Time for my first reading wrap up of 2017! I set fairly modest target on Goodreads of 25 books. Things were off to a flying start and I was miles ahead of schedule, but I took a little reading break whilst we moved house. But now we're settled and I'm back on it!
It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot ★★★★★
I wrote a review of this a earlier in the year, which Ruby Elliot actually read herself after I tagged her in an Instagram post (I fangirled so hard). I said it then and I'll say it again - this is my book of 2017. It just spoke to me so much.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss ★★★★
I've been trying to take a break from fantasy in 2017, but it hasn't been working. The Name of the Wind has been on my list for a long time. I mean, a story about a orphan who overcomes hardship to go to a magical school far away? What's not to love? Kvothe is a witty and cheeky character who simultaneously annoys the hell out of me and makes me root for him. The embedded narrative confused me in places a bit; part of me wished it was just a linear story rather than something told in flashbacks. But other than that, I really enjoyed it and have already purchased the next one.
Bridget Jones' Baby by Helen Fielding ★★★★
I loved the film, so decided I needed to read the book. It was such a pleasant surprise. I really didn't enjoy Mad About The Boy so had set the bar pretty low, perhaps this is why I enjoyed it so much. It's a bite-sized book that follows Bridget's pregnancy. It's a nice easy going read.
The Rest of us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness ★★★★★
This book was my first foray into Ness' work, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gently poking fun at the YA fantasy genre, it also sympathetically and realistically portrays characters with mental health issues. I really enjoyed the universe, and the parallel telling of the "indie" kids' story.
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ★★★★
I bought this on Kindle years and years ago, so finally decided to read it. It's such a sweet story, although I found that I felt as though I was a little too old for it; it's definitely for a younger audience. I ended up guessing how it ended, which is something that usually doesn't happen. I'll probably watch the film adaptation, but will probably wait until it comes out on DVD...
Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham ★★★★★
I received this as a gift at Christmas. I'm not usually one for reading autobiographies (I tend to prefer listening to them on Audible) but I really enjoyed this one. I think it's because it's relatively short, so you don't get bogged down in her life story, but also because there's a lot of insight into her time working on Gilmore Girls. She wrote it whilst making A Year in the Life, so there's lots about that in there too!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander ★★★★★
I bought the Red Nose Day audiobook edition of this, with Eddie Redmayne narrating. It really adds to the ambiance having Redmayne read it, and I really loved the addition of sound effects to the audio. Definitely a high quality production from Pottermore, and something that I'll definitely listen to again.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski ★★★★
Back when Witcher III came out, I spent hours watching Kris play it. I was so intrigued by the lore of the stories, so borrowed one of his books. I love the incorporation of traditional fairytales into the narrative, and even with them it still feels someone unique in style. I often struggle with reading short story collections, but The Last Wish flowed really well. The translation wasn't too bad either - often books translated into English make the narrative clunky and blunt.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld ★★★★
I was feeling rather nostalgic the day that I spotted it for 99p on the Kindle Store. I read this for the first time when I was about 14 years old and loved it. I decided to reread, because in my memory all three books blended together plot-wise (I didn't bother with the 4th book). Ten years later and I still enjoyed it. Not sure if I'll have the time to re-read the sequels, unless they pop up for 99p as well...
Hark, A Vagrant by Kate Beaton ★★★★
I received this book for my birthday from Kris, after I'd been blathering about it to him when we were on holiday. He's recently finished reading Jane Eyre for the first time and I told him that Kate Beaton's Brontë comics were hilarious. This book also contains a huge bunch of different comicstrips, including the ever-amusing Great Gatsby ones. A few went over my head, but Beaton provides useful footnotes to fill you in.
So, some pretty positive reviews so far! I'm almost halfway through my target of 25, so I might have to extend my challenge!
As always, feel free to add me on Goodreads and feel free to recommend me some reads!
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