It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below. This week’s theme:
School “I never let my schooling interfere with my education”
Yes, my obvious choice this week was Harry Potter but I decided not. Then I thought perhaps The School of Good and Evil – but only one cover – dang. So instead, this week I’ve gone for Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. I only read the first in series – a school for people who are gifted – by which I mean, witches, shapeshifter and the like.
Anyways check out some of these covers – I had a bit of a giggle with some of these!
And my favourite:
Well, to be honest, I’m not overly keen on any of these covers so I’ve gone for the simplistic one.
Which is your favourite? Next week – Birds.
Future themes:
17/03/2017 – Bird “Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs are too sweet and wild”
24/03/2017 – Street lamp “He stood under the street lamp, sleet settling in his hair, hands fisted at his side”
31/03/2017 – Casino “Whisky, gambling and Ferraris are better than housework “
07/04/2017 – Circus “You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town!
14/04/2017 – Easter “The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate”
21/04/2017 – Bridge “I demolish my bridges behind me…then there is no choice but to push forward”
28/04/2017 – Beach/Seaside”Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!”
05/05/2017 – Lion “If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off”
12/05/2017 – Phone “Don’t use the phone. People are never ready to answer it”
19/05/2017 – Plane “When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ….”
26/05/2017 – Mice “Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘it might have been’…”
02/06/2017 – Moon “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
09/06/2017 – Mummy “It shuffles through the dry, dusty darkness”
16/06/2017 – Guitar “You couldn’t not like someone who liked the guitar”
23/06/2017 – Cat “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this”
30/06/2017 – Hat “It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself “
07/07/2017 – Gold “All that is gold does not glitter”
14/07/2017 – Boats “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea, in a beautiful pea green boat…”
21/07/2017 – Planet “Any planet is ‘Earth’ to those who live on it”
Friday Firsts: Island of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles #1) by Erica Cameron
10 March 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Erica Cameron, Friday Firsts, Island of Exiles, tenacious reader, The Ryogan Chronicles
Friday Firsts is a new meme that runs every Friday over on Tenacious Reader. The idea is to feature the first few sentences/paragraph of your current book and try and outline your first impressions as a result. This is a quick and easy way to share a snippet of information about your current read and to perhaps tempt others. Stop on by and link up with Tenacious Reader. This Friday I’m reading a couple of books but the one I’ve just started is Island of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles #1) by Erica Cameron.
I press as close as possible to the sandstone wall of the ravine, trying to shove my whole body into the narrow strip of shade on the rising slope. A few feet below, Rai does the same, pulling the canteen of water from the pack strapped to her thigh, loosening the atakafu cloth covering her mouth and nose, and sipping slowly. The sight makes my mouth feel drier than ever.
My hand falls to my own thigh pack, and I toy with the ties holding it shut. There isn’t much water left in my canteen, and I don’t know how much longer we’ll be enduring the brutal, dehydrating heart of the desert sun. The hunt has been longer than we expected and far trickier than it should be.
Pulling my hand away from the temptation, I search the path above us for any sign of our prey. There isn’t anywhere else the teegras could have gone once they entered the ravine, but we haven’t spotted a single trace of them since – wait There.
“Rai, look.” My murmured words are muffled by the atakafu, but it’s enough to draw her attention to fresh claw marks on the red sandstone.
My First Impressions
I like the way this one starts. It has a good opening, there’s a hunt under difficult conditions and just what are these ‘teegras’?? On top of that I’m really feeling stories with a desert type setting at the moment so I need to read on and find out more.
What you reading this Friday??
*The above excerpt was taken from an advanced reader copy and it is possible that the final version may have further changes.
The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire.
9 March 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: October Daye #8, Seanan McGuire, The Winter Long
Before I say anything more I must profess my love for the October Daye series. Yes, to be honest, I think it maybe started a little slowly in the first book, but I think that’s fairly typical for the start of most urban fantasy series in my experience, but now, I love this series. It’s just so good and Seanan McGuire is an effing genius! Seriously people – if you’re looking for your next urban fantasy read you simply have to read this book. But, to the Winter Long.
This is a difficult review to write because this book obviously is the pinnacle of Ms McGuire’s scheming – I understand that she planned this book and the previous books were all just working to bring us to this point and what an excellent and mind blowing point it is. So, we have Toby, slowly beginning to relax into her life. She has friends now, she has a purpose, she thinks she knows what’s what but she really couldn’t be more wrong.
I have to say that I’m not going to give anything away in this review. Toby, receives an unexpected guest – okay, I’ll give a little bit away – Simon Torquill. The guy who likes to give a person gills and fins for a short spell. Well, he turns up unexpectedly at Toby’s place and pretty much from there on in things go horribly, horribly wrong. This book is so full of revelations – the main one being that everyone has been keeping Toby in the dark – about a lot of things. Simon isn’t the only unexpected visitor she is going to receive – but I’m not going to give that particular nugget away because it will blow your mind! And there will of course be lots of blood! Not to mention there will be Tybalt – so everything is good. Oh, and the Luidaeg, who just happens to be one of my all time favourite characters ever – yes, she’ll be making an appearance!
This is a necessarily short review – it’s not a reflection of my feelings for the book but just simply a desire on my part not to give things away.
If you are at an urban fantasy series end and looking where to go next – well, look no further. Here you have your next series and it really does have everything.
My 6th book: Final Stage: #SPFBO 16
November 1st saw the start of the second stage of the SPFBO – the Self Published Fantasy Blog off organised by Mark Lawrence. All the details can be found here.
Today I’m highlighting the sixth book that I will be reading for the SPFBO. All the books have been drawn randomly. Book No 1: Shadow Soul by Caitlyn Davis, review here. Second book Paternus by Dyrk Ashton (review here). My third book was the The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French. The fourth book was Larcourt K A Krantz ( Fire Born, Blood Blessed #1) My review to follow shortly. The fifth book was Defence of Ráth Bládhma (Fionn mac Cumhaill #1) by Brian O’Sullivan, again, review to follow shortly. My sixth book out of the hat is The Music Box Girl by K.A. Stewart.
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC, FOR THE MUSIC OF LOVE
Steam and steel are king, nowhere more so than Detroit, the gleaming gem of the world’s industrial crown. A beacon of innovation and culture, it is the birthplace of the mechanical automatons, and the home of the famed Detroit Opera House. It is where people come with their dreams, their plans, and their secrets.
A young man with the voice of an angel and dreams of stardom.
A globe-trotting heiress with a passion for adventure and memories of a lost childhood love.
A mysterious woman with a soul made of pure music and a secret worth killing for.
Beneath the glitter and sparkle, something sinister lurks at the opera, and three lives will collide with tragic consequences.
Waiting on Wednesday: Mormama by Kit Reed
8 March 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Breaking the Spine, Kit Reed, Mormama, Waiting on Wednesday
MORMAMA is a riveting supernatural, southern gothic tale from Kit Reed. Readers of Joyce Carol Oates and James M. Cain will enjoy this unnerving tale.
Dell Duval has been living on the street since his accident. He can’t remember who he was or where he came from. All he has is a tattered note in his pocket with an address for the Ellis house, a sprawling, ancient residence in Jacksonville. He takes up residence under the house in the basement unknown to the residents upstairs. He just needs time to figure out why he’s been sent here.
In the house, Lane and her son Theo have returned to the family home—their last resort after Lane’s husband cleans out her bank account and leaves. The old house is ruled by an equally ancient trio of tyrannical aunts, who want to preserve everything. Nothing should leave the house, including Lane.
Something about the house isn’t right. Things happen to the men and boys living there. There are forces at work one of which visits Theo each night—Mormama, one mama too many.
This sounds as creepy as anything! Plus, ‘supernatural, southern gothic tale’ – sign me up for some of that!
Due out May 2017
