33) Naming Jack The Ripper by Russell Edwards 4/10
Yet another 'new evidence reveals who Jack The Ripper' was theory based on DNA found on a shawl owned by one of the victims.
Fatally flawed, the author chooses his favoured Jack suspect and then fits the evidence in to 'prove' his theory. The shawl has a dubious provenance, the DNA evidence is flawed to the point it proves nothing and the entire book is just guess work and supposition.
As an Eastend copper might say 'its a fit up job Guv'
36. Secrets She Left Behind - Diane Chamberlain
6/10 - the sequel to Before the Storm which was much,much better. Maggie Lockwood is out of prison having served her time for arson and murder. It took me to about 40% to get into this book. Parts were unrealistic - would a convicted killer be allowed to do community service in a school and hospital? I usually enjoy Diane Chamberlain's books so I won't give up on this author and presume this was just a blip.
37. Presumed Guilty - James Carol
7/10 - the prequel to Broken Dolls which was a short story introducing us to the criminal profiler Jefferson Winter.
36. Dead Like You by Peter James (Roy Grace #6).
A serial rapist with a shoe fetish. Set in 1997 & 2009. The story jumped around too much for my liking. It was interesting to see Roy Grace at an earlier stage in his career and to get some Sandy backstory. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous books.
Rehash of book one in the 50 shades trilogy. This time from Christian's point of view. This gave some interesting insights as to why he is the way he is and how he sees ana but I would have preferred to see a new story as knowing what happens really ruined the book for me!
38. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths. 8/10
Nelson and Ruth find a body in the remains of an old war plane in Norfolk but Ruth suspects the body and the plane don't fit together. Cue an investigation into the gentry family who owned the estate. I found this one dissapointing. It was made very obvious from the outset who the criminal was and it was all a bit far fetched. Also I was disappointed that there was very little about the characters continuing private lives which make Griffiths books so engaging.
39. This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas 7/10
Ava is a interior designer and Jesse is a billionaire who buys the luxury penthouse which she created. They begin a volatile affair and he introduces her to his business The Manor which is actually a kink club. Jesse is domineering and very secretive. I like Malpas writing. She is better than el James but the story left me uncomfortable. He really doesn't take no for an answer and Ava seems to spend most of her time trying to escape him or crying.
40. Beneath this Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas 6/10
Second part of trilogy. Jesse secrets continue and Ava is being hounded by a businessman who Jesse wronged in the past. After only a few weeks of dating Jesse proposes to Ava. .. I enjoyed this one even less as I don't like Jesse! However it has some well rounded periphery characters which saves it.
41. This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpas 8/10.
The best of the 3. Married now and with Jesse revealing more about his past, Ava discovers Jesse has played a blinder with her and her future looks to be in jeopardy. Threats Ard hounding the couple aa well and there is a dramatic climax from a surprising character. The problem is that unlike Christian grey, with Jesse ward his reasoning isn't very well explained. I still don't understand why he is what he is leaving me not liking the character. Sad really as the writing style is better than EL James.
154) John Grisham - The Racketeer
For my book club but a re-read for me. A lawyer is jailed undeservedly for money laundering. He makes a deal to get out early by disclosing who murdered a judge. Good plot well wrotten
155) Good Sam - Dete Meserve
Strange one about a TV journalist on the trail of a good Samaritan who leaves large sums of money on strangers doorsteps. Not well written
156) From Ration Book to E Book - Paul Feeney
Sort of British social history of every decade for baby boomers. Superficial
157) ten Years On - Alice Peterson
University friends muse on what they will be doing in 10 years time - tragically one is widowed and this follows her getting to grips with life again. Quite enjoyable
158) Hakan Nesser - Borkmann's Point
Quite and old Scandinavian type crime novel but not nearly as good as more recent ones
159) Kevin Drinkell - Drinks All Round
I am a Rangers fan and admired KD as a player but this focussed too much on teams I had no interest in. Also not much about him as a man outside of football
13. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick – Non-fiction. The author was a journalist based in South Korea who interviewed a number of North Koreans who had defected to South Korea over several years. The ones she wrote about in this book hailed from Chongjin, a city far away from the North Korean capital, where few foreigners ever visited. After years of declining conditions (electricity was less and less common, paychecks dwindled and then disappeared, locating food becoming a non-stop occupation, and dealing with malnutrition), for various reasons these people escaped North Korea and eventually ended up in the south. Absolutely fascinating!
Autobiography of Cummings relationship with his father and alsothe history he uncovered about his grandfather whilst making who do you think you are. I enjoyed this as I really like the actor but I did get bit fed up with the name dropping lol! He genuinely seems like nice guy I'd like to enjoy a chat with and his book does show how far he has come from his roots.
43. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon 8/10
Fictional diary account of a 15 year old boy who finds a dead dog in his neighbours garden. Christopher is on the autistic spectrum and is a maths and science genius. He begins detective work to find out about who killed the dog. Alongside this he discovers a secret his father has been keeping about his mother. Fascinating insight into the way Christopher mind works. All the sciency mathsy stuff went well over my head but I admired the protagonist for his determination. Am going to see the play of the same name later in the year so wanted to read the book first.
37. The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader.
Historical fiction set in 1255. Anchoress is the female term for Anchorite, a hermit who chose to withdraw from the secular world to pursue a life of prayer.
Sarah chooses to become an Anchoress at the age of seventeen, mainly to escape the prospect of marriage and childbirth. She takes up residence in a cell measuring 7 steps by 9 steps and the door is nailed closed. This is the story of the first 18 months of her new life.
A very interesting read.
<snip> 103. A Feast Of Crows - George R.R. Martin 8/10
HarperCollins, 936 pages
<Fantasy>
The fifth book in the 'Game of Thrones' series, concentrates on goings on with Kings Landing, Dorne, Hightower, Bravos, the Iron Islands and the roads between them. Catching up with the missing female Starks, the treking Samwell, Aemon and Gilly, the Lannister alliance, Jamie's search for meaning and the heart rending quest of Brienne, too name a few of the arcs... as well as the fate of Catelyn Stark! The Five King War has ended, but from the ashes of war arrives chaos, anarchy... and the rise of religious fanatics and their raised influence in Kings Landing!
104. X-Men Legacy 2008-201 - Mike Carey, Scott Eaton etc. 5/10
590 pages <Graphic Novel> Rebranded as X-Men Legacy, issues 208-230, Annual #1 & Original Sin. Includes Divided We Stand, Original Sin, Salvage, Dark Reign/Utopia and Nation X arcs. 105. Uncanny X-Men 2009-2010 - Matt Fraction, Greg Land, Terry & Rachel Dodson etc. 6/10
699 pages <Graphic Novel> UXM #504-522, Annual #2 and Nation X #1-4. Through Manifest Destiny, Sisterhood, Dark Reigh-Utopia and Nation X. 106. X-Force volume three - Chris Yost, Craig Kyle, Clayton Craine, Mike Choi etc. 7/10
925 pages <Graphic Novel> X-Force volume 3, X-Necrosha & Messiah War specials. With their backs against the wall Cyclops sets up a Wolverine led black-ops team! Marvel Entertainment
107. Wolverine, Kitty Pryde & Wolverine - Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, Al Milgrom etc. 7/10
236 pages <Graphic Novel> The classic first Wolverine Limited serials. 108. Wolverine 1988-1990 - Chris Claremont, Peter David, Archie Goodwin, Jo Duffy etc. 5/10
715 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #1-30 and Annual #1, mostly set in Madripor during the X-Men 'Outback' period. Pretty weak start, as shown by the inability for the series to get a regular creative team. 109. Wolverine 1990-1992 - Larry Hama, Marc Silvestri etc. 6/10
795 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #31-60 and Annual #2, improved with Hama's writing. 110. Wolverine 1992-1994 - Larry Hama, Adam Kubert, Mark Texeira etc.6/10
533 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #61-84. Resolves the first major Wolverine past stories; there are two momentous deaths and then deals with the shattering consequences of Magneto's attack in Fatal Attractions. Enter Zoe Culloden et al. 111. Wolverine 1994-1997 - Larry Hama, Adam Kubert, Leneil Francis Yu etc 6/10
928 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #85-118, Annuals 1995-96. The last arcs of volume one cover clascic one on onees with Sabretooth, the feral Wolverine, Onslaught, Zero Tolerance and more. Marvel Entertainment
112. A Dance With Dragons: Dreams & Dust - George R.R. Martin 8/10
HarperCollins, 687 pages
<Fantasy> Much much better on second reading this book focusses on goings on in the North as well as in the Far South with
… in the North, catching up with Bran and co; seeing the rise of the Boltons and the fall of the Ironmen; we get to see if Snow can work with Stannis, and prepare for Winter; the decisions in Dorne; the trials of Reek AKA Theon and Davos; and most of all the world getting to hear about the Dragon Queen
. The book is most very much a 'setter upper', yet still absorbing.
37. Presumed Guilty - James Carol
7/10 - the prequel to Broken Dolls which was a short story introducing us to the criminal profiler Jefferson Winter.
38. Watch Me - James Carol
7/10 - Jefferson Winter tracks down a potential serial killer - not as good as Broken Dolls by the same author. The main character is rather obnoxious and irritating. I have already bought the next book in the series but I won't read any more if the author writes more because of the main character being so annoying.
14. Sweet Revenge (Goldy Schulz Culinary Mystery #14) by Diane Mott-Davidson – [re-read] A former prosecutor who had taken up selling maps is found dead in the local library, and Goldy is convinced that the woman who murdered her ex-husband is somehow involved. The more I reflect on this book, the less I like it. Everything didn’t hang together all that well.
38. A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmondson.
This was a Kindle First giveaway for the month of June. An Agatha Christie style whodunit set in 1953. In 1947 the Earl of Selchester apparently walked out into the snow in the middle of a dinner party, and was never seen again. Six years later Hugo Hawksworth arrives at the castle and starts to investigate. Not terribly original, but quite a good read.
Absolutely loved this. Douglas is a scientist. Married to Connie who is a bohemian artist. Together with their son albie they embark on a trip round Europe looking at art museums. Along the way Douglas tries to save his marriage and his relationship with his son. Funny and poignant with characters I really enjoyed learning about, it also made my cry. Perfect ingredients for a great book. Fab!
15. Paper Towns by John Green – Q and his friends are about to graduate from high school, and he won’t really regret it, because high school hasn’t been very much fun. One night his next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, appears at his window and takes him on an all-night adventure. The next day she disappears. He and his friends look for her, trying to piece together clues she left behind, and they discover that there was a lot more to Margo than met the eye. This was a wonderful book! I was surprised at how many people seemed to dislike it on Goodreads. To me it was beautiful and full of just as much hope as fear.
I think John Green's books encourage me to read faster, so I'll probably try Looking for Alaska next.
38. Watch Me - James Carol
7/10 - Jefferson Winter tracks down a potential serial killer - not as good as Broken Dolls by the same author. The main character is rather obnoxious and irritating. I have already bought the next book in the series but I won't read any more if the author writes more because of the main character being so annoying.
39. Prey - James Carol
9/10 - I take back what I said above as this was a really good thriller, Jefferson Winter helps to track down a serial killer after witnessing the murder of a chef right in front of his eyes. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought and read another prequel.
40. Hush Little Baby - James Carol
8/10 - a short story and a second prequel to Broken Dolls set just before Jefferson Winter joins the FBI.
Comments
Yet another 'new evidence reveals who Jack The Ripper' was theory based on DNA found on a shawl owned by one of the victims.
Fatally flawed, the author chooses his favoured Jack suspect and then fits the evidence in to 'prove' his theory. The shawl has a dubious provenance, the DNA evidence is flawed to the point it proves nothing and the entire book is just guess work and supposition.
As an Eastend copper might say 'its a fit up job Guv'
Best filed under Fiction.
37. Presumed Guilty - James Carol
7/10 - the prequel to Broken Dolls which was a short story introducing us to the criminal profiler Jefferson Winter.
A serial rapist with a shoe fetish. Set in 1997 & 2009. The story jumped around too much for my liking. It was interesting to see Roy Grace at an earlier stage in his career and to get some Sandy backstory. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous books.
Rehash of book one in the 50 shades trilogy. This time from Christian's point of view. This gave some interesting insights as to why he is the way he is and how he sees ana but I would have preferred to see a new story as knowing what happens really ruined the book for me!
38. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths. 8/10
Nelson and Ruth find a body in the remains of an old war plane in Norfolk but Ruth suspects the body and the plane don't fit together. Cue an investigation into the gentry family who owned the estate. I found this one dissapointing. It was made very obvious from the outset who the criminal was and it was all a bit far fetched. Also I was disappointed that there was very little about the characters continuing private lives which make Griffiths books so engaging.
39. This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas 7/10
Ava is a interior designer and Jesse is a billionaire who buys the luxury penthouse which she created. They begin a volatile affair and he introduces her to his business The Manor which is actually a kink club. Jesse is domineering and very secretive. I like Malpas writing. She is better than el James but the story left me uncomfortable. He really doesn't take no for an answer and Ava seems to spend most of her time trying to escape him or crying.
40. Beneath this Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas 6/10
Second part of trilogy. Jesse secrets continue and Ava is being hounded by a businessman who Jesse wronged in the past. After only a few weeks of dating Jesse proposes to Ava. .. I enjoyed this one even less as I don't like Jesse! However it has some well rounded periphery characters which saves it.
41. This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpas 8/10.
The best of the 3. Married now and with Jesse revealing more about his past, Ava discovers Jesse has played a blinder with her and her future looks to be in jeopardy. Threats Ard hounding the couple aa well and there is a dramatic climax from a surprising character. The problem is that unlike Christian grey, with Jesse ward his reasoning isn't very well explained. I still don't understand why he is what he is leaving me not liking the character. Sad really as the writing style is better than EL James.
For my book club but a re-read for me. A lawyer is jailed undeservedly for money laundering. He makes a deal to get out early by disclosing who murdered a judge. Good plot well wrotten
155) Good Sam - Dete Meserve
Strange one about a TV journalist on the trail of a good Samaritan who leaves large sums of money on strangers doorsteps. Not well written
156) From Ration Book to E Book - Paul Feeney
Sort of British social history of every decade for baby boomers. Superficial
157) ten Years On - Alice Peterson
University friends muse on what they will be doing in 10 years time - tragically one is widowed and this follows her getting to grips with life again. Quite enjoyable
158) Hakan Nesser - Borkmann's Point
Quite and old Scandinavian type crime novel but not nearly as good as more recent ones
159) Kevin Drinkell - Drinks All Round
I am a Rangers fan and admired KD as a player but this focussed too much on teams I had no interest in. Also not much about him as a man outside of football
Read it before - although I didn't realise I had when I started.
Enjoyable although completely implausibe, unrealistic and full of plot holes.
I'll probably keep reading the series but this opener didn't make me want to rush out and immediately buy the next one.
Chick lit but quite heavy going
Autobiography of Cummings relationship with his father and alsothe history he uncovered about his grandfather whilst making who do you think you are. I enjoyed this as I really like the actor but I did get bit fed up with the name dropping lol! He genuinely seems like nice guy I'd like to enjoy a chat with and his book does show how far he has come from his roots.
43. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon 8/10
Fictional diary account of a 15 year old boy who finds a dead dog in his neighbours garden. Christopher is on the autistic spectrum and is a maths and science genius. He begins detective work to find out about who killed the dog. Alongside this he discovers a secret his father has been keeping about his mother. Fascinating insight into the way Christopher mind works. All the sciency mathsy stuff went well over my head but I admired the protagonist for his determination. Am going to see the play of the same name later in the year so wanted to read the book first.
Have you read any other books by Tana French? I highly recommend the others especially In the Woods:)
Historical fiction set in 1255. Anchoress is the female term for Anchorite, a hermit who chose to withdraw from the secular world to pursue a life of prayer.
Sarah chooses to become an Anchoress at the age of seventeen, mainly to escape the prospect of marriage and childbirth. She takes up residence in a cell measuring 7 steps by 9 steps and the door is nailed closed. This is the story of the first 18 months of her new life.
A very interesting read.
No, but I'll look out for more now I've read that one
104. X-Men Legacy 2008-201 - Mike Carey, Scott Eaton etc. 5/10
590 pages <Graphic Novel> Rebranded as X-Men Legacy, issues 208-230, Annual #1 & Original Sin. Includes Divided We Stand, Original Sin, Salvage, Dark Reign/Utopia and Nation X arcs.
105. Uncanny X-Men 2009-2010 - Matt Fraction, Greg Land, Terry & Rachel Dodson etc. 6/10
699 pages <Graphic Novel> UXM #504-522, Annual #2 and Nation X #1-4. Through Manifest Destiny, Sisterhood, Dark Reigh-Utopia and Nation X.
106. X-Force volume three - Chris Yost, Craig Kyle, Clayton Craine, Mike Choi etc. 7/10
925 pages <Graphic Novel> X-Force volume 3, X-Necrosha & Messiah War specials. With their backs against the wall Cyclops sets up a Wolverine led black-ops team!
Marvel Entertainment
107. Wolverine, Kitty Pryde & Wolverine - Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, Al Milgrom etc. 7/10
236 pages <Graphic Novel> The classic first Wolverine Limited serials.
108. Wolverine 1988-1990 - Chris Claremont, Peter David, Archie Goodwin, Jo Duffy etc. 5/10
715 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #1-30 and Annual #1, mostly set in Madripor during the X-Men 'Outback' period. Pretty weak start, as shown by the inability for the series to get a regular creative team.
109. Wolverine 1990-1992 - Larry Hama, Marc Silvestri etc. 6/10
795 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #31-60 and Annual #2, improved with Hama's writing.
110. Wolverine 1992-1994 - Larry Hama, Adam Kubert, Mark Texeira etc.6/10
533 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #61-84. Resolves the first major Wolverine past stories; there are two momentous deaths and then deals with the shattering consequences of Magneto's attack in Fatal Attractions. Enter Zoe Culloden et al.
111. Wolverine 1994-1997 - Larry Hama, Adam Kubert, Leneil Francis Yu etc 6/10
928 pages <Graphic Novel> Wolverine #85-118, Annuals 1995-96. The last arcs of volume one cover clascic one on onees with Sabretooth, the feral Wolverine, Onslaught, Zero Tolerance and more.
Marvel Entertainment
112. A Dance With Dragons: Dreams & Dust - George R.R. Martin 8/10
HarperCollins, 687 pages
<Fantasy> Much much better on second reading this book focusses on goings on in the North as well as in the Far South with
38. Watch Me - James Carol
7/10 - Jefferson Winter tracks down a potential serial killer - not as good as Broken Dolls by the same author. The main character is rather obnoxious and irritating. I have already bought the next book in the series but I won't read any more if the author writes more because of the main character being so annoying.
This was a Kindle First giveaway for the month of June. An Agatha Christie style whodunit set in 1953. In 1947 the Earl of Selchester apparently walked out into the snow in the middle of a dinner party, and was never seen again. Six years later Hugo Hawksworth arrives at the castle and starts to investigate. Not terribly original, but quite a good read.
Absolutely loved this. Douglas is a scientist. Married to Connie who is a bohemian artist. Together with their son albie they embark on a trip round Europe looking at art museums. Along the way Douglas tries to save his marriage and his relationship with his son. Funny and poignant with characters I really enjoyed learning about, it also made my cry. Perfect ingredients for a great book. Fab!
15. Paper Towns by John Green – Q and his friends are about to graduate from high school, and he won’t really regret it, because high school hasn’t been very much fun. One night his next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, appears at his window and takes him on an all-night adventure. The next day she disappears. He and his friends look for her, trying to piece together clues she left behind, and they discover that there was a lot more to Margo than met the eye. This was a wonderful book! I was surprised at how many people seemed to dislike it on Goodreads. To me it was beautiful and full of just as much hope as fear.
I think John Green's books encourage me to read faster, so I'll probably try Looking for Alaska next.
Story of a family torn apart by The English Civil War, first in a trilogy.
2 brothers fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Bloody and brutal but with a human side too.
A new author and a new subject for me, really enjoyed it and moving on to the second in the series straight away.
39. Prey - James Carol
9/10 - I take back what I said above as this was a really good thriller, Jefferson Winter helps to track down a serial killer after witnessing the murder of a chef right in front of his eyes. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought and read another prequel.
40. Hush Little Baby - James Carol
8/10 - a short story and a second prequel to Broken Dolls set just before Jefferson Winter joins the FBI.