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!
Xx