One Thing Led to Another - Katy Regan

One Thing Led to Another was a witty novel. It was at times hilarious but it had 2 brilliant factors. 


Firstly the main character, Tess, was actively trying to start a relationship with someone it was obvious to everyone but her was completely wrong for her when there was Jim, her best friend who she couldn't possibly be in love with because she felt comfortable just spending time with him. This was at times frustrating, especially when it became clear that Jim always knew he was hopelessly in love with Tess, but it made the ending all the more satisfying.


Secondly were the varied humorous glimpses of the pregnancies of perhaps 50 women which marked the start of each and every chapter.


If you're looking for a funny and satisfying read pick this up.


And Linking up to Speed Date with Mary at The Book Swarm.


Rowen

Our Challenge: Books 4-14

I've been reading steadily for the reading challenge my friend and I set ourselves for this year. We're now nearly four months in and a third of the way through. I should now be on my 18th book, I'm on my 16th, and a week ago it seemed to be an impossible task. However bring on the brilliance that is waking early and reading short books and I find myself having read 5 books in a week, something I can't remember doing ever!


It seemed to be about time I summarised and collected the links for all these books into one place. If you're interested in seeing my full thoughts, my friends thoughts or donating some money to the charity we're raising for click on the links.


Book 4: Austerlitz- W.G.Sebald


This book was better than I'd been expecting but still wasn't to my taste. I didn't hate it, but nor could I truly unravel a plot from it. If asked whether someone should read it I think I'd probably say don't bother. 


Book 5: The Riddle of the Sands - Erskine Childers


This book has a very slow first hundred pages but it quickly picks up the pace after that. Once it got moving it was a good adventure story in the true 'for boys' style which predominantly dates from the 19 30's 40's and 50's. The worst thing belonging to this book was a heavy emphasis on sailing terms, something I found it hard to understand.


Book 6: Hideous Kinky - Esther Freud


This book was a quick and easy read. Largely without plot, although there's a vague thread of growing up too young. It was worth reading.

Book 7: The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood


This was a very good if very long book. I was captivated and would definitely recommend it. It's full of well developed characters with massive flaws. It develops gradually but reels you in from the very first line. 

Book 8: Tom Jones - Henry Fielding


Tom Jones is both long and dull. Not a book to undertake unless you have a lot of time on your hands and some serious self hatred. It talked in circles and drew out the tiniest plot points for a long as possible. 


Book 9: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams

This was funny. Hilarious in fact. If you've ever read any of Adam's other novels you'll know what you're heading for in advance. It was easy to read, a delight in fact.


Book 10: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey


A brutal look into the mental institutions of the 50's and 60's. It was a good novel well written and it evoked a true empathy for many of the characters. When one of the characters kills another, rather than feeling anger you feel the same sort of sympathy you feel for lenny and George in Of Mice and Men. Definitely deserving of the label modern Classic.


Book 11: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson


Once again a light-hearted book that ensnared your attention and demanded your respect. No real plot but a glimpse of surprise, wonderment and learning to live again.


Book 12: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon


This book is most probably unique in the world of Literature. I've never before read a book from the perspective of someone with any degree of autism, and not only did it offer a unique perspective it did it well. It easily demonstrates the trauma which can be induced when the natural order of things is changed about. Incidentally I love the cover, it's one of the best I've ever seen, although nothing like the ones I normally like.


Book 13: The End of the Affair - Graham Greene

This book was so well written I was heavily emotionally invested by the end, this may or may not be to your taste but I love it when an author can do that to me. I love to feel something for the characters. I love to feel they're my friends. This did this. By the end of the book, and it's not long, I knew certainly the main character reasonably well. It's worth whatever you're willing to spend on it.



Book 14: Disgrace - J.M.Coetzee


This book was well written but at the same time a bit disturbing. It made use of foreshadowing. The main character committed acts only slightly better than those which were acted against his daughter. It opens a gateway to a new place, but it isn't one I'd want to travel often.


Remember if you want to read my full reviews or any of my friends you need to click on the links to take you over to the relevant post. If you want to donate anything then head on over to our shared blog and there's a link which will take you to our donations page.


Rowen

Anniversary Flowers

 Last Friday my boyfriend and I had been together for a full three years. This to me seems somewhat crazy, it's about a sixth of my life I've spent with him at this point.

 To celebrate he took me out for dinner at a local Italian restaurant. It was delicious!

 I had a long tomato pizza with rocket leaves and mozzarella on it. 

 He had a pork belly.

 Unfortunately I took no pictures of the food.

 However he did also get me this gorgeous bouquet of Roses.

 Which I may or may not have gone on photo overload for :P

  I absolutely love them and they're standing beside my bed. As I live with my parents this is the only space I have which is big enough for them.

 I'm not a brilliant Photographer, I'll admit it, it's just something I do every now and again when the feeling grabs me.

 All I did for these shots was to put on the foliage and macro settings my camera has built in.

 I didn't really do any set up except to put the flowers in front of our big patio doors so there was a lot of light.

I think my favorite shots are the ones of the single roses.

 Not only do they show all the beautiful details of the flowers.

 But they remind me of the last time my boyfriend gave me flowers.

 A single pink rose after we'd been together for one year.

 Aren't they gorgeous?

 And aren't I just the luckiest girl in the world?

 I'm linking up with Jaymi's blog for Tuesday Tips & Pics .

Rowen

Inheritance – Christopher Paolini

The aptly named last book in the inheritance cycle was another brilliant escape. Filled with drama and cliff-hangers I found myself readily hooked from beginning to end.

Against logical reason I continued to hope for a development between Eragon and Arya, a hope in which I was both fulfilled and disappointed. There was a development, but it was a development which came too late and which could never be enacted. There were similar developments which I didn’t expect, but which I did welcome.

The book ended with an overwhelming sense of sadness in my opinion. Perhaps this could be seen as a pleasant change from the victorious stereotype of High Fantasy, for myself I wished for a happier ending.

In the acknowledgments Paolini stated that he is moving onto new pastures for the time  being, but that he isn’t finished with Alagaesia. I can’t see any way for him to return within the framework of the Eragon novels, I think their ending was too final, but I would be willing, even eager, to read any new book he was able to produce.

On a side note. That cover art, still stunning!!

Rowen 

The Lady Grace Mysteries: Assassin – Patricia Finney

It’s been a while since I’ve read any books so obviously aimed at children, however I work at a shop which sells second-hand ‘children’s’ items including children’s books.

We had a couple of sets of the Lady Grace Mysteries come through the shop in the space of a couple of days last summer. The covers are designed in a way which harks back to an old-fashioned library of leather-bound books. As such they appealed to me; it’s the kind of library I’ve always wanted. And for that more than for the content of the books I bought eight of them.

Assassin was the first of these 8 books, they are named alphabetically, and it was unsurprisingly about the assassination of one man by another man being blamed on a third man.

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. It is written from a child’s perspective and therefore it comes across as childish and in some respects petulant. It seems to have some historical inaccuracies, although it is not riddled with them, and they are acknowledged at the end of the book.

I thought that the plot was well set up and it was a story I enjoyed. However there were fictional elements in it which were left alone for too long. They should have been mentioned at least briefly earlier on and not left until the end as the crucial bit of evidence everything hung on. That is my only real criticism of the book and it exists because it made the book seem shallow in my opinion.

Rowen

A Perfect Proposal - Liz Fielding

         This Mills and Boon novel was brought out as part of the collection written specifically to celebrate 100 years of the publishing house which changed Romance. It was exclusive to WHSmith.

         I’m reasonably confident I picked it up at the Church Christmas Bazaar.

        This book was a lot more sensible than most Mills and Boon books are. There was little love of the ‘at first sight’ variety. It was a love which had grown, on one side at least, very slowly between two people who had known each other for a period of time and knew each other well.

This book differed because there was no carnality. This book differed because it made a priority of the child in the life of the male half.

         It was brief. It was light hearted. It was a welcome break for a couple of hours from life.

Rowen

Brisingr - Chritopher Paolini

         The third book in the inheritance cycle I don’t think the name could be more apt. It’s the first word of the ancient language Eragon learnt, one which describes the nature of Saphira and it’s the name of the fantastic new sword crafted both for and by Eragon in a roundabout way during the course of the book.

 

         In Brisingr I feel that both Eragon and Roran have grown as characters. I love many of the revelations which appeared during the novel. I love the fact that Roran’s long awaited wedding to Katrina took place, that they are going to be parents and that they couldn’t wait until after the wedding...

 

         I love that Orik is to take the place of Hrothgar as king of the Dwarves. I love the hilarity and simplicity of the punishment exacted by the Dwarven council on the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin Clan for their treachery.

         I love the fact that I cried when Glaedr and Oromis died, although it wasn’t unexpected, it’s been hinted at in the previous books, but it shows how much all of the Characters affect me I guess.

        I love Nausuada’s triumph and that Arya began to open up to Eragon. It gives me hope.

  

         Most of all I love that it gave me a diversion to my favourie genre. In fact the only thing I didn’t love about it was that it distracted me long enough to make me a week behind in the Reading Challenge.

Rowen