Reading challenges are fun, and they are so addictive. However, this year I did not do as well as compared to last year, simply because I have lost interest of the books that I had listed long ago, or my reading mood got in the way. I think the latter is the main issue for the incompletion of these challenges. Anyway, this will not stop me from participating in more challenges next year. After all, reading is about pleasure, isn't it?

1) Blue Justice by Illona Hans
2) Cat O'Nine Tales: And Other Stories by Jeffrey Archer
3) Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie
4) Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
5) Into The Storm by Suzanne Brockmann
6) The Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman

There was a lot of hype when this book was first released, and here I wish I had read it earlier because this book really live up to its expectations.

This story revolves around two women, Margaret Lea and Vida Winter. Margaret is a young biographer. She has a troubled past, one that involves her dead twin sister and it is only when she stumbles upon her birth and death certificate does she knows about her existence. Though she does not understand the reason her parents is keeping this information from her, she is very keen to learn more about her.

Then one day, she receives a strange letter from renowned author, Vida Winter who requested her to write her biography. Margaret has not read her books, but she is intrigued by this special request and wonder why she is being picked by this author, after all she is only a young biographer. Like other readers, she is particularly keen to find out more about one of her collections originally titled The Thirteenth Tale but only contains twelve enchanting stories. With so many unanswered questions surrounding the author, she decided to take up the offer.

Once Margaret has met Vida, she is immediately mesmerized by her mystique aura. Vida tells Margaret she is willing to tell her story now that she is old and almost dying, but upon a condition that she will tell her story at her own time without Margaret's interruptions or queries. And so, this begins Vida's story where it features a strange pair of twins, Adeline and Emmeline and the Angelfield family, the governess and how finally, a devastating fire that destroys everything. Eager to find out the truth about Vida's identity, Margaret goes out to do her research while being drawn to Vida's tale at the same time. Soon, she will learn something more about Vida's mysterious past, and how the ending enables them to confront their ghosts and to reveal their truth.

The Thirteenth Tale is one captivating story that pulls me in and never let go until the very last page. Besides the intrigue part, there is also a gothic atmosphere surrounding the story. Diane Setterfield has done a great job in building the suspense in this story-within-a-story, and her characters are both engaging and interesting to read. Margaret Lea is an intelligent young woman, and one of the things I like about her is her eagerness to explore. Another thing is, she is a reader and her passion for reading is well described in this paragraph:

I actually grinned to myself after reading the last sentence. Although I have never encountered any 'life threatening' experiences while reading a book, but there were a few occasions that I missed my stops while reading in the bus/train, or I remained oblivious when someone called my name. Oh yes, reading can be dangerous, depending on how you look at it.

There is also a mention of books like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White in this story that have caught my interest and have added to my wishlist.

I really enjoyed reading The Thirteenth Tale and this will be one of my favourite reads for this year. And I would like to thank Jaimie for agreeing to read this book with me when I asked her the first time. I can't wait to read her thoughts.

Other Bloggers' reviews:

I have seen this floating around on other bookblogs and decided to participate in this reading challenge as well (moreover the button is too adorable to pass!).

Hosted by Renay, the aim is to make a list of 10 books you like and share this on your blog, leaving a link on the comments section of the challenge site (Please click here for more details). You then pick 3 books from the other participants' lists (Click here for the Master List) and read them from May 1st - November 30th. There is also a link where you can put your reviews too after you have read them.

Here is a list of books which I like: