Books 21-30 Reviewed (#50Books2013)

21. Trading Up - Candace Bushnell ★★★★
An easy book to fall into and an eventful storyline full of twists and turns. Janey first appears as a vile, hardened woman who would do anything, and anyone, to find her way to fame and fortune. She doesn't change much throughout the book but it becomes clear that Janey's hard exterior comes from years of hard graft and turmoil. I couldn't really connect with Janey but I found her, and the story fascinating and it was a good, easy read.

22. Ultraviolet - RJ Anderson ★★★★★
An absolutely fascinating and moreish read; I couldn't put it down and wanted to carry on reading even after the story had finished. With a plot twist that came out of nowhere and an ending that totally ambushed me 'Ultraviolet' was a brilliant read. We follow the main character, a synesthete, through her experiences of this fascinating condition, her time in a mental institution and the meeting the intriguing Dr. Farraday. Brilliant, wonderful, fantastic read!

23. Quite Ugly One Morning - Christopher Brookmyre ★★★
'Quite Ugly One Morning' is an unusual one. It's a classic murder mystery style novel, and it makes no attempt to try and hide it and pretend to be anything else. The storyline was a little predictable at times but the interesting characters kept me reading on. It was an okay read, not one I'd recommend but I did enjoy it.

24. The Necromancer - Michael Scott ★★★★
This was a really good read, brilliant in fact, that kept me gripped and interested all the way to the end. It's a part of a series, which should have screamed "start at the beginning" but this book, like many others in a series, stood quite happily on it's own and didn't leave you confused as to who anybody was and what was happening.
The problem I had with this book, which caused it to drop from the 5 stars it deserved to 4, was the ending. It just kind of...stopped. A total cliff-hangar that leaves you wanting to read the next book, which is good if you have the series but if not, it leaves you wondering if it's worth buying the next book or if it'll end in a similar fashion. It kind of annoyed me a bit, it felt a little lazy, and the book deserved a proper end to it. It didn't need everything summing up, it is part of a series after all, but it needed more than an ending that just stops halfway through all of the drama.

25. Tom's Midnight Garden - Phillipa Pearce ★★★★
Somehow, I missed 'Tom's Midnight Garden.' It was a book that's always been on my radar but I'd never really gotten around to reading. So when my Mother-in-Law offered to lend me her copy I jumped at the chance. I really enjoyed the story and the magic of the garden and it's inhabitants. It reminded me a little of 'The Secret Garden' but, somehow, it managed to be even more magical. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to readers young and old.

26. Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll ★★★
I read 'Alice in Wonderland' last year and really enjoyed it so I was surprised that I wasn't as taken with 'Through the Looking Glass.' I'm not entirely sure why I didn't enjoy it; Alice was much the same and the other characters in the story echoed Wonderland but I just didn't get into it the same. It was almost as if there was too much going on, which is strange as that was the best part about Alice in Wonderland. Enjoyed it though and worth a read.

27. One Thing Led to Another - Katy Regan ★★★★
The blurb of this book doesn't match up to what's between the covers in the slightest so I was blind-sided a little by this one. Within the first few pages you discover Tess' unplanned pregnancy and you follow her through it and all the awkward hazards and roadblocks she encounters. It's the sort of story I would usually avoid, after having had two difficult pregnancies/births myself I tend to steer clear of anything vaguely similar. I must admit I'm quite glad I stumbled onto 'One Thing Led to Another,' it was nothing like I expected and I found it a really good, easy to read book. I won't spoil the ending for you but I was pleasantly surprised with how cleverly everything pulled together...even if I did want to scream at the pages in frustration at some of Tess' decisions.

28. The Great Indoors - Sabine Durrant ★★★★
Durrant's main character, Martha, feels like the odd one out in her family and like she doesn't really fit in anywhere. She's 38, single and childless and spends her days working in her Antiques shop. She like things to be 'just right' but as she begins to delve into her past and uncovers some old school friends and ex-boyfriends her social life begins to blossom and her world is changed. I really enjoyed 'The Great Indoors,' it was a great read.

29. Snow Blind - PJ Tracy ★★★★
I've read a couple of books by PJ Tracy over the years and really enjoyed them (this Mother and Daughter writing team remind me a lot of Harlan Coben, one of my favourite authors, in their writing style) but for some reason I never got around to reading any more. 'Snow Blind' pulled me straight in and wouldn't let me go until I'd reached the very last page; no matter how hard I tried or how much I needed to get on with other things I just couldn't stop turning the pages.
The story sent me off in all directions, twisting and turning so much I had no idea who or what was responsible for the crimes committed. I absolutely loved it and I loved the ending, it was very cleverly put together and somehow managed to complete the story but also leave it open for me, as the reader, to think about what could or should happen to those responsible. Fantastic read and highly recommended.

30. Stardust - Neil Gaiman ★★★
Tristran, left in a basket as a baby at the 'gap in the wall' for his Father from his Mother (who dwells in the land of Faerie), sets off on an adventure to, initially, capture a fallen star to prove his love to the most beautiful girl in the village. Along the way he discovered much about this land and his part within in.
I struggled with 'Stardust' to begin with and just couldn't get into it at all. Some of the characters and rhymes remind me a lot of 'Alice In Wonderland' but this tale is much darker. I persisted with the book and I'm glad I did as it soon turned into a good read with really lovable characters.

Books 11-20 Reviewed (#50Books2013)

11. Honour - Elif Shafak ★★★★
I fell head over heels into this book and immersed myself with the characters from the very first page. They were honest, real and relatable. The story followed the lives of many people and generations spread across London and Turkey and Elif Shafak connected me, as the reader, to all of them. I felt their happiness and sadness with them.
I liked how the book explored a crime from both the victim and the perpetrators points of view, I found my opinions of both changing a lot throughout the pages. I did find the switching from past to present and between characters a little confusing at times although it didn't distract too much from the story and it was a fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone.

12. The Devil and Miss Prym - Paul Coelho ★★★★
'The Devil and Miss Prym' was based on a moral, and often religious, debate about good and evil. It explored the idea that we, as humans, are all innately evil and that it would take the right bribe, offer or threat to bring out our true selves. It was a very interesting read that explored the subject well and concisely and left me thinking about the ideas it raised for days after I'd finished reading.

13. When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman ★★★★
The book and it's characters were rather quirky and I found that I warmed to them pretty quickly. It explored so many difficult topics including death, abuse, sexuality and eccentricity and it did so in a fascinating way that didn't make me, as the reader, feel too uncomfortable reading it. The book was wonderful and I particularly enjoyed how it followed the close relationship of a Brother and Sister who find each other in a difficult world, lose each other after a horrifying event and fight hard to get each other back.

14. Girl with a One-Track Mind - Abby Lee ★★★
Overall I rather liked 'Girl with a One-Track Mind.' It was slightly different to read a book written in the form of/from a diary (somewhat like Bridget Jones' Diary) but it worked well and Abby's honesty drew me in. Yes, there was a lot of sex. Sometimes it was a little too much; I wanted to read a bit more about Abby and connect with the character/writer a little more but this is primarily a diary and secondly a book so it's never going to capture a character and all their quirks like a novel does. It was an interesting read and Abby led us through all of her sexual adventures (including all the, sometimes, gory details) and while she explored what she did and didn't like. I thought it was a good read but I think I prefer a saucy novel with a little more storyline to hold it up.

15. The Dead Heart - Douglas Kennedy ★★★★★
Loved it! It was a brilliant read; written superbly and carrying a fantastic storyline that included just enough humour to balance out the quite terrifying side of the book. Some parts were really rather gruesome but it added so much to the storyline and made the ending quite a fast paced, page turning frantic read to find out what was going to happen. I thought it was great and would definitely recommend it. I'll also be keeping my eyes peeled for other Douglas Kennedy novels.

16. Left Bank - Kate Muir ★★★
Set in glamorous Paris this book had all the elements to be fantastic but it just didn't quite deliver. It was a good read and I did enjoy it but it's not one I'd go back to or recommend. I think it stemmed from the massively unlikeable characters who were very self-obsessed and, at times, vile towards each other and their Daughter Sabine. It made it difficult to connect to the main characters. If you're looking for a book that encapsulates Paris I'd look elsewhere.

17. The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan ★★★★
Amy Tan tells a fascinating story filled with magic, love and suffering. We start with Ruth and her widowed Mother LuLing and their awkward relationship but as Ruth starts to uncover the truth about her Mother's past, so do we, and it is filled with difficulty, heartache and resilience. It was a wonderful read.

18. We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver ★★★★★
As a Parent this book scared the heck out of me. We follow Kevin, a mass murderer who killed 9 people just before his 16th Birthday, and his Mother all the way from before he was conceived, through his birth, childhood and adolescence up to his committing of the crime and his prison time. The story follows their awkward relationship and is written through the eyes of Kevin's Mother in letter's addressed to Frankin, his Father. It is a wonderful book that made me return to the 'nature vs nurture' debate and question where people are inherently evil. It also made me query his Mother's viewpoint; was Kevin really as she described and only she saw the real him? Or was it that she always saw, and brought out, the worst in him?

19. Atlantic Shift - Emily Barr ★★★★
Evie Silver is a rather unlikeable main character that decides to ditch her boring Husband for adventure and excitement and ends up finding herself somewhere very different indeed. With a big secret to hide and an ever more disturbing postal stalker Evie soon has a lot more to think about than her celebrity status, breaking America and her Husband and we follow her on the trail of it all. A good, well written read.

20. The First Assistant - Clare Naylor & Mimi Hare ★★★
Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare have come together to create a great chick-lit read set in the glamorous world of the Red Carpet, where not everything is as beautiful and glittering as it appears. Lizzie comes across many pitfalls and roadblocks on her journey, that are met with enough humour to balance out the rubbish luck she seems to be experiencing, but in true, chick-lit fashion everything seems to fall into place for her. It was an okay book, a generic chick-lit read but I did enjoy it and it kept me turning the pages.

Books 1-10 Reviewed (#50Books2013)

1. The Blind Man of Seville - Robert Wilson ★★★★
My first read of the year and what a brilliant way to start. I really enjoyed 'The Blind Man of Seville' and found myself completely involved in the life of the main character, Javier Falcon, almost instantly. Robert Wilson cleverly pulls two very different storylines from separate eras together to create a wonderful crime novel that involves more than just murder and mystery. Wilson is great at plot twists and there is a massive one in this book that came from nowhere and totally surprised me.

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon ★★★
I will admit that I really struggled with this book at the beginning but that became part of its charm. I found it difficult to 'get into' because of the unusual way that it was written but I stuck with it and as I continued to read I found myself really connecting with the main character, Christopher Boone. It's very different to most books I've read, written from the perspective of a 15 year old boy with Asperger's, but it is well worth a read if you're after something completely different.

3. Life of Pi - Yann Martel ★★★★★
'Life of Pi' has been added to my rather exclusive list of favourite books. I would most definitely recommend it to absolutely anyone and everyone, it truly is a fantastic and inspiring read. I found myself hooked in on the first page and it didn't let me go until the very last word. Brilliant.

4. Tan Lines - JJ Salem ★★★★★
JJ Salem tells the story through three main characters; Liza (a successful and fearless feminist), Kellyanne (an aspiring actress) and Billie (a rock b*tch with a drug issue). I found the character's compelling and endearing and the book provoked my emotions quite a few times throughout the story...something that few books have been able to do. I fell in love with this book. It was a real page-turner and if you're looking for a great chick-lit book with plenty of sex, drama and surprises I'd definitely recommend it.

5. The Diamond of Drury Lane - Julia Golding ★★★★
It's worth noting that this is described as a young readers book although I would say that it stretches those limits to the extreme and whilst the main audience is teenage it is by no means a children' book. There were some frightening, tense and gruesome moments and it broached many topics, including gangs, illegal fights and matters of class and money and with each page I read I found myself further dragged into the darker side of an 18th Century London.

6. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen ★★★★
'Pride and Prejudice' had been on my to read list for a long while, it was a book that I just never really got round to reading despite having it sitting at the front of my bookcase. I finally picked it up and I enjoyed it. It was quite refreshing reading the innocent romance of the age, something rather different to a more modern romance novel.
I did struggle a little with this book, mainly because of the language. I understood what was being said and what was going on but the age of the book definitely showed and it was pretty hard-going at some points. Part of me really loved it as so many books are 'modernised' and loose their sense of self, however the lazy part of me wished it had been easier to read. Never-the-less, I got into the story and was caught up in the suspense of it.

7. Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones ★★★
'Mister Pip' illustrates the power of imagination and how books and stories can create an escape and alternative universe for the people that read and listen to them. By reading Great Expectations the children in Mister Pip are able to transport themselves from a blighted, war-stricken world into Victorian London. Both the wonders and brilliance of imagination and the dangers of it were highlighted in the book and while I didn't exactly love 'Mister Pip' I didn't hate it either. It isn't a book I would read again or recommend as it felt a bit disjointed but I'm glad I picked it up.

8. Touching the Void - Joe Simpson ★★★★★
I honestly don't have the words to express how much I loved and enjoyed 'Touching the Void,' it has joined my 'favourite reads of all time' shelf and will firmly stay there. It was a superbly written true story that captured the excitement and immense danger of the mountains and the resilience, determination and pure survival instinct of two 'ordinary' men. It was a truly gripping read, jam-packed with suspense, willpower and friendship that simply wouldn't allow me to stop turning the pages. I absolutely LOVED it and it could quite easily be the best book I've read this year.

9. Remember Me - Fay Weldon ★★★★
At first, the style of writing in this book thew me completely and I just couldn't get into it at all. But something about the pure, and often brutal honesty, of the characters kept me hooked...and I'm very glad that it did as it rapidly turned into a really interesting read. There was a point in the book where I thought to myself "every character in this is vile" and I was surprised at the emotion Weldon managed to summon from me. It was a good, intriguing read that explored death in an honest yet spiritual way.

10. Thunder God - Paul Watkins ★★★
This was a bit of an odd one, I neither liked nor disliked it, it was just...okay. The story took me on a journey around many different lands, religions and walks of life and I became rather attached the the main characters. If you're looking for an interesting read with a peek into the Norse faith then 'Thunder God' is for you. If not, I'd give it a miss.