Bookworm: The Soldier's Wife by Joanna Trollope

The Soldier's Wife was leant to me from my Mum. I looked at the cover and wasn't too eager, but as always thought I'd give it a go!

In this fictional tale the reader gets taken into the world of being an army wife and the complications involved when soldiers return from service and are on breaks. 

I'm not married to a soldier and don't really have experience of those living with someone in the army or working in that field. 

However if the author's story is to be believed it makes for a sad tale - lots of lonely time on your own (expected and what is imagined), but moreso a very traditional and old fashioned life in favour of the soldier and traditions and non stop restrictions for the wife/girlfriend. A life of feeling trapped and taken for granted.

The key focus of the book are Alexa and Dan, their twin daughters and Alexa's daughter from a previous relationship. Add to that a male best friend and two sets of concerned parents/grandparents and things get a bit complicated. Not least when the soldiers try to get back into normal life and have just faced such awful sights and events.

I found I enjoyed the book in that it was an easy read, wasn't taxing on your journey to and from work when you want to unwind and I did want to read more and what happened next. 

However, in terms of a story and what happens, I can't help but feel not a lot if I'm honest. 

I felt like I kept on reading and kept on waiting for something to happen of importance and nothing that much did.

Characters were well described and you could imagine them and their situation and I felt the frustrations of the wives. The way the story dawdles on and the ending left me feeling a bit 'so what' in attitude.

There were parts with some drama and a guessing as to how things would turn out. Yet there was nothing major that made you gasp in shock or feel like the turn of events was unexpected. 

Yes I did want to keep reading on to find out what happened, but more because I was looking to see if something big would occur overall!

Good points

Easy read

Feel good read overall 

Good descriptions

Not so great

No real story or plot I felt, which is a pretty major part of a book! 

All in all not one of my favourites as I'm sure you can tell, but not offensive or particularly unpleasant just a bit 'non'. 

Bookworm: The Wedding Diaries by Sam Binnie

I finished reading this book last night before I went to sleep and was surprised to find I was at the end. It felt like the story just stopped.

Not currently engaged, about to go to any weddings, or planning my own, perhaps I'm not the ideal audience for this read.

The Wedding Diaries is a fictional piece based around the wedding 'diary' of fictional character Katherine 'Kiki' Carlow.

With the lead working in a publishing house, readers are treated to hear the wedding journey of both the main character and one of her clients.

Clearly this book isn't meant to be a serious piece of prose or hopes to win any writing awards any time soon, with this piece you expect a lighthearted, heartwarming, comical offering.

After recently reading two detective/thriller books back to back, both involving murders, I thought this might make a welcome change.

Did I get what I wanted? To be honest not really. I found the book badly written, the characters weren't that gripping and the story provided nothing new - girl goes all bridezilla and wants the world for her wedding day and then comes to realise what's more important in life.

At times I couldn't see what was meant to be funny and in parts the writing didn't make sense.

Perhaps this might be more suitable for someone planning their wedding? Possibly, although the 'to do lists' and sample wedding items included at the back of the book weren't particularly true to life. Knowing the experiences of friends and family when booking their special day I know how far in advance things need to be done, so felt details were unrealistic.

Good points
Lighthearted
Some funny moments

Not so great
Expecting an 'easy to read' readers could be frustrated by the writing style which in fact makes it hard to read (why is any speech laid out like a script for example?)
Story doesn't really offer any surprises
Characters are pretty standard, nobody stands out or grips you

In case you haven't realised yet, no I wasn't a fan of this book. I'm off now to take on Nick Spalding's Life on a High...even if he never seems to retweet my nice comments on Twitter...

Bookworm: Love...And Sleepless Nights by Nick Spalding

The second in this series of the fictional lives of Jamie and Laura focusses on the newly married couple and the fact they're going to have a baby.

Spalding's work is described as 'lad lit' and admittedly a lot of the content you can tell comes from a man's point of view. Sensitive souls shouldn't bother.

In between reading this story I read a book written by Spalding and talking about himself http://themelican.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bookworm-lifewith-no-breaks-by-nick.html and again it made me laugh (although not as much as his fictional offering). I'm pleased to say on reading the second in this fictional series I was yet again giggling childishly like a schoolkid at the descriptions, situations and choice of words.

At times there are more tender moments, which help to balance things out. Admittedly it's the embarrassing situations (such as their child's favourite word!) which are the gems though.

Again I fell in love with the main characters and enjoyed the storytelling from both sides via their blog and diary.

This time not only are there relationship dramas, but pregnancy, birth and parenthood calamities to go through. All told with a big dollop of humour of course!

Good bits
Loveable characters
Funny stories that make you laugh out loud
Nice mix this time of more serious, sensitive and heartwarming items too

Not so great
Some parts are a tad far fetched
Some points are very much from the point of a 'lad' and not entirely believable of a woman

As you can probably tell yet again I found this an enjoyable light hearted read and look forward to reading the third instalment!

Bookworm: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I felt a bit queasy on my way home tonight (think I got a bit overexcited re my impending Thailand holiday booking!) so decided to have some dinner before doing my workout DVD.

Of course then I started to read my latest ebook on my Kindle and I got so caught up in it before I knew it I'd finished the story!

Those fitness followers out there don't worry I have now also completed my DVD and day nine of the 30 Day Shred so I can tick that off my to-do list for today too.

Anyways back to the matter in hand - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - I saw the American version of the film first. This is a different approach for me as typically I find I see a film after I've enjoyed the book. However in this instance I hadn't touched the much talked about Millennium series before.

I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the film, even though it was pretty dark at times and there are some pretty disturbing scenes. People told me the book was much worse, but that I should read it as the book was better than the film easily.

So I decided to give the book a go and I was pleased I did.

Good bits
Very addictive, you don't want to put it down
Good characters
Good twists

Not so great
The book does seem a little long, by the end I was wondering how much more was left to go
Perhaps a few too many characters, at times I was a tad confused with the ins and outs of the Vanger family

Overall I felt this was a strong book and a good story and I'll be keen to read the other books in the series.

Next up to decide whether to read about fiction in Greece or Pakistan...

Barmy for books

This week I joined another social networking site and yet again I am becoming a tad hooked.

However rather than appealing for the nosey element of Facebook or the learning-more aspect of Twitter, this one pulls on my love of literature. Goodreads.com

This site - if you've not checked it out already - is brilliant for us bookworms. You can review items you've read, rate them, search the site's extensive list of books, make friends with others and see what they like to read and receive recommendations of your own on what to try next.

Whilst on Facebook you check in and update your status (usually of how drunk you are!) on GoodReads you update that you've started a new book, track your progress of reading and announce when you're finished and what you thought. You can even find information on related events and set yourself challenges.

I was only talking to a colleague recently about our love for books and reading. The way a good cover can grab me first before I'll check out the blurb on the back. How I tend to read on my commute into and back from work and often at night before I go to sleep.

It's amazing how a block of paper pages can make you feel - emotional at a sad story, satisfied on completing a chunky paperback, motivated after an inspiring item, excited about starting a book you've wanted to read for ages.

I'm still waiting to get back on my poor Kindle though. The mountain of books I was working through - lent to me by my Mum - had one item remaining. That is until I visited her last week and got given 3 or 4 more!

I'm pleased to be lent books and enjoy sharing but I've noticed the last few I've read I haven't exactly loved and they've not been ones I've picked.

However I'm hoping to break this patten with my newest addition SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep. I've been waiting to read this for a while so hopefully it's going to be a good one - I'll let you know.

Before I start it though I'm off to log my new book on the GoodReads App! Who knows whatever things I'll find you can do on there... We're due to go to the marathon expo today ready for marathon number two - London - tomorrow, but how I'm going to fit in going out after updating Facebook, Twitter and now GoodReads I don't know!