“That’s how the madness of the world tries to colonize you: from the outside in, forcing you to live in its reality.”
19 January 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Annihilation, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Jeff VanderMeer

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:
You know your A, B, Cs – a cover made up only of letters/words
I had a few covers in mind for this but I’ve gone for Annihilation (Southern Reach #1) by Jeff VanderMeer (Borne would have been another good choice by the same author). I don’t think I’ve ever had such a varied selection of strange and wonderful covers:
I’m torn with this one – I like the first three on the last row but my favourite is going to be:

There’s just a sense of something really coming alive on this cover.
Which is your favourite?
Next week – a cover that features grass
Future themes:
26th January – “The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction” – a cover featuring grass
2nd February – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – a Psychedelic cover
9th February – ‘My what big teeth you have’ – a cover featuring a cloaked figure
16th February – ‘Groovy baby’ – a cover that is: Retro
23rd February – “There are too many steps in this castle, and it seems to me they add a few every night, just to vex me” – a cover featuring a staircase
2nd March – ‘The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing’ – a cover featuring something from Greek mythology
9th March – ‘…but Icarus flew too close’ – a cover featuring the Sun
16th March – ‘I got no strings to hold me down’ – a cover featuring a doll or puppet
23rd March – “When she was a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs.” – a cover featuring a Tower
30th March – ‘A little soil to make it grow’ – a cover featuring seeds/spores
6th April – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” – a cover featuring a family
13th April – ‘lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it’ – a cover featuring a panorama
20th April – Where there’s fire there’s… – a cover featuring smoke
27th April – ‘Those darling byegone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture’ – a cover that is positively mediaeval
4th May- ‘A Hand without a hand? A bad jape, sister.’ – a cover featuring a hand/hands
11th May – ‘Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s
18th May – ‘Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;’ – a cover featuring a gravestone
25th May – Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap – a cover featuring footsteps
1st June – clinging and invasive – a cover featuring creeping vines
8th June – Raining Cats and Dogs – a cover featuring a stormy sky
“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.”
12 January 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, John Connolly, The Books of Lost Things

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:
‘More than one meaning have I’ – a cover featuring a knot/knots
Wow – did I struggle with this topic. I have to choose some easier themes. Obviously ‘knot’ can have more than one meaning – I’ve gone for the knot in a tree and chosen a favourite book – it feels like a bit of a tenuous link this week but if you scroll through the books you’ll see a cover with a boy climbing out of a tree knot hole – bingo: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – I love this book:
A few of these are very similar but simply with different colours. I quite like the fourth one along other than the red badge spoiling it. My cover is the red one and I alway have a soft spot for the book with the cover I own. But, I kind of like this one:

Something about the edges and the colours and the way the crooked man really jumps out.
Which is your favourite?
Next week – a cover that features only letters/words
Future themes:
19th January – You know your A, B, Cs – a cover made up only of letters/words
26th January – “The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction” – a cover featuring grass
2nd February – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – a Psychedelic cover
9th February – ‘My what big teeth you have’ – a cover featuring a cloaked figure
16th February – ‘Groovy baby’ – a cover that is: Retro
23rd February – “There are too many steps in this castle, and it seems to me they add a few every night, just to vex me” – a cover featuring a staircase
2nd March – ‘The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing’ – a cover featuring something from Greek mythology
9th March – ‘…but Icarus flew too close’ – a cover featuring the Sun
16th March – ‘I got no strings to hold me down’ – a cover featuring a doll or puppet
23rd March – “When she was a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs.” – a cover featuring a Tower
30th March – ‘A little soil to make it grow’ – a cover featuring seeds/spores
6th April – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” – a cover featuring a family
13th April – ‘lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it’ – a cover featuring a panorama
20th April – Where there’s fire there’s… – a cover featuring smoke
27th April – ‘Those darling byegone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture’ – a cover that is positively mediaeval
4th May- ‘A Hand without a hand? A bad jape, sister.’ – a cover featuring a hand/hands
11th May – ‘Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s
18th May – ‘Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;’ – a cover featuring a gravestone
25th May – Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap – a cover featuring footsteps
1st June – clinging and invasive – a cover featuring creeping vines
8th June – Raining Cats and Dogs – a cover featuring a stormy sky
FFO: “No sir, it is evidently a gigantic narwhal”
5 January 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

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:
‘The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else’s lake.’ – Under the Sea
As January is the start of Vintage Sci Fi I’ve gone for a classic this week: Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I didn’t even scratch the surface of covers this week – my giddy aunt, you can’t really go wrong with the classics can you, they’re always a feast of covers:

Next week – a cover that features a Knot/Knots
Future themes:
12th January – ‘More than one meaning have I’ – a cover featuring a Knot/knots
19th January – You know your A, B, Cs – a cover made up only of letters/words
26th January – “The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction” – a cover featuring grass
2nd February – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – a Psychedelic cover
9th February – ‘My what big teeth you have’ – a cover featuring a cloaked figure
16th February – ‘Groovy baby’ – a cover that is: Retro
23rd February – “There are too many steps in this castle, and it seems to me they add a few every night, just to vex me” – a cover featuring a staircase
2nd March – ‘The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing’ – a cover featuring something from Greek mythology
9th March – ‘…but Icarus flew too close’ – a cover featuring the Sun
16th March – ‘I got no strings to hold me down’ – a cover featuring a doll or puppet
23rd March – “When she was a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs.” – a cover featuring a Tower
30th March – ‘A little soil to make it grow’ – a cover featuring seeds/spores
6th April – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” – a cover featuring a family
13th April – ‘lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it’ – a cover featuring a panorama
20th April – Where there’s fire there’s… – a cover featuring smoke
27th April – ‘Those darling byegone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture’ – a cover that is positively mediaeval
4th May- ‘A Hand without a hand? A bad jape, sister.’ – a cover featuring a hand/hands
11th May – ‘Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s
18th May – ‘Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;’ – a cover featuring a gravestone
25th May – Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap – a cover featuring footsteps
1st June – clinging and invasive – a cover featuring creeping vines
8th June – Raining Cats and Dogs – a cover featuring a stormy sky
“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!”
29 December 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Covers featuring a musical instrument, Friday Face off

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:
If music be the food of love, play on – a cover featuring a Musical Instrument
This week my book choice is The Hum and the Shiver (Tufa #1) by Alex Bledsoe – I read this quite a while ago and really enjoyed it – in fact I should try to catch up with the rest of the series:

Next week – a cover that features ‘Under the Sea’
Future themes:
5th January – ‘The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else’s lake.’ – Under the Sea
12th January – ‘More than one meaning have I’ – a cover featuring a Knot/knots
19th January – You know your A, B, Cs – a cover made up only of letters/words
26th January – “The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction” – a cover featuring grass
2nd February – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – a Psychedelic cover
9th February – ‘My what big teeth you have’ – a cover featuring a cloaked figure
16th February – ‘Groovy baby’ – a cover that is: Retro
23rd February – “There are too many steps in this castle, and it seems to me they add a few every night, just to vex me” – a cover featuring a staircase
2nd March – ‘The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing’ – a cover featuring something from Greek mythology
9th March – ‘…but Icarus flew too close’ – a cover featuring the Sun
16th March – ‘I got no strings to hold me down’ – a cover featuring a doll or puppet
23rd March – “When she was a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs.” – a cover featuring a Tower
30th March – ‘A little soil to make it grow’ – a cover featuring seeds/spores
6th April – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” – a cover featuring a family
13th April – ‘lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it’ – a cover featuring a panorama
20th April – Where there’s fire there’s… – a cover featuring smoke
27th April – ‘Those darling byegone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture’ – a cover that is positively mediaeval
4th May- ‘A Hand without a hand? A bad jape, sister.’ – a cover featuring a hand/hands
11th May – ‘Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s
18th May – ‘Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;’ – a cover featuring a gravestone
25th May – Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap – a cover featuring footsteps
1st June – clinging and invasive – a cover featuring creeping vines
8th June – Raining Cats and Dogs – a cover featuring a stormy sky
‘Formula 86: My greatest triumph. A work of… genius’
15 December 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Ami McKay, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, The Witches of New York

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:
Hubble bubble toil and trouble – a cover featuring a potion/perfume bottle
This week I’ve chosen a book that (given the above) is about witches. I didn’t have a book in mind at the time so this is purely coincidental but I’ve picked the Witches of New York by Ami McKay. To be honest, now I’m looking at this I’m not sure that’s a bottle on the cover, more a jar – still if you stand far enough back it does look like a bottle! And, what’s done is done!
My winner is:

Which is your favourite?
Next week – a cover featuring a puzzle or game
Future themes:
22nd December – ‘Oh, we loves games! Doesn’t we, precious?’ – a cover featuring a Puzzle or Game
29th December – If music be the food of love, play on – a cover featuring a Musical Instrument
5th January – ‘The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else’s lake.’ – Under the Sea
12th January – ‘More than one meaning have I’ – a cover featuring a Knot/knots
19th January – You know your A, B, Cs – a cover made up only of letters/words
26th January – “The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction” – a cover featuring grass
2nd February – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – a Psychedelic cover
9th February – ‘My what big teeth you have’ – a cover featuring a cloaked figure
16th February – ‘Groovy baby’ – a cover that is: Retro
23rd February – “There are too many steps in this castle, and it seems to me they add a few every night, just to vex me” – a cover featuring a staircase
2nd March – ‘The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing’ – a cover featuring something from Greek mythology
9th March – ‘…but Icarus flew too close’ – a cover featuring the Sun
16th March – ‘I got no strings to hold me down’ – a cover featuring a doll or puppet
23rd March – “When she was a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs.” – a cover featuring a Tower
30th March – ‘A little soil to make it grow’ – a cover featuring seeds/spores
6th April – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” – a cover featuring a family
13th April – ‘lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it’ – a cover featuring a panorama
20th April – Where there’s fire there’s… – a cover featuring smoke
27th April – ‘Those darling byegone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture’ – a cover that is positively mediaeval
4th May- ‘A Hand without a hand? A bad jape, sister.’ – a cover featuring a hand/hands
11th May – ‘Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s
18th May – ‘Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;’ – a cover featuring a gravestone
25th May – Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap – a cover featuring footsteps
1st June – clinging and invasive – a cover featuring creeping vines
8th June – Raining Cats and Dogs – a cover featuring a stormy sky



