January through the eyes of a bookworm

If anyone has read the bio bit about me to the right of my posts, you will note I am a total bookworm.  From the minute I learned to read I could always be found with my head in book. I am a voracious reader. Reading is my 'drug' of choice and it would be a very rare day for 24 hours to pass without me having read a few pages or even a few chapters from my latest tome.

I've always been a 'proper' book girl, you know of the paperback variety as opposed to the ereader type, but a distinct lack of shelving in my current home and an appetite for reading which cannot be sated lead to the dilemma of getting a kindle. You can read more about that here.

So at the beginning of 2013, I set myself a challenge. I shall use the word challenge in the loosest of terms, it was more of an interest to see how many books I could read in the coming 52 weeks. So each month I shall be doing a blog post on what I have read for the month and which was my favourite read of that month. I am mostly a fiction reader, although you will see the odd non-fiction work creep in here or there.

I've also been taking advantage of the free books on Kindle, as I am on a serious spending cutback, so all below, with the exception of one which was a library book, are all available to download free from the Kindle store from their top 100 free books (disclaimer: this list does change from time to time, so please don't be disappointed if I list a free book only for it to now no longer be available! Don't shoot me I'm just the messenger).

Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser's world might just shatter. Lauren Covington's family maintains a grand facade that belies the life they live behind closed doors. Alex Covington, Lauren's father, keeps a tight rein on his family through dominance, abuse and obsessive control. Consequently, Lauren doesn't believe she could ever trust a man, much less fall in love with one. When Lauren meets Jesse Ryder, her carefully constructed protective wall shatters. She falls hopelessly and completely in love. It's only fitting that Jessie is a private detective who had once worked for her father, had defied him, and was now the subject of Alex Covington's wrath. Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father's destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for. 

My Verdict - too chick lit for me, but an easy read 5/10

Happiness: The Thinking Person's Guide by Richard O'Connor
One of the basic beliefs of contemporary society has been that increasing prosperity and comfort will automatically lead to a greater happiness, but we now have the data to prove that it's just not so..."Happiness: The Thinking Person's Guide" teaches you how to be happier by exploring the science of happiness in human beings and revealing why we feel joy and sorrow when it often makes sense to feel the opposite. Did you know that survival instincts left over from caveman days make us want things that are no longer good for us? Ever wondered why men tend to seek power and status and women worry about their physical appearance? Answering these questions and many more Richard O'Connor explains why we feel the way we do and trains us to:develop core skills that we need to feel happiness today; fight the 'I see, I want' elements in ourselves that lead to unhappiness; manipulate dissatisfaction to change the way we view life; and, distinguish between second-rate desire and true happiness. Using self-assessment exercises combined with fascinating science this practical self-help guide will teach you how to rewire your brain to feel more joy; it's simply a learning process.

My Verdict - Mr B.P. read this and loved it, he suggested I read it. He's big into self-help guides, me - I'm just too pessimistic to believe them. I found it an interesting and thought provoking read, but still left me with some unanswered questions 6/10

Alone: The Girl in the Box, Book 1 by Robert J. Crane

Sienna Nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes......

My Verdict - this is actually a teen/young adult book but I did quite enjoy it and made me hold my breath in parts 8/10 

Blood Orchids (The Lei Crime Series) by Toby Neal

Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water - but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there's a dark side to paradise. Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers - one of whom she'd recently busted. With its echoes of her own past, the murdered girl's harsh life and tragic death affect Lei deeply. She becomes obsessed - even as the killer is drawn to Lei's intensity, feeding off her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity. Despite her obsession with the case and fear that she's being stalked, Lei finds herself falling in love for the first time. Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei's quest for answers - and the stalker is closer than she can imagine, as threads of the past tangle in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer - but he knows where to find her first.

My Verdict - I can take or leave crime based books but I liked the use of the Hawaiian pidgen in this novel, it gave it an authentic edge. It sure beats the usual middle aged alcohol abusing detective which you see in so many crime books but I did guess who the stalker was so it loses a point for that 8/10 

A Family Affair by Mary Campisi

When Christine Blacksworth's larger-than-life father is killed on an icy road in Magdalena, New York, a hundred miles from the 'getaway' cabin he visited every month, she discovers a secret that threatens everything she's always held to be true. Her father has another family which includes a mistress and a daughter. Determined to uncover the truth behind her father's secret life, Christine heads to Magdalena, prepared to hate the people who have caused her to question everything she thought she knew about her father. But what she finds is a woman who understands her, a half sister who cherishes her, and a man who could love her if she'll let him. The longer she's around them, the more she questions which family is the real one......

My Verdict - too many touches of chick lit to make this a truly enjoyable read but does leave the reader questioning what is really important in life 7/10

Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey

If there is a loving God, then why is it that......? You've heard that question, perhaps asked it yourself. No matter how you complete it, at its root lies the issues of pain. Does God order our suffering? Does he decree an abusive childhood, orchestrate a jet crash, steer a tornado through a community? Or did he simply wind up the world's mainspring and now is watching from a distance? In this Gold Medallion Award winning book, Philip Yancey reveals a God who is neither capricious nor unconcerned. Using examples from the Bible and from his own experiences, Yancey looks at pain - physical, emotional, and spiritual - and helps us understand why we suffer. Where Is God When It Hurts? will speak to those for whom life sometimes just doesn't make sense. And it will help equip anyone who wants to reach out to someone in pain but just doesn't know what to say.

My Verdict - I do not class myself as a religious person AT ALL, but I do have a spiritual faith of sorts and I am always interested in other peoples take on God/suffering and I was interested to read this as an aside to my Uni studies. I found this to be a very thought provoking book although I did disagree with it in parts 7/10

The Greeks of Beaubien Street by Suzanne Jenkins
Nestled below the skyline of Detroit you'll find Greektown, a few short blocks of colourful bliss, warm people and Greek food. In spite of growing up immersed in the safety of her family and their rich culture, Jill Zannos doesn't fit in. A Detroit homicide detective, she manages to keep one foot planted firmly in the traditions started by her grandparents, while the other navigates the most devastated neighbourhoods in the city she can't help but love. She is a no nonsense workaholic with no girlfriends, an odd boyfriend who refuses to grow up, and an uncanny intuition, inherited from her mystic grandmother that acts as her secret weapon to crime solving success. Her story winds around tales of her family and their secret laden history, whilst she investigates the most despicable murder of her career. The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a modern tale of a family grounded in old world, sometimes archaic, tradition as they seek acceptance in American society. They could be any nationality, but they are Greek.

My Verdict - This was my favourite read of January. It contained pretty much everything I enjoy in a book but I have to admit the ending in my opinion let the book down a tad and was a little rushed. There is a lot going on in this novel and many characters to get your head around but I would recommend it 9/10

Flipping heck this post was almost a novel in itself! Well done if you managed to get to the end of it! I promise I won't be posting as many books in February as I know I just will not have as much time to read as I did in January, so don't panic future book posts won't be this long!

So what have you been reading this month?