Patience is a virtue, so they tell me..
23 August 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
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:
Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf (Or TBR) From Before You Started Blogging That You STILL Haven’t Read Yet!
What a sad topic! Makes me feel quite guilty looking at my shelves and digging these books out! I’m not sure if all of these are pre blog or not – I just know that the ones on this list have been waiting a while. In no particular order:
- Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
- Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky
- Libriomancer by Jim Hines
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- If I Stay by Gayle Forman
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- The Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan
- Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks
So, any suggestions which of these I should read first??
‘Go together like a horse and carriage..’
9 August 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Duos, Top Ten Tuesday
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 a rewind – I’m not sure that I took part on this one when it was originally scheduled so I’ve plumped for it now:
Top Ten Dynamic Duos
- Prince Jalan Kenneth and Snorri ver Snagason – what a great duo – The Red Queen’s War by Mark Lawrence is a fantastic reading experience – I really can’t do it enough justice or impress upon you how much you need to read it – although I will try. And Jalan and Snorri are undoubtedly one of the reasons why.
- Locke Lamotra and Jean Tannen – these two are definitely on my favourite list for duos – I absolutely adore the character Jean Tannen so this was a must. The Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch
- Hwa and Daniel Siofra from Madeline Ashby’s Company Town – this is a brilliant book which I absolutely loved and the friendship/relationship between Hwa and Daniel is just amazing.
- Hope and Red – I’ve only just read this book and posted my review but these two are great characters to read and really made this story for me.
- Paul Tsabo and Valentine from the ‘Mancer series by Ferrett Steinmetz. This is such an entertaining series that I love. Paul and Valentine are both ‘mancers and they make a great combination. I think Valentine has to be one of my all time favourite characters to be honest – I love the elements of fun that she brings to the story.
- Blackthorn and Grim from the Blackthorn and Grim series by Juliet Marillier – I’ve only read the first book in the series – Dreamer’s Pool – which was fantastic. These two characters are a great, prickly, double act.
- Dug and Lowa from Angus Watson’s Age of Iron – I loved this story and really need to catch up!
- Shara and Sigrud (who makes the most unlikely secretary ever. Shara is the brains and Sigrud the brawn and when they’re together they’re almost invincible. Robert Bennett’s City of Stairs
- Fort and Suzume from M L Brennan’s Generation V – A vampire and a Kitsune – what could possible go wrong!
- Merry and Pippin – I couldn’t help it, I just had to get Lord of the Rings on here and I prefer these two hobbits on balance to Sam and Frodo as they bring more fun to the story.
So, do you have a favourite duo?
Yes, Cinderella, you shall go to the bookstore..
2 August 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books you want to buy, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
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:
Ten Books You’d Buy Right This Second If Someone Handed You A Fully Loaded Gift Card
Yeah – we’d all love that wouldn’t we. This is pretty easy for me – namely because I have about 70 books on my wishlist at the current time! Some of these books would be preorders some are already released. Let’s go:
- The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch (to be fair I do have this on pre-order and not long to wait now!) Jean Tannen get back in my life.
- The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan – I’ll probably buy this shortly but at the moment it’s on the wishlist (which is just as well because I’m a bit backed up with review books at the moment and trying to catch up).
- The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – I want this book so badly!! Check out this little teaser : ‘A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.’ – and now you want it too no doubt!
- The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco -due out March 2017 – sounds very intriguing.
- The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
- Den of Wolves by Juliet Marilier – I have to catch up with my reading of No.2 yet but even so I still badly want this book – it’s absolutely gorgeous and it must go on my shelves!
- The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry – I loved All The Truth That’s in Me that I want more from this author and this sounds like something I will love : ‘Buried deep within the archives of a convent in medieval France is an untold story of love, loss, and wonder and the two girls at the heart of it all.’
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt picked this up from a recent blogger’s Top Ten Tuesday so seems like a good place to highlight it.
- The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
- Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson.
Prepare yourself for some gorgeous covers:
I got you under my skin…
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…
19 July 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books around the World, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
10 books!
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:
‘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
