The Broke and the Bookish | Books and travelling with Lynn

It’s not possible to have too many books!! (Or is it?)

Posted On 13 January 2015

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top ten books from 2014 not yet read, Top Ten Tuesday

This week over at the Broke and Bookish the Top Ten Tuesday topic for discussion is:

Top Ten 2014 Releases I Wanted (Desperately!) To Read But Didn’t Get To (Yet!)

I’ve decided I hate this post – okay, I don’t hate this post but let’s just say I’m very unhappy with myself at this current time – this has made me look at my book buying habits and realise that I need a shake up. Or I simply need shaking. Or I need therapy! Or I need my computer rights removing so I can’t look at any more books!! Anyway, as a result, I’ve made myself a goal – I have to eliminate at least one of the books from the list below, each month – I’ve already managed one (9 more to go) – If I fail, well it will be a disaster – I hate to fail anyway, and if I don’t do this thing my head could possibly just explode (or maybe not)!! The thing is, I actually want to read them all (plus the other 200 books I have stashed around the house! – what is wrong with that anyway, some women smuggle shoes into their house and hide them – I smuggle books!) I really need to get a grip and stop worrying about missing a book somewhere down the line!!! Plus, I’m going to tell you a secret – but don’t tell anybody else, this is for your eyes only – one of the books on this list I actually bought for kindle – a good few months ago – then, after reading some of the ‘best of’ lists at the start of the year I thought ‘oh, what a good book’ – and actually bought the book version (yes, I’d forgotten I’d already bought it and, ahem, bought it again). There’s just plain dense and then there’s 20 feet below dense – and then there’s me! Do not judge and keep this to yourself! Now, which book to choose in Feb – suggestions (from this list only if you please – no new ideas!)

Tempered – No.4 of the St Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper (didn’t read in 2014 but have managed to read this month!! Review to follow shortly)
Lock in by John Scalzi
Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler
Murder by Sarah Pinborough
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Tower Lord, book 2 of Raven’s Shadow by Anthony Ryan
Sworn in Steel, Tale of the Kin book 2 by Douglas Hulick
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter

Debut Authors…

Posted On 5 January 2015

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 2015 Debut authors, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 18 responses

This week over at The Broke and Bookish the Top Ten Tuesday topic is:

‘Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015’

Now, I’m going to admit I find this one a tough one! Really, I do. The thing is I always have books that I have my beady eye on, books that I’m waiting to come out – but more often than not I couldn’t say whether they’re an author’s debut or not! My bad I guess but there it is!!

So, I’ve had a look to see what I fancy on the Goodreads list – because you can’t have enough book wants after all. I’ve not got the full ten but here are five debuts that I like the looks of (I’ve pinched the write ups because, I’m lazy, and, if it’s not broke don’t fix it!:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.
The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.
A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas – Rhiannon Thomas’s dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.
The Edge of Forever by Melissa E Hurst – In 2013: Sixteen-year-old Alora is having blackouts. Each time she wakes up in a different place with no idea of how she got there. The one thing she is certain of? Someone is following her.

The best laid plans…of the average bibliophile

Posted On 29 December 2014

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 10 bookish resolutions, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 24 responses

This week over at the Broke and Bookish the theme for Top Ten Tuesday is:

‘Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2015 — bookish, blogging or otherwise!’

This year I’ve come up with 10 resolutions that will be easy – because why make it difficult to succeed (I realise that’s not the point but why do we have to make everything a struggle?) So:

To collect so many books they they’re stacked in piles all over the house
To ignore people and refuse to be sociable when I’m reading a good book
To have library books, that become absorbed within my own book collections therefore forgetting to be read and running up large ‘late’ fines
To let my kindle battery run down so low that at that crucial moment, the last 10 pages in the book, it just blanks out – because that’s always a giggle
To have no organisation whatsoever in my book reading schedule and just to make it up as I go along – because it’s all about the fun
To read 3 books at a time until one becomes the favourite and muscles the others out of the nest
To let my ‘one click’ finger run amok!
To totally over indulge – in books, and maybe the odd glass of wine – because that sounds civilised doesn’t it?
To do that thing where you wander round a huge bookstore – even though you might not have anything in particular that you want to buy at that particular moment just because – soaking up the atmosphere, looking dreamily at the books – and, well, I suppose you might make the odd purchase or come up with a few additions to the tbr!
To be the easiest person to buy gifts for EVER – because, book tokens!

In other words to pretty much carry on regardless and just enjoy myself!

Finally, this isn’t a resolution but a hope:

To have a good year and to wish the same for all of you!

SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA’S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!

Posted On 22 December 2014

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: My bookish Christmas list, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday

Comments Dropped 15 responses

This week over at the Broke and Bookish the theme for Top Ten Tuesday is:

‘Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing This Year’

Okay, Santa, I’ve been a good girl this year – I’m definitely on the ‘nice’ list which is handy because this list just barely starts to skim the top of my ‘wish list’. Apart from the first two books I think all of the others are already available but being Santa I’m sure you can pull a few strings!

The Liar’s Key by Mark Lawrence (No. 2 of the Red Queen’s War)
Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memory by Lady Trent (A Natural History of Dragons No.3) by Marie Brennan
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, Ken Liu
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart
The Bloodhound by Erin Lindsey
Dreamer’s Pool: A Blackthorn & Grim Novel by Juliet Marillier
The Shotgun Arcana (Six Gun Tarot 2)by R. S. Belcher
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

I confess that whilst I had some of these on my wishlist people’s ‘best of year’ lists have already started to expand my list!

It’s a pretty nice looking list isn’t it! What would you like to find in your Christmas stocking this year (please don’t say your foot – or somebody else’s foot – or any sort of twisted version of the ‘foot’ response!)