2014 Book List
2011 Book List - total 19
2012 Book List - total 30
2013 Book List - total 9 (shameful!)
1) Bossypants - Tina Fey
It took me a bit to get into this book - the language of it is basically 30 Rock in book form, and I found the force of the language written down a bit much, particularly how she focussed on race quite a bit. It wasn't that the language was bad, it was just more blunt than I'm used to. I did enjoy it though, and actually found it an easier read towards the end than my Hadley Freeman book, but it's difficult to describe what kind of book it is - it's not exactly a memoir, nor is it exactly essays. It's more of a mix of anecdotes and blog-post style opinion chapters of varying lengths.
2) The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
This was such an easy book to read, short and well-paced it was much more relaxing than when I struggled with the re-read of American Gods last year. The narrative style was different from his other novels, first person, which makes sense as it started as a short story and a lot of his short stories are first person. I really enjoyed it!
3) Raising Steam - Terry Pratchett
It's been a long while since I've read a Pratchett book, and the ones I'd attempted I'd never really been gripped by. I worried that maybe that as I'd aged and Pratchett's style had matured, that maybe I'd stopped enjoying his writing. That's not the case! I think perhaps I was either just not in the mood or reading the wrong books, so I'll definitely have to go back and explore some of the others I've missed. I think there's a big chunk of City Watch ones I've definitely not read before. And whist I'm familiar with Moist Von Lipwig courtesy of the 'Going Postal' tv adaptation, I've never read any of his books before so I'll have to look into them.
4) Dead Beat - Jim Butcher
I think this was the easiest Dresden book I've read in a while, I recall that I've struggled with a couple of them recently, but this bounded along nicely and was great to read. Looking forward to the next one, but will perhaps hold off to buy it until the summer.
5) The Gigantic Beard that was Evil - Stephen Collins
This was quite a fun poignant graphic novel. Nice simplistic lines, and an intriguing plot that ended with a surprisingly dark little twist. I liked it a lot, it was sort of like a modern Dr Seuss book, with the way the prose rhymed. Worked very well and kept the pace bouncing along nicely.
6) Is it Just Me? - Miranda Hart
After my success with Hadley Freeman and Tina Fey's books I thought I'd check out this one, and I really really enjoyed it. It was an easier read than the other two, styled as a conversation with and letter to her 18-year-old self with reflections on life. It was very jolly and uplifting, and actually really spoke to me which sounds daft I know.
7) Call the Midwife - Jennifer Worth
I'm a big fan of the TV show, so I was curious about reading the books to see what had been changed in the adaptation. Surprisingly easy to read, although somewhat more detailed in the... more unpleasant aspects of it all, it also rounds out the stories more fully with context, and it's interesting to see the way they changed the relationships between the characters around and assigned different cases to different characters.
8) Farewell to the East End - Jennifer Worth
The follow on from the first book, this one covered more of the cases in the TV show, in more detail, and also rounded off with a piece about what happened to each of the people she talking about, which was very poignant!
9) Shadows of the Workhouse - Jennifer Worth
The last of the books by Jennifer Worth, this one doesn't focus on midwifery at all, but rather people in her life who she treated through district nursing, who had experienced the workhouse in various ways. A very sad book, because it didn't have the nice stories really to pep you up again, and I'm glad they reimagined some of these in the tv show because they were very sad!
10) The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
A re-read, just because I wanted something easy, gentle and familiar to read over a sunny weekend in the garden and this was perfect.
11) Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher
Aaaah the Dresden Files books are so good. I waited ALL SUMMER to get this so I would have it for Berlin and it was great. The books are getting so dense now, thicker physically but also the plot elements are more obviously bleeding across other books in the series. I'm so excited to read the next one I've asked for it for my birthday/Christmas.
12) Horns - Joe Hill
I was inspired to read this after seeing the trailer for the Daniel Radcliffe movie. I can't say how the film will turn out, but I will say that Daniel Radcliffe will be perfect in the role, I think. It's a great book, short and so it's fairly visceral to get the point across. Some bits still come back to me and make me squirm when I think about it. But it was really good.
13) The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains - Neil Gaiman
This was a funny, quick read. It was clearly based on Scottish folk tale, and was oddly lyrical. It felt like it only glossed the surface of the story, but the sparse narrative I think worked well for the story that was being told.
14) The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
Ah I really really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the sequel! If you enjoyed The Dresden Files, this is simmilar tonally, but more modern - instead of the White Council it's a secret agency - and set in the UK. Very very good. And has a female lead!
15) White Night - Jim Butcher
I am loving the Dresden Files lately. I'm really enjoying these later ones. I struggled a bit initially with the transition from single-plot books to ones with more widespread angles but I am really into it right now.
16) Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise - Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Gene Luen Yang
My obsession with Avatar continues strong, and this was a perfect way to round off the series. It dovetails with the last episode and it was wonderful - I hope I can get the other two, and a fourth one has been announced as well! Very exciting.
2012 Book List - total 30
2013 Book List - total 9 (shameful!)
1) Bossypants - Tina Fey
It took me a bit to get into this book - the language of it is basically 30 Rock in book form, and I found the force of the language written down a bit much, particularly how she focussed on race quite a bit. It wasn't that the language was bad, it was just more blunt than I'm used to. I did enjoy it though, and actually found it an easier read towards the end than my Hadley Freeman book, but it's difficult to describe what kind of book it is - it's not exactly a memoir, nor is it exactly essays. It's more of a mix of anecdotes and blog-post style opinion chapters of varying lengths.
2) The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
This was such an easy book to read, short and well-paced it was much more relaxing than when I struggled with the re-read of American Gods last year. The narrative style was different from his other novels, first person, which makes sense as it started as a short story and a lot of his short stories are first person. I really enjoyed it!
3) Raising Steam - Terry Pratchett
It's been a long while since I've read a Pratchett book, and the ones I'd attempted I'd never really been gripped by. I worried that maybe that as I'd aged and Pratchett's style had matured, that maybe I'd stopped enjoying his writing. That's not the case! I think perhaps I was either just not in the mood or reading the wrong books, so I'll definitely have to go back and explore some of the others I've missed. I think there's a big chunk of City Watch ones I've definitely not read before. And whist I'm familiar with Moist Von Lipwig courtesy of the 'Going Postal' tv adaptation, I've never read any of his books before so I'll have to look into them.
4) Dead Beat - Jim Butcher
I think this was the easiest Dresden book I've read in a while, I recall that I've struggled with a couple of them recently, but this bounded along nicely and was great to read. Looking forward to the next one, but will perhaps hold off to buy it until the summer.
5) The Gigantic Beard that was Evil - Stephen Collins
This was quite a fun poignant graphic novel. Nice simplistic lines, and an intriguing plot that ended with a surprisingly dark little twist. I liked it a lot, it was sort of like a modern Dr Seuss book, with the way the prose rhymed. Worked very well and kept the pace bouncing along nicely.
6) Is it Just Me? - Miranda Hart
After my success with Hadley Freeman and Tina Fey's books I thought I'd check out this one, and I really really enjoyed it. It was an easier read than the other two, styled as a conversation with and letter to her 18-year-old self with reflections on life. It was very jolly and uplifting, and actually really spoke to me which sounds daft I know.
7) Call the Midwife - Jennifer Worth
I'm a big fan of the TV show, so I was curious about reading the books to see what had been changed in the adaptation. Surprisingly easy to read, although somewhat more detailed in the... more unpleasant aspects of it all, it also rounds out the stories more fully with context, and it's interesting to see the way they changed the relationships between the characters around and assigned different cases to different characters.
8) Farewell to the East End - Jennifer Worth
The follow on from the first book, this one covered more of the cases in the TV show, in more detail, and also rounded off with a piece about what happened to each of the people she talking about, which was very poignant!
9) Shadows of the Workhouse - Jennifer Worth
The last of the books by Jennifer Worth, this one doesn't focus on midwifery at all, but rather people in her life who she treated through district nursing, who had experienced the workhouse in various ways. A very sad book, because it didn't have the nice stories really to pep you up again, and I'm glad they reimagined some of these in the tv show because they were very sad!
10) The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
A re-read, just because I wanted something easy, gentle and familiar to read over a sunny weekend in the garden and this was perfect.
11) Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher
Aaaah the Dresden Files books are so good. I waited ALL SUMMER to get this so I would have it for Berlin and it was great. The books are getting so dense now, thicker physically but also the plot elements are more obviously bleeding across other books in the series. I'm so excited to read the next one I've asked for it for my birthday/Christmas.
12) Horns - Joe Hill
I was inspired to read this after seeing the trailer for the Daniel Radcliffe movie. I can't say how the film will turn out, but I will say that Daniel Radcliffe will be perfect in the role, I think. It's a great book, short and so it's fairly visceral to get the point across. Some bits still come back to me and make me squirm when I think about it. But it was really good.
13) The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains - Neil Gaiman
This was a funny, quick read. It was clearly based on Scottish folk tale, and was oddly lyrical. It felt like it only glossed the surface of the story, but the sparse narrative I think worked well for the story that was being told.
14) The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
Ah I really really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the sequel! If you enjoyed The Dresden Files, this is simmilar tonally, but more modern - instead of the White Council it's a secret agency - and set in the UK. Very very good. And has a female lead!
15) White Night - Jim Butcher
I am loving the Dresden Files lately. I'm really enjoying these later ones. I struggled a bit initially with the transition from single-plot books to ones with more widespread angles but I am really into it right now.
16) Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise - Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Gene Luen Yang
My obsession with Avatar continues strong, and this was a perfect way to round off the series. It dovetails with the last episode and it was wonderful - I hope I can get the other two, and a fourth one has been announced as well! Very exciting.