Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Title: Sense and Sensibility
Author: Jane Austen
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1811
Genre: Romance, Classics

Summary:
Umm, see below...

Review: 
So, my New Years Resolution for 2014 was to read more classic novels. Seeing as 2014 is nearly over, I thought I had better make a start and try to at least read some classic books before it's too late! My best friend loves Jane Austen but when the bookshop didn't have Pride and Prejudice in stock, I thought I would settle for Sense and Sensibility and, at first, I was really excited to read it...

However, my excitement soon ended (approximately) ten pages in. Needless to say, this turned out to be a very, very, very hard read and I really struggled to make much sense out of it, if you would pardon the pun (I've been waiting to use that joke for a while hahaha...). From what I could gather, it is about two sisters who deal with very similar situations in two completely different ways - one in a sensible, civilised way and the other, not so much.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
Release Date: 8th September 2007
Genre: History

Summary:
It is 1939 in Nazi Germany and war is in the air.

Soon after the death of her young brother, Liesel moves in with a foster family on the poverty stricken Himmel Street. Feeling isolated and scared, she finds solace in books and the stories they tell.

Review:
I am not going to lie, I have been putting off reading this book for a while. I am not sure why, but I have dreading reading this book... (it may have something to do with it being a book based on history, I am not too sure).

The Walking Dead: The Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga

Title: The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor
Author: Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Release Date: 21st October 2011
Genre: Horror

Summary: 
The entire human race is under threat - and Philip Blake is on the front line.

After escaping from their small hometown the Blake brothers, and their childhood friends, are on the run from the zombie swarms closing in on them. But apparently their is a safe zone. The problem? It is hundreds of miles away in Atlanta.

Can they survive this mammoth trek and find their safe haven? Or will the challenges of this new, dangerous world be too much?

The Hogwarts Library by J. K. Rowling

Title: The Hogwarts Library

Author: J. K. Rowling

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Release Date: 8th November 2012

Genre: Non-Fiction-Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Summary:

Ever wondered what it is like to study at Hogwarts? 

Well now here is your chance to read the mystical and weird text books that Hogwarts students have to read!

Review:

On one of my many visits to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London, I bought the Hogwarts Library. This collection, which was written by J. K. Rowling (under the names of made up authors) for Comic Relief some years ago, contains three books; Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp, Fanstastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and The Tales of Beedle and the Bard. As they are are essentially Non-Fiction books set in a Fictitious world, I think the genre classification, Non-Fiction-Fiction seems most appropriate?

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Title: A Clash of Kings
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: 1st September 2011
Genre: Dark Fantasy

Summary:
War is coming as five nobles stake their claim for the most coveted chair in Westeros - the Iron Thorne - a prize is so sought after it turns family into foe, and friends into enemies.

Review:
It may have taken me two weeks, but I have finally finished reading the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series! Running a book blog and working full-time on a placement year, is not as easy as I thought it was going to be...

Anyway, whilst it did take me ages to finish it - I enjoyed every page of the book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

World War Z by Max Brooks

Title: World War Z
Author: Max Brooks
Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd
Release Date: 2011
Genre: Non-Fiction Fiction, Horror

Summary:
Many years ago a zombie infestation took over the whole. The effects were felt throughout the world. However, now that the 'Great Panic' is over; the world's population is trying to recover to get back to normal.

In this book Max Brooks documents the accounts and terrifying stories of different people throughout the world and their experiences with the living dead.

Review:
Yes, the Brad Pitt movie of the same name is based on this book but is, thankfully, nothing like it. Hallelujah; that movie was pretty awful, in my opinion...

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Cover for the Penguin Classics edition
(4th March 2010)

Title: The Catcher In The Rye
Author: J. D. Salinger
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Release Date: 1951 (first published)
Genre: Classics

Summary:
Holden Caulifield is seemingly misunderstood by everyone around him. Having been kicked out of numerous prestigious schools, Holden decides to spend the weekend in New York being an adult and dreaming of freedom.

Review:
The story of Holden Caulifield is short and sweet, as it spans over one weekend. However, even though it is short; it is complex mixing numerous themes and feelings throughout (hence why I struggled to actually summarise the plot in this post). Come to think of it, in my opinion, the story is more of an extract of memoirs rather than a piece of traditional fiction with different events and stages of equilibrium; for there are no dramatic events, just the inner monologue of the protagonist taking the reader through their feelings over a short period of time.