Hayley Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 I love starting a fresh new book blog This year I've set my Goodreads goal to 50, again, and maybe this will be the year I make it! I'm also determined to keep my reading list here up to date, which I was really rubbish at last year. Quite a few books have been added to my shelf (and floor... and under my bed... and basically in every available space) since last January, so here we go... On My Shelf Abercrombie, Joe. Best Served Cold Abercrombie, Joe. Half a King Abercrombie, Joe. Half the World Abercrombie, Joe. Red Country Adams, Douglas. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adams, Douglas. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Adams, Douglas. Life, The Universe and Everything Adams, Douglas. So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish Atwood, Margaret. The Testaments Ballantyne, R.M. The Coral Island Banks, Iain. The Bridge Banks, Iain M. The Algebraist Banks Iain M. Excession Banks Iain M. Feersum Endjinn Banks Iain M. Inversions Banks, Iain M. Look to Windward Banks Iain M. Matter Banks Iain M. The Player of Games Banks Iain M. Use of Weapons Barker, Clive. Weaveworld Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451 Brennan, Marie, A Natural History of Dragons British Myths and Legends vol. 1: Marvels and Magic. ed. Richard Barber British Myths and Legends vol. 2: Heroes and Saints. " British Myths and Legends vol 3. History and Romance. " Brontë, Anne. Agnes Grey Brontë, Anne. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Brontë, Charlotte. The Professor Brontë, Charlotte. Shirley Brontë, Charlotte. Villette Burton, Jessie. The Muse Butcher, Jim. Cold Days Butcher, Jim. Dead Beat Butcher, Jim. Proven Guilty Byatt, A.S. The Children's Book Caldecott, Andrew. Rotherweird Christie, Agatha. Murder on the Orient Express Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Clarke, Susanna, The Ladies of Grace Adieu Classic Victorian and Edwardian Ghost Stories ed. Rex Collings Collins, Bridget. The Binding Collins, Wilkie. The Haunted Hotel and Other Stories Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things Cox, Tom. Help the Witch De Muriel, Oscar. Loch of the Dead Dickens, Charles. Christmas Stories Vol. 1 Dickens, Charles. Nicholas Nickleby Dickens, Charles. The Old Curiosity Shop Dickens, Charles. The Pickwick Papers Dumas, Alexandre. The Three Musketeers Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose Evans, Claire. The Fourteenth Letter Faulks, Sebastian. Birdsong Fforde, Jasper. One of Our Thursdays is Missing Fforde, Jasper. The Woman Who Died A Lot Gaylin, Alison. Into the Dark Gowar, Imogen Hermes. The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows Grossmith, George and Weedon. The Diary of a Nobody Halls, Stacey. The Familiars Hardie, Titania. The Rose Labyrinth Hardy, Thomas. Under the Greenwood Tree Harkness, Deborah. Shadow of Night Harkness, Deborah. Time's Convert Horowitz, Anthony. Magpie Murders Hoving, Isabel. The Dream Merchant Jemisin, N.K. Fifth Season Jemisin, N.K. The Obelisk Gate Jemisin, N.K. The Stone Sky Kidd, Jess. Things in Jars le Carre, John. A Most Wanted Man Lynch, Scott, The Lies of Locke Lamora Marston, Edward. The Iron Horse Marston, Edward. Murder on the Brighton Express Marston, Edward. The Railway Viaduct McDermid, Val. The Distant Echo Miéville, China. Kraken Miéville, China. The Scar Mirless, Hope. Lud -in-the-Mist More, Thomas. Utopia Morton, Kate. The Distant Hours Mosse, Kate. Citadel Mosse, Kate. The Taxidermist's Daughter Owen, Lauren. The Quick Peake, Mervyn. Titus Groan Peake, Mervyn. Gormenghast Peake, Mervyn. Titus Alone Perry, Sarah. The Essex Serpent The Penguin Book of English Short Stories Ed. Christopher Dolley Pratchett, Terry. I Shall Wear Midnight Price, Steven, By Gaslight Purcell, Laura. Bone China Russel, Craig. Brother Grimm Setterfield, Diane. The Thirteenth Tale Stansfield, Katherine. The Magpie Tree Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men Taylor, Jodi, And the Rest is History Taylor, Jodi. A Trail Through Time Tolkien, J.R.R. Tree and Leaf, Smith of Wooton Major, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Vance, Jack, City of the Chasch Vance, Jack, The Dirdir Vance, Jack, Emphyrio Vance, Jack, The Eyes of the Overworld Vance, Jack, The Gray Prince Vance, Jack, The Green Pearl Vance, Jack, The Houses of Iszm Vance, Jack, Madouc Vance, Jack, The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph Vance, Jack, Rhialto the Marvellous Vance, Jack, Servants of the fiddleh Vance, Jack, To Live Forever Vance, Jack, Wyst:Alastor 1716 Verne, Jules. Five Weeks in a Balloon Verne, Jules. From the Earth to the Moon Verne, Jules. Round the Moon Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Victoire, Stephanie. The Other World, It Whispers Wells, H.G. The Time Machine Wells, H.G. The Island of Dr. Moreau Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds Wells, H.G. The First Men in the Moon Wells, H.G. The Invisible Man Wesolowski, Matt. Six Stories Zusak, Marcus. Bridge of Clay Phew, I think that's all of them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 I didn't make any progress on my Discworld re-read last year, which is shocking, so hopefully I'll get a chance to cross some more off the list this year... 1. The Colour of Magic2. The Light Fantastic3. Equal Rites 4. Mort 5. Sourcery 6. Wyrd Sisters 7. Pyramids 8. Guards! Guards! 9. Faust Eric 10. Moving Pictures 11. Reaper Man 12. Witches Abroad 13. Small Gods 14. Lords and Ladies 15. Men at Arms 16. Soul Music 17. Interesting times 18. Maskerade 19. Feet of Clay 20. Hogfather 21. Jingo 22. The Last Continent 23. Carpe Jugulum 24. The Fifth Elephant 25. The Truth 26. Thief of Time 27. The Last Hero 28. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents 29. Night Watch 30. The Wee Free Men 31. Monstrous Regiment 32. A Hat Full of Sky 33. Going Postal 34. Thud! 35. Wintersmith 36. Making Money 37. Unseen Academicals 38. I Shall Wear Midnight 39. Snuff 40. Raising Steam 41. The Shepherd's Crown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 Purchased in 2020: January: Follett, Barbara Newhall. The House Without Windows Morgenstern, Erin. The Starless Sea February: Aaronovitch, Ben. False Value Laakso, Laura. Roots of Corruption Monstrous Little Voices: New Tales from Shakespeare's Fantasy World ed. Jonathan Oliver and David Moore Rubenhold, Ruth. The Five Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 Ok, thread open! January is going to be a really busy month for me, so I don't know how much reading I'm really going to get done, and I probably won't be on here quite as much as usual (I'm still checking in a few times every day, but my comments might be a bit brief!). I have lots of books I'm excited to read though so I'm sure I'll make up for it. Currently reading Tom Cox's Help the Witch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 12, 2020 Author Share Posted January 12, 2020 I bought two more books today because I had a £10 Waterstones voucher and no self control. So my first two 2020 book purchases were The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and The House Without Windows by Barbara Newhall Follett. Both have really beautiful covers. This picture doesn't even do justice to The House Without Windows. The edges of all the butterfly wings are speckled with gold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 First off, happy reading in 2020, Hayley!! I hope you'll have a good and enjoyable reading year . Secondly, I've heard good things of The Starless Sea. I hope you enjoy both books you bought, they both look beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 4 hours ago, Athena said: First off, happy reading in 2020, Hayley!! I hope you'll have a good and enjoyable reading year . Secondly, I've heard good things of The Starless Sea. I hope you enjoy both books you bought, they both look beautiful! Thank you! I haven’t really read any reviews of The Starless Sea so that’s good to hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Good luck with your 2020 reading, and the self-control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 14 hours ago, vodkafan said: Good luck with your 2020 reading, and the self-control! Maybe it should be called.. shelf control . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 On 13/01/2020 at 5:12 PM, vodkafan said: Good luck with your 2020 reading, and the self-control! Thanks! 13 hours ago, Athena said: Maybe it should be called.. shelf control . Ha ha! It should!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 On 11/01/2020 at 10:35 PM, Hayley said: I love starting a fresh new book blog This year I've set my Goodreads goal to 50, again, and maybe this will be the year I make it! I'm also determined to keep my reading list here up to date, which I was really rubbish at last year. Quite a few books have been added to my shelf (and floor... and under my bed... and basically in every available space) since last January, so here we go... On My Shelf BIG LIST Phew, I think that's all of them... There's quite a lot of science fiction there. If you have not read Iain M. Banks before you are in for a treat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 15, 2020 Author Share Posted January 15, 2020 20 hours ago, Raven said: There's quite a lot of science fiction there. If you have not read Iain M. Banks before you are in for a treat! I’ve read one (Consider Phlebas) so I’m looking forward to seeing what the others are like! Someone I know was given that whole set of books and they don’t read, so they asked if I wanted them, which is why I have so many! Have you read all of the ones on my list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 Banks, Iain. The Bridge Banks, Iain M. The Algebraist Banks Iain M. Excession Banks Iain M. Feersum Endjinn Banks Iain M. Inversions Banks, Iain M. Look to Windward Banks Iain M. Matter Banks Iain M. The Player of Games Banks Iain M. Use of Weapons I have all of them with the exception of the The Bridge, which isn't one of his science fiction novels (you can tell the difference because his sci-fi novels have an 'M' in the middle of his name). The ones I have highlighted in bold above are the ones I have read. Of the ones I have read The Player of Games is by far my favourite, and I would go as far as to say it is one of the best contemporary science fiction novels I have read. Use of Weapons is also very good, but in a very different way! Oh, and by the way, if you have never read The War of the Worlds, you are in for another treat! (it is far, far better than the dreadful adaptation the BBC foisted upon us last year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 5 hours ago, Raven said: Banks, Iain. The Bridge Banks, Iain M. The Algebraist Banks Iain M. Excession Banks Iain M. Feersum Endjinn Banks Iain M. Inversions Banks, Iain M. Look to Windward Banks Iain M. Matter Banks Iain M. The Player of Games Banks Iain M. Use of Weapons I have all of them with the exception of the The Bridge, which isn't one of his science fiction novels (you can tell the difference because his sci-fi novels have an 'M' in the middle of his name). The ones I have highlighted in bold above are the ones I have read. Of the ones I have read The Player of Games is by far my favourite, and I would go as far as to say it is one of the best contemporary science fiction novels I have read. Use of Weapons is also very good, but in a very different way! I've read (out of those on your list) The Player of Games and The Use of Weapons and I really liked both. The Player of Games is my favourite of his books also. Highly recommend! 5 hours ago, Raven said: Oh, and by the way, if you have never read The War of the Worlds, you are in for another treat! (it is far, far better than the dreadful adaptation the BBC foisted upon us last year). Agreed, I really liked The War of the Worlds (the book, that is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 Well I was going to read the Ian M. Banks books in order anyway (although I know you don’t need to) so Player of Games will be next! And now I’m much more excited about it! I haven’t read War of the Worlds (actually none of the books on my list are re-reads) but it’s one of those books I’ve wanted to read for ages and just never got round to (luckily I missed the tv series!). The same goes for all the H.G Wells books. Those were a present from my sister, so my huge list isn’t all my fault... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 23 hours ago, Hayley said: Those were a present from my sister, so my huge list isn’t all my fault... Oh, dear: I didn't think your list was that huge - looked quite respectable to me! Nice mix too. Unlike Raven, I'm not much of a sci-fi fan (although I'm looking forward to War of the Worlds as well),so can't comment on your selections there, but there are others on your list which I loved. The three standouts for me are The Essex Serpent, Of Mice and Men, and The Name of the Rose, all on my favourites list. Adams almost goes without saying, and have to mention Agnes Grey as it's Ann Bronte's 200th birthday today (haven't read Tenant yet). Good luck with your goals for this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 7 hours ago, willoyd said: Oh, dear: I didn't think your list was that huge - looked quite respectable to me! Nice mix too. Unlike Raven, I'm not much of a sci-fi fan (although I'm looking forward to War of the Worlds as well),so can't comment on your selections there, but there are others on your list which I loved. The three standouts for me are The Essex Serpent, Of Mice and Men, and The Name of the Rose, all on my favourites list. Adams almost goes without saying, and have to mention Agnes Grey as it's Ann Bronte's 200th birthday today (haven't read Tenant yet). Good luck with your goals for this year! Thank you! Actually, you're right! I don't have too many books, I have a perfectly respectable number of books but too little shelf space! I am particularly looking forward to The Essex Serpent. Sarah Perry's Melmoth was one of my favourite books last year and if it's even half as good as that I know I'll love it! Of Mice and Men is one I've had for a really long time. I'm always slightly put off picking it up because I know it's going to be really sad. I've only heard great things about The Name of the Rose and am fully expecting to love it. This year will have to be the one I read Ann Bronte in, as it's her 200th birthday year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 I went to get Ben Aaronovitch's new Peter Grant book, False Value, today and was tempted by the sale shelf, so I also ended up getting The Five by Hallie Rubenhold and Monstrous Little Voices: New Tales from Shakespeare's Fantasy World. And now I think I should start reviewing some of the books I've already read! Help the Witch by Tom Cox 3.5/5 - I really liked it. This book was completely different to what I expected. I imagined it would be a bit like Zoe Gilbert's Folk, but perhaps a bit darker (not that Folk isn't already pretty dark...) and less magical. I feel like varied isn't a strong enough word for the sheer range of subjects and styles it actually covers, but the only other word I can think of is mad, so lets stick with varied... There are haunted houses and giant, vengeful hares (those were more along the lines I expected), but there are also robots you can step inside and talking tomatoes. Cox clearly has a quirky and vivid imagination, and it was fun going on this 'varied' journey through generally unconnected stories. There was one story I didn't particularly like, which is mainly why I didn't give the book 4 stars. 'Speed Awareness' came after a part of the book I thought was really good, where you get to piece together a story through various listings in a newspaper, so maybe that made it seem more disappointing, but it really just felt didactic and predictable to me, to the point of being quite cheesy. It sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the book, which is genuinely original and clever. I can only imagine that maybe the author feels strongly about traffic accidents caused by speeding, which is fair, but it just seemed odd in the context of the book. An overall good and very interesting collection though, which I'd be happy to recommend. Soot by Andrew Martin 2/5 - It was ok The idea behind Soot sounds great. We basically begin in 1799 with a man who's in debtor's prison. A mysterious benefactor pays half his debt and buys him a month of freedom, on the condition that in that time he must find the killer of a murdered artist. The start is promising. We get introduced to some interesting and shady characters, learn a bit more about the murder and how our protagonist is going to trace potential suspects. I was quite hooked at this point, gathering clues as each suspect comes to light, but then it all went a bit downhill... I think part of the problem was that nobody really seems to care about the murder. There's really no urgency or emotion associated with it. The ending was poorly tied together and seems like the author intended there to be a second book, although I don't think there is one. I had fun reading this for maybe 80% of the book, but it fell flat by the end, so for that reason I would not recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 4 hours ago, Hayley said: I went to get Ben Aaronovitch's new Peter Grant book, False Value, today and was tempted by the sale shelf, so I also ended up getting The Five by Hallie Rubenhold Stonking read - really hope you enjoy this (although 'enjoy' is probably the wrong word!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 Well a lot of things happened since I updated this! I think it's about time I got back it. I decided to go for a bit of a different format, so this update doesn't take too long! Since Soot I have read fourteen books: In reading order (from the bottom of the pile): Sourcery by Terry Pratchett - 5/5 You know I love Terry Pratchett, it was never going to be less than 5 The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar - 3.5/5 This had a very interesting plot, set in the late eighteenth century and based partly on the true story of a merchant ship being exchanged for a mermaid. If you've seen this book on goodreads you might have noticed that it's categorised as 'magical realism' and I disagree with that. There is, maybe, one moment in the book that could be described as magical realism and even that seems more metaphorical than intentionally 'magical'. The mermaid theme runs through the book but it is more about a courtesan (Angelica Neal). There are elements of Angelica's story which are genuinely interesting and there is quite a clever development in how the reader feels about Angelica throughout the book. On the other hand, there were quite large sections of the book where I was just thinking 'where is this going?'. It's definitely not one to pick up if you're looking for a fast pace! I very nearly gave up on the book about half way through, because it seemed as though it was turning into a predictable romance, but I'm glad I stuck with it because I was surprised by the ending. I think the author has a lot to say about sex workers, the nature of desire, the concept of beauty and women's freedom. Unfortunately (and there is a good chance this is just because I wasn't really in the mood for this sort of book) I only really appreciated those things after I'd finished reading and looked back at the various elements of the plot. While I was actually reading the book I felt more like I was constantly waiting for something to happen until about the last quarter. False Value by Ben Aaronovitch - 4.5/5 This series is brilliant and it always feels exciting to meet new characters, find out what's happening with the old ones and discover more about the potential of magic with Peter Grant. I knocked half a start off this for a couple of really small reasons. One contains a spoiler for anybody who hasn't read the previous book, Lies Sleeping, so just in case: Spoiler The fact that Peter was no longer going to be doing his old job as a police officer, because it was a dangerous job and he's soon to be a dad, was a big reveal at the end of Lies Sleeping. Wondering how this was going to work and what Peter would be doing instead was part of the excitement going into False Value. But I quickly forgot he was even supposed to NOT be police, he just slipped so easily into the old role. To such an extent that I was confused at one point and I can't actually remember at what point he ends up working with the police again. I'm not sure I see the point of him ever leaving. I suppose it just gave him a reason to be where he was at the beginning of the book? The one other very slight thing, which I've heard a few people mention, was all the references to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There are always 'geeky' references in the Peter Grant books and usually they're quite funny, like sharing an 'in-joke' with the author. There were so many references in False Value though that if you aren't familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy you would be very confused. I have spoken to someone who read the book and didn't understand the references and it just made it seem to them that there was some kind of weird clue that wasn't ever being explained. I understood the references (only because I've seen the film!) but by the end I had started to think they felt a bit silly and (I'm aware this might sound a bit hypocritical when I'm reading a book about wizards in London) made things feel less realistic. I think the latter issue is probably because they act as a constant reminder of the author's presence, which isn't what you want when the narrative is first person, from Peter's perspective. BUT, it's still another great book. All of the good things are still there. I really enjoyed reading it and the ending, as always, left me wondering what's going to happen in the next book. I think I've just talked about all the things I like in this series so much already it's easier to identify the things I didn't like as much . Roots of Corruption by Laura Laakso - 4.5/5 This is the third book in the 'Wilde Investigations' series and they keep getting better. There's a host of really well developed, memorable characters. There's always something new to discover about how magic works and what's possible (a bit like with the Peter Grant books actually!) and I can never guess how the mystery is going to end. This one cleverly explains something that's hinted about in the first book and, in doing so, opens up a whole other aspect of the world to explore. Something I'm sure we'll be doing in the next book. It also made me cry at one point and I don't think I can entirely blame the somewhat stressful state of the world at the time of reading... Things in Jars by Jess Kidd - 5/5 This book had so many of my favourite things; detectives, folklore, my favourite decade (the 1860s). Unlike The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, this one actually could be categorised as magical realism. The main character and detective, Bridie, is a brilliant and very likeable character. The setting and sense of being in the Victorian era is very nicely done. The world feels real and not cliched. There a two separate supernatural elements. One is in the form of a ghost, which I won't say too much about for fear of spoilers, but I loved him just as much as Bridie. The other is a central part of the mystery and where the folklore comes in. This whole element of the story was great. I love reading about the folklore of different places generally and the way it was portrayed for this story was both compelling and believable. Again without giving too much away, part of the supernatural element of this story involves the ability to make people remember things they have tried to forget. This ended up being surprisingly emotional and added a side to the story that I wasn't expecting but loved. It was also just brilliantly written. So 5/5 for this one . Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - 5/5 (This book is actually half the size of the book in the picture, that edition contains 'A Murder is Announced' too). I think I read this at just the right moment. I'd had a bit of a reading slump. I didn't know what I felt like. The world was being particularly mad, as it has been this year, and I just wanted something that would hold my attention but also be quite relaxing. This was just perfect. The narrative voice, practical and assured, is very relaxing and easy to read. The mystery itself is, I suppose, what people call a 'cosy mystery'. Yes there's been a murder, but there's no really gruesome elements and no sense of fear or even real urgency. It's just interesting to find out how Poirot will solve the puzzle. And it was a really excellent puzzle! One day I would love to go on the Orient Express! Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett - 5/5 I'm sure I've reviewed this here before so I'll just repeat, I really love Terry Pratchett. To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I loved Murder on the Orient Express too! And of course Sourcery and Wyrd Sisters . I love that you made a picture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 6 hours ago, Athena said: I loved Murder on the Orient Express too! And of course Sourcery and Wyrd Sisters . I love that you made a picture! Thank you! It felt a bit weird not stacking them with the biggest book at the bottom but I wanted them to be in reading order! To continue the list: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - 4/5 This book has sentimental value to me because my great aunt gave it to me when I was little. It has a local newspaper name on the inner fold of the dust jacket, so I think she probably saved coupons from the newspaper to get it. Sadly she passed away a few years ago after suffering from dementia, but I have lovely memories of her. One of the things I loved about going to her house was playing in the garden. She had a long garden with a stream at the bottom, which was where (the adults told us) the fairies lived. So this book doubly reminded me of her, as the little animals navigated their boat around the streams and the big river. I expected it to be a very simple and potentially not very entertaining book as an adult, but I was very pleasantly surprised! The loveliest thing was the language and Grahame's descriptions of the natural world and changing seasons. It is really beautifully written and I can see now why it's considered a classic. So, thanks auntie Peggy Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - 5/5 I would put this book alongside my all time favourites. It was brilliant. It's also huge (I think around 800 pages), which put me off for a while because I knew it would take me a long time to finish it and I thought that it would probably require a lot of concentration (which this year has not been great for!). I needn't have worried though. I often put this book down for a few days, even a week at a time, when I wasn't in much of a reading mood, and it was very easy to dip back into. There is always something happening in this book. Every chapter is exciting. Yet it's also so easy to read and to follow, because you're absolutely immersed in the world every time you pick it up. There's just nothing wrong with this book. It's incredibly well written, the plot is intricate but easy to follow, the characters are great, the whole concept feels original yet familiar (probably due to the fairy tale / folklore references and the very believably constructed nineteenth-century world). I would fully recommend it and I can't wait to read more from this author. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - 5/5 If anybody ever doubts the importance of books to a society they should be made to read this book. It's quite hard to talk about the specific things I liked without spoilers but I thought it was very powerful and emotional, as well as being a very gripping story. The dystopian world Bradbury created has disturbing similarities to our own and I was particularly impressed by Bradbury's portrayal of human nature, both its good and bad sides. This is the kind of book that stays with you. The edition I had was an anniversary one (my sister bought it for me for my birthday) and I do think it's worth getting because it contains some interesting notes from Bradbury about what he would change about the book and how he imagined the background of one of the characters. Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski - 4/5 This is the first book in a series of thrillers based on the (very clever, I thought) idea of a podcast looking into an unsolved murder. Six different people who had some involvement with the victim are interviewed (these are the 'six stories' of the title) and the reader gradually builds up a picture of what really happened as well as seeing where the stories don't quite add up. It was just a really good book with a clever plot. I had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep, otherwise I would have read the whole thing in a day. I've just ordered the second book in the series so I'm hoping it will be just as good! Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë - 4/5 I was expecting this to be a relaxing read but the families Agnes ends up being a governess for in this novel stressed me out! They're awful! And I think that response is proof of how well this book is written. The characters, particularly the children, really represent all the worst bits of human nature and I think they'll stay in my memory for a long time! This is also definitely, for anyone interested in the nineteenth century, an interesting insight into the experience of a young woman starting work as a governess. The House Without Windows by Barbara Newhall Follett - 4/5 This is such a beautiful book. I will admit I was originally attracted by the cover. The illustrations by Jackie Morris throughout the book are beautiful too and just perfect for the story, which is all about nature and the desire to be part of it. The story itself was written by Barbara Newhall Follett when she was about twelve, and ended up oddly mirroring her life of exploration and her subsequent disappearance. I would like to think that, in the end, she found the freedom she wanted. The story is incredibly well written for anybody, it's easy to forget, while reading, that it was written by a child. The descriptions of the natural world are really beautiful. There was a niggling issue for me, which was that, at times, I found myself not really liking the main character, Eepersip. In her quest for absolute freedom she sometimes comes across as very selfish and fickle. I'm not really sure whether this was intentional, a sort of down-side to freedom, or not. Eepersip is undoubtedly represented as an ideal character, compared to fairies and nymphs, she is absolutely free and all of nature loves her. But, for example, at the beginning of the book we're told that Eepersip's parents build the most beautiful garden for her, to give her everything she needs to be happy. She is happy with the garden for a while, but then she gets bored and just runs away. When her parents start trying to look for her they instantly become the antagonists of the story, nastily trying to trap Eepersip and take her away. She doesn't seem to care about them at all. There are other moments in the story where Eepersip essentially uses a person/animal for her own pleasure but quickly abandons them when they don't suit what she wants any more (and she changes her mind about the things she desperately needs to see/do a LOT). So, as beautiful as the story and Eepersip's love of nature was, there was that troubling element that I couldn't shake off. I think maybe it's best to read the story as a kind of fairy tale and to try not to think of the real-world practicalities of the things that happen. If you do that then it is an excellently written quest for freedom that takes the reader through a sort-of panorama of the natural world. The Magpie Tree by Katherine Stansfield - 3/5 This was... interesting. There's a missing boy and talk of witchcraft, which instantly sounded good to me. We follow two female detectives as they try to solve the mystery and claim the offered reward. The first thing that put me off a little bit with this story was the fact that, although nothing anywhere says that it is part of a series, there is a book before this one. The Magpie Tree refers to people, places and things that happened in this previous book a lot, which made me feel like I was missing something. In the end I looked up the author on goodreads and found that there is a book called Falling Creatures which explains these missing bits of plot and also how these two detectives met. Now, the relationship between these two women was another thing that bothered me and I don't know whether I would have felt differently if I'd read the first book. It's made clear, at the beginning of the book, that these women have had some kind of sexual relationship in the past (I assume in the previous book) although they aren't a couple. The one character, Shilly, is represented as quite a vulnerable person. The woman she loved has died (it's not clear how at first, I had to read about the previous book to make this clear), she struggles with serious alcohol addiction and she's often very childlike. From a comment she makes about another character's age she is supposed to be about nineteen. The age of the other woman, Anna, is never revealed, but it's specifically mentioned that she's older than Shilly. Old enough to have false teeth and creaky knees. It's obvious that Anna likes Shilly and wants to help her to stop drinking, but at the same time she's often unkind and controlling. As part of her detective work (and because she likes doing so) Anna dresses as different people and takes on their personas. One of these characters is a man who she uses to be particularly cruel to Shilly, accusing her of being drunk when she isn't. Moments where Shilly is really grateful for the slightest kindness or affirmation from Anna felt quite sad. This dynamic just made me feel uncomfortable and detracted from the story rather than adding to it. I would much rather have just had Shilly as the detective. I was interested in the outcome of the mystery and there were moments of good tension. I liked the supernatural element but thought more could have been made of it. It was a decent mystery but if I'm honest there are better examples in the same genre (like Things in Jars). And I am up to date! At last! Now to try to keep it that way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 21 hours ago, Hayley said: Well a lot of things happened since I updated this! I think it's about time I got back it. The world done and got sick on us... (in oh so many ways...). Quote False Value by Ben Aaronovitch - 4.5/5 This series is brilliant and it always feels exciting to meet new characters, find out what's happening with the old ones and discover more about the potential of magic with Peter Grant. I knocked half a start off this for a couple of really small reasons. One contains a spoiler for anybody who hasn't read the previous book, Lies Sleeping, so just in case: Hide contents The fact that Peter was no longer going to be doing his old job as a police officer, because it was a dangerous job and he's soon to be a dad, was a big reveal at the end of Lies Sleeping. Wondering how this was going to work and what Peter would be doing instead was part of the excitement going into False Value. But I quickly forgot he was even supposed to NOT be police, he just slipped so easily into the old role. To such an extent that I was confused at one point and I can't actually remember at what point he ends up working with the police again. I'm not sure I see the point of him ever leaving. I suppose it just gave him a reason to be where he was at the beginning of the book? In the words of River Song, spoilers: Spoiler Peter was suspended from duty at the end of Lies Sleeping, following Lesley shooting Martin Chorley whilst he was handcuffed to Peter, and as part of that he had to move out of The Folly whilst it was being investigated. This also tied in with him finding out he was about to become a Dad, so it makes sense he would move in with Beverley anyway (if memory serves, Peter makes a comment at the beginning of Lies Sleeping that he is spending most of his time living at Beverley's house anyway). With regard to his reinstatement, I think you are right; I don't think Aaronovitch did a very good job of explaining what happened between the two books - it all feels a little fudged and rushed in the need to get on with the current story - but it is explained, albeit briefly. I think it would have been very difficult for the series to continue without Peter still working for the MET on some level, as once sacked from the MET there would have been no way back to The Folly as Nightingale's apprentice, so I wasn't expecting him to lose his job when I started reading the book (although I couldn't work out how he came to be working for his new company until it was explained). Quote The one other very slight thing, which I've heard a few people mention, was all the references to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There are always 'geeky' references in the Peter Grant books and usually they're quite funny, like sharing an 'in-joke' with the author. There were so many references in False Value though that if you aren't familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy you would be very confused. I have spoken to someone who read the book and didn't understand the references and it just made it seem to them that there was some kind of weird clue that wasn't ever being explained. I understood the references (only because I've seen the film!) but by the end I had started to think they felt a bit silly and (I'm aware this might sound a bit hypocritical when I'm reading a book about wizards in London) made things feel less realistic. I think the latter issue is probably because they act as a constant reminder of the author's presence, which isn't what you want when the narrative is first person, from Peter's perspective. I may have said this in my review (can't be arsed to go and look!) but I found all the Hitch-Hikers references a massive distraction and, as you say, unrealistic. Someone would have thrown the copyright hammer at the company for such flagrant commercial use of the IP, if nothing else! If the company had to be a bit geeky, he could have gone with names of computer pioneers, like Babbage, Lovelace and Turing etc. Although I enjoyed it, I think with distance I would mark False Values down as well, and give it 4/5 (though that might go up again on a re-read!). At the end of Lies Sleeping it felt like there was going to be a massive change in direction for the series, but that never really happened. False Values feels like a side story before what comes next, although I think there may be parts of it that will prove to be very significant later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Wow, you have had a read fest! And a review fest too . I’ve still got a couple of the Peter Grant series books, but always seem to falter at Moon over Soho.... I can’t get into it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 5 hours ago, Marie H said: I’ve still got a couple of the Peter Grant series books, but always seem to falter at Moon over Soho.... I can’t get into it . If you enjoyed Rivers of London, skip Moon Over Soho and go on to Whispers Underground. If you get into the series, you can always go back and read Moon Over Soho later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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