The Broke and the Bookish | Books and travelling with Lynn

I got you under my skin…

Posted On 26 July 2016

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

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Every Tuesday over at the 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. The topic this week is:

Top Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want To Do or Learn About After Reading Them

I’ve broken this down into travel/things to see/do, food and drink, educational.

I’m going to Prague in December this year, I’ve been wanting to visit there for a while but some of the descriptions in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone were so excellent it made me want to visit even more.
A few years ago, and pre blog so unfortunately I can’t at the moment recall the name of the book, I read a book set in Florence, we were due to visit Florence later that year and after reading the descriptions of Sienna we took a day trip – it’s an absolutely beautiful place and I seem to remember the book saying it has a lovely square, which is almost feminine – I completely agree! It is stunning and reached through the most olde world twisting and turning shop lined streets.
After reading The Undying by Ethan Reid my interest to visit the catacombs in Paris was definitely piqued – and visit the catacombs we did! What an experience. I’ve seen the horror film that was filmed down there since going on the tour – not sure if I’d have visited if I’d seen the film first!
Ginger Scald – this sounds like an amazing cocktail doesn’t it – I don’t think I’ve perfected a recipe for this but I’m giving it a go. Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard series.
Joanne Harris – Chocolat – no explanation necessary.
Butterbeer – okay, I haven’t tried this – because where would I find it – answers on a postcard please. J K Rowlings Harry Potter.
Most of the food in Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series – usually delicious sounding Mediterranean food with couscous, olives, almonds, goats cheese, flat breads – yum.
The Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston – this book, as soon I’d finished reading it made me want to go out and read up about Cleopatra and, more to the point, her daughter Selene.
Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis – this book is based around a number of historical events. The story really intrigued me and I did go and look up some of the detail – I was also really curious about one of the characters, who was a castrato – and I also went and read up a little about that too.
Witch Light by Susan Fletcher – is a book that I absolutely love and put Susan Fletcher firmly on my author wishlist. Again, I was really intrigued by the historical events portrayed in the story and went to read up a little more after I’d finished reading.

Around the World in 80 days, or…

Posted On 19 July 2016

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books around the World, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 23 responses

10 books!

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‘Ten Books Set Outside The US’

I adapted this slightly – to a world trip which includes a couple of US stopovers. Around the world in just 10 books

London – Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Paris – The Undying by Ethan Reid
Venice – The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore
Greece – The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Egypt – The Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston – set between Rome and Egypt
Hong Kong – The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
China – The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Japan – Confessions by Kanae Minato
LA – Made to Kill by Adam Christopher
New York – The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction…

Posted On 12 July 2016

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten facts about Me, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 21 responses

smaug :

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Ten Facts About Me (bookish or just general)

This week is ten facts about me – okay, I’ve decided to give this a slightly different slant, as I love the world of SFF I’ve decided to give ten facts that reflect how close I come to living in a world of make believe!

I have a wonderful place that I retreat into when I read a book, call it a wormhole if you will, but it’s quite magical – sometimes, I almost forget to come back at all.
My reading takes me to extraordinary places where I meet all sorts of unique and diverse characters and experience totally different cultures.
‘Nobody’ lives at my house – you may remember Nobody, or Bod, as a character from Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard book but actually, no, he lives with me and my family, and the reason I know this is because ‘Nobody’ left wet towels on the bathroom floor, ‘Nobody’ left rubbish at the side of the bin instead of in the bin, ‘Nobody’ left dirty cereal bowls next to the sink unrinsed – you get the picture, yes?
I live with a crazy critter – he’s four legged and has a very happy, waggy tail. He’s been known to have a mad half hour every now and again and his name his Dude – he’s actually named for the character in the Big Lebowski but he’s anything but chilled! Every now and again he appears in the odd one or two of my doodles – which are known as Dude’lls’.
Occasionally I turn into a dragon. It’s true, my friends and family can attest to the fact. It’s not big, clever or pretty when this happens. I taught Smaug everything he knows! True that.
Having three children happily coincided with a money tree springing up in my garden, which feeds directly into the Bank of Mum and Dad – I call this damned helpful. I don’t question these things. Never. Ever. Look a gift horse in the mouth – it will probably just bite you if you do.
I am a mindreader, I know what everybody wants to eat and can miraculously conjure all the ingredients without a second thought. Really, it’s just a gift. I’m lucky like that.
I have Borrowers living with me – don’t be jealous, this basically means I have 500 pairs of odd socks – which considering I only EVER buy black socks is more than puzzling. Where the hell did all these multi coloured socks/socks with cat faces or faces of elves or Bart/striped socks/socks with bobbles and bells on them come from???? And, more to the point, where did their counterparts go to. Somewhere in the universe someone is looking for all their socks and cursing the appearance of all my black socks in their undie drawer!
Yes, I live in a parallel universe, see all the above if you don’t believe me!
I’m a wine whisperer – yes, I can hear wine – calling to me… ‘drink me’ It’s just odd but who am I to deny these voices??

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Highly recommended…

Posted On 5 July 2016

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Favourite books that deserve more love, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 26 responses

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Top Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Ratings On Goodreads (which is a great way to discuss those books that you loved that deserve some more attention).

The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M H Boroson – this really was unexpectedly great! If you enjoy fantasy, myth, folklore, incredible monsters, spirits, excitement and kung fu then this could be the book for you.
Age of Iron by Angus Watson – if you enjoy a good romping adventure, a tale of revenge, a tale of comradeship and you can stomach the more grisly side (which has been tempered by a slightly humourous take not to mention some very inventive cursing) then add to this a sprinkling of magic, some good old arena style games and an old fashioned tale involving difficult situations and heroic solutions – then give this book a try.
The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett – I love this book and I think everybody should read it. Highly recommended. Creepy gothicness (it’s a word!)
Miserere by Theresa Frohock – I loved it and was torn between racing to the end to find out what was going to happen next and wanting to savour each word. I love a book that just takes my attention from the first chapter and holds it throughout and, more than that, when the last page is complete makes me want to go back and start again from the first page.
The St Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper – sexy steampunk set in Victorian England
The Rebel Angel series by Gillian Philip – Seth is an excellent character – he’s cocky and cheeky, angry, brave – and lets face it – very easy on the brain!
The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker – Kage Baker has brought to us a fantasy world filled with demons, gods, and different species. A whole world filled with Children of the Sun and other species. But, more than that, she’s brought us a romp of a novel. This book is fantasy and fun combined and I loved it. It’s like everything I love in my fantasy novels brought into a new world and looked at in a different way. Really, I totally recommend this book without hesitation.
Witch Light by Susan Fletcher – Witch Light is the story of Corrag who has been named ‘witch’ and condemned to die by fire. As she spends her last few days in prison she agrees to tell her story to a visitor who is particularly interested in events that took place at Glencoe. I must say that at the start of the book I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this read but after the first few chapters I was totally taken with Corrag – in fact I was bewitched.
The Split Worlds series by Emma Newman – a very interesting concept which involves a combination of a fae world, a world of mundanes and a world that is neither one or the other known as the Nether.
The Copper Cat series by Jen Williams – What an incredibly enjoyable read. Well written, gory in parts but with a very healthy injection of humour. Does it bring anything new to fantasy – not really. But, in spite of that it’s one damned enjoyable read and anyway it has DRAGONS – or, more to the point A DRAGON – or, okay, a God who is in the form of A DRAGON! Just go read it!