After an epic first year of book club where we read 10 books, said goodbye to some members as well as welcoming new ones, there was much anticipation about what the coming year would hold in store for us. Below is a list of the 13 books we manged to perusal with a brief description about what each book is about, plus our groups average score. There are no spoilers, so feel free to scroll through the list and perhaps chose your next novel to read? For more information about each book please see the individual blogs and what each individual member scored it.
Our first book was Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes. This is a book of memoirs about growing up in the slums of Dublin in the 1950s. The author bravely writes about her life as a little girl and the challenges she faces. The book is very disturbing as she recalls the multiple accounts of abuse she faced at the hands of those closest to her. Your heart breaks every time she gives another detailed description of her upbringing, longing for her to be rescued. Although it is a sad story there are also elements of rejoice as she survives each day in her toxic environment. The book is written in Martha's dialect which once you get used to is endearing. Her courage and determination shine through and you are left a bit frustrated wondering what will happen to her next. But fear not there are a number of sequels to read if you so wish.
Overall we as a group gave it an average of 6 out of 10. A book some of us enjoyed whilst others couldn't wait to finish and move on to something more lighthearted.
Our second book of the year was The Chameleon's Shadow, not quite the lighthearted read we were hoping for but a change nonetheless. This book is a psychological thriller about a serial killer targeting middle aged and elderly men. One of the main characters, Charles Acland, has just returned from Iraq with serious head injures and suffers a host of symptoms from migraines to paranoia. He finds himself under suspicion for the murders that are taking place due to his bouts of aggression and rage. But is he capable of this crime? On the whole we enjoyed the author's style of writing and there were a few twists along the way which kept us guessing. The book received an average score of 6 out of 10.
Two books down, both with an average score of 6 we were eager to indulge in the next book and to hopefully get a better group average.
We were pleasantly surprised when we received the next book...
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. A mysterious front cover with very little information on the blurb. Very intriguing and exciting. The book is written in a simplistic style and it didn't take us long to discover what Bruno's father's job was or the setting/content of the book. Without giving too much away the ending was unexpected, shocking and upsetting. Most members really enjoyed the novel and gave it a high score making the average for this book an 8 out of 10. I don't really want to reveal too much about this book other than if you haven't read it I would recommend it. It is a book that doesn't require too much thinking and can be read in a couple of days at the most. It's target audience is school aged children so just bear that in mind when reading it and you shouldn't be too disappointed with the style of writing.
So on to the next book of the year. This choice was a bit of a surprise as although it is a well known classic fiction not many members had previously read it. Many knew of the story and had watched film or television adaptions so were keen to start reading.
Rebecca. This was an unexpected delight of a book. A Gothic thriller written in 1938 that can also be described as crime fiction, romance novel and mystery. I thought it would be a long winded complicated book but I was wrong. I very much relaxed into the style of writing and found it to be quite the page-turner I was longing for. The characters are robust, the plot intriguing and thrilling with a great twist at the end. One I did not see coming. Everyone scored highly except for one member which brought our average score down, giving this book an average of 7 out of 10.
A difficult book to follow but the choice had been made and the next book was announced...
The Gargoyle. The story begins with a handsome young man driving whilst under the influences of drugs and alcohol. He suddenly sees a vision of shooting arrows coming towards him, swerves and crashes his car. The car catches fire and he watches himself burning, unable to move from the vehicle. Surprisingly, he survives and ends up in a burns ward where he gets a visit from a stranger, Marianne Engle: a sculptress who tells him stories of how they met centuries ago. She takes him under her wings, provides financial and medical treatment as well as unconditional love. This is ultimately a story of friendship and love. It has short stories that weaving in and out of the main story line, which was a nice feature. The book got mixed reviews from our members and scored an average of 6 out of 10. Regardless of the score, this is a book I would highly recommend as it is very unique and takes you through a multitude of emotions, from horror to tenderness. A thought-provoking book.
Book number six, The Red Tent. This novel is based on the story of Dinah in Genesis, the only daughter of Jacob. Written in first-person narrative it gives a female perspective of what life was like in biblical times. The title refers to the tent where women would take refuge while menstruating or giving birth. In this environment they provide and receive encouragement and support from their female relatives. From a historical point of view this book gives an insight into how women dealt with menstruation and other female related issues. It shows how important it was to have a strong bond with members of the female community and this is both touching and heartwarming to read. The book scored an average 5 out of 10.
The next book, The White Tiger was a disappointment. The White Tiger tells the life story of Balram, an intelligent boy born into a poor family who believes he is destined for greater things. He gets his lucky break becoming a chauffeur for a rich man living in Delhi. In the end he does achieve his long term goal of becoming an entrepreneur but the lengths he goes to are quite shocking. The book gives you a real insight into Indian culture and what it is like living in the fast paced city of Delhi. There is lots of satire within the novel and attempts at humour. We scored it an average of 3 out of 7.
However, don't be put off by our low average score. The cover does look fantastic on the book shelf, the story line does keep you intrigued and the ending is quite a surprise. One I bet you won't see coming...
Having read 7 books so far we were eager to find out what book number 8 would be and all hoped for a better novel.
Change of Heart was the next book. Whilst Jodi Picoult is a well known established author I personally hadn't read any of her novels before so was keen to start. The story is about a man on death row who killed June's first husband and daughter and is now offering to save June's second daughter by becoming a donor as she is in desperate need of a heart transplant. The theory of this story line was an interesting one. How would you feel to have the heart of a murderer? If he was offering another organ would it be different? As interesting as this debate was I found the subject matter of the novel difficult. I was surprised by the similarities between this book and The Green Mile by Stephen King which lessened my enjoyment of the book. Overall the book scored an average of 5 out of 10. Not quite the score we had all anticipated.
After two disappointing books we needed something to lift our spirits and get our teeth into. Book number 9 did not fail to do this.
My Enemy's Cradle. An intriguing book revolving around the Lebensborn Organisation. This was a Nazi breeding programme to increase the population of the master race. Girls as young as fifteen had babies by German soldiers, they were kept in these Lebensborn homes until their babies were born and then they had to leave without them. The idea that this happened is shocking but more appalling is the fact that it isn't something that is widely known. Although this is our third book relating to this period in history it was both informative and gave us a different perspective/spin on the war which we enjoyed. Overall it scored an average of 6 out of 10 and was a book we would recommend to others. We loved learning about the Lebensborn Organisation, felt really connected with the female characters and generally enjoyed reading this book. A must read if you enjoy historical fiction.
The next book: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This was a book we had all heard about but had not yet read. It is the first volume in the Millennium Trilogy. Mikael Blomkvist (a journalist) and Lisbeth Salander (computer hacker) join forces to investigate the forty year old disappearance of Harriet Vanger. This leads to a number of decade-old grotesque murders and an unravelling of the Vanger's family history.
A thrilling read. Although it was difficult to get into the book the story line was fascinating with a good build up and ending. It was definitely a good crime thriller which prompted some members to rush out and buy the next book in the series. It scored an average of 8 out of 10.
A very strong book and a hard one to follow.
Crazy as Chocolate is the story of two sisters
who grew up with a mentally ill mother who committed suicide at the age of 41. Izzy, the younger sister is about to turn 41 and the story takes place over the course of her birthday weekend. The story alternates between the present day difficulties and the past, where the girl's childhood unfolds. Imagine growing up with an erratic parent who chronically lied, danced in the rain and cleaned cuts with bleach. This book scored an average of 3 out of 10. A low score from us all as we found the characters were a bit one dimensional, the plot didn't seem to go anywhere and the ending was too quick. However, a quick and easy read.
We were all ready for the next book and all that it promised.
Our penultimate book of the year: The Girl On The Landing. A ghost story, a psychological thriller and a tale of love. The story begins with the main character, Michael discovering an image of a girl in a green dress in one of the paintings in the hallway. After discussing this with the owners of the painting he is informed that he must be mistaken. As he takes a second look the imagine of the girl is no longer there. An intriguing beginning. As the story progresses you find out about Michael, his marriage and his past. This was a gripping, thought-provoking novel with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It scored an average of 6 out of 10 but it is one that I would definitely read again. A book with substance that promotes lots of discussion afterwards.
So on to our last book of the year, The Shadow of the Wind. It begins with Daniel a ten year old visiting the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, an ancient labyrinthine hall containing books that have been rescued from oblivion. "Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it."
Daniel is told to take one to ensure it stays alive. He takes The Shadow of the Wind and so the story evolves. Such a lovely idea of the cemetery, a resting place for books and the chance to be loved all over again by a new owner. This was a beautifully written book with lots of mystery and suspense along the way and was really hard to put down. Overall it scored an average of 6 out of 10. Please don't be put off by the average score, it truly is a magical book, it has a storytelling feel to it and in my opinion is a very special book. A book you just want to curl up with and read in one sitting.
So there we have the break down of the books read during 2009. A real mixture of genres, themes, size of book (regarding the amount of pages) and average scores.
Our group favourite book of the year is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo both books actually chosen by the same book club member: Sandra.
Our least favourite book of the year is The White Tiger and Crazy as Chocolate. Both books failed to impress. They left us feeling empty, disappointed and frustrated.
What a great section of books, setting a new record to how many books we read in a year. The challenge is on, to not only find books for the coming year that add warmth, knowledge, interest and a touch of specialness but to be crowned the winner of our favourite book selection.
To find out all about the books read in 2010 please see the blog BookCosy Reads 2010. If you have any recommendations for future reads please get in contact with us at thebookcosy@yahoo.com and if you would like to add your comments/opinions on any of the books in our blog please comment below.
Happy reading.