February 2012 - Wrap-Up

This month was a good month, it wasn't anywhere near as great as last month, but I did get quite a few books read and I'm still ahead of what I wanted to be my reading goals. But I didn't read as many books as I wanted to. I was aiming for 12 but only read 3. Partly this was due to me getting a sinus infection, which now has either turned in a horrible cold, or the cold has bad timing - which made it hard to read. Work has been stressful, and I have fallen in love with the sow Grey's Anatomy, and have bought all the box sets of the show and cannot stop watching it. The hot doctors don't help. So all those factored into my reading this month, but I'm still happy with it, and since last month rocked, this month that didn't rock doesn't matter too much.

The Books


Like I said above I read 9 books this month. 5 Ebooks and 4 Print. I'm surprised on how many EBooks I'm actually reading. I was originally so against the thought of an ebook. But I love them - they are great for work. They will never replace my print, but they have come in handy - especially to read those questionable books you don't know if you'll like or not. This month I re-read a favourite book from my childhood, read two great short stories by one of my favourite author and read my first Dickens. My favourite books of the month was The Girl Who Lived on The Moon by Frank Delaney. My least favourite was a three-way-tie between The Sense of Ending (Barnes), Living With the Dead (Armstrong) and The Paris Wife (McClain).


1. Offshore - Penelope Fitzgerald - 7.25/10
2. The Sense of Ending - Julian Barnes (Ebook)  - 6.75/10
3. The Boxcar Children - Gertrude Chandler Warner - (Ebook) - 8.25/10
4. The Druid - Frank Delaney (Ebook) - 8.75/10
5. The Girl Who Lived on the Moon - Frank Delaney (Ebook) - 9/10
6. Living With the Dead - Kelley Armstrong  - 6.75/10
7. The Dogs and the Wolves - Irène Némirovsky - 7.25/10
8. The Paris Wife - Paula McClain - (Ebook) - 6.75/10
9. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - 7.75/10

The Challenges

I didn't finish any challenges this month, but I did't start any new ones either, so that's a win for me! I'm still going strong on the challenges and I think I have a good balance in completing them.


12 in 12 - 25/144 - 17% Complete 
100+ Challenge 2012 - 23/100 - 23% Complete
1001 Books to Read Before Challenge 2012 - 2/15 - 13% Complete
Alphabet Challenge 2012 - 14/26 - 54% Complete
Ebook Reading Challenge 2012 - 14/25 - 56% Complete
Finish That Series Challenge 2012 - 0/3 - 0% Complete (1 book read from series one)
Global Reading Challenge 2012 - 4/14 - 29% Complete
Ireland Reading Challenge 2012 - 2/6 - 33% Complete
Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 - 4/50 - 14% Complete
New Authors Reading Challenge 2012 - 10/50 - 20% Complete 
Short Stories Reading Challenge 2012 - 2/12 - 16% Complete
Speculative Reading Challenge 2012 - 4/24 - 21% Complete 
War Through the Generations - WWI Reading Challenge 2012 - 1/3 - 33% Complete



Countries Visited


This month I travelled to a few places including Canada, USA, France, Ukraine and Ireland. I think in March I'm going to try to be more of a "world traveller" through my reading.

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

Books That Followed Me Home

A good month for books that followed me home, even if two of those books are at a friends place. I ordered some, er was looking at Barnes and Nobles and the order themselves, and had them sent to a friends place who is holding them hostage! *glares*. Anyways I added four leathrbound books to my collection - so pretty! Among other books. Pretty soon I'm going to need a second house devoted to all my books - I better win that lottery!

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show - Frank Delaney
The Matchmaker of Kenmare - Frank Delaney
The Druid - Frank Delaney (EBook)
The Girl Who Lived on the Moon - Frank Delaney (EBook)
The Yellow House - Patrica Falvey (EBook)
Time and Again - Jack Finney
Fall On Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - A Novel - Haruki Murakami (EBook)
This Cake is for the Party - Sarah Selecky
An Irish Country Courtship - A Novel - Patrick Taylor
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (Leatherbound)
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (Leatherbound)
Grimms Complete Fairy Tales - Brothers Grimm (Leatherbound)
Complete Fairy Tales and Stories: Hans Christian Andersen (Leatherbound)

And February comes to a close! Happy reading!

 

Books That Followed Me Home - February Edition

I had planned on doing a vlog this month, because four of the books I got this month are pretty awesome, but between having to of those books at a friends place where I had them delivered and being sick, and I doubt anyone wants too see the watery-eyes, running-nose, coughing up a lung edition of books that followed me home, I thought the vlog can wait until another day.


I ordered a couple of books from Barnes and Nobles - their leatherbound classics and found out some of the those are fining their way to my local books store Chapters-Indigo! Yay! They are more expensive on this side of the border, but once you factor in delivery fees and waiting, it's worth it. I already have the complete Jane Austen and  Sherlock Holmes from the collection and this month I added four more. The two I ordered from Barnes and Noble are the Hans Christen Anderson - Complete Fairy Tales and Grims' Fairy Tales. (My boy friend and I have been watching Grim and Once Upon a Time a lot, so I finally decided to read up on all the fairy tales). From Chapters-Indigo I bought Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte an Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I hope to get more from the leatherbound collection soon. They are lovely books! (And fake according to random guy at book store who barked at his friend when she looked at them. I was tempted to ask how in the heck a book can be fake, but refrained from it. Also, what is his problem! Did he not notice how shiny and pretty they look? Even if it's fake leather they look so pretty!)

Other books also followed me home - it always seems to happen when I'm at a book store, although one book followed me home from the grocery store. I wonder why that is? These books include: Venetia Kelly's Travelling Show and The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney. Time and Again by Jack Finney. Fall on Your Knees by Anne-Marie MacDonald. This Cake is for the Party: Stories by  Sarah Selecky. An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor and The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. This month I seemed to have a very Irish and Canadian Award Winners (or runner ups) theme going on.

The last batch of books that followed me home were a nice group of E-Books. Although, I'm finding it hard to claim ebooks followed me home, but oh well. These books were The Druid and The Girl Who Lived on the Moon by Frank Delaney (I also seemed to have a Frank Delaney themed month.) The Yellow House by Patrica Favley (I hope to participate in a read-a-long with this book) and finally The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.

And those are the books for February. I would be more enthusiastic, but the cold is kind of kicking my butt, it's even affecting my reading. But I got the post done. Go me! If you want to participate, then leave a link to what books followed you home in the comments section. Happy March!

Book Review: Great Expectations

Title: Great Expectations

Author: Charles Dickens

Pages:  460

Summary: One of Charles Dickens most fascinating novels, Great Expectations follows the orphan Pip as he leaves behind a childhood of misery and poverty after an anonymous benefactor offers him a chance at the life of a gentleman. From the young Pip’s first terrifying encounter with the convict Magwitch in the gloom of a graveyard to the splendidly morbid set pieces in Miss Havisham’s mansion to the magnificently realized boat chase down the These, Great Expectations is filled with the transcendent excitement that only Dickens can so abundantly provide. Written in 1860, the height of his maturity, it also reveals the novelist’s bittersweet understanding of the extent to which our deepest moral dilemmas are born of our own obsessions and illusions.

My Rating: 7.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This was my first Dickens book I finished. It was slow in a lot of parts, I do wish I picked up a book of his that moved a little faster for a first time read, but overall it was a very well written and enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the look a Pips life and how he grew up, the author parallels the depressed life of Pip and the almost grey setting perfectly - Dickens was fantastic at creating an atmosphere to allow the reader to truly appreciate the feel of the book. The writing style also adds to the reading experience. I absolutely love the authors style of writing and you can easily get lost in it. I did find this book to move slowly and even the writing style, there were a lot of slow spots.

The characters were also well done, Pip was a very intriguing character and I enjoyed the look at his life from childhood to adulthood. I hated some characters because they were just that miserable group of people. For the most part I thought the author did a good job at creating a complex cast of characters. Unfortunately none of them really stuck with me - the characters were well thought  - the characters were well thought out yes, but none are ones that will stick with me now that I'm done with the book.

Overall a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading another Dickens soon.

Would I recommend it to read: I would it was a good book, the plot does have a lot of slow parts, but the overall story was a great coming of age tale

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What to read next: The Count of Monte Cristo, More Charles Dickens

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, 1001 Books Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge

Book Review: The Paris Wife

Title: The Paris Wife

Author: Paula McClain

Pages: EBook (324)

Summary: Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unravelling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

My Rating: 6.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: The book was good, but not great, the writing was good, but at times it fell flat and like the plot of the book, didn't hold my interest. I was a bit hesitant  to read this book to start with, because I wasn't sure it was my thing, and for the most part - I was right.

I did enjoy exploring the life of Hemingway - he's portrayed like Hemingway was actually like (at least from what I've learned about him). There was no surprise Hemingway wasn't the best husband in the world, nor that he was a bit self-absorbed. But I still enjoyed learning about his life and how he became the writer he's known to be. Maybe because I already know all his faults, I found him easy to enjoy as a character in the book and his actions, not so surprising or shocking as I would have, had I been blind to what he was really like.  Hadley, on the other hand I knew nothing about, but found her to be a very weak, unlikeable character. Although she had a bit of a rough time in her relationship with Hemingway, I find it hard to sympathize with her, when she took little control of the situation, and let everyone in her life lead her around.

The writing fairly good, I did find it to fall a bit flat at times, and the plot repeated itself a lot  - it was stretched out, although it gave a well rounded review of the years they were together - it became boring after a while, as they were constantly going to a dinner, social events, bull fighting etc with a particular person or group. In the first half of the book I found it interesting, as this inspired Hemingway to write his first novel - but after a while it got repetitive and boring.

Overall it was a interesting book, I learned a little more about Hemingway and his life, but it wasn't exactly a book for me.

Would I recommend it to read: If you're interested in Hemingway's love life, particularly his years with his first wife than I would. A good book, just not great - not a book I'd highly recommend. But some readers would enjoy it.

What to read next: Sun Also Rises by Hemingway - since it was mentioned and had an influence on the characters in the book.

Challenges: 12 in 12 Challenge, 100+ Challenge, EBookChallenge,  New Author Challenge

Book Review: The Dogs and the Wolves

Title: The Dogs and the Wolves

Author: Irène Némirovsky

Pages: 212

Summary: Ada grows up motherless in the Jewish programs of a Ukrainian city in the early years of the twentieth century. In the same city, Harry Simner, the cosseted son of a city financier, belongs to a very different world. Eventually, in search of a brighter future, Ada moves to Paris and makes a living panting scenes from the world she has left behind. Harry Simner also comes to Paris to mingle in exclusive circles, until one day he buys two paintings which remind him of his past and the course of Ada’s life changes once more. . .

My Rating: 7.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This was a good read which started off strong, and had a fairly good ending, but some of the stuff in the middle lost the fell and flow of the overall story.

As with her previous books, the writing, flow and story was lovely, as was the metaphor she used for the overall story, although this time I noticed issues due to it being a translation more than in previous books I read by the author, it was done fairly well. The author did a fantastic job at painting a picture of the lives and classes of people of Jewish faith in the Ukraine, during the early twentieth century - which is where the title is influenced from. The class differences we shown brilliantly, and the author managed to give the reader a feel for what life was like for the characters during the time period - especially in her comparison of rich versus the poor.

The second part of the book takes the reader to Paris which is where the author lost me a bit. The tie in of a small romance/affair didn't grip me as a reader - I was happy with reading about the characters and their struggles to survive, how they identified themselves and how the changing times influenced them. I wish the author had stuck with that, instead of bringing the love affair. I found it to be weak from what we learned of the characters and I found it to be weak in how the author told it.  I also didn't enjoy the characters as much as I have in her previous books. They were well developed and complex - but they didn't live up to the standards I've come to love from her other books.

In the end, it was a good read - not my favourite by the author, but a good read nonetheless.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, this may not be my favourite book by the author, but it was still a well written book and story.

What to read next: Jezebel, Fire in the Blood and David Golder, also by the author.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, Global Reading Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge 

Book Review: Living With the Dead

Title: Living With the Dead

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Pages: 457

Summary: Robyn Peltier’s life is just about as normal as it can get . . . until she moves to L.A. for a fresh start as an A-list publicist and her celebutante client is gunned down at a nightclub. Normal is a thing of the past as she is suddenly the prime suspect in a murder investigation and an unwilling participant in a grisly supernatural turf war. (As if it wasn’t hard enough dealing with Hollywood tabloids!) Robyn’s best friend, half-demon tabloid reporter Hope Adams, and her mysterious boyfriend, Karl, are determined to clear Robyn’s name with the help of a homicide detective with the uncanny affinity for the dead, and a very persistent ghost.

Soon Robyn finds herself at the heart of a world she never knew existed - one she was safer knowing nothing about.

My Rating: 6.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: I have to say for a Women of the Otherworld book, this one was a disappointment. It could have worked if it was a standalone novel, that had connections to the series, but this book fell flat for me.

One of the biggest issues for me was that the main protagonist wasn't supernatural nor was she really the "main character" in the book. While her role in the story was important, I felt she took the back seat in the story.  Events occurred, and she just happened to be there at the wrong time, which in the end, caused her to be wrapped up with supernaturals.  The other characters in the book seemed to have more weight and importance than Robin, which just didn't seem right to me. As the main character she should have the center of attention, not be drifting along with every else.

Another issue I had was the book had far too many narratives,  I believe there were five in total. Normally, I enjoy books with multiple narratives, but  it did not work for this book. It took away from the usual atmosphere that found in the  other books from the series.  It suppose to focus on the women, preferably the main character of the story, not random men we'll probably never see again.  I also found that some of the narratives weren't completely distinct from each other. Colm and Adele narratives often seemed to blend as one person, rather than two separate people.  I also found there was to many threads to the story, instead of coming together to make a clever, complicated story, it fell apart.

Although I'm not a big mystery fan, the author did do a good job at creating a mystery to solve. Some things were predictable, but I did enjoy the way the author built up suspense for the story, and tried to keep the reader guessing on some characters true motives. But overall, this book did not work for me. I think if this was a standalone book I would have enjoyed it more,  but as part of the Women of the Otherworld series, it just didn't have that same flair as the other books.

Would I recommend it to read: This wasn't my favourite of the series, in fact it's up there with my least favourites that I've read by the author, if you enjoy the series, than read this. I'm not sure how much this book is needed to read the rest of the series, so in order to finish it, you'll probably need to read this book.

What to read next: Frostbitten, Waking the Witch, Spellbound (the next three books in the series)

Challenges: 12 in12, 100+ Challenge, Canadian Reading Challenge V, Finish That Series Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, Speculative Reading Challenge

Book Review: The Girl Who Lived on The Moon

Title: The Girl Who Lived on The Moon

Author: Frank Delaney

Pages: EBook

Summary: "Once upon a time there was a girl who lived on the moon." And when she comes to earth on a moonbeam, and grants the human race insights that would delight a Jungian and calm a six-year-old to sleep, we must wonder if times were different then, when "fish danced the polka on the surface of the sea and the birds said their prayers out loud."

"A good story, well told, makes children of us all." Bestselling author Frank Delaney's second instalment of Storytellers continues the tradition of the great traveling storytellers, who practiced their skills across so many lands since before the invention of time. Beginning with The Druid, Storytellers celebrates a craft, that while recognized as Irish, finds within it elements that transcend borders and time.

My Rating: 9/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This is the second story  of a series of short stories the author has written and like the first, it was just as well written, told and developed as the first.

I enjoyed this one a little more than The Druid, mainly because I enjoy stories with mythology/magic surrounding the moon. This had a bit of magical/fantasy feel to it, as the author explored a setting of people who lived on the moon. I thought the author did a fantastic job at giving the reader a good taste of setting on the moon, and the main characters adventures down on Earth. Like with the first story, the characters and story are fully explored and developed, even in such a short amount of time.

This book, like the first short story, are told in a way, that it sets up an atmosphere, that the story is being told to you personally by a story teller - which makes it a great read on a cold day, in front of the fire. The quality of writing is, phenomenal and the author is quickly becoming one of my all time favourites - this book has me witting for the next instalment of the series and to quickly dive in to the next to be read novel of his I have sitting on my shelf.

Would I recommend it to read: As with the other short story, I would recommend this to read, especially to fans of the author, Irish fiction and short stories. This one is also a good book if you enjoy Irish folklore.

What to read next: Ireland, Tipperary - just about anything by the author works. Also Irish Folklore, fairytales etc., would be a good choice too.

Challenges: 12 in12, EBook Reading Challenge, Ireland Reading Challenge*

*I've Combined this book and The Druid to count as one entry, but both are separate books and have separate reviews.

Book Review: The Druid

Title: The Druid

Author: Frank Delaney

Pages: EBook

Summary: Long long ago, when the pigs ate the apples off the trees and the birds flew upside down - so begins a tale by an Irish fireside. And thereby Frank Delaney, the New York Times bestselling author of Ireland, launches STORYTELLERS, a new series of short stories in the oral tradition, created specially for e-readers. In his first story, this master of the legendary form creates THE DRUID, a fascinating character full of cunning and false magic, who tries to win the hand of a beautiful girl.

My Rating: 8.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This is part of a series of short stories the author has written and if you haven't experienced him yet, than this is a good place to start. This book was a wonderful little short story and reminded me of the mini stories  within author's novel, Ireland. Tie in some mythology and magic, and you have a very good story.

I enjoyed the introduction, as the author explores the idea of storytellers, setting up the atmosphere of listening to the story teller personally telling the story the reader, focusing on the experience of having the story being told to you as much as the story it self - much like his novel, Ireland. The story was very well written, and the author managed to create some very developed, complex and interesting characters in a short time. He was also able to give some background information and description of events, setting or mythology, without compromising the story or character's overall development. The writing was superb - it was just as good as his novels, and just like his novels, you are able to become lost in the writing and storytelling.

Overall, a very well done short story - had me looking forward to the next instalment from the Storyteller series, which I read almost immediately

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Would I recommend it to read: I would, especially to fans of the author, Irish fiction and short stories.

What to read next: Ireland by Frank Delaney, the other short story in the Storytellers series, The Girl Who Lived on the Moon (I believe there are more to come)

Challenges: 12 in12, EBook Reading Challenge, Ireland Reading Challenge*

*I've Combined this book and The Girl Who Lived in the Moon to count as one entry, but both are separate books and have separate reviews.