April Overview/ Month Ahead

Seriously, April is over already? This has been the fastest month yet.  At least it feels that way. It has been a good one though. Despite exams and essays I managed to read a fair few books. I think I mainly thank the readathon for that mind you. So here is the months book list;

1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
3. Empire State - Adam Christopher
4. Freedom - Jonathan Franzen
5. Angelmaker - Nick Harkaway
6. The Doctor Will See You Now - Max Pemberton
7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
8. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
9. The Grass Is Singing - Doris Lessing
10. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
11. Revenge of the Tide - Elizabeth Haynes

I very much enjoyed most of these books that I find it difficult to choose a favourite. I sobbed over Me Before You, I laughed through The Doctor Will See You Now and the rest are all up there. It's a hard call. I can tell you my least favourite which was Revenge of the Tide. It was a disappointing read since I enjoyed the authors debut novel so much last year. It was a first though. I don't think I have started off liking a character and ended up really hating her.

Challenge Overview

 Still managing to keep up with this one. It's not really a struggle since I do enjoy my classics. Aprils choice was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I really loved this book. Just a great boys adventure story. I also loved the challenge prompt since it was about book covers and I do love classic book covers. I have decided that May's choice will be Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I am looking forward to this as I have heard so many good things about this author. This will be the first novel I will have read by Virginia Woolf.

 This book for this challenge was another by Mark Twain which was why I picked the classics challenge book. This time it was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the focus was on Tom Sawyer. As much as I love the book I do think Tom is the odd one out the bunch in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Plus if memory serves he was rather annoying. Not so in the book. In the book he is full of mischief and adventure yet lovable. Next up is The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Like last month this will be a re-read. I enjoyed it the first time round so I expect to this time. Having to borrow my dad's copy though as mine has went walkies. Since I am still not buying books there will be no pretty covers this time (for some strange reason my dad doesn't care about the pretty).

The Mixing it up challenge's category for April was Modern Fiction. I picked Freedom by Jonathan Franzen because I had heard many wonderful things about the author but had never read anything by him. Am pleased to say I loved the book and found it difficult to put down. I stopped reading another book I was enjoying just so I could concentrate on it. May's category is Graphic Novels. I attempted to read some of these last year and enjoyed them but the genre is still new to me. I am going to read The Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. It was one that I didn't get round to reading when I had graphic novel month last year (actually it was about this time last year).

For the sci fi challenge I once again went with my own choice but mainly because I am trying to get through my tbr pile before I buy any more books. I read Empire State by Adam Christopher which was a great noir story set in a dark and alternative New York. Very atmospheric and I enjoyed it. For May I am again choosing one off my own pile. It's Cities In Flight by James Blish. Part of the sci fi masterworks series. I actually think this one originally belonged to an ex boyfriend (in my defense I am sure he has a few books of mine). It's a classic sci fi again so I am looking forward to it.



No other plans for this month I have been reading A LOT of American and British authors so if I finish my challenges I might hunt out a book from my pile that wasn't written by someone whose first language was English. Unlike other students in my uni who are now off for the summer I have another semester to do which starts next week. Will involve being back on the wards as well as a lot of course work so I don't know how much reading I will get done or how interactive I will be. I may end up resorting to some light reads.

How has your reading month been? Was yours helped by the readathon like mine was? Anyone else on a book buying ban?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a book meme by Sheila of Book Journey. A great way for everyone to share their reading week.

Last week I handed in my last essay for the semester. I expected to get more reading done at the end of the week but that didn't really happen. Fingers crossed this week as I am back on the wards next week for semester 3. I'm excited about that mind you but last time I barely read anything I was so tired. I don't expect it to be much different this time.

This week I read;

Revenge of the Tide by Elizabeth Haynes. Very disappointed with this book. The more I read the more I hated the character.

Just now I am reading;

Possession by A. S. Byatt. A bit of a slow start but really getting into the story and the mystery now. To be fair I hadn't read much of it until last night which has more to do with the slow start than the book.

The Granta Book of the American Short Story Vol2 edited by Richard Ford. I have read a few of the stories now although I am only a small part of the way through the book. I am liking the change in pace from novel to short story. Nothing has really stood out yet but I have enjoyed what I have read.

Next I plan to read;

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. This is for the classics challenge. I am looking forward to this as this will be my first book by Woolf. And yes, this is yet another vintage cover. Look how pretty!

Later on tonight I will do my month round up. Had quite a good reading month this time. Anyone trying anything new this week?

Revenge of the Tide - Elizabeth Haynes

Genevieve is living the dream that she and her father always wanted. She is taking a year out of her hectic life in London to live on a large canal boat and renovate it. After five months and a lot of the work done she decides to have a  party to celebrate figuring it would be a good way to get her London friends and boat friends to get together. All goes well until later that night when she finds the body of her best friend floating in the water next to her boat. She has an inkling as to who did it but can't tell anyone. As more threats appear the man who is supposed to be protecting her is out of touch. She has no choice but to rely on Detective Jim Carling to help her without telling him everything.

Sorry, but I couldn't help make comparisons to her first book Into The Darkest Corner. She uses the same writing techniques so it's hard not to. Basically it's the flashbacks she is using. Like the protagonist in the first book we don't really know that much about Genevieve's past life but the flashbacks reveal it as the plot moves forward. With the first one I didn't particularly like the character in her past but those events changed her and she grew up quite a bit making her someone I liked and felt for. With Genevieve I didn't particularly like her from these flashbacks too but since they went back less than a year the more I learned the more I hated the character. She was selfish, manipulative and willing to do just about anything to get what she wants. Plus she put everyone around her in danger. I went from liking her at the start and enjoying her pet project to thoroughly disliking her by the end. If she had been killed off I wouldn't have been upset about it.

I was intrigued enough by the story line to keep going with it though. It was easy to guess what she was hiding but there must have been something more to it than that. When the truth was finally revealed it was a bit disappointing. I was expecting something more imaginative than what it was. The red herring would have been far more exciting in the end.

If the author hadn't used the exact same techniques I don't think I would have been so quick to compare. I might have been a little less disappointed than I was despite very much liking her first book. However, it doesn't take away the fact that by the end I didn't care what happened to her character. I cared more about the others living on boats and that might have been the main reason I kept going. It won't stop me from reading any other books that she writes in the future but I might be a little less excited about their release.

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clarke has just been made redundant after working 6 years at the Buttered Bun. She's 26 and still doesn't know what to do with her life. However, her family is in financial difficulty so she has no choice but to take on the job as carer to a 35 year old quadriplegic man. She has never done any type of caring job before but then she's been hired for her bubbly personality and chattyness. Will Traynor had a very hectic life which he made sure he filled to the full. He was in a high stress job which he loved. Had a great crowd of friends and made sure that he tried everything which meant adventure holidays. One tragic day he is hit by a motorcycle and now he has to rely on everyone else to do things for him. It's not the life he wants and he can't stand thinking of the life he had. In his eyes that leaves only one option. Lou though has other ideas. She has come to care about this man despite their rocky start and is determined to prove to him that life is worth living.

Despite the readathon I stayed up until late on Sunday finishing this one. I was warned that might happen mind you. First of all Louisa doesn't actually come across as 26. She comes across as a lot younger. Possibly because she is doesn't know what to do with her life and is happy just living her small life and not putting herself out there. It's not just that though, it's her way of looking at life too. Sometimes her younger sister seems older than her. It's not a flaw though because I actually liked her. I liked the fact that she was a bright and happy person who always looked on the positive side. I liked all the other characters too. Will is intelligent and despite the way he treats Lou at first he doesn't come across as bitter as what he could have been. The only character I didn't take to was Will's mum but you never really saw her point of view.

I'm not going into the whole debate of euthanasia. It's a touch subject and to be honest I would be here all day. Hat off to Moyes though for tackling the subject and she did it well I thought. She was able to show not just how the individual feels but how it effects those who love them. It did have me in tears mind you. I sobbed for the better part of 80 pages. Been a long time since a book did that to me. Was a pretty sight I'm sure.

Despite the subject it was a fairly easy read and, like I said already, one I couldn't put down. It did have a few pages from different characters points of view and I think I would have liked a little bit more of that but otherwise I very much enjoyed it.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday is a book meme hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. It's a great way for everyone to share what they've been reading.

This is really two weeks in one but the first book on my list is the only book from the previous week. The res are from last week. I had a very good week reading wise. My course work is just about done and most of it has been handed in so I have relaxed a bit. Even took a trip to my local library. I haven't been since it relocated and it's all very modern and fancy. I quite like it though and I won't leave it so long before I go back. Also of course there was the readathon which was a lot of fun and most of these finishes are from that. Hope everyone else had a good week too.

Last two weeks I read;

Empire State - Adam Christopher. A great sci fi noir book. I read this for the sci fi challenge. I picked it rather than the group choice as I didn't want to buy more books (trying to be good). Glad I did as I very much enjoyed it.

Angelmaker - Nick Harkaway. Yes, I actually finished this last week. It was so good but it was the hardback edition that was slowing me down. A great story of a clockwork device that could destroy the world, spies and government agencies fighting over it and one poor clockwork repair man caught in the middle. Very different from his first book.

Freedom - Jonathan Franzen. I read this for the mixing it up challenge under the modern fiction category. I had been looking forward to it since seeing so many people raving about it and I had never read this author before. I know that a lot of people had problems with it, particularly the characters, but I loved it. Found it hard to put down.

The Doctor Will See You Now - Max Pemberton. The first of the readathon books. This is the third in a serious of books about Pemberton's time as a junior doctor. I remember describing the first one as similar to scrubs (without the daydreams). This is just as funny but still has a serious note. I liked it all the more because I recognised quite a bit of it.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie. I thought I had two of these waiting for the readathon but no, just this one. Such a good one too. No Hastings but probably my favourite starring Poirot to date.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay. Since everyone raves about the TV series I have been wanting to read the books. I quite enjoyed the first one although it's not the best book I have ever read. I got the impression that we are supposed to like Dexter despite him being a serial killer. I'm afraid to say I didn't. He came across as a little too smug. Haven't completely written off the books or the TV show though as I did still like it.

The Grass Is Singing - Doris Lesson. This was her first book so I am not going to be too harsh on her for not really enjoying it (The Golden Notebook is one of my favourites). I think more than anything it was the wrong choice for the hours I most struggled with. So I am not going to review it as I don't think I would be giving it a fair review.

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes. Still to review it. Ellie warned me that this book kept her up all night reading. Sure enough after a short nap and dinner I picked it up and that was me. Wasn't going back to sleep until I had finished it. I think I sobbed for the entire last 80 pages. I got this from the library and it's on short loan because of it's popularity. With how slow my reading has been I was actually worried about getting it read on time which is why I picked it up yesterday.

Just now I am reading;

The Granta Book of the American Short Story Vol2 - Richard Ford. This is the other book I got from the library. I picked it up because I do like a short story (a new appreciation) and flicking through it I saw a few authors I love in there. Only read the first one and very much liked it.

Revenge of the Tide - Elizabeth Haynes. I have only just started it so can't comment but like her first book.

Next I plan to read;

Possession - A. S. Byatt. I love this cover, good old Vintage - although not one of their classics. I read The Children's Book when it first came out a few years ago and loved it. Have been meaning to read this one ever since. Looking forward to it.

And that's me. I promise that was a one off. Anyone else had their reading week expanded thanks to the readathon?

Farewell Readathon, Farewell

Still getting used to this whole instagram malarky. I must admit I like the effect and I could get addicted to it if it didn't kill my phone battery. We'll see how long it takes before I get bored.

The photo is actually relevant (sort of). This candle was bought especially for the readathon. It's my favourite and when I went to get a new one yesterday it was half price. Otherwise I would not have bought the larger one. I know a wee advert for Yankee candle here but I LOVE them. This one you only need lit for five minutes before your room smells like a packet of sweeties. Great if you like fruity smells. The wee lego man routed me on.

Well, the readathon is over and I have had a four hour nap. Have to admit that I did read for another hour after. Ellie warned me about Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. She wanted to stay up all night reading it and I wanted to keep going. I should have read that one rather than the Doris Lessing.

Anyways, I had loads of fun doing the readathon. My last post says my achievements so not going to go into it again. But I will say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me. I raised £115 for Crohns and Colitis UK. Not bad considering I was doing it for a bit of fun. It did add to the pressure though of staying awake. I would have had a nap otherwise.

I'm not going to be reviewing The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing. I think that's the first book I won't have reviewed here since I became addicted to book blogging. I don't think it would be fair to the book. I didn't really enjoy it but I think it had more to do with the fact that it was the wrong book to choose for this. I did have my doubts when I added it to the pile but I wanted something just a tiny bit heavier in there. Lesson learned. I also read it during the hardest hours so I don't think I was being fair to it. Truth is I think under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed it and probably should have started Me Before You in its place.

I will be doing this again but not sure if I will add the pressure of raising money. If I can I might get more people involved and we could do it as a group, less pressure that way. It may not be an issue though. With course work I may have to limit myself to 12 hours which is fine. I also think that next time I want to take part in more of the mini challenges. I was set on the reading side I think I missed out there.

Hope everyone who took part had lots of fun. I am off to read believe it or not.

Readathon: Post 4

Hour 19 Have to confess it was touch and go there as to whether or not I would stay awake. Got my mojo back although my reading has slowed to a snails pace. Managed just 54 pages of Doris Lessing's The Grass Is Singing. The good news is that I have breached the 1000 page mark. Now at page 1021. Oh, and that was my treat from earlier. Very messy and very tasty.

Hour 21 Just four hours left and I have read 100 pages. I think I am past the worst and will make it to the end now. Not particularly enjoying this book although it's not the worst in the world.

Hour 22 No more reviews. I can't do it any more. My brain is frazzled and it's all I can do to follow the next book. Started reading Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. Wasn't on my original book list because I have read them all, woo hoo! I picked this one because I have heard good things and because it's a library book that only has a two week loan (due to popularity I assume). Only 8 pages in. So far I have read four books and a total of 1180 pages.

Hour 24 And just one last hour left. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it at one point. Here is my questionnaire answers

1. hours 17-19 were the most daunting. At one point I didn't think I was going to manage it.
2. It's all really down to everyone's taste but I think easy reads and short ones are the way to go. The Doris Lessing book was the poorest choice for me. The others I have enjoyed.
3. Liked the readathon just the way it was
4. The cheers worked for me. It was nice that we all kept each other going.
5. I have read a total of four books and possibly one half by the time I get to the end of this hour
6. I read;
The Doctor Will See You Now
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Darkly Dreaming Dexter
The Grass Is Singing
7. The Agatha Christie was my favourite
8. Doris Lessing was my least favourite but I did struggle then and it was probably not my best choice.
9 NA
10. Yes, I would like to take part again although I didn't realise how difficult the full 24 hours was. Might not look for sponsorship as then I won't feel guilty if I take a nap (which I didn't this time and I am feeling it).