bobblybear Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Very true! I didn't think of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Ooh, this is all very mysterious! Can't wait to actually read the book so I can come back and read the secret spoiler-tagged stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Ooh, this is all very mysterious! Can't wait to actually read the book so I can come back and read the secret spoiler-tagged stuff. It's well worth a read, despite my minor nay-saying about it. I can never resist spoilers myself, I've no willpower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 It's well worth a read, despite my minor nay-saying about it. I can never resist spoilers myself, I've no willpower! I don't know why I've refrained, since I'll have forgotten it all by the time I actually read the book anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 I don't know why I've refrained, since I'll have forgotten it all by the time I actually read the book anyway! I do exactly the same hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 #74 - Are You Watching Me? - Sinead Crowley Synopsis: Liz Cafferky is on the up. Rescued from her dark past by the owner of a drop-in centre for older men, Liz soon finds herself as the charity's face - and the unwilling darling of the Dublin media. Amidst her claustrophobic fame, Liz barely notices a letter from a new fan. But then one of the centre's clients is brutally murdered, and Elizabeth receives another, more sinister note. Running from her own ghosts, Liz is too scared to go to the police. And with no leads, there is little Sergeant Claire Boyle can do to protect her.*** Review: Having read and loved Sinead's first novel - Can Anybody Help Me? - I was really excited to get my hands on not just a copy of this, but a SIGNED copy, which I won! Yay! I loved the concept and plot of her first novel, despite thinking the writing could use a little work in places (and the editing definitely could). I'm delighted to say that I thought the writing in this novel was a definite improvement over her first novel - the beginning was maybe a tad cheesy, but once it got going, it really found its feet. Naturally I'm biased, but I love reading Irish books. That is, books by Irish authors, set in Ireland, with a distinctly Irish tone. Some authors overdo this and make their books a bit of a caricature of the country, but Sinead does justice to our fair little island in her depiction of it. The places and atmosphere are described fantastically.As with the first novel, I didn't find myself particularly taken with Claire Boyle - my interest was in the incidental characters of the plot. While admittedly they mostly felt a tad flat, it was still really fun to read Liz's character (she reminded me somewhat of Rachel from The Girl On The Train), and there were a couple of characters who really rang true (I love Flynn!). The plot itself was a little underwhelming. For a thriller, it was decidedly unthrilling (though that is NOT to say bad - just gently-paced and not hugely exciting). Compared with the level of suspence and anticipation I felt throughout her entire first novel, I felt this story was a slight step backwards. I also felt the subplot of Claire's domestic qualms with her husband under the pressure of adapting to having a baby was a little disjointed from the rest of the novel - Claire's pregnancy fit in well with the first book as it was about a mammies' forum.All that said, and for all my nitpicking, it is a solidly enjoyable read, and I have no doubt that as soon as Claire Boyle returns in Sinead's third novel, I'll be scrabbling for a copy as early as possible. A light, easy novel that mightn't contain the most satisfying story in the world, but which is certainly a pleasure to read.Rating: 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I love that you like reading Irish books! I've not read that many myself, though I do have a few more on my shelves. Obviously though, being from the Netherlands, I've got a fair amount of books by Dutch authors. Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed it . And signed! I only have 3 signed books in my whole collection . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 I don't have many signed books either, off-hand I think the only other one I have signed is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, which John signed and his brother Hank drew hanklerfish all over. I could be doing another author a massive disservice by forgetting that I have their book signed, but I think its only this Irish one and TFIOS. So far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I don't have many signed books either, off-hand I think the only other one I have signed is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, which John signed and his brother Hank drew hanklerfish all over. I could be doing another author a massive disservice by forgetting that I have their book signed, but I think its only this Irish one and TFIOS. So far! Beth has a few signed books now, but she would happily swap them all for a signed TFIOS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Beth has a few signed books now, but she would happily swap them all for a signed TFIOS!! Nothing. On. This. Earth. All the TFIOSes at the event came pre-signed by both John and Hank, with hanklerfish, but I asked John to add 'DFTBA' and got him to sign his and Hank's page from the Men of Youtube calendar, and I asked Hank to draw me a hanklerfish for a tattoo - he proceeded to draw a bunch of Hanklerfish all over my TFIOS. That was not my intention, I thought he'd draw one small one and that was it So just for the uniqueness of all that writing, it's very precious to me I'm hoping whenever John's new books comes out he'll come back to Ireland on tour so I can get my Paper Towns signed. I didn't have a hardcopy of it yet when I met him in 2013. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Longbourn - Jo Baker Synopsis: If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them. In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended. *** Review: What an absolute pleasure this novel was to read. The primary joy of Longbourn is the manner in which it is written - such beautiful pose and immersive descriptions of life and locales in 1880s England. While I adore Pride & Prejudice, it has been a few years since my last reading of it and as such I very much took Longbourn as a story in and of itself, independent of its predecessor. I am pleased to say it stands alone perfectly, but also maps precisely onto the events of Pride & Prejudice for the benefit of more attentive fans than I. In every way, Longbourn serves as a fitting tribute and additional layer to the world of the classic novel.The more dense prose is, the longer it takes me to read, so I spent a good week or so meandering my way through Longbourn. It is definitely not a book to be hurried.The characters are wonderful, both the ones who are mentioned in P&P but expanded upon here, as well as the entirely new characters. There are many reflections of the themes and mannerisms from the original novel illustrated in the surprisingly eventful lives of the gang below stairs, and at least one of the larger overarching themes is a massive twist on the characters of the original novel. Despite the magnitude of it, Baker pulls it off very well and, as is seemingly her style, with fantastic realism and credibility. Jane Austen had the advantage of living far closer to the time about which she wrote, and honestly the success Baker has in recapturing that time is phenomenal.When the setting shifted dramatically at one point, I did feel a little disconcerted and I'm still not entirely sure if it really fit into this novel, but I can't fault the writing as I felt as wholly immersed in it as I had in the rest of the book up to (and after) that point. It certainly cemented Baker as an author from whom I will be seeking more reading material! If you're a fan of the original P&P, I honestly think reading Longbourn can only enhance your enjoyment of it. Fanastic novel.Rating: 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson Synopsis: Jack the Ripper is back, and he's coming for Rory next.... Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables. *** Review: It's taken me a lot time to get around to reading anything by the Secret Sister of the Vlogbrothers, and for the first third of so of the novel I was absolutely not disappointed. Johnson is well able to write, and quite a few nuggets of humour (e.g. the Singing Kidney) were reminiscent of the kind of whimsical, ridiculous humor John Green tends to employ in his own writing. The Jack the Ripper legend is one that has morbidly fascinated me for years, so i was excited to tuck into this story about him. I loved Rory from the outset, I found Alastair more intriguing than I really had any reason to, and I really Jazza and Jerome too. The boarding school setting was interesting, and it was really fun to read about London from a foreigner's perspective (yes, I'm technically foreign, but I'm so exposed to British culture on tv/internet that it's not nearly as foreign to me as it would be to an American!)About a third of the way in, the book kicks into gear and for the most part, changes the primary cast of the novel to a set of characters I ultimately did not like nearly as much as the original set, which dampened my enjoyment of the story quite a lot. I particularly did not like Boo... I can't explain why, but the initial dislike that is deliberately set up to give way to a more likeable character just never quite wore off for me! I felt the others were a little flat, and as such I really only kept reading to see how things would turn out.The plot was pretty decent, although I wasn't overly excited by the resolution. The standard of writing continued throughout, though, so it remained easy to read and I had no problem finishing it despite my issues with it. All in all, I like Maureen Johnson as a writer, I'm just not sure this specific series of books/characters is for me. Will definitely pick up others by her, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Oh it's been quite a while since I posted here! Books news: Posted two new reviews (see above this post) - Longbourn by Jo Baker and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I also read about a third of a YA supernatural novel called Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, but I couldn't read any further - despite a promising start it veered off track and I lost interest. (Poor grammatical use of Irish didn't help.) So that's my second 'Did Not Finish' book of the year! I'm currently reading Doll Bones by Holly Black, which so far I am absolutely loving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Great reviews! It really annoys me when a book makes a lot of mistakes . I have also abandoned two books this year. I'm glad you're enjoying Doll Bones ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (I hope it's not a disappointment!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 You're so cruel!!!!!!! Not telling me is one thing, torturing me is another! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Fortunately I'm off to have a lovely weekend, and will only have a day or two of waiting for my assuredly awesome present when I get back! Is it Winnie The Pooh related? I'm trying to think of things I know you know I like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 The Door That Led To Where - Sally Gardner Synopsis: AJ Flynn has just failed all but one of his GCSEs, and his future is looking far from rosy. So when he is offered a junior position at a London law firm he hopes his life is about to change - but he could never have imagined by how much. Tidying up the archive one day, AJ finds an old key, mysteriously labelled with his name and date of birth - and he becomes determined to find the door that fits the key. And so begins an amazing journey to a very real and tangible past. Although life in 1830 is cheap, AJ and his friends quickly find that their own lives have much more value. They've gone from sad youth statistics to young men with purpose - and at the heart of everything lies a crime that only they can solve. But with enemies all around, can they unravel the mysteries of the past, before it unravels them?*** Review: This is another of those books in which I found fantastic writing which was an absolute pleasure to read, but which also contained a plot and/or characters which I wasn't overly fond of. It was easy enough to read, and all of the little details were great - I quite liked AJ and I really enjoyed how his story started. However I found that once he (and later his friends) travelled through the door into 1830, the plot became a bit scatter-brained, and the settings under-developed. I never really felt like I was being taken to 1830, and it never seemed like that big a deal to go or stay there.As for the crime, that is described in the synopsis as being the mysterious central piece of the novel, and honestly until I re-read the synopsis I didn't realise that at all. The mystery of the death felt like an off-handed side-plot thrown in on top of the real plot about finding out where the door and the key to it came from. Ultimately, I found my attention drawn in a different direction, I think, than the writer intended, and I came out of it feeling underwhelmed and dissatisfied.There were a few things about this book that just didn't work for me, but I did love Gardner's writing and originality in coming up with the basis for the story. I would definitely be willing to read more by her, this one just might not have been for me.Rating: 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 Doll Bones - Holly Black Synopsis: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .*** Review: I'm on a roll with Holly Black books lately. I make no secret of the fact that my introduction to her via Tithe was an underwhelming, and almost entirely off-putting, one. I am so glad I gave more of her books a chance because here is another beautifully original story written with that unique style Holly has which I thoroughly enjoyed, accompanied by stunning illustrations.My favourite thing about Doll Bones is that, because the story starts with three children who practically live in the worlds of their own creation, you can never be entirely sure (and neither can Zach and Alice) that Poppy is telling the truth about the Queen. Is the Queen genuinely possessed, or is it an elaborate ruse by Poppy to get Zach back into the game? Regardless, this story explores imagination and bravery by these children in their attempt to see this last adventure true.Black beautifully captures the essence of being a child on the cusp of growing up, and walking that line between the games of childhood and casting them off to step into a more adult reality for the first time. I wasn't crazy about Alice, I didn't feel she brought much to the story, but Poppy and Zach are both headstrong characters and the dynamic between the three brilliantly encapsulates that newness and uncertainty of transitioning into adulthood, both in themselves and in each other.There are a couple of elements that I actually found quite creepy in this book, which is typical of Black - her stories are always just that little bit darker than most. I would love to have seen the Queen from the perspective of the passers-by, because their description of her is one of the best things about this book. Not a particularly long read but definitely a worthwhile one.Rating: 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 Feed - M. T. Anderson Synopsis: Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. *** Review: Books like this irritate me, because I end up feeling left out and/or stupid. I just cannot relate to them. Before I write any more, I am pointing out that I gave this book a low mark not because I think it's a bad book, but because it did not work for me. I don't rate books on objective quality. I also realise I am probably taking it far too literally and as such am missing the entire point, but the below is what I felt while reading it.I read the whole thing, which says something for it, especially considering I can't stand the kind of made-up slang that features in it, or in A Clockwork Orange, or in any book. I've never encountered a book that did it well enough for it to seem natural to me, it simply grates and distracts me from the story. I understand the point of it is to immerse the reader in a different world, and by the end of it have them adapted to slang the way we actually adapt to new slang in the real world. I will admit my own casual use of the slang word 'bae', which started (as these things do) ironically, has turned into borderline sincere use of the word in greetings to a close friend and I hate myself a little bit for it. I do only use it with the one friend who also uses it semi-ironically, so I think there's actually more to be said there on the topic of adapting one's personality to slot into varying company and social situations. As such I don't think the slang thing will ever ring true with me.There are basically two characters in this novel of relevance, and a third who is underused, and all three fail to capture my interest. Titus, the product of his time, is an impassive guy who goes with the flow and never really questions anything until he meets Violet, a remnant of a time when people used their brains as more than an internet connection. Her role is to occasionally jerk Titus's attention out of its usual hazy stupor and illicit momentary clarity about the state of the world which is, literally, collapsing around them while what's left of the human race is soothed into annihilation by consumerist comforts. This collapse is further exemplified quite literally by the physical degradation of human physiology in the common and aesthetically popular lesions most people are sporting. The third, underused character is Violet's father, who is a prototype Violet who gets through life somewhat more quietly, by trying to avoid letting the feed simplify him.The general gist of the novel is that people are already pretty susceptible to becoming stupid, and that their descent into total stupidity and blandness is being facilitated by the narcissistic and materialist attitudes espoused via technology and the internet, even to the point of not seeing the world around them collapse. This is not something I can relate to. Sure, I'm addicted to the internet. Sure, I'm a materialist, and I too am surrounded by people who are too fixated on the new Urban Decay palette of extortionately ridiculous cost to think about global warming or corrupt governments - I myself am guilty of both at times. But the one thing I would say about technology and the internet, is that they have facilitated my access to people who do not think like that in a way nothing else ever could. There will always be people who act the way the people in this novel do, with or without technology, and perhaps there is a cautionary tale about government control and who has the power to censor and control what we see and hear. But to reduce the whole human race to mindless consumers who will willingly lie down and care about nothing, because of technology and convenience, is not something I can relate to. At all. I feel like there might have been a better book in the bases of this one - perhaps exploring the world of Violet's father, on the cusp of becoming this mindless consumerzombie race, while a legion of rebels fight back - but the final product, I think, does not account for the sheer volume of Violets and Violet's Fathers in this world.Rating: 2.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 Three new reviews posted above: The Door That Led To Where - Sally Gardner (3*) Doll Bones - Holly Black (4*) Feed - M. T. Anderson (2.5*) I still have to review Seed by Lisa Heathfield, and am currently reading Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Great reviews ! I haven't read any of the three books but your reviews are nice to read . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Thanks Gaia One more: Seed - Lisa Heathfield Synopsis: All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. It is the land that she sows and reaps. It is the center of her family and everything that means home. And it is all kept under the watchful eye of Papa S. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community — particularly the teenage son, Ellis — only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. Ellis is compelling, charming, and worldly, and he seems to have a lot of answers to questions Pearl has never thought to ask. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.***Review (MILD SPOILERS): I really, really enjoyed this book. I genuinely did. It's extremely well-written, and there were a couple of characters I really liked following. Something about it left me a little underwhelmed though; I think it might have been the pacing.Most of the book divides its time between two things, introducing the reader to different aspects of the cult (yes, cult) in which Pearl lives, and progressing Pearl's understanding that something is very wrong with her home, through the Outsiders and Kate. While both aspects are interesting to read about, there were a couple of times I found myself checking how many pages I had left to go before the end. Then, once I finally got close to the end, the pace ramped up to superspeed and barely left any time to really explore or elaborate on the final events, which (considering the dark connotations of much of the novel prior to the ending) could have been illustrated with more detail. I think, ultimately, I never felt entirely taken in by the society of Seed.Minor Spoiler: The novel has to be based on the cult of Jim Jones - there is literally no way the author could have written Seed without being influenced by it, even though I haven't seen her ever refer to it as inspiration. I recently listened to the full audio of the Death Tapes from the Jonestown Massacre, which I found deeply unsettling (naturally) and also... suffocating? I felt claustrophobic after listening to them, like I desperately needed to get outside and breath air and reassert my own freedom from that kind of brain-washing. I also felt deeply sad for the victims of the massacre. I never got those feelings from reading this book, or anything close, and I feel like that is what was lacking, and what could have been heightened about the ending particularly. All the same, a very good read, I'm just being nit-picky. Would happily recommend it for something different and will read more by the author. Rating: 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Feed and Seed ! P.S. The review above doesn't have a rating . It sounds like an interesting book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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