Goodreads: Vipers Book Hunter Challenge

Goodreads: Vipers Book Hunter Challenge

Saturday, 9 January 2016

Read post

The Goodreads book group that I joined up to a few years ago does a yearly book challenge, and this year happens to be the first year that I actually decided to properly take part and try to stick to it. The concept behind the challenge is to find words in a word search created by the group administrators,  each word being part of a different book title. I opted to read 10 books for this particular channel (out of the 35 for my overall Goodreads challenge) so here are my first five, which I've just purchased ready for when my exams are over on the 26th of this month. 

I chose the books by typing the word into amazon and choosing the best sounding one on the first page. Perhaps that’s cheating, but who cares, eh? 

Day - The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson

Woman - The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

Secret - The Daughter’s Secret by Eleanor Moran

Beach - The Beach by Alex Garland

Ship - The Ship of Brides - Jojo Moyes 

I’m particularly looking forward to reading The Beach by Alex Garland. It’s been on lists of optional reading for literature modules I’ve taken in the past and I’ve never opted to choose it for any of my submissions- I thought it was about time I got it read and no better excuse than to do so through a challenge. Jojo Moyes is one of my favourite contemporary authors so I’m also looking forward to giving this one a go as well, although I don’t really know much about it. 

Are you involved in any reading challenges in 2016? Let me know down in the comments, I’m always looking for new book recommendations as well. 

Life: 2016 Resolutions

Life: 2016 Resolutions

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Read post

Be more positive. I’m an incredibly negative person at the moment and it’s driving me mad- I remember the happy and positive person I was at the beginning of 2015 and I’m going to work on getting myself back to that stage.

Eat more healthily. I know we all say we’re going to go on a major health kick at the start of a new year but this time I actually want to stick to it. I’ve found some lovely, healthy recipes to have a go at so I’m looking forward to trying new foods and spicing up my dinners. No more midnight Just Eat pizza orders for me… 

Be body confident. This links in with both of the above resolutions really, but I want to start going to the gym to tone up a bit and gain some muscle mass in my arms, or if not the gym just do some of my own workouts at home. There are certain parts of me that I can’t stand and I know there are things I can do to change this, so this year is the year I intend on doing it. 

What are your resolutions for the New Year? Let me know! 

Goodreads: Top 5 Reads of 2015

Goodreads: Top 5 Reads of 2015

Sunday, 3 January 2016

Read post

I managed to get about 38 books read in 2015, including university reads so I thought I’d do a little round-up of some of the best books I read over the course of the year. 

I started off the year pretty well with arguably one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. My German friend Antonia was gifted this book and raved about it to me as soon as she’d finished it (in fact, she also started translating it into German so her mother could read it too. I’m not sure whether she actually finished that mammoth task or not!). I started and finished it within a few evenings- it was absolutely one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Its overall rating on Goodreads is 4.25/5 based on over 95,000 ratings and I honestly think that in itself speaks volumes. It had me laughing and it had me absolutely bawling my eyes out on more than one occasion. If I could recommend one book, it would definitely be this one. 

The second book I’d consider a part of my top 5 is an unusual one- The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Dénis Thériault. I first came across this book in a French bookstore whilst I was living in France and decided instead to track it down in English, to make things a little easier for myself. I’m glad I did as it was absolutely beautiful to read. It’s definitely very different but a very short read - a good one to try if you’re in a bit of a reading slump. 

I got really into psychological thrillers last year so obviously, I have to include a few of those in my choices. I particularly enjoyed (as did most people, it seems) I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Both of these books left me wanting to know exactly what was going on and I definitely couldn’t put them down once I’d started them. I reviewed The Girl on the train here and I Let You Go here.

My last choice was another one which was originally written in French, The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker. I read this on a train to Pwllheli (and on the return back to Liverpool) and was hooked from the word go. It’s a book within a book and ultimately a crime novel with a twist. It kept me guessing until the very end and was incredibly well written (and translated). It’s definitely one that I would put up with my favourite books of all time. You can read my review of it here if you so wish. 

Which books did you read in 2015 that are worth giving a go? Let me know in the comments below and follow me on Goodreads here.