Mark Haddon Archives - myfoxycorner

Hi All!

Today I thought I would quickly throw up my next 6 books in my mission to read 50 books before December 31st. I actually have read ten books total since my last update but thought it might be better to break it up evenly. I’m currently on track to finishing my 50 book challenge which is exciting but I am actually kind of sad about the idea of it ending. I have to find a slightly different challenge that I can try next year….

#1: The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. A pretty popular book and movie to is this sad story about an unlikely friendship. I knew this would be a tear jerker but was still kind of stunned (in a bad way) by the ending I’m glad I finally read this classic story and it was a nice easy read aimed primarily at a younger audience (although how they coped I will never know). 4 stars.

#2: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. I rather enjoyed the chick flick movie version of this book so thought I would read the book itself. The book lived up to my expectations and was a fun read and a way to turn off at the end of a hard day. Nothing groundbreaking or especially unique but well written with strong characters and an interesting story/setting. 4 stars (maybe a little generous but out of the chick flick genre this is a definite favourite).

#3: Cleo by Helen Brown. Being a crazy cat lady I naturally attract cat related books so I was lent this biographical story of a NZ journalist and her family (fury members included). I am not a big fan of biographies so I was reluctant to read this. In the end I read it purely out of social obligation so I could return the book to my collegue. I ended up really enjoying this, way more than I expected to. The story was sad and funny, real and yet still an escape. The cat, Cleo, was a great character and tugged at my crazy cat lady heart strings. A good kiwi read and perfect for a weekend or holiday at the beach.

#4: A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. As I mentioned last time I am a big fan of The Curious Incident of the Dog and the Nighttime so when I saw this book by the same author at a book swap I couldn’t resist. The story was about a dysfunctional family and an older man who believes he is going crazy with old age. Chaotic and messy the story was good and I enjoyed the characters however I found the writing a little hesistant in places and the story seemed to drag on a little bit. Not a bad read but not as amazing as the Curious Incident. 3 stars.

#5: Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden. I read the start of this series as a kid and thought I would revisit is as I remembered the series being good but never got very far. Centered around a group of Australian kids who go camping and upon their return to civilisation find out (*Spoiler alert*) that their town has been invaded in some sort of world war three. Written in a gripping way with likeable characters and lots of action this book didn’t fail to dissapoint and I can’t wait to read the rest. 5 stars.

#6: Crossed by Ally Condie. The second in the Matched YA series told from the two view points of Cassia and Ky who are both trying to find each other in the outer provinces. This was interesting and enjoyable but their are so many great YA dystopian novels that this one doesn’t stand out as anything particularly special. I have the third one ready to read soon and finish off this trilogy so fingers crossed for an exciting end! 3 Stars.

See you guys soon with my next six!

Hi All!

Having a sick day off work today to try and recover from this combo cold/migraine situation so lets pray one day of rest is enough. Not that I don’t enjoy the chance to sit at home and drink tea all day. I would read if my eyes would stop watering for no reason haha. Anyway, who is ready for another installment? I am currently two books behind in my challenge…but I have faith I can make that up..hopefully.

#25 Poison Study (Study #1) by Maria V Snyder: So this is a random book I picked up which is the first in a YA series around a young girl who is due to be executed but instead is offered the option of being a poison taster for the Commander. I enjoyed the read but it wasn’t anything particularly special. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships but overall it was an average book and I doubt I will read the other books in the Study series. 3 Stars

#26 The New World (Chaos Walking #0.5) by Patrick Ness: So this probably shoudn’t count seeing as it was very short and just functioned as an introduction into the world and characters from the Chaos Walking series. However seeing as I am currently 2 books behind in my 50 book challenge I’m gonna go ahead and count it anyway…so sue me. This prequel introduces one of the two core characters of the series and was a nice short intro into Viola’s story. 3 Stars

#27 The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness: This was the first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy, I can’t remember where I first heard of the series but I went into it knowing basically nothing about the stories (apart from what the prequel revealed). The main character Todd is likable in naive kind of way and as the reader you really feel for him in the confusion of his story. This YA series is set on a planet where men’s thoughts are not able to be hidden. Todd then finds a female (of which there are none left in his town) and together they embark on a pretty intense task. There was only part of this series I DID NOT ENJOY. I won’t say too much but it made me want to bawl my eyes out. Be warned. 4 Stars

#28 City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare: With the movie having come out here recently for the first in The Mortal Instruments series I thought I should venture into this fantasy YA series that seems to be so popular. It was ok…I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I don’t have a lot to say, it was a fine read, the characters were at times a little annoying. I may push through and try read some more in the series if I get my hands on them. We shall see. 3 (generous) stars

#29 The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell: I loved Sex and the City but have never read any books by Candace Bushnell so when I got my hands on the first story about Carrie when she was at a small town high school I gave it a go. I really enjoyed this light hearted read. The characters were at times annoying/frustrating but in a way that was reflective of what people were like at highschool. Carrie was true to form, fabulous and unique. The story was surprising and moving and funny. Candace’s writing was easy to read and I would love to read some more books by her! 4 Stars

#30 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon: Okay, so I have already read this book ages ago but couldn’t resist picking it up again. The story of a young high functioning autistic individual who sets about to solve a neighborhood animal murder is a gem of a book. Mark Haddon captures the young Christopher’s narration and thoughts in a truly unique and captivating way. Trying to keep up with an autistic mind’s tangents and points of view was overwhelming at times but in a truthful and realistic way. A book I would recommend to anyone and everyone. 5 Stars

#31 The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2) by Patrick Ness: I couldn’t wait long before reading the next book in the Chaos Walking series, especially because the first book left us in quite a cliff hanger of a situation. This book was narrated by both Todd and Viola in alternative chapters which offered up an insight into both sides of a tense and stressful situation. The story was again emotional and moving at times and action packed at others. The characters just continue to improve and develop and I enjoyed the writing style in this even better than in the first book. 4 Stars

#32 I Am Legend by Richard Matheson: I LOVED the movie with Will Smith however I knew going into reading this book it was very different to the movie. Robert Neville is our main character and the last “living” man on Earth so hasn’t succumbed to a bacterial infection that turned human race into a vampire-like species. Most of the book is devoted to the monotonyo of his daily survival (but it doesn’t come across as boring, just depressing). Towards the end he meets another character and the already depressing story takes a turn for the worse, The story ends in a thought-provoking manner. All in all I didn’t enjoy reading the story cause it was depressing as hell but I still think its an amazingly written story that is at the top of my read list. 5 Stars.

Done! Only 28 books to go. Any recommendations please share And don’t forget to follow me on Goodreads

Liz xx

Posts Tagged ‘Mark Haddon’

My Foxy Reading Corner: #33-38

Hi All!

My Foxy Reading Corner: #25-32