Books I Read in February

Not sponsored or paid, no ARCs featured

Hi!

Wow, this post is late - usually I try to get the book posts up earlier in the month, so apologies. In February, I mostly read this:

I read and re-read it until I was seeing road signs in my sleep, so I didn't really have time for a lot of other books. It paid off - I passed the theory test - but it meant that my book total for the year came to a bit of a standstill.

I managed to fit in four other books in February, two fiction and two non-fiction.

Me and My Mate Jeffrey by Niall Breslin
Niall Breslin, better known as Bressie, is an Irish musician and TV judge on Ireland's version of singing show 'The Voice'. In this book, he is very open about his battles with depression and anxiety. I liked this book because it helped me understand more about those who do have anxiety - he also has some great advice without being preachy, and points out where he went wrong and admits that some of his decisions weren't the right ones. I think it's great for young men to have a book like this so that they can realise that it's not just women who battle their demons - but I wouldn't give it to anyone under 15 due to some of the content related to self-harm.

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
When Peggy Hillcoat is 8 years old, her survivalist father takes her on a trip to the woods with every intention of them staying there for good. He tells Peggy that the rest of the world has been destroyed, and that they are the only two people left in the world. The book jumps between the time Peggy spends in the woods and the present day, where she's back with her mother - but what happened out there? The overwhelming feeling I had reading this was one of sadness, it's a sad book. It's essentially a look at a man's unravelling, and it's uncomfortable in parts, but it was a different type of read and one that has stayed with me. This was one of Richard & Judy's picks for Spring.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
Leah Remini is an actress. This is the story of how she and her family were introduced to the world of Scientology by her mother's then boyfriend. She spills the beans on some inner goings-on at the church - including some not-too-flattering tales about Tom Cruise and his supporters. It's an interesting read, mainly because Leah doesn't hold back at all - about the church or about herself and the mistakes she has made.

Viral by Helen Fitzgerald
I'm a big fan of Helen Fitzgerald's writing style, her characters are usually razor sharp and full of life. In this latest offering, Su Oliphant Brotheridge and her sister Leah go on holiday with a group of friends to Magaluf after their A-Levels. Something happens out there that turns Su into a viral phenomenon - and she's afraid to come home. Her mother, a Family Court Judge, is determined to punish those responsible and get Su back where she belongs. This is not for you if you don't like foul language - even the opening line packs a wallop. I wasn't mad about the book, being honest, the mother seemed completely unhinged to me. There was also a family incident that I felt unrealistic and just thrown in there for handiness - but overall I'd recommend Helen Fitzgerald if you like something gritty and darkly comic.

So that's it - I'm totally counting that theory test book towards my yearly reads because it was a book and I read it.

Hopefully I'll be able to add a few more to the pile throughout the last few days of March!

Books I Read in January

Not Sponsored/No Samples/No ARCs

Hi!

The first monthly round up of the year is here!! I love writing these posts so I hope you enjoy this one. All book covers will be added to the brand new shiny BOOKS 2016 page, so you can click on any cover to go to my more detailed review over on Goodreads.

This month, I read one (very) short story and 16 books.

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

This month, Rick kicked 2016 off with four choices. I read all four (I'm determined to step outside my comfort zone this year and try to read all book club picks)

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A story about WWII from two sides. We follow blind French woman Marie-Laure from her childhood in France right up to the present day, and learn of her incredible story of survival. We also see German orphan Warner Pfennig, from his early days at an orphanage to his deployment to fight for Germany in the war. Both stories are intertwined, chapters are short, and this was an amazing read.

The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber
Peter, a Preacher, leaves his wife Bea behind to travel to a distant planet and teach the local inhabitants about religion from the Bible (The Book of Strange New Things). Meanwhile, things on Earth aren't going well, there's increasing disaster and Bea sends word that something very bad might be happening. This was such a weird book, I didn't like Peter but I couldn't put it down.

The Bees by Laline Paull
Flora is a sanitation bee, the lowest class. She looks different to the other bees, that in itself is a crime. She is put to work on the nursery ward after a chance meeting, and eventually her luck gets her an audience with the Queen and permission to forage. I just couldn't get used to the fact that I was reading about bees - aside from that, Flora's good fortune was all dependent on chance encounters and lucky escapes rather than actual intelligence or talent, which annoyed me. The male bees were disgusting, as was their really odd fate... A very strange book.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
I bought this book last year when it was one of Richard & Judy's book club picks. I'm delighted that Rick chose it because it finally gave me the push to start it - and it was a great read. I found the first quarter a bit slow, but after that it really picked up. It's about an 18 year old girl, Nella Oortman, in Amsterdam in the late 1600s. She is married off to a wealthy merchant, Johannes Brandt. He presents her with a cabinet-style dolls house, a perfect replica of the one they live in. She employs a miniaturist to make furniture for the house, but as she begins to receive items that she hasn't requested, items nobody outside the house could know about, she begins to wonder whether or not the miniaturist is a prophet or engineering events.

The Richard and Judy Book Club

The Spring Books have been chosen, you can see them all on my BOOKS 2016 page. Of the 8, I managed to read 3.

The Bones of You by Debbie Howells
Rosie is 18, and she has been murdered. We hear from Rosie from beyond the grave as she looks back on her life and slowly reveals what happened. In the meantime, we follow Kate McKay, a woman who knew Rosie from allowing her to help with her horses. Kate is convinced that Rosie's parents know more than they're letting on, and that her sister Delphine, knows something. A twisty tale with horrible characters, this was a mediocre read for me.

In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
I saw Reese Witherspoon mention this on her instagram a few months ago and it was sitting on my Kindle ever since - whyyyy!!!! This is a brilliant book, it's about a hen party that takes place in a strange glass house in the woods. Leonora Shaw is invited, but she has no idea why - she hasn't seen the hen, Claire, in years. She agrees to go with another friend, but there's something very sinister going on, and one of the guests is in grave danger. I didn't love the ending but I really liked the setting and story otherwise.

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
A book about what would happen if one decision in our lives was different, or one small event never happened. An interesting premise but one that doesn't work on Kindle - I had to keep notes on each version (there are three) and some events were so similar that it became confusing, there were parties or meetings that took place in two versions and I found it hard to follow. I also wasn't bothered about any of the characters, I didn't like Jim and I thought Eva was settling. I know others enjoyed this much more than me, I just think it would work better in book form because having to refer to a notebook really interrupted how the story flowed for me.

Young Adult Series

I first heard about the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout on Aoife's YouTube channel (here). She mentioned the first book, so I downloaded it and was hooked.

Obsidian
Katy moves with her mother to a sleepy little town in West Virginia. She discovers that she lives next door to a big ride, but he's moody and grumpy and seems to hate Katy for no reason. Oh, and his name is Daemon. Oh, and he's an alien. This was standard YA fare - half the characters had green eyes and there was a lot of will-they-won't-they drama but it had just enough about the aliens to keep me reading.

Onyx
The Department of Defence are now stepping up security after an incident in the first book. Something happened Katy during that event, and now she's not the same old Katy anymore. In this book, we get the Jacob Black of the series - Blake, a spanner in the works and a Hybrid (not a car, an alien/human). The gang discover a secret and are determined to find out if it's true.

Opal
Starting to get sick of this now, this book was mostly filler - nothing really happens. The event they planned at the end of book 2 still hasn't happened. On to book 4, then!

Origin
So something bad has happened, but Daemon is going to save the day. Unfortunately, I could no longer give a shite, because the lack of respect for human life in this book is shocking. People are killed left right and centre but it's no biggie, because - bad guys. Even if they're bad human guys. We get Daemon's POV here too but it's pretty much like a male version of Katy. WHY HAVE I WASTED FOUR BOOKS ON THIS SERIES OMG

No, I didn't read the fifth. No, I won't be reading it. Yes, I wikipedia'd it.

Fiction

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
I read this after a heavy read, just for something light and fluffy. Gia Montgomery needs a fill-in boyfriend after her real one dumps her just before her friends finally meet him. I use the term 'friends' loosely, because they're bitches, but she meets Hayden in a car park and he agrees to pose as Bradley, her ex. I found this really immature, full of mind games, but Gia did grow up over the course of the book and it passed a few hours.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
The best thriller I've read in a long time. (I know that Kate over at Bibliophile Book Club recommended it). Each chapter goes back and forth between 2003 and 2007. In 2003, Cathy Bailey met Lee Brightman, Mr. Perfect. As he becomes increasingly sinister, we know something's going to happen but Cathy doesn't, and it's incredibly tense and hard to read in parts. In 2007, Cathy is controlled by OCD and PTSD. She cannot leave her home without performing certain rituals, and she's paranoid that Lee will come after her when he's released from prison. As she begins to get her life back on track with the help of her neighbour, something happens. Highly recommended.

Non-Fiction 

I want to read more non-fiction this year, so I got through 2 in January.

The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank
I hadn't read this since school, and I'd forgotten a lot of it. In this definitive edition, previously unpublished chapters are included. I'm not sure if that was a good idea - it felt alien to read about some of the subjects Anne talked about, particularly those of a sexual nature (it got quite graphic, description wise). It's quite a boring book, to be fair - it's popular because of that, because it's such a normal snapshot of a normal girl caught up in something horrific. There isn't that much of an insight into the war, so I'd look elsewhere if you want that. As a historical piece of work, it's an essential read. I found it quite sad the way they kept planning for the future and kept hoping, I felt a sense of guilt that they were making plans and I knew what was coming. Uncomfortable.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
Randall Munroe is apparently the creator of XKCD, I don't know what that is. This is full of interesting questions that Randall has received via his website over the years - it was wittier and warmer to read than some similar books I've read, he has a great sense of humour. This is just brilliant if you're into science or geekery - some of my favourite questions were "What would happen if you made a periodic table out of cube-shaped bricks, where each brick was made of the corresponding element?" and "If everyone on the planet stayed away from each other for a few weeks, wouldn't the common cold be wiped out?" A fun read.

Short Story

Ponies by Kij Johnson
This is like if Louise O'Neill rewrote My Little Pony and then got Tina Fey to turn it into a film. It's Only Ever Yours meets Mean Girls meets.....well, a pack of mean little brats driven by consumerism and one little girl desperate to fit in. This still pops into my mind and it's literally two minutes long - you can read it for yourself here.

So that's it! January got off to a flying start, hopefully I can keep the momentum up and clear a lot off my TBR piles this year without adding too many more.

Are you reading anything at the minute? Would you recommend it?

Books I Read in December

Hi!

This is a bit late due to sickness, but better late than never! I read 18 books in December.


I have a brand new shiny book page for 2016, you can find it on the sidebar under the "books" header. I'll update monthly, and I'll include clickable covers so you can find reviews of anything. All the December books will be going on the Books 2015 page, so if you want in-depth reviews on anything just have a look there and it'll take you to my full book review on Goodreads.

On with the show!

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

I managed both choices this month, I had bought the Donal Ryan one for myself for Christmas so I read that towards the end of December.

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
A short book about the disintegration of a marriage, told from the point of view of "the wife", who remains unnamed. I didn't like this at all, I thought it was disjointed and pretentious, like finding someone's diary but half of it is in code only they'd understand. It has many, many fans - I'm just not one of them.

A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan
One of my favourite authors, this latest offering from Donal Ryan is a collection of short stories. Each story is a little insight into someone's life, be it the traveller girl who has never dealt with prejudice until a moment in a scrapyard; the care assistant that appears to live a mundane life; the man who is responsible for the death of a teenage girl; the group of men who take it upon themselves to punish a rapist - every story is different and every one a masterpiece in its own right. One of my favourites of 2015.

Short Stories

Both of these were under 100 pages, the Lucy Diamond came in around 90 and the Gillian Flynn was under 70.

Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond
I hadn't read the other Beach Café book so I wasn't familiar with the characters, Evie and Ed. They are spending Christmas apart - Ed is going to his recently widowed mother, while Evie's sister and her family are coming to Evie's house. This tried to pack an awful lot into a small book, so I never really got a feel for any of the characters, but I'd say people familiar with the other book would like this.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
I like Gillian Flynn's writing style, so I was delighted to see this on offer for £0.99 on Kindle. It's about a foul-mouthed ex-prostitute who is forced to make a career change when she suffers an injury. She begins to claim that she can read Auras, and succeeds in making a living until one client proves to be more difficult. If she can pull the job off, she could be rich. If she doesn't, she could be dead. This was genuinely very creepy around the middle part, I did get a little freaked. The ending wasn't ideal but it was a good read.

Nostalgia 

These were both picked to fulfil prompts for my reading challenge (a book published the year I was born, a book my Mum loves). Breige very kindly sent me some Sweet Valley High books last year and I hadn't gotten round to reading them yet, so it was great to revisit! If you were a fellow SVH fan back in the day, keep an eye on Red Lemonade - she's reading the books in order and does fantastic hilarious reviews.

Sweet Valley High: Double Love "by" Francine Pascal
Ghost writers were used for the whole series, with outlines provided by Francine. The books were all typical fare - blonde twins who should win awards for being gorgeous, one a busybody, the other a bitch. In this one, Jessica screws Elizabeth over on multiple occasions, big bro Steven almost shames the family by dating an undesirable, and Dad may be having an affair because his divorced work colleague is divorced and therefore could only be interested in Ned sexually, not because she's actually interested in working.

The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
The copy I had as a child belonged to my mother, by the time it got to me it had been read so often that it had a cover made from a Cornflakes box. Three siblings are unhappy with how their mean Aunt and Uncle treat them, so they take off with their neighbour Jack to a secret island and build a home for themselves. It's obvioulsy very dated but still a great little read.

Christmas Themed Books

I think I had my fill of Christmas themed books in November, but there were two more in December.

Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper by Debbie Johnson
A woman knocks a man down, he turns out to be a dreamboat, and she ends up taking care of him over Christmas. An absolute cheesefest but thoroughly enjoyable of a cold December day beside a fire! Perfect after reading something heavy.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
I've seen many adaptations on TV but I don't think I've ever read the original before. We all know the story - mean old Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who teach him not to be so miserable. Enjoyable and surprisingly easy to read considering how old it is.

Young Adult

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Amy's father recently died, and she blames herself. Her mother is selling the family home, and needs Amy to drive their car to the new home. Amy refuses to drive, so her mother enlists Roger, the son of a family friend, to drive with Amy. A boy and a girl alone in a car, hmmmm...wonder what's going to happen here then? Parts are predictable but I really enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would (mainly because my sister thought it was shite) - but I liked the road trip element and I liked the metaphorical journey Amy went on.

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
Evie is 16 and slowly coming off her medication for OCD. She keeps a recovery diary and attends therapy, but all Evie wants is "normal". As she begins to unravel it's uncomfortable, and it's hard to read in places, but it's a very honest very believable portrayal of mental illness. It also addresses the way people misuse terms like OCD and "I almost had a panic attack", which is important. Recommended for teenagers.

Thriller/Crime

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
I was overjoyed when my Netgalley request was granted for this book, I would have bought it anyway because I'm a huge Alex Marwood fan. This, her third novel, focuses on two weekends. The first, in 2004 when 3 year old identical twin Coco Jackson goes missing on the wekeend of her father Sean's 50th birthday celebrations. The second weekend is set in the present day, when Sean's daughter Mila is attending his funeral. Full of secrets, twists, and very uncomfortable to read at times, but recommended.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
Set in 1994 in The Falklands. Children keep disappearing, but nobody seems to know anything. Catrin Quinn is a marine scientist, dealing with the breakdown of her marriage and the loss of her children in a terrible accident a few years before. She blames her former best friend, Rachel, for the accident. Told from the perspective of Catrin, Rachel, and Catrin's kind-of-boyfriend Callum, this is a book full of revenge and twists, but Callum's chapters let it down and the ending destroyed it for me. Not an enjoyable read, very uncomfortable and full of dread. Incredibly confusing last paragraph.

Other Fiction

The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham
Set in Australia in the 1950s. A young woman, Tilly Dunnage, returns to her hometown after being told to leave years before. She is back to care for her ill mother. The townspeople despise Tilly due to her part in the death of a young boy, but when they see her fashion creations, they decide that she could be useful. Described as a story of "revenge, love, and creativity", this took a while to get going but it was an okay read.

Solace by Belinda McKeon
Set between Longford and Dublin, Solace is a story about love and survival. A young man meets the love of his life at college, but as they begin their future together tragedy strikes. A nice portrayal of rural vs urban Ireland and lovely to read familiar place names. Highly recommended.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
I've seen the film a few times but wanted to read the book, it also fitted in with one of the reading challenge prompts. A love story that spans several years, Noah and Allie are smitten with each other but their affair is brief. Years later, they become reacquainted and their story is then told to an old lady in a care home by an old man. I swore I wouldn't cry but yep, bawled like a baby. More at the thought of having alzheimers', to be fair, but if you've seen the film, it didn't deviate much from the book apart from the ending.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Don't ask me how I've reached 32 without reading this, but anyway - another challenge prompt, but I wanted to read this book in 2015 anyway. The story of Atticus Finch, lawyer called upon to defend a black man after he's accused of raping a young white woman, is told through the eyes of his young daughter Scout. It's a lazy, southern, late summer read that reminded me a lot of the way Stephen King writes those coming-of-age smalltown parts in his books. A great book, a great read, but I won't be touching her second book with a barge pole. Atticus Finch in this book is perfect, I don't want to read how he could have been.

Out of My Comfort Zone

Finally, I had to read a graphic novel and play for my reading challenge.

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoet
A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a group of tiny creatures who live inside a young girl. But this isn't Inside Out - it's gory, macabre, and creepy. The creatures have to move out and find another home after the girl is killed, so the story turns into a Lord of the Flies type thing where survival is priority. Genuinely the weirdest thing I've ever read.

Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley
A short play about a Priest suspected of inappropriate conduct with a student. Is he guilty or not? Very thought provoking.

That's it - that's the last book roundup of 2015, see you in February to see how 2016 is starting off!

The Great Big Book Round Up of 2015

Not Sponsored/No Samples. 14 out of 150 books were Advance Copies requested on Netgalley.

Hi!

I hope this isn't too long, but I wanted to fit everything in one big post - except my "Books I Read in December" post, that'll come in January because it's still December, and, well....I'm still reading. So that's on the way! So far I'm on my 151st book of the year.


I've broken this down into sections, and I'll try my best not to waffle! I'm not going into individual reviews here, if you go to my Books 2015 page you'll see a clickable book cover for every book I've read in 2015, that will take you to my Goodreads review for that book.

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

This is a Facebook based book club, you can request to join here. It's a lovely group for book lovers, there's no snobbery or fighting, everyone respects the reading choices of others. Started by 2fm DJ Rick O'Shea, the book club is now going into its 18th month, with 32 books chosen so far. Of the 25 chosen in 2015, I read 18 (I had already read Only Ever Yours and attempted The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August in 2014). I finished all 18 except The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks. I have most or all of the other choices bought, so I'm looking forward to reading them in 2016.

Out of all the Book Club choices, I think Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was definitely my favourite. It was atmospheric, it was sad, it was beautiful, and it stayed with me. Surprisingly, The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick pops into my head every so often too, and it's something I would never have read of my own accord. 

The Richard and Judy Book Club

This was less successful for me - out of 24 books, I bought almost all of them but only read 6. It souns much more impressive if I say I read a quarter of all the books chosen, doesn't it? Here are the ones I read:

I Let You Go was by far the best thriller I read in 2015. It was just fantastic, I haven't gasped out loud at a book in a very long time but this one made me do so several times. Fantastic. 

The Popsugar Reading Challenge

I did it!! I completed the challenge on December 28th by reading a Graphic Novel. Here are the books I read for it. The prompts for the Popsugar Reading Challenge 2016 have been released, you can find the list here.

A BOOK WITH MORE THAN 500 PAGES: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
A CLASSIC ROMANCE: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (yes it is a classic. IT IS.)
A BOOK THAT BECAME A MOVIE: Horns by Joe Hill
A BOOK PUBLISHED THIS YEAR: I Was Here by Gayle Forman
A BOOK WITH A NUMBER IN THE TITLE: The Number 8 by Joel Arcanjo
A BOOK WRITTEN BY SOMEONE UNDER 30: Popular by Maya Von Wagonen
A BOOK WITH NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS: 172 Hours on the Moon by Johann Harstad
A FUNNY BOOK: Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
A BOOK BY A FEMALE AUTHOR: Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither by Sara Baume
A MYSTERY OR THRILLER: The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

A BOOK WITH A ONE-WORD TITLE: Room by Emma Donoghue
A BOOK OF SHORT STORIES: Ghost Stories by M.R. James
A BOOK SET IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
A NON-FICTION BOOK: Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes
A POPULAR AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
A BOOK FROM AN AUTHOR YOU LOVE BUT HAVEN'T READ YET: Revival by Stephen King
A BOOK A FRIEND RECOMMENDED: So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
A PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING BOOK: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
A BOOK BASED ON A TRUE STORY: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
A BOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TBR LIST: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

A BOOK YOUR MUM LOVES: The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
A BOOK THAT SCARED YOU: The Book of You by Claire Kendal
A BOOK MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A BOOK BASED ENTIRELY ON ITS COVER: The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson
A BOOK YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO READ AT SCHOOL BUT DIDN'T: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A MEMOIR: My Life and Other Unfinished Business by Dolly Parton
A BOOK YOU CAN FINISH IN A DAY: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
A BOOK WITH ANTONYMS IN THE TITLE: Together Apart by Natalie Martin
A BOOK SET SOMEWHERE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT: One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot
A BOOK THAT CAME OUT THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN: Sweet Valley High #01: Double Love by Francine Pascal

A BOOK WITH BAD REVIEWS: Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
A BOOK FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD: Under the Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon McKenna
A TRILOGY: Wool, Shift and Dust by Hugh Howey
A BOOK WITH A LOVE TRIANGLE: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A BOOK SET IN THE FUTURE: Date With a Rockstar by Sarah Gagnon
A BOOK SET IN HIGH SCHOOL: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
A BOOK WITH A COLOUR IN THE TITLE: Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY: A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride
A BOOK WITH MAGIC: Half Bad by Sally Green
A GRAPHIC NOVEL: Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoet

A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
A BOOK YOU OWN BUT HAVE NEVER READ: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A BOOK THAT TAKES PLACE IN YOUR HOMETOWN: Solace by Belinda McKeon
A BOOK ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE: The Guest Cat by Takeshi Hiraide
A BOOK SET DURING CHRISTMAS: Bella's Christmas Bake-Off by Sue Watson
A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AUTHOR WITH YOUR INITIALS: The Lake by Sheena Lambert
A BANNED BOOK: Dubliners by James Joyce
A PLAY: Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley
A BOOK BASED ON OR TURNED INTO A TV SHOW: The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch
A BOOK YOU STARTED BUT NEVER FINISHED: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (started years ago, finally finished in October)

My Favourite Reads of 2015

These are my ten favourite reads of the year - some have been published for a very, very long time but I've only read them for the first time this year. In no particular order:

My Least Favourite Reads of 2015

For one reason or another, these books left me either angry at the time I had wasted or annoyed at falling for hype. Again, in no particular order:

"I Wish I Had All That Free Time"

This really riles me up something shocking and I've lost time of the amount of times I've heard it this year. I DON'T have an abnormal amount of "free" time. I see people talking about binge-watching series all the time and they never, ever get asked "but where do you find the time to watch 12 episodes in three days?" I read so much because I have been an avid reader since I was four or five years old and I love books. Reading time isn't "free time", it's not like I read because I have nothing else to do, I build it in to my day the way other people make time for the gym. Granted, it's not doing anything to help the size of my arse, but it's time well spent all the same.

I have the same 24 hours a day as anyone else, I have a house to look after, and three kids, and a husband, and a blog, and social media, and other hobbies, and cooking, and walking, and cross stitch, and makeup and Netflix - I read so much because it's something I need to do. I'd go mad if I didn't read every day. I'm up early, I read when the kids are playing, I read quickly, I read in the morning, I read at night, I don't watch very much TV, I record stuff I want to watch and then either binge it or delete it. I don't follow soaps. I love Netflix, but again it's very much a binge situation - I don't watch TV every day. I can do a book a day or every 2 days - always have done, hopefully always will do.

So please, PLEASE don't ask where I find the time, or tell me you wish you had all that time - I would find it alien to watch 2 hours of telly of an evening, others would find it alien to read for 2 hours. It's the same 2 hours! I'm a huge believer in doing what makes you happy, and just because you may have other responsibilities doesn't mean you should lose a part of yourself. Books are a part of me, so even if I had ten kids and four houses and eleven blogs, I'd still make time to read. 

So what does a year in reading look like? Glorious!!

2016 Goals

I'd love if everyone reading this would try and read 5 books in 2016. There are so many amazing Irish authors out there waiting to be discovered - this year I found Belinda McKeon, Sara Baume, Lisa McInerney, and was reacquainted with Donal Ryan and Louise O'Neill. I want to finish the Harry Potter series in 2016, and I'd love to try for 150 books again - if it doesn't happen, so be it. I want to use the library more, because I've spent too much on Amazon. I want to make books a bigger part of the blog, maybe a twice-monthly thing instead of a monthly thing, or a spotlight post every weekend about a book I'm enjoying or a book I recommend. I want to clear my Netgalley shelf and stop requesting stuff until I've all my current ARCs read, and I want to read more book blogs.


See you in January for the "Books I Read in December" roundup!

Books I Read in November

Not Sponsored, ARCs included

Hi!

This happens every November - my book count goes way down because I get so caught up in Christmas prep. In November, I read 7 - but a few of them were short stories or novellas. The Rick O'Shea Book Club books for the month were One by Sarah Crossan and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, I downloaded A Little Life but I didn't get to it. I had already read One, you can find my Goodreads review here.

Review Copies

I still have a couple of books left on my Netgalley shelves that I'd like to clear by January at the latest, but I got through three in November.

The Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce
A Christmas themed body-swap story in which a wife and husband get to live each other's lives for two weeks to see just how easy the other one really has it. A short book, under 200 pages, forgettable but nice for an afternoon.

Bella's Christmas Bake-Off by Sue Watson
Amy and Bella used to be childhood friends, but they fell out of touch. Bella now has her own Nigella-style cookery show, but when Amy discovers that Bella has been plagiarising Amy's mothers recipes for a new book, she vows to confront her and wins a competition to spend Christmas with her. Took a while to get going but a nice festive read.

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
Three year old identical twin Coco Jackson went missing during the weekend of her property mogul father's 50th Birthday celebrations. The book goes back and forth between that weekend and the weekend of Sean Jackson's funeral, and slowly reveals the truth about what happened to Coco. If you haven't read any of Alex's books, please do yourself a favour and get at least one - she's a fantastic crime/thriller writer.

Other Christmas Themed Books

I read three other Christmas themed books in November.

What Happens at Christmas by T.A. Williams
Holly Brice finds herself in a sleepy Dartmoor village a few weeks before Christmas to sort out her estranged father's estate when he dies. Holly wants to find out more about him, but ends up making some new friends too. An easy read, not perfect, but enjoyable enough. More of a journey of discovery than a Christmassy fiction.

The Christmas Bake-Off by Abby Clements
I had read a few of Abby's books before, and I found this short story for free on Amazon. It's a very quick read about a bake-off in a local village hall, including celeb judges and sabotage.

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan
This was my first Jenny Colgan read and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I assumed it would be a relaxing, easy read but it had an enormous number of characters and several different arcs from an old man reliving his past to an accident to family coming for Christmas - I just found it hard to concentrate on and it didn't have a great flow. At nearly 400 pages it felt like a chore at times.

Other Fiction

After You by Jojo Moyes
I really love  Jojo Moyes and I was delighted to hear that she was writing a sequel to a book I love very much, Me Before You. In this book, we revisit Louisa and discover that she's not getting on very well after losing Will. I found this to be a very sensitive, honest portrayal of grief and was probably crying about ten pages in. It does contain one of my most hated story arcs of all time (I don't want to ruin it but it's about her 'visitor' - ugh), but when I was able to get past that I enjoyed it.

That's it! December isn't looking great for reading either, but I'll soldier on and I'll update challenge info at the end of the year! I'm currently at a total of 138 books for 2015, will I make it to 150? Who knows....

Books for Christmas

Not Sponsored/No Samples

Hi!

I'm going to get straight into this without waffling, because books are one of my favourite parts of Christmas and I want to squeeze as many into this post as I can.

On My Christmas List

Truth be told, I have ordered or bought most of these for myself for Christmas already - I love having a pile of new books on Christmas morning.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
This is King's sixth collection of short stories, and features 20 previously published/reworked stories from 2009 onwards, with two previously unpublished.

Counting My Blessings by Francis Brennan
Francis Brennan is one of my favourite television personalities, and this guide to how he stays happy is definitely on my Christmas list. He's currently touring around Ireland promoting it and doing signings, I was gutted to miss my local one but I'm still really looking forward to reading the book.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay
I've wanted this since I first heard about it - it's a beautiful, big coffee table book that features amazing illustrations by Jim Kay. Unless this is a one-off, this collection is going to end up absolutely robbing me because I'll want them all!

Everyday Superfood by Jamie Oliver
I'm not a huge fan of watching Jamie, but I love his cookbooks. His recipes are easy to follow and easy to adapt, so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

The Nation's Favourite Healthy Food by Neven Maguire
I enjoy Neven's cookery programmes, so I was delighted to find a signed edition of this in Eason last week. He has simple recipes that everyone would enjoy, and I'm glad to see a healthy eating version.

A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan
Donal is one of my favourite authors - he writes post-boom rural Ireland and begrudgery like nobody else. His books are some of my favourites, I would especially recommend you look him up if you live in a small town or village. He's just a fantastic writer, he has an amazing way with words. This is a collection of short stories that follow on in the same vein from The Thing About December and The Spinning Heart.

About Face by Aisling McDermott  with Laura Kennedy
If you enjoyed Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes, you'll love this. Aisling is incredibly well respected among the Irish beauty community, having been responsible for the creation of Beaut.ie along with her sister Kirstie (now editor of Stellar magazine). Apart from being a gorgeous looking book, it's full of skincare and makeup advice, product recommendations, and focuses on what will work for individual skin types.

Me & My Mate Jeffrey by Niall Breslin
Bressie's first book is an honest account of coping with his anxiety and depression. It's such an important subject and there seem to be a plethora of books by females on the subject, but hardly any by men - for such a prominent public figure to come out and talk about it so frankly is fantastic, and it's a book I'll be keeping to pass on to my own sons when they're old enough to deal with the subject matter.

Christmas Themed Books

I don't know about anyone else, but I love nothing more than a bit of light, fluffy Christmas fiction to keep my festive spirits up during November/December. There are so many Christmas themed books - but how do you know which ones are any good? I like to switch my brain off and just enjoy them for what they are, if you like the Christmas movies on Christmas24 then you'll enjoy all these.

Bella's Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson
Bella Bradley and Amy Lane were friends once. Now, they're worlds apart - Bella is the star of her very own Nigella-esque cooking show, while Amy is struggling after her husband has left her. When Amy realises that Bella's new book is full of her mother's recipes, the gloves are off - Amy enters (and wins) a competition to spend the perfect Christmas with Bella.

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot
Single Mum Hayley Walker is taking her nine-year-old daughter Angel to spend Christmas with Hayley's brother in Manhattan. She has every intention of trying to find Angel's birth father, but when she meets a handsome stressed workaholic Oliver, her plans are thrown into disarray.

Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper by Debbie Johnson
Maggie is spending Christmas on her own, with only a ready meal for company. Until she (literally) crashes into 6-foot-American-hunk Marco. Suddenly, her Christmas is looking up! But you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper, do you? Really sweet and funny.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements
A The Holiday-esque romcom about a London career woman and a Yorkshire woman worried about her marriage deciding to swap houses.

This is a Film Too

I love Christmas films, so I'm always interested when I find out that something was either based on a film, or released to tie in with the film. I read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham last year (it later became Christmas With the Kranks) and I was horrified, it was a horrible book. Thankfully, here are four that live up to the movies:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
I read this years ago, but I plan to re-read it this year. The much-reproduced original Christmas story is one that we all know - mean old Ebenezeer Scrooge (I keep going to type Ebeneezer Goode - child of the 90s right there) is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
I love Dr. Seuss books because they're so much fun to read aloud. Even a child with little interest in reading will have great fun - The Grinch is a heartwarming tale with great illustrations and a nice fun festive story for all ages to enjoy.

Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies
One of my favourite Christmas films, this is the story of little Susan Walker, her workaholic Mum, and an old man who believes he is Santa Clause. Released in 1947 to tie-in with the original Natalie Wood film. This is another re-read for me this year.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
A beautiful children's book that later inspired the magical animated film starring Tom Hanks - this is the story of The Polar Express, a magical train that takes children who have lost the magic of Christmas to the North Pole. Warning - I cry at this book. And the film. And most things, to be fair - but this book is stunning and very much worth seeking out the special editions with the little bell free.

Sporting Books

There are a number of new books out this year written by Sports personalities - I haven't read any of these, but I thought I'd let you know about them anyway.

The Autobiography by Henry Shefflin
Widely regarded as one of the best hurling players of all time, Henry Shefflin talks about his life and career including revelations on injuries, rivalries, and pressures.

Until Victory, Always: A Memoir by Jim McGuiness
Described as "an account of achievement in the face of incredible adversity", this is McGuinness' account of taking over as manager of the Donegal senior football team in 2010. At the time, they had been dismissed - but four years later, they had completely turned things around.

The Last Line: My Autobiography by Packie Bonner
The story of one of our greats - Packie shares stories from his International football career, including the performance at Italia '90 that turned him into a national treasure and the one at 1994 that a lot of us would rather forget..

Twelve Feet Tall: The Autobiography by Tony Ward
Rugby fans who followed Ireland in the '70s and '80s will welcome this book by Irish sporting legend Tony Ward - who still holds the record for the Lion scoring the most points in a test (18). He talks about leading the Munster team to victory against the All-Blacks in 1978, about his career, his life, and what he thinks of Irish rugby today. I might actually pick this one up for myself...

Books for Children Aged 10+

My own son is 11, and these are the books that I've bought him for Christmas:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney
Book 10 in the series. Greg's town voluntarily goes electronics-free, so how will he and his family cope without the conveniences of modern life? My son loves these books.

War Horse by Michael Murpurgo
Released in 2006 and spawning a Spielberg movie, this is the story of a horse who sees WWI from both sides of the trenches. My son borrowed this from the library and begged for his own copy.

Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams
The latest from surprisingly good children's author David Walliams focuses on Grandpa, who still thinks he's a pilot in the war. He plans a great escape from his nursing home but needs the help of his Grandson. David Walliams' books are all dog-eared in our house, they've been read and re-read multiple times.

Moone Boy: The Fish Detective by Chris O'Dowd & Nick V. Murphy
Martin's family are having a budget Christmas, so Martin decides to get a job and buy his own presents. He starts working at a butcher's shop, but the local fish shop across the road is taking business. Martin decides to infiltrate the fish shop but with surprising results.

Books for Younger Children

You can't go wrong with the aforementioned Dr. Seuss - but here are some more ideas for younger children. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
If your little ones don't have this book, please get it. It's the best fun to read, and there are little finger holes in the pages too (you'll understand why when you read it).

That's Not My Santa by Fiona Watt
A nice Christmas story for young toddlers with touchy-feely parts for sensory play.

Farmyard Tales Lift-the-Flap Christmas by Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright
A 24-page hardback book with 30 flaps to lift and enjoy alongside the story of the Boot family preparing for Christmas.

Mog's Christmas by Judith Kerr
Now available in a board book, this is the story of forgetful cat Mog exploring her house at Christmas.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
There are many, many versions of this book available, but I'd urge you to buy one for Christmas. It's a lovely tradition to read it at night in the week coming up to Christmas, or even on Christmas Eve.

Books I Read in October

Not Sponsored, One Book Received via Netgalley

Hi!

So, this is the conclusion of Halloween month on the blog - I did enjoy all the Halloween themed posts, but I do have lots of other bits and pieces to show you and to talk about so I'm glad to get back to normal again.

During October, I stuck exclusively to spooky/horror/creepy books. I picked a lot of shorter ones, some days I read two little ones, but overall I'm glad I stuck to the theme and really glad to have checked 18 more books off my to-read list throughout the month.

As always with these reviews, I'll add all books to my Books 2015 page where you can click on any individual cover to go to my more detailed Goodreads review for that book.

Rick O'Shea Book Club

If you're still not a member of Rick O'Shea's Book Club on Facebook, I'd really recommend it. I've discovered some brilliant books over the past 14 months because of the club - some I'd never have picked up. There's a great group of people over there and they're all massive book addicts who are happy to have a chat about any type of book, no snobbery involved. This month, I read both choices.

Ghost Stories by M.R. James
A classic collection of ghost stories written in the early 1900s, this is very much old-school "horror". It's not scary at all, it's not creepy, but it's a nice example of its genre. To be fair, it's probably the first example of its genre - known as "antiquarian" ghost stories.  The stories were quite formulaic and there were no major shocks - I couldn't read this all in one sitting.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
When I read that one of the short stories in this collection had made people faint when they heard it being read aloud by the author, I was worried. When I read said story and cried laughing, I was more worried. For myself. This is a collection of extremely gross, disgusting, graphic, horrible stories. Some more interesting than others, all very gross and very un-PC. Not for those with a weak stomach.

Childrens/Young Adult

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The tale of a young boy, with a sick mother, visited by a large monster in the form of a yew tree. Absolutely bawled at this one, which I wasn't expecting! It's a really nice book. Not remotely scary, though.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
A young girl, full of attitude, has to figure out what to do when she finds out that her younger sister has been possessed. A bit young for me, but it was an okay read. There are two follow-up books, but I don't think I'd be bothered with them.

Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn
I mistakenly picked this up thinking it was a horror, but it says "a mystery story" on the front so it was my own fault. This swayed me because it was centred around an old amusement park. It was alright, reminiscent of something from the early 90s despite being written in 2009. I have another of Mary's books to read, Wait Til Helen Comes is currently in post-production and will be released as a movie next year.

Liked the Movie? Read the Book!

Halloween by Curtis Richards
Unusually for a book/movie crossover, this was written after the John Carpenter movie version. This stays pretty faithful to the movie, but we find out much more about what makes Michael Myers tick. I really enjoyed this, it was a nice companion to the movie. Apparently the paperback is very hard to track down, so if you see it - grab it!

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman can be hit and miss for me. I did enjoy this, but I think I only enjoyed it because I have such a fondness for the movie version starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, so I was picturing them in my head as I read it. This is grittier, the plot is slightly different, but I liked it.

Psycho by Robert Bloch
I'm sure this was terrifying when it was released and people had no idea what was going to happen, but some of the suspense is definitely gone when you've heard the story or seen the movie. I haven't seen the movie (shockingly), but I've seen "the scene" several times on those Top 100 Movie Countdown things. A good read, recommended moreso if you aren't familiar with the story of Norman Bates.

Ring by Koji Suzuki
Again, I'm a big fan of The Ring starring Naomi Watts. I've also seen the original Japanese movie, Ringu, and found it terrifying. This book - not so much. I feel that something may have been lost in translation, but the reasoning behind why Sadako (Samara in the movie) did what she did was ridiculous to me. Also, one of the main characters is particularly horrible.

Netgalley Reviews

Only one of my Netgalley books fit in with my October theme -

The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson
Gloria lives next door to a former school, nicknamed "The Child Garden". It's now a run-down care home, where her son Nicky lives. One night, someone from Gloria's past knocks on her front door and drags her into a mystery involving the home. I didn't enjoy this - too many nicknames, too many twists, too many red herrings and too many characters. It wasn't scary or creepy either (to be fair, I'm not sure if it was intended to be either).

Re-Reads

Salem's Lot by Stephen King
I was delighted to be able to fit this in - it was King's second published novel (after Carrie) and it still reads every bit as good as it did when I first discovered it 20 years ago. It's his "vampire novel", and it's everything I wanted Dracula to be. Creepy, tense, scary - King at his best. Brilliant.

Recommendations

Bird Box by Josh Malerman
This was recommended by a lady in the Rick O'Shea Book Club when I asked for contemporary horror recommendations. It's brilliant - all over the world, people are "seeing something" that makes them lose their minds, turning on each other and eventually taking their own lives in gruesome ways. The only way to avoid this fate is to stay inside, in the dark, or if you do venture out - stay blindfolded, keep your eyes closed. Malorie is pregnant when the darkness first begins, but now five years on, she must save herself and her children - she must go outside and she needs to open her eyes. Couldn't put it down!

Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell
This was a recommendation from my friend Breige of Rare Opal - I was looking for more books set in Salem. This one focuses on Lois, who has just travelled to New England from Old England after a family tragedy. Gradually, people begin to turn against Lois, and eventually accuse her of witchcraft. This was a short read, but I'll never tire of books on this subject - it's still unbelievable to me that stories like this were based on true events.

Others

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
Every October, he appears. "The October Boy", with a pumpkin head and the body of a scarecrow, rises from a crop field and must make his way to the town church before being caught by one of the town's teenage boys. An annual ritual, there's a dark town secret hidden here - and when one teenager is close to figuring it out, those in charge will do anything they can to stop him. Really enjoyed this, the whole small-town-gone-bad thing is one of my favourite genres.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
I had previously read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and loved it, so I had high expectations from this classic - I was disappointed. It's about a group of three people who go to Hill House to spend some time there with a Doctor investigating paranormal goings-on there. Except there wasn't really much going on there. It was alright but I wanted it to be better.

Irish Ghost Stories by Pauric O'Farrell
A collection of ghost stories told to the author by people all over Ireland. There's one in here from the next town to me - I had never heard it before, so that was a nice surprise. Some parts of this are a little muddled, as if the author just thought of random conversations and stuck them in here and there, but it was nice to read unpublished stories and hear about experiences from ordinary everyday people.

The Bad Seed by William March
Little Rhoda Penmark is 8 years old. Adored by adults, abhorred by her peers, Rhoda will do anything to get her own way. When her mother becomes increasingly concerned about Rhoda and some incidents that happen, she begins to pay more attention and digs deeper to discover a terrible family secret. Really enjoyed this, it was well written and wasn't dated at all.

Your House is on Fire, Your Children all Gone by Stefan Kiesbye
This was a weird little book! A group of friends have shared strange experiences in their small village as children. Now, they are reunited for a friend's funeral, and they all share their own stories in different chapters. Some of them are just downright weird, others disgusting, but all are creepy. A very, very strange little book, but for the most part I enjoyed it.

And that's it! I'm looking forward to getting back to lighter reads, I have a lot of Christmas ones ready to get lost in.

Have you read any of these?