Thursday, February 23, 2017

So, what have I been reading? With a couple of book challenges thrown in.



As it's the first Book club meeting of 2017, I thought I would do a book post today. You may not have realised it but I love books, really luuuurrrrvve them. No shit Sherlock! I hear you yell. 😄
I finished last years Goodreads reading challenge, you can see what I read here.
This year I've set myself another goal of 36 books and already I have read 11, admittedly the first book was carried over from last year. I still finished it in 2017.  If you want more info on what I've read so far click here. 
The titles include a link to the Goodreads page where you can find further reviews.
Below are just my thoughts....

I gave this ✮✮✮✮, I would have gone for 5 but I got really frustrated with the last few chapters. I had loved it up until then, funny, moving and tragic, the pages drew you in, right up until the end of the war when it, for me, took a bit of a nosedive. I won't say what exactly happened, no spoilers! But I was just frustrated with the outcome, but then I suppose life can be like that sometimes. Read it though it's still a good book.


I gave this ✮✮✮✮✮ I really enjoyed this, a bit of a surprise as it wasn't what I expected at all, i.e. a novel, it read like a novel but was in fact a work of nonfiction. What a bunch of characters he met whilst living in Savannah. Worth a read.



It got ✮✮✮✮✮ how could it not? I've been working my way through each book about Anne Shirley, this volume contains books 1,2 & 5, five being Anne's house of dreams. This and the first, have to be my favourites. There are still more to read, yay!


This only got ✮✮ I'm afraid, I couldn't make up my mind whether it was good or not, it left me feeling rather flat by the end. I was hoping for a really good thriller/horror and it didn't fit the bill. But then, I always loved Stephen King, and he takes some beating.

This got ✮✮✮✮✮ a true story of a remarkable woman who overcame a really shit start in life. Horrifying in places really, not for the faint hearted to be honest, it contains some very difficult subjects. 

This I gave a resounding ✮✮✮✮✮, what an excellent story, I couldn't put it down, I read it in a day. Gripping and tragic, look out for it, I highly recommend it.

Another ✮✮✮✮✮, a very interesting book about a year of living off the land, what they didn't grow themselves or buy locally, they didn't eat. Except for maybe things like coffee, who could give that up.It echoed a little of our lifestyle, especially the growing of food and endless preserving, although we're not in their league. Don't know where your food is coming from? Want to find out? Then read this for starters, it's an eye opener for sure. Scary too really, it did get a bit preachy at times, but I got past that. 

✮✮✮✮✮ I've been very generous with the 5 stars this year haven't I? Well I've read some really good books so far. This was one of those books that however how tragic life must have been for Arnold AKA Junior, he refused to give up and fought to make a life for himself off the reservation. Brilliant, I loved it and it shouldn't be limited to Young adults. I am of course young at heart but slightly older in other places!

✮✮✮✮✮ Brilliant! Read it! Read the book, seen the film, just need the T-shirt! 😝

✮✮✮✮✮ Oh. My. Farkin'. God! Never have I been so tense, ever, reading a book! This was great, it'll keep you on the edge of your seat right until the end. Now to see the movie (expecting to be disappointed here) This was the first Book club book of 2017, I think we might have a good discussion about this tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

And that's all of them so far, so many books so little time. I do have another book that I'm reading alongside the others, mainly because it's boring the tits off me! Why is it that some books, that are supposedly of literary acclaim, so flipping tedious. I shall persevere as it's a book of short stories and when I've finished it, I can tick it off my book challenge list. 
And linking smoothly on....(see what I did there!) to the 2017 Book challenges. these are in addition to the Goodreads challenge, yes I know, MORE challenges! I like a....well...challenge.
One challenge is the Popsugar 2017 reading challenge click here for more info. 
The other is Better World Books reading challenge 2017 click here for more info
The Popsugar challenge is quite a comprehensive list, whereas the BWB's one is less so. Ther aree some repeats on the two lists so I'm ticking of on both when acchieved. I've also managed to tick more than one box after reading The Color Purple. If it covers more than one, then I'm ticking all the relevant boxes, that way I get through the list faster. Should I have time at the end of the year, I can always go back and read more, but that seems unlikely.
Popsugar list - 8 ticked off
BWB's list - 5 ticked off.
Not a bad effort so far. So wanna join me? Go on, you know you want to. Oh and not sure what some of them mean, then Google it. It's going to be a interesting search for some books I reckon.
That'll do for now. Tomorrow is another Suesday, but this one is special, we're going to meet up for lunch with a fellow blogger, Chris from Diet Coke Rocks.    Recently discovered through a recommendation, thanks Janice, I think tomorrow is going to be fun with a lot more fun thrown in.
See ya'all next time.

2 comments:

  1. Looks like you'll easily hit your target of books read if you've already read 11 books!! I've only read 3 so far, but I only read when I go to bed, so maybe an hour a night.
    Wish I could join you guys tomorrow, I'm sure you'll have a blast!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It could all go belly up later in the year :D So I reckon getting ahead of myself might help! I wish you were coming too :D

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