Waffle, waffle, waffle…
27 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book clubs, Readalongs, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
This week over at the Broke and the Bookish the Topic for Top Ten Tuesday is:
Ten Books I’d Love to Read With My Book Club/If I Had A Book Club
I’ve split this into 5 books for a book club and 5 books for a readalong. Yes, there’s a difference. A book club you want a book that is going to provoke some thought and discussion (even if that’s heated) at your regular meetings. A readalong you need something to get your teeth stuck into so that after you’ve read a few chapters you’ve got questions to flirt around your group.
Book Club reads:
- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson – very intriguing, a sort of Sliding Door story of what ifs.
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett – absolutely compelling read!
- The Just City by Jo Walton – incredibly thought provoking and packed with ideas for discussion
- The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd this is a great book based on a real character from the deep South
- Sarah Pinsborough’s fairy tale retellings (Poison, Beauty, Charm) – these are three great books, all from the same world and interconnected and just beautifully written.
Readalong reads:
- Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns (The Thousand Names is No.1) – Flintlock Fantasy – who knew there was such a thing. The Thousand Names is excellent, deep and well thought out.
- Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire and Red Queen’s War (No.1 in each: Prince of Thorns and Prince of Fools). I love these books – there’s lots going on and you could have a field day with a readalong.
- Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives (Way of Kings and Words of Radiance). OMG – I read both books as readalongs and highly recommend doing so. You just get into all the detail that way.
- Robin Hobbs – So many books to choose from – I think they’re all set in the same world (Farseer Trilogy as a start). Such a master of fantasy. Great world building and a wealth of detail.
- Anthony Ryan – only two books out so far – Blood Song and Tower Lord – lots to get your teeth into here!
The end, goodbye!
20 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top 10 series I must finish!, Top Ten Tuesday
This week over at the Broke and Bookish the topic up for discussion is:
‘FREEBIE’
No – this doesn’t mean you’re going to get a goodie bag! Basically choose your own topic. This should definitely be interesting checking out all the other posts!
I’m tying this post into one of the goals I want to achieve for the year. One of my goals is to read some of my previously purchased books (this post here lists 10 books to be read this year – and I’ve already read one of these!). My top 10 books this week is going to be 10 series that I want to finish this year (see this post from last year):
- The St Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper – just finished No.5 and now need to read the final book –
- Ashes and Shadows by Ilsa Bick need to read Monsters (1)
- Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore – Bitter Blue (1) (strictly speaking not a series but set in the same world)
- The Last Rite by Jasper Kent – finale book in the Danilov Quintet
- Soulless, Changeless, Blameless and Heartless by Gail Carriger just need to read Timeless (1)
- Fury, Envy by Elizabeth Miles – Eternity left to read (1)
- The final book in the Holly Black Curse Workers series
- The Taker, The Reckoning by Alma Katsu – need to read the Descent to complete the series (1)
- Wool and Shift by Hugh Howey – need to read Dust (1)
- Enclave by Ann Aguirre – Outpost and Horde (2)
It’s not possible to have too many books!! (Or is it?)
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…
5 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 2015 Debut authors, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
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
29 December 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 10 bookish resolutions, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
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!
Books and travelling with Lynn 