Goodreads Reading Challenge – 87%
It’s now early October 2016, the dark mornings and autumn chills have firmly settled in, as has my central heating settled ‘on’, and as a family we’re starting to prepare for Halloween. So, progress with my reading challenge? still doing well but it’s being a disappointing last couple of reads.
Why? I hear you cry.
Book number #38 – The Days that Remain by Wayne Wightman
I purchased this book on Kindle, while scanning around for a new read, and trying a few samples. Thought I’d be brave and try something new and something Post-apocalyptic, as don’t believe I’ve read from that genre before. Watched enough films and TV on the subject, so why not. Found this on the ‘recommended for you’ tab and with lot’s of nice reviews, was tempted to take the plunge.
And it started off interesting me, with a young lad living with his parents out on some distant farm, away from most civilisation anyway. Unaware of all the mayhem the rest of the world has found themselves in…until the now extreme weather conditions catches up with them. Won’t go on anymore for fear of adding spoilers, but his life is suddenly turned upside down and adventures pursue him.
Sadly, around the 20% read mark, I’d lost interest. A few grammatical errors put me off a tad, but so did the almost simple story. Nothing surprising happens, things always fall into place…a bit too easy for my liking and the story plods on at a similar slow pace. Was at no point looking forward to or wondering what was about to happen and it became a bit of a slog to finish it, even skim read a few bits.
So two stars, as it’s ok, nothing special.
Book number #39 – The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
Many years ago I read the first of this Saxon series, The Last Kingdom, and loved it! Along with some Conn Iggulden and Valerio Massimo Manfredi books I fell in love with historical fiction as a genre. I bought this book, in hardback, and it has sat on my ‘to read shelf’ at home for a good number of years as I look forward to getting round to starting it. Well, with my goodreads reading challenge doing well, I couldn’t resist opening up this book and cracking on with the series I knew I would love and have savoured to tuck into, almost like a good wine, waiting for a special occasion to start it.
And maybe that has been the problem, maybe I built it up a tad, or my memories have been built up over time of the first book? But wow, was I disappointed and bored with this instalment! The lead character Uthred who I’m sure I really got on with and liked originally, I pretty much despise in this book. He’s quite unlikable, petulant, arrogant and an overall bit of a door knob! I didn’t warm to King Alfred either, but had more interest in him then Uthred, although not sure the interpretation of this King could later go on and be remembered as King Alfred the ‘Great’ who goes on to defeat the Viking invasion and become a dominant leader, but that’s a side issue.
So overall, I felt disappointed and bored of the book, plot and characters. I have the next instalment in hardback on my ‘to read shelf’ but not sure I want to bother now. So unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this at all and feel flat about that.
Again, a kind two stars out of five. Can’t give Bernard Cornwell one star can I?
