Kell's 2011 Reading Log

[Kell]

TEASER TUESDAYS

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

My teaser:

Mercy gasped, though she knew the ghost for what it was. The other ghosts – she had seen them so many times. They were familiar, unnoticed, like old paintings on the wall. Not this one.

 

- page 6, Century by Sarah Singleton

 

Synopsis:

Mercy and her sister Charity have never questioned their daily routine, each day unfolding exactly as the next. They live at night, sleep during the day and see their widowed father only rarely – their house shrouded in perpetual winter. Then one day, Mercy is woken to find a snowdrop on her pillow. A sign of spring, a subtle hint at a possible different future. A chance meeting with the mysterious Claudius sets her to questioning everything she has ever known – not least the truth behind her mother’s death. Bit by bit Mercy traces her parents’ story through the past, travelling back to see herself as a young child, silent witness to the dramatic events Claudius himself plays an enormous part in – only when she has pieced together the truth can her world begin to move on.

 

What I think of it so far:

I’ve only just started reading this young adult novel, but so far it’s pretty decent. It’s very cryptic and the mystery is rather compelling. I feel I’m being slowly reeled in like a fish and at some point I’m going to realise I can’t escape the pull…

[Kell]

W... W... W... Wednesdays

* What are you currently reading?

* What did you recently finish reading?

* What do you think you’ll read next?

 

What are you currently reading?

Erin Morgenstern – The Night Circus

I’m only a few chapters into this and it’s all very intriguing. There’s been a small smattering of magic and a little mystery, and I’m looking forward to delving deeper into this unusual story.

 

Sarah Singleton – Century

I’ve only just started reading this young adult novel, but so far it’s pretty decent. It’s very cryptic and the mystery is rather compelling. I feel I’m being slowly reeled in like a fish and at some point I’m going to realise I can’t escape the pull…

 

What did you recently finish reading?

Stephen Cole – Resurrection (Wereling Trilogy 3) - 3/5

This is the conclusion of the trilogy, and although it was pretty good, the ending was just slightly disappointing – a bit of a damp squib. I wanted the conclusion to resolve everything but it felt like it had been left just a little open in case the author had an idea for a further installment. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad – not by a long shot – it just didn’t quite deliver in the way I had hoped it would. Still, over all, the trilogy is a decent enough read and a fun way to fill a few hours if you like young adult paranormal books.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Julia Golding – Cat’s Cradle (Cat Royal 6)

This is the last of the books I got out from the library on my most recent visit, and the last full-length novel in this series (there is an e-book novella that comes after it). This series has been pretty good and has touched on some fairly important themes, so I expect a good read from this one too.

[Kell]

 

Beth Revis is hosting a most wonderful book give away with a prize of a stack of signed books, a box of delicious Turkish delight, and a mountain of book goodies – her generosity is boundless! In order to be in with a chance of winning this book bounty (which is open internationally!) is post about the giveaway and a book for which you are grateful.

 

 

Books for which I’m grateful:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis

I adore this series of books and spent many an hour in my childhood completely absorbed in the magical world of Narnia. My favourite is actually The Silver Chair, closely followed by The Magician’s Nephew, both of which seem to be oft overlooked when people name their favourite in the series, but I love the darkness of The Silver Chair and the revelation of the very creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew.

 

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

This is my absolute favourite of all the Bard’s plays. I love the complexity of the relationships overpowered by raw ambition. I also adore that Shakespeare showcased such a feisty, strong female character in Lady Macbeth, even if, ultimately, she was a tragic figure. We studied this play in Higher English and although I already enjoyed Shakespeare, the class really brought it to life for me. I eventually auditioned for a place on a college drama course (and was accepted unconditionally!) using a piece that cobbled together Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene (but without the interjections from the other characters).

 

The Plucker by Brom

This is the book that awakened in me a love of graphic and illustrated novels. The sheer dark beauty of the story combined with the stunning artwork made my heart sing! Since then I’ve enjoyed many others (including Brom’s other works, The Devil’s Rose and The Child Thief – I recommend them all!), but The Plucker will always have a special place on my bookcase as the one that made me realise that illustrated novels aren’t always just for kids. Indeed, if a child stumbled upon Brom’s work he or she may well have bad dreams for a while afterwards, but the exquisite nightmarish quality of the work is truly a wonder that ever adult ready should enjoy!

 

So, which are the books tha make you grateful? I’d love to know. And if you share and link back to Beth Revis, you’ll be in with a chance of winning too!

[Kell]

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY

 

E-volution

E-readers like the Kindle and iPad are sweeping the nation … do you have one? Do you like it? Do you find it changes your reading/buying habits? If you don’t have one, do you plan to?

 

I don’t have an e-reader – yet! When it comes to reading large swathes of text on a computer screen, I have major problems, so reading e-books has been pretty much impossible for me to date. However, I really like the idea of a screen which isn’t backlit that you can read like a page.

 

The handiness of an e-reader really appeals to me as it would mean I would never again suffer the horror of running our of book – you know, when you think you still have another couple of chapters and it turns out it’s the first bit of the next book in the series along with a load of adverts for other books? I hate that. And it always seems to happen when I’m out of the house and still have 20 minutes to kill – and no more book to read! With an e-reader I would have hundreds, if not thousands, of books in my bag all the time without the bulk and weight of physical books.

 

I also review books for authors and publishers, but more and more of these are being offered as e-books only and I feel I’m missing out on some gems by not having an e-reader. I really hope Santa reads this and brings me one for Xmas – the new Kindle would be nice and it’s not too expensive!

 

Will an e-reader ever replace real books for me? No. I love the feel and smell of a book in my hands, and the experience of turning the pages. I will always have my real books, but an e-reader would make reading on the go that little bit simpler.

[Kell]

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

 

By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions:

 

Laura Joh Rowland – The Snow Empress

Becca Fitzpatric – Hush Hush

Gillian Bagwell – The September Queen

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Beautiful Creatures

Jonathan Pinnock – Mrs Darcy Versus the Aliens

Maggie Stiefvater – The Scorpio Races

Joss Stirling – Stealing Phoenix

Brenna Yovanoff – The Replacement

 

They’ve all gone onto my wish list!

 

 

[Kell]

Musing Mondays

 

Are you currently collecting any authors? Why?

Do you have all of their books? If not, why not?

Did you buy all the books in the collection at the same time, or did you buy a book here, a book there? Have you actually read all of the collection? If not, why not?

 

There are certain authors I collect in my permanent collection and I try to get all their books in hardback (just because they’re more hard-wearing and often look prettier, and if I’m keeping a book, I want it to look as lovely as possible!). I tend to pick them up as they’re published after reading the first few which may have been published prior to my finding them. I read all of them (at least ,those within the series I collect), often more than once and I like to read them as soon as possible after publication as I can manage (sometimes I wait till a birthday or Christmas after publication as people are always asking for gift ideas for me!).

 

The authors who make up the bulk of my permanent collection are:

 

Kelley Armstrong – Women of the Otherworld series

Brom – all his illustrated novels

Christopher Brookmyre – all his novels

Philippa Gregory – Tudor novels and Cousins’ War series

Stuart MacBride – Logan McRae series and additional novels

Terry Pratchett – Discworld Series

Simon Scarrow – Romans series and Revolutions series

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – The Edge Chronicles

[Kell]

Cover Crazy

 

 

What I Love:

The clean, white cover with the pale background; the stark contrast of her black hair and the intricate design on her kimono; the splash of red that you don’t necessarily immediately realise is blood dripping down her sleeve… I’ve always loved the combination of black, white and red – there’s something rather classy about it, and this cover is so elegant to boot. The eye is drawn straight to the female figure and then drifts over the rest of it, picking out all the details. It’s just a beautifully stunning design.

 

Synopsis:

Japan, 1699. On a moonlit night in Ezogashima, the northernmost island of Japan, a woman is running through the forest when an arrow zooms out of the darkness to strike her dead. Meanwhile, a world away in the city of Edo, the eight-year-old son of Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to power and influence in the shogun’s court, vanishes during a moon-watching party.

 

When Sano’s political rival, Lord Matsudaira, hints that the boy may be in Ezogashima, Sano’s wife, Reiko, insists on accompanying him on the desperate journey. After an eleven-day voyage through cold and treacherous waters, they arrive at Ezogashima, only to find that Lord Matsumae, distraught at the murder of his mistress, is holding the whole province hostage until someone confesses to the crime. No one is allowed in or out of Ezogashima, and although Matsumae tells Sano his son is there, he refuses to release him.

 

Sano strikes a deal: He will solve the murder of Matsumae’s mistress if Lord Matsumae will free the hostages and return their son. Soon, however, he and Reiko find themselves caught up in a dangerous scheme that includes clan warfare, jealous husbands, and murderous betrayal.

[Kell]

TEASER TUESDAY

 

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

My teaser:

Several months later, once he decides she is ready, the magician writes a letter of his own. He includes no address, but it reaches its destination across the ocean nonetheless.

 

page 11, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

 

Synopsis:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway – a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love – a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

 

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 

What I think of it so far:

I’m not very far into this one yet, so I’ve purposely chosen a quote at random from early in the book. Although it’s not overtly about anything in particular, I feel it goes some way towards capturing some of the mystery. If I’d chosen one of the beautiful descriptions, I wouldn’t have been able to limit myself to just two sentences as they are so wonderful! Needless to say, I’m enjoying it immensely and looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds…

[Kell]

Top Ten Tuesday

 

The Top Ten unread books on my bookshelf are:

 

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michele Faber

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters

The Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

[Kell]

W... W... W... Wednesdays

* What are you currently reading?

* What did you recently finish reading?

* What do you think you’ll read next?

 

 

What are you currently reading?

Erin Morgenstern – The Night Circus

I’m only a few chapters into this and it’s all very intriguing. There’s been a small smattering of magic and a little mystery, and I’m looking forward to delving deeper into this unusual story.

 

Maria V Snyder - Fire Study (Study 3)

The third and final book in the Study fantasy trilogy about Yelena Zaltana. I’ve enjoyed the other two, s oI hope this will be a fitting and enjoyable conclusion to the series.

 

What did you recently finish reading?

Sarah Singleton – Century - 3/5

A young adult novel that is very cryptic and the mystery is rather compelling - I felt like I was being slowly reeled in like a fish and at some point I would realise I couldn’t escape the pull. It was an enjoyable read but there was something about it that left me feeling there was something missing – some explanation as to the origins of the family’s secret. It is, however, beautifully written – Singleton is an author I will be trying again at some point in the future.

 

Julia Golding – Cat’s Cradle (Cat Royal 6) - 3/5

This series of young adult novels has touched on some serious subjects, from slavery to revolution to piracy and fighting for a cause, but this one didn’t really have a “big” theme – just the more personal one of finding one’s family. That said, it was still a warming and endearing story and an enjoyable read, and I look forward to completing the series with the novella which is only available as an e-book.

 

Chris Riddell – Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (Ottoline 1) - 4/5

I adore Chris Riddell’s illustrations, but before now I had only ever seen his work when accompanied by the words of another (Paul Stewart in The Edge Chronicles and Neil Gaiman in The Graveyard Book). This first experience of his own story with his gorgeous drawings is something of a revelation! I love the quirkiness of the characters and plot – Riddell has style and flair which, when coupled with those fantastic pen-and-ink renderings, is a winning combination.

 

Chris Riddell – Ottoline Goes to School (Ottoline 2) - 4/5

The second Ottoline adventure is just as wonderful as the first. Such a sensible little girl in an unusual situation (absent parents who travel the world while she stays home with Mr Munroe, a small, hairy fellow from the bogs of Norway) trying to find some kind of normality but remaining extraordinary. This series has enough charm to appeal to readers of all ages!

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Picked up from the library:

- Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely 1)

- Sarwat Chadda - Devil’s Kiss (Devil’s Kiss 1)

[Kell]

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY

Category

Of the books you own, what’s the biggest category/genre?

Is this also the category that you actually read the most?

 

This is a bit of a funny one, really. I only keep a certain amount of my books due to limits on space. The largest section of my permanent collection is filled with Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels – all 39 of them – plus additional books by Mr Pratchett. However, I don’t read them most often. I have read each of them multiple times, but fantasy isn’t my most often-read category…

 

Another very large section is given over to young adult/children’s books. I have all the Harry Potter books (J K Rowling), most of the Artemis Fowl series (Eoin Colfer), and all of The Edge Chronicles (Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell), but again, although I’ve read all of them at least once, and they all belong firmly in the fantasy genre, fantasy is not the genre that most often finds its way onto Mount To-Be-Read.

 

I would say my reading preference definitely gets pretty much equally divided between historical fiction, urban fantasy/paranormal fiction and crime fiction. Representing the past on my shelves are all of Simon Scarrow’s books (both his Roman and Revolution series) and Philippa Gregory (I adore her Tudor novels and the Cousins’ War series), but those are the only ones I keep. Other books tend to be paperbacks which get donated to a library when I’m finished with them. I also adore Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, so she heads up my paranormal collection, but I’ll try almost anything that features vampires, werewolves and other creatures of that ilk.

 

Finally, there’s crime fiction. Stuart Macbride (Logan McRae series) and Christopher Brookmyre (various novels involving crimes set) both have a pitch-black sense of humour which appeals to me, so they’re definitely worth mentioning as favourites who have a section all of their own on my bookcase. And of course, there are the books by Richard Castle (tying in with the TV show, Castle) of which there are only three (so far) but will be expanded upon as more are published…

 

I will read just about anything apart from Mills and Boon style romances, and only a very little chick-lit, but those are the Big Three for me.

[Kell]

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

 

By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions:

 

• Catherynne M Valente – The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
  
• Maureen Johnson – The Name of the Star (Shades of London 1)
  
• M Nova – Garden of Apples
  
• Gina Damico – Croak
  
• Catherine Fisher – Incarceron (Incarceron 1)
  
• Deborah Harkness – A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy 1)
  
• Ransom Riggs – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
  
• Jessica Day George – Princess of the Midnight Ball (book 1)
  
• Jessica Day George – Princess of Glass (book 2)
  
• Diane Setterfield – The Thirteenth Tale
  
• Muriel Barbery – The Elegance of the Hedgehog
  
• Melissa Anelli – Harry, a History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

They’ve all gone onto my wish list!

 

[Roland Butter]

Hedgehog is definitely a good one, Kell - not the fastest-paced book in the world, but it's beautifully written (and, presumably, translated!).

[Kell]

Thanks, Roland - I shall look forward to getting hold of it at some point. These are all on my Friday Finds Wishlist on Amazon to get when I have some spare cash or when anyone asks for a birthday/Xmas wishlist.

[Roland Butter]

I just checked, and I still have my copy of Hedgehog. It's in pretty good nick, so I'm happy to pass it on to you if you'd like it, Kell. It's only going to the charity shop otherwise. PM me if you're interested.

[Kell]

Roland, I'd love to have a borrow. Thank you! PM on the way...

[Kell]

Musing Mondays

How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?

 

If a friend or fellow blogger with similar past tastes to mine recommends a book, it certainly gets my attention, but to be honest, when it comes to trying new authors, I’m just as likely to find it from the back of another book I’ve just read. For example, I loved Ash by Malinda Lo and in the back of that book was an advert for Sisters Red by Jackson Pierce and I immediately fell in love with the cover art.

 

Which leads me to the other thing that attracts me to new authors – the covers! I’m afraid I often do judge books by their covers and a particularly striking or beautiful cover is likely to attract me even if it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the author’s name. An example of this would be the day I saw a copy of The Plucker by Brom. The cover was so darkly beautiful that I just knew I had to check it out of the library. I fell completely in love with Brom’s work that day!

 

There have been instances of “cover recommendations” going very badly wrong for me. For example, I read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and on the front cover was a quote that read “This is the next The Lovely Bones.” So I got hold of a copy of Alice Sebold’s novel and absolutely hated it. In fact, if I’d read that one first and seen on the cover a recommendation that said, “This is the next The Time Traveler’s Wife,” I would never have read Niffenegger’s novel!

 

 

~***~

 

Cover Crazy

 

What I love:

I adore the juxtaposition of the natural with the manufactured – the key, front and foremost, with cogs in random placement against a background of leaves and trees. The muted colour scheme is also very appealing to me – the cool blues against the black and dark grey. And that title font is just gorgeous – curved and flowing, yet sharp and pointed at the same time.

 

Synopsis:

Incarceron — a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology — a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber — chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison — a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device — a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn’s escape is born !

[lauraloves]

Just responding from your earlier post,

 

Melissa Anelli – Harry, a History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

 

this sounds so good I'm definitaly one of the 'Harry Potter Generation' and really want to read this book. Thanks for putting it on my radar

[Kell]

I was late coming to Harry Potter, but I think it sounds just great too.

[Kell]

TEASER TUESDAYS

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

My teaser:

Cold and uncomfortable, I tossed and turned, trying to sleep. Disturbing dreams of fire and death invaded my mind. Flames would spark in a benevolent dream, here and there until they multiplied and consumed the picturesque scene, burning the images into a storm of black ash. I woke coughing on imaginary smoke, my body coated with sweat.

 

- page 134, Fire Study (Study 3) by Maria V Snyder

 

Synopsis:

The apprenticeship is over– now the real test has begun.

 

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder–able to capture and release souls–spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.…

 

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself–and save the land she holds dear.

 

What I think of it so far:

I’m not enjoying this one quite as much as the previous installments, but there’s not much in it really. I think this one just isn’t making as much of an impact because I’ve grown used to the characters, their situation and the writing style. However, there’s still plenty action, adventure and magic in this novel and it’s a pretty good read so far. I’m just past the half-way mark and hope the rest of it continues as well!

 

 

~***~

 

Top Ten Tuesday

 

The Top Ten authors I would invite to dinner are:

 

1. Terry Pratchett – I love his wit and his satirical view of the world. He’d have everyone in stitches. He’s also rather philosophical and I’d love to discuss his views on the right to die with dignity as I know it’s a subject about which he feels very strongly.

 

2. Stuart MacBride – he’s actually quite local to me and is so nice he might actually come if asked! I’d love to quiz him on his research methods. He was very interesting at our book group a few years back and such an all-round nice guy it’s hard to believe he comes out with such gruesome murders in his books!

 

3. Brom - his artwork is so stunning, so dark and beautiful, that I couldn’t help but include him on my list. His prose is just as beautiful, so he’s multi-talented.

 

4. Kelley Armstrong – I adore her Women of the Otherworld books and she’d add a little balance to the entirely male list as it stands to this point. I’d love to talk about the role of strong female characters in modern literature.

 

5. Philippa Gregory – her historical novels are so brilliant and really bring the past to life. I’d love to talk about how women have quietly supported the men-folk in the past and how that translates into women of power today.

 

6. Simon Scarrow – another writer of historical fiction whose Roman series is phenomenal. The Roman Empire is something I find fascinating, so the chance to chatter about life in ancient Rome would be impossible to pass up!

 

7. Oscar Wilde – well, who wouldn’t want such a witty raconteur round for dinner? I suspect that with his manners and intellect, the dinner conversation would be both humourous and thoughtful.

 

8. William Shakespeare – his use of language is so beautiful I would have to include him on my wish-list. I’m afraid I would become something of a quivering wreck in his presence as I admire his work so much.

 

9. Jane Austen – she would simply sparkle in any set of polite company. Her views on polite society and a woman’s role in it would be interesting – I’d love to hear what she thinks of modern society and whether she feels much has changed since her time.

 

10. The Brontë Sisters – I know it’s cheating a little to include Anne, Charlotte and Emily all together, but I couldn’t invite one and not the others. Besides, they all have such distinct styles they would set a wonderful balance to the evening. Their ideas on love, passion and duty would be interesting to hear!

[Kell]

W... W... W... Wednesdays

* What are you currently reading?

* What did you recently finish reading?

* What do you think you’ll read next?

 

 

What are you currently reading?

Sarwat Chadda – Devil’s Kiss

I’m starting this one today. I’ve never read anything by this author, so it will be completely new to me. This one is from the YA section of the library, where I picked it up based on title and cover alone – I didn’t even read the blurb on the back! I figured that sometimes it’s nice to have something that’s a complete surprise…

 

What did you recently finish reading?

Ellen Morgenstern – The Night Circus - 4/5

When I first got notification of this novel’s impending publication, I fell completely in love with the hardback cover and just knew I had to have it. In the intervening time, I read synopses and then reviews before I bought it and everything pointed towards this being excellent. As a result, I had quite ridiculously high expectations of The Night Circus, but you know what? It pretty much lived up to them, which should have been almost impossible! The writing is just gorgeous and as the plot unfolds and the characters are developed, whilst hopping backwards and forwards in time to tell it, the mystery deepens till the reader is in exactly the same position as the participants – trying to work everything out and make sense of it all. It’s well worth reading this, so if you’re still on the fence, please do hop down on the side of “I’m going to try this book!”

 

Maria V Snyder – Fire Study (Study 3) - 3/5

The final installment of the Study trilogy. Although I enjoyed this one, I wasn’t quite as enamoured of it as I was the others. The first in the series (Poison Study) is definitely the best, but that’s not to say the other two aren’t good – there’s marginal difference in my preference. Fire Study finished the story arc in a very satisfying manner with loads of action, adventure and intrigue between the pages.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely 1)

Chosen from the young adult section of the library. I know absolutely nothing about this series – I chose it based on the title (which I love!) and the cover (which is rather pretty).

[Nollaig]

I've love to read The Night Circus - I remember you talking about it and when I was in Waterstones yesterday I actually picked it up and thought of you! But I was already spending €23 on a another book (an illustrated hardback of King Arthur & His Knights) so I really couldn't afford it. I may get an e-copy!

[Kell]

It's definitely worth a try, Noll - very magical.

[Kell]

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY

 

Thankful

What book or author are you most thankful to have discovered?

Have you read everything they’ve written? Reread them?

Why do you appreciate them so much?

 

For me, the honour goes to Sir Terry Pratchett. I discovered his work quite by accident in the summer of 1992 whilst on holiday in the Lake District. I picked up a copy of The Carpet People from one of the shops and started reading. Several hours later, the book was finished and I couldn’t believe how the time had flown! Very soon, I got hold of his entire back catalogue of Discworld novels (which back then ran up to and including Lords and Ladies) and then continued with the rest of them as they were published. I also read The Bromeliad (the trilogy about Nomes aimed at younger readers), and his more sci-fi efforts (Strata and Dark Side of the Sun), and Good Omens, which he wrote with Neil Gaiman – another discovery off the back of Pratchett! I’ve also read his more recent non-Discworld novel, Nation.

 

I’ve read all these books multiple times, and they never fail to transport me to another time and place, immerse me completely in another culture, and see things from the funny side of life. His wit and humour have rescued me from many a dark moment and for that I am eternally grateful.

 

I still have the Johnny Maxwell books to read, but as I have a small son, I imagine it won’t be too much longer before that’s remedied and we’ll read them together…

[Kell]

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

 

By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions:

 

- Elle Strauss – Clockwise (unfortunately, currently unavailable)

- Cate Tiernan – Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved 1)

- Alison Weir – Mary Boleyn (non-fiction)

- Daniel O’Malley – The Rook (out next year!)

- Elizabeth C Bunce – Star Crossed (Star Crossed 1)

- Maria V Snyder – Touch of Power (Avry of Kazan 1)

- Maria V Snyder – Storm Glass (Opal Cowan 1)

 

They’ve all gone onto my wish list!