Reading Challenge 2016 – 16% complete.
As we enter the second month of the year, February, my progress continues to go well! I have now completed books five, six and seven of my yearly forty five book target, meaning I am 16% of the way there, with Goodreads further telling me I’m currently three books a head of schedule. Is it sad that this is really motivating me to go on?
So what books have I read since my last blog.
Well, book #5 is a book I purchased as a hardback a good few years ago and have saved on my shelf, as one I have really looked forward to getting round to reading ever since. I remember as soon as I saw the book and front cover in the book shop, and read the blurb about it being a kind of sequel for the much loved ‘Artful Dodger’ that I just had to read this book.
And so some years later, I treated myself to finally starting it. And I am sorry to say I’m left a little disappointed. It is written well enough, is good humoured with some little twists and turns along the way, but it never really ever gripped me. I found I lacked any interest in the jewel that all the characters are seeking and any care or concern about the majority of the characters introduced in the story along the way. So, not a terrible book, think I just expected or hoped for more. I think I built up the expectancy of this book too much in my own mind. So I’ve given it three stars, still a good book but just never ‘stole’ my heart.
I followed this up by reading another book, a prequel this time, about two more of my favourite fictional characters. Book #6 is Flint and Steel by John Drake.
And I did enjoy this insight into how both Long John Silver, Captain Flint and other characters like Ben Gunn became the characters we later come across in more famous literature. I really warmed to John Silver, the gentleman pirate, and found myself routing for him throughout. One downside to the book for me was the jumping around of chapters/years, which lost me more than once as we’d go from present day (story wise) to a few years in the past with a different character. Another three stars from me, a nice, fun, harmless read.
Book #7 was Robin Hobbs – Ship of Magic. A story, again, about or involving pirates and seafaring folk in a fantasy world. With a nicely pleasant spin of having some ships made of a special wizard wood, that after time brings the ship….to life. I loved this idea and loved the liveship characters we meet throughout the book. That leads me on nicely to the comment that this book has a lot of characters, and a lot of the story is about these characters and us getting to know them more, to the degree that the story is put on a back burner which I suspect is due to this being the first of three books. A little bugbear of mine is when books are clearly leading onto the next in the series and can’t really stand alone.
So a book I mainly enjoyed, would of preferred a character or two being cut out to make it a quicker, easier read. For example cutting out the daughter ‘Malta’ sections/chapters maybe would (for me) made the story more interesting and flow better. So I’m giving this three stars! As for the reasons above and not being sure I’m that engaged enough to read the following books.
Right then, which book to pick next??
