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Recently Read

It's been a long time since I've done one of these! Since I got my Kindle in October the number of physical books I've been reading has decreased more drastically than I would care to admit- which also means no pretty physical covers to photograph, and I'm not 100% OK with that... It's a shame and of course, I still much prefer real books but the appeal of the eBook with its much cheaper, instant download is often all too much to bear, especially being the poor student that I am. At the moment I also find myself having to save the very limited shelf space I have for my more attractive editions and copies of books I have really enjoyed. So basically, in terms of my relationship with my Kindle, I almost feel like a bit of an addict in denial... and I appreciate that's probably what I sound like too. It's so wrong, but it feels so right, you know? No hate.

Anyway, in the time since my last monthly reading roundup around September/October time I've read quite a few books, but I think I'm only going to chat here about a few that I feel are worth mentioning, either because I loved/strongly disliked them or because they're quite popular at the minute and I'd sort of like to contribute my thoughts into the mix. 

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Melanie is a little girl who loves nothing more than lessons with her favourite teacher, Miss Justineau, and gets up and ready for school each morning just like any other child. Except she's not just like any other child. Instead, Melanie is confined to a cell and each morning is strapped tightly into a wheelchair, a gun pointed to her head, before being wheeled into the classroom for another day of learning about an outside world that she has never known for herself.

I don't think I'll say much more than that as I feel like this is the sort of book where the less you know about it to start with, the better. What I will say though was that it really was an excellent read. M.R. Carey here has created such an inspired, elaborate post-apocalyptic world in this suspenseful novel that grips you right from the beginning. There is quite a lot of gore in this book, so if you're particularly squeamish I'd bear that in mind, however, at the same time, while it does sort of belong somewhere in the thriller/horror genre I feel like the story and characters will appeal to people right across the board, particularly the protagonist, Melanie who really is an absolute darlin'.
Rating: «««««

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
In 1686, 18-year-old Nella Oortman leaves her family and rural town behind to marry a wealthy merchant, Johannes Brandt and begin a new life with him in his Amsterdam home. It soon transpires, however, that married life is not all that she had imagined. Her husband, when he is not away on business, is distant and disinterested, making Nella doubt her decision to move away from her childhood home. However, it's not long before she finds some salvation in the the form of tiny pieces sent to her by a mysterious city craftsman that seem to reveal to Nella the secrets of her strange new household.

I was keen to read 'The Miniaturist', it being a number one best-seller and all. However, in the end I was little disappointed with it. That being said, I know there were a lot of people who really enjoyed it so perhaps it just wasn't to my taste. I just didn't really feel much sympathy for, or connection to any of the characters and the plot, for me, was a bit thin. I thought the premise sounded really good but in the end I just didn't feel like it really delivered.

Rating: ««

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
This book revolves around the experiences of a man called Harry August, a member of an elusive strand of the human race who call themselves Kalachakra. These are basically men and women who when they die, return to the place they first began and live the same life over and over again, retaining all the memories of the lives they've lived before. 

I wish I could explain the story a little bit better here but in truth the plot and the concept is quite complex so I feel like I'd just end up tripping over myself!

I found this book a bit of a challenge if I'm honest. At the beginning I was fascinated by the whole idea of this sort of "rebirth" as its portrayed here and the whole book really made me think a lot about life and the fact that while all these Kalachakra have unlimited opportunities to make the most of their time on earth, I don't. It's kind of depressing in a way but I feel like I could use a reminder like that more often. However, once I got over the initial thrill of the concept itself I felt the story really start to slow down and then just became more and more laborious to the point where I really had to push myself to finish it. It's quite science-heavy in parts which I feel like was part of the problem because that sort of thing just doesn't really interest me, plus, most of it also ended up going straight over my head. I think in retrospect though, it was still a clever and thought-provoking read.
Rating: «««

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 
Rachel gets the same commuter train to work every morning which stops at a signal in the same spot each day allowing her to look into a house that backs onto the tracks and into the lives of its young occupants. She creates a world for these people in her head, imaging every aspect of their perfect personal lives. However, all her illusions are soon shattered when she witnesses a shocking event that brings their lives into collision with her own.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book when I read it. I really enjoyed it the whole way through but at the same time I found it so heavy and depressing so it was a bit of a challenge to get through. By the time I came to the end of this book though, I was glad that I'd persevered. It's a really gripping, entertaining thriller, probably one of the best I've read in this genre and I would certainly recommend it.
Rating: ««««


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27 comments

  1. Ohh I love posts like this and I'm especially interested in the girl on the train! ♡


    www.lipglossandpaperbacks.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. I completely know how you feel about your kindle - I have a (first generation - with the keyboard and everything!!) Kindle, as well as the app on my tablet, and I kind of hate them. I mean, I love them because they're soooo much lighter and easier to travel with than a bookcase, and ebooks are generally cheaper than hard copies, so that's a bonus too - but they're not books. I love books more.
    (Also, reading on my kindles always feels like cheating. Am I the only one?)
    I haven't read The Girl with All the Gifts yet, but I really want to - it sounds amazing! And thank you for the warning on The Miniaturist - I keep hearing mixed reviews about it, so it's probably not one for me really. I HAVE read The Girl on the Train though, and I thought it was pretty good (high praise from someone who hates thrillers!).
    Beth x

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  3. I'm halfway through 'The Girl with all the Gifts' and I'm really enjoying it, quite hard to sleep though after the goriness I think I'm going to give 'The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August' it sounds so interesting if I can ignore all the complexity, probably not! I always enjoy reading your book reviews you write in such detail.

    Marbl☾☽Moon

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  4. I'm dying to read The Girl on the Train - people keep telling me it's so gripping! The First Fifteen Lives sounds a lot like Life After Life by Kate Atkinson which I LOVED - maybe you might like that more as that one really made me think and wasn't too heavy at all (in my opinion)!


    Bxx
    www.b-jolly.co.uk

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  5. Ohh I read girl with all the gifts and loved it! One of my top books of 2014 for sure. I do want to read girl on the train as I've just seen so much about it. I'm reading the Night Circus at the moment which I am enjoying so far! x

    Jasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog

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  6. I got my mum a copy of The Girl on the Train recently and I'm definitely going to have to borrow it to see what all the fuss has been about! xx

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  7. I'd be interested to see what you think! It could be a little melodramatic at times and definitely had its flaws but it entertained me :) xx

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  8. Aww it's so good, isn't it?! Oh cool, I've heard a lot of good things about the Night Circus, I'll definitely get around to reading it eventually xx

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  9. Absolutely, it's full of suspense and there are some great twists in there as well! You should definitely read it if you get the chance :) Oh cool, thank you for the recommendation! I find that sort of thing so interesting xx

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  10. I was the same with The Girl With All the Gifts! I sort of put off reading it because I didn't know whether I'd enjoy it but it really engaged me right from the beginning :) and you definitely can't beat a physical book! I miss them :'( xx

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  11. Haha, I know right!? I had this horrific zombie apocalypse nightmare the other night and I can only blame it on the fact I've probably been reading way too much post-apocalyptic fiction (I'm on to Station Eleven now, similar premise so far but no zombies). Aw thank you so much, Ciara, sometimes I feel like they're a bit naff, I'm definitely no literary expert! xx

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  12. Me too! I feel so bad because it scares me to think of a world where everything's paperless and there's no such thing as physical books any more, and I don't want to contribute to the possibility of that happening (maybe that's a little extreme, I don't know).
    Aw you should, I loved them both so much :) xx

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  13. Totally agree with you on 'The Miniaturist' - just finished it and was left feeling kind of ... bleh. Wouldn't go so far as to call it a waste of time, but definitely not fantastic! I may just have to check out 'The Girl With All the Gifts'; it sounds fascinating! Thanks so much for the suggestions! xx

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  14. Yeah, I felt the exact same. The whole miniaturist thing could literally have been removed from it entirely and the book would still have made sense. It didn't seem to serve any purpose and I really didn't like how it was just never explained!! No problem, I hope you enjoy the Girl With All the Gifts :) xx

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  15. I read The Girl on the Train during my commutes into London - we did stop by some terraced houses with long gardens so the imagination didn't half wander!
    I agree completely with The Miniaturist - didn't find the characters compelling at all! Except maybe the uptight sister.
    x

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  16. It's a shame you didn't enjoy The Miniaturist! I got a copy recently as it looks really interesting, but since then I've heard some negative reviews. Still going to give it a chance though. The Girl With All The Gifts sounds amazing. Definitely want to read that!

    xx Mimmi, Muted Mornings

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  17. I only recently got The Girl On The Train and I can't wait to start reading it soon! :)
    I'd like to nominate you for a TAG I did over on my blog you can check it out here if you like:
    http://jess-inretrospect.blogspot.de/2015/03/the-bedtime-tag.html
    xx

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  18. I love The Girl With All The Gifts! It was one of my favourite reads at the end of last year :-)
    I really want to read The Girl On The Train! May have to get my kindle out ;-)

    http://emmahopenewitt.blogspot.co.uk/

    <3

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  19. Me too, it was a great book :) I'd say if you enjoy a good thriller you'll like The Girl on the Train! :) xx

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  20. Aww this is a cute tag! Thank you, Jess :) I'll give it a go xx

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  21. Yeah you should definitely give it a chance! My friend and I were both reading it at the same time and he really enjoyed it so I think it just depends on what you like :) xx

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  22. Ah that's so cool! The perfect setting for reading that book! :) Yeah I agree with you there, Marin was probably the most complex character. I found the rest all quite one-dimensional! xx

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  23. YAY! So happy to see a book review post from you (I've got one up my sleeve and haven't done one in months and months...) I loved The Girl With All The Gifts too - 100% one of my favourite books from 2014. I think I heard that it's being made into a movie! Really keen to read The Girl On The Train too - I think I'll save it for my next poolside read :) The First Fifteen Lives sounds fascinating; in the same vein of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life (another book I loved!) xx

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  24. Thank you, lovely! I actually read your review on the Girl With All The Gifts on your Wordpress blog recently and it was really was just masterfully written. I'm really looking forward to reading more reviews from you soon, I've missed them!! I'm definitely adding Life After Life to my to-read list as well, it sounds super intriguing :) xxx

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  25. You are seriously too sweet! Ha, I wish I still had time to keep both blogs going but just keeping ACA going is almost too hard! xx

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  26. I haven't read any of these so thank you for the reviews. Think I'd like to read The Girl With All the Gifts most.

    xx Izzy | http://qthee.com/

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Thank you so much for your comment! They mean a lot to me and I read every single one. Sometimes I can be poor at replying so if you need a faster response feel free to email me at beth_farrelly@live.co.uk or tweet me @alphabethblog

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