Definitely Dead - Charlaine Harris

I think I might have skipped a book, but it doesn't really matter - vampire trash is vampire trash!

Yet again I've enjoyed one of the stories about Sookie Stackhouse, yet again it was essentially crap!

This time Sookie and her new boyfriend (a were-tiger!!) are dragged into a war involving supernaturals, she's attacked, beaten up, abducted and almost killed - why does she continue to hang out with these creatures?

If she was real there is no way she'd stick around for all the beatings she's taken, even if her body was able to take it (she doesn't seem to exercise at all except for working in the bar - which she doesn't seem to do much of).

Despite the fact at these books and the story lines seem to be getting more and more implausible, I'll continue reading, if only to see what the author comes up with next!

Finished 16th February 2010
Bought from The Book People

Far from the sodding crowd - Robin Halstead, Jason Hazeley, Alex Morris, Joel Morris

This is a sequel to the equally entertaining 'B**locks to Alton Towers', being a list and explanation of some of the more unusual and eccentric places to visit in the British Isles.

I'm pleased to say that I've even visited a number of them already (Papplewick Pumping Station, the Witchcraft Museum and the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale).

But I honestly don't think there will ever be a shortage of these places to visit - they are so typically English in their eccentricity!

On my list of must visit places are the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising; the Bakelite Museum, Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee, and Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar.

The writers don't take the piss, they highlight the best and silliest parts of each attraction, and why they are a must visit.

Although I borrowed this from the library I'll be buying a copy for myself to go with e earlier edition. I hope that I'm not too busy to visit some of the places mentioned as this was published in 2007.

Borrowed from Sheffield Central Library

6th February 2011

The Adventuress - Audrey Niffenegger

I've read both of her novels, and had been aware that she'd written some graphic novels earlier in her career so when a saw this in the library i had to take it out.

Although to be honest, it's so sparse that I could have stood in the library and read it in about five minutes!

Each double page spread has a few words of text opposite a excellent illustration. They tell the story of a created girl who is abducted, gives birth to a cat, turns into a moth, and ..... No I won't spoil the story, but needless to say it's extremely weird!

I was left wondering what was happening in the authors life to bring on these disturbing images.

Borrowed from Sheffield Central Library

5th February 2011

The Iron Wagon - Jason

Today I went to a demonstration against the cuts at the Central Library in Sheffield, and as part of that event I took out a load of books, this was one of them.

A short graphic novel based on a Norwegian classic detective story first published in 1909.

Although if I'm honest I found the plotting rather sparse (perhaps that is typical of Scandinavian fiction?), I did enjoy the story and the illustrations were great.

Jason (no second name) draws animals and birds instead of people, but walking upright and wearing the costumes of the period. I will look out for some of his other books, and hope the story lines are a little more dynamic.

5th February 2011

Borrowed from Sheffield Central Library

Room - Emma Donoghue

The sleeve notes of this book include a quote from Audrey Niffenegger saying 'is a book to read in one sitting' - how right she is! I couldn't afford the time to read it in one sitting, but I did read it in two days, and found it very hard to put it down.

I guess the main thing that kept me hooked was the narrative, the story is told by Jack, a five year old who, with his mother is kept captive in Room. 'Ma' was abducted by 'Old Nick' as a teenager, and later gives birth to Jack.

All Jack knows is the world inside Room, but just after his fifth birthday 'Ma' admits that what he sees on the TV is real, and that they have to escape.

I couldn't stop reading, the early part of the book deals with Jack's descriptions of life in Room, followed by their escape and subsequent re-establishment into society.

If I have one criticism it is that the escape was too easy, and fast; but that does not detract from the novel or my enjoyment. The fact that its loosely based on the Josef Fritzl case in Austria, meant little to me as I didn't follow the case, but having now read about it on the web I can see the similarities.

This book is compelling, read it.

January 2011

Bought in Waterstones.

Miss Smilla's feeling for snow - Peter Hoeg

My Dad read and enjoyed this book back in the mid 90s, I know this because not only did he lend me his copy (which I still have), but because the book mark he used is still inside printed with a competition with the closing date of 1995.

Knowing that I had enjoyed reading thrillers before, he had recommended this, but I never could 'get into it'. It's sat on various bookshelves ever since.

The current fashionability of Scandinavian crime fiction made me go looking for this book, the first to come to the UK and be successful.

Although I did finish it this time, it's taken a while and I'm still not convinced it lived up to all the hype. But it did keep me reading nonetheless.

I've always had a problem following story lines in which I'm unable to pronounce the names of the characters, I find myself skim reading the names and then can't work out what is going on. This certainly happened at points, as well as getting a bit lost in the plot half way through.

The story starts with the death of a young boy who lived next door to Miss Smilla, a death that the police believe is an accident, but which due to her feeling for snow, Miss Smilla knows was something more.

By the end of the book Smilla is running around on a ship in the Arctic, trying to work out where it is going and fighting with baddies!

I'm at a loss to see why the book won a crime novel literary prize, it's not so much a crime novel, as the story of a woman who is bored with life and has lost her way. The descriptions of the different types of snow and ice start off interesting, but after a while become almost overwhelming. The reasons and circumstances of the boys death become lost and irrelevant so that by the end I no longer cared. In fact I found the end to be rather abrupt and very unsatisfying - like Hoeg couldn't work out or decide where to go next, so just stopped.

Lent by (and subsequently inherited from) my father.

Mid December 2010 - 16 Jan 2011

Dead as a Doornail - Charlaine Harris

I admit it, I'm addicted!  I was going to wait a while before I read the next one - but I couldn't!

Having 10 of the books in the house makes me want to read them all back to back - but then I'd have to wait for more!  So, I really must read something else now.

Anyway, the storyline in this edition of the Sookie Stackhouse novels sees her brother, Jason, turning into a werepanther, Fairies, more werepanthers, shootings, two-natured, vampires and a few normal humans....things are really beginning to get silly, but I just don't care.

I'm a bit disappointed that Sookie and Bill still aren't together, he only makes a brief appearance in this book, but Eric is more than making up for the lack of Bill - and having the look of the actors from the tv show in my head as I read these books makes it even more enjoyable!

The story line centres around the fact that many of the two-natured are being shot, and someone has tried to burn down Sookie's house (with her inside) - there are lots of subplots, and interesting wanders too.

I know I'm looking forward to the next book, but I AM going to wait a while.

Bought from 'The Book Collection'
30th November - 5th December 2010