The Secret Life of a Book Blogger
Ana, from Ana’s Lair was kind enough to think of me for a game of tag. This is a very blogging-centric tag – here are the questions:
1. How long have you been a blogger?
I started my blog in 2011, but, I started it more as a book diary for myself in fact I was fairly unaware of the whole blogging community at that point and for quite some time. Then, I was fortunate enough to start receiving comments and started to become more aware of other blogs and like minded people which was brilliant for me as it has opened my eyes to so many new books.
2. At what point do you think you will stop?
I don’t know – stopping isn’t something I really think about. This is a hobby for me, I read for pleasure and I enjoy blogging. I guess it depends what else is going on in life really in terms of time or whether I stop enjoying it.
3. What is the best thing?
I enjoy a number of things about blogging. Writing about the books I read gives me an outlet for my feelings. Talking and discussing books with other like minded people raises my awareness of other books and makes me excited for new releases. The fact that I now have so many people who I can discuss books with is the best thing though. I didn’t realise quite how badly I needed to vent my feelings!
4. What is the worst thing? What do you do to make it okay?
Mmm, the worst thing. Well, I definitely think that I went through a phase of wanting all the books – and constantly seeing upcoming books does make you a bit covetous. In fact I think I’m still going through that phase a little bit – but I am trying to be a bit more reasonable. After all, you can’t read everything and so I now try and make a concerted effort to just let some books go – it’s difficult but you have to give it a shot (confession – it doesn’t always work).
5. How long does it take you to create/find pictures to use?
Not long really. Books covers for reviews are usually from Goodreads. I usually try and find a few pictures for amusement’s sake but I always have an idea of what I want so it’s not really difficult to dig something up.
6. Who is your book crush?
Okay, I can’t deny it – my book crush is Jean Tannen – created by Scott Lynch and, for me, the main star of the Gentleman Bastards. I do love this character. He’s funny, he’s clever, he’s devoted, he’s a great fighter and he reads! What else can you possibly want?
7. What author would you like to have on your blog?
Ohh, difficult questions – so many good authors out there who I love. I could make a very long list, but that would quickly become tedious for everyone else so I won’t go there. Plus, I become a bit star struck around authors – I’ve been to a few events where some of my favourite authors have been present and I just turn into a nincompoop with nothing to say!
8. What do you wear when you write your blog posts?
Haha, whatever I happen to be wearing at the time – I don’t dress for blogging! I suppose more often than not comfy things such as PJs.
9. How long does it take you to prepare?
My blog is very seat of the pants and I confess that I’m a bit shambolic and unorganised sometimes. I like to write my reviews pretty much as soon as I finish reading and in fact lose a bit of my impetus for the post if I don’t – in fact the longer I leave a book unreviewed the less passion I have for it.
10. How do you feel about the book blogger community/culture?
I love the blogging community – I’ve been involved in so many interesting things as a result of the book friends I’ve made and I’ve been introduced to so many authors and books that I would have simply missed. I think you have to find the blogs that work best for you where the bloggers are like minded and you have to bear in mind that you’re not going to agree on every book but friendly discussion is what it’s all about and having the freedom to openly discuss is the ideal.
11. What do you think one should do to get a successful blog?
Pfft – who knows! I think the blogs that I enjoy are the ones where I trust the reviews and where the bloggers have developed their own style/voice when reviewing. I also tend to visit the blogs who actually respond and talk back – otherwise you’re pretty much talking to yourself really.
I’m not going to particularly choose anyone to tag – I know everyone is busy with other commitments – but, I quite like ‘tag’ and so if you do too and fancy posting your answers then please considered yourself tagged. In fact – I’ll just tag everyone 😀
I’d love to hear from you.
Skin by Ilka Tampke
Just finished reading Skin by Ilka Tampke which is a very unusual and intriguing book.
The story gets off to an immediate and rather gory start – so be warned on that front. Set in Iron Age Britain around AD 43. Britain is poised on the brink of Roman invasion and in the village of Caer Cad the locals look to their ancient rituals in order to guide them.
The people of this age were superstitious, they lived by ritual and believed in the sacred laws of nature. They are governed by laws of skin whereby a mother passes her skin down to her children (not literally you understand!). The skin to which a person is born rules their future, enables them to learn and to marry and pass on their stories to future generations. The main character, Ailia, was abandoned at birth and therefore her skin is unknown. As such she lives outside of the tribe – she cannot marry or learn, not even to swim. Fortunately she was taken under the wing of the Cookmother and serves the Tribesqueen and she has already been fortunate enough to survive the clutches of death twice for it seems that the ancient Mothers may have use for her.
I don’t want to give away too much about the plot as to be honest the plot isn’t the strongest part of the story. Not that it’s weak, just it’s not the show stealer. For me, the writing and the descriptions of life are what chiefly make this novel so captivating. It’s fairly light on fantasy (at the moment at least) and I would say that the more fantastical elements of the story revolve around the druids of the time, the use of herbs and knowledge of the land.
As I said above the story gets off to a fascinating, if slightly gory start. The descriptions of village life, what they eat, how they live and the rituals they undertake were really captivating and all written in a simple and lovely style. I haven’t the first notion as to whether this is historically correct or bears any semblance of real lifestyles during that period but it certainly reads like a well researched and creative account of the time and I found it just hooked me completely.
The main character is Ailia. We are introduced to her in her early years and given a quick account that brings us up to date when she’s approximately 14 years old. Ailia, in spite of her poor start in life has led a relatively sheltered life under the protection of the Tribesqueen however she feels greatly the lack of her own knowledge and in fact she can’t even be taught to swim. Ailia is headstrong however, she has the gift of healing and has caught the eye of the ancient mothers – she longs to be a journeywoman but her lack of skin prohibits this. I liked Ailia although I confess she doesn’t always make the wisest choices – given her age I guess you could forgive her a little in that respect as she is only very young by our standards when she is given such a large burden to bear. She’s going to go down paths that should not be open to her and whether or not this will work out well remains in the balance.
We have a number of other characters. Heka, a bitter woman who plagues the life out of Ailia relentlessly. Ruther – who would take her for his wife and cares not for her lack of skin and then we have the mysterious Taliesin who catches the eye and heart of Ailia.
This is a very entertaining read with secrets waiting to be revealed and plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed seeing the strong roles that the women of the age played and I thought watching these tribespeople as they stand on the brink of change made for compelling reading.
In terms of criticisms – nothing really to bring the book down. I thought the start of the book was probably the strongest part of the novel although it ends on a good note with the prospect of more good reading to come.
I received a copy of Skin from the Publishers through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
‘But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!…’
This week over at the Fantasy Review Barn Nathan is once again taking us Tough Travelling. This week we will be paying special attention to : NEW BEGINNINGS
A new leaf, a new life, a complete change of pace for a character in fantasyland is how most stories start. Bad people get a second chance, farm kids leave the farm, or a soldier gets a new post. From there adventure awaits!
Grim from Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier. At the start of the story Blackthorn, wrongly imprisoned, escapes prison with one of her fellow prisoners – Grim. This is a great book and all about new beginnings.
Ellie from The Legend of Ellie Quinn by Alex Scarrow – Ellie is a young girl, working on a dusty colonial farm, but she has ideas and she wants to travel and see the neon lights of the city – little does she know that she has a great destiny ahead of her.
Vin from Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. At the start of the story Vin is a street urchin, part of a gang of thieves until Kelsier realises her potential and takes her away to train in allomancy and kick start her new life.
James DiGriz from The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. At the start of the first book in the series DiGriz is finally caught pulling a con – his punishment is to work for a crime solving organisation called the Special Corps. This is definitely a new beginning and a different use of his talents.
Roen Tan from The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu- this is probably a bit of a strange choice but Roen definitely goes down a different path to the one on which he starts the book on and changes his life dramatically – not into something quieter, for sure, but definitely different.
Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Another unusual choice perhaps – Ebenezer doesn’t change until the end of the book. He spends his life as a miserly, curmudgeonly old sod with no friends – a visitation from three spirits are set to change all that.
Once upon a time…. they all lived happily ever after. The end.
3 August 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fairytales retold, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
This week over at the Broke and Bookish the topic for Top Ten Tuesday is:
‘Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read/Want To Read’
I do enjoy a good fairytale retold. My list this week:
- Poison by Sarah Pinborough – this and the next two books are awesome and I just love them. They’re all made up of more than one tale, they all hail from the same world and they read wonderfully. Plus, they’re really beautiful little books with gorgeous illustrations. In case of doubt – these are not children’s books! Pinborough has a wicked streak, she can be a bit naughty and her stories are a slightly more twisted version than the originals – Charm and Beauty follow in the series.
- Charm by Sarah Pinborough
- Beauty by Sarah Pinborough
- The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – I absolutely love this book. Again, it’s a mishmash of stories all coming together in a beautifully dark coming of age tale.
- Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce – this is a werewolf story that takes in the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Very entertaining with nasty, smelly werewolves.
- Splintered by A G Howard. Based on Alice in Wonderland – I enjoyed the first and need to pick up the next in series.
- Beauty by Robin McKinley – I lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale.
- A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas – this is another Beauty and the Beast retelling with mask wearing fae in place of the beast.
- The Storyteller and Her Sisters by Cheryl Mahoney a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses
- The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman – not my favourite of Neil Gaiman’s. A retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a twist.
Ten books that I would love to read or have waiting:
Hot July brings cooling showers…
My monthly round up – what I’ve read/plan to read, any events, etc:
Books read:
- Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
- Armada by Ernest Cline
- Time Salvager by Wesley Chu
- The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble
- Iron and Blood by Zail Z Martin and Larry Martin
- The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milan
- The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough
- The Rift Walker by Clay and Susan Griffiths
- Forging Divinity by Andrew Rowe – review to follow
Backlist:
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough
Unfinished series completed:
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough
Books Bought:
- Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
- Dark Ascension by M L Brennan (pre ordered)
- Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Review Books:
- Kingmakers by Clay Griffiths and Susan Griffiths (from Pyr/Prometheus)
- The Geomancer by Clay Griffiths and Susan Griffiths
- Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P Beaulieu
- After Alice by Gregory Maguire
- If Then by Mathew de Abaitua
- Quicksand by Carolyn Baugh
- The Dragon Engine by Andy Remic
- The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey
- Deadlands by Jonathan Maberry
- The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
- Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Cover Spotlight:
US or UK cover:?? (US for me with this one)
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!
Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and Bookish (every Tuesday). This week’s topic – Fellow Bookworm characters
Tough Travel by Nathan at the Fantasy Review Barn (every Thursday) this week’s topic ‘Flying Rides’
