three years ago! But I did wonder whether some of the observations are still accurate - there were two oppostite views which stood out for me. One was the description of Rome - 'the Romans will decorate it with litter - an empty cigatette packet, a wedge of half eaten pizza, twenty-seven cigarette butts, half an ice-cream cone with an ooze of ice-cream emerging from the bottom, danced on by a delirium of flies, an oily tin of sardines, a tattered newspaper and something truly unexpected, like a tailor's dummy or a dead goat'. I was in Rome a couple of years ago and cannot relate to this image of rubbish in the streets - hopefully this means the city is a cleaner, tidier place now! However, the observation I agreed with wholeheartedly was this one about Liechtenstein - 'restaurants were thin on the ground and either very expensive or discouragingly empty. Vaduz is so small that if you walk for fifteen minutes in any direction, you are deep in the country. It occurred to me that there is no reason to go to Liechtenstein except to say you have been there'. Spot on! We went last year and came to exactly the same conclusion.
It would be fascinating, I think, if Bill Bryson were to recreate this trip for a third time and republish this book with an update. The sections on Yugoslavia and Sofia would be very obviously different but I wonder what else would change - the ease of ticket bookings given the availability of mobile access/wifi would undoubtedly be something that would have to be significant.
I love travel books and I can't believe it has taken me so many years to get around to reading this one! What a great trip, the odd flight here and there, but mainly place to place by train all over Europe. Bill Bryson was recreating a trip in this book that he had first experienced as a student, with his friend Katz. His observations include the hotels he stays in, what to see in different towns and cities as you wander around and what the restaurants and museums are like. It was a four star read, not five star for me purely because it was dated. This is no fault of the author - the book was first published twenty three years ago! But I did wonder whether some of the observations are still accurate - there were two oppostite views which stood out for me. One was the description of Rome - 'the Romans will decorate it with litter - an empty cigatette packet, a wedge of half eaten pizza, twenty-seven cigarette butts, half an ice-cream cone with an ooze of ice-cream emerging from the bottom, danced on by a delirium of flies, an oily tin of sardines, a tattered newspaper and something truly unexpected, like a tailor's dummy or a dead goat'. I was in Rome a couple of years ago and cannot relate to this image of rubbish in the streets - hopefully this means the city is a cleaner, tidier place now! However, the observation I agreed with wholeheartedly was this one about Liechtenstein - 'restaurants were thin on the ground and either very expensive or discouragingly empty. Vaduz is so small that if you walk for fifteen minutes in any direction, you are deep in the country. It occurred to me that there is no reason to go to Liechtenstein except to say you have been there'. Spot on! We went last year and came to exactly the same conclusion.
It would be fascinating, I think, if Bill Bryson were to recreate this trip for a third time and republish this book with an update. The sections on Yugoslavia and Sofia would be very obviously different but I wonder what else would change - the ease of ticket bookings given the availability of mobile access/wifi would undoubtedly be something that would have to be significant.
35Elainedav
Latest reads:
Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
This is book number 20 in the Alex Delaware series. I'm not sure I have read all of the previous 19, but I have read most of them! Lovely to return to a series after a break of some time (possibly years) and yet the characters are familiar. Delaware and Sturgis work together to solve another murder. Sturgis works on the who done it and Delaware more on the why. There is a kind of formula to these books, but it is one that works. I like series reads like this and if you only read one from the series per year then the formula makes the book familiar in an easy read kind of way without being overly predictable. Roll on no. 21!
The Bookshop that Floated Away
I saw this being discussed on the television and was intrigued. It is part travel book - the author takes her canal boat on a journey around the UK - but it is mostly a memoir. Sarah Henshaw was a journalist but she decided to buy a canal boat and convert it into a bookshop. Sadly her business suffered both from the recession and the rise in popularity of e-books, so it is fair to say that life as an independent bookseller becomes a struggle. Rather than stay put and potentially see the business fail, she sets off on a journey around the UK, bartering her books for things that she needs - including a hair cut. It is a fascinating story which is well written, including a whole section written from the perspective of the boat. Hopefully sales from the book will keep her afloat a whole longer!
3.5 and 4 star reads respectively.
Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
This is book number 20 in the Alex Delaware series. I'm not sure I have read all of the previous 19, but I have read most of them! Lovely to return to a series after a break of some time (possibly years) and yet the characters are familiar. Delaware and Sturgis work together to solve another murder. Sturgis works on the who done it and Delaware more on the why. There is a kind of formula to these books, but it is one that works. I like series reads like this and if you only read one from the series per year then the formula makes the book familiar in an easy read kind of way without being overly predictable. Roll on no. 21!
The Bookshop that Floated Away
I saw this being discussed on the television and was intrigued. It is part travel book - the author takes her canal boat on a journey around the UK - but it is mostly a memoir. Sarah Henshaw was a journalist but she decided to buy a canal boat and convert it into a bookshop. Sadly her business suffered both from the recession and the rise in popularity of e-books, so it is fair to say that life as an independent bookseller becomes a struggle. Rather than stay put and potentially see the business fail, she sets off on a journey around the UK, bartering her books for things that she needs - including a hair cut. It is a fascinating story which is well written, including a whole section written from the perspective of the boat. Hopefully sales from the book will keep her afloat a whole longer!
3.5 and 4 star reads respectively.
36kaylaraeintheway
>35 Elainedav:: Ooo, I'll definitely have to check out The Bookshop That Floated Away!
37Elainedav
>36 kaylaraeintheway:
A word of advice regarding The Bookshop that Floated Away - buy the book from an independent seller. Definitely do not buy ir from Amazon! There is a great review on amazon which suggests that you search out the floating bookshop, but it could be in Barton, London, Paris or the Black Sea!
This article in the Daily Telegraph might convince you to read the book: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10726933/Amazon-vs-the-Book-Barge-no-co...
A word of advice regarding The Bookshop that Floated Away - buy the book from an independent seller. Definitely do not buy ir from Amazon! There is a great review on amazon which suggests that you search out the floating bookshop, but it could be in Barton, London, Paris or the Black Sea!
This article in the Daily Telegraph might convince you to read the book: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10726933/Amazon-vs-the-Book-Barge-no-co...
38kaylaraeintheway
>37 Elainedav:: Wow, she sounds like such a fun person! I wish I lived close to those areas...maybe if she ever sails to the California coast! haha
Thank you for sharing the article, too :)
Thank you for sharing the article, too :)
39Elainedav
Slightly shocked to see that I have not written anything here since July! Oh well - will try harder in 2015 I suppose!
I finished the year 10 short of my target. I was aiming for 70 books and managed 60. That's OK. I gave up on my TBR challenge at some point in the year - I read the books that I really wanted to read and the others are still lurking on the list. I will get around to them sometime!
I am very, very gradually chipping away at the 1001 list. I started the year on 10 books read and finished on 24, so read a total of 14. I shall aim for 24 in 2015, to effectively double my list. I don't think I will ever achieve all 1001, but I find it an interesting challenge and one that makes me read different types of books that perhaps I wouldn't otherwise consider.
The other thing I tried to do in 2014 was to write more reviews. This is still a bit patchy and I don't bother with every book that I read. But I did improve my Amazon reviewer rating from above 3million to below 30,000 (although it is back at about 64,000 now!) I was playing with this really with a view to whether I could get on to their reviewer programme and receive more free books! I've come to the conclusion that I don't need any more free books - I received three LT 'early reviewer' books early in 2014 and they were all great, but my 'to be read' pile is growing and growing, so I really don't need to add to it.
I think I will keep things simple in 2015. I will carry on with club read and 1001, but probably not anything else. Off to read the 'five best books' blog now, which will no doubt add loads more books to my wishlist!
I finished the year 10 short of my target. I was aiming for 70 books and managed 60. That's OK. I gave up on my TBR challenge at some point in the year - I read the books that I really wanted to read and the others are still lurking on the list. I will get around to them sometime!
I am very, very gradually chipping away at the 1001 list. I started the year on 10 books read and finished on 24, so read a total of 14. I shall aim for 24 in 2015, to effectively double my list. I don't think I will ever achieve all 1001, but I find it an interesting challenge and one that makes me read different types of books that perhaps I wouldn't otherwise consider.
The other thing I tried to do in 2014 was to write more reviews. This is still a bit patchy and I don't bother with every book that I read. But I did improve my Amazon reviewer rating from above 3million to below 30,000 (although it is back at about 64,000 now!) I was playing with this really with a view to whether I could get on to their reviewer programme and receive more free books! I've come to the conclusion that I don't need any more free books - I received three LT 'early reviewer' books early in 2014 and they were all great, but my 'to be read' pile is growing and growing, so I really don't need to add to it.
I think I will keep things simple in 2015. I will carry on with club read and 1001, but probably not anything else. Off to read the 'five best books' blog now, which will no doubt add loads more books to my wishlist!