What I read in July x

And the answer is ALOT. We had that amazing couple of weeks where the sun just shone and I sat outside and read my little heart out. I am now well in advance of my 50 book goal for 2013 by about 5 books I think.

So here are just a few of the books I read.

The Shock of the fall by Nathan Filer

                                     

For this book I am including my Goodreads review as explanation.............

''To explain exactly how I felt about this book would provide far too many spoilers which as a reader I would hate to do to someone planning on reading this beautiful book. I will simply say it deals with one very complex protagonist who has had his fair share of hardship in life.
Nathan Filer has written such a wonderful book and I wept at several parts in the story. This is primarily because I could empathize directly with the main character Matt. He is a unique young man and the way his story is told is very much like peeling the layers off a very thick onion and then trying to go back and out some of them back. He is a young man who has been wounded in many ways and will continue to be even after the book ends. I found myself routing for him as he faced his difficulties and tried to make some sense of where he found himself. This is a tough call because where he finds himself is not a place anyone else can truly understand.
Please give Nathan's book a chance, you won't regret it I promise''


Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

                                                

When I was a teenager, reading was one of my favourite things to do and I read alot so much so that I decided to study English literature for both O and A levels. Doing these classes helped me to develop better analytical skills but primarily it introduced me to a wider variety of authors. One of those authors was Thomas Hardy. We had to read ''The Mayor of Casterbridge'' for A level and I will never forget the excitement I felt when I realised I had discovered an author I loved. His descriptions of landscape primarily of Dorset where he lived and worked, evoked memories of my own childhood holidays spent roaming the countryside and having fun in Lyme Regis and Charmouth. He addressed social issues of rural life and wove magical and moral tales of human frailty and growth. Most of his work is often viewed as sad and depressing but I love his books, they are realistic of the times he was writing about. ''Far from the Madding Crowd has his all....................the beautiful ''heroine'' Bathsheba living and working in a male dominated world of farming, the three men who love her and try to win her, the rural landscape, the sheep cos there are alot of sheep bits in this book. If you've ever seen the film starring Julie Christie then give this book a try. It is one of his less depressing books I promise. If you want depressing read ''Jude the Obscure''. I have to say I have read alot of Hardy's works now and still learn something new.



The Princess Bride by William Goldman


                                                     

This book has been on my list and shelf for a while now. I first saw ''The Princess Bride'' as a film on TV many moons ago and just fell in love with the characters of Buttercup, Westley and Inigo. It is a fairytale with a huge tongue in it's cheek and is just as much fun to read, in fact it made me laugh so much one day I nearly fell off my deckchair. It tells the story of Buttercup who as she grows becomes the most beautiful woman in the world. She is in love with Westley a farmboy but he is killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts and so she becomes involved, as one does, with Prince Humperdinck. And this is where the tale turns and becomes a mad romp across the countryside with Giants, pirates, giant rats, Miracle Men and more.
If you have never seen the film then go and watch it immediately it is wonderful. If you want to find out more about the characters and the story then give this book a go, it is amazing.

The books I read in June x

Hello and welcome to another book reading post. Last month I read  4 books and I am currently well ahead on my Goodreads challenge to read 50 books this year.


The Report by Jessica Francis Kane.
                                       

This was a book I received in a bookclub package I purchased so going in I had no idea what I was getting into. It is the story, partly fictionalised, of true events which happened in Bethnal Green during World War Two. The Report was a document written to look at those tragic events and to try and explain what happened that night when 173 local people died while entering the underground station which was being used as an airrade shelter. What made this story extra poignant was the fact that I lived and worked in that area while training as a nurse. In fact when I went to London the other week I caught the tube home from there. It was especially poignant because while I was on the bus I was talking to a lady who told me that moneys had been raised at last for a proper memorial to be made to those people and I got to see it as it is right next to the tube station entrance in the park. Called ''The Stairway to Heaven'' it bears the names of all those who died, in total 173 men, women and children one as young as 5 months old. If you want to read here is the link.

 the names of those who died

and I think these small metal pieces are meant to represent the individuals who died x

For me, the book was utterly engrossing and fascinating, it was beautifully written and taught alot about this terrible event.



Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James.

                                

This was being read by one of the residents where I work. Everytime I spoke to her she would tell me it was a really good book. Now loving Jane Austen as much as I do I was a little slow on getting this but as it is written by P. D. Jmaes I thought why not. The story begins several years after the events of Pride and Prejudice and most of the Bennett girls are happily married especially Elizabeth and Darcy. The events take place the night before a huge ball in Pemberley when Elizabeth's estranged sister Lydia arrives at eh house distraught and claiming someone has been murdered. I won't say who or anymore about the tale other than yes there is a murder and it follows the story of who, why and what next.

If you have never read Pride and Prejudice no matter as P. D. Jmaes tells the backstory very succinctly and clearly so you will be able to understand the nuances of the tale very well. I found it enjoyable, not the best book by P. D. Jmaes I've ever read, I prefer her Adam Dalgliesh books myself. I loved seeing the characters in a different setting and drama and as it being made into a TV film I will be waiting to see how it works.

Hero by Perry Moore.

                                  

Now this book was one I found out about via a Youtuber I follow. It is not my normal type of book really but it sounded quite clever and if you're going to challenge yourself to read some 50 books in a year then push the boundaries and read outisde of the box. So I did and it was brilliant.

The main protagonist is a teenage boy who lives with his father. He is sporty, intelligent and funny. He has an intriguing relationship with his father and as the story unfolds you begin to realise his father was someone quite unique. Into this mix comes the fact that this America is one where superheros are accepted as the norm and perhaps, just perhaps our main protagonist has some superpowers of his own. And what of his dad? Who is the masked man follwing him around and where did his mother disappear to? All these questions are answered in a really interesting and innovative way.


So what reading is pushing your boundaries if any?

Book progress x

Hello and welcome to another roundup of what I've been reading. So far I have completed 20 books of my 50 book target for 2013 which I think is pretty good going and am reading number 21 currently.

So here are some of the books I have read most recently.

The first book I would like to recommend is ''The Lifeboat'' by Charlotte Rogan. This is the story of a group of passengers who have been involved in the sinking of an ocean liner at the commencement of the First World War. The liner was on it's way from the UK to the USA when it sank. The narrator of the story is a young recently married, and we assume widowed, called Grace and it is her story which makes this book so brilliant. What would happen to people cooped up together in a small space with little food and water, and with only one person with any shipping experience? I can't really tell you much more than that or I will spoil it but I have given it to my dad for his holiday reading and I don't do that with many of my books.

The second book is called ''The Universe versus Alex Woods'' bu Gavin Extence. This books is actually set just up the road in Glastonbury and uses lots of local locations in the story. It is the story of Alex who is a teenager living with his mum in a local village. After an unusual event leaves him suffering from epilepsy, Alex spends alot of time isolated from his peers and he develops alot of more mature interests. Following an incident involving some local bullies he meets and makes friends with a much older American man called Mr Peterson in the village and this is where his adventures and leap to adulthood begin. This is a brilliant book for adults and young people alike and Gavin Extence tells a wonderful and heartening story. He builds the characters beautifully and I fell in love with Alex and Mr Peterson. It is just out in paperback now so give it a go.

Thirdly ''Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'' by Ransom Riggs. I really can't remember how this one came into my reading pile but I am so glad it did. It tells the tale of Jacob an American teenager who comes to a small island off the coast of Wales to try and understand what happened to his grandfather during the war years. There he finds an abandoned orphanage where his grandfather lived and it is the secrets this orphanage divulges which form the central plot of the story. Again this is well wroth a read, it is suitable for adults and young people alike and is cleverly written linking novel and science fiction together.

The fourth book I read is called ''Something like Autumn'' by Jay Bell. Now this is not a book for everyone because it is about a young gay teenager. I have read 4 of Jay's books now and this book is part of a series about the same characters but told from their different perspectives. In the first two books the focus was primarily on the relationship between the two characters Ben and Tim, however this book is all about Jace who later becomes Ben's husband. Jay tells his stories from the heart and I am sure some of the things which happen in this book could have happened to him. In the other books Jace is not a fully rounded character but here he really springs out of the pages and becomes himself. The other books are ''Something like Winter'' and ''Something like Summer'', and Jay is working on the final novel which will be ''Spring''.  The novel Something like Summer is about to be filmed as well.

 

What are you reading at the moment and have you read any of the ones mentioned?

Books, books, books x

Good morning everyone and today after no book review posts I thought I would just tell you about some books I've read or am reading. As many of you know I have set myself the challenge of reading at least 50 books this year. So far I've completed 12 and am nearly finished number thirteen. I adore reading but sadly when I get ill, it is reading and music which both leave my brain. But thankfully this time, the reading has still been around, not so much as usual but here.

So I think the last post I did was way back in January and I have read a fair few since then. However I am just going to tell you about a few of the books I would highly recommend.

Firstly, I would strongly recommend anyone, young or old, to read ''Wonder'' by R J Palacio. This is the story of Auggie, a ten year old boy who has grown up living with a facial abnormality since birth. Having been home schooled so far, he and his family have made the decision for him to go to school. This is the story of his adventures into school society and life, and how friendships and love are so central to our human development. It is beautifully written book and I loved every page.

Secondly, ''I heard the owl call my name'' by Margaret Craven. I bought this book from the market second stall just because it had an owl on the cover. Sometimes I buy books like that. This is a short book which tells the story of a young clergyman who is sent to the wilderness of British Columbia to live and minister to the Native Indians there. What he is unaware of is that he is dying. The story beautifully explores the relationship between this outsider and the Native Indian people of the village, and how he becomes a part of their tribe. Margaret Craven lived and observed the Native British Columbian peoples as an anthropologist apparently and wrote her memoirs on the subject. This is a book from the 60s so I don't know how easy it would be to get hold of but if anyone would like to read it I would be happy to pass it on.

Thirdly, I am currently reading a book I got free by entering a Twitter competition via Waterstones. It is called ''Snapper'' by Brian Kimberling. I had no idea what to expect other than the front of the book talks about it being all about bird watching. Well, it isn't. I haven't read it all but so far I can tell you it is a funny and thought provoking book about a young man who is employed to study and audit the population of songbirds in Indiana. The author actually lives in Bath and the book itself is published in the UK next month.

Finally I went to my local branch of Waterstones the other night for ''World Book Night''. Not only did we get coffee but also yummy cakes. I was also lucky enough to receive these two free books in celebration of the night. I have actually read all Alexander McCall Smith's series so far so I am going to do another giveaway on this post.  The other book by Rose Tremain I haven't read so once I have it will be passed on as this is the ethos of the night. Read the free book and pass it on to someone else.

If you would like to win the giveaway of ''The NO 1 Lady Detective Agency'' by Alexander McCall Smith then please leave me a comment telling me what your favourite book of all time is and why. I will pull a name out of the hat in 2 weeks I think.

The 2013 Reading challenge.

Welcome to the first part of my reading challenge for 2013 with Goodreads. During January I completed 2 books and am currently reading my third. I set myself a challenge this year to read 50 books over the year so I am a bit behind, but that's ok. I will speed up again I am sure. So here are the books I have read:


The English Monster by Lloyd Shepherd.

This is what I would call part historical nove, part supernatural/crime story. It is set in and around Wapping, an area of London I used to frequent when I was a student nurse. Well if I'm honest I used to frequent The Prospect of Whitby a pub in Wapping. Anyway I digress. I do love a good crime novel and this did not disappoint. It begins with the murder of a family in Wapping in the 19th century and the investigation by the local ''law enforcement'' team. The police were not founded until a later date and so the River services and magistrates undertake the investigations. This story is also linked into the life of a young seafarer who is going to seek his fortune during Elizabethan times. How and why the two stories intertwine is the central tenet of the tale. I really loved the way the stories developed, the historical story and the characters the author developed and would highly recommend this book.

Stuart: A life backwards by Alexander Masters.

This second choice was made because I saw the story dramatised on the BBC several years ago starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy. They are 2 of our highly talented actors. It is also based in and around Cambridge, a city I lived and worked in for 2 1/2 years. This is the true story of a man named Stuart who has lived on the streets of Cambridge for much of his adult life, and his relationship with the author who comes to write his life story after meeting him whilst working in a homeless hostel in Cambridge. The two ''heroes'' form an unlikely friendship and develop a respect for each other despite their social differences. Stuart's character is challenging, witty and painful to read. He is certainly a man I recognise in many of the individuals I have met during my professional career. I volunteered at a homeless centre in Aldgate East as a student and also met many homeless individuals whilst working on the wards. The story is well-written, Stuart's story is told with great humour but it is not afraid to face the complexities of his life or character. The fate of Stuart is known from the word go however, the story is written in such a way that you hope he will not succumb to his fate.

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien.

The book I am currently reading. I have had this on my bookshelf for ages and after reading The Lord of the Rings and as the film is out I thought I'd better get started. So far I'm about 50 pages in and enjoying it. So hopefully, by the end of the month I will have a review ready for you.

So I would love to know what you are all reading?