Happy Friday!
Oh wait, you mean it’s only Friday for me?
Cos I’ve got tomorrow off work and I’m driving up to York with my best friends?
OH SORRY. (#sorrynotsorry)
I’m really excited. In case you hadn’t noticed.
But let’s calm down a bit shall we?
Way back at the beginning of the year, I mentioned that I wanted to read more books.
I started out quite strong, and made a whole list of Classics I really wanted to finally get through.
I also promised you a monthly update of what I’ve been reading.
That was on January 9th.
And I’ve clearly failed quite spectacularly so far.
But I’m here today to try and make up for it!
So here’s what I’ve read so far in 2015…
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens
My first classic of the year!
This was really long but I really enjoyed it. I struggled to understand some of the language though. Not because of the vocab, but because Mr Dickens has a habit of writing dialects. And they’re really hard to get the hang of!
I loved the plot, loved Miss Haversham, LOVED Estella (dream role to play right there) but Pip got on my nerves. Which, considering he’s the “hero” of the story, was really kind of annoying.
Verdict: FOUR STARS
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
I read this way back in January, and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it.
Another classic, but one with a much stranger tone than Dickens. It felt a bit moralistic? I don’t know. I find it really hard to describe!
Definitely worth a read though. If nothing else, it will reaaaally make you think!
Verdict: THREE AND A HALF STARS
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
Good old Oscar. He’s one of my very favourite writers, which makes it all the stranger that I’d never read Earnest before!
It’s witty and smart and very funny. Classic bit of farce comedy that kind of reminds me a bit of Shakespeare’ Midsummer Night’s Dream. Good job Mr Wilde!
Verdict: FIVE STARS
Emma
by Jane Austen
I actually started reading Emma a few years ago and just couldn’t get into it. It felt too big and heavy and not my thing at all. So I’m honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this.
I mean, I LOVED it.
You guys know how much I love Clueless, right? Well this is what Clueless is based on. It’s smart, funny and Emma is both entirely delightful and a massive pain in the arse. My favourite kind of heroine.
There’s a horrific film version with Gwyneth Paltrow, but top of the adaptations goes to the six-part TV version, starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller. It’s available on Netflix, and I totally recommend watching it.
(After you’ve read the book of course!)
Verdict: FIVE STARS
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. The Luminaries and The Miniaturist are the two books I seemed to hear EVERYONE talking about last year, but I still didn’t really know anything about either of them.
I was completely fascinated by The Luminaries. I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about it, but I thought it was FABULOUS. A complete work of art. The astrology concepts are woven into the story in a way that I think most people won’t understand, but oh it’s just incredible.
Confusing and paralysing and absolutely breath-takingly beautiful.
In my opinion anyway!
Verdict: FIVE STARS
Fat Chance
by Nick Spalding
After those first few weeks of heavy reading, I decided I needed something a little more light-hearted. I spotted Fat Chance on Kindle Unlimited and decided to give it a go…
It’s OK. I like that it was written from two points of view, and I loved the diary-style entries. The writing is good enough, and I laughed out loud several times, which is always a bonus!
But I just felt like it was a bit patronising. There were a LOT of “tips” included in the narrative about how to lose weight. And I felt like it kept coming back to the HOW rather than the WHY. The story kept getting a bit lost in it all.
Verdict: THREE STARS
The Maze Runner
by James Dashner
LOVED. THIS. Loved it so much.
I was hooked right from the very beginning. When Thomas wakes up and everyone’s saying strange words, I felt as confused as he did, and I loved that. I was completely IN the story, and it was fantastic.
I haven’t seen the film and, to be honest, now that I’ve read the book, I’m not sure I want to. I’ve heard that the script changed a lot of elements, and I’m not sure I’m OK with that.
It’s perfect just as it is.
Verdict: FIVE STARS
The Evermen Saga
(four books) by James Maxwell
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this. It was free on Kindle Unlimited, and it had really high reviews on Amazon, but I’d never heard of it, which I thought was a bit strange.
It’s actually a self-published fantasy series. And it’s really not bad at all. A bit cliched in parts (the female characters especially!) and the last chapter of the last book seriously annoyed me, but as a whole it’s a gripping read.
Verdict: THREE STARS
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
by J.K. Rowling
Do you need a description of what I thought of this? REALLY?!
I love Harry Potter. End of.
Verdict: FIVE STARS (obviously)
CURRENTLY READING
The Mermaid’s Sister
by Carrie Anne Noble
This was actually only released on Sunday. I pre-ordered it because I heart mermaids.
Also because LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL COVER. I’m a sucker for a pretty cover.
I’m about halfway through and really enjoying it so far. The writing is a bit too flowery for my tastes, but I love the characters and the story is really good. (So good that I actually missed my stop on the tube this morning and had to retrace my steps back to Victoria. Doh.)
I’ll let you know next month how I get on with the rest of it!
Meanwhile, if you want to keep up to date with my reading: add me as a friend on Goodreads! :)
