December Reads

I’m keeping track of every book I read this year, month by month.

Just in case anyone does fancy reading something I’ve mentioned, I’m giving details of the books (no more of a spoiler than you’d read on the blurb) and a rating. My rating system is 1 – 5:

  • 1 Awful, the writer should be banished to a far away land
  • 2 Poor, I didn’t die of boredom but it was a struggle to reach the end
  • 3 Average, fine but I’ll have forgotten about it in a year
  • 4 Good, I enjoyed this
  • 5 Excellent, hot damn this is a great book and the writer should be knighted

NBI’m also reading some books as research for my own, non-fiction publication which is due out next year. I’m omitting anything read for that, here. 

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December’s Books

Title(s): Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Category: Fiction: Horror, Supernatural

About: Jude purchases someone’s stepfather’s ghost online, to add to his creepy collection of the macabre. As you might have guessed, Jude gets more than he bargained for.

My Rating: 3.5, not bad but could’ve been so much better

I loved the premise of this, and the start of the book genuinely gave me the creeps. Unfortunately, the ever-present ghost means that there’s very little actual jeopardy, because you know nothing book-endingly-major is going to happen while there’s still 3/4 of the book left to read.

Mr Hill also suffers from the same major peeve I have with his father, his endings suck. Still, it’s well-written and the characters are okay for the most part. I rattled through it.

Read this if you like: Horns by Joe Hill, anything by Stephen King

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Title(s):  The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin

Category: Fiction: Mystery (I guess?!)

About: Four year old Noah wants to go home. Only problem is, he already is home.

My Rating: 4, good

I quite liked the idea that someone might be retaining the memories of a previous incarnation and although I didn’t really ‘like’ the character of Noah, the plot was decent and fast-paced enough to keep my interest. The ending resolved nicely for me too, which is unusual, I admit!

Read this if you like: Anything by Jodi Picoult or Sophie Hannah

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Title(s): Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Category: Fiction: young adult, (mild) horror, fantasy etc

About: A family tragedy sends Jacob to a remote island off the coast of Wales, to the abandoned home where his Grandfather lived and spoke of tales of children with strange talents.

My Rating: 4.5, rather good.

I bought these books solely based on their cover… so that ruins that old cliché. Genuinely, these are beautiful looking books and exquisitely printed. The story is pretty good too, if a little slow. I’ve not seen the film yet, but I can imagine they’ve had to tart it up a little to keep up interest.

I’m actually half-way through the second book now and I’m thoroughly enjoying them. The author has a very nice style and the story flows beautifully. I’m looking forward to finding out how it all ends, while simultaneously not wanting it to end!

I can imagine these becoming a future children’s classic like the Narnia books.

Read this if you like: The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

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That’s All, Folks

Well, my year of keeping tabs on my books has come to an end. Thank you if you’ve taken the time to read my ramblings and like the posts. I won’t be doing the monthly round-ups this year, but I will be singling out particular books for a more in-depth review, as and when I find a little gem.

I’m writing my own book at the moment, which is due for completion in March (and publication in November), so I’ll keep you updated on that, too.

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You can catch up on November’s Reads here.

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