Listmania!
A few books I've read and enjoyed in 2009 (Part one!)
Left BankLeft Bank by Kate Muir
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £0.01
I had this sat on my shelf for ages- don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but I'm so glad I did! Makes me want to go back to Paris in a big way.
Fortune's RocksFortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve
Buy used from: £0.01
Another one I wasn't sure wouldn't be my cup of tea- I'm happy to say I was wrong. Definitely my favourite Anita Shreve book, I devoured this in one sitting on a beach in Spain!
The Future Homemakers of AmericaThe Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham
Buy used from: £0.01
I'm reading this at the moment and I'm two thirds of the way through; I couldn't NOT include it as it's addictive.
Sleep Toward Heaven: How Do You Forgive When You Can't Forget?Sleep Toward Heaven: How Do You Forgive When You Can't Forget? by Amanda Eyre Ward
Buy new: £9.99 / Used from: £0.01
I couldn't put this one down. Another holiday book, only I started and finished it at the airport prior to departure. Magnificent.
The Palace of Strange GirlsThe Palace of Strange Girls by Sallie Day
Buy new: £9.94 / Used from: £0.01
Picked this up in a discount bookshop because I liked the cover. Pleasantly surprised by the content.
RococoRococo by Adriana Trigiani
Buy new: £5.48 / Used from: £0.01
All of Adriana's books are compulsive reading and this was no exception- delicious!
Under the Tuscan SunUnder the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Buy new: £5.97 / Used from: £0.01
Makes me want to sell up and move to Italy. The descriptions of the food and wine are to die for.
The Various Flavours of CoffeeThe Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella
Buy new: £5.46 / Used from: £0.01
Admittedly, I prefer 'The Wedding Officer' but this is a very interesting read.
Thyme OutThyme Out by Katie Fforde
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £0.01
A healthy dose of not-so fluffy chicklit. The first Katie Fforde I've read, but it won't be the last.
Gods in AlabamaGods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
Buy new: £4.71 / Used from: £0.01
This book is a bit like marmite in places, but overall it was an entertaining story.
Garden SpellsGarden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £0.01
If you like Christina Jones, you'll love this! Magical chicklit.
CoastlinersCoastliners by Joanne Harris
Buy used from: £0.01
Not her best, but nicely done. Characters to fall in love with.
Dead and Gone: A True Blood Novel (Sookie Stackhouse Vampire 9)Dead and Gone: A True Blood Novel (Sookie Stackhouse Vampire 9) by Charlaine Harris
Buy new: £5.24
I've devoured all the Sookie Stackhouse novels back to back this year owing to falling in love with the TV show- they're all amazing. Harris is a fab writer and I can't wait to read her other novels!
Songs of the Humpback WhaleSongs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
I thought this was weak in contrast to all her other books and confusing in places. If you're a Picoult fan, you'll probably still enjoy it.
Montana SkyMontana Sky by Nora Roberts
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £0.01
I couldn't NOT have a Nora Roberts in here- this was the best one of hers I've read this year. She makes Montana sound gorgeous.. but her characters are very same-same in my opinion from book to book.
The Year the Gypsies CameThe Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass
Buy new: £9.89 / Used from: £0.01
Another bargain buy from a discount bookstore and this kept me gripped. An amazing debut.
FolliesFollies by Rosie Thomas
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £0.01
After the bizarre ending of 'The Potters House' I was wary, but this is Thomas at her best.
A Place for UnicornsA Place for Unicorns by Nicola Lindsay
Buy used from: £0.01
A real gem of a book- this one surprised me but I did feel the ending was a little bit flat.
The Diving-bell and the ButterflyThe Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Buy new: £4.24 / Used from: £0.01
Wonderful and thought provoking.
Iris and RubyIris and Ruby by Rosie Thomas
Buy used from: £0.01
I think this is my favourite of all Thomas' books. Her depictions of Cairo are fantastic.
Diving Through CloudsDiving Through Clouds by Nicola Lindsay
Buy used from: £0.95
A surprisingly good read- I'm going to get around to reading the rest of this author's books after I enjoyed the first two so much.
The Wicker ManThe Wicker Man by Robin Hardy
Buy new: £4.47 / Used from: £0.01
Chilling, thought provoking horror.
Thanks for the MemoriesThanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern
Buy used from: £0.01
Pleasant chicklit, but in my opinion not as strong as her other books.
La Cucina (A Black Swan book)La Cucina (A Black Swan book) by Lily Prior
Buy new: £4.51 / Used from: £0.01
I love books that encompass food and romance- it also added to the atmosphere that I read this whilst in Italy! A delicious yarn.
Olivia Joules and the Overactive ImaginationOlivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding
Buy new: £5.06 / Used from: £0.01
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this but it was a fun, quirky read that had a splash of romance.