Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

I first read Time Traveler's Wife when it was revealed as one of Richard and Judy's book club in 2005 and after questioning the impossibility of time travel and getting my head around that I instantly fell in love with it and it became my favourite book (at that time). So when Audrey Niffenegger released Her Fearful Symmetry last year I could not wait to read it. My lovely friend L got the book fro Christmas and after reading it gave it straight to me to read. After reading the first 2 pages and deciding that the plotline had a degree of predictability to it (I could already see it coming) I put it down and despite picking it up on a number of occasions it took me until April to sit down on holiday and read it. I was not smitten by it at any point but did not want to give up on it given my love for her previous book so I persevered.

I felt that throughout that book that it was far fetched and predictable. Books do not have to be realistic (falling in love with 109 year old vampire who would like nothing more than to drain your blood is totally acceptable) don't get me wrong but I felt that there was no logic to the actions taken by some of the characters and it seemed clear to end in disaster. The love story side of the tale was very sad with no real saving grace of happiness or deep rooted feeling and at no point was I gripped to read more.

Sorry but it is a 3 out of 10 from me!

Hobbies - Reading

Reading is one of my favourite pastimes. I know some people who do not read and I feel incredibly sorry for them because I believe that they miss out on so much. Reading takes me away to another world than neither real life nor television can achieve. Any book is different to any reader too because you create the fantasy world in your own imagination.

The images which you create in your mind are not something that you can explain to another person because they are unique to you as the reader. I am never without a book to read and usually have a queue of them bought or borrowed from friends waiting to take the place of the last. If a film adaptation of a book is released, I always read the book before I go to the cinema so that my imagination cannot be inhibited by the power of the visual image - for me Edward Cullen is not Robert Pattinson!

I love a good autobiography so that I can delve into the lives of the rich and famous and I love a fictional book which will take me away from real life to an amazing world where anything can happen. Here are a few of my favourites:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife
The sad but romantic story of Clair and Henry melts my heart. I cannot get my head around the whole concept of time travel and it took me a while to put that aside but once I did I thought the story was clever and beautiful.

2. The Twilight Saga
Ok, so I know it is predictable and every warm blooded female loves this, I also know it is aimed at a market of teenage girls (and if my husband is reading this - yes I know it is not real!!!). However in spite of all of the above I do not think I have ever read a book which has conveyed emotion in the way that Stephanie Meyer did in those books. Reading them makes me feel warm inside and describes in detail the ultimate love. Cheesy I know but Edward is without doubt my dream man (yes I am a little obsessed!).

3. Slash - It Seems Excessive... But that Doesn't Mean It Didn't Happen
The autobiography of Slash, formerly lead guitarist of Guns n' Roses. This is probably the most aptly named book I have ever read and left me wondering how that man is still alive. The fact he had a Pacemaker fitted by the age of 35 seems very tame after reading about his antics. It was interesting in many ways. I do however have a lot of respect for the talent and determination of this incredible character.

4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This has to make the list as it is one of the first books I remember reading and I loved it. This created my passion and love of books.

5. The Last Dive
A very sad (and true) story of the demise of a father and son during a very avoidable scuba diving accident. A bit of a miserable read but a lot of lessons to be learnt for a scuba diver! A gripping read.

7. The Harry Potter series
Just like a child, again I loved these books for the fantasy and imagination contained within them. Who cannot be interest in magic and wizardry!