2016 Book List

22 - Me After You, JoJo Moyes - I really loved Me Before You but the sequel was a bit disappointing. The main character just sort of bumbles about for a while and the surprise daughter just feels really out of place. 2/10

23 - Girl On The Train, Paula Hawkins - I got really hooked at the start but about halfway through I suddenly realised I knew how it was going to end. I was right so it was a bit disappointing. Rather than enjoying the suspense I could see through it. It's a good story though. 6/10

24 - Girl Who Came Back, Susan Lewis - This was a late night purchase from Tesco and although it was quite slow to start I really enjoyed it. It's one of these books that flicks from the present day to the past as the story progresses and I usually don't like those. It took me a while to get into it but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. It's based around the story of a family who's daughter goes missing. It's very well written and really puts you through the wringer!

I've slowed my reading down a bit but my first Willoughby Book Club book came through the door a few days ago and I'm really excited to start that this week!

I haven't been keeping a very good list - I totally forgot about 2 books and I had read and I'm just finished another! Way beind on my book a week target though!

25 - Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card - My dad suggest I read this and I had started it before and couldn't get into it. I stuck with it this time and it was well worth it! It follows the story of Ender Wiggen (and his brother and sister back on Earth) as he enters battle school and learns the skills to save the world. He's the smartest kid they've had in ages and he mixes up the way they do things. The battle school stuff is fantastic and the twist at the end really came out of nowhere. I watched the movie once I finished the book but I wouldn't bother with that - it was rotten! 8/10

26 - Ender's Shadow, Orson Scott Card - Continuing with the series dad suggested this next rather than following the timeline. It's exactly the same story as Ender's Game but from Bean's perspective. Bean's a far more interesting character than Ender and I loved reading the same story from someone else's view. 9/10

27 - Fatherland, Robert Harris - I'm not really into war books but this doesn't really count as it's written as it Hitler won World War 2. Or rather won enough key battles to turn it into a Cold War. A German police officer (who is pretty anti-Nazi) investigates the murder of a prominent Nazi and uncovers what happens to the Jews. It's a fascinating idea - after all how would we have really known what happened at the concentration camps if Hitler had won and obliterated them. March meets an American journalist and between them they get the story out. There are only a couple of made up characters - most of them are Nazi's who were killed or imprisoned so it's also imagining what would have happened if some of them had lived. It's a fascinating idea and really well written. 10/10

10) 'Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive' by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark.

I picked this book up in the library on the day of the US elections results. Short anecotes which are easy to read. My favourite stories were 'Dancing in the Rain', 'Shiny Nickels' and 'Beauty in Breakdown'. The key takeaway was a line in one of the stories which said 'If you think you are wasting your life, you usually are'.

7/10.

Back here after a long time away and I've forgotten a lot of the books I've read over past few months ?

Just wanted to comment on DreamsComeTrue review on 'Fatherland' - I bought the book last year after reading about it and being fascinated about the premise. It was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever had (book-wise!) and I ended up giving it away in disgust.

In contrast, I also got 'Pompeii' (same author) at the same time and it was a much better read.

I find it so incredible how people can have such differing views on books! Ha ha

Pooba that's so funny I was just reading through other people's opinions of books I'd read and thinking how weird it was that we could have such different opinions!

I can't believe you didn't like Fatherland! I think it's fascinating haha! Did you finish it? There's a movie as well - I'm going to watch that over Christmas (nice and cheery!). I haven't read Pompeii but a friend of mine said Fatherland was his best work and not to bother with the others!

28 - Girl In The Spider's Web, David Lagercrantz - What a massive disappointment. It was too easy to figure out what was going on, unlike the other books, and I didn't think the characters were being carried on as well with the new author. 1/10

29 - The Agincourt Bride, Joanna Hickson - This was my Willoughby Book Club book so I was really excited to get started. It's about Catherine of Valois who married Henry V of England. I'm a big fan of Phillippa Gregory so I thought it would be another fluffy history novel. Boy was I wrong! It's told from the perspective of Catherine's childhood nurse (Mette) who loses her infant soon to stillbirth. About halfway through the book Mette is raped. Then Catherine's abused for months by the Duke Of Burgandy. It's a difficult story to read and I haven't checked the facts but it was quite enjoyable. 7/10

From memory, I finished it. I just remember thinking the story could have been so much better and exciting. That said, I used to get over-stimulated from the Famous Five books so...

Most recent book I've read is 'Dark Matter' by Blake Crouch. Certainly a very interesting idea about alternative universes - man chooses to stay with his pregnant girlfriend and give up promising career in physics. In an AU, he leaves her and builds a machine that explores all alternative pasts/futures stemming from that decision. Took a little while to get into and you have to focus quite hard during the second half, but a very worthwhile read! 8/10.

Finally finished one of the two books I started a few months ago.

11) 'The Chimp Paradox' by Prof. Steve Peters.

I heard of this book in connection with sportspeople. I have always been interested in sports psychology but was surprised that after reading the first chapter, the book seemed like a self-help book. I approached it with trepidation but I was willing to give it a fair go. I am glad I did. It's more like simplified psychology/neuroscience. I have taken away some of the advice in the book (I hope to write my Stone of Life soon).

7/10.

Hello ladies! Long time no post. Been busy busy down here in Ambulance land, but here are my latest reads:

32) A Sister's Gift, Giselle Green - Not my usual kind of book, as I have a heart of stone, however this was a lovely story of two sisters finding themselves and each other. Quite emotive in parts. 7/10

33) How to Fall in Love, Cecilia Ahern - Standard stuff from this author. Guessed the outcome early on but quite a sweet story. 6/10

34) The Ex, Alafair Burke - Cheapy cheap book from kobo. A Lawyer is contacted by an ex who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Very gripping and the author keeps you off of the scent right to the very end. 8/10

35) Beatles, Lars Saabye Christensen - I hate myself for not being able to abandon a book I've started. This book was about 4 Norwegian teenagers who would pretend to be the Beatles. It was really difficult to get into and although it got easier to read towards the end, it got no better. Some interesting parts around Norway in the 1960s and 70s. Worst book of 2016 for me. 0/10

36) Little Girl Gone, Alexandra Burt - Excellent book. A baby girl vanishes from her crib, Mum doesnt report it and then doesnt remember anything. Kept me guessing right to the end. 9/10

37) A Street Cat Named Bob, James Bowen - Not the best writing in the world, but a lovely story none-the-less. Cried a fair amount because Bob reminded me of my late great ginger ninja. 7/10

38) Nocturnal Animals, Austin Wright - A book within a book. Susan's ex husband of many years sends her a draft of his book to go over and it's a thriller. Quite a strange book, but fairly easy to read and quite thrilling in parts. Not sure how or why they have made a film out of it. 6/10

39) The Bricks that Built the Houses, Kate Tempest - 'a multi-generational tale of drugs, desire and belonging'. IMO, a bit weird, but fairly easy to read. Nothing special and the ending was abrupt. 5/10

40) The Heart Goes Last, Margaret Atwood - A couple have been through economic and social collapse and are living in their car. They see an advertisement for a social experiment by a company called Positron who have built the town 'Consilience'. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love Margaret Atwood. She really knows people and hones in on their behaviour and emotions in certain situations. Excellent book. 8/10

I finished this book before the end of the year so it counts. It's the other book that I started a few months ago.

12) 'Slash' by Slash with Anthony Bozza.

One of my husband's. It was staring at me from his bookcase and I didn't have a book to read so I picked it up. I have heard of Slash, knew he was a guitarist and that he had big hair but not much else (I couldn't even tell you what his face looked like). He has always been this enigmatic figure (in case you were wondering, his real name is Saul). This is a candid account of his life and he makes no attempts to sanitize his past. He has self destructive traits and isn't a model citizen but he's not all bad. His passion and dedication to his craft comes through strongly and it was good to have an insight into the creative process. It's a good thing that he made it as a musician as it doesn't seem like he had a Plan B.

7/10.

Happy New Year!

Well done everyone, between us we managed 90 books in 2016

The girl with all the gifts