I wasn’t intending to pick this up straight after Wolf Hall but I found that I could listen to the audiobook for free by ‘borrowing’ it from the library. I thought I’d give it a go while my head was still in Cromwell mode.

Bring Up the Bodies is leaner than Wolf Hall. Not only is it shorter but the pace is faster and there is more scandal, plotting and violence. The cast seems smaller too. I enjoyed Bring Up The Bodies very much and, unlike Wolf Hall, it didn’t feel like hard work at all. I think HM has done a much better job with this. Some of the scenes are stunning. My favourites, in chronological order, are 1) when Henry first asks Cromwell if there might be some reason why his marriage to Anne might be void, 2) when Henry momentarily turns against Cromwell and, of course, 3) Anne’s bloody end.

Hilary Mantel talking about the book on Radio 4’s Bookclub

I wasn’t sure whether I should count audiobooks into my ‘book a week in 2012’ total but since it does take concentration to listen and, at normal pace, longer to listen to a book than to read it, I will count them. I might listen to a few more too; they are fantastic for keeping me amused while doing boring chores.

(42nd in 2012)

I decided to read this on the recommendation of two different friends. I had no doubt that I’d enjoy it with it being a Booker Prize winner to boot. I could not have been more wrong. This book was extremely hard work. It has taken me six weeks to get through it. Six weeks, when I’m supposed to be reading one book every week! For the first time this year I am behind schedule.

I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy any aspect of it. I hardly know any history at all so I certainly learned a lot and had plenty to think about. There are a few beautifully written passages. But this book failed me overall because I simply didn’t enjoy it. The writing style is very dull. It has a cast of thousands. It’s difficult to work out what is significant and what seems to have been thrown in on a whim. For at least the first third of the book I didn’t realise that ‘he’, unless otherwise stated, refers to Cromwell.

A couple of weeks ago, when Hilary Mantel won another Booker Prize for the sequel, I decided that I must be missing something, so I downloaded the spoken (unabridged) version of Wolf Hall. That certainly helped me to figure out who was who but after a while the spoken book started to grate on me. At 24 hours long it felt like a marathon. I discovered that it takes longer to listen to a book than to read it. In some ways it’s more difficult to listen; it’s easy to get distracted, just by thinking your own thoughts. Then it become necessary to rewind which isn’t easy on the Kindle.

I am relieved 1) to have finished Wolf Hall and 2) to see that, according to Amazon reviews anyway, that I’m not the only one to have found it hard going. Having said that I’m not ruling out reading Bring Out The Bodies in future, because I’m somehow hooked, but I would definitely like to read a few books that are more to my taste before taking on what may be another struggle.

(41st in 2012)

This was this month’s reading group book. I enjoyed it very much. There is plenty of anger coming through at the attitudes towards women at the time and rightly so. It sounds like the 50s and 60s was a horribly claustraphobic and restrictive time for an intelligent woman living in the sticks. The writing is searing, brutally honest but nostalgic too. There is so much insight crammed in too that it’s quite dizzying. I got through the book in what seemed like no time at all. Definitely recommended.

(40th in 2012)

This is a great little book which came to my attention through Kindle Daily Deal. It’s science administered to the reader in an entertaining and easily digestible fashion. Packed with facts and food for thought, I’d thoroughly recommend it.

(39th in 2012)

This is a very strange tale. Throughout I felt uncomfortable and even more so after reading the letter in the appendix at the end. I suppose I should have expected it; this is classic McEwan: disturbing, well written, well researched and razor sharp when it comes to thoughts and interactions. There isn’t anyone I’ve read who can take you into a character’s mind like McEwan can. So, while it’s not a happy read and doesn’t seem as polished as On Chesil Beach or Amsterdam, it’s still worth a read. When you’ve finished it, (re)consider the meaning of the title.

(38th in 2012)

What I enjoyed about this book was the sharp dialogue and clear prose. What I didn’t enjoy was that it is all somehow a little bit flat and unsatisfying.

The plot is like something from The Wire set in Scotland, which made me realise that I would prefer this story in the form of a stylish serialisation on screen rather than a book. There are so many characters and places, some with very similar names to each other, that it would be easier to differentiate between them in on TV because of the visual aspect.

In summary, The Complaints is not a bad read but it is far from remarkable. Having said that, it has the potential to be great on television.

(37th in 2012)

I came across this book through the Kindle Daily Deal emails. It bills itself as ‘the inside story of the Olympic experience’. It certainly is very revealing and honest to the point of making me dislike the author in places.

I loved discovering what it takes to become an Olympian, what goes in in the Olympic Village, what’s happening in the world of doping and what athletes go through psychologically, before, during and after the Games. Everything is very well articulated and written with great insight. It makes compulsive reading.

(36th in 2012)

This book is a little dark and mildly menacing. The characters aren’t particularly likeable but I enjoyed reading about this family with all their flaws, interspersed with sumptuous descriptions of food. Although I am sure that it’s very common in real life, I haven’t read many books featuring dysfunctional relationships between mothers and daughters. The interactions between all the characters feel very real. I think that shows the quality of Joanne Harris’s writing: she makes everything convincing and a pleasure to read about.

But ultimately this book disappointed me. I had hoped that it would be of the same calibre as the only other book by Joanne Harris that I’ve read: Gentlemen and Players, which is a deliciously dark and atmospheric mystery set in a boys’ school. Five Quarters of the Orange just doesn’t come close to that. Yes, here there also is hatred, fear and passion. Again, this is very well written. But the story itself just didn’t quite make the grade. I couldn’t help but compare it to The Book Thief, also a set during the German occupation with a young girl as narrator, which is a far more striking piece of work.

(35th in 2012)

I bought this book on Amazon Warehouse Deals, which sucked me in with its bargains even though I had pledged not to buy physical books this year. I was supposed to borrow books from the library and, if I was going to buy fiction, buy it for the Kindle. Anyway, I only paid £1.27 for this book and I’m glad I didn’t pay any more than that because it wasn’t that good.

The writing is honest and sharp – I will give it that. But I saw the ‘surprises’ coming a mile off and I found the subject matter so trivial. I’d read reviews saying that this book tells the truth about the first year of motherhood so I was ready for something deep and affecting, possibly with a dark side. I’m not a mother but plenty of my peers are so I do glimpse into that world, even if I don’t have first hand experience. So some of the motherhood stuff was familiar. I had a problem with the main character though. She seems so selfish and superficial, especially the way she always notices people’s appearances. Her friendships with her friends mostly seem very shallow too, though there are a couple of touching moments.

I wanted to enjoy this book. Maybe I would have if I was a mother, but reading this book made me grateful that I’m not one. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Well, if I’d paid attention to the cover (or at least the title) before buying, it would have registered that the books I love do not have covers like this. I don’t like books about women who don’t seem to think about anything apart from babies and relationships and bitch about other women. Perhaps chick lit is not for me.

(34th in 2012)

I’d become interested in Michael McIntyre’s journey to stardom when I heard him on Desert Island Discs. (I love how that programme brings out the human and honest side of the celebrities featured on there. Possibly the best one was when Morrissey was on it.)

Anyway, Life and Laughing is ok. Some bits are quite interesting; I never knew that his family knew Kenny Everett or that he came from ‘a broken home’. Some bits are funny; I laughed out loud a couple of times. But other parts that are supposed to be funny just aren’t. I’ve come to the conclusion that Michael McIntrye is best when he does stand up. His comedy isn’t best showcased in the written word. That may say something about the level of sophistication of his comedy. But, although he’s a bit mainstream, I do like his stand up. He’s not as good as Jason Manford or as cool as Stewart Lee but he is undeniably funny.

But the book’s only ok. I mean, it’s not as good as How Not To Grow Up, which I read last year. I liked it because it was funny and also honest to the point that it made me not like Richard Herring. Oh and I almost forgot Shappi’s book, which wasn’t particularly funny but I enjoyed it a lot more than this one.

One thing I have to say is that I hate the cover of the book. It’s completely bland and seems to be designed to cash in on the fact that he’s a household face.

In summary, there’s nothing that is awful about this book but only proper McIntyre fans will truly love it. Otherwise, there are plenty of better books by comedians out there.

(33rd in 2012)