shelley.s Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 The Haunted dolls house by M R James/R L Stevenson 3/5 About the book This is a little book made up of 3 short stories, two by M.R. James and one by R.L. Stevenson. All three are ghost stories, M R James' stories are The Haunted Dolls' House and The Rose Garden and R L Stevenson's story is The Body Snatcher. Its hard to give a description of the stories without giving the whole thing away what with each story being around 20 pages long, so i'll leave it to the titles and your imagination! My thoughts I've never been a fan of short stories and this book sadly hasn't done much to sway me. I found a whole stack of Pengiun 60's books in a charity shop and i'm off to Paris tomorrow so decided to get a couple for the journey, i didn't want a long book that would need my complete attention or take up space in my bag. So i bought this one and The pit and the pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe which i plan to read on the trip. Out of the three stories Stevenson's The Body Snatchers is defiantly the best. It offers a lot more in such few pages than either of the stories by M R James. Whilst i didn't expect too much from the book, i did actually really enjoy The Body Snatchers. The Doll's House and The Rose Garden however really didn't bring anything to the table for me. Maybe its the older style of writing although easy to read and get to grips with, i didn't find myself in suspense or curious or actually bothered about either story at all. Maybe Stevenson is a much better writer but having not read any other books by either author i cant really judge that. I am however glad that a story by Stevenson had been included, it would have been rather disappointing if it hadn't based on the other two short stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Aw, it's a shame you didn't enjoy A Haunted Doll's House, Shelley. I've had this on my TBR pile for a little while. I must admit I was partly swayed by the pretty Penguin cover, but I also wanted to read some 'classic' mysteries. Hopefully I'll get on with it a bit better than you have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 I hope you enjoy it! There was just so little to it for me that i couldn't really enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe 4/5 Everybody has bad dreams. Horrible things move towards you in the dark, things you can hear but not see. Then you wake up, in your own warm bed, and turn over to go back to sleep. But imagine that you wake up on a hard floor, in a darkness blacker than the blackest night. You listen to the silence, and smell a wet dead smell. Death is all around you, waiting . . . In these stories by Edgar Allan Poe, death whispers at you from every dark corner, and fear can send you mad . . . My Thoughts I preferred these short stories alot more than the last. There's more to them and they have better plots but they are also written better. The black Cat was probably my favorite story although very disturbing! The beating heart and The premature death was also very good. The pit and the pendulum was my least favorite but not for any reason other than the others interested me more. Its a really good book when your spending hours on and off coaches! Its small enough not to be a burden and you can read a story then put it down with forgetting where you are. I still haven't been persuaded to read short stories at home yet though. Edited September 19, 2013 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I am scared to death of this short story but I've no idea why .. except I think it's something to do with Vincent Price I have a collection too and am reading them every now and then (or was .. I need to get back into it). He does creepy very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Shelley I think Poe's stories are good scarey type stories ,made better by the fact that he lived a somewhat "haunted" life himself . It seemed he had lots of sadness and difficulty in life and maybe that came across in his writing . I don't think he was as appreciated during his lifetime as he has been since his death. Kinda like a legend now, where during his life ,many people looked at him in a more negative light ... having problems as he did with drinking , possibly drugs ? And his personal life was quite questionable in some areas ... I sometimes think certain authors are more interesting if you know what their real life was like . It adds a lot more interest to their writing that way . My favorite thing he wrote was probably Annabelle Lee . I've never been a poetry fan, but that one is just so sad .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) Shelley I think Poe's stories are good scarey type stories ,made better by the fact that he lived a somewhat "haunted" life himself . It seemed he had lots of sadness and difficulty in life and maybe that came across in his writing . I don't think he was as appreciated during his lifetime as he has been since his death. Kinda like a legend now, where during his life ,many people looked at him in a more negative light ... having problems as he did with drinking , possibly drugs ? And his personal life was quite questionable in some areas ... I sometimes think certain authors are more interesting if you know what their real life was like . It adds a lot more interest to their writing that way . My favorite thing he wrote was probably Annabelle Lee . I've never been a poetry fan, but that one is just so sad .. Thanks for the interesting back ground Yes the story of The Black Cat seemed very convincing, almost recollecting of something he'd done so certainly the alcoholism at least rung true in this story. He was a very good writer. I always find it such a shame when an author dies before their work becomes well known and celebrated. I think that's a case with a lot of the classics Edited September 19, 2013 by shelley.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 The Penultimate Truth by Phillip K Dick 4/5 About the book (Amazon) World War III is raging - or so the millions of people crammed in their underground tanks believe. For fiteen years, subterranean humanity has been fed on daily broadcasts of a never-ending nuclear destruction, sustained by a belief in the all powerful Protector. Now someone has gone to the surface and found no destruction, no war. The authorities have been telling a massive lie. Now the search begins to find out why. My Thoughts Another genius book from PKD, wrapped as ever in government deceptions and conspiracies . It was a great read though perhaps slightly missed some of its potential. Id liked to have know what would of happened when everyone found out about the war being ended (barely begun) but the book ended before the main character announced it. However the murder mystery was good and there were some incredible and clever plots (as always with PKD) I certainly enjoyed it although i did prefer A Scanner Darkly and The World Jones Made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Great review, Shelley! I must admit, I've never heard of this book, although I've read a lot of his books. Another one for the wish list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 (edited) Great review, Shelley! I must admit, I've never heard of this book, although I've read a lot of his books. Another one for the wish list!Same here on all counts. ETA: I bought it from BD. Edited October 10, 2013 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Sounds like a great read. I have added it to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Thanks guys Im trying to review everything i read but sometimes its hard not to repeat my self with certain authors as their book plots are so similar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 4/5 About the book (Amazon) Sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is an ordinary teenager, who likes hanging out in Brooklyn with her friends. But everything changes the night she witnesses a murder, committed by a group of teens armed with medieval weaponry. The murderous group are Shadowhunters, secret warriors dedicated to driving demons out of this dimension and back into their own. Drawn inexorably into a terrifying world, Clary slowly begins to learn the truth about her family - and the battle for the fate of the world. My Thoughts I decided to start this series as I really enjoyed The Infernal Devices and well I saw this book for half price haha. I Knew the Mortal Instruments series was written before The infernal Devices but time wise The Infernal Devices happened before The Mortal Instruments (TID being set in victorian London and TMI being set in modern day New York.) Hence I decided to read them in that order.) Anyway I was pleasantly surprised by City of Bones. I was slightly concerned i was going to be reading TID all over again but actually the character dynamics are very different which I pleased to see. These characters are all very different to what i was used to with TID but at the moment I dont like Alec/Simon/Clary/Isabelle as much as i liked Will/Jem/Tessa. Im glad Magnus Bane is in this series too, he's a great character and adds alot in my opinion. There were alot of surprise plots. So all in all i really enjoyed the First installment and will be reading the rest to complete the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 4/5 About the book (Amazon) A Christmas Carol is one of Charles Dickens' most loved books - a true classic and a Christmas time must-read. Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean, miserable, bitter old man with no friends. One cold Christmas Eve, three ghosts take him on a scary journey to show him the error of his nasty ways. By visiting his past, present and future, Scrooge learns to love Christmas and the people all around him. My Thoughts. I found this book in an antiques book shop. Its a 1909 pocket size edition and bound in a suede cover with a note in the front saying "To Jacob love Minnie." I love everything about this little book from the Shakespeare quotes at the front to the different size pages throughout. Its a real old treasure. I've owned it for at least 5 years but never actually read it due to its frail state and the fact I know the story in side out. However i had a few days before my new book was due to come through the post so I decided to get into the christmas spirit. It was exactly how I remember it. Normally when I go back and read books from my childhood i'm bitterly disappointed about how rubbish it actually was compared to my amazing childish memory of it however this book was as great today as it was 14 years ago and alas 100 years before that! Everyone should read it at least once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 On another note I feel the need to share with everyone that i've won my first ever early reviewers book. Exciting I never win anything and for the past 2 years i've been entering to win an early review on more than one site so i was really surprised to get an email saying id won one of the books i was looking forward to reading. Its called Elemental by Brandon Ax so i'll take a break from The Mortal Instruments to read and review this one once i've got it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 That's really exciting about the review book, especially when you've been entering to win won for so long and have had no luck til now! I hope it's a great book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Thanks Frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Congrats, Shelly ! How exciting to be one of the first people to read the book ! Hope you enjoy it greatly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Congrats! I always enter those things but never win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Congratulations! That's pretty exciting . Nice reviews on City of Bones and A Christmas Carol, both are on my TBR, I might read the latter before Christmas this year, it depends how fast or slow my reading of some other books will go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 Thanks all Yes i was starting to think nobody ever won those things and it was all made up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare 4/5 About the book (Amazon) With her mother in a coma and her father hell-bent on destroying the world, Clary is dragged deeper into New York’s terrifying underworld of werewolves, demons and the mysterious Shadowhunters. Discovering the truth about her past was only the beginning, now Clary must save the world from her own father – the rogue Shadowhunter Valentine. With two of the Mortal Instruments at his command, Valentine is assembling an army of demons to wage war on the council of Shadowhunters and destroy them once and for all. As the battle begins, Clary must face her darkest fears – and come to terms with her feelings for a boy she wishes wasn’t her brother. My Thoughts. Another exciting installment in The Mortal Instruments series. I totally enjoyed this one as much as City of bones. The characters are becoming more familiar now, like old friends... I love that feeling You'll have excuse the lack of review on this book as ive literally read this one and The city of Glass back to back so ive forgotten what happened in what book but needless to say i cant put them down as im now on my 4th installment City of Fallen Angels and have read any other book in between! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley.s Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare 4/5 About the book (Amazon) Amid the chaos of war, the Shadowhunters must decide to fight with the vampires, werewolves and other Downworlders - or against them. Meanwhile, Jace and Clary have their own decision to make: should they pursue the love they know is forbidden? My Thoughts. I loved this book. There are so many unexpected twists its jaw dropping! There is never ever a dull chapter in any of Cassandra Clares books and the series is getting better and better. The books follow on really well and i love that alot of the characters are remaining in all of the books and their story is bought out as the books go on. Its so well thought out and everything ties together so neatly. I dont have anything bad to say about any of the books in the series so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I'm glad to hear you like these books. I have them on my shelf but I haven't read them yet. I'm glad you liked them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I have really enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series so far. They do not disappoint. Can't wait for the 6th book next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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