SIB Challenge 2015 - A book you can finish in a day

Animal Farm - George Orwell

So, have heard of this book for years and always hear people say "you should read it" but I have to say i didn't really like it.

The idea clearly was very original and if I'd read it in 1945 when it was released I might have been more taken with it.

The beginning was cool, the idea of them banding together and overthrowing the humans and making the farm their own but once Napoleon ran the other pig out of the farm with the vicious dogs and all of the other animals were then just under another dictatorship but fooled into thinking they were happier than before, i found it quite depressing. This happened quite early on as well.

Glad i read it, but won't be reading it again.

Rach x

SIB Challenge 2015 - A book by a female author

A book by a female author:

Lizzy Bennet's Diary by Marcia Williams

I have just finished reading Lizzy Bennet's diary and I enjoyed it. I'm always a little skeptical when someone presumes to write about how a character that isn't there own would think but it was cool.

Really loved the little letters stuck in there throughout the book, very cool and although they were all material that I've read before i still really liked them :-) very cool book, going to lend it to Mum.

Love Rach x

SIB challenge 2015 - A trilogy

A Trilogy:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I do always love getting book presents and so i was pleased to get this for Christmas, so thank you!

My first book of 2015, it was definitely a good one to kick off my SIB year with. I found it a really easy read, which meant I read it nice and quickly. Well not Lila quickly, but quick for me.

I liked Celaena, i probably spent too long debating how to pronounce her name in my head, but there you go!

I thought she was sassy (not sure I've ever used that word before), and interesting and liked that she was kick ass. I found Dorian charming and funny but kind, as we're expected to and Chaol nicely protective of her and Dorian and clearly fiercely loyal and fair...the dynamics did make me think of a few other trios we've read about but guess that's inevitable?

I also thought quite a few times that the feel of the story reminded me of Yelena and Valek from Poison study, which I liked a lot as you know, think is probably also why i found it so easy to read as i got hooked on their stories.

I won't say what, spoilers and all that, just on the off chance anyone other than us reads these blogs, you never know! But the whole ritual thing, tell me you didn't see who was behind that from really early on? The signs were all there, am i right?

Have already read book 2 and enjoyed it just as much and about to start book 3, so this is my trilogy option from the list.

Rach x

Final gift (boo!) for #SIB2015 - a book with a number in the title

So the final book gift leading up to my birthday was The 100 by Kass Morgan - loads of people recommended the TV show to me, and to be honest I didn't even realise it was a book till you gave this to me! However I am glad I haven't seen it yet so that I can do things in the proper order:)

Love the idea of this one, and just our sort of thing! You can, of course, borrow it afterwards:)

Thanks again for all my books for #SIB2015, love this challenge already (even though only read one book so far this year...) and my presents were such a perfect start to it, and to the year:)

Lila x

Seventh gift for #SIB2015 - a play/a book more than 100 years old

So today's (7th January actually)book was The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (felt like he deserves having his first name mentioned as much as the next guy), not read this and looking forward to it - I haven't read a play in years, I'll feel like I'm back in English literature classes, which of course I loved:)

Sorry for the sideways photos, can't work out how to rotate right now! This reminds me that I have a few Tom Stoppard plays, one of which I read for A level in fact, I am definitely lending you my favourite one, Arcadia, so that you can read it as a play for the #SIB2015 challenge this year, will add to pile to give you this weekend:) you'll just have to ignore the notes in the margins from studying it!

Lila x

Sixth gift for #SIB2015 - a book of short stories

Love this copy of Hans Andersen's (interestingly his middle name is on the inside pages but not on the cover) Fairy Tales. I tend not to be keen on short stories so wasn't overly enthusiastic about that being on the challenge list, but this is a great idea, ooh also I have the Bane Chronicles to read which am sure will like too so that's two short story collections for this year:)

So far I am interested that it's Thumbelisa not Thumbelina like the cartoon! Also looking forward to reading the Snow Queen as think I liked that years ago

Thanks again, maybe Jed can read these in a few years too:)

Lila

Fifth gift for#SIB2015 - a book based entirely on its cover

So here we have Burn Mark by Laura Powell, looks really interesting, I have a few books on my tbr pile about witches actually, always read lots about vampires (obviously), and various other supes as you would say, but (other than HP) not so much on witches:)

Will let you know how it is

Thanks

Lila

Fourth gift for #SIB2015 challenge - a book with non human characters

So today's gift was Charlotte's Web by E.B.White - I know that you were concerned I might own this one and I definitely did have a copy, but must be at home so am happy to re-read this copy then pass it on to you:) I have good memories of reading this one, is a classic and I feel like it's possible it contributed to my want to be a vegetarian/interest in animal rights:)

By the way, I recommend you read Animal Farm this year, I read it recently and was pretty good, plus the copy I have (which you can borrow obviously!) was printed in 1955 and is hardback but thin - made me feel like reading a book in a Jane Austen book or something:) it could be your book with non human characters, a book by an author you've never read before (I'm assuming) or even a book you can read in a day as it only has 92 pages!

Thanks for my book:)

Lila

Third #SIB gift - a book from over 100 years ago/a book set at Christmas

So this was A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, another one I haven't read, but another one 
I really should have! Not read hardly anything by Dickens, but as we will both be reading A Tale of Two Cities this year too, looks like this will change very soon:) 

Thanks

Lila x

Second #SIB2015 gift - a book with a one word title

So this one is Hidden by Paul Jaskunas, I'm surprised you bought it actually as would have thought even the synopsis would freak you out! I am sure I will enjoy it though, looks like an interesting thriller:)

Thanks, Lila

First #SIB2015 gift - a book from my childhood

Thank you very much for my 'book from my childhood' - it's weird, I can't even say for sure if I've read the wizard of oz before because feels like I've known the story forever! Either way it will be good to read it, and I love the illustrations, it's such a nice copy, thank you:) 

Lila