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Arkib (Maraton Membaca 2013)
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Juwita's 2013 List
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:D David Mitchell is one of my favourite authors. I think I prefer number9dream (just a bit!) over Cloud Atlas.
Yati wrote: ":D David Mitchell is one of my favourite authors. I think I prefer number9dream (just a bit!) over Cloud Atlas."Hi Yati, I'm definitely going to check out his other books, and number9dream will probably be next!
Book #2:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I like this book because it brought me back to 1991, to the time when I was a 15 year-old, just like the kid Charlie in the book. Although some of the things that Charlie said and did in the book may sound naive or unbelievable, I could relate to some of them. Weird right? Haha! Maybe I was that naive 15 year-old who watched from the sidelines, maybe I too was a wallflower.
Book #3:
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
I got this book at the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. The blurb stated that it was a Japanese thriller phenomenon, having sold 2 million copies. "The Japanese Stieg Larsson" said The Times. Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling the author the next Larsson as I've only read this one book.
Like:
The story is actually quite good. You are told of a murder and so you know who did it. Now what you don't know is how the body was brought from the actual crime scene to another spot where the police found it. I really liked the riddles/ clues/ puzzles surrounding the murder, and couldn't wait to finish the book. The twist in the ending was good too!
Dislike:
I find the book simple to read, maybe at times a bit too simple? It could be the translation that's messing things up. The original Japanese text may be well-written. I wouldn't be able to tell. But it's not really a big deal.
I wanted to give it 3.5 stars but what the hey, 4 it is.
Book #4:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Another book from the BBW. Have been wanting to read this even before it was made into a movie. So had to force myself to not watch the film till after the book.
Like:
It provides a glimpse into the lives of African American maids or 'the help' in the 60s. Sometimes I laughed out loud, other times I felt sad that these incidents took place. I also liked that you get three different points of view throughout the course of the book.
Dislike:
The ending about Aibileen, one of the main characters, felt a bit abrupt. I felt like it was just snatched away from me. Sad.
I'd give it a 4.5, but you know there's no such thing, so 5 stars it is.
Book #5:
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday
A book about salmon fishing, politics, and the Middle East. Fun to read the book as it was written in the form of email correspondence, memos, diary entries, etc.
p/s: I just realised that all 5 books that I've read thus far have been made into films. Okay, time to move on....
Book #6:
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Time Traveller's Wife, I had high expectations for this one. It wasn't as good as the former, but was still an enjoyable read.
It's a story about a set of twins who inherited a flat from their aunt, who was actually their mother's twin whom they had no idea about, until her death.
Some parts were dull for me, and at one point I got so mad with Elspeth, who was the dead aunt (a ghost).Yeah, it's a ghost story of sorts.
Moving on....
Book #7:
Solar by Ian McEwan
The book was okay. I didn't like the main character at all. To be fair, there were some funny moments in the book, but not enough for me to really love it.
Thus far:
Number of books read: 7 (oh, so slow!)
Number of pages: 2,924
Book #8
Young Men in Spats by PG Wodehouse
Funny. If you like British sort of humour. My first Wodehouse. Would definitely look for more.
Book #9
The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag
It's been a while since I'd read a murder mystery. It was enjoyable, nothing too mind-blowing. Don't think I'll go for more.
Book #10
Un Lun Dun by China Miéville
This is my first Miéville book. Specifically written for children. For me, this book took off only after about a third or so down the road. Only then did I enjoy reading it. A little unconventional, which makes it a refreshing take on the usual adventure tales.
Book #11
Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk
A short book, should be a good start to Palahniuk -- or so I thought. It was just okay for me. Has its funny moments. Maybe it was the wrong Palahniuk book to start with. Perhaps I should have tried Fight Club instead.
Book #12
Homebody by Orson Scott Card
This is a new experience for me. A bit of romance and a bit of the supernatural. Interesting.
Book #13
An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson
I don't usually read "chick-lit" (yes, I hate that term!), but when I do, I find that the ones from British/ Irish writers are more enjoyable. This was a fun read. The second book I've read from Milly. Her heroines are all in their 30s, so none of that silly teen angst type books. Surprise, surprise, I really enjoyed this.
Book #15
The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley
Liked it. Disturbing, but liked it nonetheless.
Book #17
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The search for Dracula. Not the romanticised version, but more of the evil Vlad the Impaler. If you like the Da Vinci Code, you may like this. The action is all in following clues in books and artefacts.
Book #18
Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
Never read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or any other of Harris' works. Liked this one. May go looking for the rest of this mystery series.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Cloud Atlas (other topics)Number9Dream (other topics)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (other topics)
The Devotion of Suspect X (other topics)
The Help (other topics)
More...
First book read in 2013 is:
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
I definitely wanted to read this before watching the movie by the Wachowski brothers. And I'm happy to say that I love this book! It was one of those "can't wait to finish but don't want it to end" sort of book for me. The book takes you through six different stories at six different points in time. Even though these lives are geographically and chronologically apart, they are very much linked to one another.
Love it!