Listmania!
Books I've Read From Easter 2008 List 2
Singling Out the CouplesSingling Out the Couples by Stella Duffy
Buy new: £7.19 / Used from: £0.01
2.5/10 I read the first two thirds of this book but then began to dread it so didn't finish. Parts were ok. Much prefer Duffy's Saz Martin series.
Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross)Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross) by James Patterson
Buy used from: £0.01
6.5/10 Not as good as previous books in the Alex Cross series, but still a gripping read.
Cannibals All! or Slaves without Masters (John Harvard Library)Cannibals All! or Slaves without Masters (John Harvard Library) by G Fitzhugh
Buy new: £18.95 / Used from: £2.25
?/10 Read this for my American Thought and Culture module - it's a challenging proslavery text so I put it on here just because I'm proud I got through it..
Monkey BeachMonkey Beach by Eden Robinson
Buy used from: £39.95
8/10 Simply written yet still beautiful and thought-provoking. Gorgeous imagery and a really three dimensional protagonist.
AlterNativesAlterNatives by Drew Hayden Taylor
Buy used from: £11.89
7/10 This offers an interesting perspective on Canadian identity, specifically Native identity. None of the characters are particularly likeable which makes it even more funny and interesting.
Trash: Stories and PoemsTrash: Stories and Poems by Dorothy Allison
Buy used from: £0.01
5/10 These short stories offer an interesting perspective on the experiences of a working class lesbian of the American South. Some were quite good, but the gritty style mostly didn't gel with me.
The Stone Diaries (The Perennial Collection)The Stone Diaries (The Perennial Collection) by Carol Shields
Buy used from: £0.01
7/10 This novel is very interesting, it is basically a patchwork of different characters and how their lives interweave, based on the central character Daisy although very rarely from her perspective.
A Complicated KindnessA Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
Buy new: £5.46 / Used from: £0.01
8.5/10 A wonderful coming of age story set in a Canadian Mennonite society (a religious sect similar to that of the Amish).
Remember Me?Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £0.01
6/10 A better than average chick-lit read. An interesting premise although predictable. Much preferred the Shopaholic series (especially the first).
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related Tales (Oxford World's Classics)The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related Tales (Oxford World's Classics) by Edgar Allan Poe
Buy new: £4.79 / Used from: £2.76
7/10 I loved the first half but felt the latter half lagged slightly. Lots of interesting black/white symbolism.
The CorrectionsThe Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £2.61
8/10 Better than I expected; interesting insight into contemporary US culture and unique plot/characters.
A Lost Lady (Virago Modern Classics)A Lost Lady (Virago Modern Classics) by Willa Cather
Buy used from: £0.01
6/10 Not exactly riveting but neither is that the point. Beautiful imagery.
The UnderstudyThe Understudy by David Nicholls
Buy new: £5.46 / Used from: £0.01
5/10 Really enjoyed Starter for Ten by this author but this was not as good. An average read - enjoyable, but predictable.
Black SecondsBlack Seconds by Karin Fossum
Buy new: £4.89 / Used from: £0.01
5.5/10 Would read another book by Fossum. Enjoyed the first half immensely but unfortunately the 'twist' is very obvious from early on in the novel.
PrepPrep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Buy new: £5.52 / Used from: £0.79
9.5/10 This book stays with you after you've read it. Interesting, relatable and flawed protagonist. Fascinating dissection of class. Loved this book.
The Book ThiefThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Buy new: £3.95 / Used from: £1.50
7.5/10 World War II book from the perspective of an Ayran German girl and narrated by death. Unusual and touching.
Past ImperfectPast Imperfect by Julian Fellowes
Buy new: £3.59 / Used from: £0.01