Breaking the mould..
11 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Broke and Bookish, Top 10 Unique Books, Top Ten Tuesday
Every Tuesday over at The Broke and Bookish we all get to look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) examples to demonstrate that particular topic. This week’s topic is:\
Ten Of The Most Unique Books I’ve Read
Okay, unique books. Well, I’ve had a good think and this is what I came up with:
- Alice in Wonderland. I read this book many years ago and the one thing I initially recall was thinking how very ‘out there’ it was. Seriously, was Lewis Carroll on some sort of mind bending hallucinogenics! Seriously. Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe….. (I rest my case – even though I do love, LOVE, that poem – do you have any notion how long it took just to type those 13 words – the number of auto correct words that took over? What the shagging hell is is a slithy tove anyway?)
- Animal Farm by George Orwell. Now this was another fairly early read for me and I think the whole idea of allegory went over my head so fast that it probably had some sort of butterfly effect on the other side of the world. Anyway, animals, running the farm – and those blinking pigs!
- The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Now this is one of those books that I picked up on a sale. I really enjoyed this and I thought it was very unique – in fact I gave my copy to somebody in work and she actually cried (which was more emotion than I probably showed) – but, yeah, we both loved it. So unexpected.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – I don’t mind admitting that I didn’t like the idea of this book at all. I couldn’t get my head around the idea of a games arena where children fought to the death. Nope. Too much. I thought simply that it was going too far but, eventually, I picked it up and it was the very opposite of what I expected.
- Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer – creepy as. OMG. This is a scary little number. I haven’t caught up with the series yet and I like to keep telling myself ‘I haven’t had time’ – who am I kidding – I’m scared. I will though. I can do this – face your fears and all that.
- The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis – this is such a great book. I’m going to completely confess that I didn’t really think I would like this, the reason, yes, *hangs head in shame*, I didn’t really feel drawn to the cover – there it is – but, I’m very pleased to say that this book was absolutely brilliant. I loved it.
- Flex, Flux, Fix by Ferrett Steinmetz. An excellent series, unbelievably unique, jaw droppingly brilliant, packed with excitement and danger and this fantastic combination of fantasy and games all mashed together. I loved this.
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke – what a tour de force this is, maybe not for everyone but I loved it. The history, the fantasy and the vision. What a phenomenal piece of work.
- The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence- Prince, King and Emperor of Thorns. Undoubtedly unique. Dark and gritty, violent and yet compelling, well written and with a sweeping vision. I love this series – maybe not for everyone but it really blew me away.
- This one is for you – choose your unique novel?
My 8th 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 seventh book that I will be reading for the SPFBO. All the books have been drawn randomly. My books so far:
- Shadow Soul by Caitlyn Davis, review here.
- Paternus by Dyrk Ashton (review here).
- The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French.
- Larcourt K A Krantz ( Fire Born, Blood Blessed #1) My review is here.
- Ráth Bládhma (Fionn mac Cumhaill #1) by Brian O’Sullivan, review here.
- The Music Box Girl by K.A. Stewart. Review here.
- The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker. Review to follow
My next book (only two remaining now):
The Moonlight War by SKS Perry:
Three caravans have vanished traversing the Cowcheanne Way. The legendary Tahsis platoon, warriors thought by most to be invincible, are dispatched to investigate and are never heard from again. Rumours of native uprisings and bandit armies grow wilder and more widespread every day, while the more devout whisper about the return of the Horde, a mythic foe from ages past.
The truce between the warring Kael-tii and Ashai nations is put to the test when a new caravan is outfitted and they are forced to travel The Way together. As an ancient evil is unleashed upon them, a group of heroes, friend and foe alike, must band together for survival.
When the true nature of their mission slowly comes to light, the growing distrust between the Kael-tii and Ashai camps threatens to tear the caravan apart. Can they set aside their differences in time to combat the menace that imperils them all, or are they doomed to join the ranks of lost souls claimed by the cursed Cowcheanne Way?
Weekly Wrap Up : 9/4/17
This week was another quick one – the sun broke out so not only am I now trying to do bits and pieces of decorating but I’m also trying to get the garden back into some sort of semblance of order, so, basically, the house looks like a DIY experiment exploded and the garden looks like a jungle with a little pathway cut through it and I’m basically pooped! But, like the show, the reading must go on and, anyway, it gives me a good excuse to sit down. So this week I’ve read:
Last week’s reads:
- Borrowed Souls by Chelsea Mueller
- The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
And, next week I’m hoping to finish:
- Skullsworn by Brian Staveley already reading this, about a quarter in and so far really enjoying it.
- Avengers of the Moon by Allen Steele which I’ve also just started.
And, finally, my cover compare this week:
My favourite, without a doubt – is this one:
How was your week? What you currently reading?
Roll up, roll up, roll up
7 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
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:
Circus “You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town!
Again, it feels like we only just had this theme so coming up with another cover was not easy. I’m not sure if my choice falls more into ‘carnival’ than ‘circus’ and I’m not sure if it matters so I’m just going to go ahead anyway:
I like a few of these. The copy I own is the green and black on the top row. I rather like the middle cover, the red one with the stormy clouds and the mysterious figure but I love this one:
Which is your favourite?
Next week – Easter
Future themes:
14/04/2017 – Easter “The rabbit of Easter. He bring 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: The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
7 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Firsts, Phil Tucker, tenacious reader, The Path of Flames
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 : Path of Flames by Phil Tucker.
The wind plucked at Lord Kyferin’s war banner, causing the black wolf emblazoned on the field of white to snap fitfully as if impatient with the delay. Asho shivered at the sight despite the quilted undercoat that he wore beneath his chainmail, and sat up straighter in Crook’s saddle. For years he had only seen the war banner hanging above his Lord’s high chair in the great hall, limp and still, but now it rippled and surged as if awakened and thirsting for blood. It was his first time riding into war with the Black Wolves. Even though he was at the back of the company with the other squires, he felt as vividly alive and terrified as if he were positioned in the vanguard.
Asho raised his chin. He’d die before he let the others see his fear.
“Asho!” Lord Kyferin’s bellow carried over the cacophony of the great army arrayed around them. “Where are you hiding? Get up here, now!”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alardus and Cuncz smirk, could feel the cold stares from Cune and Tyzce. A squire he might be, but the others saw only his white hair and pale skin, the tell-tale signs of a Bythian. That he was free and rode by their side was an outrage they would never forgive.
My First Impressions
I think this gets off to a very good start – and having read further on I confess that my first impression in that respect was spot on. Clearly, peace has reigned for a few years by the sound of it. What changed? And Asho, I’m very curious about him and the way he is treated.
What you reading this Friday?? What are your first impressions??
Books and travelling with Lynn 