BOOK POOL - JAN-FEB 2020

[Kelli]

#10
Book #2 - The Thing About Jellyfish
Read: 17/01
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I agree with Carlene, there was a definite (and unexpected) emotional pull in this YA novel. It was a good mix of sweet and angsty, one I'd recommend easily to adults.

(Also, I've come to realize that I'm a solid 4-star or more review; most books just make me that happy!)

[Zellian]

#6
Book #4 - The Temptation of Adam
Read: 22/01
Rating: 4 Stars

One of my picks, I actually didn't mind this all that much and only got annoyed at one point because I'd picked up a spider man book I was dying to start hahaha.

[Angie]

Kerry wrote: "#2
Book #3: Preservation

by Jock Serong
Read: 18/01
Rating: 5 stars
Historical fiction based on shipwreck of the Sydney Cove in 1797 in Australia's Bass Strait. Gr..."

Jock Serong is great. If you haven't already read On the Java Ridge it's well worth it too. I'm waiting to see what he does next.

[Angie]

#3
Book #2 The Overstory



Read 23/01/2020
Rating 5 stars

This has left me with a bit of a book hangover. It was hard work sometimes and there were a couple of plot holes that would normally irritate me, but there is so much more to this book which I found so captivating.

[Kerry]

Angie wrote: Jock Serong is great.

Yep. Will be reading On Java Ridge at some stage this year.

[K.M.]

#7
Book #1

This one didn't grab me. (I know, I know...) I liked the characters and the exploration of relationships. It just felt too self-aware and like it was trying too hard.

[K.M.]

Oops, above is Girl, Woman, Other.

[Erica]

#1

Book #3 The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock (sorry on my phone so can't link it)
Read: 28/01
Rating: 3.5*

Found this very readable and well-written. Thought the author did a great job of setting the historical scene. For some reason though I just didn't connect with the characters; I wasn't too fussed on seeing how everything panned out for them.

[Erica]

woops meant The Mermaid and MR Hancock

[Darkpool]

Angie wrote: "Jock Serong is great. If you haven't already read On the Java Ridge it's well worth it too."
I'm still recovering from On the Java Ridge. Such a good book - I'm scarred for life.

[Angie]

#3
Book #3 Skin


Read 28/01/2020
Rating 3 stars (rounded up)

It was OK. To my mind, more a romance than anything else. The protagonist as a 14 year old girl came across as self-absorbed for much of the book and for some reason was left out of the main part of the ending. Possibly because there is a sequel.

[Angie]

Darkpool wrote: "Angie wrote: "Jock Serong is great. If you haven't already read On the Java Ridge it's well worth it too."
I'm still recovering from On the Java Ridge. Such a good book - I'm scarred for life."

Yes, it was very moving, and so disappointing to think that this is how politics works.

[Zellian]

I'm currently reading - The Feather Thief and struggling a bit with it as it's not the usual type of book I would read.
But still want to finish it! :)

[Erica]

#1

Book #4 The Thing About Jellyfish
Read: 6/02
Rating: 4*

This was a great YA fiction. I wish it had been around when I was younger, I loved learning about nature so all the amazing and fascinating facts about jellyfish and the natural world scattered through the books would have really kept me captivated (and still did even as an adult).

[Sharlene]

Awesome reading everyone! Keep it up. We are one week into February, so only a few more weeks of reading. Plus we are a slightly shorter month than usual.

Erica and Carlene are leading with 4 books read. Woohoo!

I'm struggling a bit. I think I've become accustomed to reading on my iPad. I have the physical copy of The Starless Sea. The size daunts me a little bit. I've only read the first through chapters, and haven't picked it up for a week... I will soldier on!

[Erica]

I've got three more books on reserve at the library. I think I'll get one in a day or two but the others have a big queue!

[Kelli]

Sharlene wrote: "Awesome reading everyone! Keep it up. We are one week into February, so only a few more weeks of reading. Plus we are a slightly shorter month than usual.

Erica and Carlene are leading with 4 book..."

Sharlene, I'm also a touch overwhelmed by Starless Sea (and I had to take out the large print edition because it was the only copy available - so it's definitely BIG) - but I'm suddenly finding myself unable to put the book down. It's slow and then suddenly it's grasping! Hope it finds you soon too...

[Kelli]

#10
Book #3 - The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
Read: 31/01
Rating: 3.5 Stars

The old-fashioned style of Gower's writing was happily believable for a modern book, but I wanted MORE mermaid. Felt she could have played so much more with the mythical creature element - finished the book fairly ambivilant, because she didn't.

[Darkpool]

#4
Book #1 Changeling by Molly Harper
Read 5/2 (yes, I got off to a very slow start)
4 stars, delivered as expected, good fun.

[Darkpool]

#4
Book #2 Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
read 9/2
3 stars. I found the writing very filmic (is that a word? lol), as if the author was planning what the movie of the book would look like even as she wrote it.

[Zellian]

Darkpool wrote: "#4
Book #2 Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
read 9/2
3 stars. I found the writing very filmic (is that a word? lol), as if the author was planning what the movie of the book would look like even as ..."

I'm currently reading this, as I had to give up Feather Thief because it was taking me ages to read and I ended up not finishing it before it's return date :(

[Sharlene]

We are halfway through Feb! Time is starting to fly away.
No change to the top of the leaderboard but we welcome Darkpool, who has 2 reads in. Let's get reading!

2 weeks left to go!

[Kerry]

Oh I keep getting sidetracked, even got another Jack Serong from the library to read. Anyway I'll try to get stuck into The Absolute Book this weekend.

[Kelli]

#10
Book #4 - The Starless Sea
Read: 05/02
Rating: 5 Stars

One of the coolest books I've ever read! It might be my 80's upbringing - when nonsensical fantasy movies, with epic landscapes, distant heroes and weirdly unfulfilling plots were common on the screen - but I can't get The Starless Sea off my mind.

It's definitely a challenge to follow all the stories-within-stories; and it's frustrating when you think you've figured out a plot key but then Morgenstern throws it away; yet still, this books forces you to think and stew and weave and it is INCREDIBLE.

[Zellian]

#6
Book #5 - Tulip Fever
Read: 15/02
Rating: 3 Stars

I don't normally get anything with a historical feel so I always try to keep an open mind when reading these.
I did enjoy the different characters having their own chapters and I did get pretty into it from the start but did fall off a bit nearing the end.

[Zellian]

#6
Book #6 - Skin
Read: 19/02
Rating: 3 Stars

I enjoyed the idea of the book, the fantasy magic aspect to this but felt a little cringey as there were a couple of weird or maybe no so needed sex scenes/references?
It also at one point just turned bland but was fine afterwards.

[Erica]

#1

Book #5 Tulip Fever
Read: 23/02
Rating: 4*

Thanks to whoever included this one in the Bookpool - I had bought this one secondhand last year so was good to get it read.

I enjoyed the story, it kept me engaged and interested. I liked the multiple points of view. I'll be interested in watching the movie.

I did think it almost felt like the bare bones of a story though - lots of plot but not much depth to characters, setting etc.

[Erica]

I'm hoping to get Lands of Lost Borders finished before the end of Feb. Just got my reserve copy of Girl, Women, Other out from the libs but it's a longer book so not sure if I'll get through it! Am taking a long weekend next weekend though so hopefully I'll get more reading in :)

[Angie]

Carlene wrote: "#6
Book #6 - Skin
Read: 19/02
Rating: 3 Stars

I enjoyed the idea of the book, the fantasy magic aspect to this but felt a little cringey as there were a couple of weird or maybe no so needed sex s..."

Totally agree Carlene - the salmon scene in particular ... seriously! But I'd still quite like to know what happens to her, so the author must have done something right!

[Sharlene]

Thank you Leap Year.
You’ve got one more day to get those final few pages in!

LEADERBOARD
First - Carlene with 6 reads
Second - Erica with 5 reads
Third - Kelli with 4 reads

With an extra day of reading, will we upset the current leaders???

[Darkpool]

I'm not going to get Rivers of London finished before the end of the day, but man, am I enjoying it!!! Big thank you to the person who nominated it.

[Erica]

#1

Book #6 Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road by Kate Harris
Read: 29/02
Rating: 4*

Thanks to whoever chose this for the Book Pool. I'd never heard of it before. I thought it was a very well-written and interesting record of Kate's cycle trip across the Silk Road. Definitely not a route for the faint-hearted!

[Sharlene]

Looks like we’ve got a tie!

🥇 First Place: Carlene and Erica

🥈 Second Place: Kelli

🥉 Third Place: Angie and Kerry

[Erica]

Thanks for organising Sharlene and to everyone for the fun book pool choices :)

[Kelli]

Thanks to everyone for participating - I actually moved out of NZ a few years ago, but love the opportunity to see what Kiwi books are popular with this group, and share a chance to keep up those literary connections... Happy reading for 2020!

[Angie]

Thanks for organising Sharlene - always a great way to be introduced to books outside of my normal go-to's.

[Kerry]

Thanks for running this again, lots of fun and always an interesting selection of books. Still not done with Knox's The Absolute Book & Tulip Fever but getting there.

[Sharlene]

Hey Kelli, we won’t hold it against you for leaving our beautiful country.

Glad some of you were able to get some good reads in.
I didn’t manage to finish any books for this challenge. During January I was focused on another challenge and then I slumped after attempting Starless Sea.

I just finished Verity by Colleen Hoover. Not my typical genre. It’s quite a dark book. Blew my mind a little bit. I need to pick up a YA Romance stat. I may not be able to fall asleep tonight...