Sunday 19 February 2012

In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
-
I've acquired nine books from the past few weeks:
-
1. The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
2. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
-
-
3. You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik
4. The Somnabulist by Essie Fox
-
-
5. Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watsom
6. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
-
-
7. Rules of Civilty by Amor Towles
8. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
-
-
9. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
-
-
I think you can tell I've been heavily influenced by the TV Book Club from Channel Four these past few weeks. I've been watching the half hour episodes religiously each week and the books sound so good and intriguing, which is why I have five of them in my list this time. I'm especially looking forward to The Sisters Brothers which recieved universal praise on the show. I also picked up I Capture The Castle after hearing it is one of J. K. Rowlings favourite books and not only that but the synopsis sounds enchanting. I purely picked up Everneath on its stunning cover and Supernaturally was a must after reading and enjoying Paranormalcy last year. Finally, The Owl Killers was purchased simply becasue I love owls and I have raed good reviews about it. I can't wait to get stuck in :)

Looking Back : January 2012

I read eight books in January:
-
1. Matched by Ally Condie
2. 11.22.63 by Stephen King
3. The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen
4. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
5. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
6. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
7. A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard
8. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
-
-----------
-
My favourite read of January was 11.22.63 by Stephen King. It was an amazing read that immerses you in the 1950s and 60s of America. It mixes time-travel, horror, nostalgia and the unease of deja vu. It was closely followed by Bittersweet and Poison Study. Bittersweet was a top star read which was not surprising since I now expect nothing less from the fabulously talented Sarah Ockler. I had heard a lot about the work of Maria V. Snyder and I had had the Poison Study trilogy unread on my shelves for ages and I'm so glad I've finally got around to starting them because Poison Study was brilliant and I can see why Snyder's fans rave about it.
-
Matched was a surprisingly good read too. I had previously read Delirium by Lauren Oliver and had constantly heard it compared to Matched and whilst I thought Delirium was an okay read I didn't think it lived up to the hype so I was initially skeptical about reading Matched. I'm glad I did though because in my opinion it surpassed Delirium and I can't wait to read the sequel (Crossed). Both A Small Free Kiss in the Dark and The Vampire Stalker were quick and good reads, the latter being quite light and the first with a vein of sorrow and depth running through it.
-
A Study in Scarlet was my first literary introduction to Sherlock Holmes and I found him to be and ingenious character. Whilst I thought the plot to be a bit ramshackle at times (especially the crazy Mormon tangent in the middle), I am intrigued to read more of Holmes. To The Lighthouse was an okay read. I think I read it at the wrong time of year and would be better suited to a long lazy summer day on the beach. The plot is almost non-existent but the characters philosophical musings do draw you in.
-
So overall a successful reading month and I only wish I could keep up to date with my blog as well :)