50 books 2014 - December

Well it was very close but I actually managed it, I read 50 books in 2014!!!

To be honest with so many books still to read in December I didn't actually think I would do it but having the Christmas holiday and downloading quite a few short books on my Kindle did really help me to complete the challenge.

So here is a quick look at the last nine books I read...

When a famous fashionista discovers Emma's designs and features them on her blog it could be the big break she is after. Typically Emma panics and questions whether somebody like her could be the next big thing and searches for a way to get out her designs without anybody finding out who she is.

As a fan of fashion illustration I was quite interested to see what this book was about. I love the way there were little pictures of fashion items sketched on the pages to go along with the story. It was a sweet tale of a young girl following her dream into the fashion world while juggling school work and I think it would be quite suitable for a young adult age range.

As a new resident on a remote Scottish Island, Kate decides that her new estate would make the perfect backdrop as a wedding venue. With a wedding booked in for Christmas eve the pressure is on but with all sorts of obstacles in the way will she pull it off?

I do find short Christmas stories perfect for the festive season and this was a nice romantic read. I haven't read the original Sealed with a kiss but may give it a try in the future.

Luke has dedicated his life to living with and understanding the world of wolves, even going as far as to break up his family for their sake, but when he and his daughter Cara are injured in a car accident it causes grave implications for his estranged son and the daughter who adores him.

I started this book months ago and found it quite long winded although as more drama unfolded it did get a lot more interesting towards the end. I liked the way the story was told through each characters point of view. I have never really been a fan of wolves but appreciated that there was great effort to research the lives of wolves for this book and found some of the information pretty impressive.

Ten year old Madeline wonders why her Granddad sits on the beach staring into the ocean every day, her family suspect dementia but after a conversation with him she finds out the real reason he is there.

This is a super short story! I thought I had just read one chapter and then realised it had finished. It is a very heart warming sweet story.

Hollywood movie star Maggie wants to get away from LA for the holidays to somewhere with a bit of charm. What better place for a Christmas getaway than London. Accompanying Maggie is her manager and friend Zoe. They relax in a luxurious hotel, sight see around town and even do a bit of match making along the way!

Another lovely Christmas story to get you into the spirit, very light-hearted with not much sustenance. It seemed a bit far fetched in places but as it was only a short story I wasn't expecting much.

Becky and Luke have a whole year planned for their honeymoon. Becky has it all planned out, they will spend it exploring the canals of Venice, doing yoga in India and maybe even visiting the penguins in the Antarctic...not forgetting to pick up a few souvenirs on the way! But will Luke be as keen on the getaway as his new bride?

I have come across the shopaholic series before but never actually read one. This was a great taster and I am sure I will try some others in the future.

Ellie is a determined woman, arriving in a small town and taking on as many jobs as she can to raise money means she has no time for ladies man Bruce Laselle. The fact that she is not interested is what catches his eye and after learning of her inner most secrets will she be able to resist his charm?

I wasn't too sure of this book when I first started but actually warmed to the characters and enjoyed the story line, the only concern was that the kindle version had a lot of mistakes in it... as it was free I cant really complain!

Nancy is shocked to receive a sit on lawnmower for Christmas, especially as she found a receipt for some expensive jewellery from her husband, this leads her to become suspicious. A trip to London to visit her best friend could be just what she needs but will she find more than she bargained for?

I am surprised I have never read a Jill Mansell book before and will definitely try some more in the future, the book had quite a lot of characters but they were all very individual and believable. The book was very witty but a bit predictable, a typical love story!

When a down on his luck actor turns up to an audition he leaves with a different type of job. Alec is loaned a Range Rover to make a delivery of what he thinks is a christening present but as the journey takes a weird and spooky twist he questions what is really in the delivery.

I started reading this book before going to bed and luckily it wasn't very long as I couldn't put it down! The start was pretty gripping and the book contained photos which added to the story. With it being night time it did scare me a little which I think is what kept me reading. On the downside there were parts of the story that were questionable and I was expecting more from the ending.

So that's it and now I am officially all read out and haven't read anything so far this year! I am not going to take on the challenge again this year as I am so busy with studying but I must say I really did like taking the time out to lose myself in a book and may try it again in the future.

What about you? If you are planning on challenging yourself to read 50 books this year then why not pop over to Ups and downs, Smiles and frowns who is hosting the #50books2015 linky.

Happy reading xx

50 Books 2014 - November

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?

50 Books 2014 - October

Another month and another few books read! I really hope I manage to complete this challenge because otherwise I will have to do it again next year  (I won't give up until I've done it) and as much as I love to read (I would happily read all day if I could) it is hard to fit it in with everything else.
Sitting in traffic on the bus in the mornings is no good for my time keeping but I must say it is great for my reading time and has helped me to get through 5 books this month, and I am half way through another 2 :)

So this is what I have enjoyed in October...

 Josh receives a text telling him that he has 48 hours to pay £250,000 or die! surely it must be a joke but when people around him start dying it has to be taken seriously. Will his attractive new bodyguard protect him and will he ever find out who it is that is actually blackmailing him?

I wasn't expecting much from this book when I first downloaded it but was actually pleasantly surprised. The plot was good and the descriptions were really well written, considering it is free on the Kindle I would recommend.

This is the story of Martha Connolly and her poverty stricken family, they are living in a run down tenement in Liverpool during the 30s and 40s and it tells of their struggle with hunger and disease during the great depression but also of the the uplifting spirit between the local community.

I found this book to be really long and it took me a few months to read it, going back to it after a few other books each time. I actually started to enjoy it towards the end and think that if I had read it all at once I may have liked it more. Great description of what life was like during that time and I really warmed to some of the characters.

Katie Parker is going to live with a religious family whether she likes it or not, her dad has gone AWOL and her mum is in prison so how is she going to settle with this new life and will she find a way to escape, back to her old ways?

This book was completely different to what I was expecting when I first looked at it, the character Katie is very relatable, although you do find yourself getting mad at her sometimes. With the book coming from a teenagers point of view I think it would be suited to a teen audience but saying that I found it very amusing and would definitely read other books from this author.

Natalie is a twenty something with a great job and living in London, the only thing that is missing in her life is the man of her dreams but will she have to go very far to find him?

This was a nice easy read, great if you like rom-coms although a bit predictable and easy to forget.

Brian is a geeky adolescent of the 80's and is ready to embark on his journey to university, with risk of losing his old drop-out mates and the struggle to find new ones, will an appearance on University challenge aid his life and help him to get the girl of his dreams?

With 'One Day' being one of my favourite books ever I was trying not to expect too much from this book of the same author. The book is so 80's it feels like you are actually in that era with the characters and can really picture the scene. I like how a question appears at the beginning of each chapter and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I am posting this book review a bit late as I have just had no time to write on my blog with all the coursework I've had to do but thankfully I have still had time to read some more books!

This post is linked up with the 50 books 2014 challenge and at the end of October I have read a total of 36 books! 14 books to read in 2 months? hmmm I wonder if I'm going to make it?

50 Books 2014 September

This month I have only managed to finish 1 book but all is not lost, I am mid way through another 3 and have downloaded loads more onto my kindle (I know I have to actually read them for it to count) so should be back on track in no time!

The one I did read was pretty long so if I add a few short stories to the mix it should help me out.

Anybody out there is the story of Anna Walsh. Anna is staying with her parents in Dublin but desperate to get back to her life in New York, back to her friends, back to her amazing job and back to her husband Aiden. But what has driven her so far away from her fabulous life and why is her husband not replying to her emails?

I love Marian Keyes books and this one did not disappoint! Very realistic with some real laugh out loud humour, especially Anna's sister Helen who is spying on the criminals of the Dublin underworld. The book is full of emotion and takes some unexpected turns throughout.

50 books 2014 - August

I have done really well this month, it must be all those lazy summer afternoons relaxing in the garden that has helped me to get through 6 books. I am really going to miss it now it's back to work time!

I have read 30 books in total now and if I can manage one a week from now I will be pretty close to my target however I am starting college and going back to work soon so may have to give up some of my TV time to do it!

So here is what I have been reading over summer...

This is the true story of Jane, an east end gangster. She tells the story of her antics from a young girl to her obsession with guns that saw her end up in prison. With a young son to look after Jane wants to make money in a legitimate way but the life of crime just wont let her go and armed with her samurai sword and shotgun nobody is going to stand in her way!

I found this story of Gypsy Jane a bit exaggerated, some of what happens seems a bit hard to believe and Jane herself seems arrogant and delusional. Just a few words from her can cause a criminal boss to pee his pants in front of a pub full of all his gangster followers? The book itself was quite a good read but more of a fictional one, if you are into modern crime stories I would stick to Martina Cole as they are more believable.

Leila is a bit of a loner, she spends most of her time in front of the computer and has no interest in joining in with the shallow social lives her school friends have gone on to live. When approached to take on  the task of living the virtual life of a fragile woman who wants to kill herself, will she be up to the job?

I really did enjoy this book and towards the middle I couldn't put it down. I was telling my daughter what was happening and each time I read some more she would pester me to give her an update! The character Leila is a bit obsessive and can get annoying at times but you also find yourself feeling sorry for her. Quite a unique story and if you are interested in the dark side of the Internet then this is the book for you.

This is a memoir of Jackie Kay, a mixed race girl that was adopted by white parents, although she had a very loving upbringing with her adopted brother she feels the need to find out about her history and goes in search of her birth parents. Her journey takes her between Scotland, Milton Keynes and across the globe to Nigeria but will she find what she's looking for?

This is a very charming story. Very honest and emotional read and I loved the relationship between Jackie and her new found siblings, how there were so many similarities even though they had never met. I wasn't too keen on the way the story jumped between place and time so often as it was hard to keep up with where and when the story was. A great insight into the thoughts and feelings of an adopted child.

 A small isolated valley known as the sink attracts loneliness and hardship. When some mysterious creature roams the swamp and surrounding forest killing livestock and scaring the life out of the all the inhabitants it brings them unexpectedly into each others company.

The book sounds like a really good read and being a short story I assumed it would be a quick and easy. The story is quite complicated and one that needs a lot of attention to be able to understand what is going on, meaning I couldn't keep up with it during the adverts of coronation street! To be honest I still don't know what the creature that terrorised the town is and I think when I have spare time I may try to re read it.

This is the story of Izzy who is approaching her 41st birthday, the same age her mum was when she killed herself. Izzy's dad and sister are flying out so the family can spend the weekend together but it is sure to be emotionally charged as she reminisces about the good times spent with her eccentric yet tormented mum.

The book was beautifully written and quite lighthearted. While tackling the issue of mental illness and the effect it had and is still having on the family, there were also some humorous parts. It is a lovely recap of the characters life but not really any suspense.

When 15 year old Shep was murdered during an apparent robbery a local boy named Daniel handed himself into the police, sentenced to death the family are left to get on with their life. 19 years later as the lethal injection is ready to do it's job, Shep's mum befriends the boy and finds herself fighting to save him. Does she know a hidden secret that surrounded the murder?

I really enjoyed this book and loved the mystery that kept me turning the pages. I found myself trying to work out what was about to be revealed but never guessed the outcome. The writing reminded me a bit of Jodi Picoult so if you are a fan of hers I'm sure you will enjoy this novel.

So that is my round-up for August! Have you had any blockbuster novels you have read this summer? As I still have 20 books to read this year I would greatly appreciate some recommendations...

50 books 2014 - July

 I have managed to finish 5 books this month, but I am finding that I have so much more time to read with it being the holidays and I am actually able to relax and enjoy the books. Usually I just catch a couple of chapters at night before falling asleep but it has been great to wake up and read for a bit before the kids roll out of bed.

Here is what I enjoyed reading in July...

Ellie is the opposite of her sister, not really into high end fashion or going out to the most swanky bars and mixing with millionaires but when she meets and falls for her sister Rose's new boyfriend she knows she needs to change to get his attention. Will it be as easy to borrow your sisters boyfriend as it is to borrow her stilettos?

This was a nice easy read, very witty with a few laugh out loud moments and the characters were easy to relate too. The story changed throughout so it wasn't predictable which makes you want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next!

Kiki is a teacher who is searching for the man of her dreams... literally! At thirteen she believed she had a psychic dream that showed her who her future love would be. She makes it her mission to find this man by going on blind dates accompanied by a journalist who is writing a piece about the dating agency scene. Will the man with the degree and a talent in music be one of her dates or does he even exist?

A very simple and quite predictable story. I actually took a disliking to the Kiki, not sure why but found the main characters to be a bit shallow and irritating. Not bad writing and worth a try if you like chick-lit and have a spare few hours.

Fragile is the true story of Niki Shisler. After surviving years of abuse and addiction the single mothers life seems to be turning around. She meets a decent man and becomes pregnant with twins but that is the start of a number of dramatic events including the twins being born with a mysterious illness.

This is a very touching and emotional story. I did find it a bit long winded but I suppose that was just because the authors writing was very in depth. If you like a good true story and don't mind shedding a few tears then I would give it a read.

This is the diary of 65 year old Marie. She finds herself with extra time on her hands and writes a list of things she would like to do with her time. Marie has close friends, her cat and a grandson who she dotes on but how will she cope with the death of a loved one and her family moving half way across the world?

I really liked reading about Marie's perspective on life and found her diary very witty. The daily rant headlines were amusing and it shows how in touch the older generation is with what is happening in the community around them.

This is the story of Jack, a five year old that lives in a room, its a room with a locked door, a room that he has never left as his mother has been imprisoned in there since before his birth.

When I first started reading this book I was a bit put off by the narration of five year old jack but carried on and quickly became hooked as I was intrigued about how they became in the room and how if ever, they would escape. There were times it was a bit unrealistic and I found the second half of the book to be a lot slower but overall I really enjoyed and it is now one of my favourite books, I would definitely recommend it!

So that is my July roundup and I have now read a total of 24 books,that is the same amount I read for the whole of 2013! I am slowly catching up and still confident about reaching my target!

How many books have you read so far this year?

50 books 2014 - May

This month I have managed to get through four books with a little help from the half term, giving me some extra reading time. I mentioned before that I would like to read at least one classic and this month I chose Lady Chatterley's lover. I thought it would be quite a hard read but was pleasantly surprised and I think I would like to read a few more classics in the future.

I came across this book in the free section of the kindle books and was surprised to see a Jodi Picoult book there so downloaded it straight away. I learned afterwards that it is in fact a short story but nevertheless it is a great read and it is an introduction to the character Serenity Jones who features in her upcoming novel.

Serenity is a psychic who has her own TV show and when she tries to get into contact with a war veteran for his young widow she gets more than she bargained for in return, but will this boost ratings or threaten her future as a TV psychic? This was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to a full version in the new novel.

My partner actually downloaded this book onto my kindle as he only ever reads crime books. I didn't pay much attention to it for a couple of months but then I read the first few pages and realised it was based in Hackney which is where I grew up so was intrigued to carry on reading.

This is a troubling tale of the gritty life teenage gang members lead in inner city London. One young boy is murdered and the search is on to find his killer, the main suspect is very nonchalant about the situation but how does he feel when his little brother decides to follow his footsteps into the life of crime? At the same time there is also the tale of the detective on the case and his journey to a life away from the harsh realities of life on the estates. Great read if you don't mind a bit of violence in your novels.

 

Some people feel really motivated by self help books such as The Secret while others are quite cynical and see it as a money making tool for the people behind it. I have read a few 'Chicken soup for the soul' books and I loved them as they were full of feel good stories but this book does seem a bit repetitive. 

The main theme of the book is the law of attraction. There are many contributors to the book who all try to convince the reader that positive thinking can bring you anything you want, I am not saying it cant, its just a matter of belief. Positive thinking obviously worked for them as they have all achieved what they want and there is no harm in it so why not I say?

I thought it would take me forever to get through this book as I remember trying to read classic books when I was younger and struggling to understand a word, however the only thing I struggled with was when the character Mellors was speaking in his Yorkshire accent. There were a few old fashioned words that I didn't know the meaning of but because I was reading on my kindle I could just touch the word and the meaning would come up which was really useful. I did find it quite amusing when a couple of my 'word of the week' words came up but at least I was familiar with them!

The story is about Lady Chatterley (Connie) and her discovery of herself, she seems like a feisty character and had a bit of 1920s girl power about her. Connie's upper class husband has been paralysed through a war injury and is therefore unable to physically please his wife. This causes tension between the two of them and she seeks love in other places, but what will happen when she decides to provide them with an heir to the Wragby estate? The book is quite raunchy in parts and rather than romantic I found it to be a bit crude, almost like the author was trying to shock the reader with his words! Worth a read if you are a fan of classics.

 I have now read 17 books out of my 50 book target so still have a long way to go but I am really enjoying spending more time reading and hope to get through at least 5 next month!
My #50books2014 challenge is linked up with Sara over at Ups & downs, smiles & frowns.

50 books 2014 - April

 This month I have managed to read 4 books! I am glad I finished four but I thought as we had two weeks off school I would have read a couple more. Three of the books were quite easy reads but Mercy was very long and took a while to get through so that's probably what took up most of my reading time.

The fault in our stars is about a teenage girl named Hazel who has terminal cancer and her relationship with her boyfriend (Augustus) who is also a cancer sufferer. Hazel is obsessed with a novel that came to an abrupt ending and is desperate to find out what happens to the characters of the story from the hard to reach author. Will Augustus succeed in helping her get the information before she dies?

I bought this book for my son and he recommended it to me. I found it to be very witty and loved the relationships between Hazel, her family and her few friends. I can see how many teenagers can relate to the characters as they seemed very real. There were parts of the book that seemed to drag on a bit so I can understand when some people said they find it boring but overall I would recommend it.

 

There are two interwoven stories in this novel. First the story of Jamie McDonald who kills his terminally ill wife to end her misery, he heads to a town where he knows his cousin is the chief of police but does this help his case? The chief Cam McDonald doesn't seem to sympathies much with his cousin and is otherwise occupied by another new arrival to the town in the shape of a mysterious lady named Mia, but what will his wife make of her?

One of my favourite books ever is 'My sisters keeper' and I love the way Jodi Picoult writes but I was a bit disappointed with this book. It took me a while to get through it and although there were a few parts that kept me page turning into the night, I did feel that the story was a bit long winded. I still have a couple of other Picoult books on my shelf that I want to read this year so hopefully they will make up for this one!

 

After separating from Josh, Ginny finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and alone. Thinking her life is over and struggling with morning sickness her friends lend a supporting shoulder but will they convince her that everything is going to be okay?

This is a very light-hearted and amusing story, I did find myself laughing out loud a few times! It is currently free on the kindle (I do like my free kindle books) so would recommend downloading while you can if you have a kindle app.

Rosemary Wickum always finds treasure at the dump, but the last thing she expects to find there is the love of her life! When Gary, the handsome owner of a recycling centre, begins to pursue her she is reluctant to act on it but with the whole towns encouragement will she get her happy ever after?

I didn't expect this book to start out at the dump but it quickly moves on from rubbish to raunchy! Quite an enjoyable book with some delightful characters particularly the busy bodies in the town that try to push Rose and Gary together.

May is a very busy month for me so I'm not sure how many books I will get through, I might have to give up a few TV programmes to keep up! I have currently read 13 books out of the 50 I hope to read this year! How many have you managed to get through?

50 books 2014 - March

 This month has been really slow on the reading front. I have only managed to finish 2 books which I had actually started last month! For some reason they both just seemed to go on forever, thats not to say they were boring I think its just that I was reading in the evenings, after getting through a few pages I was falling asleep.

  

Im not entirely sure why this book is named the debt and the doormat. It starts off with Poppy and her friend Jazz. Jazz being in debt decides to swap lives with the sensible Poppy in order to stop her spending and encourage Poppy to let her hair down, but then the story takes on all sorts of dramas that caused me to want to shout at Poppy in frustration, almost as if I was watching a soap opera. Poppy is a very endearing character and I really enjoyed reading about all the turmoil she went through in order to get the man of her dreams.

 If You have read my last 2 months of 50books2014 you would know that I have been reading The Hunger Games series. I really loved the first two books and I think book one was my favourite of the three. I read the first half of this book and then seemed to waver a bit, reading a bit here and a bit there. I really got into the end of it in the last few days and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it all at once.

Katniss Everdean survived the first two hunger games and the capitol are not happy, they want revenge! But who should pay the price Katniss herself or the people she loves the most?

So far this year I have read 9 books but with the Easter holidays coming up im hoping to catch up on my reading, especially as I have a habit of downloading loads of books onto my kindle app and need to get through them!

This post is linked up with #50books2014 reading challenge over at Ups & Downs, Smiles & Frowns.

50 books 2014 - February

I have read quite a lot this month but as I've been working my way through quite a few different books I've only finished 3 in total, I'm pleased with that and confident about my target to read 50 in a year. I have taken back up my other hobby of cross stitching so was worried that this would impact on the amount of time I actually get to read but if I just do less cleaning in the house then I should have time to fit everything in!

I managed to finish part 2 of The hunger games and I am half way through book 3 as we speak. I do love this series of books and cant believe I didn't read them sooner! 

Catching fire follows the journey of Katniss Everdean who survived The first Hunger games however her victory has caused a rebellion to break out and the capitol have decided that someone must pay. I was quite surprised that another actual hunger games was featured in this book as it took a while to get to it, but to find out who must enter, you better get reading!

I saw this book in poundland and as a fan of  biographies and a fan of Amy Winehouse I thought it was a bargain and picked it up. 

Amy My Daughter is an intimate account of the tragic singers life from a young age and her dads relentless journey to save his daughter from the addictions that took over it. The story did get a bit repetitive but was very moving and the saddest part is that, as we all know there was never going to be a happy ending.

My daughter has had this book for quite a few years and I never thought to read it before but I'm glad I did.

It is the story of Shell, a teenager who is left to care for her younger siblings when her mother dies and her father descends into alcoholic mourning. Shell falls for the charms of her childhood friend Declan but when he leaves Ireland for the bright lights of America she is left to face the scandal that rocks her whole community.

This is a sad tale and if your of the emotional kind you may just shed a tear as I was pretty close but I only do happy tears!

So thats 7 books I've read in total this year, how about you?

I have joined up with Sarah at Ups & downs, smiles & frowns for the #50book2014 challenge

50 books 2014 - January

This is my round up of books that I've managed to get through in the month of January. Usually by this time of the year I would have probably just started getting into a book, so I'm very pleased that I've spent more time reading and less time watching a load of rubbish on TV (although I am still watching quite a lot of rubbish on TV, just not as much!)

What stays in Vegas - This is the story of Tessa a Secretary dreaming of being an artist and also dreaming about her co-worker who happens to be a married man. Will transferring to the Las Vegas branch of the office be the opportunity of a new life or just more problems?

This book was a nice, fun, easy read. Loved the characters, especially Tessa's new boss Kendra!

The Hunger Games - I'm sure most people are familiar with The Hunger Games trilogy, if not, you should be! I loved the first book and read it within a couple of days and I am currently reading the second part.

In brief the story is set in the future where North America has become a country called Panem, it is split into 12 districts and a capitol. Each year 2 boys and 2 girls from each district are chosen to fight to the death in a live TV show called The hunger games, for the amusement of the capitol.

When Katniss takes the place of her little sister she sees it as a death sentence but will she have the strength to survive?

Street child - Whenever my kids are given certain books to read at school I like to read them as well, this is so I can check that they are actually reading but also its nice to be able to discuss the stories with them. My year 4 class (and also my youngest son who is in year 4) are currently studying Victorian Britain and the contrast between the rich and poor children of that era. 

Street child is based on the true story of an Orphan child who inspired Dr Barnardo to set up his homes for young boys. Jim Jarvis is left homeless and motherless and has no option but to go to the workhouse but this proves too much for him and he would rather face life on the streets. This book is very emotional but a great read for any age! 

Any red-blooded girl - This is the story of Flora Fontain a 15 going on 16 year old who has to spend her summer camping with her parents and brother but its not all as bad as it seems when she instantly falls in love with Mick and he feels the same about her. But will it all be happily ever after...unlikely!

I found this book rather weird and it moved at such a fast pace that I couldn't keep up and I didn't know what was about to happen next, although that can be quite a good thing in a book as nobody likes predictability!