goodreads | Entries tagged with 2019: october

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 255
Date read: October, 2019

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

I rounded up my rating on Goodreads because it really is expertly written, even if the book itself wasn't right for me.

A friend of mine described it as being similar to "Stranger Things" in style, and I think she was spot on in that description. And just like with "Stranger Things" I was fascinated and repelled at the same time.

I'm glad to have read it, but don't really see myself rereading it.

Title: This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Author: Adam Kay
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 273
Date read: October, 2019

Adam Kay was a junior doctor from 2004 until 2010, before a devastating experience on a ward caused him to reconsider his future. He kept a diary throughout his training, and This Is Going to Hurt intersperses tales from the front line of the NHS with reflections on the current crisis. The result is a first-hand account of life as a junior doctor in all its joy, pain, sacrifice and maddening bureaucracy, and a love letter to those who might at any moment be holding our lives in their hands.

A fun, interesting and poignant book that gave me a newfound appreciation and respect for those who choose to take up medicine. It is NOT an easy life!

This book had a lot going for it - it's told via diary entries, which has always been my jam; it describes the every day life of somebody in the medical profession, which I've been interested in pretty much ever since I first read "Sue Barton: Student Nurse"; and it has a quirky main character, who'd occasionally remind me more than a little of JD of "Scrubs" fame... but unlike the last two, it's non-fiction, which lent a certain weight to the stories.

I really enjoyed it, and am glad to have gotten my hands on it.

Title: Rosy & John
Author: Pierre Lemaitre
Genre: Crime
Rating: 2/5
# pages: 173
Date read: October, 2019

Jean Garnier lives on the fringes - a lonely nobody who has lost everything dear to him. His girlfriend was killed in an unexplained accident, his mother has just been sent to prison - he has even lost his job after the sudden death of his boss. In one last, desperate cry for help, Jean sets up seven lethal bombs, hidden all over Paris and timed so that one will explode every 24 hours.

After the first detonation, Jean gives himself up to the police. He has one simple demand: his mother must be released, or the daily explosions will continue. Camille Verhoeven is faced with a race against time to uncover the secrets of this troubled young man and avert a massive human disaster.

Using the goodreads definition of star ratings - it was okay.

A novella more than an actual novel. The plot definitely had potential, but the writing style took some getting used to and the ending fell flat. I discovered afterwards that it was originally published as a serial, which does explain the writing style a bit, but at the end of the day I just didn't care for the execution. Ah well - at least it was a quick read.

Title: Breath (Ghost Mountain Wolf Shifters #5)
Author: Audrey Faye
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 328
Date read: October 2019, March 2020, October 2022

Shelley Martins thinks she needs sensible and practical and steady—but that isn’t what the big truck from HomeWild is about to deliver.

Ghost Mountain is getting their school, the first building of their new den. The construction teams are ready, the big strong men are planning to be as useless as possible, and Shelley has the kitchen piled high with baked goods to fuel their work.

Except what comes off that big truck isn't just a building. And Shelley, who walked into hell six years ago to save her pack, isn't just a baker.

Every bit as good as I have come to expect from this series. It's so amazingly heart-warming to see how the pack slowly but surely walk away from the years of abuse towards healing. The school decoration reveals (both of them!) had me in tears.

My only problem with these later books is that there's far too little Hayden and Lissa. Those were the two I originally fell in love with, and those are the two whose POVs I most want to read. Not that I don't LIKE Shelley, Kel, Kennedy and all the rest, I just miss Hayden's voice.

Title: The Hating Game
Author: Sally Thorne
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 316
Date read: October, 2019

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.

Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.

If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.

Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

I had this recommended to me, because I'd enjoyed "The Unhoneymooners" so much. I'm glad, because even though it couldn't quite compare to TU, I still really enjoyed it, and read most of it in a day. Chick-lit has come a LONG way since the late 90s/early 00s when I mostly gave up on the genre, and I couldn't be happier.

Once again it's the enemies-to-lovers trope, although the switch from one to the other is a lot more sudden, and not quite as believable. Still, I loved seeing how Lucy and Josh changed their ways of interacting, and read most of the book in just one sitting.

The end did come a few days sooner than I would have preferred, but it never did promise to be anything other than feel-good fluff, so I can live with it.

Title: To Have and To Code (A Modern Witch, #0.5)
Author: Debora Geary
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 364, Audiobook ~12hrs
Date read: September 2013, October 2019

Nell Sullivan is fiery, easily distracted by cookies, and doomed to wear the peach monstrosity at her best friend's wedding.

And she's a witch.

Daniel Walker is a former baseball player turned bored hacker looking for a challenge. Hacking Nell's online gaming world is going to get him a lot more than he bargained for.

A prophecy says they will make babies together - but when it comes to the love life of a modern witch and a hacker, prophecy might not get a vote.

Adorable novel, but definitely more about the romance than the magic. That's okay - I liked that it focused on Nell-the-person rather than Nell-the-witch... Or rather how they were one and the same and one shouldn't take a back seat to the other.

But why does nobody in Berkeley even ever blink an eyelid at somebody being a witch? Okay, Daniel was more surprised than most, but he was the only one... seems slightly too good to be true to me.

Ah well, minor nitpick, and I did enjoy this glimpse into Nell's past and her interaction with her family of origin. Not to mention I'm pretty sure we saw a recurring character from one of her short stories - but I'm too lazy to go back and check the names ;)

Title: A Different Witch (A Modern Witch #5)
Author: Debora Geary
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 260
Date read: May 2013, 2014, March 2015, October 2019, December 2021

Twenty months ago, Jamie and Lauren crashed a coven meeting in Chicago - a visit they barely remember. For Beth Landler, it was the moment that fractured her circle and awakened her need for an entirely different kind of magic.

The kind only found in Witch Central. If she can dig up the courage to go.

A fetched witch who doesn't immediately love the Witch Central? Gasp! How is that even possible?! But it made for an interesting twist, and I can well imagine how somebody with aspergers could feel more than a little overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the Sullivan-Walker circus :) I thought Debora Geary handled it well (even if Nell didn't), and I actually really appreciated that we got to see Beth again. I hadn't stopped to wonder what became of her since the first book, but I really should have.

And as always - love the kids :D

Title: A Reckless Witch (A Modern Witch #3)
Author: Debora Geary
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 304
Date read: May 2013, July 2014, February 2015, October 2019, november 2021

As a child, Sierra Brighton traveled the world. She swam with the baby whales, danced in storm funnels, and lived in complete magical freedom. And then Momma died and Sierra ended up in foster care, an unhappy and very secret witch.

Fetched by Nell's spell, she'll no longer need to do magic on lonely beaches - but can Sierra learn to use her power safely? Or will her reckless blood put Witch Central at risk?

I'm seriously in love with this series :) For this one we're back in California, and I think I might like that setting a tiny bit more - although with Net-travelling it hardly makes much of a difference any longer.

Sierra is such a sweet witch, and the love the others show her - not to mention their easy way of immediately adopting her, just when she needed it the most - brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. I especially loved Devin and wish we could have seen more of his and Lauren's relationship.

Title: A Modern Witch (A Modern Witch #1)
Author: Debora Geary
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
# pages: 299
Date read: January 2013, May 2013, January 2014, February 2015, January 2016, August 2017, June 2018, October 2019, November 2021

Can you live 28 years without discovering you're a witch?

Lauren is downtown Chicago's youngest elite realtor. She's also a witch. She must be - the fetching spell for Witches' Chat isn't supposed to make mistakes. So says the woman who coded the spell, at least.

The tall, dark, and handsome guy sent to assess her is a witch too (and no, that doesn't end the way you might think). What he finds in Lauren will change lives, mess with a perfectly good career, and require lots of ice cream therapy.

This book had me hooked already on page two, when I discovered that at least some witches in this universe wrote witching spells using computer code! As an IT consultant myself, this was something that immediately appealed to me and I fell instantly in love.

Fortunately the rest of the book more than lived up to my expectations. Granted, it doesn't have the most complex or innovative plot, but it's just a genuinely pleasant book. I loved the characters, and their antics had me laughing out loud so often that my husband started wondering what was up. I fell in love over and over with each new situation, and found myself tearing up from their happiness more than once.

This is a true comfort book, and I have a hard time remembering when I've last fallen THIS hard for a new book. It's an instant favourite.

Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles #3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Childrens, Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~8hrs
Date read: March 2013, October 2019

Book Two left off with Gregor reading the Prophecy of Blood: a prophecy that calls for Gregor and Boots to return to the Underland to help ward off a deadly plague. But this time, Gregor's mother refuses to let him return to the Underland... until the rat Ripred assures the family that Gregor and Boots are just needed for a short meeting, which the crawlers will attend only if their "princess" Boots is present. Gregor's mom finally relents, on the condition that she go with them. The Underland plague is spreading, and when one of Gregor's family is stricken, he begins to understand his role in the Prophecy of Blood, and must summon all his power to end the biological warfare that threatens the warmbloodedcreatures of the Underland.

A children's book, and like the earlier books in the series, actually nothing special to look at. Yet it has charmed me completely. I think this may have a lot to do with the narrator - I think it might just be one of those books that's better read aloud than read yourself. The plot is fairly standard, but it is a nice comfort read that doesn't even need the rosy glasses of nostalgia to make me enjoy it.

A few surprises about the plague in this one though. I'll be interested to see what happens next.

Title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Childrens, fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~8hrs
Date read: February 2013, October 2019

In the months since Gregor first encountered the strange Underland beneath New York City, he's sworn he won't ever go back. But when another prophecy, this time about an ominous white rat known as the Bane, calls for Gregor's help, the Underlanders know the only way they can get his attention is through his little sister, Boots. Now Gregor's quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, the rebellious princess Luxa, and new allies and sends them through the dangerous and deadly Waterway in search of the Bane. Then Gregor must face the possibility of his greatest loss yet, and make life and death choices that will determine the future of the Underland.

I'm "reading" these as audiobooks, which I think is a good thing. The plot itself is nothing special, but the writing works nicely as a story read aloud, and I find myself utterly charmed by the tale. Especially Boots who's just plain adorable :)

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 308 / Audiobook ~10hrs
Date read: April 2010, October 2019

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

I've always steered clear of books about zombies. They just don't appeal to me in the least. At least, not in theory. Turns out that it's a completely different matter in practise. I didn't know anything about this book before I started, which was probably a good idea, or I doubt I'd ever have picked it up, but - surprise, surprise - I ended up being completely unable to put it down!

It probably helped quite a bit that it wasn't your stereotypical zombie tale, but more a dystopian novel that just happened to include zombies. My biggest problem with the book was that I felt there were a lot of questions that didn't get answered. I'm hoping some of them will be addressed in the sequel.

Reread 2019: I still agree with most of what I wrote above - this is definitely not a zombie book. It's not even a horror novel, when compared to e.g. "Newsflesh" or "Until the End of the World". It's just a disaster novel where the disaster happens to be zombies, but could just as easily be anything else. I wasn't quite as taken by it as on my first readthrough - probably actually specifically because the two aforementioned books does the "zombie" tale so much better - but still really enjoyed it. Not sure I'll move on to the sequels though... not as an audiobook anyway. The narrator had too much of a sing-song voice, and it was quite easy to let my attention waver.

Title: Rocco
Author: Sherryl Jordan
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 215
Date read: May 2009, October 2019

Rocco has suddenly appeared in a different time and in an unknown location - in the valley Anshur, where he's taken in by a primitive tribe, whose members live closely connected to nature. He is challenged in everything he knows and all his abilities - in everything he brings with him from his usual, modern life.

Life in Anshur requires courage and strength - but also has a lot to offer: knowledge, friendship and love.

Rocco is the first book that I can remember making me cry. It's always a bit of a gamble to revisit books that had such a strong hold over you at some stage in life, because if it doesn't still - it's bound to be a let-down.

While it couldn't completely live up to my expectations, it fortunately came very, very close, so I only had to down-scale my rating from 5 to 4 stars. It's an interesting story, and powerfully written. I could have wished for it to be a bit longer and slightly more complex, as it is very obvious that it's written with an YA audience in mind. On the other hand, if Rocco had stayed longer in Anshur, I think the book would have ended up being even more painful to read.

A quick read - I finished in in 2 hours - and a pleasant revisit.

Title: Briar's Book (The Healing in the Vines)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 7/10
# pages: 221
Date read: April 2008, September 2010, October 2019

The stunning conclusion to the Circle of Magic quartet finds the young mages Sandry, Daja, Tris, and Briar facing their greatest challenge yet... a devastating plague that is sweeping Emelan.

Tamora Pierce has learned her lesson and stopped trying to write from too many points of view at the same time, which is definitely a good thing. I like the descriptions of Crane's workshop and the explanations of how everybody works to find a cure for the blue pox.

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Page Summary

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay
Rosy & John - Pierre Lemaitre
Breath - Audrey Faye
The Hating Game - Sally Thorne
To Have and To Code - Debora Geary
A Different Witch - Debora Geary
A Reckless Witch - Debora Geary
A Modern Witch - Debora Geary
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods - Suzanne Collins
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane - Suzanne Collins
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
Rocco - Sherryl Jordan
Briar's Book - Tamora Pierce

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So many books, so little time.

Entries tagged with 2019: october

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay

Rosy & John - Pierre Lemaitre

Breath - Audrey Faye

The Hating Game - Sally Thorne

To Have and To Code - Debora Geary

A Different Witch - Debora Geary

A Reckless Witch - Debora Geary

A Modern Witch - Debora Geary

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods - Suzanne Collins

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane - Suzanne Collins

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan

Rocco - Sherryl Jordan

Briar's Book - Tamora Pierce