shelley.s
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Posts posted by shelley.s
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The Purple Cloud by M P Shiel ~ 2/5
About the book (Amazon)
The Purple Cloud tells the grandly bleak story of Adam Jeffson: the first man to reach the North Pole and the last man left alive on earth. A sweet-smelling, deadly cloud of poisonous gas has devastated the world, and as Jeffson travels the stricken globe in search of human life, he slowly succumbs to madness, and unleashes fire and destruction on his planet.
My Thoughts
This book could have been so good. The concept was great and i appreciate the time period that it was written in but geeze its boring at times. It took a month, yes a whole month to read this book, if it took out half of the the repetitive words it would have been half the length! I know repetition is good for emphasis but this was over board. I found i was getting to a few really good pages then to be met by 20 odd boring ones which i couldnt of cared less about and it added nothing to the story, this author loves pointless padding! Its far to over descriptive in places and you find your self just willing the book to get shorter so its out of the way. The 2 star is mainly for the concept and i actually managed to finish it but i wouldn't recommend it as i would with other classics.
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I loved Watership Down. One day I plan to reread it.
The only book ive ever read twice was Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone! Theres just so many books and not enough time!
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I'm pleased to see good words for both The Time Machine and War of the Worlds as I downloaded free copies onto my Kindle a couple of weeks ago. Looking forward to them now
I must admit, I'm a few books behind with the Cassandra Clare series - I've yet to read City of Lost Souls and I've only read the first in the Infernal Devices series, but I intend to rectify that when I go on holiday later in the year, as I read the first one while away a few years ago, and it was great holiday reading.
I haven't actually read The Mortal Instruments and in a way i wish i had because i do think they are slightly linked and there's a back story that would have added to The Infernal Devices so i've heard. Let me know when you finish them soi can ask some questions as i dont want to accidentally spoil anything for you!
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Definitely go for War of the Worlds - you couldn't get more classic (nor Victorian!) than that. It's brilliant.
Awesome thanks Mac, i will most certainly read War of the worlds, i think i'll read it next actually. Just need to decide on what cover I want haha. The cover has been re-illustrated so many times!
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The Cassandra Clare on my kindle, so I am completely delighted that you think it is a good one.
I hadn't realised it was the last in the series though. That's a shame, as I have really enjoyed these atmospheric Victorians!
Ditto, i need more! Totally loving Victorian steampunk too! Sorry that was supposed to read Clockwork Princess not Angel! Clockwork Angel is the first book then its Clockwork Prince. I thought they were fab
really sad its finished haha... need to get out more 
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Wells is great reading. I first read his work when I was in my early teens and I yummed them up. Hope you enjoy the others!
Which Wells book do you think is the best? Ive been looking reading another but im not sure if the others grab me as much. I wanted another old classic to read next so ive gone for The Purple Cloud by M P Shiel. I'll start that one shortly so fingers crossed its as good as my recent reads. I have a very eclectic taste but anything Fantasy/scifi/YA generally interests me
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So glad you enjoyed Watership Down, it's a wonderful book.
It really is. I think the knowledge of rabbits in it is also impeccable! Having house rabbits myself i can easily associate with the actions of the bunnies. I really have to find another gem like this, maybe i'll read Wind in the Willows now too
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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare ~5/5
About the book (Amazon)
If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it? The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose. Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment. Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the third and final instalment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.
My Thoughts
This is the last book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, i've loved each book the whole way through and this book was just the most perfect ending to the series. Im so sad that the story is over because i really grew to love the characters, through each book they felt more real and became so much more developed. It completely delivered the stone through the heart effect when you realize how the ending pans out, its just fab. This book gave me the same feeling as when iread harry potter for the first time when i was about 11, took me right back to remembering why i love books so much. If your a YA fantasy fan, promise me you'll read it!
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Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake ~ 3/5
Cas Lowood is no ordinary ghost hunter - he's in love with a dead girl.
Her name is Anna Korlov. Anna Dressed in Blood. The girl who sacrificed herself to save his life. Racked with guilt, Cas sets out to do what he does best - hunt a ghost. But this time his aim is not to kill. He must rescue Anna from the depths of Hell.
But Hell is also home to a creature Cas has battled before...
Just your average boy meets girl, girls gets sucked into hell story.My Thoughts
This is the second book to Anna Dressed in Blood. I again i did enjoyed it, not as much as the first book though. Its less scary and intense than the previous book and its not as gory either but it was an ok ending and i did want to finish the story seeing as the previous book was good. There wasn't much of a wow factor to the ending really, i was sad to see the end of Anna because she was such a powerful character and she was so built up that i thought there maybe more to her but i didn't care as much for the others so i did get the 'good bye' feeling when i finished the book like i normally do when i read something anf get really attached to them, maybe the story was just too short, i think it would have been better if it was a trilogy and slighter more padded out. Hey ho!
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Watership Down by Richard Adams ~ 5/5
About the book (Amazon)
Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren - he felt sure of it. So did his brother Hazel, for Fiver's sixth sense was never wrong. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all . . .
My Thoughts
I thought this was such an endearing read and so wonderfully told. Whilst the characters are rabbits they are so well written and the anthropomorphism makes them so real that you almost forget that the story is not being told about a group of people which makes it that bit more powerful. I loved this book, if your looking for something different (a book told through the eyes of an animal) this is a must read. The trials and tribulations have you on tenterhooks and always hoping for the best. It really was a good read.
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If you right click on the image you want to use and select 'Copy image URL' then click on 'Image' icon on the tool bar in the chat box, then paste the URL in the box it should come up
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I love Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments covers.
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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake ~ Rate 4/5
About the book (Amazon)
Cas Lowood is no ordinary guy - he hunts dead people.
People like Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. A beautiful, murderous ghost entangled in curses and rage. Cas knows he must destroy her, but as her tragic past is revealed, he starts to understand why Anna has killed everyone who's ever dared to enter her spooky home.
Everyone, that is, except Cas...My Thoughts
I loved this book, it was fabulously creepy and very gory. Its still a YA novel though and I did enjoy that. I thought this book was better than a few adult ghost novels i've read so its really worth a read if you like the genre or YA novels. I will defiantly read the next book! I love the trio of main characters and they fit together so well, i hope there's more character development in the next book.
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I'm reading Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, its really good! Not much left to go, after that i'll be reading Watership Down
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The Land of Decoration by Grace Mc Cleen ~ Rate 4/5
About the book (Amazon)
Judith doesn't have much. The house she shares with her devoutly religious father is full of dusty relics, reminders of the mother Judith never knew. Bullied at school, she finds comfort in creating a miniature world in her bedroom - a world of wonder she calls The Land of Decoration. Perhaps, she thinks, if she makes it snow in The Land of Decoration there will be no school on Monday.
Sure enough, when Judith opens her curtains the next day, the world beyond her window has turned white.
And that's when her troubles begin.
My thoughts
I thought this book was fantastic. Judith is such a strong character and you desperately want things to work out for her. Her trials and tribulations feel so real and the author has raised lots of things religion wise that i found quite thought provoking. Its a real down wards spiral and i found really quite sad but a really good read. Only thing i would say is that the boys who torment Judith seem to do things I would never expect a 10 year old to know let alone do so its a bit hard to believe some of the things or maybe i too am sadly as naive as poor Judith. I hope 10 year olds dont do those things in the real world though!
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Just a note to say ive changed my rating to out of 5. Everywhere else that i review my books are out of 5 so seems easier to keep it all the same. Anyway I've finished the Time Machine, heres my review
Time Machine by H G Wells ~ Rate 4/5
About the book (Amazon)
When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year 802,701 AD, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realises that this beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture - now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. But they have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity - the sinister Morlocks. And when the scientist's time machine vanishes, it becomes clear he must search these tunnels, if he is ever to return to his own era.
My Thoughts
I really really liked this book, it was short and sweet and i loved it. It keeps you gripped and reading despite it being so short. I flew through it enjoyed every moment but didn't have that disappointment when i released id come to the end (it looks longer because of the notes at the back) as i found it was rounded off nicely (as i also found with The Isldand of Dr. Moreau) Defiantly will be reading more Wells this year!
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Still can't find you, but here is me - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7568236-devi
Ive added you
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There is more than one Shelley!
Which one are you? Can you link your profile? I dont think i can link my profile, i did look.
I'm in West Sussex if that helps under shelley.s
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Just incase any one is on any of the other sites and fancies having a nose i'm on LibraryThing as shelley.s and i'm on goodreads too as shelley
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Retribution Falls is okay. It's kind of like Firefly, but with planes instead of spaceships. I didn't find it so compelling that I needed to go out and buy the sequel, though
That's probably swayed me to not bother with it just yet! Problem is i don't want to read just ok books, i just want to read the awesome ones. I don't have as much time to read as id like so i'm always quite particular with what i choose
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I did read The Anubis Gates. I did slightly struggle with it half way through, i found it really slow going and my interested wavered but once id got to the second part it did get back on track and i enjoyed it again. I dont seem to be able to read larger books now unless it completely keeps my interest the whole way through.
The Aylesford Skull sounds good! Ive been umming and arring about Retribution falls, its rather long and i am ready hooked on reading the Cherie Priest books, i don't tend to read the same genre one after another as i prefer to mix it up.
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Its not really my sort of book, as much as i enjoyed it, it did lack something for me. I just wanted the ending to be better or expanded more. I loved Flowers for Algernon, its a much stronger book. Have you read A Scanner Darkly? That's probably my favorite book of all time!
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Apologies if you've read them or ive missed it on the thread but have you read Daughter of Some and Bone by Laini Taylor the second one is Days of Blood and Starlight? I loved it, its a YA fantasy. Also there's Cassandra Clare's books Clockwork Angel the first one and Clockwork Prince the 2nd one, again i adored these books.
Plus one for the Jonathan Stroud Trilogy, they were really good.
Sadly i hated Her Fearful Symmetry, its just too weird in a bad sort of way, thats not to say that you wont like it though, i think its a marmite book to be honest, my friend loved it but it wasn't for me.
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A Monster Calls ~ Rate 3/5
About the book (From Amazon)
Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Bestselling novelist Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves a heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.
My Thoughts
This book is terribly sad, I'm not one to boo hoo at books but this one gave me the lump in the throat as much as Flowers for Algernon (one of my most favorite books.) It was such a delicate story and very well told by Patrick Ness who took over the final writing of the book when the original author Siobhan Dowd tragically died of breast cancer in 2007 aged 47. You can feel Conners pain though out the book and the emotion of the writing just makes you want to give him a hug, its sad to think that the emotion in the book is exactly what families go through when a relative is diagnosed as terminally ill. I really liked the book despite the sad nature of it. The only thing I would say is that I wanted just a bit more at the end, I think i needed a little bit more healing at the end of it!
Shelleys 2013 reading list
in Past Book Logs
Posted
Yes im normally pretty good at deciding whether or not i'll like something. No idea what im going to read after ive finished The War of the Worlds. Maybe back to steam punk, not sure!