Michelle

Tempest is the first in a YA trilogy, which I would say is aimed more at older teenagers – which also makes it great for us oldies too! I have to sadly admit that if I’d simply glanced at the cover, I would have dismissed this as yet another teen romance book – but once I realised it included time travel, I knew I had to give it a try – and I’m very glad I did! Our time traveller in Tempest is Jackson, a 19 year old living happily in 2009. Jackson has discovered that he can jump short distances into his past, but his actions there have no impact on the future. As is often said in the book, forget all you think you know about time travel! He and his friend Adam are carrying out small experiments to find out more about his abilities, and he’s enjoying being with his girlfriend Holly. This all changes when Holly is shot, and Jackson suddenly finds himself in 2007, apparently with no way back. In a short period of time he realises that there’s more to his father than he previously realised, and that he may be in a lot of danger. He sets out to befriend Adam once again, to gain his help, and to find Holly, who he originally met after 2007. It’s probably at this point where I felt the most muddled, but I soon settled into what was happening. Unfortunately this is also where for me the story slowed a little – too much time seems spent on Jackson and Holly’s relationship, although it does help you to realise how important their relationship is to him. After a while though the pace picks up again, and everything becomes quite complex.. but not confusing. Their are hints to what the next book will hold, and it all sounds rather exciting. Thankfully, for me at least, this wasn’t ‘yet another teen romance’ and yet the relationships, and emotions, are important to the story. The characters are realistic and well written, and I particularly loved the relationship between Jackson and his twin sister. There’s a bit of everything in this book, and it appeals to both male and female. Even with the slight slow down in the middle, I found myself constantly picking up this book, and my opinion of it has actually grown since reading it. It’s certainly not one of those books you put down and immediately forget about. As with the best trilogies, the main story is wrapped up without a massive cliffhanger, but there are enough hints to make you add the next one straight to your wishlist!

This is usually the sort of book I avoid, but I chose it particular one to review because the write up for it sounded interesting. Rory MacLean is a travel writer, and so the I found it well written, which I think is important. To me, this had just the right balance - it's very honest and open, but isn't all sugary and overly emotional. Has anyone else read this, or anything similar - are there any you recommend or would suggest be avoided?

These comments are always appreciated - a lot of time and money has gone into this place, but as I've said many times before, it would nothing without the lovely members who have found their way here.

Janet, read The Chrisalids please, it's my favourite Wyndham book!

We got off very lightly with the snow on Friday - didn't stop me getting very stressed at work, thinking I was going to get stuck there! lol We're getting our snow now, it's still fairly light, but is meant to get heavier. Then we'll have to see how it is in the morning, whether the schools are open, and whether I can drive in it. I'm like others here, my boss will not pay me if I can't make it in. Still, it's not worth having an accident.

What' really odd about this thread is apparently I ordered it - but I have no recollection of the book! lol

Laura Lam is the author of Pantomime, which is published on 7th Feb. I was lucky enough to be able to read it early, and my review is here. Laura is touring around various sites and blogs prior to publication, and as part of that, she's answered some questions for me... Q. Could you start off by telling us a little about the storyline for Pantomine? A. Most of Pantomime is set in a circus, R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic, set in Ellada, a pseudo-Victorian secondary world, where magic is long-gone…or so they think. Pantomime follows Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family who doesn’t fit into the world of corsets, crinolines, and cotillions. It also follows Micah Grey, the newest aerialist of the circus. Their stories intertwine in ways you may not expect and they learn they might be the key to unlocking the secrets of Ellada, and that the past is not so easy to run from. Q. Where did the story start in your head, with Gene, Micah, or the circus? A. Definitely with Micah Grey. He appeared in my head in 2007, but I didn’t start writing about him for about a year, and when I did, he was 27, not 16. Q. Pantomime is set in a fascinating fantasy world - do you see this as somewhere in our own future, or a completely different place? A. Aha, this is a good question. It could be a possible future version of Earth, where humans lived with the Alder and the Chimaera, and then a terrible event happened, the seas rose so that vast continents turned to islands, and history essentially started over. At the time of Pantomime, the people are in another Victorian age, of a sort, but with remnants of this past advanced civilization. I put in some hints to this here and there, but I leave it unclear. It could easily be another world, very far from Earth, that went through a similar fate. It’s up to the reader to decide which they like better  I did learn that Ellada is a name for Greece, though, by coincidence! Q. Did you always intend this to be a YA book, or did it develop in that direction? A. Initially I started a book with an adult Micah Grey, but I kept getting stuck so I decided to write about Micah’s teenage years when he joined the circus. I thought it would be a short story but it turned out not to be. When I finished, I initially subbed it as adult science fantasy to Angry Robot’s Open Door month, which is a bit funny as it’s now marketed as YA fantasy, which fits it much better. I did think it might be YA, but some of the themes are a bit more mature, so I submitted it anyway. Turned out the gamble worked—the Overlords thought YA would work better, but they were going in that direction anyway. I might have been SC’s first submission, but I’m not sure! Q. How do you feel about the distinction between YA and ‘adult’ books - do you think it’s helpful or restrictive? A. I think it can be both useful and restrictive. If I pick up two fantasy books and one is marketed as YA and another as adult, then I will assume the YA one will probably be a little shorter, more action-packed, and the romance fairly innocent—no detailed sex. But at the same time, that’s no guarantee of that at all, and sometimes I feel the line between YA and adult fiction can be very small indeed. I’ve read some YA that’s very sophisticated and some adult fiction that reads more juvenile. Q. There are also some sci-fi aspects throughout the story, will these become more prominent in the next book? A. Yes, but I won’t say any more than that. Q. What can we expect from the next book, is it a direct continuation of the story? A. The next book continues the theme with theatre but in the form of magic and illusion. There are still secrets to be kept and secrets to unravel, and it begins less than an hour after the end of Pantomime. Q. What are your plans for the series - do you have a set number of books planned for it? A. Ideally, I’d like to do a trilogy for the young adult Micah Grey books and an adult trilogy as well. I also have other ideas set in Ellada and the Archipelago but that do not feature the characters in Pantomime. Q. Have you always wanted to be a writer, and how does it feel to now have a published book? A. Definitely since I was around 14 I wanted to be a writer. I’ve always been dreaming up stories. To know that my book will be on the shelves soon still feels real. I achieved my dream. Even if it all falls apart from here on out, I still got my book in the shelves for people to read. Q. Tell us a little about you as a reader, what do you enjoy, and what’s on your bedside table right now? A. I’m a huge reader. I read a lot of YA fantasy, unsurprisingly. I’m currently reading The Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher, which is just wonderful. I have a soft spot for anything with gorgeous prose and characters that get under your skin. Authors where I’ll read anything they write: Robin Hobb, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Zoe Mariott, Margaret Atwood, Patrick Ness, Sarah Waters, Ted Chiang, Michael Marshall (Smith), Scott Lynch, and many more. There are lots of ways to find out more.. http://www.lauralam.co.uk @LR_Lam Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauralamauthor Goodreads: http://www.goodreads...06077.Laura_Lam Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/micahgrey/

Gorgeous pics, my cats have never gone in the snow.

We have a new kitten! She was abandoned at a vets, and is approx 11 weeks. She's very soft, very playful and very loving. Oh, she's called Jessica.

I read about half (I think) last year, put it down, and am not too bothered about picking it back up again. It was all a bit too confusing.

Hayley, the audio version of Rebecca is read by Anna Massey, and she has a lovely gentle English accent.

I think I have Rebecca in my audio library - I may have to listen soon.

Exactly - I was more interested to see which ones are being used, rather than whether people use them. By all means start a 2nd poll.

Yep, that. I didn't put 'keyboard' though, as I believe the later models don't have one.

As the question says, which ereader do you use? I've allowed multiple choices, as some may have a dedicated reader and use an app as well. If I've missed something, let me know.

It's an interesting book, but it's more like an introduction to different issues - the author does seem quite cynical, and there's no real answers, which you would expect, but it covers some interesting things. I'll be reviewing it properly soon.

This can be the problem with flu - there are quite a few different strains circulating, and the flu vaccine is made to protect against the 3 strongest. Every now and again, a different strain becomes more prominent. Also, it's the elderly who die most, usually because of complications, and yet they're also a group who don't respond well to the vaccine (they usually have about a 60% response).

I think I've seen them in Sainsburys and Wilkinsons.

Yep, me aswell!

I think one of the biggest "complaints" from our members is that their TBR piles grow at a rapid rate once they join here. I've noticed myself that as time has gone by, I find I get just as much enjoyment out of obtaining books as I do reading them. In particular I do like receiving review books before they're published, but I'm just as happy buying from amazon and putting it on my shelf.. even if I know I won't get to read it for ages! How many of you are the same, do you now have a large TBR pile, and do you enjoy obtaining those books? Or are you very controlled, and buy only when you're ready to read?

Mbwun_Lily, I'm sorry to hear that news, I really am. For your benefit, and others on here, we rarely ban anyone, and it's a decision we come to over after much discussion. I don't recall the details, but it's not something we would have done without good reason, so it seems unfair to come and drag it all back up again.

Quick update - 2 books finished, and both reviews written (that letter bit is good for me, I normally have a list to catch up on!). The Mammoth Book of Unexplained Phenomena came for me to review the other day, so I'm reading bits of that, plus I've started The Holders on my kindle. Audio, I'm trying to finish up Dark Tower VI, then I might have a break from that before the last book.

Sorry to hear your sad news

My mum mentioned that to me before it was on, and I remember reading the book - and yet I can't find a record of it anywhere! I recall it being quite close to the book, but there was more to the instructions she found. I enjoyed both.

Most are mentioned in passing, with the odd comment, but for some, she attends a book club, and there's some discussion there. I believe there's a list of all the mentioned books on Pinterest - I'll post it if I find it. Ooh.. why?