I didn't get to read some of the books I hoped to read in my December TBR post. Opting instead for two rereads and two new ones. Still, not a bad apple last month. There hasn't been one for a while, and hopefully it can stay like that. January's already kicked off 2015 as a great reading year, but there's still more books I want to read and still some books I really want to talk about, but now isn't the time. December's been and gone so lets recap. I've also set myself a task that's common amongst readers, but something I've never been able to do. Read 50 books in a year. Yeah...
The Wrap Up
My original plan for December was to read through the Child 44 trilogy in one go. That didn't happen. That's because I read another book after I finished The Secret Speech, but I'll get on with that in a bit. Child 44 is a book I read every year, and most of the time I don't follow up on its two sequels, even though they're brilliant. I've lost count how many times I've read it. Maybe four or five... I don't know. I'm sure I'm not the only one who rereads a book every year. Some may reread one several times a year. I couldn't do what Hazel does in The Fault in our Stars where she reads the same book over and over again. I need time to forget stuff before moving on, although that's getting harder now that I know the book so well. Child 44 is always a thrill to read. It reminds me of Prison Break's fast-paced storytelling and clever solutions. It's the same story with The Secret Speech. Unlike its older brother, The Secret Speech dives into the black heart of the Soviet Union's justice system: the Gulags. The frozen region of Kolyma is unfeeling, monstrous and pitiless. Tom Rob Smith nailed the atmosphere of the Gulags, and when he describes Leo's kneecap torture, often I was hurting too.
The second two books I read were both new. What Dreams May Come and Let it Snow. The first was a confusing one, but a book I really liked. The main character dies in the beginning and is sent to heaven where he discovers his wife has gone to hell. Now, I was one of the only members of the book club I go to who liked it a lot, but their issues made sense. There's far too much scientific explanation and not enough imagination going on and half the time it felt like I was reading a thesis on the afterlife. I kept reading anyway, the ebb and flow of the story did get going and often I found it hard to stop reading. It's a great book, though, no matter what's weak about it, I'm glad I read it. so, why did I not read Agent 6 right after The Secret Speech? I wanted to read Let it Snow. I'd been saving this for the dead of winter, a few days before Christmas, and thank god for it. It worked perfectly. Let it Snow is all about three parallel young adult stories stuck in a snowbound town. It's funny, witty and it has awesome characters. Not only that, all three stories are unique and it's so satisfying to learn about other characters from different story lines. Christmas is the ideal time to read it, but who cares? Go get it.
The second two books I read were both new. What Dreams May Come and Let it Snow. The first was a confusing one, but a book I really liked. The main character dies in the beginning and is sent to heaven where he discovers his wife has gone to hell. Now, I was one of the only members of the book club I go to who liked it a lot, but their issues made sense. There's far too much scientific explanation and not enough imagination going on and half the time it felt like I was reading a thesis on the afterlife. I kept reading anyway, the ebb and flow of the story did get going and often I found it hard to stop reading. It's a great book, though, no matter what's weak about it, I'm glad I read it. so, why did I not read Agent 6 right after The Secret Speech? I wanted to read Let it Snow. I'd been saving this for the dead of winter, a few days before Christmas, and thank god for it. It worked perfectly. Let it Snow is all about three parallel young adult stories stuck in a snowbound town. It's funny, witty and it has awesome characters. Not only that, all three stories are unique and it's so satisfying to learn about other characters from different story lines. Christmas is the ideal time to read it, but who cares? Go get it.
January TBR
I've read three books so far this month: Agent 6, Bright Lights, Big City and Shovel Ready. Now, I'm not going to ramble on about Bright Lights, Big City like usual, but when I finished it a second time I just wanted to start again. I may reread it again this year, sooner than I think. God, I love Bright Lights, Big City! I can jabber on about those books on the next wrap up. What's next on the TBR shelf? The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a book club read. It's not something I'd snatch from the shelf at first glance, but the story sounds pretty cool, something that could go anywhere so I'm looking forward to a (hopefully) serendipitous discovery. Six books is what I hope to read this month, so I'm going to try and get round to reading Misery and Of Mice & Men soon as well. The latter is a good choice, it's small and from what I remember of it at school, I'll enjoy it. Misery is a book I've wanted read for bloody ages as well, but my TBR shelf is overflowing and half of it is all Stephen King books. Help.
Updates on what I read this January and February TBRs follow next month. I'm trying to find a balance between blogging about both reading and writing, and since I've been reading so much these days and have been blogging so little about reading compared to writing, I think it's a fair trade off. Reading and writing, it's all about the same thing: books. Next week's post will be about writing. I can start editing my novel tomorrow (excited!) and I'm going to talk a bit about it. Reviews still go up every Friday, a streak I'm keen to continue. Keep at it, people, with whatever you're doing.
Songs of the Week:
Updates on what I read this January and February TBRs follow next month. I'm trying to find a balance between blogging about both reading and writing, and since I've been reading so much these days and have been blogging so little about reading compared to writing, I think it's a fair trade off. Reading and writing, it's all about the same thing: books. Next week's post will be about writing. I can start editing my novel tomorrow (excited!) and I'm going to talk a bit about it. Reviews still go up every Friday, a streak I'm keen to continue. Keep at it, people, with whatever you're doing.
Songs of the Week:
- 'Last Stop: This Town' by Eels
- 'Flyswatter' by Eels
- 'Dirty Girl' by Eels
- '3 Speed' by Eels
- 'Mistakes of My Youth' by Eels
- 'In My Dreams' by Eels
- 'Guest List' by Eels
- 'Susan's House' by Eels
- 'Still' by Daughter
- 'Worldwide' by Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band