Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List
18 March 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books for Spring 2014, The Broke and the Bookish
This week on the Broke and the Bookish the topic is top 10 books on your Spring 2014 list. I confess I’m looking forward to so many books at the moment so, this should be easy (some of these are already released, some awaited):
- Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence – new trilogy – very excited about this one
- Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick – Tale of the Kin, book No.2 (Among Thieves was the first and was very good)
- The Boy with the Porcelain Blade by Patrick Den – The Erebus Sequence book No.1
- Icefall by Gillian Philip – Rebel Angels, book No.4 – this series is awesome sauce
- Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson – The Stormlight Archive, book No.2, yes, it’s epic, truly epic – but worth it!
- Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan – book No.1 Millennium’s Rule – this will be by first foray into Trudi Canavan’s books
- The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris – I love Joanne Harris and heard her read a section of this book at a recent event – it sounds great.
- Morningside Fall by Jay Posey – Duskwalker Cycle No.2 (No.1 was very original and I’m looking forward to more of the same)
- The Copper Promise by Jen Williams (a new debut novel that has received excellent reviews)
- The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan – Memoirs by Lady Trent No.2 – Dragons!! (plus if you’re a bit of a cover freak – go and check out the covers for these books – A History of Dragons is No.1 and the cover is gorgeous!
I showed you mine now show me yours! (pretty please)
Swoonies…
11 February 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Swoonies, Top Ten Tuesday
Okay, Top Ten Tuesday.
This week The Broke and The Bookish wants to know what are your : Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon.
Now, I don’t really read a lot of swoonies in the traditional sense of the word, however, I will not be beaten! I will find ten swoonies even if I fall over during the process.
- The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons – if you don’t swoon at this book then frankly you’re just beyond redemption! That’s all. Read it and weep! One word: Alexander.
- The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon – all I can say is Jamie!
- The Rebel Angels by Gillian Philip – Seth McGregor… nuff said.
- The Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch – and, in a step out of the ordinary I’m not swooning over the main man here but his buddy Jean Tannen – OMG!!
- Lord of the Rings – Aragorn
Well, I said I wouldn’t be beaten, but I fibbed. I’ve only got five swoonies – but, they’re all so good that they count twice!
Hah, scrap the above, I’ve thought of some more:
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Rhett Butler, you may not like him but ‘frankly my dear …..’
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – moody Mr Rochester
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Heathcliff – can those Bronte sisters write up a storm or what!
That’s it for me! I’ve told you mine – so tell me yours…
Don’t go there..
28 January 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesdays
Top Ten Tuesdays (hosted by the Broke and the Bookish this week is all about where or who you don’t want to be!
‘Top Ten Worlds I’d Never Want To Live In OR Top Ten Characters I’d NEVER Want To Trade Places With’. I’ve done five of each:
Worlds in which I don’t want to live:
- The silos created by Hugh Howey in Wool/Shift/Dust – Claustrophobia, lies and deceit – plus all those bloody stairs and you definitely don’t want to be put on window cleaning duty!
- Ashes by Ilsa J Bick – this is a scary world where you have to keep your wits in order to stay alive. (Unfortunately my wits sometimes go on walk about)
- Sunshine – vampires live, they’re brutal, they definitely don’t eat tofu and you really do have to stay indoors after the dark
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth – zombies!!!! And some of them can run – really fast. Be afraid (especially if YOU don’t run really fast!)
- All the Truth in Me by Julie Berry is set in New England during puritanical times. Definitely don’t want to live there. Apart from the fact that you’re put in the stocks for not attending church meetings, you’re a wanton hussy if you don’t wear your hair covered and it’s damned hard work – there are very few books!!
Characters I don’t want to be:
- Gollum from Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien – we all know how that ends after all and it looks a bit too toasty for my liking plus he eats raw fish and I’m not talking sushi!
- Arthur Kips – the young guy from The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – no way am I spending a night in that house like he did!
- Miriam from Blackbird/Mockingbird/Cormorant by Chuck Wendig – I love her character but I certainly wouldn’t want to be in her shoes – it probably seems like a great gift that she has but I wouldn’t be thankful to have it.
- The Falconer from Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard series – what a horrible character brrrr!
- Conor – from A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – a brilliant story but so sad and I definitely wouldn’t trade places with him and what he has to go through
So, who who’s shoes would you rather not be in and what world do you not want to wake up in tomorrow!
10 Bookish resolutions
7 January 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 10 bookish resolutions, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesdays
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday over at the Broke and the Bookish is:
top ten bookish resolutions
(Although they don’t have to necessarily be bookish!). I’ve decided to stay bookish and given that I’m a fairly self critical person I have 10 things I think I need to work on:
- Need to properly organise books into some sort of order and put together a schedule, especially of books given to review and in order to get ahead of myself a little bit! Although that does sound like hard work doesn’t it. I basically just want to read the next book that I want to read!!!
- Want to expand reading genres – actually, I’ll be more to the point – trying to incorporate more sci fi as although I read primarily fantasy I also read historical, mystery and horror so sci fi is getting left out in the cold a bit – I’m working on this – see Stainless Steel Droppings Sci fi Experience and Little Red Reviewer’s Vintage Sci Fi event.
- Want to read ten of my classics this year – only read 4 so far = massive fail! Still, I have got time to catch up.
- Want to seriously tackle tbr – it’s out of control and needs addressing – maybe limit the number of books I buy this year (ahem!)
- Want to finish some of my unread series – also getting out of control – will go and actually figure out how many unfinished series I have one day (see No.1 above)
- Need to be more on the ball about updating my blog, behind with challenges pages, A-Z, etc. Basically I write my review and run for cover!
- Hoping to take part in some challenges again like the Women of Genre Fiction by Worlds Without End – really great for introducing new authors and making you step out of your comfort zone (see No.2 above). Actually a great site – go check it out. You won’t be sorry.
- Thinking to change my reviewing style – needs to be more clear whether I don’t like a book as well as if I love it!
- Incorporate some different discussion posts – I enjoy doing something different, fun or just silly on occasion.
- Enjoy reading – I always do – doesn’t really need a resolution but thought I’d stick it in there anyways!
Now, just need to make a start on those lists. Maybe I could make a list of what lists I actually want to make before I start the actual lists themselves. Categories, this is what I chiefly need… Or maybe I could stop prevaricating.
Desperately seeking books… 2014 ‘Most Wanted’
3 December 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books for 2014, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Top ten 2014 releases we’re dying to read
I love the topic over at the Broke and the Bookish this week (Top Ten Tuesday). It gives me a chance to look at what books I’m looking forward to in the New Year. Now, I’m pretty sure that I’ve missed some but feel free to remind me:
- Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick (May)
- Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (June)
- City of Stairs by Robert J Bennett (don’t know when this is due?? Somebody, anybody, chuck me a bone with this one please)
- Morningside Fall by Jay Posey (May)
- Night Terrors by Tim Waggoner (June)
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough (May)
- Icefall by Gillian Philip (March)
- The Last Oprichnik by Jasper Kent (not sure)
- The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss (no idea at all but on that basis it could be 2014 – glass half full, etc, etc)
- Remains open… although if Scott Lynch would like to release the next in the Gentlemen Bastards….
That’s it for now. If you can think of any more I should have on this list then feel free to chuck out suggestions. (Why are May and June so popular – what about Jan/Feb!!!)
Books and travelling with Lynn 