Wow this year has just flown by and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in 50 books 2014! It has given me a great excuse to lose myself in a book without feeling guilty, after all I am competing in a challenge, even if it is just against myself.
So in the month of November I finished five books bringing my total to 41 which I think is pretty impressive, although it also means I still have to read 9 books in December if I am to succeed...eek!
It will mean reading more than I have done in any other month and December is pretty busy, however I do have a two week holiday and plan to spend it relaxing as much as possible so the challenge is not impossible. I fear that while everyone else is out partying on New years eve I will have my nose stuck in a book :-/
Here are the books I read in November
Evie has tried her hand at many things but they never seem to workout, always competing with her seemingly over-achieving sisters she is dreaming of the perfect life but suddenly everything turns upside down and she finds herself in a bit of a rut. When Evie's beloved aunt Jo passes away and leaves her the beach cafe in Cornwall it could be the chance of a new start that she is longing for or it could just be a whole lot of stress!
The Beach Cafe is a lovely read with a nice feel good factor, the story reads at a good pace and the characters are very like-able, the author sets a very picturesque setting of Cornwall where the story is set.
Evie managed to survive her first summer running the Beach Cafe and is looking forward to the Christmas season approaching. With her new boyfriend just moving in she is determined to make it the most romantic Christmas ever but with the arrival of unexpected guests it may not go to plan!
I sometimes feel sad when I get to the end of a book and I know the characters are gone forever so when I saw that the Beach Cafe had a second helping I just had to download it! The fact that it was a nice Christmas edition made it even better.
Maria is a young woman, newly pregnant and left alone with her in-laws while her husband is sent of to war. The nights are cold and lonely in rural Poland but when Maria comes across a young girl hiding in a barn she is compelled to risk her own life and that of her unborn child to help her.
I don't really remember much about this book because just as I was getting into the story it seemed to finish, great if you like short stories but I think it could have had a bit more to it.
Carla is a top model, she has what seems like the perfect life, expecting her first baby and cashing in on all the magazine opportunities that come with being a famous mum to be. When she wakes in the hospital bed one morning a her baby is missing it turns her life upside down. She vows that she will see her baby again no matter how long she is missing.
At the same time Susanna welcomes her new baby daughter after five agonising miscarriages but she feels that the only way to keep her safe is to keep her very close.
I really enjoyed this story, the characters are very believable and the story is set over many years meaning it doesn't get boring, you are compelled to find out when and if Maria will ever be reunited with her stolen daughter.
Wife and mother of 4 Rachel decides to leave the hassle and playground mafia of the suburbs for a peaceful life in the countryside but are the playground politics in the countryside any different that anywhere else? During the year Rachel becomes best friends and worst enemies with one of the mothers while learning all the juicy gossip about the rest of the village residents.
This book is very comical and I loved the layout of each chapter being a new month but was a bit disappointed with the actual story. The relationship with Rachel and fellow resident Penelope really wound me up and some of the goings on seemed to be a bit far fetched. Also with it being about playground mothers I expected the children to play more of a role in the story but it was very adult based.
For my last month of the 50 books 2014 challenge I have downloaded a few short stories and some nice Christmas reads to get me in the mood but if I don't complete 50 books it's a great excuse to start the challenge again in 2015!
If you are a book lover why not challenge yourself in 2015?
