Its Monday! What Are You Reading? (29th April)

Its Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly bookish meme held onBook Journey by Sheila. It’s a great place to discuss your week in reading and see what others are reading too.

Books Read

I finished one book in the last week – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I tend to have a bit of a love/hate relationships with the classics but I’m pleased  to say that i really loved this book.

Reading Now

I’m currently reading His Dark Lady by Victoria Lamb. This is the second book in a series and I read the first last year and loved it so I’m hoping this book is as good! So far Its good though.

Readng Next

Next up is a book that I’ve had on my kindle for a long time, almost a year and a half, Hollowland byAmanda Hocking. Its a young adult book about Zombies and its not a subject that i normally read but I’m going to give it a go.

Synopsis – Hollowland – the first book in the young adult dystopian series The Hollows..

“This is the way the world ends – not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door.”

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way – not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

Started – 19/4/13

Finished – 25/4/13

Format – Kindle e-book

 

Challenges – Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

BBC Top 200 Books

1001 Books You Must Read

Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge

501 Must Read Books

World Book Night 2012 Challenge

 

Synopsis – Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine’s father. After Mr Earnshaw’s death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine’s brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries.

The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

My Thoughts – I downloaded this book when I first got my Kindle as there are a lot of classics out there that I havent read and as it was free i didnt really have a lot to loose. I seem to have a rather love/hate relationship with the classics i either really love them and get sucked into them or i hate them and cant get into the story or understand them. Happily this was a book that I absolutely loved and got really into the story.

This book tells the story of Catherine and Heathcliff who have grown up together and social class is really the main factor in the reason that there relationship doesnt get going. They both end up marrying other people and Heathcliff ends up vowing revenge on Catherines new husband.

At the start of the book you see how the story ends up and as its told through the eyes of someone else the story is revealed all the way through the book. I did enjoy the story told in this way and it added to the mystery of the book and how the characters ended up in the way that they did.

I found this book very east to get into and i really understood the language too. Another good point for me was there is not an extensive list of characters which made this book a lot easier to read.

I do wish i had read this in the middle of the winter though as i think it would have added to the atmosphere of the book.

This book is very good and it had also made me make my mind up to try more classics as this was a book that i very much enjoyed.

Rating – 4.5/5

On the TBR – Brothers Fury – Giles Kristian

On The TBR is a new thing I’m trying out on my blog to try and keep a record of the books i buy and download this year.

Brothers Fury by Giles Kristian was sent to me by the publishers Transworld. I am reading a lot of historical fiction at the minute and I’m really enjoying it.

Synopsis – Rebel Cast out from his home, rejected by his family, Tom Rivers returns to his regiment. But his commander believes the young hothead’s recklessness and contempt for authority has no place in his troop. But to a spymaster like Captain Crafte, Tom’s dark and fearless nature is in itself a weapon to be turned upon the hated Cavaliers – who else would dare to infiltrate Oxford, now the Royalist capital, to destroy the King’s printing press and strike a blow at the very heart of the enemy? Renegade Raw with grief at the death of his father, Edmund Rivers rejects the peace talks between Parliament and the King. He chooses instead to lead a hardened band of marauders across the moors, appearing out of the frozen world to fall on unsuspecting rebel columns like wolves. But Prince Rupert – recognising in Mun a fellow child of war – has other plans for him, from stealing a colossal gun, to tunneling beneath the walls of Lichfield. The only peace the enemy will get from Mun Rivers is that of the grave. Huntress Her heart broken following the deaths of her beloved Emmanuel and her father, Bess Rivers takes the hardest decision of her life: to leave her new-born son and depart Sheer House in search of tghe one person who might help her re-unite what is left of her broken family. Risking her own life on the road, Bess will do whatever it takes to find her brother Tom and secure his Royal pardon, but can she douse the flames of her brothers’ fury and see them reconciled?

This book sounds very good and will be picking it up in a couple of books time. It will be published 23rd May 2013.

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (22nd April)

Its Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly bookish meme held onBook Journey by Sheila. It’s a great place to discuss your week in reading and see what others are reading too.

I’ve had yet another week of extreme busyness! My boyfriend has just gone self employed so things have been busy setting up his new company.

Books Read

I finished one book in the last week, Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. This book was picked as the April reading circle choice and i did enjoy it despite the fact its a very big book and took me two weeks to read. It tells the story of Henry VIII and I think I’ll end up picking up the follow up book. I did get a bit stuck on who was who at times though.

Reading Now

I’m currently reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I’m always very wary of reading the classics because I’m a bit hit and miss with them but this is a classic that I am really enjoying. I think this is going to be one of my favourite love stories.

Readng Next

Next up is a book that I got sent from the publishers, His Dark Lady by Victoria Lamb. I read the first book in the series last year and really enjoyed it so I’m hoping this book is as good.

Synopsis -When young, aspiring playwright William Shakespeare encounters Lucy Morgan, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s ladies-in-waiting, the two fall passionately in love. He declares Lucy the inspiration for his work, but what secret is Will hiding from his muse?

 Meanwhile, Lucy has her own secret – and one that could destroy her world if exposed. No longer the chaste maid so valued by the Virgin Queen, she also bore witness to the clandestine wedding of Lettice Knollys and Robert Dudley, a match forbidden by the monarch.

 England is in peril. Queen Elizabeth’s health is deteriorating, her throne under siege from Catholic plotters and threats of war with Spain. Faced with deciding the fate of her long-term prisoner, Mary, Queen of Scots, she needs a trusted circle of advisors around her now more than ever. But who can she turn to when those closest to her have proved disloyal?

 And how secure is Lucy’s position at court, now that she has learned the dangerous art of keeping secrets?

Books Brought

None this week.

Wolf Hall – Hillary Mantel

Started – 30/3/13

Finished – 19/4/13

Format – Hardback Book

Challenges – World Book Night 2012 Longlist

Synopsis –  ‘Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning,’ says Thomas More, ‘and when you come back that night he’ll be sitting on a plush cushion eating larks’ tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.’ England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey’s clerk, and later his successor.

Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

My Thoughts – This book was picked for the April reading circle choice and its also a book that I have wanted to read for quite a while.

This book tells the story of Thomas Cromwell and his relationship to King Henry VIII, his divorce from Katherine and his next marriage to Anne. Now when i first picked this book up i was a little put off by its size. My copy was around 650 pages and hardback so at first sight it was quite a book to read.

I did have a problem remembering who was who as there is a lot of characters in the book and i did have to keep on refering back to the list of characters at the front of the book.

However i did enjoy the story of the book and got really into it. I thought it was a good representation of the time period explaining the plague and how many people died during that time. I also thought that Anne was represented quite harshly and made out to be quite nasty and I’m not too sure if she was actually like that.

I would like to read the second book in the series at some point. I’m not going to rush out and buy it but its a book i would like to read some day.

Rating – 3/5

Its Monday! What are you Reading? (8th April)

Its Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly bookish meme held onBook Journey by Sheila. It’s a great place to discuss your week in reading and see what others are reading too.

My reading mojo is still here and picking up however I’m just not having the time to read.

Books Read

I havent actually finished anything this week I’ve been so busy reading my current book and its massive.

Reading Now

i’m currently reading Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. Its the choice for the reading circle this month and I am really enjoying it however the book is massive. I am getting a bit confused with all the characters in it!

Next up

Next up is a book that has been on my kindle for a little while – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Its a classic book that ive never read so i hope i enjoy it!

 

On the TBR – The Separation – Christopher Priest

On The TBR is a new thing I’m trying out on my blog to try and keep a record of the books i buy and download this year.

The Separation by Christopher Priest is a book that has been on my wishlist for a long time and one that I’m so pleased to finally get my hands on it.

Synopsis – THE SEPARATION is the story of twin brothers, rowers in the 1936 Olympics (where they met Hess, Hitler’s deputy); one joins the RAF, and captains a Wellington; he is shot down after a bombing raid on Hamburg and becomes Churchill’s aide-de-camp; his twin brother, a pacifist, works with the Red Cross, rescuing bombing victims in London. But this is not a straightforward story of the Second World War: this is an alternate history: the two brothers – both called J.L. Sawyer – live their lives in alternate versions of reality. In one, the Second World War ends as we imagine it did; in the other, thanks to efforts of an eminent team of negotiators headed by Hess, the war ends in 1941. THE SEPARATION is an emotionally riveting story of how the small man can make a difference; it’s a savage critique of Winston Churchill, the man credited as the saviour of Britain and the Western World, and it’s a story of how one perceives and shapes the past.

I really enjoy books set in this time period so fingers crossed this book is good!

Teachers Top 100 Books

The Times Educational Supplement (TES) have asked over 500 teachers for there top books and these are the results. I think I am quite tempted to have this as another reading challenge as i have already read a few and have several on my TBR and Wishlist.

1. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

2. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

3. Harry Potter (series) J.K. Rowling

4. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte

5. Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte

6. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell

7. The Lord of the Rings (series) J.R.R. Tolkien

8. The Book Thief Markus Zusak

9. The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien

10. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

11. The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini

12. The Hunger Games (series) Suzanne Collins

13. The Time Traveller’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger

14. The Chronicles of Narnia (series) C.S. Lewis

15. Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck

16. Birdsong Sebastian Faulks

17. His Dark Materials (series) Philip Pullman

18. The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

19. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger

20. Life of Pi Yann Martel

21. Tess of the d’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy

22. Rebecca Daphne du Maurier

23. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon

24. Lord of the Flies William Golding

25. Matilda Roald Dahl

26. Catch-22 Joseph Heller

27. Millennium (series) Stieg Larsson

28. Animal Farm George Orwell

29. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood

30. Persuasion Jane Austen

31. One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez

32. Kensuke’s Kingdom Michael Morpurgo

33. Goodnight Mister Tom Michelle Magorian

34. The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

35. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl

36. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne

37. Little Women Louisa May Alcott

38. One Day David Nicholls

39. We Need to Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver

40. The Twits Roald Dahl

41. Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel

42. A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini

43. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame

44. Frankenstein Mary Shelley

45. Great Expectations Charles Dickens

46. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis de Bernieres

47. George’s Marvellous Medicine Roald Dahl

48. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams

49. Room Emma Donoghue

50. Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy

51. Atonement Ian McEwan

52. Emma Jane Austen

53. Middlemarch George Eliot

54. The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon

55. The Color Purple Alice Walker

56. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle

57. Brave New World Aldous Huxley

58. Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen

59. The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath

60. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll

61. Charlotte’s Web E.B. White

62. Dracula Bram Stoker

63. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

64. A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving

65. The Secret History Donna Tartt

66. The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery

67. Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky

68. The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver

69. Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy

70. Skellig David Almond

71. The Woman in White Wilkie Collins

72. Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell

73. Game of Thrones (series) George R.R. Martin

74. David Copperfield Charles Dickens

75. Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro

76. Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak

77. Twilight (series) Stephenie Meyer

78. Beloved Toni Morrison

79. The Help Kathryn Stockett

80. Sherlock Holmes (series) Arthur Conan Doyle

81. Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

82. Moneyball Michael Lewis

83. My Family and Other Animals Gerald Durrell

84. Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden

85. On the Road Jack Kerouac

86. Cloud Atlas David Mitchell

87. Wild Swans Jung Chang

88. Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery

89. Les Miserables Victor Hugo

90. Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

91. Private Peaceful Michael Morpurgo

92. Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman

93. Cider with Rosie Laurie Lee

94. Danny the Champion of the World Roald Dahl

95. Down and Out in Paris and London George Orwell

96. The Magic Faraway Tree Enid Blyton

97. The Witches Roald Dahl

98. The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy

99. Holes Louis Sachar

100. The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde.

March 2013 Book Round Up

Well thats another month gone, another very cold month and hopefully the cold weather will start to go away now. The last couple of days the weather has been very sunny so hopefully it will continue to warm up a bit. My reading this month has been about average i managed 6 books but i have wanted to read more this month so that can only be a good thing. According to Goodreads i have read 17/80 books so far this year which is 3 books or 4% behind schedual. Never mind I have plenty of time to catch up yet.

Books Read

12)Life of Pi – Yann Martel (2010 book, paperback book) I did really enjoy this book especially the twist at the end. I didnt really see that one coming and it did leave me thinking.

13) Dangerous Liaisons – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (2013 book, e-book) I really did not enjoy this book i struggled to understand what was going on in this book.

14)Fifty Shades Freed – E. L. James (2012 book, ibook) I really liked this book even though i thought i wouldnt and it was a good end to the series.

15)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J. K. Rowling (re-read, Hardback book) This is my 2nd favourite book in the series and i really loved it. I love revisiting this magical world.

16)Ground Truth – Patrick Bishop (2013 book, paperback) This book was a present for me this year and i have to say i did enjoy it even though it did go into the horrible aspect of the war in Afghanistan.

17)What is it About Yorkies? – Dr Harry Jay (2012 book, e-book) This was a very short read however i did enjoy it.

Books carried over

I am currently reading Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. This book was picked for the April reading circle and while i am enjoying it its a little confusing with all the characters. Still i think i’ll end up liking this book.

I am also re-reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and although I’m only a couple of pages into it i am already enjoying it.

Reading Challenges

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge – Life of Pi.

1001 Books You Must Read – Life of Pi and Dangerous Liaisons.

Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge – Life of Pi.

501 Must Read Books – Life of Pi.

World Book Night 2012 Challenge – Life of Pi.

Books Brought

Ian Fleming – Casino Royale

Ian Fleming – Diamonds are Forever

Ian Fleming – Doctor No

Ian Fleming – For Your Eyes Only

Ian Fleming – From Russia With Love

Ian Fleming – Goldfinger

Ian Fleming – Live and Let Die

Ian Fleming – Moonraker

Ian Fleming – Octopussy

Ian Fleming – On Her Majestys Secret Service

Ian Fleming – The Man With The Golden Gun

Ian Fleming – The Spy Who Loved Me

Ian Fleming – Thunderball

Ian Fleming – You Only Live Twice

Cassandra Clare – City of Ashes

Cassandra Clare – City of Bones

Cassandra Clare – City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare – City of Glass

Cassandra Clare – City of Lost Souls – The Ian Fleming Books and Cassandra Clare books were my birthday present from my boyfriend.

Lovely Green Eyes – Arnost Lustig – One from the wishlist.

Wolf Hall – Hillary Mantel – This months reading circle book.

What is it About Yorkies? – Dr Harry Jay

Started – 28/3/13

Finished – 30/3/13

Format – Kindle e-book

 

Synopsis – Dog Training Yorkies – What Is It About Yorkies is about how to potty train a yorkie and training your yorkie puppy. The dog training methods are not different than others but there are some unique dog training tips regarding Yorkies you need to know. So this book offers you the complete Yorkie information. For those of you that follow my writing, my subject matter is usually of a more serious nature. Every once in a while I like to write about a subject that isn’t so serious and my dog is one such subject. But I must add, I usually end of writing about some behavioral science traits that are applicable to the subject matter (I can’t help it; it’s a living.). My dog is a Yorkie and his name is Gage. He weighs all of about 7-pounds and he thinks he is a guard dog. For his size, he literally is not afraid of anything (I live in Southern Utah and watched Gage charge a full grown 14-point stag deer that had to weight about 800 lbs.). He makes me laugh (and cry sometimes) and he has more idiosyncrasies than a manic person or as I like to say, “He has issues!”…

 

My Thoughts – I downloaded this book last year when it was free for a day on the kindle. I have a little yorkshire terrier cross bred dog who at best could be described as challenging but i love him all the same.

 

This book is very short only 33 pages according to Amazon so it is quite hard to write some thoughts down on it. It is basically a man writing down his thoughts on his dog that he loves very much.

 

I enjoyed this book very much as i could relate to it and i did wish it could be longer so i could enjoy more of his thoughts about his dog.

 

Rating – 3/5