101 New Books I've Read

1. 10th April 2008 - The Chocolate Run, Dorothy Koomson
I managed to read this in about 3 hours. It was nice chick-lit, easily readable, but I probably wouldn't read it again. In fact by next week I probably won't remember the plot. I'm a little disappointed because I really liked My Best Friend's Girl, and every book I've read by this author since just hasn't lived up to it. Still overall it was readable, and kept me entertained for a few hours, so I guess it can't have been all that bad.

2. 2nd June 2008 - The Woman in the Fifth, Douglas Kennedy
Loved this book! It's been ages since the ending of a book actually surprised me, it was the most imaginative twist I have read in a very long time. Most readers I think would half guess the ending, but I'm pretty sure that no-one would completely work out what was going to happen. I read the entire book in one sitting it was that good, and right now I'm off to buy some other books by the same author.

3. 3rd June 2008 - The Island, Victoria Hislop
Two good books in as many days. I can't believe my luck. This book also got read in one sitting, it was that absorbing. It managed to be heartfelt and emotional without being cheesy in the slightest. I have a bit of an obsession with stories about family dramas, probably to make up for the lack of soaps I watch on telly, but this was one of the best and most original I have ever read.

4. 12th June 2008 - Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor, Max Pemberton
I really enjoyed this book. Obviously as I am but a lowly medical student I have very little idea how accurate it is to real life as a junior doctor, but it was an interesting read. In fact many parts of it made me petrified about ever graduating and being left as a doctor on my own! If any actual junior doctors have read it I'd like to know what they think about it.

5. 14th June 2008 - Notes From an Exhibition, Patrick Gale
I liked the way this book tackled bipolar disorder. This is probably as I've done a lot of my BSc research into lithium so it feels cosy and familiar. This was deep, and textures and multi-layered. It swapped between characters and times without ever becoming confusing and was beautifully written. A nice delicate way of presenting a subject that I personally feel is often demonised or ridiculed.

6. 16th June 2008 - The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
One of my biggest fears when reading a book from an author I like is that I'll hate it and feel awfully let down. Thankfully this book lived up to my expectations and was even better than The House at Riverton. Not only did the book keep me on the edge of my seat, always wondering what was about to happen next but the depth and description of the characters and situations had me totally enthralled. I thought the fairy tales included within were completely magical too. This is one of those books I will keep reading over and over again.

7. 30th June 2008 - My Enemy's Cradle, Sara Young
Usually my addiction to fictional history novels doesn't stretch any further than those based hundreds of years ago when women wore pretty dresses and men were knights in shining armour. I'm glad I made an exception for this book based in the Second World War. It was tenderly written and remained gripping right until the last page. It also had a pleasingly happy ending without being too sugary and cheesy.

8. 3rd July 2008 - Angel, Katie Price
I only read this because it was free with a magazine and I was stuck on a train. A large part of me feels staring into space would have been more stimulating. A predictable story. Girl becomes glamour model but is lovely and has to go through lots of people trying to make her look bad. Really imaginative Jordan.

9. 10th July 2008- Before The Storm, Judith Lennox
Grown up chick lit Vs a family saga. This is very much the type of book I enjoy reading. Nothing too hard to think about, but some nice intricate twists and turns in the plot. Interesting enough for me to just curl up and read over a day.

10. 16th July 2008 - The Outcast, Sadie Jones
This book lived up to the hype I'd heard before I read it, but was totally unexpected. Beautifully written this story managed to make me cry more than once at the futile attempts the main character makes at salvaging his life. Kafkaesque in parts I'd recommend this book to everyone.

11. 24th July 2008 - East of the Sun, Julia Gregson
More grown up chick lit that needs a little more thought than your average story of shopping and love, which is helped by the fact it is set in India during the late 1920's. Although I greatly enjoyed reading this book I'm sure that within a few weeks it'll have faded into a vague, albeit pleasing, memory.

12. 6th August 2008 - Goodnight, Beautiful, Dorothy Koomson
I decided that after the disaster of the last Dorothy Koomson book I read that I would give her next book a chance before dismissing her as a one trick pony. I'm glad I did. This book had an imaginative plot, which in the wrong hands could have become either tasteless or overly cheesy. She managed to tackle her subject with just the right amount of tenderness making it a moving and impressive novel.


13. 15th August 2008 - My Favourite Wife, Tony Parsons
I just picked this book up to try something new and feel I may have discovered one of my new favourite authors. I loved the complexity and brutal honesty about human life and nature that was shown in this novel. I'll be making an efort to pick up more books bu Tony Parsons in the near future.