Kylie Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I don't understand why people would be upset because it was a children's book. For one, I don't think I've read many strictly adult books that make it clear in the title that it is about children and therefore very likely to be a book for children (maybe that's an incorrect assumption on my part). But wouldn't it warrant a little further research by those people who apparently don't want to read children's books? I don't mean that to sound like a whinge. I'm just thinking out loud. I think it's certainly a book that older children and adults can equally enjoy. I don't think I'd recommend it to younger children because it is a little graphic in parts! Actually, I can't say I ever really felt like I was reading a children's book, hence my surprise that others would complain about it. The photos were largely what drew me to the book. I love old photos and have often thought that I'd like to find an old b&w photo at a market and try to write a story based on the anonymous person in the photo. I could never do it as well as Ransom Riggs though. I really loved that the photos always appeared over the page, so readers are able to conjure their own images in their minds before seeing the actual photos. At one point I flicked to the end to see how much further I had to go and I accidentally glimpsed the last photo. I thought I had completely ruined the ending for myself, but luckily what I thought I saw was wrong, and the ending was nothing like I expected. Phew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals sounds good. I hadn't heard of it before but the amazon reviews look good too. It's not often I come across books set in Wales. Think I'll be adding this to the wish list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 It mentions Narberth, Kilgetty and Sandsersfoot. It really does have a feel of 'Welshness' about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 From what you've described of it Michelle, it sounds similar in tone to The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan - I loved that so I've added The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals to my wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Ooh I'm loving the sound of it more by the minute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 My review of Seraphina Ideally I'd give this somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but I'll go for the higher one, as I think my niggles are more down to individual taste. Anyhow, I loved the actual setting and idea behind the book. It's set in a place and time where humans and dragons co-exist (and I love dragons!), but under a fragile truce. The dragons can change into human shape, but they are supposed to wear a bell, so that people still know who they are. Despite the ability to change into human form, the dragons are rather different, as they don't experience emotions. In fact, emotions are seen as an illness, and those feeling or displaying them face consequences. Seraphina is a young girl who has a dangerous secret, as she is actually half human and half dragon. She has memories and connections which can cause her to pass out, so she finds a way of mentally dealing with them, she creates a garden in her mind.. my favourite idea in the book. This is a book for young adults, but would be enjoyed by adults as well. For me, it was a little too long, and moved slower than I would have preferred. I've seen another reviewer call it 'high fantasy', which is probably accurate - I found myself a little confused by the various names and characters. This is why I've marked it down a little, but I do think it will be popular and well received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 Have finished Deity by Steven Dunne.. unusual, and recommended for all crime fans. Have started War of the Wives. It's a bit emotional, so I think I'll start Throne of Glass as well. On audio, I'm just over halfway in the second Dark Tower series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 have now finished The War of the Wives and Throne of Glass, which means I now have 3 reviews to catch up with. I'll also have a few copies of Deity to give away. I'm now on the 3rd Dark Tower book - they're rather strange in places, but King has got me hooked! I do like the little catch-up bit at the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've finished a few books recently, so I have some reviews to catch up on! Current book is Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings, which seems to be quite a fun YA book. With my audiobooks I've decided to take a break from The Dark Tower, and have started Some Kind of Fairytale by Graham Joyce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've just been peeking at your blog.. I already have Deathless on my wish list, I've now also added Poltergeeks and Amity and Sorrow to the (very) long list!! Shame I'm getting very little reading done now it's the school holidays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I finally have one review written - three more to go from my current pile! Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas Eighteen-year-old Celaena is a trained assassin, who’s serving a life sentence in the salt mines of Endovier. She’s offered a deal - to represent the prince in a tournament to become the King’s Champion. If she succeeds, she will eventually earn her freedom, if she refuses she’s likely to die in the mines, like many before her. Accepting the offer, Celaena starts her training for the contest, keeping her true identity secret. We soon learn that she has been brought up as an assassin from a young age, and she’s a rather determined character. For me, the first half of the book was the slowest, but this did comprise of some really good world building, which pays off later in the book – by the time the story really kicks off, the world and the characters feel real, and it really comes alive. Calaena is an interesting developing character, but it was Chaol and Princess Nehemia who really caught my attention. Chaol is the Captain of the Guards sent to watch and train Calaena – he’s a rather guarded person himself, who doesn’t give much away. He appears to be very loyal, and caring when he allows himself to be. Nehemia is a princess who befriends Calaena, and there is certainly more to her than first meets the eye. If there’s to be a follow up (which I hope there will be) I want to hear more from her. As for the storyline, I don’t like giving much away, but it focuses not only on her competition and her own journey, but there’s also a supernatural turn of events which I thought was handled really well. The second half of the book doesn’t let go for a moment, as it comes to a satisfying conclusion. This book is complete in itself, but it’s left open to continue, and with a world so well built up, I really hope it does. For those who want more, there are also four novellas available as ebooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 The War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen Imagine being happily married. Then imagine one day you get a call that turns your world upside down: your husband is dead. You are devastated. You go to the funeral… And come face to face with his other widow. The War of the Wives brings us the story of Selina and Lottie, two women married to the same man. Simon spends a lot of time travelling, and some how he has managed to fool two women for many years – and at his funeral they come face to face. The narrative jumps between the two women, as we switch between their experiences, feelings and memories. It’s soon apparent that these are very different characters, and Simon has managed to live two very different lives with them. Of course, after the initial anger, they find themselves brought together, along with their children of various ages, and some handle this better than others. There are various strands to the story, including the reason behind Simon’s death, financial issues etc. I have to admit there were times when I wondered just how much could happen to two women, and to me, the reasons behind Simon’s death were not needed, as it just seemed a little too much. I’m also not sure about what happens to Lottie, but that does make for an interesting ending. Despite this little criticism however, this book certainly kept me reading, and I enjoyed the sharp humour Tamar appears to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Quite a few reviews to catch up with! 1st one - Katya's World by Jonathan L Howard I wasn’t quite sure how to do this review, so I’ll start at the beginning, and try to explain exactly what Katya’sworld is. It’s actually explained best in the prologue of the book – in just a few pages, you feel very familiar with the history of Russalka, and the people living there. To summarise though, Russalka is a colony on a distant planet, set many years into the future. The planet is completely waterlogged, and the surface of the sea is almost inhospitable due to violent storms. On the seabed, however, are many valuable minerals, and so an underwater colony was set up to mine these minerals for other colonies. Sadly, during this time, things seemed very unstable on Earth, and they eventually declared war on the planet. Many of the older generation on Russalka have lived through this war, as well as surviving the harsh conditions. Katya is a 15 year old girls who’s just finished training as a navigator, and is ready for her first day working on her uncle’s submarine. She comes across as being older, but considering the harsh conditions they live under, I would expect her to be more mature than her age, and this shows as the story progresses. This first voyage doesn’t go to plan, as they are forced to take on a prisoner and his guard. During the journey they come across a strange vessel which attacks them, and from there the story doesn’t let up for a minute! Katya finds herself in lots of different situations, and dealing with many different people, as events move swiftly. It’s soon clear that not only are Katya and those with her in great danger, but the future of the whole planet is soon to change as well. I’ll be honest, although I do enjoy some sci-fi, the idea of submarines in an underwater world didn’t really grab me, but the fascinating prologue certainly did, and I ended up loving this book. It actually has a wide appeal – it’s not just suitable for the YA market, although they will most certainly enjoy it; it’s not just for the male species (ok, I’m sounding sexist, and I don’t mean it that way, but books with submarines and war do make me think they would appeal to men); and it’s not just for sci-fi readers. Katya is only 15, but as I’ve already explained, she is very mature – so you have a young adult’s point of view, but it will appeal to all. There are some really good sci-fi ideas, especially in the technology used, but they are both believable and understandable, so readers won’t get swamped or lost. There are some good characters, both male and female, and covering various ages. The vessel which attacks them at the beginning sets up a very real threat, all against the background of a changing world. The pace of the book doesn’t let up, and there are plenty of twists and turns. The story told does resolve, so there’s no nasty cliff hanger, but it’s also left open for future books set in Russalka – and I for one am very keen to see where their future takes them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 44 books so far, so not doing too bad. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness was for my YA book group, and I have to say I love it. It's a short story, and I think I read most of it in one sitting. My copy has illustrations, and they really add to the overall atmosphere of the book. I don't think I've ever actually cried when reading, but I did for this one! 0.4 was also a fairly quick YA read - the idea behind it was really good, but I did feel a little underwhelmed, and I really would have liked it to be longer and more involved. I will definitely be reading the next one though, 1.4. Since then, I've been trying a few different review books, all of which look really good, but are not really grabbing me. I fear it's more to do with the fact that I've been reading a lot of books from publishers, amazon vine etc, and I've been feeling pressured to get them read and reviewed. 0.4 was my own choice, and I found it quite easy to read. I've now decided to pick up one of my own choices again for a short time, and decided it was time for Rivers of London. I've heard so many good things on here about it, so how can I resist for much longer? In audio, I'm on The Dark Tower IV - it's gone into Roland's young history, and feels like a rather 'normal' fantasy book at this stage so I'm taking a break. Dark Tower readers... is it like that throughout this book? (Which also reminded me I'd forgotten to add books II and III to my list, so that's actually 46 books so far!) I've now started Speaks The Nightbird by Robert McCammon - it seems quite slow, but I don't mind that too much in audio - I'm hoping it'll draw me in, as many of them do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I've had A Monster Calls on my wish list for a long while, I really will get around to it sometime soon. I'm not sure if it's something my son would fancy so I don't think I can justify buying it when I still have such a large TBR shelf to get through... I've only managed to read one book these holidays, a new low! But I've just started Pure by Juliana Baggott which I seem to remember you enjoyed? Hopefully the ol' mojo will pick up a little with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 My review of The Snow Child: It’s 1920, and Jack and Mabel have moved to Alaska, to start a new life and leave their memories behind. However, Jack struggles to control the wild land, and Mabel struggles to forget the grief of her stillborn, and they seem to move further apart. As the first snow falls, they find an unexpected closeness, and end up out in the snow, building a snowman.. or rather a snow girl. In the morning this snow girl has disappeared, and they start to catch glimpses of tracks, and a figure which looks like a small child. Many reviewers are calling this book ‘magical’, and it does have that feel to it. The landscape and environment is vivid and harsh, and yet the snowy atmosphere adds it’s own magical touch. Eowyn never quite explains the child either, it’s left to the reader to decide if she has a real background, or a magical beginning. This is a tale partly about Faina, the Snow Child of the story, but is also about Jack and Mabel, their new life, and their relationships. It’s about survival, grief, friendship and love, and it’s a simple but moving tale. Highly recommended. I just started reading 'The Snow Child', your review has helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Just popping in - my mojo has been all over the place, and many books have been picked up and put down again quite quickly. Despite that, I've still managed 48 books so far, and have almost finished number 49. So no worries reaching 50 this year. It looks as if about half of my books have been YA this year - it's a rapidly expanding genre, with so much to offer.For those of you who also enjoy YA, I'd recommend www.strangechemistry.com - they're a new imprint, and are focusing on fantasy and sci-fi.. I have been impressed with every book so far! A few more reviews to come over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Well it seems I can't count, and I've only read 47 books so far! Anyway, I think I'e caught up with the ones I want to review, which is always good. I've started a couple of books, but I think my reading will go like this now: Book - Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott Kindle - Blackwood by Gwenda Bond Audio - Ash by James Herbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 My reading has continued to be up and down, and my mojo is flitting around! I can really get into a book for a while, then lose interest for no reason. Its actually rather frustrating and I'm not sure what's behind it. I'm not sure if I'm feeling pressured by all the books I want to read, including those to review. Anyway, two good books reviewed - The Assassin's Curse and Shift. I've also just finished Shadow's on the Moon by Zoe Marriott, and am a bit divided.. I really like her style, but parts of the storyline bugged me. I haven't fared much better with my audiobooks, having quite a few I've enjoyed, but can't quite seem to finish. At present I'm almost done with Ashes by Ilsa J Bick, so hopefully I can get to the end! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I loved this book, and I think every 16 year old should read it. Charlie is absolutely loveable, and goes through so many emotions. I enjoyed the letter format, as for me it made everyone else slightly out of focus, which I think is how Charlie himself feels. Clarity - A very enjoyable YA book - Clarity can sometimes see glimpses of the when she touches an object, and she is asked to use this for a murder investigation. There's just a slight paranormal side to it because of this, and the romance isn't overdone either. I liked the fact that there are threads which will be picked up in the second book, but the story itself is all wrapped up. Ashes - I loved the first part of this book, which was more about survival in a world where an electrical pulse has wiped out all electricity, and caused strange zombie like changes in younger people. In the second half though, it becomes more of a dystopian community story, which didn't feel like anything new. I may pick up book 2, but am in no rush. Slated - This book had me completely grabbed, and I loved the majority of it. However, just as the answers started to come, it finished, leaving everything in the air for the next book. I feel as if I've been cheated out of the ending, and I have to wait for the next book. Which is a shame, as I loved most of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I loved this book, and I think every 16 year old should read it. Charlie is absolutely loveable, and goes through so many emotions. I enjoyed the letter format, as for me it made everyone else slightly out of focus, which I think is how Charlie himself feels. I've decided to read this before seeing the movie, so it's definitely on my list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 ^ I've been toying with reading this as well. Week off next week, so plenty of time to wander around Waterstones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Please let me know what you both think of it. As some of you know, my eldest really isn't into reading, but she's recently discovered she likes autobiographies. They're mainly pop stars, but hey, it's a book, right? The youngest isn't keen on reading longer book, preferring cartoon and diary type books, but she came down asking me about audiobooks for her nexus tablets. She's now happily listening to a Jacqueline Wilson book on there, so hopefully this will help her move on. It's just a more expensive way to read, so I'm hoping to get her to listen to some of the classics, which are available free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Our local library has children's audiobooks that you can borrow, might be worth a look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 That's something to look into, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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