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I read a lot of books and I write about them on here. Mummy Geek is sometimes a guest blogger....people seem to love her.....Oh and you can find me on Twitter.....@book_geek_says. Shortlisted for Blog of the Year by the 2015 Love Stories Awards...THANK YOU!!

Friday 26 April 2013

Review: Republic: The Clone Rebellion 1

Publisher: Titan Books
Price: £ 7.99

I like sci fi, I like having to use my imagination to conjure up images and characters and scenes so I was delighted to receive this book. I am now going to proceed and give a somewhat mixed review and I hope you don't mind. All events are seen through the eyes of Harris, a Marine for the U.A about 500 years in to our future. He's pretty cool, he's an all action and trousers kind of guy who gets the job done. The plot revolves around containing rebellion and containing anarchists. That's the real basic gist.

I will start off with this statement, I LOVE RAY FREEMAN!!! He is a total dude and I bet he is bloody hot to boot! What an absolute hero and amazingly wonderful addition to the book! BOOM!! Secondly I will say that the politics, racial stereotyping and prejudice provided a bit more depth to the story. It was hugely interesting to see how SK believes politics will develop and how the world will react to events. Thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the book as it was totally unexpected, and very well constructed. I also loved Mynx the cat....she has to go out with Catsby.

My main bug bear about the book is how disjointed and haphazard the plot seemed in many places. There wasn't total fluidity all the time and I did on occasion struggle to believe how one event would follow in to another. This annoyed me, as so many other aspects of the story were wonderfully developed and thought through (such as character development). The ending of the entire story did redeem this for me slightly though as it was cracking and totally unexpected even though there are allusions to it throughout. BRING ON BOOK 2!

Also, the female characters were pretty wet but the woman in congress was a bit of an old babe so that was a relief! 

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-p

Thursday 25 April 2013

Review: A Fucked Up Life in Books

Publisher: The Friday Project
Price: Ebook £ 2.99

I love the author of this wonderful book, I really love her, @bookcunt is AMAZING. This book just made me love her even more, even though it did almost ruin my jolly to China! However, it was so amazing that I have easily forgiven her. What you see is exactly what you get with BC in person and this book is exactly the same. Heart on her sleeve, doesn't care what people think, as long as people don't touch her or talk about shit too much! 

The stories in this book are happy, sad, joyful, and damn right laugh out loud funny on occasion and believe me, it takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud when it comes to books! I feel like I know BC that bit better now and I can't wait to see her again just to give her a massive hug and buy her wine (and I don't like touching people much either).

Even if you don't know this lady, you have to read this book as it is wonderful. There is something for everyone and it is brutally honest about life, books, love and shoes made of cow! It won't take you long to read and it doesn't cost much so if you don't buy it and read it, I will hunt you down and force you to!!!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D

Review: Dungeon Brain

Publisher: Nightscape Press
Price: £ 8.71

This novel started off in such a promising way, it was totally bloody mental! A collection of mini character studies as a bizarre collection of people came to surface in the body and mind of one woman who has a crazy skill. There appeared to be so much more to the story than the blurb gave away. The exciting thrill in the development of the story and of June and Maggie's characters was incredible. Maggie was so grotesque and damn right evil. Fantastic!

However, the joy and elation and involvement in this completely mental and DIFFERENT story soon faded....The plot would have been far more enjoyable if it had stayed in the same location as the first section and continued to follow a similar theme. The romance that develops and the general plot development made the book become very run of the mill, normal and in places cliche which was a huge let down and disappointment. Basically it felt like the author copped out on what could have been an incredible one of a kind book. 

Overall, this book was a total let down and not a winner in my eyes. There was so much potential, but that potential was dashed away!

Meh, maybe don't bother reading

Book Geek
:-s

Monday 15 April 2013

Review: Dear Thing

Publisher: Bantam Press
Price: Not written on my copy sorry


The cover of my uncorrected bound proof looks nothing like this cover...I didn't see this cover until I fished a pic to plonk up there....anyway...I'm one of those people that does indeed judge a book by its cover. I always have been and always will be, however, this blogging malarky has lead me to read many books that I usually would pass by because of the cover. I am delighted I have read this book. It isn't one I would normally read...based on the cover and to be honest on the blurb on the back. However, there is far more to this book than meets the eye, huzzah!

The whole story revolves around Claire and Ben's inability to have a child and their surrogate. I expected it to be a pretty damn soppy book that would actually make me rather upset! I only filled up once and it isn't as soppy as you expect. It does, in fact, come across as a realistic, if not somewhat dramatic, description of the emotional and physical turmoil felt when experiencing a surrogacy. I've never done that...obvs...but this is how I would imagine it could go!

The web of deceit, the hidden feelings, the general complexities of normal day life are made so interesting that you can't help but get sucked in to this book and hooked from the offing. DO NOT LET THE COVER OR BLURB PUT YOU OFF.

Posie is a total babe, I want a little girl just like her...I actually want to be her friend as she is just so wonderful!!! Romily is also cracking....There are moments when you hate her, moments when you love her, moments when you feel sorry for her...alll the emotions are experienced towards Romily. The letters to Thing are particularly emotive and do make you feel intense emotions for her! Claire, I hated...I'm sorry but I couldn't stand her....she is so involved in Claire and Claire alone and she's just too perfect! I boo her highly!

Not my choice of book to look at or read about, but defo a book I am delighted to have read and one I have thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover.

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-p


Sunday 14 April 2013

Review: Nearest Thing to Crazy

Price: Afraid I don't know yet
Publisher: Cutting Edge Press

Since starting this book blogging and reviewing shizz, you may have noticed that I am a MASSIVE fan of all things CEP! And now I have another book to add to the list of reasons why I LOVE CEP. I also love MS Forbes and you all need to follow her on Twitter, @lizzieforbes.

NTTC is nothing at all like I expected. I imagined I dunno, something a bit more deranged and on the edge. The actual book was a wonderful surprise. From the first page I was totally hooked. The italics sections suck you in more than anything as they sound like a statement, a telling of a story that you don't want to believe is true!! The mundane life of people of a certain age with lots of dosh was made so, so, so intriguing.

As the story progresses and you develop your relationship with Cass everything becomes so intensely scary that you don't know what to do! You don't want to read on as you want Cass to be ok, you want someone to help her and look after her. Yet, you have to read on to make sure that things are ok....I'm not going to tell you if they are or not, you have to read the book.

Stunningly intelligent plot that scares the absolute shit out of you and makes you question your sanity (a tad of Catch 22 about it). It also makes you think about who your friends and family are and what exactly you know or don't about them. Read this book, read it now, it'll be appealing to all for so many different reasons and I really can't wait for Ms Forbes next delight to hit my face!!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D

P.S. The jacket isn't here, however, I have seen it and it is spot on for the book! It is a clear, clear indication of mental madness, angst and manipulation!

Review: Hope: A Tragedy

Price: £ 7.99
Publisher: Picador

I'm not sure if I enjoyed this book, I'm not even sure if it would be ok for me to enjoy it. It is an absolutely mental book talking about the degradation of Sol's life, identity and spirit! Jewish identity is discussed in a way I have never seen before. I think the discussion of what it is to be a Jew that made me feel like I shouldn't enjoy it, as well, not being Jewish, am I allowed to find such things entertaining and funny? Does it make me anti-Semitic? Or is it ok because the author is Jewish...Hmmmmmm, I am struggling with this one a bit!

Mother is a wonderful character! She's my favourite character in this book. I want to be a mental old lady like her doing mental shit just because you can!! The attic resident was also most incredible...however, I will not say anything more about them as I don't want to spoil it! All I want to say though is that the attic resident was beautifully constructed and developed throughout.

I don't know if this book will be for everyone, it's totally outrageous and uncomfortable but fascinating allllllll at once. Defo give it a go if you come across it though as I would like to hear more opinions!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

:-p

Friday 5 April 2013

Review: Mayhem

Publisher: Jo Fletcher
Price: £ 14.99

Ahhhh, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah how you make my girl crush grow! Not only is this lady a cracking tweeter (@sarahpinborough) and writer of modern thrillers, but she can now write olden timey gothicy horrory thrillers!!! SP is a total babe!!

I read A Matter of Blood before I started this blog and loved it! It was modern, gritty and cutting edge. Here you are flung back in time to the days of Jack the Ripper, you are immersed in smoggy, fearful London and you don't ever want to leave! SP is bringing history and fiction together and in this book she's forced them to have dirty sex and they have produced one hell of a fantastic baby!

There are three main POVs in this book and all three voices are very distinct and the characters are fantastically developed. It is very impressive how convincingly SP writes in the male voice. There are a few other voices and characters that have a POV and they are just as stunningly constructed. I grew to love Dr Bond as the book went on. I suffered with him and felt so sorry for his mental and physical deterioration and strife. I want him to be my granddad!!!! I really really do!

The plot starts off as a thriller...your normal, gripping thriller but oh my does it take a twist you would never have expected. Once I began to see through the murk and noticed the new twist I wasn't annoyed, and I usually am by things like this. I wasn't annoyed as it was done so smoothly and it was so completely, totally and utterly right for the plot!

A bloody cracking thriller that sucks you in and spits you back out! I cannot wait for Murder!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
;-)

Monday 1 April 2013

Review: Shadow's Son

Publisher: Gollancz
Price: £ 12.99

Fantasy and magic and murder here we come! BOOM! Mummy Geek isn't a fan of fantasy but when she read the back of this book she declared that she would like to read it! A BREAK THROUGH!

Now, on with the review. I thoroughly enjoyed the political dealings and the intrigue that was created due to it the politics. It was amazing and enthralling and leads the book down a very different path from the one you expect. The political plot is hugely intelligent and not at all what I was expecting. The action rocks, totally rocks and it makes Caim a serious dude! 

The evil/bad guys are a tad cliche but they are a great contrast and are indeed perfect villains. Josey was a bit hit or miss depending on what she was doing and what she was up to. However, I believe that as this book is a trilogy or a series or something, so I would be delighted to see how she develops, 

As JS, the author, is American I couldn't help but feel like Othir is an old school New York.....a very old school New York. As a location it was brilliant and really worked. 

A weird thought...when sweat breaks out under Caim's arms, I began to think about deodorant and if people actually had anything such as that in the olden days. I appear to have odd thoughts indeed! 

Anyway, cracking read, not overly fantasy if that's not your thing but it has enough to keep you on track if it is! Great action and intelligent plot!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
;-)