14 October 2012

#152. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde


Title:
First Among Sequels
Author:
Jasper Fforde
Genre:
Alternative Reality/Crime
Synopsis:
Years have passed, SpecOps has been disbanded, Thursday is still trying to save the world and wrangle a family and things just keep getting weirder.
Verdict:
The series continues to be excellent, Fforde is daring enough to take big steps and it pays off. Whenever a series takes a jump of years in a character’s life it can either be a rich source of extra material or a bit disorientating; it definitely worked for this series.
Pages:
395
Read:
October 2012

11 October 2012

#151. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Title:
Something Rotten
Author:
Jasper Fforde
Genre:
Alternate Reality/Crime
Synopsis:
After all her time in Bookworld, Thursday finally returns to reality in order to raise her son and save her husband. Once again it is time to match wits with the sinister Goliath Corporation, while juggling family and fictional responsibilities and all the chaos the real world brings.
Verdict:
Still just as nuts and now it feels like it might have a hidden greater story arc underneath. The wordplay and fun with names continues to amuse me because I’m a big nerd.
Pages:
393
Read:
September ­– October 2012

23 September 2012

#150. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Title:
Wild
Author:
Cheryl Strayed
Genre:
Non-Fiction/Travel/Autobiography
Synopsis:
After the death of her mother and the collapse of her marriage, Cheryl decides to walk the Pacific Crest Trail in order to rebuild herself and climb out of the hole she’s in.
Verdict:
An amazingly honest account of her actions and failings, the challenges she faces and what she learns. One of those books that it is almost impossible to put down. Very absorbing.
Pages:
311
Read:
September 2012

14 September 2012

#149. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title:
Mockingjay
Author:
Suzanne Collins
Genre:
Future/Dystopian/Thriller/Young Adult
Synopsis:
After the chaos of the Quarter Quell, the rebellion is in full flight and The Capitol is cracking down brutally in an attempt to regain control as Katniss is thrust into leadership.
Verdict:
The first 80 per cent of the book is just as fast paced and interesting to me as the first two novels but the ending feels somewhat rushed, like the author ran out of time or space or didn’t craft it as finely as she could have. On one hand that was a bit disappointing but on the other it also felt kind of appropriate. Given the world the events were taking place in, there was no way it couldn’t end in some chaos and with further tragedy.
Pages:
453
Read:
September 2012

31 July 2012

#148. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title:
Catching Fire
Author:
Suzanne Collins
Genre:
Future/Dystopian/Thriller/Young Adult
Synopsis:
After the impossible victory in The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta must survive the political fall-out that follows as a society already prepared to boil over begins to heat up.
Verdict:
The progression of the rebellion, the machinations of The Capitol and the Quarter Quell are all well drawn and help further flesh out the picture of what the world has become. Still very compelling.
Pages:
472
Read:
July 2012

26 July 2012

#147. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title:
The Hunger Games
Author:
Suzanne Collins
Genre:
Future/Dystopian/Thriller/Young Adult
Synopsis:
In the remains of North America, in a harsh future, every year two young people from each District are sent to take part in brutal gladiatorial games in which there can be only one survivor. When Katniss Everdeen steps forward to save her sister, she and her male counterpart must face their own mortality and the stark reality of the totalitarian society they live in and what else might be taken from them.
Verdict:
Books written in the first person are fairly rare because they’re hard to pull off but it worked really well here. It allowed me to see things through the character’s eyes without the world-building seeming intrusive or taking up too much of the text. The reserved nature of the main character also helped building tension and keeping things moving.
Pages:
454
Read:
July 2012