Loveless | Alice Oseman | Review

Friday, 4 September 2020

Loveless | Alice Oseman | Review

It was all sinking in. I'd never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean?

Eighteen year old Georgia has never been in love. In fact, she's realising, she's never even had a crush. But Georgia loves romance. She's a connoisseur of fanfiction and romcoms and she knows that one day she'll fall in love and have that big, romantic love affair, just like the ones she's read about. Everyone meets the right person for them eventually, right? Plus, Georgia's new uni roommate, Rooney, seems to have no trouble finding people she fancies, and she's more than happy to help Georgia put herself out there.

The thing is, the more Georgia does put herself out there, the more she starts to wonder if there really is a right person for everyone. What does it mean if Georgia doesn't fall in love? What if she can't? Between arguments with her two best friends, Pip and Jason, trying to help Rooney with her doomed Shakespeare Society, and now trying to figure out an extremely important part of herself, Georgia's first year of university isn't exactly turning out the way she expected. 

In many ways, this is a classic coming of age story, full of teen drama, existential doubt, longing, and everything else we're used to from a story of a young person trying to figure out their place in the world. The difference with Loveless is that this is the first novel I've read where the main character is figuring out that they are asexual and aromantic. Of course, one story can never encompass the many different experiences of people who share a common identity, but I feel sure that many young asexual and aromantic people will see themselves reflected in Georgia, possibly for the first time, and perhaps feel a little bit less alone than Georgia does in certain parts of her story.

Georgia makes mistakes over the course of the novel, of course, and she learns a lot about herself and the people around her, to the backdrop of a slightly strange Shakespeare production, esteemed university traditions, and rather a lot of Scooby Doo references. Georgia, along with her new and old friends, Jason, Pip, Rooney, and the older and more confident Sunil, go through a few problems together, but their love for each other is what gets them through. In Georgia's story, Oseman captures both the loneliness that can come from figuring out who you are and the joy that comes from being around people you love. In the end, Georgia knows that as long as she has good friends, she will never be loveless.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. All opinions expressed are the reviewer's own.

Read more »

No comments

The Ship of Shadows | Maria Kuzniar | Review

Friday, 24 July 2020

The Ship of Shadows | Maria Kuzniar | Review

Aleja whiles away her days in her family's dusty tavern in Seville, dreaming of distant lands and believing in the kind of magic that she's only ever read about in books. After all, she's always been told that girls can't be explorers.

Aleja dreams of living the adventures she reads about in her favourite books, especially those of the famed British explorer, Thomas James, and she loves to hear the stories of pirates and magic that men tell each other in her family's tavern. She longs to board a ship of her own and sail the world, just like James did. Aleja's grandmother says girls shouldn't go chasing after adventure but Aleja doesn't believe her. Aleja knows that girls can do whatever they set their mind to, and although the men in the tavern don't always believe in the magic stories they tell, Aleja knows that they're wrong too. Magic is real and she hopes to find it as much as she hopes to explore the world.

Aleja's wishes all seem to come true when she finds herself on The Ship of Shadows, a temporary and accidental part of Captain Quint's crew. Aleja is soon setting sail to mysterious locations, helping to solve important riddles and clues, and having all the adventure she could ever want, and more besides. Maybe a little too much. Captain Quint has many secrets, and it turns out that being a pirate on a magical ship is most definitely not without peril. Not least of which is the terrifying pirate hunter on the ship's tail!

The Ship of Shadows is a fun and fantastical middle grade adventure, filled with magic, daring, friendship, and cake. Aleja's thirst for knowledge and adventure may land her on Captain Quint's ship, but it's the friendships she makes onboard that truly propel the story forward and that, along with Quint's mysteries, will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to find out how the adventure ends. Or, indeed, if it ends at all. Aleja is a charming narrator and, along with the rest of the crew, makes this an easy and fun read, perfect for all ages, because, I mean, who doesn't love reading about pirates sailing on a magical ship, full of hidden rooms, adorable, shape-shifting shadows, and oh, did I mentioned the copious amounts of cake?

Aleja is a dreamer, and although those dreams may seem at first almost impossible to achieve, and then, more dangerous than she might ever have imagined, she never gives up on those dreams, on her friends, or on herself. She certainly never entertains the idea that she should be denied adventure (or trousers) just because she happens to be a girl. I suspect all bookish children (or adults who were once bookish children themselves) will see a part of themselves reflected in Aleja, and I hope that she will inspire many of them to chase their own adventures! Although, perhaps not by running away on pirate ships. I have no doubt that she will. 

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed are the reviewer's own.

Read more »

No comments

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Review

Friday, 8 May 2020

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Review

Erin was right, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is a great read.

In 2019, Erin reviewed The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, and I have to admit, while I enjoyed reading the review, as I do all our reviews, I didn't think I'd ever pick up this book. Historical fiction isn't a genre I usually spend much time in (unless it's YA historical fiction), nor is the adult genre in general. I'm definitely a Young Adults sort of reader, with a love for fantasy, too. But not general/contemporary adult fiction.

But then our Blogger's Bookshelf book club theme for May is 'a book with a number in the title' and I didn't have any books on my shelves that met the criteria that I hadn't already read. 'Perhaps it's time', I thought. 'Time to give Evelyn a chance.' I'm so glad I did.

You can head back over to Erin's review to find out a little more about the book, as I don't want to repeat things. But I did just want to make a few comments.

“Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.”

Like I said, I'm not a big reader of the genres this book fits into usually, but from the first pages I was drawn into the story. In fact I actually started this book before the book club for May began (oops shh), and I did so accidentally. I had it on my Kindle and clicked open the first page and read it ... and found it very hard to put down. There were many nights in a row where I read for too long and spent too much time in the story.

For the most part, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is a classic Hollywood tale, one you'd definitely see on the big screen. A beautiful girl wanting to be big in the film industry, does whatever she can to get there, even if that includes lying, cheating, sleeping, and marrying her way to the top. She makes it, of course she does, because she's strong and determined and passionate about chasing her dreams. But at what cost?

It was quite different to what I was expecting - although if you asked me what I was expecting, I don't think I could give you an answer - but it was captivating and heartbreaking all the same. While there was an ongoing question throughout the tale, I knew what it was going to be before it was revealed in the last few pages, and knew the answer from the moment a key character was introduced. Nevertheless it was still stunningly done, and I have to commend Reid on her writing and storytelling.

What I found most captivating about this book, and Erin mentions it in her review too, was the characters. Reid has this way of writing her characters with such depth it's like they were actually real people. While many characters were uncomfortable and unlikable, there were some that I really enjoyed reading about ... which of course made it all the more heart wrenching when those characters were ripped away. (If that seems like a spoiler, it's not really. The book covers Evelyn's entire life from when she was a young girl to the moment she employs a writer for her biography - it's a 70 something year timeline, people are going to die.)

In case it wasn't clear from the beginning, I really enjoyed The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, so much so that I'm going to check out some of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books. Luckily, Daisy Jones and the Six has a number in it too, so I might just read another for book club!

Have you read The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo? What did you think?

Read more »

No comments

The Hunting Party | Lucy Foley | Review

Friday, 17 January 2020

The Hunting Party | Lucy Foley | Review

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

Seven friends head to a secluded estate in the Scottish highlands for their annual New Year's Eve trip. Within days, someone goes missing, and when a body is found, everyone becomes a suspect. Among the group of friends are Miranda, the beautiful one who loves to be at the centre of everything; her husband Julien; her best friend since school, Katie; Nick and his boyfriend, Bo; Samira, her husband, Giles, and their newborn baby, Priya; and Mark and his girlfriend, the newest to group, Emma. It's Emma's turn to organise the group's New Year's Eve trip and, being the newest member of a group who have all known each other since their days at Oxford, she's keen to impress, and sure that the beautiful, modern lodge she has rented for the trip will be just the thing.

There are a few hiccups in Emma's plan, not least the unexpected Icelandic couple who are also staying at the lodge, despite the fact that Emma was promised their group would have the place to themselves, but the bigger issue by far is the glut of secrets being kept and tensions held, barely hidden beneath the surface of the groups' decade old friendships. Told via multiple points of view, the story unfolds both on the day the body is found and through flashbacks to the days leading up to the disappearance, slowly revealing first the suspects, and then the victim, until the threads that have held these friends together over the years are finally pulled taught enough to snap.

The Hunting Party is equal parts a murder mystery and an exploration of the kinds of harm we can do to those we love, aside from the obvious murder. This group of friends, bound together by marriage and more than a decade of shared memories, appears, from the very beginning, to be falling apart at the seams, grasping at an ease they no longer really feel with one other. Emma is desperate to fit in, Miranda is clinging onto her old role as the life of the party, Katie feels excluded as the only singleton, and those are only the three friends whose versions of events we see through their points of view. The other point of view characters are Heather, the manager at the lodge who has run away from an unspoken tragedy, and Doug, the gamekeeper who harbours a dark secret.

Unlike most traditional murder mysteries, the question at the centre of this novel is not only who committed the crime but also who the victim was, and as the mystery slowly unfolds itself, other mysteries begin to appear. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes and the isolated setting of the Scottish Highlands in winter is almost enough to set the tone for an unsettling story all by itself. And that's before the tension between the friends is kicked up a notch by a hunting trip and the unfurling of secrets that can't quite stay contained now that the group are all together again after a year of sporadic contact. Every part of this novel is steeped in tension, and, thanks perhaps to the unlikeable nature of many of the characters, the draw of watching that tension unravel the tenuous bonds between the group of old friends is difficult to resist.

Read more »

No comments

Dumplin' | Julie Murphy | Review

Friday, 6 September 2019

Dumplin' | Julie Murphy | Review

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all. 

While Dumplin' has been out since 2015, it was only this past month that I got around to picking it up. Perhaps I was prompted by the Netflix movie and wanting to see that but read the book first, or the fact that I was given Puddin' by Julie Murphy and wanted to read Dumplin' before getting stuck into Puddin' (although I don't think it matters if you read them in order). Whatever the reason, I finally picked it up.

This was a really sweet book, and the description above pretty much says it all. Dumplin' was a fun read, and overall I enjoyed it. There were definitely parts that I was really annoyed about (Willowdean has long periods of not talking to two different characters, and the reasons behind her decision and anger were a touch on the ridiculous side), and there was a whole thing with 'mums' in the book that I got super confused about when both the author and the characters are American (and so therefore say 'Mom'). That was, however, until I did some Googling and discovered that a 'mum' is a Texan homecoming thing, and not just the British spelling of 'mom'.

While the book had it's moments of ridiculousness, it also had plenty of 'naw' moments and you were definitely cheering for Will the whole time. I can safely say that I can now watch the film.

Have you read Dumplin'? What did you think? 

Read more »

No comments

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer | Review

Friday, 4 May 2018

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer | Review

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” 

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. 

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. 

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. - Goodreads

---

After a weekend of reading and finishing the two books I had brought away with me (seriously, Anjali, only two!?), I was in need of another novel to pick up. Thankfully the house I was staying in was just as much a library as my own, and I was soon flicking my way through The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I recognised the title from a movie I had seen the trailer for, and thought it would be another great book to read before I saw the film. And how right I was.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a wonderful story about Juilet, the writer, who makes friends with strangers down in the Channel Islands. The story is told in letters - a format which I don't actually enjoy and the reason I didn't give this book 5 stars - as Juliet corresponds back and forth with the society, as well as her best friend Sophie, her publisher Sidney, and various other people in her life. 

When Juliet goes to Guernsey to meet the people she's only ever written to and to write her book about their society, their relationships grow, fall apart, come back together, and new ones are formed. There's a little more drama alongside the writing of her book, a few more stories to be told, a man to avoid, and a man to find.

While the letter form is not my favourite, Juliet's personality was really apparent in her writing, and I can only imagine she would speak like she writes. I really loved her as a character, and some of her expressions and sentence were gold. Here's a sample:

• “I don't want to be married just to be married. I can't think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can't talk to, or worse, someone I can't be silent with."

• “That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.” 

• “Men are more interesting in books than they are in real life.” 

The other thing I loved about this book was that it was about books. It was a story-lover, writing a book about people who made a club for reading and talking about books. Brilliant! 

The movie came out in late April, and while I haven't seen it yet, I'm so looking forward to it. It stars Lily James, Matthew Goode and Michiel Huisman, and while the trailer looked a bit different to the book, I hope it's just as good.

Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? Seen the movie? 

Read more »

No comments

Pure | Julianna Baggott | Review

Friday, 29 December 2017

Pure | Julianna Baggott | Review

"We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run. 

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different.  He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.  When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again"  - Goodreads


Years ago, a world wide explosion of nanotechnology blasted the earth and fused humans with objects in their surroundings. Known as the Detonations, those unlucky enough to be outside the Dome ended up with deformities, while those inside were kept safe. Pressia lives outside the Dome with her grandfather. Partridge lives inside the Dome with his father.

On her 16th birthday, soldiers come to Pressia to put her into the military, and as she runs from them she crosses paths with Patridge, who has run from his own home inside the Dome in the hopes he will find his mother. Partridge can't survive outside the Dome by himself, and Pressia needs help to avoid being caught by the law. As they work together on their individual missions, they end up diving far deeper into the secrets of the Dome than they ever realised. What they've been told from either side of the Dome is a lie. As we follow the story, we watch them discover the truth from both parties, about the detonations, and the scientists behind them.

As well as a fast-paced story line, what I found really amazing about Pure was Baggott’s imagination. The detonations caused humans to be ‘fused’ with whatever was around them, touching them, or being held by them, at the time of the explosion. Bradwell, a young man who helps Pressie and Patridge, was running through a flock of birds at the time of the Detonations, and now has live birds fused in his back. Pressia, as a young child, was holding a doll at the time, so one of her hands has been fused with the doll’s head. Other characters are fused with actual humans. It's such a unique concept and one I haven't read about before.

One thing I didn't quite get use to was the present tense writing style. I find it hard to get into a book written in present tense at times. What I did enjoy though, was the changing perspectives throughout the story, something that is done rather well in Pure.

With interesting characters, soldiers who have guns fused into their arms, mechanical locusts, poisonous food, a fancy car, and a man called El Capitan, Pure was a good read with a mild cliff hanger ending.

Fuse and Burn follow Pure in the series.

Read more »

No comments

Mortal Engines | Phillip Reeves | Review

Friday, 15 December 2017

Mortal Engines | Phillip Reeves | Review

“It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.” - Goodreads

In a chase and an unwanted scuffle on the precipice, Third Class Apprentice Historian Tom Natsworthy is thrown off the city of London and into the wastelands below. As he watches his city zoom off on it's caterpillar under-tracks, chasing a smaller city in the hopes of making it its next scrap-metal meal, he finds himself on an adventure he only ever dreamed about. With a girl, nonetheless.

This girl is Hester Shaw, wanted by the London's leaders and on a mission herself to kill Valentine, a key London leader, who murdered her parents, attacked her and left her with a horrific scar running down her face. Katherine, Valentine's daughter, is in London trying to piece together the mystery of MEDUSA, and, with the help of engineer Bevis Pod, stumbles upon the truth of the city, her father, the death of Hester's parents, and so much more.

As Tom is swept into a whirlwind of pirates and Airships, lies and betrayal, hidden truths and cyborg zombie-like people, he gets more than he bargained for.

My thoughts

Mortal Engines was a really fun book. I picked it up because I knew that New Zealand's Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings films) was writing a movie adaptation of it. I don't know about you, but I like to read the book before I see the film, and seeing as the movie is set to hit our screens in 2018, I thought I had better get onto it. 

I hadn't heard of Mortal Engines before, but it was such a fun read I'm gutted I haven't picked it up before, especially in my younger years. The idea of cities on wheels and steampunk contraptions is absolutely fantastic! The story is set in the distant future on earth, where the land has become dry and derelict, so the cities have to move around and 'eat' other cities for scraps to keep going. Brilliant! I love this idea. 

I really liked the characters, and while they are 15 years old, it was definitely written for that age group and not us adults who just like reading YA books. The writing, therefore, was super easy to read and I managed to get through it in just a few sittings. 

Not really being a reader of steampunk (bar Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series), I found it a nice refreshing genre to dive into. If you're not into steampunk, then this is a perfect light story to get into. 

I am definitely looking forward to what they do with the movie, and can't wait to see these cities in action! 

Let us know if you've read Mortal Engines, or anything else by Phillip Reeves.

Read more »

No comments

The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher | Ahn Do-hyun | Review

Friday, 1 December 2017

The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher | Ahn Do-hyun | Review

"The life of the salmon is a predictable one: swimming upstream to the place of its birth to spawn, and then to die."

Translated for the first time from Korean to English, The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher is a sweet fable about life and its meaning, all from the perspective of a silver fish.

As we follow Silver Salmon through his life, we learn, as he does, that he's different from other salmon, that he thinks differently, questions why certain things are done, wonders why a salmon's purpose in life is to swim upriver to the place they were born just to spawn and then die. Surely there's more to life than that?

As Silver Salmon loses his friends, gains others, falls in love, learns about the world, and avoids attacks from eagles and bears, he learns about his past and his ancestors who dared to leap above the rapids and finally make it home.

While it is a fable, a short story written to make you think about its morals and life lessons, it's beautifully written and so on-point with life (human life, that is) that it really does make you pause every so often and really take in what Do-hyun is saying. Filled with stunning illustrations, The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher is a wonderful look at what it means to grow up and live this crazy life.

A short book just over 100 pages, this fable is a wonderful wee read that I recommend picking up if you have a spare hour or so.

Read more »

No comments

Ruby the Foster Dog | Jimmy Wayne | Review

Monday, 13 November 2017

Ruby the Foster Dog | Jimmy Wayne | Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Ruby has been in the shelter for several days now. She's seen some dogs go off with families and others go behind the door, never to be seen again. She prays to God to send her a family with a big back yard and kids to play with. What she gets is James, a crazy looking man walking through Texas with ski poles and goggles. He tells her he's walking half-way across America to raise awareness of foster kids who age out of the system with no families and asks her to join him.

Review:

This was such a cute, heart-warming story. It's based on the real-life 1700 mile walk the author went on back in 2010. We get to meet a lot of the people Wayne met and hear about the good and bad he had to go through during his walk and his own time in foster care.

Not all of the images showed up in my ebook copy, but I'm sure the publishers have fixed this. Additionally, what images I could see were very well done! Ruby looks absolutely adorable in all of them. 

I really enjoyed this children's book and its very positive, hopeful tone. There are ways to help foster kids and this book is a good way to raise awareness that not everyone has a home. It can be a difficult concept for kids, but this book is written at their level. 

If you're in need of a cute, feel-good book, this is a great pick-me-up and good for all ages!

Read more »

No comments

American Gods | Neil Gaiman | Review

Friday, 30 June 2017

American Gods | Neil Gaiman | Review

Image from Goodreads

“Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. 

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.” – Goodreads

While this book has an overall 4.11 stars on Goodreads and has won many awards, I just couldn’t quite get into it. I did finish it but with reluctance and the thought I could be doing something else with my time.

Shadow is released from prison and follows Wednesday around America doing odd-jobs and trying to keep out of trouble. The people and gods he meets along the way are so interesting and full of character. The old golds from mythology around the world are banding together to fight the modern gods of Media and Money etc. Shadow is pulled into the middle of it all, so much more so than he originally thought he would. Throw in some coin tricks, a ghost-like wife, a town full of secrets and some creepy happenings and you have yourself a novel of epic proportions.

The whole thing sounded magical and my type of book – I love mythology and road trips and even the idea of old and new gods battling it out intrigued me. Buuut it just didn’t do it for me and I hate that it didn’t.

Despite all these awesome aspects being pulled together, I feel like there were way too many interruptions to the story, as it sort of leaped from following Shadow to other people throughout. It could have been cut down easily by 100 pages or so, and perhaps the size is part of the reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as I feel I should have. My copy was 722 pages, although that included a novella and an interview with Neil Gaiman. The story is still a whopping 600ish pages, and that’s way too long in my books (pun intended?).

However! I pulled it up from 1 star to 2 stars because a) the characters were awesome, b) I loved the concept and c) I can see that it was a good book, it just wasn't for me.

American Gods has been recently made into a show, which was one of the reasons I read the book. I think I’ll enjoy the show more (*gasp!* Can you say that? On a book blog?!).

If you have read the book and seen the show, what did you think? 

Do you think the adaptation was a good one, and true to the story? 

If you’ve seen the show but not read the book – did you enjoy it? 

And if you’ve read the book, do you plan on watching the series? 

Let us know in the comments!

Read more »

No comments

The Chemist | Stephanie Meyer | Review

Friday, 2 June 2017

The Chemist | Stephanie Meyer | Review

"An ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. 

Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. 

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realises it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.
Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of." - Goodreads

I was really looking forward to this book, but I couldn't quite get into it, unfortunately.

Perhaps it was because I was expecting more Twilight or The Host from another Stephanie Meyer book, but it was definitely a whole new genre. Thriller, spy, crime novel, over supernatural, fantasy, young adult. Which is all fine and good, but I wasn't quite expecting it to be so grown-up, for want of a better phrase.

I didn't really care for Juliana (who goes by Alex most of the book), and thought her relationship with Daniel was highly unlikely. In a story you want it to be at last a little bit plausible, right? At the beginning of the book, Alex tortures Daniel and then days after he falls in love with her. I'm sorry. But what? It's all very masochistic, and I didn't get it. It was very inst-love, and the lack of other female characters was almost concerning.

However, I liked the idea behind the story line and the way the plot clipped along. The fact that Juliana/Alex is super smart and a chemical genius was a really fun aspect, and made it an interesting read from that perspective.

If you're a fan of thriller and spy books with a female protagonist who can kill you a thousand ways with various liquids, then do pick up a copy of The Chemist. Just don't expect it to be anything along the lines of Meyer's previous books.

Have you read The Chemist? What did you think? 

Read more »

No comments

Press Start to Play | Daniel H. Wilson | Review

Monday, 4 April 2016

Press Start to Play | Daniel H. Wilson | Review

Summary:

A collection of short stories with the central theme of video games. Stories are written by a combination of fiction authors and video game story writers. 

Review:

One of the things I love about anthologies is that I get introduced to new authors. After reading this anthology, I a large number books to my wishlist by almost every single author in this collection. The wide range of genres represented in this anthology (yes, they're not all sci-fi!) makes it feel like a great stepping stone to the types of books I wouldn't normally read. There were love stories, horror stories, mysteries and dramas. One of the scarier stories actually really freaked me out and I had put the book down for a while to fully recover. 

I know that one of the biggest draws people will probably have to this book is that one story is by Andy Weir (The Martian) and the foreword is by Ernest Cline (Ready Player One). Fortunately for the readers, every story in this book is entertaining, engaging, and well worth the money. This is a book that I would take with me to a desert island because of its re-readability. 

Even if you don't have a strong interest in gaming in general, I feel that there are plenty of stories in this collection that focused more on drama, love, humor, horror, etc. that you will find something you enjoy. Or, if you're trying to get a gamer to do some more reading, this may be a good book for them. 

Read more »

No comments

Library Wars: Love & War | Kiiro Yumi | Review

Monday, 28 December 2015

Library Wars: Love & War | Kiiro Yumi | Review

Summary:

In the near future, the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) is formed to censor all offensive and questionable media, by force. In response to this, libraries are reformed to protect patron rights and freedom of expression. Enter Kasahara, a private in the Library Task Force, full of passion, but not a lot of skill. This series follows her personal growth in the Library Task Force as well as the political and emotional turmoil between Libraries and the MBC.

Review:

I originally started reading this because it's about libraries. I had no idea, when I picked up the first book, that there would also be a few love stories involved. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't really care for love stories. That being said, this has been an amazing series to read.* Kiiro Yumi's depictions of the characters are a delight to read and I am fully emotionally invested in these characters. I've almost cried for one of them.

My favorite part about this series is that it covers actual problems contemporary librarians face. Don't get me wrong, so far libraries haven't had to create their own armed forces, but there's so much more than that in these books. We read about librarians not handing over patron records to the police in an investigation. We read about problems librarians have with parents expecting them to be babysitters. Heck, in order to be promoted, the challenges range from sitting at a computer all day inputting new books to keeping a room full grade school kids occupied for story time, to hosting a public forum on questionable books. This series does a masterful job of showing the many roles a librarian can play. This may all sound boring, but there is plenty of action as well. It really is a war between Libraries and the MBC. There are gunfights and raids. 

Of course, the love stories do have to be addressed. Throughout the series the main couple is in denial of their feelings. This could have made the series more of a drama, but Yumi turned it into a comedy. The back and forth between the two makes me, literally, laugh out loud. Personally, it wouldn't surprise me if that's why I enjoy a series with a love story; because it's hilarious. There are other couples in this series and they show so many other kinds of love stories. One is absolutely adorable, another is an interesting meeting of highly intelligent people, and there are more. 

In case you can't tell, I absolutely love this manga. I've even started looking for the anime, the original book by Hiro Arikawa, and the live-action movie. This is an incredibly enjoyable series for people who love books, people who love love-stories, and people who love to laugh. 

*I'm currently waiting to get Volumes 13 & 14. 

Read more »

No comments

Church of Marvels | Leslie Parry | Review

Friday, 5 June 2015

Church of Marvels | Leslie Parry | Review

*Review copy provided by Hachette Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Image from GoodReads. 


It's 1895 New York. Four people, each searching for something, find their lives intertwining in Leslie Parry's Church of Marvels. Twin sisters Odile and Belle Church have been brought up in The Church of Marvels, a circus troupe, which burnt to the ground, their mother inside. One day Belle leaves, leaving only a note. Odile sets out on a journey from Coney Island to the city to find out what happened, why she left, and to bring her home.

As Sylvan cleans out the privies behind houses, he discovers a baby girl, left alone in the cold. He rescues her, knowing what it's like to be an orphan, and his search begins for her mother.

Alphie finds herself locked away in an insane asylum, in which she is sure her mother-in-law is responsible for. One day she meets a strange speechless girl who produces hidden scissors from her throat. A move which may destroy them, or save them both.

As the lives of these four individuals begin to entwine, the connections are made and the secrets start to spill forth. Written in third person from three of the characters' perspectives, alternating chapters, Church of Marvels is a wonderfully written book with fantastic language and imagery throughout. It's a story of love and loss, of hardship and pain, of family, of loneliness, of turn-of-the-century New York.

This was an interesting read for me. I found myself immediately drawn into the story, and enjoyed each introduction to the characters as the chapters went by. But somewhere in the middle I got a bit lost at times, and found that sometimes the abundance of prose and lack of dialogue for pages and pages on end was hard to read; I suspect I possibly missed a key sentence or two because of it. The story, however, was really interesting, and I did like how all the characters eventually connected. It did take a while, probably the last quarter of the book, but I did enjoy it more and got into to it a bit more when they did connect, after the slow going in the middle there. I enjoyed reading a book set in the late 1800s though, as I don't usually read novels from that period.

If you're after a story that is "The Night Circus meets Water for Elephants" (thanks, GoodReads, though I haven't read either of those yet - they're on my list), a story that is beautifully written and full of intense characters, pick up a copy of Church of Marvels. It was published in May this year, and is already receiving great reviews. Also...just look at that beautiful cover! Love it!

Read more »

2 comments

WellyWood Series 0.5 & 1 | Kate O'Keeffe | Reviewed by Laura

Monday, 8 September 2014

WellyWood Series 0.5 & 1 | Kate O'Keeffe | Reviewed by Laura

Jessica Banks has been living a fabulous life in London and dreads anything to do with her home back in New Zealand. In this first short story she is dragged back for a wedding and in the second it's back for good, much to her dismay! She's back living with her Mum, struggling to settle into a town which she detests, Maybe a new man can bring a light to her miserable tunnel.

I read these books on the plane back from India, they were some much needed entertainment on a 10 hour flight. The first short story was a taster, I instantly liked the character of Jessica and was looking forward to reading more in the next full length book.

I went through many different emotions whilst reading this book, as previously sad I liked Jessica, I felt sorry for her at times (I can't imagine having to move back home now I've been away for so long - nightmare!) Then I felt excited for her and the prospects that were appearing, I got annoyed at her, was happy for her, frustrated for her and laughed with her through the book. This for me is a sign that there is definitely something about this book that hooks you in, I cared what happened to her and I wanted to kick her up the bum sometimes and yell at her friend for being annoying.

This story has a typical chick-lit plot to it, romance, friendship and ending on a very positive note. However what I really did enjoy was the career element that was included, Jessica goes into business with her friend and although there are some hiccups along the way it was great to read how much of a success she was able to make of it.

Of course there are always characters in books that you don't like or are not meant to like and there are quite a few in this one, although luckily they are more minor characters and don't crop up too often.

I would definitely recommend this mini series if you are looking for a relaxing read! Kate has done a great job on both the short story and full length book! Looking forward to reading more from her in the future!

4/5 stars


These books is available for Kindle here or here 

* Copy received for review c/o Kate O'Keeffe: Although I received a copy of these books free of charge this has not influenced my opinion and my review, as always, is 100% honest

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

Read more »

1 comment

Message in a Bottle | Nicholas Sparks | Reviewed by Laura

Monday, 25 August 2014

Message in a Bottle | Nicholas Sparks | Reviewed by Laura

 

Theresa Osborne discovers and washed up bottle whilst on a work trip, inside she discovers a letter so beautiful, heart-breaking and full of love  that Theresa can't help but want to know more about the man who wrote it. She begins her search and soon Garrett (the man behind the letters) and Theresa's lives come together in this story which fills our hearts desire of finding true love.

 

As you have all probably worked out by now I am a bit of a Sparks fan, this is in fact the fifth book of his that I am reviewing (do I get a crazy fan status for that?) There has always been something about his books which draw me in, toil with my emotions and leave me want the story to carry on forever.

 

This story gripped me from the moment Theresa found the bottle, I wanted to know who the man was behind it as much as she did and I could already see a romance arriving (I didn't say the books weren't predictable.) I enjoyed the storyline and although I was surprised by the ending (no spoilers here) I think it really suited the storyline which Sparks was portraying throughout the book.

 

Garrett was definitely a favourite character of mine, a little broken but an all round nice guy, this book is his mending process after losing the love of his life. I enjoyed seeing him come back to life again with the help of Theresa and her son. Theresa is another likeable character although at times I did find her a little frustrating and I wanted to shout at her for some of the lies she told.

 

Overall this is another Sparks classic story. Any Sparks fan will enjoy it, as will any fan of the romance genre.



5/5 stars

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

Read more »

1 comment

You had me at Hello | Mhairi Mcfarlane | Reviewed by Laura

Monday, 11 August 2014

You had me at Hello | Mhairi Mcfarlane | Reviewed by Laura

What happens when the one that got away comes back? Ben and Rachel were the best of friends, it was them against... well everything and everyone. But then as University came to an end suddenly their friendship died too.  Over a decade later they walk back into each others lives, but time has moved on, they have grown-up and moved on... or have they? 

This book is exactly what it says on the tin and that is not a bad thing. It's chic-lit and if you are looking for an easy, predictable, likable read this this book is perfect, it fits it's genre brilliantly. I have to say this book got me at the front cover (I know never judge a book by it's cover) and I was not disappointed. 

Rachel and Ben haven't seen each other for 10 years so although they used to know each other we get almost a new friendship building along with flashbacks of their time together at university - they are just the nicest, most lovable and cute main characters you could wish for.  We do however get more than just a love story, we get friendships stories too, as Mindy, Ivor and Caroline being Rachel's best friends and support network. 

I loved the story line as predictable as it was, it drew me in and made me angry that and impatient and drove me a little crazy a times. But alas it was not just the plot that frustrated me but there are also characters that are there for you to dislike - Hello Simon and Zoe!!

I would absolutely recommend this book to any chic-lit fan, it's definitely a perfect holiday read for the summer!

 
4/5 stars

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

Read more »

No comments

Chocolate Wishes | Trisha Ashley | Reviewed by Laura

Monday, 14 July 2014

Chocolate Wishes | Trisha Ashley | Reviewed by Laura

For Chloe her life revolves around chocolate. she creates sweet chocolatey heart shaped treats to sell all containing words of wisdom.  Her life however is about to take a turn as a new vicar turns up at the village, an ex band member, who is also Chloe's first love and the man who broke her heart many years ago.  The saying goes 'Some people never change' but maybe that is just a tired cliche. 

I picked this book up on a whim, it was on offer in my local supermarket and the front cover got me, plus it mentions chocolate and I was suddenly sold. The main character Chloe is very sweet and lovely, she's a strong woman who has brought up her younger brother after her own Mother left them. She is a strong minded woman, successful business woman who has made many sacrifices in order for her brother to have a good life. They live with their grandfather although they are definitely not the standard type of Grandfather you'd expect, he is in fact a Warlock. Which as you can imagine does not gel so well with the previous vicars in town.

The story line... I'm not really sure where to start with my comments. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it?! I found it to be incredibly detailed to the point where I really didn't feel I needed all the information that was given, some conversations between characters seemed just general chit-chat that as a reader I didn't care for. It took a long time for the story to get going, there was a lot of setting the scene a mist the characters. I can't say I really got into the story until probably 3/4 of the way through and by then it was almost too late.

The ending however I did really enjoy the pace seemed to pick up, the action came in leaps and bounds and finally all the characters settled down with the people they were of course supposed to end up with. Happily ever after.

If you like chic-lit and stories about chocolate then this book is perfect, although I wouldn't add it to the top of your to-read lists.


3/5 stars

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

Read more »

No comments

Guest Post | Top 5 Books On My 'To Re-Read' List!

Monday, 7 July 2014

Guest Post | Top 5 Books On My 'To Re-Read' List!

Within the book blogging world it's easy to get caught up in new releases, what's popular right now and out ever-growing TBR lists. So, today I thought I would take a step back from my (somewhat ridiculously tall) review books pile and instead talk about titles that I would love to re-read! Ignoring the contents of my Kindle I took to my bookshelf and selected the titles that I'd love to revisit. In no particular order here's the five that made the cut...

1. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline (2011)

First read: in late 2012 as part of my first year joining in with the Goodreads challenge. I also reviewed it for BB last year!

Why re-read? This book is listed as my favourite on our 'Meet The Team' page here at BB and for good reason as I just loved reading it! I originally borrowed it from the library but last year added a copy to my collection with the intention of reading it again soon which I'm hoping to do this year. Fingers crossed I still love reading it just as much second time around!

2. Fight Club, Chuck Palaniuk (1996)

First read: in 2007 during lunchbreaks at college (this makes me feel old...)

Why re-read? I read this one before my book blogging days and although I briefly picked it up again for a Uni project (where I compared a scene from the film to the original script and chapter of the book it was adapted from) I'd like to go back and re-read the whole book again properly. I'm a fan of the film and tend to re-watch that once every few years and it's been about four since I dug out the DVD so it would be nice to revisit both at a similar time.

3. If You Find Me, Emily Murdoch (2013)

First read: in 2013 as an eARC which I reviewed for BB! 
 
Why re-read? A physical copy of the book (which was firmly on my 'to-buy' list) was kindly given to me as a birthday present earlier this year, by friends who had no idea I'd already read it! This paperback edition has an additional epilogue I didn't get to read first time round so I'm particularly looking forward to that when I finally get to a re-read the book. I'm actually quite proud of myself for not having taken a sneaky peek at the epilogue already!

4. Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson (1971)

First read: in 2008 after first watching the film a year or two earlier

Why re-read? Just like Fight Club I read this one before I got back into reading regularly and therefore pre-book blogging. I carried this around with me for a while, enjoying reading again but after finishing it I promptly returned to buying non-fiction titles (mainly about film/crafts). Again, I'm interested to revisit it having read so many novels over the last few years to see if I'd still enjoy it now.

5. The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin (1972)

First read: in 2009 for a Uni project about utopia/dystopia

Why re-read? If I'm being honest I feel like I only really got the opportunity to skim read this one for the Uni project, however I remember finding it interesting which is why I recently picked up a copy for my collection. It's only a very short book so shouldn't take too long to re-read either!

Which 5 books would make your 'to re-read' list?

Read more »

No comments