Book 6, Day 29: If I Were You

Despite appearances, this book has not taken me 2 weeks to read, but rather 2 days. I knew that my obsession with daytime tv would take over from this challenge and it did so in the form of many episodes of Masterchef and Cake Boss. However, there's no need to worry. I may be 4 books behind schedule but now that I'm spending 10 days in sunny Corfu, I should make it up fairly quickly. My relaxation here primarily involves sleeping, eating and reading around the poolside with the occasional dip when I get too hot.

This then seems the opportune moment for some light summer reads and this first book was a good choice. If I Were You by Julia Llewellyn is classic chick lit. It follows best friends since childhood, Sophie and Natasha, as they struggle with the complicated worlds of both work and relationships. Neither is aware of their best friend's jealousy of their seemingly perfect lives, but nothing is ever as it seems and many things can go wrong within relationships. Even their best friend Mark's new marriage isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be.

I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy this book initially - I've never really gone for chick lit - but I was pleasantly surprised. Even though the ending was obvious from the beginning, it didn't detract from the rollercoaster ride that was the journey amongst the twists and turns of Sophie and Natasha's lives. If anyone is looking for a lighthearted novel I'd definitely recommend this.

Book 5, Day 14: Alice in Wonderland

Beginning this challenge I told myself that any books I've read before don't count, but to be honest I can't remember if I have read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland before or not. If I have it would have been as part of a summer reading list for school over 10 years ago, so I'm going to say that this is my first time reading it. Okay, that feels like cheating, especially since it's such a short book. For this entry then, I'll read Through The Looking Glass too.

Regardless of what I have read, this is my first time reading of Alice's adventures as an adult. I remember Carroll's magic with words capturing me at school when we studied the Jabberwocky. I still remember it today, the only poem my brain has ever been able to retain. Carroll has such a vivid imagination and a way with words that I was really looking forward to immersing myself in his wonderful (see what I did there?) world again.

Despite their many interpretations and portrayals, the novels of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass will always be the original and the best as you can fully immerse yourself in Carroll's bizarre and beautiful world.

Book 4, Day 12: Shadow of Night

A few weeks ago mum gave me a book she thought I would like. The strangest part is that she really enjoyed it, and we don't usually share the same taste when it comes to reading. The book was called A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness, and introduced me to a world of Witches, Vampires and Daemons co-existing along with humans in modern Oxford.

At first I was unsure of my feelings for the story. It follows Diana Bishop, a historian lecturing and researching alchemy at Oxford University who also happens to be a witch. The problem is that she tries to avoid using her magic, but somehow in her research she discovers a book filled with magic, the mysterious Ashmole 782. Unknown to Diana, many other creatures (that is to say witches, vampires and daemons) covet this book as it has been hidden for centuries and supposedly contains the secret to why such creatures exist. By making this discovery Diana suddenly begins receiving some unwanted attention from other creatures, notably the mysterious vampire Matthew Clairmont and a whole new world of danger has been opened to her.

I don't want to go any further into the story for want of spoiling it. A combination of a world of fantastical creatures and Harkness' brilliant writing had me hooked and I'm sure it will entrance you too.

However, this book is not the reason for this blog post. I read it shortly before beginning this reading challenge so it doesn't count as one of my 100. Its sequel, on the other hand, does. At 630 pages long, it has taken me a while to read, but thankfully I'm still on target with my reading. If you haven't read A Discovery of Witches yet, then be warned: the rest of this post will contain SPOILERS.

The second book in the All Souls trilogy is entitled Shadow of Night and had me just as enthralled as its prequel. Having already forged a strong relationship with the main characters from the previous story, Diana and Matthew, we pick up where they left off - in Woodstock, 1951. The plot continues with the strands left from the first book - the forbidden relationship between witch and wearh, the hunt for the elusive Ashmole 782, Diana coming to grips with her newly discovered magical talents, and the danger posed by the Congregation. Of course, being set in Elizabethan England, many more characters are introduced, including some familiar names, and within this the story develops further, creating vivid images of the ever-expanding world that Harkness has created.

Despite this though, I felt that Shadow of Night didn't quite live up to the standards of Discovery, only really picking up in the second half. With the introduction of so many historical characters too, it sometimes felt a little ridiculous, as if Harkness had gone through a checklist of well known names from the era. Indeed, at the end of the book such a checklist does exist. There also seemed to be a few plotholes in that after coming back from Prague, no more was mentioned about Mary Sidney, and towards to end of the book the death of a major character was mentioned only in passing. I sure hope this will be covered properly in the third book.

Even with these few disappointments, I can't wait to read the last of the trilogy, The Book of Life, and see what happens next.

Book 3, Day 5: In Between

I'm on a roll today. This morning I finished Treasure Island and I've just finished another - In Between by Jenny B. Jones.

The first of the Katie Parker Productions series, this novel follows Katie, a 16 year old moving out of her care home to join a foster family in the town of In Between, Texas. Naturally, she is faced with the difficulties of moving to a new home - new family, new school, and trying to fit in. However, once she discovers who her real friends are Katie begins a journey of not just self-discovery, but also discovery of what her new family is hiding.

In Between is a brilliantly written novel that combines teenage sass, a spiritual journey and a hilarious 62 (ssh!) year old to produce a story that gets you giggling with the characters and by the end makes you feel that you were the one the family adopted. While there are some aspects of the story that I would have liked to go into more deeply, I know that this is only book 1 of a 4-part series, and I'm sure they will pop up again. The character of Katie is well developed and I really felt an attachment to her that is probably due in part to an understanding of not really knowing where or how to fit in in certain aspects of life, which I'm sure everyone's come across at some point (I know I did as a 16 year old). Needless to say I have now formed a bond with these characters that I'm sure will lead me on to the rest of this series.

Book 2, Day 5: Treasure Island

It is a tale that created its own genre, shaping the image we have of pirates today and influencing many interpretations, yet until now I had not read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

To be honest, I've never been that much of a fan of pirates stories. Well, not as much as some. I mean, I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (yes I consider it a trilogy, the subsequent films do not count) and I believe that Disney's Treasure Planet is a seriously underrated film, but now I understand the love of the thrill of the adventure. Perhaps if I'd read this book when I was younger it would have had much more of an influence on me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

A thrilling tale of hidden treasure, pirate mutiny and discovery of the unknown, what's not to love? Grab some rum, sit out in the sun and experience the pirate's life.

Book 1, Day 2: The Bookshop on the Corner

And so it begins!

For my first book I decided to read The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin. A book about a bibliophile who owns a book shop? It seemed like a fitting place to start.

The book started out promisingly enough. The author really captured what it is like to live through books, acknowledging the complete lie that is "one more chapter", something I know all too well. Sarah, the protagonist, loves her romance books and only ever has relationships with fictional characters (sounds familiar) when a roving reporter in the form of the handsome Ridge turns up and professes his love for her.

Even though I knew this was a short book and that it would be predictable, I hoped for a good plot twist or something a bit deeper, but I was sadly disappointed. It was a very superficial story with a romance that, as the main character kept saying, was like one of her fictional heroes but in reality didn't quite fit right. Even the comedic moments between friends fell short as I read about them having fits of giggles yet I barely cracked a smile.

Ultimately I was disappointed and can't say I'll be reading the rest of the series, but if you like fluff and you're looking for some light romance you might like to give it a go.

Reading Challenge: 100 Books, 1 Year

I've decided to set myself a reading challenge. I need to read more, and that doesn't count reading the same books over and over again (I'm looking at you Harry Potter and John Green). From what I've read around the web (mainly Goodreads to be honest) 100 books in a year seems to be a solid challenge so I'll go with that.

It seems like a lot at the moment but a book every 3 days should be doable, right? Right? I would go for a shorter challenge but my book collection seems to keep expanding. I end up buying at least one new book any time I go anywhere and my eBook collection seems to be infinite, what with so many websites telling me how to get free books. I'm slightly dubious about the quality of some of them to be honest, but free is free and books is books.

Right then, let's see where to begin.