Serious Moonlight – Jenn Bennett
Published: 16th May 2019 (UK paperback)
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
My Rating:
From award-winning Jenn Bennett comes a swoon-worthy story with a compelling mystery at its heart
Raised in isolation and home-schooled by her strict grandparents, the only experience Birdie has had of the outside world is through her favourite crime books. But everything changes when she takes a summer job working the night shift at a historic Seattle hotel.
There she meets Daniel Aoki, the hotel’s charismatic driver, and together they stumble upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—is secretly meeting someone at the hotel.
To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell, and in doing so, realize that the most confounding mystery of all may just be her growing feelings for Daniel.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I’ve dithered over this review for several days, maybe even a week. I just couldn’t figure out how to explain my love for it whilst balancing out with… not complaints, but maybe niggling moments that bothered me only after I was looking back on what I’d read. They didn’t mean there was anything wrong with the book, I loved it, but they are things to think on I suppose.
The most important thing to know is I honestly really loved it. Serious Moonlight is a rare read for me, I don’t read as many YA books anymore and this was a reminder why YA books of any genre are not to be overlooked. It reminded me why I love books in this category so very much even though many are not for me anymore. Jenn Bennett is an author who could convince me to read anything she wrote, though, so as soon as I saw this on Netgalley I knew I had to request it and I was jumping in joy when the approval came in.
This book has some strong characters within its pages and I was seriously impressed at how she made me like all of them. Birdie is a teenage girl who has not had much chance to just be a teenager. She grew up with her mother in Seattle until she, unfortunately, died far too soon and left Birdie with some serious abandonment issues. She then lived with her grandparents on a small island and was home-schooled by her grandmother who had some very strict rules for Birdie. She was sheltered and she had few friends beyond her mother’s best friend, Mona. Birdie and Mona were Daring Dames together and I really loved their friendship and how Mona acted as both as parent and friend for Birdie yet never treated her like a child. Mona treated Birdie as a grown up and although I think she sometimes forgot how young Birdie was, she always treated her with respect and it meant Birdie was open with her about everything that happens from speaking about sex to talking about Mona’s own boyfriend and that was awesome to see.
And there is Daniel, our love interest and such a charmer. He isn’t some cocky ladies man or even a really popular guy, he is just a good-looking guy who couldn’t believe his luck when Birdie showed some interest in him after he showed her a magic trick in a diner… until she ran away because she didn’t know how to act around a boy she liked. Daniel Aoki is into magic and gaming and things like D&D. He is geeky and sweet and was such a nice guy. I adored him, even if I wanted to have a few strong words with him towards the end. He was a genuinely good guy so I couldn’t stay mad with him for long.
Jenn Bennett doesn’t just do awesome characters I easily like, though. She also writes about many issues well. She writes sex positive books, which I adore, and has her characters talk about sex and I respect that. I want YA books to approach sex, not as a negative and there should certainly be no shame about it either, but I like when characters talk about sex before it happens and approach it sensibly. And we have that here, there is mention of using protection (because it still really pisses me off when protection is not talked about in any book with sex, including romance). And when Birdie was talking to Mona about it she was always so positive just asking the ever important question of if she was safe. I want sex to be talked about honestly, about being safe and about being comfortable when it happens. The honesty that it isn’t always good but it’s also about being comfortable with the one you’re with to make it better.
This book also dealt with some heavy issues within its pages beyond not shaming anyone for the choices they make with their body and it handled them well. Birdie is still reeling from losing her grandmother recently (even if their relationship was not all sunshine and rainbows but more a bit antagonistic) and she hasn’t fully recovered from losing her mother as a child. She had some serious abandonment issues which are heavily explored throughout the book and I respected that. And I really loved how well grief is shown not be a short process you get over but instead an experience you go through again and again. You never get over losing someone you love but instead come to terms with it and the fact that they’re absent and reflect on what that means. But it’s not just grief, there was also suicide and a very sensible and mature approach to mental health which came as a surprise in the storyline but meant some impressive character development.
I liked that Birdie was in denial about her narcolepsy as well. She had a method of avoidance about many an issue in her life (which I understand but was very unhealthy) and her health was one part of it. I liked that eventually she was forced to address her health and that getting medical help (and not relying upon google answers to health) was the best way and she was slowly getting a grasp on her well being by the end. And therapy was promoted as a healthy choice for mental health and having a strong family support system that still allowed independence.
I do wish Birdie had a larger circle of friends beyond her family. Her support system was so small and that was partially due to circumstance but also because she closed herself off. I got that a lot of this book was about learning to let people in and make friends, but so much of the book was centred on her and Daniel and although her aunt Mona was there I did wish she had someone her own age to speak with who wasn’t a romantic interest. Same goes for Daniel, we don’t see things from his perspective, but I felt like they were a little isolated and would have liked to see more side characters,
Anyway, I really loved this book, even if I wanted more of a friends and family presence in the book, that was a minor grumble about a truly amazing book. I was smiling and hugging this book close by the end. I loved the slowly developing friendship and romance between Birdie and Daniel and the mystery element was brilliant, although I guessed it by the end. I seem to be a fan of mystery within my romantic reads and this was pretty good. I definitely recommend.
Have you read this, what did you think?
Where do the weeks keep going? I swear, I sit at work lamenting how each day is dragging but I’m still shocked to see the end of the week arrive. I honestly don’t know where the time goes.
When you’re all reading this I’ll be out brunching with friends. Yes, I have become a lady who brunches… but only on a Sunday. We’re trying a new place in a town nearby. I’ll be nice, I feel like I haven’t seen these friends in a little while and we always have a great time when we’re together. It gives me a break from home anyway.
Have I told you guys my mom has decided to have her kitchen done? Well, she has, and so the past couple of weekends have been filled with emptying the kitchen cupboards and trying to eat all the food out of the freezer so we can move it. It’s been exhausting and it means potentially three weeks of no washing machine or cooker! I mean, I’m sure it won’t go on for that long (we hope) but they are fully tearing it out, replastering, rewiring and redoing the plumbing before we have something end fitted. And my mother obviously decides to have this done the month before we go on holiday, but it means it should be sorted before we go and she’ll finally have the new kitchen she’s been talking about for like two years. It’s fun but exhausting, So a brunch away from home appeals as the no kitchen saga begins next week and I know I will slowly grow fed up of takeaways, pot noodles, and microwave meals.
Things are changing at work, as well. Someone handed their notice in at the start of the week and that obviously means everyone is all a flutter in our department. Gossip everywhere of ‘where are they going’ and all that and it’s exhausting as it means rearranging the workload for less staff and it means holiday which was previously booked at a completely reasonable time is not a little awkward. It’s nothing major and we’ll quickly adapt, but it’s meant a lot of change in the office.
I’m on to season 4 of my Game of Thrones rewatch and I forgot how awful some characters were. I despise Joffrey and Ramsay Bolton (ad all of the Bolton’s) are just despicable human beings. I think I got all caught up in the current war between the white walkers and everyone else that I forgot the wars of man which were truly despicable, you know? It’s still fun, though, and since I have a week off of work coming soon I know that’s what I’ll spend my time watching until I’m caught up to season 8 (which I may rewatch anyway, even though I’m watching it weekly with everyone else).
What I’ve Been Reading
After complaining I had a meh reading week last week I return once more with an excellent (and YA heavy) reading week this week. After enjoying Foolish Hearts so much, and since I read Jenn Bennett’s latest release, Serious Moonlight, I decided to dust of Starry Eyes and finally get to reading it. Which then inspired me to pick up Save the Date, another YA release I was excited for and never got to reading. I then smashed a couple of ARCs off of my reading list and My So-Called Bollywood Life and The Bride Test were both excellent reads I’m excited to review here soon. I really enjoyed them and spent more time reading rather than watching Game of Thrones, which I didn’t expect. And then decided to close my week with Letters to the Lost. I loved it when I read the ARC and finally cracked the copy on my shelf and reread (because I also have Brigid Kemmerer’s newest release to review from Netgalley… and I still haven’t read her other book More Than We Can Tell, which I had an ARC for… I' was hoping to inspire myself to read both of those too). I loved it just as much second time around and bought a copy of More Than We Can Tell so can’t wait to read that next.
New To Me
Three new books this week. My preorder of The Austen Playbook arrived on my Kindle and that made me smile. I’ve also ordered the paperback so hopefully, that will arrive in the next couple of weeks. In case you didn’t know, I loved that book so go buy it if you haven’t already. Anyone who follows me on twitter will know I was beyond excited to be approved for The Bride Test (it only appeared on Netgalley UK in the past week or so, and I was in like a shot requesting that) I also enjoyed that… thinking on it now maybe not in the same way I loved The Kiss Quotient, but it was a damned good book. And finally, I bought a copy of More Than We Can Tell and I can’t wait to start reading that. I’m on a YA reading streak and I will not look a gift horse in the mouth. I’ve already removed three unread books from my shelf at home and if this continues I might knock out a few more. I am drowning in a sea of unread books and I’m trying to get it under control by the end of the year (so fewer impulse purchases of cheap Kindle books are in my future).
How has your week been? Have you found yourself drawn to books you didn't think you were ever going to be in the mood to read? And anyone have any tips for trying to conquer your unread books?
It’s time, once more, for a first impressions post because I have discovered I have hundreds of unread books and I need to pull my finger out and start reading some (or at least try reading some). I was still in the mood for a good fantasy read so I to try a few books I’d rediscovered when I was tidying up my shelves. Each have been on there a little while and it was time to do the whole ‘should I stay or should I go’ thing.
Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) – Rae Carson
Published: 20th September 2011
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy
Princess Elisa is a disappointment to her people. Although she bears the Godstone in her navel, a sign that she has been chosen for an act of heroism, they see her as lazy and useless and fat. On her sixteenth birthday, she is bartered off in royal marriage and shipped away to a kingdom in turmoil, where her much-older-and extremely beautiful-husband refuses to acknowledge her as his wife. Devastated, Elisa decides to take charge of her fate and learn what it means to bear the Godstone. As an invading army threatens to destroy her new home, and everyone at court maneuvers to take advantage of the young princess, Elisa becomes convinced that, not only is her own life in danger, the whole world needs saving. But how can a young girl who has never ridden horseback, never played the game of politics, and never attained the love of a man save the world? Elisa can't be sure, but she must try to uncover the Godstone's secret history before the enemy steals the destiny nestled in her core.
So this book is also known as The Girl of Fire and Thorns and I bought the first and second book in this series so long ago I can’t even remember why, but I feel like I saw good reviews and bought it on that… and then never read them. Well, that’s a lie, I’ve tried to read this first book a few times and ended up DNF-ing because it just did not work for me. But I figured it was more me than the book so I figured it was time to give it another go since I didn’t remove it from my shelves so I couldn’t have hated it.
So there isn't a whole lot going on in the first chapter so it's difficult to get a full sense of Elisa's character but I tried. I liked she was not a skinny white girl who was there to save the world. Instead, she was big (she is straining her outfit in the very first scene and then goes to the kitchen to get more food cos hell she wasn’t going to miraculously drop a few pounds by the time she has to wear it so might as well embrace it and eat some good food). I liked that she was not super confident but instead was reserved and uncertain. I was shocked she was 16 and getting married but what can out do? It wasn't unrealistic.
So there isn't a whole lot going on in the first chapter so it's difficult to get a full sense of Elisa's character but I tried. I liked she was not a skinny white girl who was there to save the world. Instead, she was big (she is straining her outfit in the very first scene and then goes to the kitchen to get more food cos hell she wasn’t going to miraculously drop a few pounds by the time she has to wear it so might as well embrace it and eat some good food). I liked that she was not super confident but instead was reserved and uncertain. I was shocked she was 16 and getting married but what can out do? It wasn't unrealistic.
I did struggle to get a sense of Elisa though. We find out she has a stone in her navel and is god touched or whatever but I didn't know what any of that meant and I didn't know if I should like or hate her family and who was the dude she married?
Yeah, basically I didn't get enough sense of anyone from that first chapter but did want to continue reading after so that's a win right? But I wasn’t super eager to keep reading, I just wanted to keep reading because I had no clue what to think so wanted ot get more of a sense of things by continuing to read. Not exactly a major endorsement for continuing. I think this is going in the meh pile.
Verdict: Meh, you convince me to read otherwise it’s going to charity.
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission... and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.
Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair... and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.
Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.
This one has been on my shelf for a good long while and I have been intimidated by it ever since it arrived in the post. That book is huge! I know there are reasons why I wanted to read it but all those things have been blocked out by the massive tome this book is. Seriously, I’m not usually overly daunted by big books, but this one is bigger than most.
I have to say, it's another one where the shortness of the first chapter meant that I couldn't get a full idea of the book. Short chapters are great in a lot of ways, but less good to get a good first impression. I will say the writing seems intimidating. It's very wordy and it's definitely one which would take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of the writing. And the names, I can tell this would be one I'd take a while to learn the character names, luckily there's a cast list at the start to help me keep track.
The small glimpse I've seen of this book definitely makes me think I'll keep on reading. I would have preferred to have it on my kindle simply because it would save my arms. Carting my copy around is a work out in itself. I'm a little sad I liked it, I'd kind of hoped to have it off of my shelf simply because it's so huge.
Verdict: Will read, but will need to psyche myself up for it
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy
In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.
Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.
Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage.
War looms on the horizon. A single spark could turn their city into a pyre.
The Tethered Mage is the first novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series.
The great thing about posts like this is that it helps me discover books (rediscover?) That I have on my shelves and this was an excellent rediscovery. Like the other books in this post, there is a short first chapter. You get a small taste of what's to come but this one had me eager to read more.
From the first couple of paragraphs, I thought I was on to a winner. The writing style just clicked with me and I was eager to keep reading. I liked the MC had snuck out for a book (about maths and magic I think) and I liked she was in a bad part of town and brave enough to go it alone. I even liked how she interfered to help a girl being cornered in a street by some big burly men and that that girl then turned out to have some power and she had to try and stop her instead of saving her and in the end, it all backfired for everyone involved. Basically, I just liked the vibe of this first chapter.
Now, since starting to write this post I have in fact started reading this book, and anyone that checked out my Sunday post will then know I have promptly fallen out of the mood for reading fantasy and have no motivation to pick this back up. But I started wanting to read it.
Verdict: I wanted to read.
Have you read any of my latest selection of first impressions? Can you convince me to read/pick back up any of these?
Published: 22nd April 2019
Source: Netgalley (but also purchased)
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
My Rating:
Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.
She can’t take her eyes off him.
Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.
Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.
As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I think I’ve mentioned it a time or two, but Lucy Parker is one of my absolute favourite authors. She writes these fantastic romances set around folks involved with London’s West End and just sucks me in each time. I always think surely she can’t beat the last book she wrote and each time she blows me away with another fantastic romance with characters I just adore. This time around she did all of that she might have even written a book which stolen the position of favourite in series from Act Like It for me. It is at least equal to Act Like It in my favourites list. It was that good.
This book centres around Freddy, who we met briefly in Pretty Face, as she struggles with who she is and what kind of career she wishes to pursue in the theatre. She grew up acting, she’s a former child actor who has made the difficult progression into adult roles, except she is not loving the theatre as much doing the serious theatre her dad wants her to do to uphold the Carlton name. She misses the singing and dancing across the stage so when she gets offered a role in The Austen Playbook, a live play aired on TV where the viewers vote to choose the ending, it seems ideal. It’s a fun role which gives her a break from the serious for a few weeks whilst she gets her head straight. Instead, she keeps getting distracted by Griff, a theatre critic who also happens to own the house which the play is being staged in. And did I mention her grandmother had an affair which his grandfather as well? Yeah, this pair have family history.
I was always going to love Freddy. I loved her in Pretty Face and I loved her in The Austen Playbook. She’s grown since we last saw her and she’s developed into such a cool woman who is just lost in her career and I can totally relate to that. She doesn’t want to let her family down but it’s also making her miserable trying to be a serious actor and loving up to her grandmother, who was an amazing actress and also a playwright who write some play everybody has heard of (yes, I’ve already forgotten the name of said play… I have a bad memory, leave me be!) but Freddy knows she is not her grandmother, she is her own person, but it’s making her dad listen when he is hellbent on fitting her into a set mould. So her time away in the countryside learning the mammoth script for Austen Playbook is a relaxing break… or it was until she found herself attracted to Griff, discovers there have been cast changes which lead to her hanging out with a couple of folks she really doesn’t like, and she’s unravelling the mystery of why her grandmother broke off an affair with Griff’s grandfather, and who was this mysterious great aunt of Griff’s who no one seems to remember?
And Griff? In my head, all I could picture was Draco Malfoy for a while with all the Slytherin references made to his character (he was a Slytherin through and through, though, and I loved that). He isn’t cruel like Malfoy, though. He is actually a total sweetheart under his frowny serious façade. He is doing everything he can to look out for his family, even though his parents seem hell-bent on spending they really don’t have and his brother has once more concocted a plan to help, by hosting The Austen Playbook in the broken down theatre on their property, but he really isn’t helping (so Griff thinks, anyway). He has spent his whole life trying to keep his family on track and putting out fires and so he wasn’t happy-go-lucky. But I loved him because he cares so damned much. he cares that the actors in this play are well looked after (and don’t get killed by the ancestral home falling down around their ears). He cares to look into his family history so he can get the film project he’s working on off of the ground. And for reasons he can barely understand, he cares about Freddy Carlton. He didn’t intend to but he keeps bumping into her and there is a spark. And when they start to explore the chemistry between them? Well, I was a goner and so was he. Freddy is probably the last thing he needs, but also she is exactly what he needs because he has been struggling by himself for so long but he needs her to both point out when he is being an idiot where his brother is concerned, but also to give him support when he needs it.
If you can’t already tell, I loved the romance between Freddy and Griff. From the first time, they’re together (after Freddy overheard him talking about the onstage disaster she just had where she forgot her lines) and she rescues him from a falling bottle I just knew there was amazing chemistry to be had. And damn, the more time they spend on the page together the more I am cheering on this romance. And the best part of this romance? Even when they fell out you just knew they weren’t going to be apart for long. Like, there are arguments and they do fall out, but the arguments move them forward and develop the relationship rather than tearing them apart. They both always realise they are far happier together than apart and are always turning and looking for the other. They know they are far too unhappy to not be together.
I loved that outside of the romance there was a mystery storyline (no, I’m not talking about the play which is a murder mystery and something I would totally enjoy watching) but a mystery surrounding the history between Freddy’s family and Griff’s. Their grandparents had an affair and as Griff is trying to make a film about Freddy’s grandmother he is rather eager to find out what happened for the affair to end and Freddy invites herself along to help. And damn is that whole mystery so good. I really enjoyed how that journey brought them closer together(and almost broke them apart… but that’s more Griff’s fault than anything).
Look, Lucy Parker has packed a lot into this book. Some awesome characters (damn, I didn’t even mention how awesome the secondary characters are… except Nick, we all hate Nick who is named for Nick and boy will she not let you forget it), a brilliant romance, a mystery, a little blackmail (which backfires) and betrayal! It’s not a good romance if there’s not betrayal going on… but it’s not where you expect it. Look, just read the book, it has everything and more and it’s out today so really, what are you waiting for?
If I haven’t convinced you to buy I’m not doing my job right. Have you read the latest release from Lucy Parker yet?
Happy Easter! Or Merry Easter? I don’t really know what a traditional greeting for Easter would be. Happy gorge on chocolate day? Well, whatever it is and however you’re spending the day I hope you enjoy yourself.
I’m in an excellent mood writing this as it’s a bank holiday weekend. Easter is always brilliant as it means that I have four days of no work! Everyone loves a good long weekend. We have been blessed with some truly wonderful weather for the bank holiday as well. The sun is shining, the temperatures have hit the 20s and I can just relax a little. As opposed to last week, where I was busy and productive, I have spent the past two days being lazy and haven’t even blogged, even though I have things I want to write and plenty of comments to reply to.
Last weekend I was lamenting not being able to watch any Netflix and then I feel like I have watched far too much TV in the past week instead of reading. I foolishly decided to rewatch Game of Thrones last week and I am halfway season 2 already. I’m confusing myself by also watching the latest season at the same time because I cannot try and avoid spoilers. It’s impossible. I also started watching The Bold Type and that show just makes me want to read some Lauren Layne. It’s that magazine setting. I really want to read some magazine based romances now. I also watched The Perfect Date as I wanted to… and it was ok? I definitely won’t be telling everyone to watch, I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and think I spent a lot of that show browsing the internet. Netflix redeemed itself in the form of Someone Great, though. It was a fun comedy with three friends having a last excellent night out and helping their friend post break up. It was so good and had a good soundtrack too. So yeah, I watched a lot of TV the past week,
What I’ve Been Reading
I predicted it would happen. My excellent reading week last week has seen me hit some duds. I started off strong with Finding Felicity and From Heiress to Mom (although I did prefer Second Chance With Her Billionaire) but then Getting Hot With The Scot happened and that book just was a strong no to me. I didn’t pick up another book until Friday, then. The Tethered Mage I began reading after starting a new First Impressions post with some books from my shelves. I haven’t finished The Tethered Mage, though. I have a whole blog post about it, but do you ever find yourself losing interest in a book halfway through for no other reason than you’re reading mood has changed for no apparent reason? So, that happened with The Tethered Mage. I was liking it until it was literally the last book I wanted to read. I moved on to Foolish Hearts when my reading mood did a 180. Foolish Hearts was absolutely amazing and I am placing Emma Mills onto my favourites list. I need to get her other two books.
New To Me
I got just one book this week. An ARC because the read/unread feature on my Kindle has made me learn I have far too many books on my Kindle I’ve yet to read. So no book buying for a couple of weeks. But I couldn’t resist an ARC request.
How has your week been? Any good books? And have you been watching Game of Thrones?
We are at my first discussion post since I started back up blogging, isn’t it exciting? Now, considering I’ve only been back blogging a couple of weeks it may seem strange my first discussion post is about what you do when your posts aren’t as popular as you’d hoped… but I feel like this is something we all struggle with when we’re blogging. There are always posts which we put out hard work into that seem to fall flat. It’s the way of the world, we’re not always onto a hit.
Like I said, blog posts can fly under the radar for many a reason. Sometimes they come out at the wrong time so people pass them by. Sometimes you aren't saying anything new so people have little to say. It could be you've not had the time to do your due diligence to promote on social media and to blog hop to encourage return comments. There are a multitude of reasons for posts to not get the attention you'd hoped.
But what do you do when it happens?
Me? I mostly brush it off. Not every post will be loved and adored and I try not to dwell on the bad because it gets me down. Shit happens, posts flop. It is the way of the world. But it’s easy to let niggling doubts takeover. Was it me? Did I say something wrong? Have I offended folks and not read things through properly only to discover I've said something hella offensive in error? Do people think I'm an idiot? Oh god, they don't like me! I might as well give up now and hide myself away never to appear on the internet ever again. I'll change my identity but folks know my name! Good god I can never post again. You know, the usual overdramatic things that I wouldn’t be caught dead saying usually, but when I allow myself to descend into doubts it takes a while to dig me out.
Self doubt soon passes and I move on with my regularly scheduled programming. I don’t dwell for long as it’s not like I look back on old posts for long before I’ve moved on to the next one. But it’s something I always think about. I mean, reviews are never your most popular post (or mine aren’t anyway) so I don't tend to get myself down about it, not everyone wants to talk about all the books I’ve read, but what about if you’ve thought of a really good discussion post and you want to talk with others about it… and then no one comments. It’s hard not to get yourself down.
So I want to know what you guys do when the posts you’ve put lots of time and effort into aren’t loved by those reading your blog? Do you even dwell on it? Hell, are you guys like me and brush it off because you never really go back read old posts after they’re up (apart from to reply to comments)?
The Flatshare – Beth O’Leary
Published: 18th April 2019 (hardback)
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating:
Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey each have a problem and need a quick fix.
Tiffy’s been dumped by her cheating boyfriend and urgently needs a new flat. But earning minimum wage at a quirky publishing house means that her choices are limited in London.
Leon, a palliative care nurse, is more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own. Along with working night shifts looking after the terminally ill, his sole focus is on raising money to fight his brother’s unfair imprisonment.
Leon has a flat that he only uses 9 to 5. Tiffy works 9 to 5 and needs a place to sleep. The solution to their problems? To share a bed of course...
As Leon and Tiffy’s unusual arrangement becomes a reality, they start to connect through Post-It notes left for each other around the flat.
Can true love blossom even in the unlikeliest of situations?
Can true love blossom even if you never see one another?
Or does true love blossom when you are least expecting it?
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It's not often a book makes me stay up well past my bedtime on a school night! It's even rarer that I finish a book in one day when I've been at work for most of it. Those facts alone should say everything about this book. I know that probably won't be enough to convince most of you to read, though, which sucks because writing a review for a book you really love is hard.
It was wonderful. I was so very surprised considering I forced myself to pick up this ARC. I’d just read a really good book and knew I needed to read an ARC to try and catch up. I’d had this book on my Kindle since December and after three months I was a little less excited to read it. I should know by now I'm always making bad choices when it comes to books and the good ones come along when you least expect them.
This book is so well written and I couldn't help but be sucked in from the moment Tiffy is looking at diabolical flats in London. Tiffy was so charming she wasn't some delicate woman out of a bad relationship about to fall apart (partially because she had yet to register it was a bad relationship but more on that later). She was a 6-foot redhead who wore outrageous outfits in a rainbow of colours. She was quirky but not a manic pixie dream girl. She was just a genuine quirky woman who used to like to DIY her toys to make them fit more to her and has moved on to working in publishing where she specialises in DIY and creative books. Unfortunately, publishing is not the gold mine you dream it is as a child. So when she was on a deadline to move out of her ex’s apartment her best option is to flatshare with L Twomey who she doesn't even get to meet because his girlfriend does not want any interaction. It's weird enough they'll share a bed (not at the same time). It seems ideal. She gets it on a night and why does she care who will be sleeping there during the day since she’ll be working anyway? And weekends? Well, he’ll be at his girlfriend's. It’s ideal for her, who doesn’t want a flatmate they don’t actually have to interact with?
And L Twomey? That's Leon. He's a sweetheart and a man of few words. He works as a palliative care nurse and has decided to stick with working nights in the week to earn more money. And he desperately needs all the cash he can get which is why he has decided to share his flat (and his bed) with a stranger is his best option. Leon seems like he will be hard to get to know since he is so monosyllabic but as soon as I met him I was charmed. I mean, a man who chats to an elderly man who is dying about his wartime romance and puts a smile on a young girls face is a sweetheart in my book. He didn’t really think through the fact that when he started sharing his flat it will involve someone else’s stuff inhabiting his space which swiftly leads to notes being lead to notes being left about the flat for them to give each other updates. And well… the rest is history.
Note passing normally brings up the idea of teens at school passing notes in class. It’s sweet and occasionally flirty but all very innocent. I didn’t expect notes to be the thing which triggers an epic romance, though. But it totally worked. From little notes offering up food to another after they’ve cooked to notes complaining about someone leaving the toilet seat up. They soon descend into actual conversations which give more personal details and Tiffy discovers why Leon needs money and Leon discovers why she was so eager to find a cheap flat in central London. They get to know each other as friends and soon that friendship becomes something more once they meet and it was adorable. The notes might be what made me fall in love with this book. It's such a cute way for a romance to start and the quirk that these two are flatmates who haven't seen each other in person? That's even better.
The book is told from both Tiffy and Leon’s perspective and I was impressed with how O'Leary managed to make both Beth and Leon’s voice distinctive in both letter form and their own chapters. They each had a completely different writing style for their chapters as each mirrored their personality. Leon's was short sentences chopped down to the bare minimum to get his point across. Tiffy's were long and detailed and so positive (like her). It had plenty of detail and was quirky and fun and a bit scattered from time to time. And Leon's is so to the point he cuts through a lot of bullshit but also time flies because he spent so much time considering. You could even tell when he was tired. Whilst Tiffy’s ends up avoiding a lot of things so even I didn't see the signs about her toxic ex until she did.
The book was so much more than just Leon and Tiffy’s romance, though. They had their own storylines, Leon was trying to help his brother and Tiffy was moving on from her ex, who was toxic and emotionally manipulated her. She didn’t even want to admit how much to herself. It was only as she got used to her single life and thought about moving on with someone new that she truly realised the extent that he messed with her head. Her best friends were there to support her and I loved each and every one of them. And I adored Leon’s brother as well, I would happy for him to have his very own book. I would totally read it because I do want to know what happens next for him.
This was an absolutely brilliant read and I am so happy I didn’t keep putting off reading. It was exactly what I wanted and nothing like I expected. It packed a real punch and it was well worth the zombie-like state I was in the next day.
Have you read this, or have I convinced you to read? And what was the last book you stayed up past your bedtime to finish?
Another week has both dragged and flown by and it’s weird. This is the first week I don’t have a whole weeks worth of posts scheduled so I don’t have to worry about what to post next. It’s a bit weird, but luckily I’ve read a couple of awesome books to review and I have discussion ideas which haven’t made it screen (yet).
I will say I had typed up a totally awesome post for you guys last week as a discussion but then for some reason, my computer didn’t save it! Rude. I don’t know what happened but it annoyed me so that discussion may never see the light of day since I have now forgotten half of what I typed up there. Always a nightmare, but we shall see. And I’m more annoyed because I didn’t click post because I couldn’t be bothered to do a nice post header image at the time so left it until later. Why does my computer hate me for me being lazy! The lesson learnt from this is don’t be lazy.
I feel like a continual trend is how little I do each week. I had a lovely breakfast at a friend’s last Sunday. That’s always good and we went to the pub Thursday (she’s been bailing on our regular catch up night lately for work! I know, some people having a commitment to their job… I do no relate). It’s always nice seeing friends. I did hope I’d get to catch up with another next week but looks like it’s not meant to be because timings are hard. It’s one of them, life gets in the way.
I did decide to sort myself out and get tidying this weekend, though. I’ve vowed to avoid supermarkets at weekends because we all know what a nightmare that is, so I decided my Saturday would be all about vacuuming, dusting, and pulling some books off of shelves to get rid of them (or send to charity). In the process of cleaning, I also discovered my old laptop and tablet and couldn’t believe they hadn’t been chucked already so I charged those up and got them all wiped and reset to be able to take a trip to the tip. All in all, it was a very productive Saturday. I mean, I was originally going to spend it watching Netflix and writing blog posts but what can you do? I’m sure I’ll have time to write posts another day.
What I’ve Been Reading
I have had a brilliant reading week, I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t read so many good books in a row in a little while and I think I deserved it after reading a few meh reads. Intercepted was a book I’ve had on my to buy list for too long and I kept hoping the Kindle price would go down but finally I thought just buy it. I am so glad I did and I cannot wait to read more from Alexa Martin. She is an awesome new romance author and if her next book is anywhere near as good as this one she is definitely going on my must-buy list. The Flatshare I actually expected not like. I had an arc for so long and hadn’t gotten to reading and was trying to clear up my ARC shelves and thought I’d give it a go. I ended up finishing it in a single day and when I’d been working all day! It’s practically unheard of. I then wrapped it up reading The Austen Playbook, which I was always going to adore, but I think it might be my favourite Lucy Parker book or certainly equal favourite. I didn’t expect to adore it as much as I did and I love being surprised (but not surprised).
What have you been up to? And why is it that as the weather warms up I start wanting to get tidying?
Meet Cute – Helena HuntingPublished: 9th April 2019
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
My Rating:
Talk about an embarrassing introduction. On her first day of law school, Kailyn ran - quite literally - into the actor she crushed on as a teenager, ending with him sprawled on top of her. Mortified to discover the Daxton Hughes was also a student in her class, her embarrassment over their meet-cute quickly turned into a friendship she never expected. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming either...
Now, eight years later, Dax is in her office asking for legal advice. Despite her anger, Kailyn can't help feeling sorry for the devastated man who just became sole guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister. But when her boss gets wind of Kailyn's new celebrity client, there's even more at stake than Dax's custody issues: if she gets Dax to work at their firm, she'll be promoted to partner.
The more time Kailyn spends with Dax and his sister, the more she starts to feel like a family, and the more she realizes the chemistry they had all those years ago is as fresh as ever. But will they be able to forgive the mistakes of the past, or will one betrayal lead to another?
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was an impulsive request on Netgalley I was surprised to be approved for but happy about. The cute cover and the name Helena Hunting made me want to read. I was slightly disappointed before I even picked this up to see a couple of bloggers I follow rating it lower than I hoped so brought my expectations down accordingly. And still, I was a little disappointed by what I read.
The book opened when Kailyn and Dax are at law school and her first meeting with him, and their second. And then there’s a quick rush job of them being friendly rivals and the statement that he screwed her over and then we flash-forward to present day and their meeting whilst she’s holding a grudge. Right of the bat that annoyed me because it was like getting given a quick summary rather than actually putting the work in for the setup. It felt lazy. Either put the work in and have a few chapters dedicated to their time at law school or don’t talk about it at all and have their first meeting be in the present and have it explained why Kailyn is shocked to see him. Don’t infodump their history on me!
I brushed that annoyance off, though, because I did like the voice of Kailyn. She seemed funny and a bit weird and fine sometimes her quirks and humour felt a little forced, but as a whole I liked her. She had the kind of inner voice that instantly makes me interested, the slightly awkward but hardworking woman and I liked her she and her BFF joked about date night because that’s the kind of thing I do with my friend. But then the book continued to bother me with telling me stuff. Like Dax finding out about the death of his parents. It felt like we just get to meet him and it’s dumped right on us his parents have died. I felt no connection or emotional impact from it. Same as when he had to tell his sister. That should be such an emotional moment and nothing. And then we hop right over the funeral. The timeline of events just felt rushed and all over the place. And our ‘villain’ of the book didn’t feel genuine. Either make me hate her or make me sympathise with her, but because we were told too much I think I felt distance from all of the characters.
I will say the tone of the book is spot on. I liked the light humour and I did like Dax’s sister, Emme. She was at that brilliantly awkward teenage age where everything is drama but also where she starts to show a good level of maturity. I liked the moments where she was involved but even when she was there I still didn’t find myself emotionally invested in her struggles.
Meet Cute was a nice read, I enjoyed myself most of the time I was reading it… but I can’t claim it will be memorable. It’s been a few days already since I finished it when I’m writing this review and already I have to glance at small notes I made and look back at the book to refresh myself and that’s not something you want to be doing for a fun romance. It’s not bad and I know this book will hit the spot for a lot of readers, but I had issues, I think.
Have you read this, what did you think? And do you ever find books lose you when they’re telling you too much of the story rather than making you feel invested?
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
My Rating:
As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All is set in the world of wedding planning.Louna spends her summers helping brides plan their perfect day and handling every kind of crises: missing brides, scene-stealing bridesmaids and controlling grooms. Not surprising then, that she's deeply cynical about happy-ever-afters, especially since her own first love ended in tragedy.When handsome girl magnet Ambrose enters her life, Louna won't take him seriously. But Ambrose hates not getting what he wants and Louna is the girl he's been waiting for.Maybe it's not too late for a happy ending after all?'When I read a Sarah Dessen novel, I'm sixteen again, in the flush of first love.' Jodi Picoult
I am slowly attempting to conquer some of the unread books on my shelves. First up was Sarah Dessen’s Once and For All simply because I was craving a light contemporary YA and wasn’t willing to spend money to buy one so had to rely on what I already owned.
Once and For All focuses on the life of Louna as she finishes high school and faces her future. She is rather cynical about love, despite working for her mom at her wedding planning business. Considering she sees people’s ‘happily ever after’ on a day to day basis you can understand why the novelty of it might have worn off a touch. But as the book progresses you find that she is not cynical about love because she’s seen behind the scenes of many a wedding, but also because she has suffered her own heartache and is scared of what’s to come.
This is definitely not my favourite Sarah Dessen book but it's a solid addition to her many book releases. I just didn't fall head over heels for Louna or Ambrose. They were nice and I was rooting for their romance all the way but they just didn’t stand out for me. Even with Louna’s past, she still wasn’t the strongest of Dessen’s main characters.
I really enjoyed seeing Louna break from her shell as she learnt to move forward from her heartache (no spoilers). It was great to see her slowly relax and let her hair down and remember the parts of herself she thought were lost for good and getting to see them come out because of someone else. And Ambrose was so much nicer than the first meeting made him seem. He was such a kind caring guy who made mistakes but wanted the best for folks. I wish we had gotten more of his backstory though. It felt like a lot of his life wasn’t explained. I didn’t get why he seemed to hop from girl to girl and wasn’t staying at home. I didn’t get why his family didn’t seem to like him. What happened with school? I just felt like you didn’t get a full story for him and that may have been why I didn’t like him more. I know this book was more about Louna but it would have been nice for her to learn more about him because the more I think about it she never really got to. She had her first impressions from their less than stellar first meeting and that’s it. Sure, you learn he’s a really wonderful guy who doesn’t believe in long term relationships… but that’s it. He got no more backstory and that really sucked.
Like I said, not my favourite Dessen release, but a decent release. I certainly won’t be raving telling folks to read it, It was a nice read, though, and it did satisfy a reading craving when I needed it. Now I can only hope she has a stronger release next time. Or I might just have to keep rereading old favourites instead.
Have you read Once And For All, do you agree with my thoughts? Do you have a favourite Sarah Dessen release?
Hi guys. It’s another week gone and I don’t know what I did this week but it flew on by. That’s not to say it was necessarily an amazing week, but it certainly passed quickly.
Work was more of the same, we won’t even talk about it.
The clocks changed here last Sunday, I lost an hour and I spent all week feeling utterly exhausted. I have not been motivated to do anything. I went to work then curled up and wanted to sleep. It’s boring to hear about and it’s boring to tell you. I did read a couple of good books, at least. But I do want to sleep my whole weekend away.
I started watching New Amsterdam on Saturday, as well. I had intended to rewatch The Expanse since I saw V.E.Schwab tweet about Steven Strait and I remembered my love for him and that show. It didn’t quite happen, though, instead I got distracted by New Amsterdam and my Saturday disappeared. Hell, before that I had intended to give Queer Eye a shot since I’ve never seen it and everyone seems to rave about it. So my TV plans have not gone to plan, but when do they ever? It’s still good TV and maybe I’ll spend my Sunday watching more TV… after I get back from having breakfast with a friend.
What I’ve Been Reading
I’m still reading Invisible Women and feeling rage at the world. Seriously, everyone needs to read this. Buy it, borrow it, steal it! I don’t care. I also read The Near Witch and it was a really enjoyable read, but it was definitely not as strong as some of Schwab’s later releases. I am so glad I have a copy and got the chance to read it (finally). I borrowed Truth and Bear from Kindle Unlimited and I enjoyed it, but damn did I get annoyed at SANA (the legit organisation who controls shifters and who are legit dicks) but I am committed, I will read the next book and hope my feelings thaw towards them. Meet Cute ended up being slightly disappointing, a fun read but so forgettable. Illuminae and Serious Moonlight, though. They were epic. Illuminae was actually my second ever audiobook and let me tell you, I was so glad I listened to it. I had been wanting to reread that for a while and this was the best way to do it. I strongly recommend it. And Serious Moonlight made me love Jenn Bennett all the more, how does she keep writing such amazing books?
New To Me
I bought a few books. I feel like I’ve been doing well in not buying unless I read them, also it was the start of the month and there are always tempting new deals at the start of a new month.
And that is my week, boring and unexciting. How has your week been? And do you have any book recs for me?
Published: 4th April 2019 (UK)
Source: Netgalley (but you know I’m buying it)
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
My Rating:
A big-hearted, captivating, modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice, with hijabs instead of top hats and kurtas instead of corsets.AYESHA SHAMSI has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been overtaken by a demanding teaching job. Her boisterous Muslim family, and numerous (interfering) aunties, are professional naggers. And her flighty young cousin, about to reject her one hundredth marriage proposal, is a constant reminder that Ayesha is still single.Ayesha might be a little lonely, but the one thing she doesn't want is an arranged marriage. And then she meets Khalid… How could a man so conservative and judgmental (and, yes, smart and annoyingly handsome) have wormed his way into her thoughts so quickly?As for Khalid, he's happy the way he is; his mother will find him a suitable bride. But why can't he get the captivating, outspoken Ayesha out of his mind? They're far too different to be a good match, surely…
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have been in somewhat of a reading (and blogging) slump of late and had put off reading any arcs until I tackled that issue.
I'm an idiot.
If I’d decided to read my arcs a little sooner maybe I have would have discovered this fantastic read and kicked my reading into gear (or descended into another slump since there is certainly the potential for the with a read as awesome as this one). Sometimes you come across a book so good you want to slap people around the face with it to force them to read and this is one such book.
I was hesitant but intrigued about this one I first saw it. Retellings of Pride and Prejudice always have alarm bells ringing for me as I adore the book and it has a special place in my heart for me as my nan is the one who introduced me to it as she was eager for me to read any and all classics. This was never her favourite (I think that title belongs to Little Women and for my shame I've still not read the book… I've owned a copy since I was 11, but I digress) but I know she was happy for me to show interest in reading classics and we had a memorable day together when I wasn't at school watching the BBC adaptation. So, like I said, retellings have me a bit wary. But I as soon as saw the cover had a woman in a hijab on it I knew that it wasn’t going to be your typical retelling. In fact, I’d hardly label it a retelling at all, that’s doing the book a disservice thinking it needs to be attributed to another fantastic book when there’s a wholly original story within these pages. If you must say anything about Pride and Prejudice you may say this book is an ode to it.
The whole book centres on two people, Ayesha and Khalid, and their friends and extended families. It’s spectacular.
Ayesha is a Muslim woman living in Canada who doesn't know what she wants. She has a large Indian family and she is finding her way learning who she is whilst also wanting to meet her families expectations. I instantly liked her and knew I could respect a woman who hid in the toilet on the first day of her new job questioning if she’s doing the right thing (I’ve returned from the first day of a new job crying saying I don’t like it… I can relate). She felt real in that she had nothing sorted and was fumbling through life trying her best, but she also totally needed to be called out by her friends and family because she was scared and needed a push to get her shit together. As I met her family and friends I grew to like them and care for them too. As the book progressed I became more and more invested and found myself shouting at folks who were mean and shouting at Ayesha for being judgemental of Khalid and accusing him of things she has done herself. I was totally in the story and didn’t want to look away from the page for a second in case I missed something.
And then there was Khalid. He came across as boring at first, almost as if he didn’t have the backbone to stand up for himself and instead allowed his mother to dictate for an easy life. I thought I might not like him. Even if he was staring longingly at Ayesha out of a window if he couldn't follow through and speak to her I wasn't gonna like him. But then we had racist Sheila and then I was there with Carla wanting to smack that bitch down and telling her not to be racist ass whilst keeping my fingers crossed she would get her ass fired. I came to understand Khalid more after that. I had to respect a man who was as devoted as he was to his beliefs and overlooked dicks like Sheila who judged him without knowing him. Dude had to put up with a lot and if he could do that and still be a nice guy (who put his foot in it a lot and came across like a judgemental asshole) good for him. I would be angry as hell and fighting folks… I’d probably be arrested. But seeing Khalid and his progression throughout the book to be a good person but also a person who recognises his flaws and acts accordingly to do better, well damn, I want to be more like Khalid. Even if Khalid was a little quick to judge Ayesha before he had even spoken to her, he more than made up for that error within the book. The man grew and learnt from his mistakes and I adored him for that.
And the romance between Ayesha and Khalid is the best kind of slowburn! I love me a slowburn romance and theirs was brilliant. They went from hate (on Ayesha’s part), to colleagues, to friends, to a wonderful confusing area of something more and hopped around until finally, the romance happened…. right as the book finished. It was great. And there were sparks flying between the pair throughout the book. Even when one of them claimed to dislike the other (again, Ayesha) they still have scorching chemistry. And considering the pair barely touched it’s amazing how strong the romance game in this book was. It definitely shows that sex is not everything when it comes to romance, romance is just as strong when it’s just a small touch or a longing look. Seriously, romance game was strong.
Honestly, the book itself is spectacular and that’s not just because Ayesha and Khalid are such strong personalities, but because every character is distinct and stands out. There was not a single secondary character whose name I was confused by. Each time a name was mentioned I instantly knew who it was and that is a rarity. And each character, no matter how minor their role, had a good storyline. They were not throw away characters but had their own side story, from Clara and her many quests to help folk (from Ayesha to Khalid) to Amir and his many issues (which do not excuse him for being a dick, but who I forgive because he was genuinely a good friend to Khalid).
Honestly. It was not just a brilliant retelling it was just a brilliant book. I loved that there were obvious scenes inspired by Pride & Prejudice, I was grinning from ear to ear each time I spotted one, but the book never felt like an off shoot of it. It always felt its own.
Have you read Ayesha At Last? Wasn’t it spectacular? And if you haven’t have I convinced you? What’s your favourite Pride and prejudice retelling?
I had a hard time trying to decide which books to read since I have so very many unread books, but for convenience, I decided to choose three unread Kindle books. Each of them I have owned for at least a couple of years and each I bought because I kept seeing it about, either in book shops or on other blogs. Honestly, none of them made me want to pick up and reading since I bought them so they have been left gathering dust.
This time I am trying out Red Rising, Rivers of London, and Final Empire. Let’s see how it went.
Published: 28th January 2014
Source: Purchased
Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopian
Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.
Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.
Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.
But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.
Ender's Game meets The Hunger Games in this, the first in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.
This is a book I got purely due to hype online for it. I seriously felt like I saw it everywhere so when I saw cheap Kindle deals for the three books in the series obviously I went and bought them all even though I hadn’t gotten to reading the first one (I mistake I have tried to avoid making since).
From reading the first chapter (ad little prologue bit) I am intrigued but mostly I feel like I've read this YA type book before. Am I interested in reading more? Maybe but I've read Hunger Games, I've read some of the Red Queen books. I know it’s only a small sample of the book so I shouldn’t judge it too harshly, but I feel like I’ve seen this story of the lower classes rising up and a revolution occurring and I’m not in a rush to read it again. Can I really expect to see anything new in this? Feel free to tell me I’m wrong and it might help motivate me to read… but from what I read I could easily give this books a miss.
Also, I do not like the voice in this. Who knows what the MC is called (just Googled, they’re called Darrow? Really? Yeah, didn’t retain that at all) but he has his slang and the book is written in his voice and I know I would adjust to it as I read, but from the bit I did read it threw me off a little and found myself reading sentences twice to make sure I got the meaning right. Not a major thing and something I know wouldn’t stay being a problem for me, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Verdict?: Maybe abandon… I could be swayed to power through my doubts, but if you guys don’t try and convince me this series maybe marked as DNF.
Published: 10th January 2011
Source: Purchased
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
This one has been on the old Kindle for like four years. I thought it would an interesting modern day fantasy type read and I remember picking it up at Waterstones several times dithering over it so when I saw it going cheap for Kindle I one clicked so hard…. and then didn’t read it (it happens so often I’m embarrassed).
I had expectations and I really think that’s where I went wrong. I expected it to be more like The Rook, I think. I mean, when I bought it I didn’t, but since I’ve read that I expected it to be like that… and maybe it is later on, but it didn’t have the same feel to it from what I read. Way more police procedural and less fantasy fun. I mean, you guys might not get what I mean but that’s how it felt from reading. Also, the MC, he didn’t wow me. Not loving him. Didn’t hate him either, but just didn’t care that much about him and the woman he works with? Yeah, really didn’t like her. Also, long chapters! I hate long chapters, it’s a stupid thing to hate but there we go.
I went into each of these books blind. No reading the summary and refreshing myself on what drew me in the first place (apart from seeing the book everywhere). If I had read the summary I'd have known it was more mystery with a side of fantasy/supernatural and not the other way around
.
Verdict?: DNF… I just don’t have the time to read books I’m not loving.
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy
Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy trilogy overturns the expectations of readers and then goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.
A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.
But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.
A word of mouth success in the states the Mistborn trilogy has, this year, broken onto the New York Times Bestseller list. The time is ripe for its success to cross the Atlantic.
I’ve read some Brandon Sanderson before so I at least knew I liked his writing. I think I have seen his books on so many blogs that even if I couldn’t name anything he wrote I would know his name. I think that’s the main reason I bought this first book, along with a good Kindle deal (anyone noticing a trend here?) and this poor book has been gathering dust on my Kindle ever since. I have a couple of other books unread from him but this one I have seen so many places I figured this would be the one I would try.
They couldn’t all be duds now, could they? Thankfully, this book redeemed this post’s book selection. If I hadn’t enjoyed this one as well, whilst I would have been throwing a party to have three books off of the reading list, I would have been sad that my book buying choices have been so questionable. I can tell this is definitely a book I will be reading at some point… although not right now as I am not in the mood for a long fantasy read part of an even longer fantasy series. But I can tell I will definitely enjoy it all the same.
I have to say, I only read the prologue on this one (it was so long!) but there were three different POV from that alone, I would hope that wouldn’t continue throughout the book but it was easy enough to see the POV change and each voice felt distinct at least. I felt invested in this world and the characters. I know this was another of a downtrodden people rising up but I cared about the Skaa and wanted to see how things would progress. I could see the 600+ pages getting a bit much, though, longer books are just daunting to me nowadays.
Verdict?: Definitely read… but not right now.
Have you read any of these books? Can you convince me to give Red Rising a chance? And do you try to do this too with your books as both a clear out and an opportunity to find your next read?
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