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Shades of Grey – Jasper Fforde

(dystopian, creative, humorous)

 

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4.75/5

 

Jasper Fforde has definitely become a favourite author of mine. I love the way that aspects of the story are introduced in a matter-of-fact way and not necessarily immediately explained. Something will be mentioned however we as the reader are kind of left to figure out what it means. Although this can be a little frustrating as it can take you a while to fully understand things, I personally think that it makes it so much more interesting when you eventually work it out. Fforde has a clever way of gradually revealing the story and the setting that it keeps things very interesting.

 

Shades of Grey follows Eddie in a world where people can only see one colour and the colour that you can see determines your status in society. Eddie goes with his father to East Carmine where he finds that everything is not quite as simple as he once thought.

 

I love the concept of colour perception determining status and Fforde does an excellent job of cleverly using the aspect of colour perception to replace our normal society in a way that feels so realistic. It wasn’t until I finished the book that I realised that it is actually the first book in a series however the following books have not yet been written. I really hope the rest of the series is eventually written and released (although I'm not letting my hopes get too high as this book was written in 2009!) as it was left with lots more to discover and I am really intrigued to see what happens next!

 

Opening line: It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit, and ended up with me being eaten by a carnivorous plant.

 

Format: print

 

400 pages

Published in 2009

Edited by Goose
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Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson

(cyberpunk, dystopian, speculative)

 

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2.75/5

 

In Snow Crash we follow the main character Hiro as he discovers and tries to stop a new computer virus and wonder drug before it causes irreversible damage to the world. Hiro lives in a time when the world as we know it has broken down and different corporations now have power and control over different areas of America.

 

This book didn’t turn out to be what I was expecting, I thought it would be more focussed in a virtual reality world, which was not really the case, however this didn’t really bother me, I found the world Stephenson had created fascinating enough that it didn’t need much virtual reality. The book gave me A Clockwork Orange feel, as it is set in a world that had a lawless and chaotic feel.

 

I found the way the book was written a little difficult to get along with, the perspective seemed to jump around a little and I sometimes found that I wasn’t entirely sure as to who’s perspective we were reading from. There was also a big section in the middle that was basically just a massive info-dump and I found that during this part I stopped absorbing information after a while and therefore some things were a little lost on me.

 

Overall, I found that there were ideas introduced that weren’t really fully explored and therefore it felt a little bit underwhelming when it ended as I felt there were a lot of threads left hanging. Having said that I did enjoy the book and would recommend if it sounds like your sort of thing!

 

Opening line: The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory.

 

Format: ebook

 

438 pages

Published in 1992

Edited by Goose
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Heartless – Marissa Meyer

(re-telling, fantasy, whimsical)

 

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4.5/5

 

Heartless is a prequel/re-telling of Alice in Wonderland and tells the story of how the Queen of Hearts (Catherine) becomes the villain we know. Catherine is the daughter of a Marquis and is destined to marry the King of Hearts, however all she wants to do is open a bakery with her best friend.

 

Re-tellings can be tricky, particularly when it’s a story as beloved as Alice in Wonderland, however I think Meyer did a great job of capturing the same whimsical feeling of the original story but still adding enough new components too. A lot of the stand out characters from Alice in Wonderland made an appearance but it didn’t feel forced, they naturally fitted in to the story.

 

Due to this being the origin story of a villain it was fairly obvious throughout the book what the outcome was going to be, however the storyline meandered enough that the specifics of the tale were still left to be discovered.

 

I would highly recommend the book, it’s a nice opportunity to take a different perspective of the Queen of Hearts.

 

Opening line: Three luscious lemon tarts glistened up at Catherine.

 

Format: ebook

 

464 pages

Published in 2016

Edited by Goose
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On 26/05/2022 at 10:13 PM, Goose said:

Heartless – Marissa Meyer

(re-telling, fantasy, whimsical)

 

I absolutely love the Alice books and I think you’re right that retellings can be tricky. I always worry that they’ll seem cliched or too forced - I’d be willing to give this one a go based on your review though! 

Shades of Grey is definitely on my list too. Everything I’ve read by Jasper Fforde has been brilliant!

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On 5/26/2022 at 10:16 PM, Goose said:

Shades of Grey – Jasper Fforde

(dystopian, creative, humorous)

 

 

 

I think this is probably my favourite of Jasper Fforde's books, I love nearly all of them though I didn't think the last one, The Constant Rabbit, was up to his usual standard.

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On 6/14/2022 at 10:38 PM, Hayley said:

I absolutely love the Alice books and I think you’re right that retellings can be tricky. I always worry that they’ll seem cliched or too forced - I’d be willing to give this one a go based on your review though! 

Shades of Grey is definitely on my list too. Everything I’ve read by Jasper Fforde has been brilliant!

Me too, the world of Alice in Wonderland is just so magical and enchanting that I am immediately drawn to anything set in it!

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On 6/15/2022 at 11:04 AM, France said:

I think this is probably my favourite of Jasper Fforde's books, I love nearly all of them though I didn't think the last one, The Constant Rabbit, was up to his usual standard.

I did really enjoy The Constant Rabbit but I found that Shades of Grey kept me more intrigued and therefore I preferred it overall

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A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (#1 A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2 A Court of Mist and Fury & #3 A Court of Wings and Ruin) – Sarah J. Maas

(fantasy, YA, romance)

 

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Book 1 3.75/5

Book 2 4/5

Book 3 3.5/5

 

The A Court of Thorns and Roses series is set in a world where a wall divides the human world from the dangerous faerie world. Fayre, a young human woman living in poverty finds herself on the other side of the wall and trying to come to terms with living amongst faeries.

 

The main aspect that I loved about this series is the faerie world and all the creatures that inhabit it. Maas has done a good job of creating interesting magical creatures that feel new and inventive, I do however wish that we go to read a bit more about them.

 

I did find the relationship between the two main characters a little cringy at times. It felt a little bit too perfect at times with regards to how the male love interest treats Fayre, we are constantly being reminded of how much choice and freedom he gives her. Now don’t get me wrong, I'm all for unproblematic male love interests, however it started to feel a little unrealistic at times, I would have liked to have seen his character at least slightly flawed. However, I guess that’s where I am not really the intended audience of the series, that being YA, and can see how this sort of character would appeal to, in particular, teenage girls.

 

Overall, book 2 was my favourite, there is a real sense of found family in this book which is one of my favourite tropes. The characters are well developed and my favourite parts of the books were the interactions between them. The climax war at the end did feel a little rushed to me, considering three books were spent building up to it, however I am not particularly in to reading heavy action/fighting scenes so this didn’t bother me too much.

 

Opening line: The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice.

 

Format: ebook

 

Book 1 - 432 pages

Book 2 - 626 pages

Book 3 - 699 pages

Published in 2015 - 2017

Edited by Goose
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The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

(haunting, domestic, spiritual)

 

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2.25/5

 

The Lovely Bones is told from the perspective of fourteen-year-old Susie from heaven after she is raped and murdered by her neighbour Mr Harvey. Susie watches her family and friends as they try to deal with her death and move on with their lives without her.

 

Mostly I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. I liked how it explored grief and how different people deal with it in different ways however overall, I think I just found it a bit boring and that certain parts dragged. I’ve realised that I am not really into the whole lyrical type of writing, I just find it all a bit too wishy washy. Nothing really happens, apart from the tragic event at the start I kind of felt like the whole book was just Susie rambling and minor events. All this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad book, just not my sort of book.

 

However, there was one part towards the end that was kind of the last straw for me in deciding I didn’t really enjoy it. Somehow Susie ends up possessing her friend’s body and having sex with her teenage crush. Now, apart from this to me being morally wrong, I also really don’t do well with ‘supernatural’ elements occurring in a real-world setting. I guess this scene could be interpreted as Susie wishing she could inhabit her friend’s body in order to be back on earth and imagining that it happened, however it is presented as an event that actually happens. I have never been one for believing in people being able to look down from heaven, being able to feel deceased loved one’s presence and therefore maybe that is where my difficulty with the book lies. If Susie had remained completely separate from earth, not being able to interact and her being in heaven was used just as a narrative style then I think I may have liked it a bit more.

 

I think if I had gone in to the book with a different expectations I may have enjoyed it more, although having said that I probably just wouldn’t have picked it up in the first place.

 

Opening line: My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.

 

Format: print

 

372 pages

Published in 2002

Edited by Goose
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Keeping It Real – Justina Robson

(urban fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic)

 

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DNF at 70%

 

Keeping It Real is set in a reality where a quantum bomb explodes, ripping apart the fabric between dimensions. Ever since this event humans have had to learn to live alongside different magical creatures including elves, fearies and demons.

 

From the description I was really excited to read this book, it sounded right up my street. I was however pretty disappointed. I am usually a stickler for finishing books, even if I am not particularly enjoying them, but I decided to just give up on this one, it just wasn’t working for me. I think there were two main issues with the book, firstly I just did not connect with the characters. I didn’t buy their relationships and felt no investment in them what so ever. Secondly, I think that the concepts of the story were not as thought out and explained as they could have been. There were lots of really interesting elements that just got a bit confusing and ending up falling flat.

 

Unfortunately, I also think that I had too high expectations for the book. I was really in the mood for an urban fantasy of sorts, where magical creatures are living normally among humans and although yes, this is the case for this world, it wasn’t really the focal point of the story. That’s not really the fault of the book, more so that I was hoping for it to be something that it just wasn’t.

 

I may end up eventually finishing it, if just so I can count it towards my good reads reading challenge (seems a bit of a waste of the 200 pages read so far if not!).

 

Opening line: In the days that followed the explosion at the Superconducting Supercollider in Texas, at some unknown point in the Lost Year, 2015, scientists discovered a hole in the fabric of spacetime over the blast.

 

Format: ebook

 

333 pages

Published in 2006

Edited by Goose
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The Colour of Magic – Terry Pratchett

(fantasy, creative, whimsical)

 

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3.75/5

 

The Colour of Magic is the first of Pratchett’s ‘Discworld‘ series, books that all take place on a world riding on the back of a giant turtle flying through space. The book is both as bonkers as it sounds as well as making complete sense, everything is so well thought out that it just works perfectly. The story follows Rincewind and Twoflower as they undertake an adventure across the Discworld where they encounter many different creatures and learn lots about the disc they live on.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was really fast paced and witty that it kept me drawn in and wanting to keep reading. I enjoyed all the different creatures within the story and think the world Pratchett has created is fascinating.

 

There aren’t really chapters, more so ‘parts’ which although I usually prefer chapters on the shorter side, I found that the way this book was constructed actually worked really well. I found the first part, set within the city of Ankh-Morpork a little boring however once Rincewind and Twoflower embarked on their journey I was hooked!

 

I will definitely be reading more from this series at some point and I like that fact that they are all individual books and therefore you can dip in and out whenever you like and read them in any order.

 

Opening line: In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part…

 

Format: ebook

 

228 pages

Published in 1983

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Record of a Spaceborn Few (The Wayfarers Series #3) – Becky Chambers

(sci-fi, space opera, heart-warming)

 

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5/5

 

Chambers did not disappoint, once again. I think The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (LWSAP) is still may favourite out of the Wayfarers series however Record of a Spaceborn Few (ROASF) is a very, very close second, I love it for different reasons.

 

ROASF starts just after LWSAP finishes and is set on ‘The Fleet’ which is a group of spacecrafts (homesteaders) on which, many decades ago, humans escaped a dying Earth to live in space. Eventually, after floating through space for many years, contact with other living beings was made and the fleet became a part of the Galactic Commons (basically like the EU). The story follows five characters who all live on The Fleet as they go about their daily lives.

 

What I love about this book is that it explores human nature and what it means to be human. The characters are deeply explored and we get a great understanding on who they are and how they feel they fit into their society. Although this book was not so full of alien species and planets (which is usually one of my favourite parts of space opera sci-fi) as the other two books in the series, I didn’t feel it was lacking anything as instead we were given such a thorough look at ‘The Fleet’ and the society humans have built in space.

 

I would encourage anyone who likes sci-fi and who also likes character driven stories to pick up any book from this series (they can all be read as standalones), they are truly heart-warming.

 

Opening line: ‘Mom, can I go see the stars?’

 

Format: print

 

359 pages

Published in 2018

Edited by Goose
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The Year of the Witching – Alexis Henderson

(paranormal, horror, feminist)

 

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3/5

 

The Year of the Witching is set in a fictional place called Bethel, a highly religious community ruled by a prophet and in which women are treated as belongings and people of colour treated as lesser. The main character Immanuelle is a young black woman who ends up entangled with the witches in the dark wood as she discovers things about her heritage.

 

I enjoyed the character of Immanuelle, she was strong and determined and I also liked the commentary on the treatment of women, particularly within religion as well as the commentary on racism. There wasn’t quite as much ‘witchyness’ as I was hoping for, instead the witches are present in more of a psychological, visions type way, however this didn’t ruin anything for me.

 

This book hasn’t made me keen to pick up more books of the genre however I did overall enjoy it.

 

Opening line: She was born breech, in the deep of night.

 

Format: ebook

 

368 pages

Published in 2020

Edited by Goose
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Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik

(fantasy, retelling, atmospheric)

 

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3.5/5

 

Spinning Silver is a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. One of our main characters Miryem is overheard by a fey king (staryk) boasting about being able to turn silver to gold. The fey king summons Miryem to turn his silver to gold for him or face the grim consequences.

 

This was a wonderfully atmospheric story, set in a winter kingdom, with lots of magic and mystery. I found that the book took directions that I wasn’t expecting which gave it much more depth than I was initially expecting.

 

The point of view switches between a few different characters and its interesting to see how their stories eventually intertwine. One aspect that takes a bit of figuring out is that Novik doesn’t indicate who is the narrator so you have to work out whose point of view you are reading. However, I listened to it on audiobook and therefore the narrator used different voices for different characters so it made things a bit easier.

 

I would recommend reading Spinning Silver in winter as, like I said it has a very wintery feel (don’t do what I did and read it during one of the hottest heat-waves the UK has ever experienced!) My one last comment is that although I did enjoy the book, I think I may have struggled a little to get though it if I hadn’t had listened to it on audio, it was a little slow at times and did take quite a while to get going.

 

Opening line: The real story isn’t half as pretty as the one you’ve heard.

 

Format: audio book

 

465 pages

Published in 2022

Edited by Goose
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To Kill a Kingdom – Alexandra Christo

(fantasy, nautical, YA)

 

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3.75/5

 

To Kill a Kingdom follows two main characters; Lira, a siren princess who kills princes to steal their hearts, and Elian, the prince of a rich kingdom who much prefers sailing the oceans hunting sirens than preparing to take on the rule of his father’s land. An unfortunate set of circumstances leads the two to meet and we follow them along as they both try to complete the tasks they have each set for themselves.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was fast paced and the characters had interesting and entertaining relationships with each other that made it really easy to keep reading. It was nice to read a stand-alone fantasy book that neatly concluded itself at the end. Being mostly a fantasy and sci-fi reader, it is refreshing sometimes to not be left with questions and cliff-hangers!

 

There is a romance running through the story but it doesn’t feel too overwhelming and I liked that the romance was important to the plot. Overall I would recommend this book, it reads like a typical YA which sometimes is exactly what I am in the mood for!

 

Opening line: I have a heart for every year I have been alive.

 

Format: audio book

 

344 pages

Published in 2018

Edited by Goose
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The Final Girl Support Group – Grady Hendrix

(thriller, mystery, feminist)

 

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2.75/5

 

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book. I wasn’t sure if it was (and sort of hoping it was) a kind of dystopian-esk, alternate reality book where final girls from well know, popular horror stories get together and discuss what it is like being a final girl. It wasn’t, and although I was initially a bit disappointed, once I had accepted what the book actually was, I quite enjoyed it.

 

The book follows our main character, Lynnette who survived a brutal multiple murder when she was a teenager and now middle-aged attends a support group for other women like her. Things start to happen however and Lynnette realises that someone is trying to take out all of the final girls in her group. We follow Lynnette as she at first tries to hide away and keep herself safe, but then decides to try and save the other girls and figure out who is out to get them.

 

This book is quite different to the other books I have read, I don’t think I’ve read a thriller type book before. I liked that each character had their own set of issues and enjoyed the interactions between them. However, I would have liked the other members of the group to feature a bit more, once Lynnette realises they are all under threat the group disperses and we don’t get to see the other characters as much.

 

There is also a feminist theme that drives the book, commentary on how women are often depicted in horror movies and the glamorisation of their murders. I liked this aspect, it did at times feel a little ‘shoved down your throat’ and therefore worry that it could alienate those who would benefit the most from reading these sorts of messages, however for me it was an aspect of the book I really appreciated.

 

Overall I did enjoy the book, although deep down I think I still would have preferred what I initially thought the book was about, it would have been a bit more my cup of tea!

 

Opening line: I wake up, get out of bed, say good morning to my plant, unwrap a protein bar, and drink a litre of bottled water.

 

Format: ebook

 

342 pages

Published in 2021

Edited by Goose
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The Cruel Prince Series (#1 The Cruel Prince, #2 The Wicked King & #3 The Queen of Nothing) – Holly Black

(fantasy, YA, magical)

 

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Books 1 & 2 3.75

Book 3 3.5/5

 

This series is set in the faerie world of Elfhame which co-exists alongside the real world, without (on the whole) humans’ knowledge. Elfhame is a faerie kingdom with many magical fae folk who live under the rule of the High King. Our main character Jude, is a young human woman who lives in the magical world with her twin sister and her (sort of) faerie family. Jude attends classes with other children of the faerie courts, one of which is Prince Cardan, who along with his group of bullies, tries to make Jude’s life a misery.

 

I really enjoyed all three books in this series, I don’t think there was one that stood out more than the others. A lot of time is spent developing the characters and their relationships with each other and the story took some unexpected directions. I really liked that the characters were flawed, particularly Jude. She sometimes makes the wrong decisions and at times will do the worst in order to further herself. I found it refreshing to read a YA in which the main characters aren’t always squeaky clean and sometimes do horrible things.

 

The main aspect that I liked, and is usually an aspect that determines how much I enjoy a fantasy series is the creativity and wonderfulness of all the magical creatures. There weren’t as many defined creatures as in other books I’ve read however there was definitely a sense of whimsy and magic that I really enjoyed.

 

I would recommend this series if you enjoy stories about faerie politics, kingdoms and courts.

 

Opening line: On a drowsy Sunday afternoon, a man in a long dark coat hesitated in front of a house on a tree lined street.

 

Format: audio book

 

Book 1 - 370 pages

Book 2 - 336 pages

Book 3 - 300 pages

Published in 2018 - 2019

Edited by Goose
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Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine

(fantasy, middle-grade, charming)

 

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3.5/5

 

I loved the film Ella Enchanted when I was younger and only recently realised that it was based on a book, so I just had to read it!

 

Other than the general premise of the book, the film doesn’t really follow much of the story line, however it didn’t bother me at all. I can see why the film was done the way it was and it leaves the book to be enjoyed as a separate story. We follow Ella who, at birth, is given the ‘gift’ of obedience by a fairy called Lucinda. This obviously turns out not to be a gift as Ella ends up with no free will and can be made to do terrible things against her will. Ella sets out to try and find Lucinda to get her to take the gift back, meeting good and bad creatures along the way, as well as falling for a kind-hearted prince.

 

This was such a charming little book that made me feel very nostalgic. Its sort of a Cinderella retelling however this is only really made obvious towards the end. I love how determined and fiery Ella is and think she is a fantastic role model for little girls.

 

Opening line: That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me, she meant to bestow a gift.

 

Format: audio book

 

240 pages

Published in 1997

Edited by Goose
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The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

(mental health, philosophical, touching)

 

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3.5/5

 

Midnight Library is about Nora Seed a 35-year-old women who decides she would serve the people in her life better if she was no longer alive and decides to die. After taking an overdose Nora finds herself in a library with her old school librarian and in which it is always midnight. Nora can try out different lives that she could have led had she made different decisions in life and decide which one she wants to live.

 

I had a lot of thoughts about this book. At first I thought the different lives of Nora were a bit far-fetched, in one she is an Olympic swimmer, in another a glaciologist doing research in Svalbard and in another she is a famous rock star. I didn’t think it realistic that the lives were so extravagant. The book then however went on to talk about how Nora could take any small decision and change it e.g. pursue a brief thought of becoming an astronaut and see where it took her. I then thought about the fact that there were two ways of approaching it. You could either say “I want to see the life where I didn’t leave the band” or “I want to see the life where the band got famous”. Both different realities exist as there are an infinite number of decisions and paths that lead to an infinite number of outcomes. One path you see where one decision led you and the other you go straight to the outcome, not knowing what different decisions led you there. Once realising this I found the far-fetched lives less ‘eye-rolling’ and more exciting to read about. I don’t know if the book fully defined this itself or if it was more me just over-thinking it. It does talk about the theory of multiple universes; however, it was more about how Nora chose the lives she wanted to try out that I thought could use a bit more clarifying. Maybe I didn’t need to analyse it that much but I struggle to just go along with things if they aren’t fully explained!

 

Overall I did really enjoy the book. It was quite difficult to read at first, Nora is in such a dark place, but seeing how she learns to love life again is lovely. It was a tad overly philosophical for me, I am not really one for thinking there is a meaning to life as such, however I could see how it was relevant to Nora’s character. I would definitely recommend!

 

Opening line: Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford.

 

Format: print

 

304 pages

Published in 2020

Edited by Goose
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The Innkeeper Chronicles (#1 Clean Sweep, #2 Sweep in Peace, #3 One Fell Sweep, #4 Sweep of the Blade, #4.5 Sweep with Me & #5 Sweep of the Heart) – Ilona Andrews

(urban fantasy, sci-fi, unique)

 

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Book 1 4.5/5

Books 2, 3, 4 & 5 3.5/5

Book 4.5 3.75/5

 

I have a lot of love for this series. I don’t often read series back-to-back; I usually need to change it up and read another book before going back at a later date to read the next one. However, I loved the Innkeeper Chronicles so much I just kept on reading.

 

The series main character is Dina, a young woman who runs a magical inn where alien species stay while visiting earth. It’s a very well thought out universe with so many interesting species and planets. I love all the core characters too, each having their own back story and importance, but Orro in particular holds a special place in my heart!

 

I think this series is one of the most unique premises I have read and it just works so well. It initially presents as a fantasy, however it’s actually more of a sci-fi. There is a whole universe of planets and alien species and my favourite aspect is learning about all the different species that visit the inn.

 

Book 6, Sweep of the Heart is currently unfinished and being released in instalments on the authors website. I presume there are going to be more books in the series as there is a main plot line that is yet to be pursued.

 

Opening line: Brutus was dead.

 

Format: ebook

 

Book 1 - 225 pages

Book 2 - 237 pages

Book 3 - 257 pages

Book 4 - 26 pages

Book 4.5 - 146 pages

Book 5 - 456 pages

Published in 2013 - 2022

Edited by Goose
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17 hours ago, Goose said:

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

(mental health, philosophical, touching)

 

Midnight Library is about Nora Seed a 35-year-old women who decides she would serve the people in her life better if she was no longer alive and decides to die. After taking an overdose Nora finds herself in a library with her old school librarian and in which it is always midnight. Nora can try out different lives that she could have led had she made different decisions in life and decide which one she wants to live.

 

I had a lot of thoughts about this book. At first I thought the different lives of Nora were a bit far-fetched, in one she is an Olympic swimmer, in another a glaciologist doing research in Svalbard and in another she is a famous rock star. I didn’t think it realistic that the lives were so extravagant. The book then however went on to talk about how Nora could take any small decision and change it e.g. pursue a brief thought of becoming an astronaut and see where it took her. I then thought about the fact that there were two ways of approaching it. You could either say “I want to see the life where I didn’t leave the band” or “I want to see the life where the band got famous”. Both different realities exist as there are an infinite number of decisions and paths that lead to an infinite number of outcomes. One path you see where one decision led you and the other you go straight to the outcome, not knowing what different decisions led you there. Once realising this I found the far-fetched lives less ‘eye-rolling’ and more exciting to read about. I don’t know if the book fully defined this itself or if it was more me just over-thinking it. It does talk about the theory of multiple universes; however, it was more about how Nora chose the lives she wanted to try out that I thought could use a bit more clarifying. Maybe I didn’t need to analyse it that much but I struggle to just go along with things if they aren’t fully explained!

 

Overall I did really enjoy the book. It was quite difficult to read at first, Nora is in such a dark place, but seeing how she learns to love life again is lovely. It was a tad overly philosophical for me, I am not really one for thinking there is a meaning to life as such, however I could see how it was relevant to Nora’s character. I would definitely recommend!

 

Opening line: Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford.

 

Format: print

I listened to this a while ago when it was a Book of the Week or Book at Bedtime, I enjoyed it but wasn't quite sure what to make of it.  Like you I think I might have taken some of it a bit too literally, and ultimately I think it left me a bit "so what"?  It was enjoyable and a great idea but for me it didn't totally work.  I've read a few of his books and enjoyed them, he always seems to come up with something different which is great for an author.

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8 hours ago, Madeleine said:

I listened to this a while ago when it was a Book of the Week or Book at Bedtime, I enjoyed it but wasn't quite sure what to make of it.  Like you I think I might have taken some of it a bit too literally, and ultimately I think it left me a bit "so what"?  It was enjoyable and a great idea but for me it didn't totally work.  I've read a few of his books and enjoyed them, he always seems to come up with something different which is great for an author.

Yeah I agree, I love the idea but maybe just wish it had been explored slightly differently.

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  • 2 weeks later...

To Be Taught, if Fortunate – Becky Chambers

(sci-fi, speculative, thought-provoking)

 

To_Be_Taught_if_Fortunate.jpg.6cfbffb3d840a44d8818f86b01984743.jpg

 

3.5/5

 

To Be Taught, if Fortunate (TBTIF) is a novella. The story follows a small crew aboard a spaceship on a decade’s long exploration mission in which they are destined to visit four un-explored planets and document their ecological findings. However, whilst on this mission they realise something back on Earth is not quite right.

 

I found this book similar in many ways to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (LWSAP) - another book written by Chambers - which unfortunately I don’t think did it any favours. Both books follow a crew on a ship who become like family to each other on a difficult mission together. To me LWSAP was such a fantastic book that TBTIF struggled in the comparison and ended up falling a little flat. However, looking at TBTIF from the point of view of never having read LWSAP I think that it’s a really lovely story and one that leaves the reader with lots to think about. Ideally, I would have liked a bit more character building as I didn’t feel much of a connection to them, however I appreciate it’s a novella and therefore there is less time for this.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy the book, it touched on interesting topics about the human desire to reach out and discover new places and the impact that exploration can have. We have colonised almost every corner of our planet and now we are looking farther afield, but for what? Surely we should learn to look after the home we have rather than looking at what we can replace it with after we’ve finally destroyed it.

 

Anyway, overall I would recommend this book, it’s an enjoyable storyline and has some sections that go into detail on specific scientific methods/concepts that made it feel a bit more sci-fi than the other books in the series.

 

Opening line: If you read nothing else we’ve sent home, please at least read this.

 

Format: print

 

153 pages

Published in 2019

Edited by Goose
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Wings – Aprilynne Pike

(fantasy, YA, unique)

 

Wings.jpg.f4aa430bfc3e92b7af1aed2233e05fd1.jpg

 

3.5/5

 

Laurel is an unusual girl who has just started at a new school after years of being home schooled. She struggles to relate to her classmates which is only made more difficult when one day she finds out that she is actually a faerie after she starts to grow wings.

 

At first, I kind of felt like I was reading the authors own fantasy of finding out she is a faerie and telling a cute boy who then adores and falls in love with her. I’m not sure why but it just felt a bit odd, I don’t know if it was because the story almost felt like it was rushing to get to the part where she found out she was a faerie, as if the author couldn’t wait. However, once this fact was established, I actually started to really enjoy it.

 

It was a really unique take on faeries, one that I’ve not seen before. In this book faeries are actually not human, rather they are a very advanced plant species and have an unusual and unique way of life in the secret world of Avalon. I liked the way Pike also integrated the existence of faeries and other magical creatures into well-known myths and folklore.

 

I did start to read the next book in the series but I just kind of lost a bit of interest in it. I think I will continue it at some point, but I just have some other books I’m more interested in reading right now.

 

Opening line: Laurel’s shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood.

 

Format: ebook

 

356 pages

Published in 2009

Edited by Goose
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The House in the Cerulean Sea – T.J. Klune

(urban-fantasy, whimsical, heart-warming)

 

TheHouseTHISONE.thumb.jpg.eb09eedf7ebf3bf6fddd20e5874fad44.jpg

 

4.75/5

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea is set in a world where magical beings live among humans however, they are not usually treated as equal. Linus is a case worker for the government department that manages magical youth whose job it is to go to orphanages of magical children to investigate and ensure the children are being properly cared for. Linus is given a highly secretive case of investigating an orphanage that houses six dangerous children on a secluded island for a month and make a recommendation as to whether the orphanage can remain open of not.

 

This was a beautiful book. I’m not usually drawn to books where the characters are mainly children, however the children in this book just stole my heart. In particular a little wyvern called Theodore who collects items for his secret hoard and Chancy, an unidentified green creature whose life ambition is to become a bellhop.

 

There is such a sense of found family in this book which is one of my favourite tropes and I loved how all the children have their own little personalities and stories. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a real feel good, heart-warming tale.

 

Opening line: ‘Oh dear’ Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

 

Format: audibook

 

394 pages

Published in 2020

Edited by Goose
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