Read all about it…
2 April 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: An Artificial Night, Readalong announcement, Seanan McGuire, Toby Daye No.3
Just a quick post to notify you of a readalong of An Artificial Night (October Daye #3) ) by Seanan McGuire). Organised by the lovely Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow. The details are over here on Goodreads – the schedule is below. This series got off to a great start with our readalong of Rosemary and Rue and then got even better with A Local Habitation. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this goes next. All are welcome to join. If you want to jump on board then leave a comment, visit Lisa or check out the Goodreads page. Come join in the fun.
Week 1: Saturday 9th April, Chapters 1-7, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Saturday 16th April, Chapters 8-17, hosted by Books By Proxy
Week 3: Saturday 23rd April, Chapters 18-24, hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Saturday 30th April, Chapters 25-End, host TBD
And now for a little bit about the book:
Experience the thrill of the hunt in the third October Daye urban fantasy novel.
October “Toby” Daye is a changeling-half human and half fae-and the only one who has earned knighthood. Now she must take on a nightmarish new challenge. Someone is stealing the children of the fae as well as mortal children, and all signs point to Blind Michael. Toby has no choice but to track the villain down-even when there are only three magical roads by which to reach Blind Michael’s realm, home of the Wild Hunt-and no road may be taken more than once. If Toby cannot escape with the children, she will fall prey to the Wild Hunt and Blind Michael’s inescapable power
March: My Month in Review
‘Take some more tea, the March Hare said to Alice’
March was definitely as mad as a March Hare – not to mention it flew by. April Fool’s day is already on the way out!! Anyway, I had a lovely March with lots of socialising, quite a lot of work (boo) and reading. I hope your March was a good one and here’s my month in review:
Books read: (with links to reviews)
- Radiance – review to follow
- US of Japan by Peter Tieryas
- Pieces of Hate by Tim Lebbon
- The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
- Northwoods by Bill Schweigart
- Snakewood by Adrian Selby
- Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
- A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- Fellside by M R Carey
- The Everything Box by Richard Kadrey
- Quiet Neighbours by Catriona McPherson
Last month’s covers are here
Backlist books
None this month. I had quite a lot of review books the past two months (excuses, excuses!) but I’m hopeful, ever hopeful, of getting some of my older books flying off the shelves.
Unfinished series completed:
None this month – it seems to me that each month I increase my unfinished series rather than decrease them (poomp). I’ve decided I have a mental block (probably a few tbh!) I shall overcome it.
Books Bought: (with links to Goodreads synopsis)
- An Artificial Night (No.3 Toby Daye series) by Seanan McGuire – because, another readalong (details to follow!)
- In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan – OMG – this book – I need it in my life yesterday.
- The Obelisk Gates by N K Jemisin – preordered. Not read book 1 yet but I know it’s going to be good and now no waiting!
- The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu and Ken Liu
- Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey – readalong book!
- Bald New World by Peter Tieryas – because US of Japan was SO GOOD
- Enchantress by James Maxwell
- The Hunt (Atlanta Burns No.2) by Chuck Wendig – loved the first – had to have this.
I admit I went a bit silly this month BUT in my defence I had gift vouchers – and it would be rude not to spend them and look at the lovelies.
Review Books (loads to look forward – I’m so excited for these): (with links to Goodreads synopsis)
- Leviathan’s Blood by Ben Peek
- Warrior Witch by Danielle L Jensen
- Who Killed Sherlock Holmes by Paul Cornell
- Stranger of Tempest by Tom Lloyd
- Outriders by Jay Posey
- The Lyre Thief by Jennifer Fallon (reading)
- Let Me Tell you About a Man I Knew by Susan Fletcher
- Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey
- Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
- The Lazarus Curse by Tessa Harris
- It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton
- The Hike by Drew Magary
- Bloodmoon by Ben Galley (The Scarlet Star Trilogy No.2) Special thanks for this one to Mr Galley 😀
Cover Spotlight : just going with a single cover for the spotlight this month because I love these covers:
UK or US cover: The UK one this time – the colour and vibrancy – this book practically begs, nay screams, to be read:
Events:
Backlist Backburn is an end of month event organised by Lisa at Tenacious Reader. If you’ve caught up on any of your backlist then call over and link up. I find this a good incentive to dust off some of my books! I’ve not done very well recently but that’s because I overfaced myself a little I think!
Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and Bookish (every Tuesday)
Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Breaking the Spine where every week we get to shine the spotlight on a book that we’re looking forward to.
The Friday Face off by Books by Proxy
Announced two readalongs for March:
- Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey – week Nos 1 and 2 completed
- A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuide completed (N0.3 readalong announcement forthcoming)
Classic Clubs read:
The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
Once Upon a Time by Stainless Steel Droppings (details here):
Books read for OUaT:
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- Fellside by M R Carey
- The Everything Box by Richard Kadrey
Previous months in review:
Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink
1 April 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Neil Gaiman, The Friday Face Off, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
‘Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme being hosted by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite books covers. The rules are fairly simple and can be found here. Each week, following a predetermined theme choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Simples. This week the theme is:
‘Water, Water Everywhere’
This week I’ve gone for three covers: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, firstly, I love Neil Gaiman’s books, his imagination and ability to just completely pull me into whatever world he has created and, secondly, these covers are all excellent:
So, we have the first cover with the young girl, the second cover with the young boy and the third cover with the boy and the girl in the background. I like all of these covers for different reasons but without doubt my favourite is the third. I like the fairytale feel, the style of the font and the title framed by the trees and then in the very back the two figures like two shining lights emerging from the dark.
Next week’s theme:
01st April 2016 | Peace is Poor Reading
A cover which features war
Come join in the fun!
My March Covers
Every month I post a review of my previous months. A short synopsis of what I’ve read and what events I’ve taken part in. To preface this I’m going to show my month of reads in book covers the day before (February’s here). Here are my March covers:
And they all lived happily ever after!
For the past 10 days I’ve been drawing some rather silly sketches inspired by Stainless Steel Droppings Once Upon a Time event. The object: to guess the fairytale being depicted. Not always easy given my artistic abilities! Anyway, I only intended to continue these to the end of March – but, OUaT – hasn’t finished so check out the details here and stop by to post some of your lovely reviews.
Here’s my past ten days of Guess the Tale (Yesterday’s was Rapunzel):
Books and travelling with Lynn 