3.5 Stars
I'm not really surprised this is the last in the series as it felt like Budbury had run it's course and there was nothing really new to add to the story of this bizarre and charming little town. This was an okay read but it somehow felt a little flat and damp squibbish compared to the others in the series. Maybe there just wasn't enough of the enigmatic Cherie Moon to lift it.
Whilst I enjoyed Auburn's story there were few surprises after the initial revelation during the "hen do". Do you know, I can't even remember who it was getting married - I want to say Kate and Matt but I'm really not too sure (admittedly I finished this book 3 weeks before writing the review). What's more I remember little about the wedding apart from the fact it had a Zombie theme - typical Budbury off the wall choice there.
This was a holiday read and it fitted in well to the relaxed atmosphere of a hotel room and the general feeling of "lots of day and no plans". This would probably have had a much lower rating if I'd read it at home between the normal frenzy of shift work and general day to day. I'm wracking my brains to remember anything outstanding about the story and I really can't - somehow the love triangle with Auburn at it's centre failed to captivate me and there really wasn't enough of the other characters in this one for them to stand out either. So zombie wedding and love triangle is what stays with me (to be honest some of that was jarred loose by a quick read through some other reviews). However, my notebook shows I rated this 3/4 * so I'll stick with that.
Monday 30 September 2019
The Museum Of Broken Promises by Elizabeth Buchan
This is a deceptive book as the initial chapters lead you to believe that the bulk of the story will take place within The Museum of Broken Promises in Paris. The reader is already aware there is a backstory for Laure, after all the prologue makes this abundantly clear. What the reader is not initially aware of is that the backstory is the actual story and that rather than employ a flashback technique to the story the author has made it more of a flashforward to the present day with the majority of the tale being set in late 1980s Czechoslovakia. Somehow this left me feeling almost cheated - the title of the novel, the opening chapters, all drew me in to this world and I found myself becoming captivated by the museum and it's strange collection of artifacts. Unfortunately, little time is spent here.
Despite having been very much alive and fairly cognisant of the world during the time period this novel is set, I found myself having little knowledge of the communist world. I was aware of East Berlin, I was aware of the cold war might of the USSR, but I had only the vaguest notion that Czechoslovakia was part of it all. It does feel strange now that Prague, the main setting for this book, is now such a popular city break location and yet has such a dark and tainted past - a past that will be all too real for a high proportion of it's current residents.
Despite the author's best efforts I never felt that I got to understand our main protagonist, Laure Carlyle. Somehow she remains fairly ephemeral on the page and this prevented me from really managing to stir up any concern for her or to hope that there would be some happiness in her future. I was intrigued by her host family and the way they interacted with each other and her - Petr and Eva have such a peculiar relationship and the nature of Eva's "illness" is never explained, leaving the reader with more questions than answers (undoubtedly this is deliberate).
I also found Laure's naivety hard to cope with. Yes, she is young. Yes, she is hurting after the loss of her father. Yes, she seems to have been sheltered in her upbringing and have no idea how the world can betray you. Fairly normal for a girl just out of her teenage years and stepping in to adulthood but what could have been seen as touching merely served to irritate me. The older, museum curator Laure is a slightly more intriguing character having been forged through her experiences but she still has an almost childlike wonder to her that I found grating.
This novel was not what I expected. Normally, this is something I tout as a good thing. However, in this case I feel slightly like a victim of a bait and switch. It started so well and I understand the need to explain Laure's backstory and how the museum came in to being. However, I just couldn't get invested in her Prague experiences or her Berlin experiences (which are mercifully brief) and as Prague is good 70% of the book that kind of spoilt it for me.
Despite having been very much alive and fairly cognisant of the world during the time period this novel is set, I found myself having little knowledge of the communist world. I was aware of East Berlin, I was aware of the cold war might of the USSR, but I had only the vaguest notion that Czechoslovakia was part of it all. It does feel strange now that Prague, the main setting for this book, is now such a popular city break location and yet has such a dark and tainted past - a past that will be all too real for a high proportion of it's current residents.
Despite the author's best efforts I never felt that I got to understand our main protagonist, Laure Carlyle. Somehow she remains fairly ephemeral on the page and this prevented me from really managing to stir up any concern for her or to hope that there would be some happiness in her future. I was intrigued by her host family and the way they interacted with each other and her - Petr and Eva have such a peculiar relationship and the nature of Eva's "illness" is never explained, leaving the reader with more questions than answers (undoubtedly this is deliberate).
I also found Laure's naivety hard to cope with. Yes, she is young. Yes, she is hurting after the loss of her father. Yes, she seems to have been sheltered in her upbringing and have no idea how the world can betray you. Fairly normal for a girl just out of her teenage years and stepping in to adulthood but what could have been seen as touching merely served to irritate me. The older, museum curator Laure is a slightly more intriguing character having been forged through her experiences but she still has an almost childlike wonder to her that I found grating.
This novel was not what I expected. Normally, this is something I tout as a good thing. However, in this case I feel slightly like a victim of a bait and switch. It started so well and I understand the need to explain Laure's backstory and how the museum came in to being. However, I just couldn't get invested in her Prague experiences or her Berlin experiences (which are mercifully brief) and as Prague is good 70% of the book that kind of spoilt it for me.
Acts Of Love by Talulah Riley
I tried with this one, I honestly did but our heroine, Bernadette, is such a thoroughly nasty character that it was a real struggle to finish the book. There is not one redeeming personality trait for this woman; even worse her supposed mortal enemy, Elizabeth, is so saccharine sweet it defies belief. The inability to have a normal person enter the proceedings even extends to the men that make brief appearances as arm fodder for the women. I appreciate that normality is extremely subjective but every single person within these pages has no depth, no subtlety to their character; they are painted in the broadest of black and white strokes with no co-mingling to the grey area that makes each of us interesting.
Couple this with a plot at times both pedestrian and so far fetched as to be almost fantasy and you can probably see why I struggled finishing this one. Unfortunately, this was a promotional copy that the publishers were kind enough to disseminate so I did feel a duty to swallow down the despair picking the book up caused my reading muscles and managed to power through to the end. Well, where the printed word stopped because there is no nice little ending to this book, everything is left hanging in what is supposed to be a tantalising manner.
The worst thing about the whole thing is that I *think* I get where the author is trying to go with this. Showing how outside influences can damage us seemingly irreparably - in Bernadette's case first her father and then her ill-fated relationship with the MP. However, there is hope, we can change ourselves and others can be instrumental in easing the letting go of destructive habits. The problem with that is that it requires a subtle touch and more than a textbook understanding of psychology. In short, the characters aren't people they are a set of closely defined traits to signify one particular personality issue.
Having finished the book I am unable to recommend this to anyone. Honestly, I am convinced that my copy must have fallen through a wormhole from another dimension when I compare my reading experience to that of some of the other reviewers.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
Couple this with a plot at times both pedestrian and so far fetched as to be almost fantasy and you can probably see why I struggled finishing this one. Unfortunately, this was a promotional copy that the publishers were kind enough to disseminate so I did feel a duty to swallow down the despair picking the book up caused my reading muscles and managed to power through to the end. Well, where the printed word stopped because there is no nice little ending to this book, everything is left hanging in what is supposed to be a tantalising manner.
The worst thing about the whole thing is that I *think* I get where the author is trying to go with this. Showing how outside influences can damage us seemingly irreparably - in Bernadette's case first her father and then her ill-fated relationship with the MP. However, there is hope, we can change ourselves and others can be instrumental in easing the letting go of destructive habits. The problem with that is that it requires a subtle touch and more than a textbook understanding of psychology. In short, the characters aren't people they are a set of closely defined traits to signify one particular personality issue.
Having finished the book I am unable to recommend this to anyone. Honestly, I am convinced that my copy must have fallen through a wormhole from another dimension when I compare my reading experience to that of some of the other reviewers.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
Monday 23 September 2019
Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin
Oh those inebriated online purchases - always fun when the delivery comes and you can start berating yourself for buying some useless piece of rubbish. Fortunately for Rosie, her piece of drunken shopping turns out to be a gorgeous vintage camper van called Poppy. I suppose that's one of the perks of working as a sous chef in a michelin starred restaurant - you never get chance to spend anything left over after paying the bills as you are far too busy working; leaves you a nice chunk of disposable income for those drunken purchase moments. Also, it apparently leaves you with a decent chunk to fund a travelling lifestyle. I did find it very hard to believe that you could (A) cook enough baked goods in a campervan to make a profit, however small (B) that said campervan would pass health and safety inspection as a food preparation area.
Setting aside those practical and real world concerns, the fictional world that Ms Raisin creates is entirely bucolic. Yes, we have the nasty husband who leaves Rosie for a younger model precipitating the adventure. Yes, we have Rosie's controlling nature and need to plan to the last second to deal with. Yes, we have a supporting cast of eccentric characters who are all too ready to admit a stranger in to their midst and become instant friends with. Yes, we have a shady sounding "penpal" encouraging and luring Rosie in to the lifestyle. Yes, we have the misunderstood rugged hero that provides a will-they-won't they- for Rosie.
Basically, everything you expect from this genre is tucked away in there in various guises. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing - certain things are expected but it is how you deliver them that is important. Fortunately, Ms Raisin delivers them with a verve that makes things seem as fresh as the dew on the festival fields. None of it really stands up to close scrutiny but who really pays close attention to if this would work in reality - we read to escape reality. Although, I am sure this would provide inspiration for someone already on the edge of making the decision to try van life for a while.
It is humorous but falls short of being genuinely funny, certainly not a laugh out loud book - although very, very few are. I do have a sense of humour, quite an overdeveloped one but this raised nothing more than the occasional smirk and those were in places that I am pretty sure were unintended by the author.
Overall, this is a good solid holiday read. Nothing too challenging, nothing too dramatic or heart rending but a heroine you want to get behind and a lifestyle straight from Enid Blyton - what could be better?
Setting aside those practical and real world concerns, the fictional world that Ms Raisin creates is entirely bucolic. Yes, we have the nasty husband who leaves Rosie for a younger model precipitating the adventure. Yes, we have Rosie's controlling nature and need to plan to the last second to deal with. Yes, we have a supporting cast of eccentric characters who are all too ready to admit a stranger in to their midst and become instant friends with. Yes, we have a shady sounding "penpal" encouraging and luring Rosie in to the lifestyle. Yes, we have the misunderstood rugged hero that provides a will-they-won't they- for Rosie.
Basically, everything you expect from this genre is tucked away in there in various guises. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing - certain things are expected but it is how you deliver them that is important. Fortunately, Ms Raisin delivers them with a verve that makes things seem as fresh as the dew on the festival fields. None of it really stands up to close scrutiny but who really pays close attention to if this would work in reality - we read to escape reality. Although, I am sure this would provide inspiration for someone already on the edge of making the decision to try van life for a while.
It is humorous but falls short of being genuinely funny, certainly not a laugh out loud book - although very, very few are. I do have a sense of humour, quite an overdeveloped one but this raised nothing more than the occasional smirk and those were in places that I am pretty sure were unintended by the author.
Overall, this is a good solid holiday read. Nothing too challenging, nothing too dramatic or heart rending but a heroine you want to get behind and a lifestyle straight from Enid Blyton - what could be better?
Sunday 22 September 2019
Time And Time Again by Ben Elton
If you could go back and change one event in history what would that be?
This is what the Companions Of Chronos have to decide on and the clock is ticking. According to a letter left by Sir Isaac Newton they have one chance of making a difference, one moment in time where past and present overlap allowing them to step back in time. Okay, I'm with it so far and it does follow a fairly logical pattern if you accept the theory that past, present and future all exist at the same moment and that time is now a straight line but much more fluid. However, there is no mention that this one snapshot in the supposed present the traveller(s) could also move in to the future - if the maths is correct for going back in time then it would also be correct for going forward.
Anyway, back to the book.
The Cambridge elite decide that the worst thing that happened was the start of the First World War so they decide that they are going to sabotage the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. But who do they send? Who better than the all-action Hugh "Guts" Stanton, former alumni at Trinity and tutored by the Master of the college herself. He has no ties to the present as his wife and children died in a tragic accident, has superb survival skills and also some limited knowledge of languages other than English. The one thing they don't think through is what the ramifications of changing the path of history would mean. How will the world reshape itself? Will things really be better or will they be worse?
The pacing is a little slow in places and on occassion there seems to be a strange dwelling on location descriptions in place of moving the tale forward. At first I wondered if there was some knowledge, some foreshadowing that the reader should pick up on that Hugh misses in his confusion from being in a largely unknown time. Sadly, it seems that wasn't the case, a little editing was needed to sort the wheat from the chaff. Some of the historical detail feels entirely genuine and some rather more fictional but, on the whole, it works.
There is a LOT that goes on in this novel and some of it you will miss until it is explained later in the book. In fact, it never struck me that as soon as Hugh leaves for 1914 Istanbul then he irrevocably changes the present day so every time the set date and time comes around in the new present a new traveller can be sent over to right any wrongs done by previous travellers. Of course, this is an obvious result of meddling with time that exists in all states at all moments. If you try and think about it for too long your brain starts to hurt.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, if you want a truly exemplary book about Time Travel then I would strongly recommend 11.22.63 by Stephen King - it has the same moral as this book and much of the same set up and premise but is infinitely more accessible.
This is what the Companions Of Chronos have to decide on and the clock is ticking. According to a letter left by Sir Isaac Newton they have one chance of making a difference, one moment in time where past and present overlap allowing them to step back in time. Okay, I'm with it so far and it does follow a fairly logical pattern if you accept the theory that past, present and future all exist at the same moment and that time is now a straight line but much more fluid. However, there is no mention that this one snapshot in the supposed present the traveller(s) could also move in to the future - if the maths is correct for going back in time then it would also be correct for going forward.
Anyway, back to the book.
The Cambridge elite decide that the worst thing that happened was the start of the First World War so they decide that they are going to sabotage the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. But who do they send? Who better than the all-action Hugh "Guts" Stanton, former alumni at Trinity and tutored by the Master of the college herself. He has no ties to the present as his wife and children died in a tragic accident, has superb survival skills and also some limited knowledge of languages other than English. The one thing they don't think through is what the ramifications of changing the path of history would mean. How will the world reshape itself? Will things really be better or will they be worse?
The pacing is a little slow in places and on occassion there seems to be a strange dwelling on location descriptions in place of moving the tale forward. At first I wondered if there was some knowledge, some foreshadowing that the reader should pick up on that Hugh misses in his confusion from being in a largely unknown time. Sadly, it seems that wasn't the case, a little editing was needed to sort the wheat from the chaff. Some of the historical detail feels entirely genuine and some rather more fictional but, on the whole, it works.
There is a LOT that goes on in this novel and some of it you will miss until it is explained later in the book. In fact, it never struck me that as soon as Hugh leaves for 1914 Istanbul then he irrevocably changes the present day so every time the set date and time comes around in the new present a new traveller can be sent over to right any wrongs done by previous travellers. Of course, this is an obvious result of meddling with time that exists in all states at all moments. If you try and think about it for too long your brain starts to hurt.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, if you want a truly exemplary book about Time Travel then I would strongly recommend 11.22.63 by Stephen King - it has the same moral as this book and much of the same set up and premise but is infinitely more accessible.
A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley
This gives you everything that you expect from a Cathy Bromley novel, a warm and friendly heroine, a life changing situation for her and a support network that we all wish we have. For this book she threw in a little homegrown wine (and not pea-pod burgundy you will be pleased to hear), a couple of eccentric old ladies and of course a romatic hero. What would this genre be without a romantic hero?
My only real issue was with the growing of wine quality grapes so far North in the United Kingdom; the soil conditions and temperature (even allowing for Global Warming) make it a little too far fetched for this reader. It is explained as the winery being on the same latitude as a sister winery in France that is within the Champagne region but it still seemed a little too far of a reach for me.
Other than that it is just what I want from a Cathy Bramley book. Lottie is bright and warm, despite the opening portion of the novel being set around her abusive relationship she still has a vibrancy that engages the reader. From her interactions at the crematorium with visitors, to her brief phone conversations the reader gets a good insight in to her character. This means that as soon as she moves back home the reader is rooting for everything to work out well for her. Even though, you already know that this is going to be how things shakeout; getting there is certainly fun.
Nothing about this book feels overly unrealistic; as oftentimes happens in the genre. Whilst there is the expected will-they-won't-they romance element, it does not overpower the story and it does feel realistic. Everything about their relationship feels like it progresses to a beat that chimes with how society and people operate - a little bit of romantic hyperbole never hurt anyone after all.
With the exception of Lottie's boyfriend in London all the characters are fully rounded and more or less believable; he is a little bit of a one-dimensional "baddie". Fortunately, he takes up very little of the novel so you get to enjoy the rustic setting and the relationships that unfold. So much so, I have to admit I can't remember his name (admittedly it is almost a month between finishing the novel and penning this review).
If you like a good bit of chick lit, this is an excellent example and will pair very well with a hot chocolate or cup of coffee as a glass of wine.
My only real issue was with the growing of wine quality grapes so far North in the United Kingdom; the soil conditions and temperature (even allowing for Global Warming) make it a little too far fetched for this reader. It is explained as the winery being on the same latitude as a sister winery in France that is within the Champagne region but it still seemed a little too far of a reach for me.
Other than that it is just what I want from a Cathy Bramley book. Lottie is bright and warm, despite the opening portion of the novel being set around her abusive relationship she still has a vibrancy that engages the reader. From her interactions at the crematorium with visitors, to her brief phone conversations the reader gets a good insight in to her character. This means that as soon as she moves back home the reader is rooting for everything to work out well for her. Even though, you already know that this is going to be how things shakeout; getting there is certainly fun.
Nothing about this book feels overly unrealistic; as oftentimes happens in the genre. Whilst there is the expected will-they-won't-they romance element, it does not overpower the story and it does feel realistic. Everything about their relationship feels like it progresses to a beat that chimes with how society and people operate - a little bit of romantic hyperbole never hurt anyone after all.
With the exception of Lottie's boyfriend in London all the characters are fully rounded and more or less believable; he is a little bit of a one-dimensional "baddie". Fortunately, he takes up very little of the novel so you get to enjoy the rustic setting and the relationships that unfold. So much so, I have to admit I can't remember his name (admittedly it is almost a month between finishing the novel and penning this review).
If you like a good bit of chick lit, this is an excellent example and will pair very well with a hot chocolate or cup of coffee as a glass of wine.
With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni Santiago is that teenage girl your parents always warned you to keep away from. Her mother is dead and her father is absent so she is being raised by her grandmother and is from a relatively insalubrious neighbourhood. Even worse she got pregnant at 16 and decided to keep the child, even though she is estranged from the baby-daddy. She also had the audacity to stay at her Charter school, wandering the hallways with her protruding belly instead of hiding away from "decent society".
Nothing really changes does it. Heck, I went to secondary school (roughly equivalent to middle and high school) in the early 1980s and in every year that I was there at least 1 girl of 14, 15 or 16 would turn up pregnant (usually 2 or 3). Even worse this was a Catholic High School with nuns as the head and deputy headteachers so you would have thought we would have been morally immune. But no, teenagers are teenagers the world over and it's no different in the 21st century than it was in the 20th.
What Ms Acevedo does with this book is show not to judge a book by it's cover.
Yes Emoni is mixed race, yes she is a teenage mother, yes she is from a cash poor home. All things that the media tells us to fear and to hate.
Yes Emoni is a loyal friend, yes she is a good mother, yes she works hard both in school and at the Burger Joint. All things that the media tells us are to be applauded.
Emoni narrates the book and she is warm and rather wise. She struggles to balance her life and has her failures and her triumphs - in fact she is far more mature than I and I am almost at my half century. From early on in the book it is very hard to escape the pull of her personality and be sucked in to the trivialities of daily life and to really pull for her when things get tough. I never once felt the touch of the author in the book, it felt wholly authentic as the voice of a 17 year old. I wouldn't go so far as to say I laughed and I cried with her; but I was definitely invested in her life.
The only downside in the whole thing for me was Malachi. As a character he is great and probably just what Emoni needs. However, he was a little bit too good to be true for my taste. Even worse I started to find myself humming the Fresh Prince theme tune after finding out his reasons for moving to live with his Aunt (admittedly he only moved across Philly and not to Beverley Hills).
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It did feel a little "pulled back" in places but maybe this is to do with the target demographic rather than any failing of the authors. Definitely a wonderful story that really does explore the nature of being a human.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST
Nothing really changes does it. Heck, I went to secondary school (roughly equivalent to middle and high school) in the early 1980s and in every year that I was there at least 1 girl of 14, 15 or 16 would turn up pregnant (usually 2 or 3). Even worse this was a Catholic High School with nuns as the head and deputy headteachers so you would have thought we would have been morally immune. But no, teenagers are teenagers the world over and it's no different in the 21st century than it was in the 20th.
What Ms Acevedo does with this book is show not to judge a book by it's cover.
Yes Emoni is mixed race, yes she is a teenage mother, yes she is from a cash poor home. All things that the media tells us to fear and to hate.
Yes Emoni is a loyal friend, yes she is a good mother, yes she works hard both in school and at the Burger Joint. All things that the media tells us are to be applauded.
Emoni narrates the book and she is warm and rather wise. She struggles to balance her life and has her failures and her triumphs - in fact she is far more mature than I and I am almost at my half century. From early on in the book it is very hard to escape the pull of her personality and be sucked in to the trivialities of daily life and to really pull for her when things get tough. I never once felt the touch of the author in the book, it felt wholly authentic as the voice of a 17 year old. I wouldn't go so far as to say I laughed and I cried with her; but I was definitely invested in her life.
The only downside in the whole thing for me was Malachi. As a character he is great and probably just what Emoni needs. However, he was a little bit too good to be true for my taste. Even worse I started to find myself humming the Fresh Prince theme tune after finding out his reasons for moving to live with his Aunt (admittedly he only moved across Philly and not to Beverley Hills).
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It did feel a little "pulled back" in places but maybe this is to do with the target demographic rather than any failing of the authors. Definitely a wonderful story that really does explore the nature of being a human.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST
Maggie For Hire by Kate Danley
3.5 Stars
As an Urban Fantasy this just about works, although for me it was more outright Fantasy with the tale taking place both in modern day LA and then a parallel LA than can be reached if only you know how to open, or access, a portal. There is also a lot of ambiguity about a lot of the characters we meet, particularly in the "real LA" - are they genuinely of this time and place or are they voyagers from the parallel world? This ambiguity did spoil things for me as I would spend time wondering about a minor character (who has no actual bearing on this story) and find myself 3 or 4 paragraphs further on and having to backtrack and re-read.
The base story is actually pretty straight forward, it is just gussied up with a supernatural element to Maggie's bounty hunting. Then rather than some covert para-military group causing issues it is a breakaway vampire sect. Of course Maggie has to have a sidekick - don't all battlers of evil / vaguely detective types? In this case it is an Elf, to be honest he does fit the moderately useless but pretty sidekick trope rather well. The world building is fairly pedestrian and we never really learn too much about the "real LA" Maggie inhabits or it's counterpoint, just general overviews of each.
Fortunately, Maggie is smart and snarky and doesn't seem to think that she is invincible. In fact, she is nicely aware of her human vulnerability - especially against vampires. The writing itself is enthusiastic and peps along through the story at quite a pace. Unfortunately, it does kind of mask the shortcomings of the plot and that the bare bones of the world are only partially fleshed. That said, whilst reading the story I did find myself enjoying it and whilst not breathlessly turning pages I was fairly well immersed and, therefore, interested in how things were going for Maggie and Killian.
Not the best of the genre but a long way from the worst. Not too sure I am invested enough to check out the rest of the series though.
As an Urban Fantasy this just about works, although for me it was more outright Fantasy with the tale taking place both in modern day LA and then a parallel LA than can be reached if only you know how to open, or access, a portal. There is also a lot of ambiguity about a lot of the characters we meet, particularly in the "real LA" - are they genuinely of this time and place or are they voyagers from the parallel world? This ambiguity did spoil things for me as I would spend time wondering about a minor character (who has no actual bearing on this story) and find myself 3 or 4 paragraphs further on and having to backtrack and re-read.
The base story is actually pretty straight forward, it is just gussied up with a supernatural element to Maggie's bounty hunting. Then rather than some covert para-military group causing issues it is a breakaway vampire sect. Of course Maggie has to have a sidekick - don't all battlers of evil / vaguely detective types? In this case it is an Elf, to be honest he does fit the moderately useless but pretty sidekick trope rather well. The world building is fairly pedestrian and we never really learn too much about the "real LA" Maggie inhabits or it's counterpoint, just general overviews of each.
Fortunately, Maggie is smart and snarky and doesn't seem to think that she is invincible. In fact, she is nicely aware of her human vulnerability - especially against vampires. The writing itself is enthusiastic and peps along through the story at quite a pace. Unfortunately, it does kind of mask the shortcomings of the plot and that the bare bones of the world are only partially fleshed. That said, whilst reading the story I did find myself enjoying it and whilst not breathlessly turning pages I was fairly well immersed and, therefore, interested in how things were going for Maggie and Killian.
Not the best of the genre but a long way from the worst. Not too sure I am invested enough to check out the rest of the series though.
The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Despite the character being polar opposite to me - the only shopping I enjoy is for books - I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love the film based on the book and although the plots diverge quite early on (no Girl In The Green Scarf here), for me this made the story all the more charming for this reader.
At some level we all know the horror of those brown envelopes dropping through the door. The heart stopping pause as you bend to pick them up. If you're unlucky you know the terror of the phone ringing, wondering if it is a collection agency trying to claw back money you don't have but you have spent. Whichever category you fall into there is something about Rebecca Bloomwood's life that speak to a modern existence. Conspicuous consumption, measuring your worth as a person against material goods, it rings all too shockingly true.
Told with a wit and humour that manages to breakthrough the relentlessness of Rebecca's precarious position. Ms Kinsella manages to draw fun out of Rebecca's situation and the romantic element, whilst entirely predictable, is light and enjoyable. The story is well balanced and has enough reality in it to make it relatable to most readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse in to a world that I have no knowledge of. City living, is almost as odd to me as country living. Working as a journalist is something I have no clue on - although it sounds as much a drudge as any other job. All I could relate to was trying to balance a budget and failing.
Fun and wittily told, I found myself rooting for Rebecca and wondering just how she was so blind to romance.
At some level we all know the horror of those brown envelopes dropping through the door. The heart stopping pause as you bend to pick them up. If you're unlucky you know the terror of the phone ringing, wondering if it is a collection agency trying to claw back money you don't have but you have spent. Whichever category you fall into there is something about Rebecca Bloomwood's life that speak to a modern existence. Conspicuous consumption, measuring your worth as a person against material goods, it rings all too shockingly true.
Told with a wit and humour that manages to breakthrough the relentlessness of Rebecca's precarious position. Ms Kinsella manages to draw fun out of Rebecca's situation and the romantic element, whilst entirely predictable, is light and enjoyable. The story is well balanced and has enough reality in it to make it relatable to most readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse in to a world that I have no knowledge of. City living, is almost as odd to me as country living. Working as a journalist is something I have no clue on - although it sounds as much a drudge as any other job. All I could relate to was trying to balance a budget and failing.
Fun and wittily told, I found myself rooting for Rebecca and wondering just how she was so blind to romance.
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
The sixth book in the series, sees Peter Grant back in his beloved London, working out of The Folly and being subject to Nightingale's nagging about his apprenticeship and the pull of his more legitimate Police masters. Strangely, Toby doesn't get much of a sniff in this book - maybe Peter no longer needs his assistance in picking up on Vestigia, but I found myself missing the ratty little terrier. Leslie is still out there somewhere, as is The Faceless Man, the Metropolitan Police still view Peter and Nightingale as weird and likely to be dangerous and Lady Ty is about to call in her dues.
All in all, pretty much a standard set up for PC Grant. Lets face it, if you've read this far in to the series then you know what to expect. Peter bumbles about a bit, Nightingale acts a little fusty and then pulls some superior magic out of his bag of metaphysical tricks, Leslie and the Faceless Man both taunt Peter and The Folly, Molly acts plain "odd" and serves peculiar meals. The Rivers are still exerting their inexorable wiles over the city, as any good Goddess should, basically shady business as normal.
Not as good as the fifth book, but maybe this is because we are back in a city setting and there was something so liberating about having Peter way out of his comfort zone. Of course, by being back in the city this means that the opportunity for Peter to create mayhem amps up and he does not disappoint. From destroying a department store to washing away a multimillion pound town house you can feel Mr Grant's fingerprints all over it - how his bosses haven't locked him up and thrown away the key is anyones guess.
The telling is, as always, by narration from Peter's perspective; I will admit to a sneaky longing to hear from Nightingale directly. Mr Aaronovitch's writing is compelling, witty and sucks you in. Even though this is an Urban Fantasy it is wildly off the wall and yet balanced by sound police procedures so it works - even though it shouldn't really work it somehow does.
I'm not sure why I enjoy these books so much but I really do, they are a genuine treat that enliven an otherwise dull and miserable day.
All in all, pretty much a standard set up for PC Grant. Lets face it, if you've read this far in to the series then you know what to expect. Peter bumbles about a bit, Nightingale acts a little fusty and then pulls some superior magic out of his bag of metaphysical tricks, Leslie and the Faceless Man both taunt Peter and The Folly, Molly acts plain "odd" and serves peculiar meals. The Rivers are still exerting their inexorable wiles over the city, as any good Goddess should, basically shady business as normal.
Not as good as the fifth book, but maybe this is because we are back in a city setting and there was something so liberating about having Peter way out of his comfort zone. Of course, by being back in the city this means that the opportunity for Peter to create mayhem amps up and he does not disappoint. From destroying a department store to washing away a multimillion pound town house you can feel Mr Grant's fingerprints all over it - how his bosses haven't locked him up and thrown away the key is anyones guess.
The telling is, as always, by narration from Peter's perspective; I will admit to a sneaky longing to hear from Nightingale directly. Mr Aaronovitch's writing is compelling, witty and sucks you in. Even though this is an Urban Fantasy it is wildly off the wall and yet balanced by sound police procedures so it works - even though it shouldn't really work it somehow does.
I'm not sure why I enjoy these books so much but I really do, they are a genuine treat that enliven an otherwise dull and miserable day.
The Wayward Girls by Amanda Mason
3.5 Stars
The long hot summer of 1976 - you really had to be there. Unfortunately Cathy and her children (Anto, Flor, Lucia, Bianca and Dan) are at Iron Sike Farm during this time. Seemingly abandoned there by Joe and struggling not only for money but for acceptance in to the small Yorkshire community surrounding the farm things look grim for them. They start to look even worse when a tapping starts in the walls, marbles rain down from nowhere in the house and furniture begins moving on it's own. When the local press publicise the events a paranormal research society becomes interested and moves to the area to investigate. The investigation seemingly ends in tragedy; for the Corvino family but also for the investigators.
Fast forward to the present day and interest in the Haunting At Iron Sike Farm has resurfaced and a University An-Soc wants to re-open the investigations. Even this is not what it seems as there is a personal element to the investigation that seems certain to skew the resulting observations.
Unfortunately, the swapping between the two timelines serves only to dilute the other correspondingly. Initially we start in the modern day and it certainly seems like something supernatural is happening at the farm. Somehow the tension built in the opening chapter is dissipated completely by meeting Lucy and Cathy in the modern day and I found it hard to find the same level of intrigue again.
Of the two time frames the 1976 one is the more interesting. Not the effects of the haunting but the interplay between Lucia and her elder sister Bianca; the way they relate to the rest of the family, the investigation team and the wider community.
The haunting itself bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Enfield Haunting; along with the opposing viewpoints about it's veracity. To be honest, I feel this spoilt things a little for me as events that happen in the farm bore a striking resemblance to the reported activity in the Suburban house and also the events depicted in fictionalised televisations of the reports.
There are a few twists and turns to the story - some psychological, some far more prosaic and "real". The pacing is patchy throughout, not in a build and dissipate tension way but in a much more stuttery pattern. I wish I could say that by lingering on seemingly unimportant sections of dialogue or describing a scene in microscopic detail becomes relevant later in the story. Unfortunately, it doesn't. For me, the story itself is less important that the relationship between the sisters - that is what kept me reading.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA READERS FIRST.
The long hot summer of 1976 - you really had to be there. Unfortunately Cathy and her children (Anto, Flor, Lucia, Bianca and Dan) are at Iron Sike Farm during this time. Seemingly abandoned there by Joe and struggling not only for money but for acceptance in to the small Yorkshire community surrounding the farm things look grim for them. They start to look even worse when a tapping starts in the walls, marbles rain down from nowhere in the house and furniture begins moving on it's own. When the local press publicise the events a paranormal research society becomes interested and moves to the area to investigate. The investigation seemingly ends in tragedy; for the Corvino family but also for the investigators.
Fast forward to the present day and interest in the Haunting At Iron Sike Farm has resurfaced and a University An-Soc wants to re-open the investigations. Even this is not what it seems as there is a personal element to the investigation that seems certain to skew the resulting observations.
Unfortunately, the swapping between the two timelines serves only to dilute the other correspondingly. Initially we start in the modern day and it certainly seems like something supernatural is happening at the farm. Somehow the tension built in the opening chapter is dissipated completely by meeting Lucy and Cathy in the modern day and I found it hard to find the same level of intrigue again.
Of the two time frames the 1976 one is the more interesting. Not the effects of the haunting but the interplay between Lucia and her elder sister Bianca; the way they relate to the rest of the family, the investigation team and the wider community.
The haunting itself bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Enfield Haunting; along with the opposing viewpoints about it's veracity. To be honest, I feel this spoilt things a little for me as events that happen in the farm bore a striking resemblance to the reported activity in the Suburban house and also the events depicted in fictionalised televisations of the reports.
There are a few twists and turns to the story - some psychological, some far more prosaic and "real". The pacing is patchy throughout, not in a build and dissipate tension way but in a much more stuttery pattern. I wish I could say that by lingering on seemingly unimportant sections of dialogue or describing a scene in microscopic detail becomes relevant later in the story. Unfortunately, it doesn't. For me, the story itself is less important that the relationship between the sisters - that is what kept me reading.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA READERS FIRST.
I'll Eat When I'm Dead by Barbara Bourland
This novel sort of falls between a crime story and a faux-expose of the fashion industry. That sounds actually pretty terrible but it genuinely isn't, I did end up surprised with how much I enjoyed the story. Initially it seems pretty vapid and is all about the clothes, the accessories and the settings; not really my sort of thing. However, once you get past all the surface frippery and name dropping of real and imagined high status brands there is actually a pretty decent story tucked away here.
We follow Cat Ono as she struggles with not only being an immigrant to the United States with all the tension not having a Green Card gives but also struggling with daily life. Indeed, her whole life centres around her job at RAGE magazine. When a senior staff member turns up dead in the office it initially seems that she has starved herself into a heart attack. When NYPD Detective Mark Hutton takes a second look at her demise at the request of the family Cat finds herself torn between what she knows and what her heart wants. Cat is a great character on the page and the revelation of her character upon the page is handled very well, slowly unpeeling her outward facade to reveal her true personality. She isn't always particularly likeable and does make some confusing decisions but she feels wholly real and, if we're being honest here, the sort of woman you could have a darn good night out with.
The sub-plot of the death of Cat's mentor and friend weaves well in to the world built by the author. It does sometimes serve as a distraction from the horrors of the fashion industry which became strangely compelling to someone who lives in jeans and a t-shirt. The final denouement for the method of death and who is behind it do take a large leap in to the scarcely believable but still manage to remain entertaining.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book, the writing has a snarky wit to it that draws you in to the characters and their rarefied world. Some of the relationships between them feel a little "off" somehow and I could never really figure out why, it did distract me on occassion from the story as I tried to figure out why it just felt wrong. Generally, I can recommend this a good read.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
We follow Cat Ono as she struggles with not only being an immigrant to the United States with all the tension not having a Green Card gives but also struggling with daily life. Indeed, her whole life centres around her job at RAGE magazine. When a senior staff member turns up dead in the office it initially seems that she has starved herself into a heart attack. When NYPD Detective Mark Hutton takes a second look at her demise at the request of the family Cat finds herself torn between what she knows and what her heart wants. Cat is a great character on the page and the revelation of her character upon the page is handled very well, slowly unpeeling her outward facade to reveal her true personality. She isn't always particularly likeable and does make some confusing decisions but she feels wholly real and, if we're being honest here, the sort of woman you could have a darn good night out with.
The sub-plot of the death of Cat's mentor and friend weaves well in to the world built by the author. It does sometimes serve as a distraction from the horrors of the fashion industry which became strangely compelling to someone who lives in jeans and a t-shirt. The final denouement for the method of death and who is behind it do take a large leap in to the scarcely believable but still manage to remain entertaining.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book, the writing has a snarky wit to it that draws you in to the characters and their rarefied world. Some of the relationships between them feel a little "off" somehow and I could never really figure out why, it did distract me on occassion from the story as I tried to figure out why it just felt wrong. Generally, I can recommend this a good read.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
Tuesday 3 September 2019
The Nursery by Asia MacKay
3.5 Stars
After reading Asia Mackay's debut novel, Killing It, I was really looking forward to this one. Sure enough I was not disappointed when we take back up with Lex right in the middle of a dramatic firefight to rescue an agent whose cover has been blown. The team seem to have survived the perfidy of the first novel and are still fighting the good fight for the Country. Even better this is all sandwiched up against Lex's attempts to be a "normal" mother to Gigi and wife to Dan.
To be honest whilst all the super-spy stuff is fun and creates a wonderful dichotomy between real life and work life that is not where the joy of the story lies. In all honesty some of it does become a little tedious - we get it, Lex has no conscience about killing and will do what needs to be done without batting an eyelash. The real joy is in watching her trying to cope with Motherhood. Her early diatribe about how she is affecting her daughter by saying she looks pretty (potential to make her believe only looks matter), giving her a doll to play with (reinforcing gender stereotypes) is not only spot on but hilariously related on the page.
The story itself centres around a visit from a senior Chinese Politician and her team and the fact that the shadowy Tenebris Network have facilitated a hit on this politician. Platform Eight are down to skeleton staff as someone in one of the security services is leaking information to Tenebris and only Lex and Jake's team are operational. It is down to them to not only foil the assassination plot but to dismantle Tenebris and save the Security Services as a whole. Even more importantly Lex has to somehow keep her marriage together and keep up with the demands of Gigi's Nursery - honestly Miss Yvonne sounds like a complete nightmare.
Whilst this is undoubtedly a fun read, the fact that the whole Tenebris plot has a resolution that not only do you see coming from a mile away but bears startling similarities to the plot of the first novel really spoilt it for me. Initially I was really gunning for this one but as more and more became revealed about the action Platform Eight and Six were taking on this joint task it became resoundingly clear that we were on very familiar territory and by half way through I was more or less skipping the "work" bits and only reading for the "mum" bits.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST.
After reading Asia Mackay's debut novel, Killing It, I was really looking forward to this one. Sure enough I was not disappointed when we take back up with Lex right in the middle of a dramatic firefight to rescue an agent whose cover has been blown. The team seem to have survived the perfidy of the first novel and are still fighting the good fight for the Country. Even better this is all sandwiched up against Lex's attempts to be a "normal" mother to Gigi and wife to Dan.
To be honest whilst all the super-spy stuff is fun and creates a wonderful dichotomy between real life and work life that is not where the joy of the story lies. In all honesty some of it does become a little tedious - we get it, Lex has no conscience about killing and will do what needs to be done without batting an eyelash. The real joy is in watching her trying to cope with Motherhood. Her early diatribe about how she is affecting her daughter by saying she looks pretty (potential to make her believe only looks matter), giving her a doll to play with (reinforcing gender stereotypes) is not only spot on but hilariously related on the page.
The story itself centres around a visit from a senior Chinese Politician and her team and the fact that the shadowy Tenebris Network have facilitated a hit on this politician. Platform Eight are down to skeleton staff as someone in one of the security services is leaking information to Tenebris and only Lex and Jake's team are operational. It is down to them to not only foil the assassination plot but to dismantle Tenebris and save the Security Services as a whole. Even more importantly Lex has to somehow keep her marriage together and keep up with the demands of Gigi's Nursery - honestly Miss Yvonne sounds like a complete nightmare.
Whilst this is undoubtedly a fun read, the fact that the whole Tenebris plot has a resolution that not only do you see coming from a mile away but bears startling similarities to the plot of the first novel really spoilt it for me. Initially I was really gunning for this one but as more and more became revealed about the action Platform Eight and Six were taking on this joint task it became resoundingly clear that we were on very familiar territory and by half way through I was more or less skipping the "work" bits and only reading for the "mum" bits.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST.
Gloss by Marilyn Kaye
3.5 Stars
Set in the early 1960s this book does a good job of eliciting the general mood of the era and how dramatically things were beginning to change in the Western World. Teenagers are a relatively new phenomenon and this book follows the exploits of four very disparate girls over one summer. The only thing they have in common is that they each managed to earn their place on a New York internship at a prestigious teen magazine, the titular Gloss.
Yes, the characters are caricatures of a type but for good reason, allowing the author to show the prevalent attitudes of the time both to women in the workforce but also the pressures brought to bear on the girls who are straddling the line between what their parents and traditional society expects and the new horizons and opportunities that are opening up to them.
Allison is the Beatnik type. All black clothes, wants to subvert the whole ethos of the magazine and figures the best way to do this is by joining the program. Although she thinks herself a progressive she is a product of her sheltered wealthy upbringing and when she meets Sam her head is turned by his good lucks and what she thinks are wise pronouncements on the Human Condition.
Pamela is a blonde bombshell. Tight dresses and glamourous makeup she is determined to follow the guidance in Sex And The Single Girl and is sure she can have the grand love affair without damaging herself. After being coerced in to a make over by the magazine team she meets the man of her dreams and seems willing to entirely mould herself in to the image of femininity that he seems to expect.
Donna is "Trailer Trash". Her back story is particularly tragic and I won't spoil it by going in to detail here as it does take a while to be drawn out in the book but it is worth waiting for. Of the four main characters she is probably the one we know least about but she is the most realistic sounding one as she doesn't hide behind a facade, she just tries to keep a very low profile so she can go completely unnoticed.
Sherry is the traditional Southern Belle. Coming from a wealthy family with a boyfriend back home that she has already got major life plans with; right down to which sorority she will join at College, when she will get lavaliered, engaged and married to her beau. She has a rather rigid view of life and for her this internship is a real wake up call that lets her see how sheltered her world view is and also that she has an apparent journalistic talent.
It is undoubtedly a nice easy read that gives a pretty good insight in to a very different and forgotten world. The only thing that really irritated me was that for a bunch of 18 year olds they do seem very innocent and naive. Although I wasn't around during this period I am pretty sure they would have been more clued up than this. Still, it works against the misogyny in the workplace and the rather 1950s attitudes expressed in the magazine.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLISHER.
Set in the early 1960s this book does a good job of eliciting the general mood of the era and how dramatically things were beginning to change in the Western World. Teenagers are a relatively new phenomenon and this book follows the exploits of four very disparate girls over one summer. The only thing they have in common is that they each managed to earn their place on a New York internship at a prestigious teen magazine, the titular Gloss.
Yes, the characters are caricatures of a type but for good reason, allowing the author to show the prevalent attitudes of the time both to women in the workforce but also the pressures brought to bear on the girls who are straddling the line between what their parents and traditional society expects and the new horizons and opportunities that are opening up to them.
Allison is the Beatnik type. All black clothes, wants to subvert the whole ethos of the magazine and figures the best way to do this is by joining the program. Although she thinks herself a progressive she is a product of her sheltered wealthy upbringing and when she meets Sam her head is turned by his good lucks and what she thinks are wise pronouncements on the Human Condition.
Pamela is a blonde bombshell. Tight dresses and glamourous makeup she is determined to follow the guidance in Sex And The Single Girl and is sure she can have the grand love affair without damaging herself. After being coerced in to a make over by the magazine team she meets the man of her dreams and seems willing to entirely mould herself in to the image of femininity that he seems to expect.
Donna is "Trailer Trash". Her back story is particularly tragic and I won't spoil it by going in to detail here as it does take a while to be drawn out in the book but it is worth waiting for. Of the four main characters she is probably the one we know least about but she is the most realistic sounding one as she doesn't hide behind a facade, she just tries to keep a very low profile so she can go completely unnoticed.
Sherry is the traditional Southern Belle. Coming from a wealthy family with a boyfriend back home that she has already got major life plans with; right down to which sorority she will join at College, when she will get lavaliered, engaged and married to her beau. She has a rather rigid view of life and for her this internship is a real wake up call that lets her see how sheltered her world view is and also that she has an apparent journalistic talent.
It is undoubtedly a nice easy read that gives a pretty good insight in to a very different and forgotten world. The only thing that really irritated me was that for a bunch of 18 year olds they do seem very innocent and naive. Although I wasn't around during this period I am pretty sure they would have been more clued up than this. Still, it works against the misogyny in the workplace and the rather 1950s attitudes expressed in the magazine.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLISHER.
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Lego Tony Stark's Sakaarian Iron Man 76194
I know nothing about the "What If" TV show but what I do know is that I absolutely LOVE Mechs and Lego always manage to put somet...
