November Reading Roundup | Book Reviews

Hi, Today I've got another round up of what I've been reading this month. I've really been putting in the hours as the year is drawing to a end and I'm still a little way from my yearly reading goal. I've managed to read four books, one of which being this months #Sassybooks pick 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' by Emily M. Danforth.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man 

Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

Author - Jonas Jonasson

Page Count - 396

First Published - 2012

Allan Karlsson is a very old man, on the day of his 100th birthday he climbs out of the window of the care home where he lives and goes on an adventure. He heads to the local bus station to see where he can go and ends up with a suitcase full of money. The story is told from the perspective of Allen but from his younger and older self in parallel. His present is light hearted and a tale of the suitcase, friendship and running for the police. His past however is much deeper, his life a connection of events deep routed in politics where he was always in the right place at the wrong time. I found this a little confusing as the chapters are really long and it took me a while to remember what had happened previously in both time zones. 

I think the style of writing works for the book, his past does have a big influence on the present and I liked how both elements of the story drew to an end at the same time. I enjoyed reading about the life of this old man, he has a big story to tell but I think these elements where a little drawn out, the fact that everything goes so smoothly for him gets a little boring, I much preferred reading about his present adventure and seeing how that would eventually end.

The Fault in Our Stars

Author - John Green

Page Count - 313

First Published - 2012

I think just about everyone knows this story, I saw the film and really fell for this love story. Hazel is a teenager living with cancer, the kind where it's under control for now but she feels like a ticking time bomb of unstoppable grief at the event of her death. One day at Support group she meets Augustus a cancer survivor. From the moment they meet he does not hide his interest in Hazel and they become friends, the only thing stopping them becoming more is hazel's fear of causing even more grief.

The story is set around Hazels favourite book which has a sudden cliff hanger ending, she wants anwsers from the author about what happens to the people left behind, this leads her and Augustus on a journey to Amsterdam. I enjoyed this book even more than the film, it's such an easy read that just carries you along with the couple on their journey. I finished it in only two days as it's a real page turner and even though I knew how sad this story is it got me emotional all over again.

Authority

Author - Jeff VanderMeer

Page Count - 341

First Published - 2014

The second installment in the southern reach trilogy. Unlike most trilogies where you feel like you are reacquainted with an old friend 'Authority' is like starting a completely new book. The first installment 'Annihilation' is set within area X but this book is set within the government organization building trying to work out what area X is from the perspective of a totally new character.

The story follows Control as he try's to unravel the mysteries of area X with the limited information they have available. The author writes in a very descriptive way that draws out simple elements of the story into much longer sequences which makes the story a little drawn out. A few questions are answered from the first book only to create new ones. This isn't a series I've really enjoyed so far I just hope it all ties together with the final book to make it worth the effort.

 Have you set yourself a reading goal?
Sam

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth | #Sassybooks November

Hi, Another #Sassybooks review for you today, this month we read 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post', a young adult novel focusing on the feelings of a young girl who is gay, set in the early nineties when not everyone's sexuality was accepted as openly as it is today. This book has been a real struggle to finish in time as it's just so long, don't forget to check out Charlotte's and Hayley's blogs for next month's book choice.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Author - Emily M. Danforth
Page Count - 470
First Published - 2012

Cameron post is a girl of 12 when her friendship with best friend Irene takes a sudden turn and they kiss. Cameron is both excited and confused by the event right from the beginning knowing she is doing something unconventional and frowned upon. Shortly after Cameron's parents have a tragic accident leaving her an orphan, her first thought is that her parents will never have to know her secret. Following her parents death, religious Aunt Ruth moves to secluded Miles City to become Cameron's guardian.

The story then follows Cameron over the years documenting her self discovery up until the point when Coley Taylor arrives in town, the perfect cowgirl type with a boyfriend. They form an unlikely friendship, which leads to much more and then Cameron's sexuality becomes public information. Overly religious Ruth sends Cameron to 'promise' a gay correction school in an attempt to 'fix' her niece.

The book is split into three sections: Summer 1989, High School 1991-1992 and God's Promise 1992-1993, the sections make the passing of time more apparent. I liked that there where odd little images of postcards and handwritten notes added among the text. The chapters where so long which I don't think helped me on my mission to finish this book. I didn't give myself nearly enough time to really enjoy it, having to force myself to read it to get it finished in time for the review. I fear that if I didn't have a deadline I would have been stuck reading this book for a considerably longer amount of time.

The writing is really lovely and very descriptive but at times the plot line seemed too distant for me to really be interested and submerged within the story. I really enjoyed the concept but I failed to connect with Cameron. She seems almost too laid back about the whole situation of being sent away and doesn't stand up for her own feelings nearly enough. I loved the elements of friendship and generally the young adult vibes but I think the true point of the story, the difference between rights and beliefs was a little under developed.

I'm looking forward to finding out what we are reading in December. Have you read this book?
Sam

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October Reading Roundup | Book Reviews

Hi, This month I've read five books in total, four are reviewed here and the fifth 'Am I Normal Yet? was this months #Sassybooks choice, you can read the review here. I'm trying to read 35 books by the end of the year as a goal, I'm currently at 27. I want to try to find something festive themed to read in the coming months, any suggestions would be great.

How to Build a Girl

Author - Caitlin Moran

Page Count - 352

First Published - 2015

Set in the early 90's, Johanna Morrigan is a teenage girl who lives with her large family in an over crowded home, they claim benefits and struggle to get by. Johanna is over weight, dresses in hand me downs and humiliated herself on national TV. She wants to kill herself but not in the literal way, but to 'build a girl' and become someone new from the ashes of her previous self, this is when she created Dolly Wilde. She goes from socially awkward teenage to music critic to be reckoned with, the only noticeable difference in her is that she now wears makeup and top hat.

I enjoyed the first third of this book and then I really lost interest. The setting up of the story was good and I wanted to know what was going to happen. Once the scene was set it was like the book just kept repeating. Johanna discovers alcohol and sex and becomes the ‘Lady Sex Adventurer’ this made for rather unpleasant reading, it wasn't so much the sex but how it was written. The book is covered in reviews saying how funny it is but I must have missed the joke. I don't think Johanna sounds like a teenager in her dialogue and as such I couldn't relate, her life seems one of someone much older than sixteen.

Annihilation

Author - Jeff VanderMeer

Page Count - 208

First Published - 2014

Annihilation is the first book in the Southern Reach trilogy. The story is based on Area X, a supernatural area that appeared 30 years before. It's a misunderstood area where nature is claiming back the land, growing bigger all the time. A expedition group of an Anthropologist, a Surveyor, a Psychologist, and a Biologist, all female, make up the 12th expedition to Area X. The story is told from the perspective of a Biologist, who along with the other characters remains nameless.

From the start it's obvious that not everything they have been told is true and that there was a lot of information left out. Not that it made much difference, they knew what they where getting themselves into. Previous expeditions either died, killed each other or returned a shell of their former selves. The writing style is designed to drip feed small amounts of information and keep you the reader in the dark about what is going on. Even now I've finished reading the book I'm not really any wiser to what is going on.

To say this book was so small it was a real effort to finish. The scenery in the book is a little lacking in description to make me truly interested in the beauty of this unknown land. As a stand alone novel it feels unfinished, been a trilogy is this books saving grace. Even though I wasn't blown away by this book I'm interested to see what other secrets/developments take place in the next installment.

Station Eleven

Author - Emily St. John Mandel

Page Count - 384

First Published - 2014

The story starts on the night when Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a a performance of king leer. Less than a week after an endemic hits as the Georgian Flu starts to spread out of control. The first few chapter left me a little lost as to where the story was heading but by the end it all made sense. 

The book tells the story of Arthur Leander before and after the outbreak, introducing you to other characters who survive the endemic and how life changes for them. There is a lot of time hoping and the story is told from a few different points of view which works so well in this story. The main focus for the after events after the outbreak is the Traveling Symphony, a group of survivors who try to keep Shakespeare and the preforming arts alive in a time of loss.

I loved this book, I put it on my summer reading list and finally got around to reading it, it was worth the wait. The story makes you want to read chapter after chapter to see who will cross paths and what happens to the characters in the new world without electricity or pharmaceuticals.

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting

Author - Holly Bourne

Page Count - 464

First Published - 2014

Brie is an avid story writer, her one true goal in life is to get some of her work published. Two novels later and a pile of rejection letters and she feels a little deflated with her chosen path. She talks to her English teacher about the issue and he suggests that maybe she needs to live her life more and become more interesting. This and the introduction to the concept of blogging leads to the creation of 'The Manifesto on How to be Interesting'.

Bree is an outsider, she doesn't even have a close relationship with her own parents to the point that she doesn't know what her dad does for a living. She is well off and attends a private school. You'd think she'd be happy but she's not, self harm features regularly within this book. Bree changes her appearance and becomes friends with the popular kids, her goal to sabotage their popularity bubble and document it online for the world to see.

I picked this book up after I enjoyed 'Am I Normal Yet?' so much, I don't think I enjoyed this quite as much as most of the bad things that happened to Bree where created by herself in the name of being interesting. I think there are element that are relate able but the story is a little farfetched at times. I finished it really quickly due to Holly's chatty writting style and I was genually drawn into the story.

What have you been reading this month?

Sam

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Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne | #Sassybooks October

Hi, Another #Sassybooks review for you today, this month we read 'Am I Normal Yet?' by Holly Bourne. By some weird twist of fate I decided to read this book the week before it was announced as the choice for October. As a result this review has been patiently waiting a whole month to be published and I can't wait to share it with you. Don't forget to check out Charlotte's and Hayley's blogs for next month's book choice.

Am I Normal Yet?

Author - Holly Bourne
Page Count - 448
First Published - 2015

The story is told from the perspective of Evie, a recovering sufferer of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The story joins her as she has come to terms with her mental health after receiving psychiatric help and has decided to try to come off her medication. Evie is about to start college and all she wants is to be normal and not the girl who went crazy. This starts her on a mission to be like everyone else 'Normal' doing what any other sixteen year old girl would do.

The story reflects all elements of Evie's day to day life including school, home life and socializing but goes that step further when showing how Evie's mental health makes these normal situation a minefield of conflicting emotions and uncontrollable behavior. Sadly Evie's quest to be normal is her biggest down fall. At college Evie makes new friends and tries to hide her mental health from them thinking they will reject her if they know. This is complicated by the added element of boys, one in particular who I was left hating so much.

One concept in the book I really enjoyed was the spinster club. A club Evie and her new friends create to talk about feminist issues, I thought this was a rather clever way of approaching such subjects maybe a little forced at time but it's great that such issues are being mentioned.

I am a fan of young adult novels and this book did not disappoint. The story is pretty much what you would expect of the young adult genre with teens not making the best decisions on their quest to be more grown up. Written in a very conversational way, I found it quite easy to relate to the characters. There are also some really lovely elements of friendship, self discover and a strong message of self love running through out.

This was a really compassionately written story which made me really connect with the characters and educated me, leaving me with a more informed insight into mental health. I read this book in a few sittings as I was totally drawn into the story. This is one of the best books I have read this year, so much so I made a point of reading more of Holly Bourne's work, which I will be reviewing shortly.

Have you read this book?
Sam

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September Reading Roundup | Book Reviews

Hi, With the weather changing and the nights drawing in a lot earlier I tend to get more reading done. I'm a little in shock at just how many books I've managed to fit I'm this month but then I feel this month hasn't gone as fast as normal and there's still a bit to go yet. I did have my little holiday which gave me some spare time to get some reading done. I'm also reviewing 'The opposite of Loneliness' for #sassybooks, my review will be up on Tuesday.

The Rivers of London

Author - Ben Aaronovitch

Page Count - 432

First Published - 2011

 

The story is told from the perspective of Peter a probationary constable who is about to get promoted to do the worst job in the department while his female college is climbing the ranks with much more interesting roles. All of this changes when detective Nightingale recruited him to be his apprentice. Peter is then introduced to the idea of been a new age wizard of sorts. Basically the supernatural we are lead to believe is stuff of folk law and stories is actually real and they works at keeping everything under wraps from the general public.

This is the first story in a series of many books set in London. This particular story is based around the rivers of London and their physical embodiment's, meaning that every river has a human form. There's a dispute about who owns which river that needs to be resolved, which runs parallel to the main story about a killer who isn't human. I enjoyed this book, not one of my favorites and I'm not sure I'll be rushing to read the others but it has a well thought out story. I liked the concept of magic and reality clashing in a modern setting but it didn't blow me away.

Looking for Alaska

Author - John Green

Page Count - 272

First Published - 2011

 

I wanted to read paper towns with it been released as a film but the library didn't have it so I settled with this book instead (wanting to read more John Green, the 'Fault in our star' film was so good). The book is written from the perspective of Miles a boy with a fascination for last words, who prior to going to Culver Creek was not the most social of people. He meets Alaska, Chip and Takumi and suddenly he has a social life.

The story is based on the antics and general life of students in a dorm situation, including pranks and a lot of underage drinking. Alaska is the focus for the story, with a mixture of teenage longing and underlying mental health issues. I enjoyed this story but felt it lost it's way a little when Alaska is the center of tragedy leaving the guys to blame themselves and try to work out what happened, without really getting anywhere. It's what I expected from a story of the young adult genre, with all the sexual tension and social unease.

The Company of Ghosts

Author - Berlie Doherty

Page Count - 272

First Published - 2013

 

This was a random pick from the library, I wanted a smaller book so that I knew I could finish it. The story starts with Ellie attempting to run away from home. She is taking the brake up of her parents badly, her father relocated to the other side of the UK and her mother has remarried. Ellie attempts to run away from home only to bump into Morag, a girl from her music class. This is the catalysis for the story that then takes Ellie to a lonely island after an invite to go on holiday with morag's family. After a sequence of unfortunate events Ellie finds herself alone on the island and things start to get weird, the title is a good hint for what happens.

The idea of been left on a island on your own is quite a scary one. I'm not really sure how much I liked this book, it wasn't badly written or anything like that, just the ghost wasn't that good. I'm sure ghosts can't touch people so that kind of spoilt it. The underlying story of the ghost girl was rather moving and I wanted her to be helped so she could finally have peace.

One Day

Author - David Nicholls

Page Count - 448

First Published - 2010

I've been meaning to read this for ages due to wanting to watch the film but wanting to read the book before hand. I finally bought it for a mere £3 and really enjoyed it. The book is about two character Dexter and Emma, both just graduating from Edinburgh university in 1988. The story follows them through the next twenty years of their lives with all the ups and downs you could expect. I love how cleverly written this book is rejoining the pair on the 15th of July every year, that been the date of their first real connection.

This book makes you think of the what ifs and shows how much your life can change over a period of many years. There where times when both characters excelled each other both professionally and romantically. If I take anything away from this book it would be to not give up on your dreams and that life is short. This was my favourite book of the month and I can't wait to watch the film and see how it compares.

Well that's a crazy amount of books and well done if you read all of the reviews! Have you got any recommendations for next month?

Sam

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8 Ways To Do More Reading

Hi, Happy Friday! Like myself you might be planning on enjoying a book this weekend, I love reading but I find it a real struggle to find the time. I have been using some helpful tips to make the most of my time to get in as much reading as possible. They really work as I've already read three books this month (two where only little but still). I'd really like to push myself and see how many books I can fit in by the end of the year. I'm currently reading One Day by David Nicholls.

Ways to do More Reading

Find the Format That Works For You

I prefer paper backs because I'm a tactile person and get a thrill from shutting a finished book but you might prefer to use an E-Reader for example, especially if it's a chunky book like game of thrones.

Use All Available Time
I am really bad for not making the most of my time and procrastinating at just about anything, including been bored. So I decided why not put this time to use and pick up a book, rather than letting time pass me by. If you wake up a little bit early read, waiting for your tea to cook read or got a lunch break that you spend watching the clock do some reading. I used to do most of my reading while commuting on public transport, sadly I do a lot of driving now.

Switch off Social Media
As much as I love to look at social media I try to not let it control how I spend all of my free time. Switch off from social media platforms and you'll find you have a lot more spare time throughout the day. This is a good one to follow for traveling, take a book with you to read and leave your phone alone.

Set an Amount of Time for Reading
If you have the spare time, give yourself an allotted amount of time to read each day. I tent to read just before bed or make a point of giving myself some time by reading in the bath.

Set Goals

I often set myself mini goals when I start reading a book. I like to tell myself to read at least one chapter a night, even if it's slow progress, it's still progress. Don't be too strict about it and only set achievable goals.

Try a New Genre

It might just be that you're not connecting with the book you're trying to read. Trying a different genre can open up new reading experiences and you could find a new favourite author.

Read a Book That is Now a Film/TV Show

If you find it hard to connect to characters why not read the book of a film you've enjoyed. It makes understanding the story easier and you might find out some interesting parts which were left out/changed.

Join a Book Club

Last month I took part in the #Sassybooks book club, being part of a book club is great motivation to read a book within a set time frame. If you would like to take part in the book club this month we are reading 'The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories' by Marina Keegan.

Good luck, let me know what you are reading I'm always looking for recommendations.
Sam

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Why I Enjoy Book Series

Hi, I love a good book and reading a book from cover to cover gives me a real buzz but there is something magical in the whole element of a series of books. I sometimes really don't want to say goodbye to a character or just feel that there could have been more to their story. In a series of books you get a much more in depth story line, time can pass between books but it's the same characters you've grown to love in their next chapter of existence. I'm not always aware that a book is part of a series and I've been lucky so far about picking the first book and not the third. Other books I picked purely for the fact they are a series, as I know this is something that I enjoy.

Book Series I Have Read

Harry Potter - JK Rowling

Obviously Harry Potter was going to be top of the list as it is probably the first series of books that I read and it goes without saying that it's good. The passing of time between the books in school years is a really clever way to create a series of books. I love the insight you get into the characters growing up and bonding to create such strong friendships. The whole inter woven storyline which takes place within all the books including dropped hints and a building unease for the final ending. I photographed 'The Goblet of Fire' because it is my favourite book.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I saw the first hunger games movie before I read the books, which I got so hooked on that I managed to read all of them in no time at all. The books as with most film adaptations are quite different, the story is more of an internal monologue from Katniss and the games come across a lot harsher down to the much longer time scale that comes across in the books.

The Legend Trilogy - Marie Lu

I read this trilogy back at the beginning of the year, borrowed from the library I didn't realize it was a trilogy. I totally fell for this story, I would highly recommend it you haven't read it. Boy meets girl but they are from different backgrounds a chance meeting is what sets off a chain reaction of events. Both are drawn to each other but have lost people they love down to the actions of the other, making their feelings conflicting.

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

Another Trilogy which should be on everyone's to read list if it hasn't been already. The descriptions are just magical.

The Maze Runner - James Dashner 

I bought the books as I wanted to read the story before seeing the film which is my preferred way. I can honestly say the film lost all the heart and soul of the books in transition so don't let it put you off. The books are really worth a read, I love that the characters find out what's going on as you do so you feel how confused they are about the events happening around them.

Game of Thrones (only on book 3) - George R.R. Martin

The books are different to the TV series in terms of timelines and going to have very different endings. The books are huge, so well worth the money.

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

I got this as a Christmas present, it was not a series I was all that bothered about and I found it quite hard to like the characters (just me?) but I know it has a massive following so might be worth a read if Vampires/Werewolf's are your thing. 

Tales of the Otori - Lian Hearn

I read these books years ago after borrowing them from the library one summer holiday back when I still had a summer holiday. The story is really good and has stayed with me all this time. I have found that there are now another two books in the series, so this is one series that I might have to reread.

Disc World - Terry Pratchett
There are so many, I have read quite a lot of the books from the disc world series, by far my favorites are 'Going Postal' and 'The Monstrous Regiment'. I love that there are mini series within one massive world so if you don't like one selection you'll probably love another dependent on the time and focus of the story.

Have you got a series of books you would recommend?

Sam

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