Books 14, 15 & 16 - 2012
Book 14: The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty - 388 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one she let get away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island -- home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery. Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions. As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around -- and come up with your own fairy-tale ending. As she so adroitly did in her smashing debut novel, "Three Wishes," the incomparable Liane Moriarty once again combines sharp wit, lovable and eccentric characters, and a page-turning story for an unforgettable "Last Anniversary."
Thoughts:
I read Liane Moriarty’s book ‘Three Wishes’ several years ago and really liked it, and I’ve read most of the books by her sister Jaclyn Moriarty and really liked those too, so I gave this one a try. It’s an odd book, but that’s the Moriarty sisters’ style. Sophie inherits a house owned by her ex-fiancé’s aunt. Odd, but not the oddest part of the story. This house has a story behind it, an unsolved mystery involving her ex-fiancé’s mother (I think - I can’t quite remember anymore). At the same time this is all happening Thomas’ wife, Grace, a new mother, is suffering with undiagnosed post-partum depression. The story jumps perspectives, and as Sophie becomes more involved in Thomas’ family’s lives and the mystery in the house, Grace spirals further into her depression. I had a fair idea of what the mystery was right from the start, but Grace’s story made the book tough reading. It reminded me why I normally read fantasy. Whilst I appreciate the importance of the topic (ie. Post partum depression), I read to escape reality, not to immerse myself in it. Call me selfish or misguided if you will, but I don’t want to be depressed when I’m reading. So it took me a while to get through this one, because I really struggled to work through Grace’s issues. If the overall story itself had been more engaging I probably would have enjoyed it more, but given I’d already worked it out, that did little for me as well. So good, but not great! Having said that, I really liked the ending which was very…’modern’. Not as good as ‘Three Wishes’ but a good read if suburban family drama/mysteries are your thing.
14 / 50 books. 28% done!
4873 / 15000 pages. 32% done!
Book 15: Hatter M: Volume 3: The Nature of Wonder by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier; illustrated by Sami Makkonen - 187 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
In Volume 3, "The Nature of Wonder", Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan follows the Glow of the setting sun into America's wild west in search of Wonderland's lost princess. Hatter's adventures will include a shamanic vision quest in the Grand Canyon and tracking Black Imagination through San Francisco's Barbary Coast where he discovers an astounding clue to his own haunted past.
Thoughts:
This is the third of the Hatter Madigan graphic novels, filling in the years between Princess Alyss of Wonderland being tossed into our world and her finally getting back to the Queendom she rightfully rules. I love the character of Hatter Madigan (he’s like a nicer version of Vegeta from Dragonball Z, in my head) and its fun to read about his exploits, particularly given how Beddor and Cavalier interweave his story with history, Forrest Gump style. Alas, another volume must come, as Hatter does not succeed in finding the lost Princess at the end of this story. A cool companion piece to one of my most favourite series.
15 / 50 books. 30% done!
5060 / 15000 pages. 34% done!
Book 16: Fire by Kristin Cashore - 384 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
A must-read title for all fans of Patrick Rothfuss and Trudi Canavan, FIRE is an exceptional fantasy novel. From the deft characterisation to the gripping story, the fast-paced action to the evocative prose, this is one of the strongest fantasy novels of the year. Set in a world of stunningly beautiful, exceptionally dangerous monsters, Fire is one of the most dangerous monsters of all - a human one. Marked out by her vivid red hair, she's more than attractive. Fire is mesmerising. But with this extraordinary beauty comes influence and power. People who are susceptible to her appeal will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. They will turn away from their families, their work, and their duties for her. They will forget their responsibilities to please her ...and worse, crush nations, neglect kingdoms and abuse their power. Aware of her power, and afraid of it, Fire lives in a corner of the world away from people, and away from temptation. Until the day comes when she is needed - a day when, for her king, she has to take a stand not only against his enemies, but also against herself ...
Thoughts:
I have absolutely fallen in love with this book. The character of Fire reminds me vividly of the main character in my book, and yet is quite different. I think it’s their spirit that is similar and that in of itself draws me to this story. Her position as the only living ‘monster’ and the psychological battle she undergoes in order to accept herself and her role in the world is heartbreaking and beautiful. But its not just Fire who makes this story. It’s the ensemble cast, comprised, mostly of the Royal Family of the Dells, the region this book is set in. The region itself sits in the same world as Graceling but in a part of said world that is not known to the Seven Kingdoms mentioned in the previous book (a mountain range divides them). I love ensemble casts. My own story has a massive ensemble cast (almost a 100 characters, spanning 13 books and 35 years) and its ensemble casts that usually keep me going through a series. Harry Potter would have been unbearable if it hadn’t have been for the ensemble cast because Harry in himself got really annoying after awhile. Similarly, I finished the Twilight Saga and kept reading the Merry Gentry books not for the main characters themselves but for the supporting cast, the ensemble. Luckily, in Fire, both Fire herself and the ensemble cast are magnificent, but even if I hadn’t had liked Fire, I would have kept reading just to find out what happens to the ensemble. The book has some of the best (as in funny) lines I’ve ever come across in a fantasy novel (I’ve liked about 10 of them on goodreads) and the pace is solid, allowing sufficient reflection time whilst still cracking along nicely. I can’t say enough good things about this series and I genuinely can’t think of anything I’d change. The saddest thing about the entire affair is knowing that its set significantly before the events of Graceling (the previous novel in publishing order) and Bitterblue (its successor) and as such the characters I had grown to love are rather old when they make an appearance in Bitterblue. Without a doubt, one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read ever!
16 / 50 books. 32% done!
5444 / 15000 pages. 36% done!
Currently reading:
- A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Fifth: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket - 221 pages
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - 509 pages
- Man Drought and Other Social Issues of the New Century by Bernard Salt - 276 pages
And coming up:
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
- The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich - 290 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one she let get away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island -- home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery. Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions. As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around -- and come up with your own fairy-tale ending. As she so adroitly did in her smashing debut novel, "Three Wishes," the incomparable Liane Moriarty once again combines sharp wit, lovable and eccentric characters, and a page-turning story for an unforgettable "Last Anniversary."
Thoughts:
I read Liane Moriarty’s book ‘Three Wishes’ several years ago and really liked it, and I’ve read most of the books by her sister Jaclyn Moriarty and really liked those too, so I gave this one a try. It’s an odd book, but that’s the Moriarty sisters’ style. Sophie inherits a house owned by her ex-fiancé’s aunt. Odd, but not the oddest part of the story. This house has a story behind it, an unsolved mystery involving her ex-fiancé’s mother (I think - I can’t quite remember anymore). At the same time this is all happening Thomas’ wife, Grace, a new mother, is suffering with undiagnosed post-partum depression. The story jumps perspectives, and as Sophie becomes more involved in Thomas’ family’s lives and the mystery in the house, Grace spirals further into her depression. I had a fair idea of what the mystery was right from the start, but Grace’s story made the book tough reading. It reminded me why I normally read fantasy. Whilst I appreciate the importance of the topic (ie. Post partum depression), I read to escape reality, not to immerse myself in it. Call me selfish or misguided if you will, but I don’t want to be depressed when I’m reading. So it took me a while to get through this one, because I really struggled to work through Grace’s issues. If the overall story itself had been more engaging I probably would have enjoyed it more, but given I’d already worked it out, that did little for me as well. So good, but not great! Having said that, I really liked the ending which was very…’modern’. Not as good as ‘Three Wishes’ but a good read if suburban family drama/mysteries are your thing.
14 / 50 books. 28% done!
4873 / 15000 pages. 32% done!
Book 15: Hatter M: Volume 3: The Nature of Wonder by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier; illustrated by Sami Makkonen - 187 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
In Volume 3, "The Nature of Wonder", Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan follows the Glow of the setting sun into America's wild west in search of Wonderland's lost princess. Hatter's adventures will include a shamanic vision quest in the Grand Canyon and tracking Black Imagination through San Francisco's Barbary Coast where he discovers an astounding clue to his own haunted past.
Thoughts:
This is the third of the Hatter Madigan graphic novels, filling in the years between Princess Alyss of Wonderland being tossed into our world and her finally getting back to the Queendom she rightfully rules. I love the character of Hatter Madigan (he’s like a nicer version of Vegeta from Dragonball Z, in my head) and its fun to read about his exploits, particularly given how Beddor and Cavalier interweave his story with history, Forrest Gump style. Alas, another volume must come, as Hatter does not succeed in finding the lost Princess at the end of this story. A cool companion piece to one of my most favourite series.
15 / 50 books. 30% done!
5060 / 15000 pages. 34% done!
Book 16: Fire by Kristin Cashore - 384 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
A must-read title for all fans of Patrick Rothfuss and Trudi Canavan, FIRE is an exceptional fantasy novel. From the deft characterisation to the gripping story, the fast-paced action to the evocative prose, this is one of the strongest fantasy novels of the year. Set in a world of stunningly beautiful, exceptionally dangerous monsters, Fire is one of the most dangerous monsters of all - a human one. Marked out by her vivid red hair, she's more than attractive. Fire is mesmerising. But with this extraordinary beauty comes influence and power. People who are susceptible to her appeal will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. They will turn away from their families, their work, and their duties for her. They will forget their responsibilities to please her ...and worse, crush nations, neglect kingdoms and abuse their power. Aware of her power, and afraid of it, Fire lives in a corner of the world away from people, and away from temptation. Until the day comes when she is needed - a day when, for her king, she has to take a stand not only against his enemies, but also against herself ...
Thoughts:
I have absolutely fallen in love with this book. The character of Fire reminds me vividly of the main character in my book, and yet is quite different. I think it’s their spirit that is similar and that in of itself draws me to this story. Her position as the only living ‘monster’ and the psychological battle she undergoes in order to accept herself and her role in the world is heartbreaking and beautiful. But its not just Fire who makes this story. It’s the ensemble cast, comprised, mostly of the Royal Family of the Dells, the region this book is set in. The region itself sits in the same world as Graceling but in a part of said world that is not known to the Seven Kingdoms mentioned in the previous book (a mountain range divides them). I love ensemble casts. My own story has a massive ensemble cast (almost a 100 characters, spanning 13 books and 35 years) and its ensemble casts that usually keep me going through a series. Harry Potter would have been unbearable if it hadn’t have been for the ensemble cast because Harry in himself got really annoying after awhile. Similarly, I finished the Twilight Saga and kept reading the Merry Gentry books not for the main characters themselves but for the supporting cast, the ensemble. Luckily, in Fire, both Fire herself and the ensemble cast are magnificent, but even if I hadn’t had liked Fire, I would have kept reading just to find out what happens to the ensemble. The book has some of the best (as in funny) lines I’ve ever come across in a fantasy novel (I’ve liked about 10 of them on goodreads) and the pace is solid, allowing sufficient reflection time whilst still cracking along nicely. I can’t say enough good things about this series and I genuinely can’t think of anything I’d change. The saddest thing about the entire affair is knowing that its set significantly before the events of Graceling (the previous novel in publishing order) and Bitterblue (its successor) and as such the characters I had grown to love are rather old when they make an appearance in Bitterblue. Without a doubt, one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read ever!
16 / 50 books. 32% done!
5444 / 15000 pages. 36% done!
Currently reading:
- A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Fifth: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket - 221 pages
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - 509 pages
- Man Drought and Other Social Issues of the New Century by Bernard Salt - 276 pages
And coming up:
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
- The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich - 290 pages