Tuesday 26 July 2011

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I don't normally read many non-chick-lit type books, but this was a present which came highly recommended so I decided to give it a go. It was actually really good, though, so I was pleasntly surprised. It took a while for the plot to take off, but when it finally did I was hooked. There were some really surprising twists in the story which I didn't expect. And I felt that I really got to know a lot of the characters in depth. Although sometimes I got confused between some of the Spanish names which seemed similar at first. And another complaint is that the author sometimes came across as a bit pretentious when he chose to use long and complicated words and sentences when describing ordinary things. I'm still going to be reading chick lit most of the time, but it was interesting to read something different for a change. I give it 8/10.

Sunday 24 July 2011

The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson

I do not usually read many non-fiction books all the way through, but this one was difficult to put down! As someone who loves taking pleasure in the small things in life, this book was perfect for me. I picked this book up off the shelves at my local library on a whim but totally fell in love with it. I love the way it goes through activities to do by season, as I feel that people do not really appreciate the changing seasons enough. Whilst some things were maybe not in my price range (such as buying expensive bedding), other suggestions could be took up by anyone. I do not usually review non-fiction books, but this was something special, which I read like a novel, and so I give it 9/10.

Saturday 16 July 2011

The Girls' Guide to Homemaking by Amy Bratley

I really enjoyed this book. I loved and felt really connected to the main character, Juliet, although this may be because she is very similar to me! I felt empathetic towards her and her situation and enjoyed watching her solve her problems and develop as a person. I particularly liked the theme of homemaking and how Juliet used her gradmother's homemaking manual to help her build her new life. I loved hating her (ex)boyfriend, (ex)best friend and (ex)boss throughout the story, too. I also enjoyed the revelations that were gradually revealed about Juliet's past and family, that let me get to know her better as a character. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story. I give it 10/10.