The first couple of books I read this year were real disappointments. I was beginning to think it was me, not them. But then a friend recommended Gone Girl to me recently, so I borrowed it from the library. Finally - a book I loved!
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
A wife goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary and her husband is the prime suspect. The husband narrates the story, but we also read the wife's old diary entries. I started out thinking one thing, then just as I was beginning to change my mind, my original suspicions were confirmed... but then the story went in a totally different direction to what I expected. If you like a mystery/thriller, I absolutely recommend this!
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
I'd been looking forward to this book ever since the girls at last year's book club talked about it. It's about a concierge in an apartment building in Paris. The story itself had good bones. I liked the idea of it... but in reality there was too much philosophy and not enough plot for me. But maybe it's more your cup of tea. Did you like it?
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
This was another disappointment... much like the movie which I watched a long time ago. I mean, I really wanted to like both, cos, well it's Audrey Hepburn, it's iconic, and the movie styling is so beautiful. But I just don't like the Holly Golightly character. She just seems so shallow and ditsy.
The Shifting Fog - Kate Morton
I read Kate Morton's The Distant Hours last year and loved it, so I expected to love this one. And I did! It's a very similar style, even told in the same "then and now" format. Told from the point of view of someone in modern times, and telling a connected story from decades ago. She's an Aussie author but both books I've read of hers have been set in England, and seem so very English to me.
Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult (say it right - it's Pi-coh)
I've read a few of Jodi Picoult's books and I think she always seems to come up with some pretty interesting storylines. This one is about a guy in a coma who had been pretty obsessed with wolves his whole life, and would often leave his family to spend months living with wolf packs. As usual with her stories there's a moral dilemma - should they or should they not turn off life support? It's told from the point of view of four characters (I think) and one of the characters is the guy in the coma. All his chapters are about his past experiences with wolves. Tassy is also pretty obsessed with wolves so I let her read all those chapters. They were pretty fascinating.
I have plenty more books to share with you - coming in another blog post soon! Some good ones and some I didn't enjoy so much. Plus some I've read with Tassy.
