Sunday 31 March 2013

List 11 - Books




Books, books glorious books! I've always been a bookworm. I remember fondly back to my childhood days reading books and the MS Readathon. I remember the Scholastic book club - I would order every catalogue. It would always be the latest Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin and one other choice. I loved the Babysitters Club - and have kept the all in case Savannah ever wants to read them. I wrote a letter to Ann M. Martin once- and even got a reply - I was over the moon!

Another favourite of my childhood was The Magic Faraway Tree. I recently repurchased the 3 books in 1 set and just finished reading the series to Hunter about a month ago. The new version wasn't quite the same - Jo, Bessie, Fanny and  have to Joe, Beth and Frannie - but it doesn't affect the enjoyment of the story. Both my kids love reading (or listening to stories) and I'm glad I've passed on this love to them! Hunter and I are now reading The Wishing Chair series - which I somehow managed to miss as a kid.

And unusual for me, 2 books that I tried but just couldn't finish were The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowlings and The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron.

I'm currently reading Harbored Secrets by Marie F Martin. I found this gem via bookrooster (a website that offers free kindle books in exchange for a review on amazon). It's about a girl Blinny who and keeps flashing back to her childhood and then back to the present. It's a great read.

I've listed some of my favourite books split into books read in 2013, favourites of all time and to be read.

Books I've read in 2013
  • The Truth Witch - Charles Steed
  • The Exemeus - Folami Morris
  • The Spice of Life - Jennifer L. Jennings
  • Sorceress' Blood - Carl Purcell
  • Special Offers - ML Ryan
  • Special Rewards - ML Ryan
  • Nursing the Doctor - Bobby Hutchinson
  • Season of Lies - Monica Shaughnessy
  • A Death Displaced - Andrew Butcher
  • A Note Below - Andrew Butcher
  • Orphan Flu - AD Bolivar
  • The Angry Woman Suite - Lee Fullbright
  • The Chronicles of Trellah - TS Graham
  • Mrs Schadenfreude - Mike Young
  • The Do-Over - Kathy Dunnehoff

Favourites
  • Anything by Jodi Picoult
  • Anything by Bryce Courtenay - but in particular April Fools Day and The Power of One
  • Anything by Paullina Simons - but in particular The Bronze Horseman
  • The Hunger Games series - Suzanne Collins
  • Thursday Next series - Jasper Fforde
  • Fallen series - Lauren Kate
  • Stephanie Plum series - Janet Evanovich
  • The Hangman's Daughter series - Oliver Potzsch
  • Before I go to Sleep - SJ Watson
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy - Steig Larsson
  • The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
  • Sarah's Key - Tatina de Rosnay
  • The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffeneger
  • The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
  • Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

I have over 500 books in my kindle to be read - but the ones I'm most looking forward to reading are:
  • The Help - Kathryn Sprockett
  • Sophie's Choice - William Styron
  • Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
  • The Child in Time - Ian McEwan
  • Shanghai Girls - Lisa See
  • The Giver - Lois Lowry
  • Room: A Novel - Emma Donoghue
  • Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
What are your favourite books?

Linking up with Deb at Listmania.

13 comments:

  1. So glad to see another Jasper Fforde fan. I cannot believe I didn't have him in my post! I am really enjoying rediscovering books and authors from my childhood. I had no idea they changed names to modernise the EB stories. I wouldn't have thought that was necessary.

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  2. Yes Jasper Fforde is awesome - I've read the nursery rhyme crimes series too. Yeah I think the issue with the magic faraway tree was Fanny - kids aren't so innocent anymore!

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  3. we have a lot of favourites in common. on your to read list i read the help and room - both excellent - room is quite haunting!!

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    1. Oh I'm looking forward to getting to them. The Help I bought after I watched the movie but wanted a longer time between seeing the movie to reading the book.

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  4. The Babysitters Club!!!!! Loved them and have just started trawling the op shops for copies in case I am blessed with kiddies who want to read them. I too used to do the MS readathons so glad to have met a fellow book geek :)

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    1. Yes I hope my daughter will love them as much as I did - but I remember my mum saying she loved a series (I can't remember what it was), saved them all for me and I took one look and said nuh!

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  5. Thanks Bec, I was off to Dymocks book shop to buy some other blogger recommendations but might have to go to the secondhand shop in order to save some money...great books I will have to add to my neverending list. (Loved the Kiterunner & April Fools Day)

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    1. Yes this week's blog topic is going to cost some of us a bit of money!!

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  6. You're such a reader Bec! I love many on your list - Stephanie Plum, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Kite Runner, Memoirs of a Geisha so you've given me heaps more ideas, thanks!!!

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    1. I certainly love reading - I'm glad I catch the bus/train to work so I can squeeze in more reading time!

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  7. I loved The Babysitters Club and The Magic Faraway Tree too. I forgot about Bryce Courtenay! I've read The Power Of One and The Potato Factory was good too. I think I've been living under a rock though, haven't heard of many of your other books!

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    1. Most of the ones that I've read in 2013 come from Bookrooster (a website that has given me free books in exchange for my review) and they are kindle ones. So lots may only be available in kindle format - but they are ones the authors are trying to get promoted by having more reviews. So don't worry if you haven't heard of lots of them!

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  8. I am bookmarking this post for future reference, so many books on there I would like to check out. I was also an avid MS readathon participant and also loved ordering from the Scholastic catalogues and it is so much fun doing that with my son now he is in school. And yes we order from every one!

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