What I’ve Been Reading – Autumn

May 30, 2018June 19, 20188 Comments

I am three quarters of the way through my challenge to read 50 books by the beginning of September 2018. At the end of my previous update I was feeling a little disheartened because I should have been halfway through my target of 50 books and I wasn’t. I have picked things up and have made significant progress the past three months and I may be back on track to meet the target!

NB: Items marked with * are ebooks so I wasn’t able to photograph the cover images myself.

#1. Girl Online – Zoe Sugg

I do subscribe to Zoe on YouTube and was curious to see what her books are like. I commend Zoe for knowing her audience and what would be an appropriate book. The topics in this story are very relatable, even to me at age 23 despite the book being a little thin on plot. The social media aspects are relevant and the book confronts trolling and online hate. I don’t feel the need to read the other two books in the series. I don’t feel I’m missing out by not reading them.

#2. Taken At the Flood – Agatha Christie

This was the least action packed Poirot mystery of the ones I have read so far but the last 40 pages were really exciting and the ending surprised me. The way Agatha Christie writes is simple but she creates twists and turns that the reader doesn’t often expect until you think back over everything and realise it all makes sense. I love reading these mysteries and I’m looking forward to my next one!

#3. A Whole Lot of History – Kimberley Walsh

I haven’t read a musical biography in the longest time and this book reminded me why I love them so much. Not only do you learn about the people behind the songs and their personal stories you are told anecdotes about the songs themselves and given a small insight into the music industry. This book showed how lovely Kimberley is and I learnt more about different aspects of her personality. She was frank and honest but never in a nasty, judgemental way.

#4. The F Word – Lily Pebbles

First of all I want to defend Lily and stick up for her. Some of the reviews on GoodReads state that this book is like a diary and isn’t well written. The cover does say “A personal exploration of modern female friendship” so of course Lily is going to talk about herself and her friendships. I like that she gives examples of things that have gone well and haven’t gone so well in friendships. I did get a sense of Lily reading this book, it feels like you’re having a catch up with her and everything comes across naturally. One of my favourite parts was trying to identify which friend type I am, for example, the older sister friend, the realist or the work wife, to name a few. The main lesson I took away from this book is to look carefully at myself as a friend and analyse how I can be a better friend.

#5. The Mysterious Affair At Styles* – Agatha Christie

This is the very first novel in which Hercule Poirot is introduced. Out of the Agatha Christie books I’ve read this is one of my favourites. The story is gripping, simple and classic. Death by poisioning, check. Whole host of suspects staying in a fancy manor house, check. Adulterous affairs, check. I finished it in two days. I like how the story is told from Hastings’ viewpoint, it really sets up the relationship between him and Poirot for future novels.

#6. A Talent For Murder – Andrew Wilson

It wasn’t until I picked up this book that I notice I don’t read as many books written by male authors as female. There’s no reason behind that and I really enjoyed this book. The plot centres around the real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie in December 1926. The author comes up with a fictional scenario as to what happened (the sentence on the cover gives you a good idea) as the mystery has never been solved. A good read and I am looking forward to the follow up called ‘A Different Kind of Evil.’

#7. Murder On the Orient Express* – Agatha Christie

This is without a doubt one of Agatha’s most famous stories and a few movies and TV specials have been made based on this story. I have seen the 2017 film, the 2010 Poirot episode and now read the book so I know the story well. I found the book the most enjoyable and the least confusing, if you know the ending you might understand why but I won’t spoil it if you don’t. I’ve got yet more Poirot mysteries lined up to read – I really love them!

#8. Peril At End House* – Agatha Christie

This is one of Agatha Christie’s earlier Poirot novels, #8 in the series. This mystery is also told from Hastings’ point of view. I found this particular Poirot story very clever in the way it played out. I realised what was happening at the end and it really reinforces how talented Agatha Christie is with deception. I have been reading most of the Poirot stories in this seasonal update as ebooks and it’s really convenient, I have the books on my phone and my iPad so I can read wherever I am.

#9. Finding Your Path – A Guide To Life & Happiness After School – Amba Brown

I am thankful this book was only 100 pages. I didn’t find it useful and even though I’m not a recent school leaver I thought I could get something from it. I did like the graphic illustrations and the quotes!

#10. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd* – Agatha Christie

This is one of Agatha Christie’s most popular novels which I think is because of the ending and how Poirot solves the case. In 2013, The British Crime Writers’ Association voted it the best crime novel ever. I have seen the television adaptation of this novel which I recall I found more exciting than the novel. This isn’t one of my favourite Agatha Christie books if I’m being honest. I’m not sure if knowing the ending before reading skewed my perception of the story. I had seen Murder On the Orient Express before reading it and I enjoyed reading that as much as watching it. Despite that, the ending of Roger Ackroyd is really clever even if you know the story.

#11. And Then There Were None* – Agatha Christie

This is Agatha Christie’s bestselling novel and one of the world’s bestselling mysteries and books of all time. I remember the television adaption of this story and it is written so well and keeps the reader guessing right until the very end. The story is not predictable and there is even an epilogue which explains how all the murders were done. If you like mystery stories and haven’t read this one, I highly recommend it.

#12. Doing It! Let’s Talk About Sex – Hannah Witton

I don’t remember how I stumbled across Hannah on YouTube but I have watched a small number of her videos and have always found her content to be helpful and informative. When I saw Angela (The Life of Angela) talk about this book on her blog I knew I wanted to read it too. I don’t know what I was expecting but I thought there would be more of Hannah’s personal stories. Yes, she probably shares those on YouTube but if you aren’t aware she makes videos you won’t get that information. Not a bad read but not groundbreaking.

#13. Afternoon Tea At the Sunflower Cafe – Milly Johnson

I started reading this book, I got a third of the way through and I put it down and came back to it. I did try to implement my 100 page rule; if I don’t like a book, move on to the next one but the fact I got to page 210 urged me to pick it back up and keep going. When I did pick up the book again I hadn’t forgotten the story and it was refreshing to read something lighthearted after a number of mysteries and a few non-fiction offerings. I’m glad I went back to this book, the story was slow to start but I was satisfied with the ending and I may look into other books from this author.

#14. Letters From Lighthouse Cottage – Ali McNamara

I love the cover of this book so much and the story was just as good! The story takes place over the course of 30 years and is split into parts. Grace (the main character) helped her parents with their antiques business and found a typewriter one day which she keeps. The typewriter adds a whimsical element to the story as it writes her letters and gives her advice throughout stages of her life. Grace goes off to university, travels and gets married but begins to realise that home is where the heart is.

#15. Break-ups & Breakthroughs – Lisa Messenger

This book only took me a day to read and the imagery inside is beautiful, the pages are full of cute designs and inspirational quotes. Lisa shares 50 tips to help people going through a breakup and I found myself identifying with some of the things she was saying and one of the biggest lessons I took from this book is that it’s ok to be sad for a while. You will start to feel better in time and feel like finding love again.

#16. Appointment With Death – Agatha Christie

This mystery started off a little slow but in true Agatha Christie form kept me guessing all the way through. I didn’t have any idea who the murderer was until that person was revealed by Poirot. Not one of my favourite Poirot mysteries but still not a bad read.

Unfinished:

There were no unfinished books this season. Each one I started I finished!

Books finished in autumn = 16.

Total number of books read = 32.

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What I’ve Been Reading – Summer

February 28, 2018February 27, 201817 Comments

It is time for the second seasonal round up and it means I am halfway through my challenge of trying to read 50 books in 12 months. I started the challenge in September 2017.

At the start of summer I was zooming along, meeting my aim of one book a week. I picked up a few duds along the way and tried to persist with them but they slowed me down. Ideally I would have read 25 books by now but that is not the case. All hits and misses are outlined below.

#1. About Last Night – Catherine Alliott

I had been looking forward to reading this book for a while and sadly I was underwhelmed. I didn’t find it funny or irresistible as the cover suggests. This book took me longer than some of the previous ones I’ve read in this challenge as it wasn’t keeping me interested. The story is kind of dull and there’s not a lot going on. Molly has swapped London for rural Herefordshire and when a relative of her late husband’s leaves a London townhouse in her possession she has to decide whether she will go back to her London lifestyle or make a go of her country life. Along the way the reader meets three potential suitors for Molly and one of the things that kept me reading was to see which one she chooses. The story is long winded but if you’re a fan of this author you’ll probably like it.

#2. After the Funeral – Agatha Christie

I read my first Agatha Christie mystery in the Spring roundup and instantly knew I wanted to read more. As someone who watched the stories on TV before reading them I didn’t realise how quick and easy the books are to read. The stories are well thought out and explained and all loose ends are tied up. I briefly remember this episode of Poirot and was almost certain I knew who the culprit was – I was correct.

#3. The Monogram Murders – Sophie Hannah

I have been on a real Agatha Christie murder mystery kick lately and I discovered Sophie Hannah has written two ‘new’ Hercule Poirot mysteries (I’m hoping for more). The character of Hercule Poirot is captured beautifully and Sophie Hannah does a brilliant job with him. Poirot has a new sidekick, Edward Catchpool who works at Scotland Yard, and the books are told from his point of view. This mystery was exciting, gripping and had plenty of twists and turns. Sophie Hannah’s books are longer than Agatha Christie’s but the story doesn’t feel drawn out. If you’re a Poirot fan, you’ll love them!

#4. The Anxiety Toolkit – Alice Boyes

This book was a quick, easy read but personally I didn’t find it called out to my anxiety. The quizzes at the start of each chapter were useful as it gave you an idea how much each chapter would relate to you and what you might like to take away from that section. I thought the book would include more tips on how to cope with different types of anxiety but it seemed to generalise rather than give specific examples. It didn’t teach me anything about anxiety, for example how many people suffer from it or the common types.

#5. Closed Casket – Sophie Hannah

This is the second ‘new’ Hercule Poirot novel. The story is typical Poirot, the mystery takes place at a grand, upper class house and there is a whole host of suspects. The story is simple and revolves around figuring out whodunnit. Catchpool returns as Poirot’s sidekick and together they find the culprit. I really, really hope Sophie Hannah writes more Poirot mysteries!

#6. How To Find Love In a Bookshop – Veronica Henry

This book was an easy, enjoyable read. The story centres around Emilia who takes over Nightingale Books after her father passes away. Emilia battles trying to keep the shop open with her personal life and we meet some of the bookshop’s customers along the way and learn the books they all cherish. The story felt very real and believable and I will look into other books by Veronica Henry as a result.

#7. Billy & Me – Giovanna Fletcher

I read this book in four days. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the way the delicate moments and emotional conversations are written. Sophie May is the lead character who works in the local tea shop, lives with her mum and doesn’t have a lot of friends. When actor Billy Buskin comes to town and sweeps Sophie off her feet, her quiet life starts to turn around. Sophie has to cope with media scrutiny, actor life with Billy as well as her own insecurities. Part of the reason I liked this story so much is because I can relate to some of Sophie’s insecurities. As a reader you’re rooting for Sophie and you want her to be happy. I won’t spoil the book for you but the ending doesn’t disappoint.

Unfinished:

(Any unfinished books will not be included in the total yearly count).

#1. A Is For Arsenic – Kathryn Harkup

I have been enjoying Agatha Christie’s books lately and I thought this non-fiction offering would be just as interesting. Agatha Christie was famous for using various poisons in her stories and this book talks about how they work and references the Agatha Christie stories the poisons are used in. When I borrowed the book I didn’t realise it would be so science based. I find the asterisks and all the footnotes hard to follow, there are multiple on each page. I got 50 pages in before deciding not to continue. Life’s too short to read books that don’t interest you. If you like science you would find this interesting but I’m more into creative stories.

#2. Highland Fling – Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde is an author whose name I’ve seen pop up a lot but I’d never actually read any of her work. I briefly browsed through a list of her books and what they are about and settled on Highland Fling. The story sounds right up my street but this book doesn’t have any action and I almost felt like as I was reading it I didn’t know what was happening. I made it two thirds of the way through before realising I’ve been reading this book for almost a month, (usually I can finish a book in a week) and I’m not enjoying it so I should move onto something else. How long it takes me to read a book is a sign of whether I like it or not.

Books finished in summer = 7.

Total number of books read = 16.

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What I’ve Been Reading – Spring

November 30, 2017November 29, 201710 Comments

At the beginning of September I announced a new blog series, What I’ve Been Reading. At the end of each season I will be rounding up the books I have read during that three month period and discussing them. My goal is to read 50 books throughout the duration of the year, which roughly equates to one a week.

Here’s the first roundup:

#1: The Singles Game – Lauren Weisberger

Anyone for tennis? First off, I’m a huge fan of the cover of this book. It’s girly and the camera doesn’t pick it up but the gold bits are reflective. Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author (The Devil Wears Prada, Revenge Wears Prada) gives us a dishy tell-all about a tennis prodigy who changes coaches and begins making headlines on and off the court. Charlie fires her coach following a devastating loss and injury and becomes Todd Feltner’s first ever female player. He has strict rules and a game plan to turn Charlie into a ruthless competitor. Charlie travels the globe, plays charity matches, models in photo shoots and walks the red carpet, all with sexy Spaniard, Marco Vallejo at her side. Can the illusion last or will Charlie turn her back on Todd and her new lifestyle? The detail and knowledge about the tennis tournaments is well written but the plot didn’t seem realistic. The ending wasn’t predictable though and it was nice to stay hooked until the end. Not a bad read but nothing particularly memorable.

#2: A Walk In the Park – Jill Mansell

Lara Carson returns to Bath after eighteen years. Her best friend Evie is getting married and Lara’s ex-boyfriend, Flynn, turns up at the wedding which doesn’t end up going ahead. It’s not long before Flynn discovers the reason Lara left all those years ago, she was pregnant with his child. Lara has to juggle sharing her daughter with Flynn, looking after Evie and coming to terms with her feelings for Flynn – could there be a spark after all that time? The storyline is well written but I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. It was predictable and left me wanting more, it didn’t feel complete. I did enjoy the book overall and I will consider other books by Jill Mansell.

#3: What I Did On My Holidays – Chrissie Manby

I absolutely loved this book! It was laugh out loud funny and a really easy book to read. The plot wasn’t one I’d read before and the storyline was succinct but still well developed. The book follows Sophie Sturgeon and her upcoming trip to Majorca. The night before she’s set to leave, her boyfriend and meant to be holiday companion, Callum, dumps her. Sophie decides to hide in her London flat with her sister and recreate the ultimate fake break. The results are hilarious and prove things don’t always go as planned, much like real life. Sophie is a lovable character who wants the best for everyone and a character who by the end of the book is not afraid to act in her best interests.

#4: It Started With Paris – Cathy Kelly

This is one of my favourite books on the list! The cover is really cute and you can tell straight away there’s going to be romance running through it. At the beginning you’re introduced to a lot of characters but as the story goes on it makes sense and you see how they tie in together. The book begins with a young man proposing to his girlfriend at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Things don’t only begin to change for the happy couple, but for their friends and family back in Ireland too. The tales of all characters are weaved in together and it gave me a sense of a small town where everyone knows everybody else, in a good way. The core love theme is really sweet and while it’s not always smooth sailing it’s a very real part of life. The ending wasn’t predictable and left me feeling happy. Matters were resolved and I wasn’t left with any questions. I highly recommend this book – it is lengthy but certainly wasn’t boring, there was always something happening to hold my attention.

#5: The Beginner’s Photography Guide – Chris Gatcum

The first non-fiction offering! As you may know I purchased a Canon 700D DSLR camera in July and I try to get my camera out as much as possible. I know the basics and do use manual mode but I thought this book would have some great tips and tricks. I flicked through it in one afternoon and in all honesty didn’t find it that useful. There were sections that only apply if you have multiple lenses and camera accessories and equipment and I thought if you are a true beginner, chances are you’re not going to have those. The book was an easy read and I did learn a few things but it’s not essential if you’re a DSLR user.

#6: Dead Man’s Folly – Agatha Christie

I have watched many an episode of Poirot in my time but this is the first of Agatha Christie’s stories I have read. David Suchet does such a magnificent job playing Hercule Poirot, he plays the part beautifully and he was what I could picture as I read the book. I enjoy mystery stories and I really liked this one because it was short and didn’t get confusing. I can see why a lot of people are fans of Agatha Christie. I would love to read more of her Poirot mysteries, they’re easy to read and it’s nice to throw mystery in amongst what I normally read.

#7: Poirot and Me – David Suchet

This book was so sweet. I read it immediately after Dead Man’s Folly and it tells of such a happy, momentous period of David Suchet’s life. He played Poirot on screen for 25 years and got to fulfill his dream of bringing all 70 stories to television. The book focuses on Suchet’s Poirot years but he also talks of other acting opportunities, funny moments and small snippets of his family life. Throughout the book you can feel the joy he felt playing Poirot and on many occasions describes Poirot as his friend. If you are a fan of David Suchet or Poirot you won’t regret reading this!

#8: Beautiful Messy Love – Tess Woods

I didn’t enjoy this book. The story is broken down into chapters each featuring one of four main characters. The connection between the characters, essentially two couples is established early on. I did like reading the viewpoints/perspectives of each character and that there wasn’t repetitive content and the same story told four times. I didn’t find the humour funny and I found some of the ‘nitty gritty’ immature. The sexual moments were very blatant, I’m no prude but there was nothing left to the imagination. The title gives off this sweet, love story vibe and the plot doesn’t represent that. My least favourite of the finished fiction books.

#9: The Love of a Lifetime – Melissa Hill

I saw this book in a store earlier in 2017 and knew instantly I wanted to read it. It is a classic love story and follows main character Beth and her passion for Hollywood movies. Beth and her boyfriend Danny have been together for seven years but has their initial romance settled into something more predictable? Following an anonymous coffee delivery at work Beth is led on a treasure hunt using clues from rom-com movies. The big question is, is it Danny or new work colleague Ryan? The book did keep me guessing all the way through although I did have an inkling who the mysterious man turned out to be, the ending was not what I expected. The ending plays an important role to a key part of the story and is very clever. Loved this book!

Unfinished:

#1. Better Together – Sheila O’Flanagan

This book will not be included in the count for Spring as I didn’t finish it. I started reading the book but straight away I couldn’t get into it. I did feel sympathy for the main character, Sheridan, unlike a few reviews I read on Good Reads and didn’t find her annoying as some readers did. I got about 200 pages into the book (large print edition) before giving up and deciding not to carry on reading it. The storyline was slow, nothing seemed to happen and the sports journalism element of the story wasn’t appealing to me. I don’t know if the book would have had more romance if I had continued reading but I wanted romance to be prominent from the start. This is one of the first books in a long time I haven’t finished and stopped reading part way through because it didn’t pique my interest. I would be interested to hear whether any of you have read this book and what your thoughts are.

Total number of books read = 9.

I got off to a slow start but was making better progress by the end of September. I am in a routine with my job now and try to make time for reading everyday. At this stage it’s too early to tell if I’ll reach my goal of 50 books but it’ll be fun trying!

Have you read any of the books mentioned in this post? Do you want to?

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