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Kell

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  1. I'm sure there are classic authors who were in full support of slavery, as it was very common in their time and generally accepted. However, I'm certain they still wrote wonderful novels. A writer's beliefs or personality doesn't detract from their talent as a writer, but it can be the source of some of their most thought-provoking material. It doesn't make their work of any less value, nor would it spoil my enjoyment of a wonderful story which is well-written. I can't think of any authors who fall into this catergory off the top of my head, but I'm sure I will have read and enjoyed some of them.
  2. My artwork is entirely restricted to cross stitch and blackwork designing and stitching.
  3. I think it would be pronounced something along the lines of Gweniver (I did put hyphens ni but it keeps making th"I" a capital - grrrrr! Gwen-I-ver) - it looks like it could be almost a Welsh version of Guinevere.
  4. BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY All things being equal (money, space, etc), would you rather own copies of the books you read? Or borrow them? I’m pretty much a 50/50 girl at the moment. I do own a lot of books, but not as many as I used to. Until very recent years, I kept ALL my books. Understandably, this meant I ran out of space very quickly (bearing in mind I used to read, on average, 125 books each year). I started using the local library more often when I moved in with my husband, as we had less space and the library was right there on the corner of the street. I became so well-known there (because I was in there pretty much every other day!) that the librarians would keep new books back for me if they thought I’d be interested, as they knew I’d be in either later that day or the next at the very latest! I started taking part in book exchanges and weeded out some of my older books that I no longer read to sell on Green Metropolis. I then used the money I got there to buy… more books! As I type this, I currently have about fifty unread books on my shelves waiting for me to pick them up. Depending on how my mood takes me, I sometimes whittle them down a bit more and remove some from the shelves, but mostly I work my way through them when I fancy them. I’m also using the library again, as I’ve started taking Xander to the Central Library every couple of weeks to choose some books. Of course, while I’m there, I can’t resist picking up some young adult books for myself. I took seven books home for my reading pleasure last week, and I’ve read three of them already. Nowadays, when I’ve finished with a book I own, I let my sister take whichever ones she wants, and then pass the rest on to my old school library (which is also a public library), as it no longer has a budget for buying new books. I spent a great deal of time n the library through my school years – it was a safe haven for me – so I’m happy I can help by supplying some books to add to their shelves. So far I’ve donated well over one hundred and there will be more! So to go back and answer the original question – a bit of both! I collect some authors and always keep those, so I like to buy them (or get them as gifts!) in hardback, but the library is great for trying out new authors and genres with no monetary outlay. Hurrah for the library! And yes, I do occasionally borrow from my Mam and sister too…
  5. W... W... W... Wednesdays * What are you currently reading? * What did you recently finish reading? * What do you think you’ll read next? My answers: What are you currently reading? Simon Scarrow – The Legion Yes, I’m still reading this one. It’s taking a while, not because it’s not good (it’s fabulous, actually), but because it’s the hardback I’m reading in bed, and I’ve been exhausted by bedtime lately. It’s a bit big to carry around in my handbag (that’s reserved for paperbacks), so it stays home and waits for me to be awake enough to read in bed. I think it should be finished by next week though… Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – Barnaby Grimes 2: Return of the Emerald Skull I picked this up from the library at the weekend and it’s now my handbag book, despite being a hardback, because it’s a small one. I enjoyed the first book in the series, so I’m hoping this sequel will be just as good. What did you recently finish reading? Alex Scarrow – TimeRiders I’m a huge fan of Simon Scarrow, and I’d been meaning to give his brother, Alex, a try for ages. Well, I finally did and I wasn’t disappointed! I don’t read an awful lot of sci-fi, especially if it features time travel, because I very easily get frustrated when authors ignore time paradox (honestly, I find it absolutely maddening!), but Scarrow handles it well and the fact that both the characters and plot are well-written and exciting helps a great deal! If you’re into sci-fi and time travel, don’t let the fact that this is from the teen/young adult section put you off – it’s well worth picking up! (See my Teaser Tuesday for a taste of this one!) What do you think you’ll read next? Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – Barnaby Grimes 3: Legion of the Dead I’ll be continuing with the Barnaby Grimes series… Julia Golding – Cat Among the Pigeons (Cat Royal 2) Another continuation after reading the first in this series last month… I know I said last week that I was going to read The Crimson Petal and the White next, but as I got seven books out of the library, I figured I’d better read those first, so I can finish them all before the return date at the end of the month!
  6. I've just started learning a few words of polish from a colleague. I can now say yes, no, please, thank you and hello in two different ways. I plan on learning a phrase or a few words each shift I work with her.
  7. 4. Miss Lupescu is a Hound of God in the novel - in other words - she is a werewolf. What do you think of having a werewolf as a benevolent creature rather than a monster? I'm a big Kelley Armstrong fan and many of her werewolf characters are just regular people (yes, there are some who are not so nice, but mostly they're just normal), so the concept of a no-evil werewolf isn't new to me. I quite like that the werewolf = bad idea is subverted so completely here. It actually kind of makes sense to me, the whole Hound of God thing. It's certainly a good an explanation as any other! 5. I have always thought of vampires as scary beings, certainly not creatures that I would imagine as protectors - Twilight notwithstanding , however here an important character in Bod's life is Silas, the Vampire protector. What do you think of this grumpy, but charismatic being? It's been a while since I read it, but I think I remember being rather fold of Silas. He sometimes came across as being a little aloof, but I thin khe was tring not to become too attached to Bod, which you can kind of understand - after all, a vampire lives pretty much forever, a human does not, so he's bound to eventually lose Bod. It doesn't stop him feeling and acting kindly towards his ward, though, and doing everything he can to make sure whatever is best for bod gets done.Yes, I rather liked him.
  8. Ah, how I love a trip to the library! It might be a hot and sunny day, but on days like this, the library is quiet and cool - hurrah! Xander found himself five books and I chose seven for myself: Malinda Lo - Ash Julia Golding - Cat Among the Pigeons (Cat Royal 2) G.P. Taylor - Mariah Mundi and the Ghost Diamonds (Mariah Mundy 2) Philip Pullman - The Shadow in the North (Sally Lockhart 2) Maria V Snyder - Magic Study (Yelena Zaltana 2) Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - Return of the Emerald Skull (Barnaby Grimes 2) Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - Legion of the Dead (Barnaby Grimes 3) So, I have till 1st July to read and return them... *rubs hands together in glee*
  9. Booking Through Thursday Do you read book reviews? Whose do you trust? Do they affect your reading habits? Your buying habits? I do occasionally read reviews, but I still tend to make a decision on whether or not to read those books without considering that. I’m more likely to trust a review by someone I know and who has similar tastes to me, but the likes of Amazon reviews are tainted these days by authors getting friends and family members to post glowing reviews of their books before they’re even available, and even resorting to “reviewing” their own books, which I think is underhand – it’s more likely to put me off reading a book to be honest! I tend to look at blogs on the W… W… W… Wednesdays or the Teaser Tuesday trail. If I consistently spot someone who seems to have similar tastes to mine, I tend to take more notice, but if someone tends towards reading a lot of books that don’t interest me, I’m less likely to take a recommendation from them.
  10. 1. Is fantasy a genre that you feel comfortable reading? I don't really read a lot of fantasy, but I always make the exception for Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman because I love their wit and style. They manage to inject so much realism into their writing that it quite often doesn't feel like a fantasy. I'm not generally into sword-and-sorcery type fantasy, but this kind of urban fantasy is something I love. 2. Is this the first Neil Gaiman book you are reading? No. I've also read Good Omens (which he co-wrote with terry pratchett) and American Gods. I've also read all his online fiction, which I loved. It's also not my first experience with the illustrator (I have the version which is illustrated by Chris Riddell), as I'm a huge fan of The Edge Chronicles (written by Paul Stewart and illustrated by Chris Riddell). I've not been disappointed so far! 3. What made you read this book? What did you think of this story? I actually saw the cover and instantly recognised the art style as that of Chris Riddell (who I love). I then saw it was written by Gaiman and snapped it up! I really enjoyed the story - the characters are all very real, despite being supernatural creatures, and I could readily identify with them. It's a heartwarming tale that I thin kwill apeal to readers of all ages.
  11. May Book Round-Up Another month, another batch of books. Eight books finished this month, mostly historical fiction, but one book I was sent for review and six of them covered areas of the What’s in a Name? challenge too… BOOKS FINISHED: 25. Jeanne Kalogridis – The Borgia Bride – 4/5 The Borgia family were notorious and seeing them through the eyes of Sancha de Aragon (who married the youngest Borgia son, Jofre), is absolutely fascinating and the writing is incredibly vivid. I absolutely loved this one and will be getting hold of other novels by this author as soon as possible. The characters are engaging, the story is filled with intrigue, and the writing is wonderful. A must-read for fans of historical fiction – especially if you like your fiction based firmly on fact! 26. Eoin Colfer – Plugged – 3/5 I felt this new, more adult offering wasn’t quite as finely honed as Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series, but there’s definitely potential for a whole new series here. McEvoy is a likeable character and I desperately wanted him to succeed – I wouldn’t mind seeing him again in another story. At under 300 pages, it’s a little shorter than I thought it could have been, but if you like Colfer’s style, this is definitely worth a try. (SEE FULL REVIEW HERE) 27. Philip Pullman – The Ruby in the Smoke – 3/5 I picked it up from the library for my What’s in a Name? Challenge and I’m very glad I did. It’s the first time I’ve read any Pullman, and although the His Dark Materials series doesn’t really appeal to me, I think I might be tempted to read the others in the Sally Lockhart series… and I think I’ll be watching the television adaptation of the Ruby in the Smoke (which, I believe, starred Billie Piper) some time soon too! There’s just enough intrigue and suspense to keep you hooked till the end, and those who enjoy good fiction from the young adult section will most probably find this a pretty decent read 28. Frances Hodgson Burnett – A Little Princess – 5/5 I had an abridged version of this story when I was very young, but this was the first time I’d read the whole unabridged novel and I’m SO glad I did! Sara Crewe is quite the most likeable child ever written. Although she’s good and kind and intelligent, she’s never uppity or spoiled, however, she’s not perfect – she has moment where she really has to rein herself in and bite her tongue, and that makes her all the better. Most of all, though, it’s the sheer magic of the tale that is so all-encompassing – I really felt involved and desperately wanted everything to work out well for Sara. This is one children’s classic that really couldn’t be better! 29. Audrey Niffenegger – Her Fearful Symmetry – 2/5 After her extraordinary debut with The Time Traveler’s Wife, Niffenegger set the bar high for herself. Unfortunately, I felt this offering fell quite far short. It’s a shame, because there are some really fascinating characters (martin, the OCD neighbour upstairs in particular), but the plot was just too predictable. There wasn’t a single major “reveal” that I didn’t see coming from a mile off. Overall, I found it rather unsatisfactory – although I tried not to expect something that would knock my socks off, perhaps my expectations were still far too high. A major let-down. I just hope that whatever Niffenegger produces next will rise closer to the quality of that wonderful debut… 30. Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden – 5/5 I think I’m going to have to get hold of more work by this author because right on the heels of A Little Princess, this was another full-marks read! Mary Lennox couldn’t be more different from Sara Crewe, although they were both born and spent their early childhoods in India, their experiences and the outcome of their upbringing produces complete opposites – Mary is surly, stubborn, sour and unattractive, and yet this story of her transformation is nothing short of magnificent, so that one becomes very fond of her after a little while. The use of Yorkshire dialect is a lovely touch and never detracts from the ease of understanding, but adds a warmth and homeliness that would otherwise be sadly missing. Absolutely glorious! 31. J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog - Abadazad: The Puppet, the Professor and the Prophet (Book 3) – 2/5 I read the first two books in this series last year. Apparently, the original deal was for eight books, but only four were written and, sadly, only three published (the third isn’t available in the US). It’s a shame, because the idea is rather wonderful and the half-written, half-comic strip style works really well (the artwork is marvelous too). This third installment doesn’t really live up to the previous two books, but it’s not bad at all. I really wish they had continued with the series, because it’s left on rather a cliff-hanger. Still, if you like comic books, fantasy and a classic-type children’s story with a twist, you may well enjoy this series. 32. Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - Barnaby Grimes 1: Curse of the Night Wolf – 3/5 If you’re a fan of The Edge Chronicles, you will love this! The wit and flair of this writer and illustrator are perfectly matched, combining an exciting, adventurous story with whimsical and evocative line drawings. Although the city remains unnamed, it’s most certainly based on Victorian London, filled with hansom cabs, messenger boys, ruffians and nobility. The supernatural twist will keep young readers hooked (especially boys – this is perfectly suited to them!), and the antics of Barnaby Grimes will entertain readers of pretty much any age. BOOKS STARTED (carrying over to June): Simon Scarrow – The Legion The tenth book is this fantastic historical fiction saga. Cato and Macro are hot on the trail of the escaped gladiator and renegade warrior, Ajax, and hell bent on seeking justice (or is that revenge?) for what Ajax did to Macro and Cato’s fiancé, Julia. But trouble is brewing in Egypt – can Cato (who is now a newly appointed acting Prefect) and Centurion Macro capture their enemy before his actions send the entire region spiraling into turmoil? Julia Golding – The Diamond of Drury Lane Cat Royal is an orphan living in the Royal Theatre on Drury Lane in Regency London. There’s mystery and intrigue as she tries to discover a hidden jewel and keep it safe from Billy Shepherd and his brawling gang of barrow boys. Colourful, exciting and mysterious historical fiction for young adult readers.
  12. W... W... W... Wednesdays * What are you currently reading? * What did you recently finish reading? * What do you think you’ll read next? My answers: What are you currently reading? Simon Scarrow – The Legion See last week’s Teaser Tuesday for a taste of life in the Roman army… Julia Golding – The Diamond of Drury Lane See yesterday’s Teaser Tuesday for a taste of life behind the scenes of a theatre in Regency London. What did you recently finish reading? Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf A wonderful, exciting adventure in a nameless Dickensian-style city – with a supernatural twist! This will definitely appeal to all fans of The Edge Chronicles, with both the wit and flair of this excellent writer/illustrator team. I’ve yet to find any of their work I don’t like! What do you think you’ll read next? Michel Faber – The Crimson Petal and the White Continuing with my foray into historical fiction, I’ll be delving into Victorian London, with a tale of a prostitute trying to make a better life for herself…
  13. Kell

    So sorry to hear of your loss. Sending love and hugs your way. :(

  14. The one that confused me for many years as a child was the boy in The Snow Queen. I wondered why a boy would have a gil's name, for a start (he's called Kai or Kay - the spelling varies depending on the publication). It wasn't till many years later I discovered it rhymes with "eye" rather than "say" and that it's a boys' name in Denmark (where the writer, Hans Christian Anderson, is from).
  15. I always pronounced Alais as Al-ayz (with a very soft, almost-but-not-quite-silent "z")because I had a French boyfriend when I was 15 and his little sister was called Alais and that's how he pronounced it. When I read Mallory Towers, I always pronounced Alicia as Al-I-cee-a. it wasn't till years later I heard it pronounced as Al-ee-sha and I had a face-palm moment - LOL!
  16. Well, I've just added three of those to my ish list: - Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante - Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson - The Sisters Brotehrs by Patrick deWitt They all sound so unusual and have intrigued me! Thanks for that link.
  17. Sounds like it was a lot of fun - and great haul!
  18. BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY Do you ever feel like you’re in a reading rut? That you don’t read enough variety? That you need to branch out, spread your literary wings and explore other genres, flavors, styles? I do occasionally lose my reading mojo and get into a bit of a funk where I just can’t seem to get into anything, but I usually find that if I go back to an old favourite, I slowly get drawn out of it. Out-Of-Funk-Favourites include such wonders as Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, and the Stand by Stephen King – when I read one of those, my mojo tends to return. As for branching out, I actually read pretty much any genre – except out-and-out romances (we’re talking your Mills and Boon type). I also tend to avoid teen angst paranormal romance (although I did make the exception for The Twilight Saga – not that it was worth it!) as I just find myself getting annoyed at how whiny the characters are (I also usually find them two-dimensional and incredibly predictable). I’ll read pretty much anything though – historical fiction, sci-fi/fantasy (although I don’t tend to read an awful lot of those), crime fiction, paranormal/supernatural fiction, thrillers, horrors, young adult (even including some children’s books), classic and contemporary, comedy, chick/lad-lit steam punk, alternative history and graphic novels. At the moment, I’m also enjoying the whole mash-up genre. Although there are certain authors I’ll collect (Kelley Armstrong, Christopher Brookmyre, Terry Pratchett, Stuart McBride and Simon Scarrow are the main contenders here), I’m not afraid to try new writers when I find something that appeals, and I think that with my constant genre-hopping, there’s little danger of me ever feeling my reading lacks variety.
  19. You might like the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz: Power of Five 1. Raven's Gate (2005) 2. Evil Star (2006) 3. Nightrise (2007) 4. Necropolis: City of the Dead (2008) Or the TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow: TimeRiders 1. TimeRiders (2010) 2. Day of the Predator (2010) 3. The Doomsday Code (2011) 4. The Eternal War (2011) Apparently, other similar authors to try (according to Fantastic Fiction) are: James Frey Rick Riordan Christopher Paolini Cassandra Clare Suzanne Collins Lauren Kate Richelle Mead James Patterson Stephenie Meyer P C Cast Ally Condie Becca Fitzpatrick Alyson Noël Kelley Armstrong Alex Flinn
  20. Hi Shirley, I've removed the link from your signature, as it was for a commercial site. please see the rules regarding this. Thanks. :)

  21. W... W... W... Wednesdays * What are you currently reading? * What did you recently finish reading? * What do you think you’ll read next? My answers: What are you currently reading? Simon Scarrow – The Legion Exciting so far - I'd expect nothing less from Mr Scarrow's wonderful Roman series! Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf I adore The Edge Chronicles by this writer-author team and I thought I’d give another of their series a try. So far, so good! What did you recently finish reading? Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden I think I’m going to have to get hold of more work by this author because right on the heels of A Little Princess, this was another full-marks read! The use of Yorkshire dialect is a lovely touch and never detracts from the ease of understanding, but adds a warmth and homeliness that would otherwise be sadly missing. Absolutely glorious! Audrey Niffenegger – Her Fearful Symmetry After her extraordinary debut with The Time Traveler’s Wife, Niffenegger set the bar high for herself. Unfortunately, I felt this offering fell quite far short. A major let-down. I just hope that whatever Niffenegger produces next will rise closer to the quality of that wonderful debut… J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog – Abadazad: The Puppet, the Professor and the Prophet (Book 3) This third installment doesn’t really live up to the previous two books, but it’s not bad at all. I really wish they had continued with the series, because it’s left on rather a cliff-hanger. Still, if you like comic books, fantasy and a classic-type children’s story with a twist, you may well enjoy this series. What do you think you’ll read next? Julia Golding – The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal 1) I picked this one up from the library to be an extra read for my What’s in a Name? challenge. It’s one I’ve considered for some time now and I decided it was finally time to take the plunge. Hopefully I’ll enjoy it enough to continue with the rest of the series too. Michel Faber – The Crimson Petal and the White This one has sat on Mount To-Be-Read for about two years now, so I reckoned it was time to take it down, dust it off, and give it a try. I’ve heard such good reports of it that I’m hoping it will live up to those positive reviews and similarly entertain me!
  22. Try looking HERE.
  23. Has anyone else noticed the similarities between the Borgias and the characters of GOT? Actually, there's a bit of Stark thrown in there too, to help it along. Check this out: Borgias: Sancha de Aragon married Joffre Borgia (the youngest of the Borgia brothers) GOT: Sansa Stark is engaged to be married to Joffrey Lanister (note similarities with names!) Borgias: Lucrezia Borgia is believed to have had incestuous relationships with her brother (and her father) and possibly to have fathered a child to him. GOT: Cersei Lannister has an incestuous relationship with her brother (Jaime) and has borne him three children. Borgias: Lucrezia Borgia was rumored to be a notorious poisoner and she became famous for her skill at political intrigue. GOT: Cersei Lannister thinks nothing of killing people who get in her way and is highly political and ambitious. Those are just the most obvious ones I've spotted. I'm certain there will be more. Anyone else got any?
  24. I can totally see Arya playing a major role with her lately getting so good with a blade...
  25. Was absolutely dismayed at just how stupid Sansa is - what a little idiot!!!
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