2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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JoJo's books read in 2016
1. Matilda by Roald Dahle-book, finished: 2 January
Pages: 240 (paperback version)
Setting:UK
Description:
Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.
She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings.
Rating: 5 stars
2. Surviving Maggie - An Australian Story by John Fingletonbook borrowed from friend, finished: 5 January
Pages:293
Setting:Australia
Description:
Seeing actor Geoffrey Rush play his father, Harold, in the Australian film Swimming Upstream, which was written and co-produced by his brother, was the catalyst for John Fingleton to uncover his father’s story. He discovered that Harold was regularly beaten by his drunken and abusive mother, Maggie, until he was removed to an orphanage.
From abused child to rebellious orphan, larrikin street fighter to gifted sportsman, prisoner to alcoholic and finally a man transformed by the love of a woman, Harold Fingleton′s story is heartbreaking and powerful.
Rating: 4 stars
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniOwned book, finished: 13 January
Pages:371
Setting:Kabul, Afghanistan
Description:
Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.
Rating: 5 stars
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahle-book, finished: 13 January
Pages: 176
Setting: UK
Description:
The gates of Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory are opening at last -- and only five children will be allowed inside.
Rating: 5 stars
5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkinse-book, finished 15 January
Pages: 325 (hardcover version)
Setting: London, England
Description:
A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.
Rating: 4 stars
6. The Martian by Andy Weirlibrary book, finished 31 January
Pages: 369
Setting: Planet Mars and Houston, Texas, USA
Description:
I’m stranded on Mars.
I have no way to communicate with Earth.
I’m in a Habitat designed to last 31 days.
If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.
So yeah. I’m screwed.
My review:
I've never read a book that's set on another planet (that's not fantasy), it was definately interesting. The reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because Science is not my strong point, neither is maths, it was a bit tedious at times. I'm really excited to watch the movie now though. It was a really good story, and Mark Watney had a good sense of humor, which I think would have played an important part in staying sane on another planet by yourself for a year and a half.
Rating: 4 stars
Congrats on your progress thus far! You've read some great books!
Megan wrote: "Congrats on your progress thus far! You've read some great books!"Thank you Megan! :)
7. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahle-book, finished 20 January
Pages: 166 (paperback version)
Setting: UK
Description:
Now that Charlie has won the chocolate factory, what's next? Even wilder adventures, that'swhat! Join him, Grandpa Joe, and, of course, Willy Wonka for the amazing, intergalactic sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
My review
I know I've read it but I don't remember this book as well as Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
Rating: 5 stars
8. The Little Friend by Donna Tarttmy own book, finished 28 January
Pages: 555
Setting: USA
Description
Twelve-year-old Harriet is doing her best to grow up, which is not easy as her mother is permanently on medication, her father has moved to another city, and her serene sister rarely notices anything. All of them are still suffering from the shocking and mysterious death of her bother Robin twelve years ago, and it seems to Harriet that the family may never recover. So, inspired by Captain Scott, Houdini and Robert Louis Stevenson, she sets out with her only friend Helly to find Robin's murder and punish him. But what starts as a child's game soon becomes a dark and dangerous journey into menacing underworld of a small Mississippi town.
Rating: 3 stars
9. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahle-book
Pages: 32
Description:
The Enormous Crocodile is incredibly hungry-and incredibly greedy. His favorite meal is a plump, juicy little child, and he intends to gobble up as many of them as he can! But when the other animals in the jungle join together to put an end to his nasty schemes, the Enormous Crocodile learns a lesson he won't soon forget. Dahl's wicked humor is as delightful as ever in this new, larger edition of a hilarious favorite.
My review
I read this with my son. We both didnt like it much.
Rating: 2 stars
10. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exuperylibrary book, finished 1 February
Pages: 109
Setting: The Sahara Desert and Outer Space
Description:
A pilot forced to land in the Sahara meets a little prince. The wise and enchanting stories the prince tells of his own planet with its three volcanoes and a haughty flower are unforgettable.
A strange and wonderful parable for all ages, with super illustrations by the author.
Rating: 3 stars
11. J. K. Rowling: A Biography by Connie Ann Kirklibrary book, finished 3 February
Pages: 160
Description:
The unprecedented popularity of the Harry Potter books took the publishing world by storm and captured the imaginations of readers around the world. This unofficial biographical study of J. K. Rowling invites fans and critics alike to take a close look at the person behind the phenomenon, the facts of her life as a writer, and the extraordinary success of an ordinary woman. DEGREESL This detailed book explores both the critical acclaim and the controversies surrounding Rowling's books and the characters, who seem to have found a life of their own. Chapters take the reader from Rowling's early childhood in England through her school years, friendships, and early influences, tracing her family life, her travels and personal relationships, and the development of her career as a writer.
The Harry Potter books are carefully considered against the backdrop of the fantasy genre and are also situated within the broader framework of popular culture. A bibliography provides reviews, critical articles, biographical sources, and related Web site information. A timeline highlights the events of Rowling's life and career. Other appendices cite the many awards her books have received around the world. Also included are lists of her special literary and humanitarian interests.
Rating: 2 stars
12. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tane-book, finished 9 February
Pages: 288 (paperback version)
Setting: San Francisco, California, USA
Description
Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue.With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.
Rating: 4 stars
13. The Book Thief by Markus Zusake-book, finished 18 February
Pages: 442
Setting: Molching, Germany
Description:
HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE
1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH
It's a small story, about:
a girl
an accordionist
some fanatical Germans
a Jewish fist fighter
and quite a lot of thievery.
ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES
My Review:
I loved this book. I loved the main character, Leisl, as well as Rudy and Papa, even Rosa. But my true favorite character was the narrator, Death. Death as depicted by Markus Zusak, isn't what you'd think he'd be like. He's funny and caring. It definately gives me a different view on the whole 'grim reaper' thing.
A sad (as to be expected for a WW2 story), but very touching story.
Rating: 5 stars
Good Luck on your reading goal! Looks like you have already read some great books this year!
14. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbecke-book, finished 23 February
Pages: 107 (paperback version)
Setting: California, USA
Description:
he compelling story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world. Drifters in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other and a dream--a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California’s Salinas Valley, but their hopes are doomed as Lennie, struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy, becomes a victim of his own strength. Tackling universal themes such as the friendship of a shared vision, and giving voice to America’s lonely and dispossessed, Of Mice and Men has proved one of Steinbeck’s most popular works, achieving success as a novel, a Broadway play and three acclaimed films.
My review:
Good book, I'm glad I finally read this classic.
Rating: 4 stars
15. If This Is a Woman: Inside Ravensbruck - Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women by Sarah Helmlibrary book, finished 24 February
Pages: 768
Description:
The compelling story of the only concentration camp for women by the acclaimed author of A Life in Secrets.
On a sunny morning in May 1939 a phalanx of 800 women - housewives, doctors, opera singers, politicians, prostitutes - were marched through the woods fifty miles north of Berlin, driven on past a shining lake, then herded through giant gates. Whipping and kicking them were scores of German women guards.
Their destination was Ravensbrück, a concentration camp designed specifically for women by Heinrich Himmler, prime architect of the Nazi genocide.
For decades the story of Ravensbrück was hidden behind the Iron Curtain and today is still little known. Using testimony unearthed since the end of the Cold War, and interviews with survivors who have never spoken before, Helm has ventured into the heart of the camp, demonstrating for the reader in riveting detail how easily and quickly the unthinkable horror evolved.
My review
Such unimaginable horrors, it makes me shiver just to think about it!
This book shows not only how evil lots of people can be, but it also shows how brave and couragoeus and passionate people can be too. I don't know how these prisoners survived through everything they were put through, such strong, beautiful women!
One of the most memorable books I've ever read.
Rating: 5 stars
16. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dicke-book, finished 4 March
Pages: 272
Setting: San Francisco, California, USA
Description:
It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco, the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some twenty years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied by Nazi Germany and Japan.
This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to wake.
Rating: 2 stars
Good luck on reaching your goal! It looks like you're doing great and have found some interesting books.
17. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingwaye-book, 6 March
Pages: 100
Setting: Cuba
Description:
The last novel Ernest Hemingway saw published, The Old Man and the Sea has proved itself to be one of the enduring works of American fiction. It is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal: a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Using the simple, powerful language of a fable, Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent twentieth-century classic.
My review
This was my pop's favorite book. He died when I was about 9 years old, so I have an added interest in reading this book. This is also my first Hemingway book I've ever read. I found it very simple but enjoyable. (view spoiler)
Rating: 4 stars
Great job, Joanne! I look forward to seeing what you read for the rest of the year.
18. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgeraldlibrary, finished 12 March
Pages: 202
Setting: USA
Description:
Full grown with a long, smoke-coloured beard, requiring the services of a cane and fonder of cigars than warm milk, Benjamin Button is a very curious baby indeed. And, as Benjamin becomes increasingly youthful with the passing years, his family wonders why he persists in the embarrassing folly of living in reverse. In this imaginative fable of ageing and the other stories collected here - including "The Cut-Glass Bowl" in which an ill-meant gift haunts a family's misfortunes, "The Four Fists" where a man's life shaped by a series of punches to his face, and the revelry, mobs and anguish of "May Day" - F. Scott Fitzgerald displays his unmatched gift as a writer of short stories.
Also included:
Head and Shoulders
"O Russet Witch!"
Crazy Sunday
My review:
I liked the stories, although I had a few problems with the first story - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. My big problem about it is (view spoiler)
Rating: 3 stars
19. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzailibrary, finished 16 March
Pages: 276
Setting: Lembah Swat, Pakistan
Description:
The highly anticipated memoir of Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl from Pakistan's Swat region who stood up to the Taliban.
'I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday. We'd finished for the day and I was on the open-back truck we use as a school bus. There were no windows, just thick plastic sheeting that flapped at the sides and a postage stamp of open sky at the back through which I caught a glimpse of a kite wheeling up and down. It was pink, my favourite colour.'
In 2009 Malala Yousafzai began writing an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu about life in the Swat Valley as the Taliban gained control, at times banning girls from attending school. When her identity was discovered, Malala began to appear in Pakistani and international media, campaigning for education for all. On 9 October 2012, Malala was shot at point-blank range by a member of the Taliban on the way home from school. Remarkably, she survived. In April 2013, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
I Am Malala tells the inspiring story of a schoolgirl who was determined not to be intimidated by extremists, and faced the Taliban with immense courage. Malala speaks of her continuing campaign for every girl's right to an education, shining a light into the lives of those children who cannot attend school. This is just the beginning...
My review:
When I first started reading this, I knew very little about Pakistan and the muslim religion. I knew nothing about Malala (I don't watch TV and the news much these days). I knew a little bit about 9/11 (I remember staying home from school to watch the news, it was on almost every channel). I feel I have learnt so much from this book that I needed to know.
The other day I was reading this book just before I walked to pick my son up from school. On the way I was trying to imagine what it would be like in a war-torn country, or if Canberra was like Pakistan. I just can't imagine it. It's too horrible. I feel for the people who live over there, who are suffering. As much as I don't always like my hometown, I realise that we are a very lucky country compared to others.
When I got to school, I started thinking how me and all these kids at school, everyone, has to go to school. It's not an option, it's compulsory. How different it is here where lots of kids take school for granted (I know I did when I was younger), who don't want to go to school and miss out on a lot of knowledge. Malala and her school friends had to fight for their right to go to school. This book made me realise how important education is.
I wish all the best for Malala and her family, and I hope they can one day go back to their home of Swat, Pakistan. I hope when they do, there is no more war and they will have their beautiful home back.
Rating: 5 stars
20. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddone-book, finished 17 March
Pages: 118
Setting: Swindon & London, England
Description:
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.
This improbable story of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.
Rating: 4 stars
21. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carrolllibrary book, finished 23 March
Pages: 336
Setting: UK
Description:
On a boring summer afternoon, the bright and inquisitive Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit-hole. At the bottom, she finds herself immersed in a bizarre world full of strange creatures and bizarre goings-on. She tries pills and potions, and attends a very strange tea party and croquet match. An immensely witty mix of satire, puzzles, and drama, this is one of literature’s most astute depictions of the experience of childhood.
My review:
I didn't enjoy this book very much. I have enjoyed some children's books, such as last year I read Peter Pan. But this one, I would rather watch the movies, I just couldn't get into the book. I think I would have enjoyed this book better if I had of read it when I was a kid.
I know Alice in Wonderland pretty well, despite never having read the book before, I've seen the Disney movie before. But I knew nothing about Through the Looking Glass, just that it existed! It was a very strange story.
At least I can say I've read the book before now. But it's a bit of a relief to finish it.
Rating: 2 stars
22. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowlinglibrary book, finished 29 March
#1 in Cormoran Strike trilogy
Pages: 449
Setting: London, England
Description:
A BRILLIANT DEBUT MYSTERY IN A CLASSIC VEIN: DETECTIVE CORMORAN STRIKE INVESTIGATES A SUPERMODEL'S SUICIDE.
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.
Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this. Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
My Review:
3.5 stars. I was not happy with who the killer was. (view spoiler).
Other than that, I'm enjoying the trilogy.
Rating: 3.5 stars
23. My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodalle-book, finished 29 March
Pages: 108
Setting: East Africa
Description:
From the time she was a girl, Jane Goodall dreamed of a life spent working with animals. Finally she had her wish. When she was twenty-six years old, she ventured into the forests of Africa to observe chimpanzees in the wild. On her expeditions she braved the dangers with leopards and lions in the African bush. And she got to know an amazing group of wild chimpanzees -- intelligent animals whose lives, in work and play and family relationships, bear a surprising resemblance to our own.
My review:
I did write a review but the internet stopped working and I lost it all :(
Rating: 5 stars
24. Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Troutlibrary book, finished 2 April
Pages: 273
Setting:273
Description:
It’s 2:47 a.m. when Dr. Nick Trout takes the phone call that starts another hectic day at the Angell Animal Medical Center. Sage, a ten-year old German shepherd, will die without emergency surgery for a serious stomach condition. Over the next twenty-four hours Dr. Trout fights for Sage’s life, battles disease in the operating room, unravels tricky diagnoses, reassures frantic pet parents, and reflects on the humor, heartache, and inspiration in his life as an animal surgeon. And he wants to take you along for the ride.…
From the front lines of modern medicine, Tell Me Where It Hurts is a fascinating insider portrait of a veterinarian, his furry patients, and the blend of old-fashioned instincts and cutting-edge technology that defines pet care in the twenty-first century. For anyone who’s ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at your veterinarian’s office, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a vicarious journey through twenty-four intimate, eye-opening, heartrending hours at the premier Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.
You’ll learn about the amazing progress of modern animal medicine, where organ transplants, joint replacements, and state-of-the-art cancer treatments have become more and more common. With these technological advances come controversies and complexities that Dr. Trout thoughtfully explores, such as how long (and at what cost) treatments should be given, how the Internet has changed pet care, and the rise in cosmetic surgery.
You’ll also be inspired by the heartwarming stories of struggle and survival filling these pages. With a wry and winning tone, Dr. Trout offers up hilarious and delightful anecdotes about cuddly (or not-so-cuddly) pets and their variously zany, desperate, and demanding owners. In total, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a fascinating portrait of the comedy and drama, complexities and rewards involved with loving and healing animals.
Part ER, part Dog Whisperer, and part House, this heartfelt and candid book shows that while the technology has changed since James Herriot’s day, the humanity and compassion remains unchanged. If you’ve ever had a pet or special place in your heart for furry friends, Dr. Trout’s irresistible book is for you.
My review:
I loved this book. I found it hard to put it down.
Not only did you get to read about Dr Trout's experiences with the animals he helps, but he also talks of things like pet insurance, pet obesity, exotic animals and more. I found it very informative.
If anyone owns a pet and/or is animal lover, this book is a must-read!
Rating: 5 stars
25. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickense-book, finished 8 April
Pages: 489 (paperback version)
Setting: Paris, France & London, England
Description:
'Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; -- the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!'
After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.
My review:
My first book by Dickens
Rating: 3 stars
26. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)library book, finished 12 April
#2 in the Cormoran Strike trilogy
Pages: 456
Setting: London, England
Description:
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days - as he has done before - and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.
But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives - so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him.
And when Quine is found brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before . . .
A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, The Silkworm is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant Robin Ellacott.
My review:
I liked this book much better than the first one. It was more gory then the first one, I found it more intriguing. I'm enjoying Cormoran Strike, although I do wonder why the doctors don't fix his leg, so he's not in so much pain.
I only had 1 problem with it. (view spoiler)
Having said that, I think it is a good book and I'm looking forward to reading Career of Evil.
Rating: 4 stars
27. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawlsibooks phone, finished 15 April
Pages: 272 (paperback version)
Setting: The Ozarks, USA
Description:
A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn. Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.
My review:
A very moving book about a boy and his two hunting dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann. The attachment those two dogs have for their owner and for each other is very moving. Be warned, you will definately need the tissues but it will be worth the read!
Rating: 5 stars
28. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)library book, finished 17 April
3rd book in the Cormoran Strike trilogy
Pages: 494
Setting: London, England
Description:
When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.
Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.
With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…
Career of Evil is the third in the highly acclaimed series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, it is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.
Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin Ellacott, in a mystery based around soldiers returning from war.
My review:
Definately my favorite from this trilogy. :)
Rating: 5 stars
29. Red Dragon by Thomas Harrisowned book, finished 20 April
First book in the Hannibal Lector series.
Pages: 455
Setting: St. Louis, Missourri, USA
Description:
Sexual hunger; demonic violence; sinister logic - the lethal components of a deadly formula driving a psychopath in the grip of an unimaginable delusion; a boastful killer who sends the police tormenting notes; a tortured, torturing monster who finds ultimate pleasure in viciously murdering happy families, and calls himself... The Red Dragon. Special agent Will Graham had been assigned to similar cases before, cases where he was able to see and feel with the madmen, anticipate their moves and, most terrifying of all, be vulnerable to their horrifying brutality. Now Graham is reluctantly lured out of retirement, to find an opening to the evil mind of the Red Dragon. Red Dragon is quite probably the most suspenseful, utterly compelling thriller ever written.
Rating: 4 stars
30. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roylibrary book, finished 26 April
Pages: 340
Setting: Kerala, India
Description:
The year is 1969. In the state of Kerala, on the southernmost tip of India, fraternal twins Esthappen and Rahel fashion a childhood for themselves in the shade of the wreck that is their family. Their lonely, lovely mother, Ammu, (who loves by night the man her children love by day), fled an abusive marriage to live with their blind grandmother, Mammachi (who plays Handel on her violin), their beloved uncle Chacko (Rhodes scholar, pickle baron, radical Marxist, bottom-pincher), and their enemy, Baby Kochamma (ex-nun and incumbent grandaunt). When Chacko's English ex-wife brings their daughter for a Christmas visit, the twins learn that things can change in a day, that lives can twist into new, ugly shapes, even cease forever, beside their river...
Rating: 3 stars
31. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harrisowned book, finished 28 April
The second book in the Hannibal Lector series
Pages: 352
Setting: Washington, D.C & Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Description:
A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname-Buffalo Bill-is stalking women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the FBI Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, chief of the Bureau's Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter-Hannibal the Cannibal-who is kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of The Silence of the Lambs-and ingenious, masterfully written book and an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.
Rating: 4 stars
32. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smithe-book, finished 4 May
Pages: 512
Setting: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Description:
The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.
Rating: 4 stars
33. Hannibal by Thomas Harrismy own book, finished 10 May
Pages: 562
Setting: America & Florence, Italy
Description:
Years after his escape, posing as scholarly Dr. Fell, curator of a grand family's palazzo, Hannibal lives the good life in Florence, playing lovely tunes by serial killer/composer Henry VIII and killing hardly anyone himself. Clarice is unluckier: in the novel's action-film-like opening scene, she survives an FBI shootout gone wrong, and her nemesis, Paul Krendler, makes her the fall guy. Clarice is suspended, so, unfortunately, the first cop who stumbles on Hannibal is an Italian named Pazzi, who takes after his ancestors, greedy betrayers depicted in Dante's Inferno. Pazzi is on the take from a character as scary as Hannibal: Mason Verger. When Verger was a young man busted for raping children, his vast wealth saved him from jail. All he needed was psychotherapy--with Dr. Lecter. Thanks to the treatment, Verger is now on a respirator, paralyzed except for one crablike hand, watching his enormous, brutal moray eel swim figure eights and devour fish. His obsession is to feed Lecter to some other brutal pets.
Rating: 5 stars
34. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver SacksMy own book, finished 11 May
Pages: 272
Descripton:
A classic work of psychology, this international bestseller provides a groundbreaking insight into the human mind.
In his most extraordinary book, Oliver Sacks recounts the stories of patients with inexplicable and often inescapable neurological disorders. Here are people who have lost their memories and with them their pasts; who can no longer recognize everyday objects or those they love; who suffer mental anguish and yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents. But while no two cases are alike, each one is treated with unparalleled compassion and wisdom.
A fascinating exploration of the mysteries of the human mind, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is a million-copy bestseller by the twentieth century's greatest neurologist.
My review:
Very interesting book on neurology. There are people out there that can't recognise faces (even their most loved) or everyday objects. It also recounts the stories of people who suffer from Tourette's Syndrome and autistics with artistic or mathematical talents.
The only thing I found hard was the unfamiliar words, at times I got a bit lost in what he was trying to say, but I got the gist of most of it, and I still enjoyed it. And I've discovered a new subject that interests me.
Rating: 4 stars
35. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blumee-book, finished 12 May
Pages: 160
Setting: New Jersey, USA
Description:
Margaret Simon, almost twelve, has just moved from New York City to the suburbs, and she’s anxious to fit in with her new friends. When she’s asked to join a secret club she jumps at the chance. But when the girls start talking about boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret starts to wonder if she’s normal. There are some things about growing up that are hard for her to talk about, even with her friends. Lucky for Margaret, she’s got someone else to confide in . . . someone who always listens.
Rating: 2 stars
You are doing amazing! Crushing that goal!
Thank you Winter :) I'm thinking of putting it up soon, apparently I'm 10 books ahead of schedule!
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
All Quiet on the Western Front (other topics)All Quiet on the Western Front (other topics)
Small Great Things (other topics)
Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships (other topics)
Small Great Things (other topics)
More...
My goal this year is to read 65 books.I've updated my goal for this year to 70 books :)As of 13/5/16, I've updated my goal to 80 books
89/80 Goal exceeded
Length:
Short (<250 pages): 30
Medium (250-500 pages): 47
Long (501-800 pages): 8
Very long (800+ pages): 2
Total pages read: 28,677
Gender's of the Authors:
Female: 50
Male: 38
Books by Month:
January: 7
February: 8
March: 7
April: 8
May: 10
June: 9
July: 5
August: 9
September: 5
October: 5
November: 7
December: 7
Ratings
1 star: 0
2 stars: 7
3 stars: 15
4 stars: 33
5 stars: 32
Australian books: 6