Tuesday 31 December 2013

Bungle's Books of 2013

This year I'm going to be doing my books of the year a little differently. There's going to be no count down or no top 10, instead I'm just going to share with you the books that made a difference in my life this year. As most of you know I was rather sick through most of 2013 and I only managed to read about 22 books according to goodreads. So here's to a better 2014 in health and reading :)


The Book Thief
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak

The Book Thief had been recommended to me time and time again by a work colleague and I just never seemed to get to it. When I couldn't read in early 2013 due to sickness I decided to buy the audio and it's one of the best things I have ever bought!

Sometimes a book will come along that will change your whole way of thinking, a book that will change the way you read, a book that defies all other books that came before it and that will come after it and for me that book is The Book Thief.
I believe that listening to the audio aided my love of this story and the characters but for me it's what I needed. It came at the perfect time in my life and although the story is a sad one it is also an up lifting one. It is my belief that The Book Thief should be read by everyone and even be taught in schools. My best read/audio of 2013!!


One Seriously Messed-Up Weekend in the Otherwise Un-Messed-Up Life of Jack Samsonite (Jack Samsonite, #2)
One Seriously Messed-Up Week-End
Tom Clempson

Another book that came at a perfect time in my life. So my illness got rather serious for a while and when I was able to read again I picked up Tom's book and it made me laugh so much I'm sure it made me wee! (not even ashamed to say that!!)

The mushy pea incident made me cry with laughter and I even had to hide my face in my pillow to stop from laughing out as other people were sleeping. There was something about that scene that just got me!

This book made it on to The Books That Made Me list earlier in the year because it helped me so much when I was sick. It came at a time when I needed laughter in my life. It reminded me that no matter how serious things got there was always help, love, friendship and my family to support me. And even if I was losing my hair it was something we could laugh about in the end!
Thank you Tom for lifting my spirits when I needed it the most! I love you xx

Belle Époque 
Belle Epoque
Elizabeth Ross

My surprise read of the year came from Elizabeth Ross with Belle Époque. It was a book that I requested because of the cover, beautiful right, and because the story was set in Paris. What more could a reader ask for!?

The story follows Maude as she is takes on the job of "repoussoir" to survive her new life in Paris. A repoussoir is a person hired by another woman to enhance their beauty and make them stand out, you are hired on account of your ugliness. I thought the idea was so interesting.

Although this story confirms what the world may still be like today, there are still those women who surround themselves by other they deem less beautiful but in the end this story simply reaffirms my belief that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



Defiance (Defiance, #1)
Defiance
C.J. Redwine 

I'm adding Defiance and Deception at this stage because both books were fab and let's face it, I had to add the hottie of the year!! And if you have read these books then you will know Logan is that hottie!

If you love a romance with meaning, twits and turns and edge of your seat action you need these books in your life!

Dystopian with a difference, possibly the only dystopian books I have actually really enjoyed.



And now comes the time for my biggest let down of the year! I know others loved this story and thought the ending was amazing but I thought it was the worst ending to a story I have ever read! At 500 pages Soulmates is a massive book, one that I feel could have done with more cut throat editing. The message of this book is simply 'It's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all' And I have to question is that what teenagers/readers really want? I mean I know for some readers it seems to be the case but for me a 500 page story with an ending like this one was just a little bit pants. As I said, others have loved it, maybe I missed something................????

Soulmates




1 comments:

Raimy from Readaraptor Hatchling said...

oooo I loved Belle Epoque but haven't read any of the others on your list. I have The Book Thief and Jack Samonsite 2 but haven't got round to reading them, may have to bump them up the list now :) x

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