Recently Read

It's been a long time since I've done one of these! Since I got my Kindle in October the number of physical books I've been reading has decreased more drastically than I would care to admit- which also means no pretty physical covers to photograph, and I'm not 100% OK with that... It's a shame and of course, I still much prefer real books but the appeal of the eBook with its much cheaper, instant download is often all too much to bear, especially being the poor student that I am. At the moment I also find myself having to save the very limited shelf space I have for my more attractive editions and copies of books I have really enjoyed. So basically, in terms of my relationship with my Kindle, I almost feel like a bit of an addict in denial... and I appreciate that's probably what I sound like too. It's so wrong, but it feels so right, you know? No hate.

Anyway, in the time since my last monthly reading roundup around September/October time I've read quite a few books, but I think I'm only going to chat here about a few that I feel are worth mentioning, either because I loved/strongly disliked them or because they're quite popular at the minute and I'd sort of like to contribute my thoughts into the mix. 

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a little girl who loves nothing more than lessons with her favourite teacher, Miss Justineau, and gets up and ready for school each morning just like any other child. Except she's not just like any other child. Instead, Melanie is confined to a cell and each morning is strapped tightly into a wheelchair, a gun pointed to her head, before being wheeled into the classroom for another day of learning about an outside world that she has never known for herself.

I don't think I'll say much more than that as I feel like this is the sort of book where the less you know about it to start with, the better. What I will say though was that it really was an excellent read. M.R. Carey here has created such an inspired, elaborate post-apocalyptic world in this suspenseful novel that grips you right from the beginning. There is quite a lot of gore in this book, so if you're particularly squeamish I'd bear that in mind, however, at the same time, while it does sort of belong somewhere in the thriller/horror genre I feel like the story and characters will appeal to people right across the board, particularly the protagonist, Melanie who really is an absolute darlin'.
Rating: «««««

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

In 1686, 18-year-old Nella Oortman leaves her family and rural town behind to marry a wealthy merchant, Johannes Brandt and begin a new life with him in his Amsterdam home. It soon transpires, however, that married life is not all that she had imagined. Her husband, when he is not away on business, is distant and disinterested, making Nella doubt her decision to move away from her childhood home. However, it's not long before she finds some salvation in the the form of tiny pieces sent to her by a mysterious city craftsman that seem to reveal to Nella the secrets of her strange new household.

I was keen to read 'The Miniaturist', it being a number one best-seller and all. However, in the end I was little disappointed with it. That being said, I know there were a lot of people who really enjoyed it so perhaps it just wasn't to my taste. I just didn't really feel much sympathy for, or connection to any of the characters and the plot, for me, was a bit thin. I thought the premise sounded really good but in the end I just didn't feel like it really delivered.
Rating: ««

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

This book revolves around the experiences of a man called Harry August, a member of an elusive strand of the human race who call themselves Kalachakra. These are basically men and women who when they die, return to the place they first began and live the same life over and over again, retaining all the memories of the lives they've lived before. 

I wish I could explain the story a little bit better here but in truth the plot and the concept is quite complex so I feel like I'd just end up tripping over myself!
I found this book a bit of a challenge if I'm honest. At the beginning I was fascinated by the whole idea of this sort of "rebirth" as its portrayed here and the whole book really made me think a lot about life and the fact that while all these Kalachakra have unlimited opportunities to make the most of their time on earth, I don't. It's kind of depressing in a way but I feel like I could use a reminder like that more often. However, once I got over the initial thrill of the concept itself I felt the story really start to slow down and then just became more and more laborious to the point where I really had to push myself to finish it. It's quite science-heavy in parts which I feel like was part of the problem because that sort of thing just doesn't really interest me, plus, most of it also ended up going straight over my head. I think in retrospect though, it was still a clever and thought-provoking read.
Rating: «««

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 

Rachel gets the same commuter train to work every morning which stops at a signal in the same spot each day allowing her to look into a house that backs onto the tracks and into the lives of its young occupants. She creates a world for these people in her head, imaging every aspect of their perfect personal lives. However, all her illusions are soon shattered when she witnesses a shocking event that brings their lives into collision with her own.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book when I read it. I really enjoyed it the whole way through but at the same time I found it so heavy and depressing so it was a bit of a challenge to get through. By the time I came to the end of this book though, I was glad that I'd persevered. It's a really gripping, entertaining thriller, probably one of the best I've read in this genre and I would certainly recommend it.

Rating: ««««

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