What I've been reading in January

Wow, how is it the last day of January already? This month has flown by! The start of 2015 has been a bit of hectic one for me, lots going on, some of it good, some of it much less so. Thank goodness for being able to curl up under my cosy blanket of an evening with a good book and a cup of tea. I think I'm trying to hibernate.

So far this year, I have finished three books, all of which I have enjoyed (though to very varying degrees). Here they are....

1. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (★★★★★ 5 stars). I loved this book. It's a big, old doorstop of a novel, packed full of rich, vibrant storytelling and utterly gripping from start to finish. It was a perfect blending of fantasy and historical fiction, two my favourite genres. I also really enjoyed the fact that this book is written in the style of the period in which it is set. For me, that made it all the more absorbing. Overall, one of the best books I have read in ages. Can't believe I didn't get round to it sooner!

2. A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond (★★★ 3 stars). This book is a unique, lyrical re-telling of the classical Orpheus myth. This is one of those books that draws you in right from the very start, with a first page that perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the tale:

"I need to cast the story out and live my life. I'll tell it fast and true to get it gone, right now, while darkness deepens over the icy North and the bitter stars shine down. I'll finish it by morning. I'll bring my friend into the world one last night then let her go forever. Follow me, one word then another, one sentence then another, one death then another."

This book is beautiful, heart-breaking and raw. The supernatural/mythological elements are spell-binding and beautifully written. However, one of my favourite things about this book is how grounded it is in the real world. David Almond's descriptions of the characters' haunts in Newcastle and the wild Northumberland beaches are so vivid. His characters also feel powerfully real; the voices, thoughts and feelings of young people on the cusp of adulthood captured beautifully. While overall there were things about this book that just didn't work for me, it's nonetheless still a great read and beautifully written.

3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (★★★ 3 stars). I've heard lots of good things about this book and thought it would be my cup of tea. Sadly, although I did enjoy it for the most part, it didn't "wow me" as much I'd hoped. I loved the setting of "New World" and the concept of Noise was fascinating. There were also some incredibly powerful and bold scenes. However, as the book progressed I found the constant cycle of danger and escape became a little tedious. Also, there was a lot of information that Todd, as narrator, withholds for much of the book that is too easy to guess, meaning there isn't that sense of shock when it is ultimately revealed. This said, however, I am still more than intrigued to know what happens next so I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

My current read is The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I'm only on page 96 but I am really enjoying so far. After that, I'm hoping to read either Station Eleven or Hollow City, depending on which arrives first at the library. Then on to tackle my TBR pile in earnest!

Hope you have had a good start to 2015. What have you been reading and what are your plans for February?

Wednesday is Library Day

I like Wednesdays. Wednesday means the week is more than half over, the weekend a little bit closer. But more importantly for me, on Wednesdays my local library is open later, until 7pm, which means I get the chance to stop in at the end of the day. I find this the perfect antidote to a busy/tedious day at work. Nothing lifts my spirits more. I love the feeling of hurrying home with more books in bag than I left the house with, more stories waiting to be explored.

At present, I have two books on loan and two reservations pending.

• A Song For Ella Grey by David Almond. I am just about to leap into this one. It sounds amazing, though I confess it was the beautiful cover that first drew me to it.
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I have heard lots of Good Things about this one, so I'm very eager to see if it lives up to the hype (I think it will).
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mendel. I know I have already said it, but I can't wait for this one to arrive. I have seen so many great reviews and it does sound exactly my cup of tea. I'm now very near the top of the waiting list for this one - yay!
• Hallow City by Ransom Riggs. This is the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which I read at the end of 2013 (reviewed here). Although I found the first book flawed, I nonetheless really enjoyed it and can't wait to see how the story continues.

That little stack should hopefully keep me busy for a while. What library books do you have out at the moment, and are there any you're excitedly waiting to arrive? Oh! And while I'm on the topic of libraries - don't forget Saturday 7th February is National Libraries Day here in the UK. Check out their website for more information and events near you and follow on Twitter for bundles of library love and appreciation.

Two more challenges (and some rambling)

Well, apparently it seems I can't resist the the temptation of signing up for another couple of challenges for 2015! The first is the Back to the Classics Challenge, hosted at Books and Chocolate. This one appeals to me as I have a lot of unread classics on my shelves, some of which have patiently been waiting to be read for a number of years, as I mentioned in my last post. The challenge is to read at least six classics that fit into one of twelve categories (e.g. a 19th century classic, a classic in translation). I am tentatively going to aim to read a classic from nine different categories. I have always enjoyed reading classics in the past, but often get distracted by other things, so this challenge is just the thing to inspire me.


The next challenge is the What’s In A Name Challenge at The Worm Hole. This one looks like lot of fun! The aim is to read six books that fit into the following (title-based) categories: a word including ‘ing’ in it, A colour, A familial relation, A body of water, A city, An animal. I love that these categories allows for a lot of creativity, and I look forward to seeing what books I can find to fit each. I can't think of many from my shelves that fit the categories, so I'll probably be relying on the library for this one. Any suggestion welcome!

That's it (I think!) for the challenges I will be signing up for this year, though I do have one or two other personal reading aims I am going to persue (in addition to my book-buying ban). More on this soon. For now, I want to write a little about the challenges I took part in last year, but have decided not to this year, namely the Goodreads Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge.

Last year, I challenged myself to read eight "chunksters" (which the challenge defines as books over 450 pages), and managed to read nine. While I enjoyed taking part in this challenge very much, I did at times find it hard to balance with my Goodreads goal of reading 50 books in 2014. Some of the chunksters took me three weeks+ to read, so I had to follow them up with a few much short books to get myself back on track. Not that this was an entirely bad thing by any means (it did mean I finally got round to reading Philip Pullman's Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North), but I did find it a little frustrating at times. Anyway, below are the nine chunksters I read last year:

1. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (513 pages)
2. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (622 pages)
3. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by G.W. Dahlquist (768 pages)
4. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (880 pages)
5. The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway (464 pages)
6. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (613 pages)
7. Someplace to be Flying by Charles de Lint (544 pages)
8. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (526 pages)
9. Fool's Assassin by Hobin Hobb (630 pages)

My favourite of these was Life After Life, closely followed by Ship of Magic. It was also a joy to read the last two books in Laini Taylor's wonderful Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. My least favourite (also my least favourite book of the year) was The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. I really enjoyed this book for the first few hundred pages, but after that I found the plot got a little repetitive and ultimately felt like quite slog.

In total, I read 51 books last year. My favourite of the year remains (by far!) Hannah Kent's breathtaking Burial Rites. (If you haven't already, I implore you: READ THIS BOOK!!) I have decided not to tie myself down to an "I will read x number of books in total" challenge this year, but instead look forward seeing what the year brings and what adventures my other challenges take me on.

Signing up for "The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge"

Since I have decided to work my way through my TBR pile this year, it just seems rude not to sign up to The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge. The goal for this challenge is nice and straight-forward. "To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months)." Should (I hope) by a good challenge for me given my personal goal of not buying any more books until I have worked my way through all my unread ones.

The challenge asks for list of the 12 books to be read, so here is my list below (with a few ramblings...) I will be returning to this post throughout the year to add updates and links to reviews, etc. Good luck to everyone who is taking on this challenge too!

1. Villette by Charlotte Brontë (1853). This one has been on my shelves for over ten year. About time I finally got round to reading it. A friend of mine said she preferred this one to Jane Eyre - high praise indeed!

 2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847). Another one I have had a while. I'm ashamed I have never read it (might have something to do with the fact that every time I consider it, I just want to dance around listening to Kate Bush instead. Who doesn't!?)

3. The Wood Wife by Terri Windling (1996). This one has been on my shelves for a much shorter time, probably only around 18 months. I haven't read anything by this author before, though I have read a great collection of short-stories she edited (Queen Victoria's Book of Spells).

4. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint (1990). This is the last of the Charles de Lint "Newford" books I have on my shelves waiting to be read. I have been slowly working my way through this series, but skipped this one out. Finally going to go back to it this year.

5. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (2007). I first read about this book of vignettes on a blog (I wish I could remember where) and found the idea so enchanting I brought a copy straight away. Should be a good winter read, just need some really chilly weather.

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897). I have a shameful confession to make: this one has been sitting on my bookshelves ever since I stole it from English class at secondary school. I feel incredibly guilty not only for stealing the book, but for then not reading it! Time to make amends (and perhaps I'll post it back when done).

7. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (2002/2005 - in English). Another one that has been gathering dust quite a while. It's a hardback copy and I remember buying it new, so I'm guessing it dates back from around the time the English translation was first published in the UK. (I have a vague recollection of buying this one in the long-gone Borders in Brighton.)

8. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001/2004 - in English). Also had at least ten years. I tried reading it when I first brought it, but either couldn't get into it or was distracted by something else and never went back to it.

9. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (2012). I have had this one on my to-read list ever since it was published, though the copy I own is only a few month "new to me". My husband finished reading it recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

10. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (2008). I adored Wicked, really enjoyed Son of Witch, but couldn't get into this one when I first tried it. Time to give it another go.

11. The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb (1998). I brought the entire Liveship Traders trilogy secondhand about 18 months ago and read the first book last year. I can't wait to get started with the rest of this series.

12. Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb (2000). And the final book in the same series! Since Robin Hobb's storytelling is something that makes me insanely happy, these two are the books I am most looking forward to on this list.

An honorary mention should go to my current read: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004), which has been on my to-read list ever since my sister gave me a copy during my first year at university (which I am terrified to realise was now over ten years ago!) I started this one before the end of 2014, so I can't count it as part of the challenge, but I thought it deserved a mention as a long-standing member of my TBR pile, and also because it's fabulous! Nearly half-way through and loving every minute of it.

P.S. Oh! I almost forgot to list a couple of "alternates". Mine are: 1) The Meri by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (1992), and 2) Automated Alice by Jeff Noon (1996).

A new year, a new book-buying ban

Happy New Year one and all! I hope you had a good festive period and warmest wishes for a 2015 filed with books, tea, cake and all things lovely. It's that time of year again when we are all setting ourselves book-related resolutions and goals for the year ahead, and I can't resist joining in the fun and good intensions with my own personal reading challenge.

This time last year, I embarked on a six month book-buying ban, which turned out to be the perfect thing not only to help keep my bookshelves under control a little, but it also broadened my reading horizons considerably. Through using the library instead of bookshops, I discover new authors, tried out (and loved) new genres, and generally had my reading spirits rejuvenated.

This year, I am going to embark on a similar challenge, but I am upping the stakes a wee bit: I will not buy any new books until I have read all the unread fiction on my bookshelves (or wherever else I have books lurking). I'm not sure how long this will take me... it could be 3 month, it could be 3 years (though hopefully not!) To kick this challenge off, I have decided to accept the TBR Double Dog Dare over at James Reads Books:

"All you have to do to win the TBR Double Dog Dare is to read only from your TBR pile between January 1 and April 1. You can still buy books, you just can’t read them until the TBR Double Dog Dare is over. (You can make exceptions for books clubs, arcs, and other things you really want to make exceptions for. The TBR Double Dog Dare is all about having fun. So if you join in for a week or a month, no worries.)"

I'll ignore the bit about buying books of course, but I do love that you can make exceptions. Mine will be that I am permitted to read any books I have already placed a reservation for at the library that arrives during this time period. There are a couple I am very keen to read. (In particular, I can't wait to get my hands on Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, which I have seen glowingly reviewed numerous places.)

At the end of the dare, I will allow myself "free rein" with library books, but will keep going with my book-buying ban until all books in my TBR pile have been read (or donated to charity in the case of those I really don't think I'll read). I should admit that my TBR pile isn't as insurmountable as some. It's probably more resembles the Pennines than the Himalayas, but nonetheless I would still like to climb it.

Another confession is that rather than being scared of this challenge (a perfectly rational reaction for a bookworm to have to a book-buying ban), I am excited. After my experiences last year, I have learned how invigorating these challenges can be, like a breath of fresh air ruffling my leaves of my dusty book brain. I can't wait to see what this year's challenge brings and what new discoveries I make.

So, that's my little bookish New Year's Resolution. What goals have you set yourself and what challenges have you signed up for? Anyone else trying aiming to take on their whole TBR pile this year? I'd love to hear from you!