chesilbeach Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Haven't made my mind up yet. I'm sort of trying to get away from too many more supernatural books and get back to some more literary fiction, as my bookshelves are heaving with my TBR pile at the moment. I know I've been sucked into a few new series recently, but I'm going to try and cut back to finishing off those I've started, and move back into the real world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Fair enough! (I've read the first one and would be interested to see what you think of it, is all!). I'm going to try and cut back to finishing off those I've started, and move back into the real world Don't bother, it sounds like a depressing place to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Fair enough! (I've read the first one and would be interested to see what you think of it, is all!). I might try it at some point, and I'll be sure to let you know what I thought if I do Don't bother, it sounds like a depressing place to me! I'm an optimist and live in hope that it can only get better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Title: Airhead, Being Nikki, Runaway Author: Meg Cabot Publisher: Macmillan / Point Rating: 3/5 Synopsis: Em Watts is an intelligent, sensible, ordinary teenager. After a freak accident in a store, Em wakes up in hospital and is a completely different person. The Airhead trilogy follows Em's story to find out what has happened to her (book 1), how to live with her new life (book 2) and how to bring justice the people responsible (book 3). Review: Meg Cabot writes in her easy, familiar way, with her usual flawed by sympathetic heroine, and it's a great thrilling ride although quite far-fetched! The story incorporates themes of family, friends, peer pressure, multi-billion dollar corporations and celebrity culture, but it's overriding focus is how today's society concentrates on looks and appearance. Cabot does try to show how there is room for all types of look and being pretty or beautiful is not the be all and end all, and that everyone can look good by making the most of what they've been born with, and tries to push the idea that everything you see in the media (newspaper, magazine, video and film) is faked to look perfect and that no-one looks that perfect naturally. She also tries to promote the importance of education which can only be a good thing! I've decided to review the three books together because read as individual books, I'm not sure how much sense they make. As individual books, I've rated them as 3/5 each, but when I put them all together as a single story, I think I'd probably rate it a bit higher, and although Cabot's books tend to stick to around the 300 page mark, I actually think this would have benefited from being incorporated into a mega-thick single volume anthology to be read in one go. I read the first two one after the other, but unfortunately, the third one isn't actually published in the UK yet, so I bought an import from amazon in order to finish the trilogy, so I guess that must give you some idea how much I enjoyed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Title: Shadow Kiss Author: Richelle Mead Publisher: Puffin Books Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven't felt quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all ...might be seeing ghosts. Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world - and make her choose between the two people she loves most. Review: Back to St. Vladimir's Academy for the third book of the Vampire Academy series, and for me, this series has now kicked up a gear. The ongoing saga of Rose has ratcheted up a notch, and I read the story with my heart in my mouth a lot of the time, as the electrifying connection between her and Dimitri runs as a simmering undercurrent that eventually bursts up to the surface, while the menace from the Strigoi keeps the sense of peril mounting throughout to the thrilling conclusion. I am now (not so) patiently waiting for the next book to be delivered to the library for me to collect and continue the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I might try it at some point, and I'll be sure to let you know what I thought if I do Yoiks! Not sure I want to be responsible for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 6, 2010 Author Share Posted June 6, 2010 (edited) Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Author: Stephenie Meyer Publisher: Atom Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from book cover): I watched his body change. He crouched on the roof, one had gripping the edge. All that strange friendliness disappeared, and he was a hunter. That was something I recognized, something I was comfortable with because I understood it. I turned off my brain. It was time to hunt. I took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the blood inside the humans below. They weren't the only humans around, but they were the closest. Who you were going to hunt was the kind of decision you had to make before you scented your prey. It was too late to choose anything. Review: We first met Bree Tanner for a brief moment at the end of the Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse but she was obviously an important character to the author, as she had a whole back story worked out for her, which she has now written up in this novella. I thought it might be a while before I got to read another installment in the Twilight saga (I'm still holding out for the completion of Midnight Sun), and to be honest, I'd convinced myself I wasn't that bothered by this new story as it wasn't about our beloved Bella, Edward and Jacob, but couldn't resist the lure of an especially early opening of Waterstone's on publication date. At 178 pages, it's a quick, easy read, and it does feel like returning home after holiday - you've had a great time away reading other things, but it's lovely to be back with the your own creature comforts. From what I've seen of what's coming in the Eclipse film, I'm guessing Meyer gave this material to the filmmakers, and it rounds out the story nicely. The story concentrates more on Bree discovering the secrets Riley is keeping from his group of newborns. I enjoyed it, and I loved the characters of Diego and Fred. When the story starts, Bree has already been a vampire for a few months, but personally, I would have liked to see Meyer start the story in Bree's last day as a human, or in the first few days as a vampire. Interestingly, Waterstone's had opened an hour early for the book release and I was expecting to find crowds of teenagers at the bookshop, but it was a very quiet store that I walked into. In fact, the display of books was still pretty full, and I had the whole shop to myself. I didn't actually arrive until about 8:45am, so perhaps i'd missed them! Edited June 13, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 Title: Dead Witch Walking Author: Kim Harrison Publisher:Voyager Rating: 2/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): Rachel Morgan is a white witch and runner working for Inderland Security, in an alternate world where a bioengineered virus wiped out a great deal of the world's human population -- exposing the existence of the supernatural communities that had long lived alongside humanity. For the last five years Rachel has been tracking down law-breaking Inderlanders in modern-day Cincinnati, but now she wants to leave and start her own agency. Her only problem is that no one quits the I.S. Marked for death, Rachel will have to fend off fairy assassins and homicidal weres armed with an assortment of nasty curses. She's a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers by exposing the city's most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack is just as deadly as leaving the I.S. Review: I hadn't been intending to start another supernatural series of books, as I'm already engrossed in far too many, but I was out for the day and close to finishing the book I had with me, and picked this one up from a charity shop to tide me over until I got home. Although it is set in the US, there was something about it that made it seem more global than the other series of books I've been reading. I think perhaps it's because the Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake series are both set in southern states, whereas Harrison has set her book in a big city, Cincinnati, and it gave it a more urban and cosmopolitan feel, which I liked a lot. However, on the whole, I though the story itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary in this genre and the characters didn't really grab me. One thing that probably also put me off was the typeface and the size of the book. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I found it difficult to read, and the book was slightly smaller but thick, which I found made if hard to hold comfortably, and I think this had an adverse affect on my enjoyment of the book in general. I certainly won't be dashing out to by the next one, but if my TBR pile ever diminishes to next to nothing, I might consider picking up more of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking-Crazy Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 was considering this book the other day when "window" shopping on ebay... but slapped my wrists as i shouldn't even be looking at mo... makes me feel better about not buying that you don't rate it as a must read now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 (edited) Title: Circus of the Damned, The Lunatic Cafe, Bloody Bones, The Killing Dance Author: Laurell K. Hamilton Publisher: Headline Book Publishing Rating: 3/5 Review: I decided to review these four books as one, as I don't think they need individual reviews. The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series continues apace, with Hamilton gradually bringing in more of the supernatural world into books. I'm really enjoying the series - great, escapist stuff, nothing serious, just pure entertainment. My personal opinion is that the amount and graphic nature of the sex, violence and horror aspects is gradually creeping up each book, but so far, it doesn't really bother me. I love Anita's humour and I quite often chuckle out loud while reading, but I sometimes wish there was more of the police officers in the story, as I think the wise cracks and the teasing offset the violence of the stories well, and I'd like to see more of those characters working with Anita. I have the next two books on order from the library, so will definitely be continuing on with the series. Edited June 13, 2010 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 Title: What I Saw and How I Lied Author: Judy Blundell Publisher: Scholastic Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): Summer's ending, Evie's stepfather is finally home from the Second World War, and Evie is tired of her glamorous mother treating her like a little girl. Then a mysterious stranger appears: a handsome ex-GI who served with Evie's stepfather. Slowly, Evie realizes that she is falling in love with him - but he has dark secrets and a strange control over her parents. When a sudden tragedy occurs Evie's world is shattered. Torn between her family and the man she loves, Evie must betray someone. The question is ...who? Review: The cover of this book looks stunning, with a film noir feel, drawing me in to what I anticipated would be a thrilling book with a teenage femme fatale. What I actually got, was a coming of age story for a teenager with the elements of mystery, war, prejudice and adultery, albeit on a fairly domestic scale. I loved the sense of period that the author created, and the language and characters felt authentic for that period. Once the story moves to the setting of the hotel, it does start to feel slightly claustrophic, only adding to the general darkening atmosphere of the plot. However, I don't think it lived up to my expectations, and by the time I got to the end, I was a bit disappointed that the heroine hadn't either been or developed into that femme fatale I'd been hoping for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Title: The Outcast Author: Sadie Jones Publisher: Vintage Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): One summer's day in 1957, nineteen-year-old Lewis Aldridge stands alone at Waterford railway station. The only person awaiting his return is a fifteen-year-old girl called Kit Carmichael. Like him, she endured a childhood spent in the stifling atmospher of an English village recovering from the ravages of the Second World War. A decade earlier it was Lewis who waited for his father's homecoming from the war. His mother, a free-spirited and glamorous woman, holds husband and son in her thrall. But when tragedy strikes, Lewis and his father, unable to console one another, are torn apart by their grief. Now, from the fractured remains of their old lives, Kit and Lewis must forge their own futures. Review: There are so many interesting things about this book, I don't know where to start! I guess the first thing that struck me when I finished the book was the narrative. Although told in the third person, the focus is always on either Lewis or Kit, and while they never directly speak to the read, you always feel as though you're seeing their unique perspective on the story and it results in a very personal and close relationship with the reader. I usually prefer linear plots, but this one starts at the mid point of the story for the prologue, then jumps back to the beginning and follows the rest of the story in the traditional chronological order. This actually add to the story for me, as you know what has happened and you gradually come to understand why it has happened and the ongoing fallout from the tragedy. The claustrophobic society of the village, the lack of communication between family members and the repression of emotions are all indicative of the 1940's and 1950's before the advent of the idea that people need to share feelings and talk about traumatic experiences to get comfort from each other. This leads to one of the characters starting to self harm, something that while I'm aware of it, I know very little about. I thought the descriptions and explorations of the feelings of the characters involved, and also those of the people who eventually find out what has been happening were compelling to read. This is not a pleasant read, but I have to say, it held my attention and I savoured reading it, taking care to understand an unusual subject matter. Well written with heart and feeling, and a very worthwhile read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Fantastic reviews chesil! So pleased you're enjoying the Anita Blake books, I've just started The Lunatic Cafe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Thanks, Charm! I'm just finishing Three Men on the Bummel this evening (hopefully), then my next book is the next Anita Blake - Burnt Offerings. Can't wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Title: Blood Promise Author: Richelle Mead Publisher: Puffin Books Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): I've taken the unusual step of spoiler tagging the synopsis, because if you haven't read this far into the series, this gives away a very big plot point from the previous book, so please beware. How far will Rose go to keep a promise? The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of many. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them - including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa - the one she has sworn to protect no matter what - and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most? Review: The fourth in the Vampire Academy series takes a different direction with Rose dropping out of school in order to track down and kill Dimitri who has been turned by the Strigoi . And it's an interesting direction indeed, with Rose spending the majority of the book in Siberia, with some new characters and the introduction of the mysterious Zmey (although I figured out who he was the moment he gave Rose his name I liked the book as much as I have the others and although I don't usually read author's Q&A sections at the back of books, I did notice that Mead says the Rose story will finish at the end of book six, and will be followed by another series of six VA books with a whole new set of characters. I'm glad to hear that, as I like when an author has a whole story in mind for her characters and isn't afraid to say when the instalments need to stop. A good read; I'm enjoying this series more as it gets towards its conclusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Title: Dead In The Family Author: Charlaine Harris Publisher: Gollancz Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from waterstones.com): If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: you haven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being, who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War. Review: The Sookie Stackhouse series continues with a battle weary Sookie recovering from her injuries at the end of the previous book, but it's no longer a case of a quick glug of vamp blood to cure our Sookie, and it's taking it toll on her mental well being too. I don't know why I like this series so much, but even when our heroine is feeling down, she always makes me smile, and we always have the ever gorgeous Eric to dream about! It's probably not the best book in the series, but a great Saturday read for me, and I'm already looking forward to the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Title: Spirit Bound Author: Richelle Mead Publisher: Puffin Books Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (from book cover): Again, I've taken the unusual step of spoiler tagging the synopsis, because if you haven't read this far into the series, this gives away a very big plot point from the previous book, so please beware. Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. And she made the wrong one...After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's Academy - and to her best friend, Lissa. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true - Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won't rest until Rose joins him...forever. Review: The fifth Vampire Academy sees Rose back at St Vladimir's, trying to put her life back together. While I can see where the story is going and what I think will happen, I find these books fantastic entertainment and as the series goes on, I like them more and more. I love that the story is building so that as Rose and Lissa grow up, the society around them is changing, and you get the dynamics of teenagers becoming young women and a reforming culture, together making an interesting story more exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Great reviews Chesil, I've got The Outcast on my shelf to read, glad you enjoyed it (if that's the right word). It's one I've got to get around to reading sometime this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Title: Three Men on the Bummel Author: Jerome K. Jerome Publisher: Penguin Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from Waterstones.com): "Three Men in a Boat" was an instant success when it appeared in 1889, and proved so popular that Jerome reunited his now older - but not necessarily wiser - heroes in "Three Men on the Bummel", for a picaresque bicycle tour of Germany. With their benign escapism, authorial discussions and wonderful evocation of the late-Victorian 'clerking classes', both novels hilariously capture the spirit of their age. Review: I loved Three Men In A Boat when I read it earlier in the year, and wasn't expecting this sequel to be as good. In fact, I thought it was by far the more entertaining book. This seemed much more like a novel than the first book, where the author had tried to include local history in to the narrative. The three men are now older and decide to take a bicycle ride through Germany, and this time we get their side of the story about how they get on together (or don't) as well as the various escapades they find themselves in along the way of their journey. We learn about the family life (now two of them are married with children) and get a glimpse of to society of the times through their eyes. It was funny! I smiled almost all the way through - there's something about the contemporary language of that era that makes me chuckle anyway, but knowing it was written in that period makes it feel even more real and authentic, and gives it an extra level of humour. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the final chapter. After having seemingly made a very definite decision to make this the story of the three men, the conclusion is an essay on the modern Germany of the time, which was dry and felt a let down after a very funny, very charming story of three friends. Apart from that it was very, very entertaining and great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Great review Chesil, and wow, better than the first one? I can't wait to read it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Title: Burnt Offerings 3/5 Title: Blue Moon 3/5 Title: Obsidian Butterfly 2/5 Author: Laurell K. Hamilton Publisher: Headline Book Publishing Review: The ongoing adventures of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter continue in these next three books. I have been enjoying the series, but I've been thrown a bit of a curve ball with Obsidian Butterfly. It's a bit of a departure storywise, as it revolves around a grisly investigation that Edward is running, so the action moves away from the usual Jean-Claude and Richard settings. The first thing that hit me was the length of the book, at a monster 670-odd pages, but the problem was, it didn't need to be that long. I didn't like the direction the story took, and didn't like the characters or the setting, and I just found after the enjoying the first few books, including Burnt Offerings and Blue Moon, this was a disappointing installment. I've already got the next book from the library, so I'm going to carry on and hope this was just a blip, but if the next book is as disappointing as this, I'm afraid I'll be saying goodbye to Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I totally agree with you Chesil about Obsidian Butterfly. I'm half way through it and tbh it's dragging on. I'm not keen on Edward (or his sidekicks), the case isn't going anywhere and I think the author is just spending way too much time on stupid things. I've ordered the next two in the series so will be continuing for the time being, but I do hope it is just a blip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I have never heard of these books but they sound very interesting, will give them a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 I totally agree with you Chesil about Obsidian Butterfly. I'm half way through it and tbh it's dragging on. I'm not keen on Edward (or his sidekicks), the case isn't going anywhere and I think the author is just spending way too much time on stupid things. I've ordered the next two in the series so will be continuing for the time being, but I do hope it is just a blip! I've had a quick flick through the next one, and it does look like it's back to the old setting, so hopefully it will be normal service resumed! One thing I forgot to mention in my reviews, but I'll say now is ... there are way too many references to the clothes people are wearing, in far too much detail. I couldn't give a damn whether someone's wearing a button-down shirt or a tank top or a dress shirt or a polo shirt and what level of access to their weapons it gives them. I think half the time it might be because the descriptions of the clothes often seem alien to me, whether it's because they're not British descriptions of items of clothing or because I have no interest in fashion and have never worried about the name of a certain type of shirt, other than it's a shirt, I don't know; I just know it bugs the hell out of me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 Title: Brooklyn Author: Colm T�ib�n Publisher: Penguin Rating: 5/5 Synopsis (from Waterstones.com): It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go, leaving behind her family and her home for the first time. Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. She is far from home - and homesick. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland. There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma - a devastating choice between duty and one great love. Review: In a time of poor employment rates in Ireland, Eilis has already seen her brothers leave home to find work in England, and while her sister Rose has been lucky enough to find a good job and a fulfilling life at home, there doesn't seem to be much chance of that for Eilis. So she leaves Ireland for the shores of America, a young girl making her way with the help of the church to the land of opportunity. What an absolutely wonderful book. This is the second T�ib�n book I've read, and as with the first, the beauty of his writing captivated me throughout. He really seems to capture the essence of Eilis and her being seems like a very real person. An affecting portrayal of the young woman and what struck me was how you completely understood how Eilis was feeling all the time, but he managed to keep a slight distance to of all the other characters. This is exactly how we all as individuals truly are around all other people - we can never know exactly how they feel or think, no matter how close we are to them. Having said that, there was enough description of all the other characters that you were led to believe what sort of person they were, and what their motives for their actions were at any time. One of my favourite reads of the year, and I will be looking for more to read from this author in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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