Thursday 31 December 2015

End of year wrap up.





So there you have it I've finished my 53rd book of the year.



I've read a good mixture this year and here's to another year of good reading material.



So here are my top three of the year.





1   Misery by Stephen King.


I loved this book and comes in easily at the top position. It had everything I like in a book and it had me hooked right from the beginning.



2   The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

This is my favourite classic read of the year and my second favourite book read. Full of thrills, it had me hooked emotionally.



3   Lessons In Eating Soup by Melanie Grabowski.


This really is a beautifully written book.





So here's to 2016. I am hoping to again read at least 52 books and I am excited to know what will be coming my way.










The Invisible Man by H G Wells













For my last and 53rd book of the year I chose to read this old classic.



There have been lots of different versions of this done over the years, including on TV and at the movies, but it was fun to read the original. It was different to what I expected but it's a decent read considering it was written so long ago. It's cleverly written and it did keep my interest all the way. The Time Machine is still my favourite but this is still a fun read, even if it is a bit slow in parts.




An all round good romp.




3/5

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Random Man by Layden Robinson













This is a collection of seven short stories. Unfortunately apart from the last one, I found them to be plotless, trippy and pretty nonsensical. Written in a stream of consciousness style they left me trying to connect the dots too much.


This guy definitely has a great imagination and with the last story in the collection he proves that he can write a decent short story. I get what he was trying to do but it didn't work for me. Many of the characters in this short book are under the influence of drugs and alcohol and I get that but I still need a story to follow.

The last story entitled Leonard's Violet Dilemma is the best of the bunch and had just the right balance.





Finally this book could do with a decent cover and some further editing to iron out a few wrinkles.











2/5

Dougal Round The World by Eric Thompson












The folks from the Magic Roundabout go travelling!






I've had this book since I was a very young child and thought it would be nice to read it again after all these years for old times sake.



It's such an old book that I couldn't even find a google image of the front cover! My mum and dad met Eric at an event in the early seventies and he signed this for me and my sister so it's extra special. He sadly died at a young age but his two daughters have gone on to become famous in their own right as the actresses Emma and Sophie Thompson. 




This is a fun book for young children with lots of imagination and humour.





I can't really give it a rating. But kids I'm sure would still enjoy it even though the world has changed and The Magic Roundabout is no longer on our screens.




Friday 25 December 2015

The Boy who became Father Christmas by James Wilmot












It's Christmas morning and I've found myself with a few hours to spare before the madness begins during which I found this audio book on You Tube. I love it!



It's the perfect book for a child to read at this time of the year. It tells the story of how Father Christmas became Father Christmas! Even if you are just an old soppy sod like me you should read this and it will get you in the festive mood. It's well written and beautifully told. It will warm your heart.





Merry Christmas :)






5/5

Sunday 6 December 2015

Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson












This is the story of a girl who is brought up by her mum and an abusive father.





I always try to read a few children's books every year and I stumbled upon this on you tube and listened to the audio book. The colourful front cover grabbed my attention and I wasn't disappointed.


It's a great little story and it's probably aimed at 7 - 11 year olds but I think it could probably be enjoyed by all ages! It's a story that is full of light and shade and cleverly touches upon parental abuse but with an encouraging and happy ending.





I've read children's books by many authors but this is one of my favourites. I'd definitely recommend it to any parents if only to introduce their children to the fact that not all parents are good, but without scaring them too much. I'm not usually a big fan of audio books, they normally annoy me but this was great. It was well narrated and I loved the music as well. It's shame I didn't have the actual book because it sounds like the illustrations by Nick Sharratt were really good.







5/5






Thursday 3 December 2015

Eve's Diary by Mark Twain












I found this as an audio book on You Tube and thought it would be the perfect quick read.




Written in the style of a diary it is a unique and humorous portrayal of Adam and Eve. Written by Mark Twain it was written after the death of his wife and is part of a series of shorts that he wrote featuring the biblical characters.


I found it lightly amusing and quirky but it didn't set my world on fire.





3/5