Thursday 29 November 2012

Book love

One of my very, very favourite things to do is read. I love it. I can't understand why you wouldn't read (and to be honest, I slightly distrust people who don't like reading...sorry!). I have always been a very speedy reader, but doing an english literature degree really stepped it up a notch.

So I've decided to start a new monthly feature on my blog - a wee recap on the books I've read in the last month. I think it'll be fun to see how many I go through in a year, and hopefully will provide reading inspiration if anyone out there is looking for a new book!

As this month has been taken over massively by nanowrimo I'm including October's reads too (which includes all of my holiday reading!). I should point out, these aren't meant to be 'real' reviews (I'm too rambly for that), just my thoughts of each one!


Summer of Night - Dan Simmons 
Dan Simmons writes terrifying books. I couldn't read The Terror if I was alone in the flat. I had to stop reading Drood because I had really mental nightmares about it (an embarrassingly true fact). This book is a total cracker though! It's one of his earlier books, and it is so so so scary. Read it & freak yourself out. Then read the Terror, because it's amazing.

Embassytown - China Mieville
I am a big fan of China Mieville, but found this a really tricky book to get into. I sometimes think I'm maybe just not smart enough for his books because they are always based around such a clever concept.. and with this one it meant I was spending more time trying to figure out what was happening, than enjoying the plot. He's an incredible author though - Perdido Street Station is a brilliant piece of fantasy fiction.

Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
I'm writing a young adult book at the moment, so thought it would be useful (and fun!) to read some books aimed at the same age group. This looked pretty good ("number one bestseller!" etc), but ohhhh I HATED Artemis Fowl. What an annoying character. He's just amazing and clever and perfect at everything. And he's not nice to his mum. No thank you.



Un Lun Dun - China Mieville
More young adult reading - this time a good one! I raced through the book really quickly, which was a nice change after my slow pace through Embassytown. He's just so creative and funny and good. I like him a lot. I can't wait until my book-loving niece is old enough for this, I think she'd love it.

Warlock - Wilbur Smith
I am a sucker for historical fantasy - I had read River God a few years ago, so was quite chuffed to find out that there was another novel in his Egyptian series (even though it came out in 2007... I am seriously behind the times). It was a perfect book to read on holiday - light enough to dip in and out of, but exciting enough that I absolutely raced through it!

American Gods - Neil Gaiman
This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, but I hadn't gotten round to reading it until last month. Neil Gaiman is really wonderful and you should read at least something by him, if you haven't already. Next up on my list is Anansi Boys, which (sort of) follows on from American Gods.



Patrick Ness - The Knife of Never Letting GoThe Ask and the Answer & Monsters of Men
These books make up the Chaos Walking trilogy and they are practically perfect in every way. Buy them buy them buy them! (I really can't recommend them strongly enough. Love love love).



Those in Peril - Wilbur Smith
I am usually quite of fan of an action/adventure book, but in this case - oh, bore off Wilbur Smith! If you've read any of his other books you really don't need to read this one. It's packed with one-dimensional characters who do daft things in daft situations. I really can't be bothered with female characters who are presented as being SO STRONG until they melt in the arms of an even stronger man. Whatever.

The Tommyknockers - Stephen King
I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. At the beginning and end it was exciting & scary & quite thrilling. But the middle went on FOREVER and it did feel like it was taking me months to read it.

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling
Ahh, we're definitely not in Hogsmeade any more! Like the rest of the world, I would have bought J.K. Rowling's new novel regardless of what it was actually about... she is an amazing storyteller and character writer. But small-town political dramas aren't really my cup of tea. I sort-of liked it. I definitely wouldn't re-read it though (sorry JK, I still love you).

14 comments :

  1. This post includes three of the books I've just borrowed from people! Weird! Which would you suggest I read first from American Gods, Un Lun Dun and The Casual Vacancy? I'm not sure Un Lun Dun will be my thing so maybe I should start with that! I think this will be a great feature x

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    1. Oooh well they are quite different books! Un Lun Dun is a very quick read, so would be a good one to start on.

      & thanks, I hope so! x

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  2. I read the Tommyknockers and I felt the same. Now I've finished I look back on it as amazing because the ending chunk was so good, but at the time the middle was just really about a lot of digging. Still love it though. Reading The Stand just now and it's just flat out amazing.

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  3. Summer of night is now on my hit list - thanks Juliet! x

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  4. I love China Mieville, but I run into the same thing, where sometimes I end up sitting and trying to decipher is cleverness. Perdido St. Station and the Scar are my favorites over Embassytown, but it was still brilliant! Curious to check out Un Lun Dun...

    And American Gods is one of my all-time favorites! Hooray for Neil Gaiman! :D

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like that!

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  5. Yay for gaiman love! Have you read any Joe Abercrombie? 'Tis pretty good fun! Have been meaning to check out Patrick Ness for ages, too, thanks for the reminder :-) xx

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    1. Not yet, I keep meaning to though! Will add him to the list x

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  6. Aaah, I've never read any of them but I love reading, at the mo it's all about Christmas books!
    XO

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    1. Yeah! I can't wait for the holidays, nothing better than reading in a cosy book with christmas chocolate x

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  7. Great idea for a blog post, I love reading recommendations!

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